Dieting Concerns...

[Seth]

I've struggled with my weight a lot my entire life. I was never big, just bigger than I should be. About 7 years ago I did Atkins with fantastic success and kept the weight off for a few years. After moving back to Virginia, my wife got pregnant and I started eating. Gained back about 25 of the 40 I'd lost. Since then I've struggled and have basically plateaued.

I recently took a cold look at my dieting habits and calorie consumption and was more than a little shocked at how much I was really eating. So I went on a traditional calorie limiting diet and focused on eating the right foods. The weight is shedding FAST.

That makes me nervous. I've dropped almost 8# in a week. Eating about 1800 calories per day, give or take. Mostly lean meats, fruits and vegs.

Is this a crash waiting to happen or can I actually retrain my brain to eat less and be satisfied?

[Jadeslade]

Diet analysis is key and you have done that. Everyone has something in their diet that really puts the calorie count up. Coffee creamer, peanut butter, soda, and the like. Atkins is a good weight loss diet-you need to make sure you take vitamins and such like-check out JakeDivita's stuff. Basically, you are on a diet for life. You will be able to stay with it-you shoot IPSC -right?

Edited September 17, 2009 by Jadeslade

[R.Elliott]

I've struggled with my weight a lot my entire life. I was never big, just bigger than I should be. About 7 years ago I did Atkins with fantastic success and kept the weight off for a few years. After moving back to Virginia, my wife got pregnant and I started eating. Gained back about 25 of the 40 I'd lost. Since then I've struggled and have basically plateaued.

I recently took a cold look at my dieting habits and calorie consumption and was more than a little shocked at how much I was really eating. So I went on a traditional calorie limiting diet and focused on eating the right foods. The weight is shedding FAST.

That makes me nervous. I've dropped almost 8# in a week. Eating about 1800 calories per day, give or take. Mostly lean meats, fruits and vegs.

Is this a crash waiting to happen or can I actually retrain my brain to eat less and be satisfied?

I'm no expert but 1800 sounds low, so I'd be concerned about dropping muscle mass. I know I couldn't live on it and I've been dropping weight lately as well....probably closer to 3000 calories for me and a pound and a half per week averaged out over about fifteen weeks so far. But it would depend on a lot of factors like activity levels, size, etc. An 8# loss in a week is quite a lot, and if it's all fat that means somehow you are creating a 28000 calorie deficit (3500 calories per pound), so my guess is some of it is initial water loss and the rate of drop will slow to a more reasonable level soon. If you don't feel uncomfortably hungry most of the time you are probably taking in what you need.

[XRe]

That makes me nervous. I've dropped almost 8# in a week. Eating about 1800 calories per day, give or take. Mostly lean meats, fruits and vegs.

Its amazing what a diet that's hormonally compatible with not storing fat will do, isn't it? To a point, though, starving will do it, too...

Is this a crash waiting to happen or can I actually retrain my brain to eat less and be satisfied?

First off, weight doesn't matter on its own (and ignore BMI, which is basically just Looney Tunes). Body fat percentage is a much better indicator for progress. Google up some ways to figure out yours - some are more accurate than others, but that doesn't matter so much. Just pick one and use it consistently. Use the same scale, too, and weigh at the same time of day. This allows you to monitor body composition - ie, how much lean mass you have vs. how much fat. Its not necessarily a bad thing to lose lean mass - it depends on your goal. For most folks, though, the goal is to lose fat mass, and not lean.

1800 is probably a little low, but in some respects, what you're eating to get those calories is more important than the calorie intake, itself. How do you feel all day? Are you constantly hungry, or not? When you finish eating, are you stuffed, or just no longer hungry, or still feeling really hungry? What does an average day of eating look like? Do you know the size/weight of your portions? What kind of exercise are you doing, and how sore are you remaining afterwards, if at all? How's your energy level throughout the day? Are you eating in 3 bigger meals, or breaking it up into more smaller meals?

Sounds like you're eating reasonably in terms of the types of food you're getting - I would bet you need to add a fat source in there (nuts, avocado, that sort of thing). That will jump your caloric intake a bunch, without adding bulk - and also without adding weight to your body (no... eating fat will not cause you to store fat... to a point, anyway).

Edit to fix a typo

Edited September 17, 2009 by XRe

[Dan Burwell]

Seth, what is your height, weight, and age? with that info we can estimate your daily needs.

if you want a good book that tells it like it is about weightloss check out Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto. That book has signifigantly changed my eating habits, my body, and my life.

of yeah absolutly agree with XRE body fat is the enemy not weight. using something to estimate body fat and tracking the loss of it is very important that way you know where your weight loss is coming from...Fat vs Muscle.

