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Group: Specific Diets & Nutrition

Do smaller calories make up for fat?

SpiritOfThings Posts: 58 Joined: 2007/01/18	2007/01/19, 07:37 PM According to the F.T. "guideline", I'm allowed roughly 3,300 calories per day. I finished the day at roughly 1,600. Not bad for me. Carbs about 535, I ended up with 77. Proteins 214, I finished with 158. However, fat was my downfal. I'm allowed 41, finished with 72. I know I can get it lower, but as long as the calories are that low, should I not be "so concerned"? My mistake is checking the figures AFTER I eat it! Old habits are hard to break, I guess.
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2007/01/19, 09:07 PM Your calories are plenty low...no worries about a few grams of fat. Fat loss comes from a caloric deficit, and by your post you surely achieved such. -------------- "If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/19, 09:48 PM If your a Male then 1600 is way too low. If your a Female 1600 might be low or right on. 535 Carbs is ridiculous and this sites nutrition spit-out is way off. I'm a male and my last 5 days have averaged out to this: Calories 2424 Fat 70 Carbs 174 Protien 257 -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
SpiritOfThings Posts: 58 Joined: 2007/01/18	2007/01/20, 02:49 PM Gentlemen, thank you for the responses. I'm a male, not sure why my profile doesn't say that. SF, my main goal is to lose weight. Is 1,600 still too low? And is there a more accurate guideline that I should follow? Again, thanks for the replies!
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/20, 02:59 PM 1600 is a girls diet and yes way too low for a male. Do you know what you currently average in total of food and drink in the last 7 days? -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/20, 03:04 PM How much do you weight, how tall and age but also how active are you? This may help get you started but I must say No method of calculations have worked to a tee for me I have had to just pay attention and calculate from the point where my body starts to gain and then lower from there. The Katch-McArdle formula accounts for LBM, this single formula applies equally to both men and women and it is the most accurate method of determining your daily calorie needs. BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg) Example: You are male You weigh 172 lbs (78 kilos) Your body fat percentage is 14% (24.1 lbs fat, 147.9 lbs lean) Your lean mass is 147.9 lbs (67.2 kilos) Your BMR = 370 + (21.6 X 67.2) = 1821 calories Activity factor Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise, desk job) Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) Mod. active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) Extr. Active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2 X day training, marathon, football camp, contest, etc.) -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2007/01/20, 04:57 PM I would say 2236 calories would be good to aim for. That is 13 cal per pound. Try that for a couple of weeks and see if you get results. If not, take off a few more calories. And remember, you have to have burn more then you take in. -------------- A little discipline at the table and at the gym might help reduce that belly! Ivan Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/20, 05:02 PM The 172 is just an example weight to show how The Katch-McArdle formula works! ============ Quoting from carivan: I would say 2236 calories would be good to aim for. That is 13 cal per pound. Try that for a couple of weeks and see if you get results. If not, take off a few more calories. And remember, you have to have burn more then you take in. ============= -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2007/01/20, 05:41 PM If you have no contest or 'drop dead date' as I like to call it(photo shoot, etc.), then you need not torture yourself either. Burning more than you take in can be a misconception to many folks. Dieting does not have to be so radical. In fact this normally leads to failure. So, burning more than you take in does not have to be on a daily basis. Averaged over weeks, even months if you want to make it that long does quite well. In fact, the slower the better. Using myself as an example, some days I eat more than I should. More often on others I watch very closely what I eat. Train frequently. I started this regimine in June, and now through 7+ months have dropped 10 lbs. of bodyfat with what I percieve as no muscle loss. Strength is still identical. This is much the way to go. Hard core fat loss usually leads to muscle loss as well, as with for instance contest training. Steady hard dieting will lead to hormone imbalances, and the body fighting you every step of the way, and doomed to failure. Be smart with your dieting, and you will 'gain' from it. -------------- "If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
SpiritOfThings Posts: 58 Joined: 2007/01/18	2007/01/21, 03:44 PM Again, thank you for all the responses. They are EXTREMELY helpful. I'm 213 lbs, 6 ft. 1. At the beginning of January, I weighed 219. No, no contest at all. Just like a lot of people on here, it's that spare tire thing I'm aiming to get rid of, but to add some muscle as well. I don't really excercise (but I start tomorrow with the FT workout).
SpiritOfThings Posts: 58 Joined: 2007/01/18	2007/01/21, 03:53 PM SF, I'm 38 btw... and no, I don't know my average in the last 7 days. I've only been paying attention for 3 now. Sorry I missed those questions.
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/21, 04:11 PM For me I would start with 2200 and if in 3 weeks I see no drop then go down too 2000. The very lowest you should go is 1800 although when I was injured so bad that I was basically on my rump for about 5 weeks I went lower then that. Yesterday I hit over 2700 day before that 2350 so it's like BB1 said you can and I believe need too over do it but clean as possible but this is the day to have them extra snacks of the bad kind. I may go 2 to 3 weeks straight of staying tight on my diet and go 1 or 2 days over or I may go over once a week. For me it's about the averaging it out and as long as I keep it intake and my numbers good in the long run then I'm fine but you have to be strong to do this as for many are to weak and once they have a over the top day they may not turn back. What works best for me is a calculator and it tells me my averages from 2 days to 31 and I use the 5 day method to see if I have gained lost or stayed the same and ajust from there. Your #'s will not stay the same and will always change! -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2007/01/21, 04:38 PM Once you get to know portion control(sizes), diet is relatively easy to control. This is where in the beginning it is highly useful to write down your dietary intake each day, portion size at each meal(p/c/f for each item). -------------- "If it ain't broke, you aren't trying."
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/01/21, 05:12 PM I can vouch for this part... ============ Quoting from bb1fit: Steady hard dieting will lead to hormone imbalances..... =============
conan_0822 Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/11/23	2007/01/21, 08:44 PM I thought that if you cut back calories too severley that you run the great risk of burning muscle as well as fat? Am I wrong?
SFGiantsMVP Posts: 1,533 Joined: 2005/12/04	2007/01/21, 09:02 PM This is why I creep down slowly as I also creep it up slowly. To fast either way isn't good IMO, why spend a hard year getting healthy and lean just to go on a overdose bulk for a few months just to gain all what you lost back. Old school thinking is extreme changes new school is to adjust slowly. ============ Quoting from conan_0822: I thought that if you cut back calories too severley that you run the great risk of burning muscle as well as fat? Am I wrong? ============= -------------- Knock-Um Down & Keep-Um Down!