It's go time.

[Cgilbert23]

Just for my own curiosity though, how does one calculate their base metabolism rate ?

I just used a website to get it. I know it's not dead on, more of a guideline.

[Cgilbert23]

I don't use it in clinical practice, though some people will. I'm just not comfortable, because it's so hit or miss, mostly miss.

So what is the most accurate way to do it, if I may ask?

[Boss Man]

Here's a way to simplify your caloric intake.

Based on your current weight, bodyweight x 10.

You've got enough there to meet the 2,000 a day requirement and around another 400 for exercise.

With a decent Protein intake of around 30-40% total daily calories, 720-960 calories, 180-240g Protein, you'll be able to start building muscle, but when you start getting more muscle, every lb you get, will burn an added 45-50 calories, so when you hit yout target, then start adding more calories in, because initially it would be about altering muscle to fat ratio, before you go for solid mass gain.

[Cgilbert23]

Here's a way to simplify your caloric intake.

Based on your current weight, bodyweight x 10.

You've got enough there to meet the 2,000 a day requirement and around another 400 for exercise.

With a decent Protein intake of around 30-40% total daily calories, 720-960 calories, 180-240g Protein, you'll be able to start building muscle, but when you start getting more muscle, every lb you get, will burn an added 45-50 calories, so when you hit yout target, then start adding more calories in, because initially it would be about altering muscle to fat ratio, before you go for solid mass gain.

This is different than anything I personally have ever heard, I'm not disagreeing with you because admittedly, I'm a layman when it comes to body composition and what technique is more efficient when it comes to losing weight.

I have always heard that if fat loss is truly your goal (which mine is at the moment) than the best (read, most efficient) way to do it is to put yourself in a caloric deficit (700-500cals per day) and to do "maintenance resistance training" to preserve the muscle mass that one already has, so as to not lose it along with fat during your caloric deficit phase. I understand what you're saying, in that, once I have more muscle mass, I will be burning more calories than I am now, but this seems like it would take longer to achieve than say, cutting your body fat down initially while preserving, not building muscle, until you got to a point where you would be able to build only muscle through upping your protein/caloric intake and increasing the intensity of the weight training?

The above paragraph is just what I've learned in the past couple of years, I'm not saying it's gospel and I'm definitely open to new ideas.

[Bonnie]

Well from personal experience over the last 18 months or so, I don't think maintenance lifting & cutting calories back is beneficial.Your body needs a certain base amount just for functionality purposes.It has taken me quite awhile to build up to eating even 1850 calories per day & I should eat more, but without eating processed foods it isn't easy to do.IF you cut your calories back severely enough the body will say "WAIT" he is trying to starve us, believe me when I say the the brakes will slam down on any further fat % loss.Not necessarily weight loss, muscle, water etc.In my opinion one needs to work out hard & eat A LOT to lose body fat percentage.Just my thoughts

[Bonnie]

Well admittedly I do tinker with my calorie intake on cardio & off days, due to the fact that I use less energy.So you girls are saying cutting ones calories back below a basic functioning level is okay, really for anyone ?

[Boss Man]

What I will say CG, is that there is not a "one size fits all", approach to weight loss. However initially muscle gain and Fat loss can go hand in hand for the reasoning I gave you relating to muscle burning fat via enhanced Metabolic function.

Yes the basic model has been for years, "calories in versus calories out," so you should create a deficeit, but if the amount quoted by me, is already less than it used to be for you, then you're already creating a deficeit, but if you eat too low and try to exercises, as Les pointed out the body will create a "starvation mode", because the body requires some level of calories to function normally and needs some extra calories to burn when you exercise, so you've enough left to fulfill the bodies needs.

Another symptom of eating too low calories, is reduce Micronutrient levels. You eat too few things like Calcium, Vit K2, Magnesium, Phospherous, Vit D, Copper etc etc that help with bones, you could thin the bones end up with something like Osteopenia, (thinning bones), a condition slap bang between Osteoperosis and healthy bone condition and then exercising could logically increase fracture risk, if bones are thinner and therefore could become less tolerent to stresses and pressures exerted on them.

So you do need enough calories, to help your body function properly and then some extra to burn in my opinion.

I can't tell you what I said is a guaranteed magic bullet, as like I say one size fits all is not a general maxim, or a works for the majority thing, but I would say consider what I suggested and if you think it's workable, give it a go for about 4-8 weeks and see what happens.

[Cgilbert23]

Thanks everyone for weighing in..for those worried about my calorie intake I will admit some days it is a bit low but as bonnie said, its hard for me to eat that many "clean" calories so I feel like I'm eating enough. I keep a pretty sharp eye on my daily allowance of calcium, vitamins, protein, fat, sodium, sugars, etc...so I'm not particularly worried about thinning bones and things of that sort. This is working for me at the minute so I'm gonna stick with it, when it stops working, ill reevaluate and switch things up if need be. Sorry for the long paragraph, this is from my phone.

