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Does My Diet Suck?


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This is included in my introduction, but I thought I would put it here as well....

 

I'm afraid my diet isn't doing me any favors. It has worked well for me in dropping pounds (I've lost 83 pounds over the last year), but I really want to lean out, and just start shedding the little body fat that is left. I would love some pointers...

 

My Current Stats: Male, 165lbs, 18% body fat, 5'7", 33 years.

Current Goal: 10% body fat, or less.

Routine: 4x/week, heavy weights, functional training.

 

Food:

Meal 1: 3.5oz apple, 1 cup oatmeal, cinnamon - 352.5 cals

Meal 2: Approx 7oz apple - 100 cals (+- 5)

Meal 3: 6oz grilled tofu, 6oz steamed broccoli - 320 cals

Meal 4: Two slices Ezekiel bread, 0.7oz peanut butter - 276.9 cals

Meal 5: 6oz grilled tofu, 6oz steamed broccoli - 320 cals

Pre-Workout Snack: Fruit - 50-75 cals

Meal 6: Mixed fruit (watermelon, cherries, peaches, etc.) - 170cals

 

Macros:

 

Cals - Approx 1600 - 1700 per day (Calculators say my maintenance is ~ 2700; I'm still cutting!)

Protein - Approx 100g

Carbs - Approx 220g

Fat - Approx 50g

 

I do allow myself a cheat meal, and some beers (maybe 4), once per week; I always put that on a day where I do my longest, and most intense workout.

 

Thanks for any insight!

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  • 1 month later...

Your calorie intake is low compared to what your maintenance level is supposed to be. So that is puzzling.

 

I don't know anything about diets for reducing fat to very low levels but you might try increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Very often, people who go to the gym or who train regularly spend most of the rest of the time sitting down: at work, on the way to work, at home. Most of us need to move more and move more often. If this applies to you, going for a walk on your non-training days - if your legs aren't too sore - could help you lose a few more pounds of fat. Or walking on your training days. A quite vigorous walk rather than a stroll. But not necessarily Olympic gold medal-standard race walking.

 

I spend quite a lot of time sitting. I get up from the computer every now and again and do some squats, pull ups, dips, or various vigorous things. Not to failure - more greasing-the-groove style to increase my NEAT. I do the same when I am watching television and the advertisements come on. I might walk up and down the stairs three times and do some pull ups at the top of the stairs each time. It's not recommended to do these things on long bus journeys, though.

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Your calorie intake is low compared to what your maintenance level is supposed to be. So that is puzzling.

 

I don't know anything about diets for reducing fat to very low levels but you might try increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). Very often, people who go to the gym or who train regularly spend most of the rest of the time sitting down: at work, on the way to work, at home. Most of us need to move more and move more often. If this applies to you, going for a walk on your non-training days - if your legs aren't too sore - could help you lose a few more pounds of fat. Or walking on your training days. A quite vigorous walk rather than a stroll. But not necessarily Olympic gold medal-standard race walking.

 

I spend quite a lot of time sitting. I get up from the computer every now and again and do some squats, pull ups, dips, or various vigorous things. Not to failure - more greasing-the-groove style to increase my NEAT. I do the same when I am watching television and the advertisements come on. I might walk up and down the stairs three times and do some pull ups at the top of the stairs each time. It's not recommended to do these things on long bus journeys, though.

 

Hey, thanks for your response. I've been keeping my calories below my maintenance level in order to drop some pounds (trying to get down to about 160). I'll admit I am a bit lost on my macros with respect to fat loss, without muscle loss. I would really like to cut my body fat % down to the 8 - 10% range; or at least until I can see some definition in my abs. Any advice you might have would be appreciated.

 

Thanks for the info on NEAT. I do sit at a computer all day, so I will take your tips and apply them as often as possible. I definitely notice that my legs get very agitated toward the end of the day; such that my concentration on work is nearly impossible. I usually mitigate by standing at my desk, but I should take your advice and walk around for a bit. I trained legs yesterday at home, and noticed that I was pretty sore this morning, so I walked to the train instead of catching the bus like normal. Thankfully, it was nice and cool out. Thanks again for the info!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I don't know what else to suggest. I still find it puzzling about the calories. Are you sure the calorie calculator you use gives the right answer? If they are accurate, perhaps your body has gone into some sort of starvation mode and is conserving as much energy as possible. I doubt that, though, because you wouldn't have much energy to spare for exercising. Increasing your NEAT might be the answer. Good luck!

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Thanks for the reply again. I've actually since increased my caloric intake, as I think you were right about possible starvation. I arrived at a point where I was actually unable to finish some of my workouts, or would have barely enough energy to finish. I've added in a few hundred more calories per day, and cut out almost all processed foods. Feeling much better now, and hopefully will start to see some gains in the near future.

 

Thanks again for the input.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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