[Cgilbert23]

I weighed in last night at 238.0, BF% dropped 2 points since first measurements and BMI is down considerably as well. We did a chest workout before weighing in and then went home and had home made pasta! It was awful for me I'm sure but I haven't eaten anything like that in a while and it really hit the spot, guess you gotta treat yourself now and then.

[Boss Man]

Don't apologise for anything. You have to be 100% comfortable about all or part of what we say, otherwise don't do it. We can only guide and support, not force and insist; the latter two not being behaviour we use here, though on occasion may appear to be using, unintentionally of course.

[Cgilbert23]

Things have been going well for me, sorry I haven't been posting that often. I've upped my calorie intake a bit since my last post, I think that the initial fat dump is over now and I've been having to work a bit harder to see the lbs go down. My last post I was at 238, today I weighed 230, so still going in the right direction, although a bit slower than I had hoped.

I'm really excited to break into the 220's again, planning on running about 4 miles tonight so that should get me down in there finally! I find that if I go really hard for a month, then dial it back a notch for the next month it makes it a bit more tolerable than going balls to the wall the entire time.

I still haven't managed to quit smoking.

[Boss Man]

Don't apologise for anything. It's all about how you live your life, no whether we get to know or not. This site will be here for a long time to come hopefully, so unless you walk away from us, we won't walk away from you .

[Cgilbert23]

thanks Bossman,

Down to 226 this morning, gonna try to step it back up a notch for the next couple of weeks, keep things interesting.

[Cgilbert23]

I've been on vacation for the last week, and I told myself that I was just going to eat whatever I wanted and not worry about it until I got home, well I'm home now so I'm worrying about it, lol. My weight at the moment is bouncing between 218-225 depending on the day, I'm sick of running all the time and am wanting to incorporate more weights into the equation, I had been doing cardio 3 days a week and resistance training 2 days with a free day sunday and light exercise on saturdays. I still want to weigh less, but when it comes down to it I don't really care what I weigh as long as I feel good about how I look...shallow right?

In any case I am looking for someone with a bit more experience than I have to tell me whether it would be prudent for me to start lifting more than cardio and adjust my diet to eat a bit more, or to continue what I've been doing, cardio 3 times a week, and RT the other 2 days, while eating at a modest 1400, or to up the calories and lift more...I know this is all vague and there's probably no correct answer, I guess I'm just looking for someone to tell me what to do cause I'm feeling a bit lost at the moment.

Cheers!

[Boss Man]

Switch the weights and cardio. 3 days weights 2 days cardio.

So something like this.

Day 1. Weights

Day 2. Cardio

Day 3. Weights

Day 4. Day off

Day 5. Cardio

Day 6. Weights

Day 7. Day off.

You're basically use on the weights day a workout covering all the muscles. Lifts like Deadlifts, Squats, Bench Press, Chins, Cleans, Planks etc etc, can be inorporated with maybe a bit of direct stuff like E-Z Bar Curls, Pressdowns etc.

Calories are way too low. 2,000 a day for sedentary males and more for active ones.

You should ideally be aiming for around 2,300-2,500 as a base point. Eating more than that at this stage, would just create more excess calorie to Fat conversion, so don't eat like a 190lb lean bodybuilder, eat more like a 150lb dude who's got less than a years lifting under his belt.

Eating big calories when your body does't need them would just pile on some more Fat with muscle, the extra calorie to fat storage amounts, diminishing over time when you got stronger and needed more calories, but you'd find the Fat harder to shift at a later stage than put on and because 1lb of muscle helps to burn approximately another 45-50 calories, there's no need to be counterproductive by overeating to bulk.

You can always add a modest amount of calories in, when you're stalling on progress and ready for them.

Ideally i'd reccomend another 300 a day, for increases, which could be 50 a meal if you eat 6 times a day.

You'd do it thusly.

Option 1. 5g protein, 5g Carbs, 1g Fat, (49 calories).

Option 2. 5g Carbs, 3-4g Fat, (47-56 calories approx).

If you were consuming 1.2g per lb bodyweight Protein, certainly no more than 1.5g max, then you could go for option 2, otherwise use option 1.

For now, calories need bumping up. I'd say add an amount of calories in roughly equal to 2x option 1 and 1x option 2 to ever meal if that makes sense, so you're having another 150 calories per meal, if you're eating 6 times a day that is.

Alternatively if you're eating about 5 times, add about 100 calories per meal in, with a 1x option 1 and 1x option 2 ratio, then insert another 400 calorie meal with a 4x option 1 and 4x option 2 ratio.

Hopefully that makes sense, the last part especially.

A Gym instructor if needs, be would be beneficial for the TBT workout on the weights, to structure it better and flesh out specifics like reps, sets etc, as I've just skimmed the basics on this occasion.