Good luck.

[reneet]

Got me interested in finding out my body fat % and found this website in the process. Looks like a lot of great tools and information. Can any of you fitness gurus tell me if this information is valid or BS?

[Dan Burwell]

Got me interested in finding out my body fat % and found this website in the process. Looks like a lot of great tools and information. Can any of you fitness gurus tell me if this information is valid or BS?

probably the worst way to measure body fat especially if you have some muscle next worse is the scales. better than nothing but not very accurate. they best way to do it at home is one of these http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/ they are $15 at GNC and I think work better than the digital ones. Now they are not 100% accurate to true body fat % but they are probably the best for tracking your results on your own.

[Seth]

I haven't done a BMI yet, but it ain't pretty. I'm at about 199# at 5' 9" tall. I did work in manufacturing for a long while and I'm not weak. I also have been religious about the stairmaster and basic excercise for about 2 years.

I'm hungry (and eating) all day. I'm doing about 6 'feedings' (they sure as hell ain't meals) a day. A basic dinner would be a chicken thigh and a green veg. with serious portion control.

Mostly I'm concerned its coming off to easily. Might be a good thing...

[outerlimits]

proper diet for 3 gun...

[Seth]

That about 3000 calories?

[Pat Miles]

proper diet for 3 gun...

Okay, which of those is for the pistol, shotgun and then rifle?

Adios,

Pat

[R.Elliott]

proper diet for 3 gun...

Oooh....look at all that fiber!

[XRe]

I haven't done a BMI yet, but it ain't pretty. I'm at about 199# at 5' 9" tall. I did work in manufacturing for a long while and I'm not weak. I also have been religious about the stairmaster and basic excercise for about 2 years.

Dude, I'm 5'9", weigh 205, at 15% body fat (last time I was measured). I am by no means fat. 199 @ 5'9" does not mean bad things, necessarily.... At my lightest since starting the fitness regimen, I was 185 @ about 13%. I've put on a good amount of lean muscle, plus some fat weight since then (went through some thyroid issues that didn't help in there).

I'm hungry (and eating) all day. I'm doing about 6 'feedings' (they sure as hell ain't meals) a day. A basic dinner would be a chicken thigh and a green veg. with serious portion control.

Yeah, you need some good fats in there. And, a chicken thigh might be too small a portion of protein. And... you can eat a lot of green veg, typically, without issue... Like, get this... A well portioned meal might be 5 ounces of boneless chicken (white or dark, doesn't matter...), 3 cups of broccoli, a medium size salad (say, 3 cups spinach, some tomato, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper) + olive oil and vinegar dressing (2/3 teaspon olive oil, 1 1/3 teaspoon vinegar), and a whole avocado. That's a LOT of food, man.

Personally, I eat more fruit than green veg for a lot of smaller meals, because I don't feel like I'm having to eat a whole garden to get enough carbs... And, while I eat 6 times a day, most of them are a little less than half the size of that meal above... But, was just offering an example of much green veg goes into something like that....

Not getting enough (good) fat in the diet will trigger that hunger response in a big way Avocado, nuts, good oils (EVOO is great stuff), etc... You can even go so far as to trade out fats for carbs, if you really get into dialing your stuff in well...

Mostly I'm concerned its coming off to easily. Might be a good thing...

If you're staying hungry as heck all the time, you probably want to eat more - at least to the point that you stop feeling hungry (but well short of "full").

One method of eating - its really a portion control method - that a lot of folks I know follow is called The Zone. Its kind of anal retentive, to some extent, but it works - and it dials the hormonal response together really well. There are tweaks to it, etc, but the basic program is a good way to get started. I've never felt hungry while following it, I have a lot of energy all the time, and I never have a blood sugar spike/crash.

Anyhow, sounds like you're eating the right kinds of stuff, just maybe a little bit too little. There's a lot of research showing now that caloric restriction can be a good thing for a lot of reasons - but you're going a little farther than most

Be interesting to see if Jake chimes in here and what he thinks - he's a little more up on this stuff than I am...

[Seth]

I'm restricting total calories predominantly for the weight loss. My research indicated that I needed to be 500 cal off of my base maintenance intake (should apparently be a balanced 2300) to accommodate the desired loss.

I appreciate your help and expertise.

[XRe]

I'm restricting total calories predominantly for the weight loss. My research indicated that I needed to be 500 cal off of my base maintenance intake (should apparently be a balanced 2300) to accommodate the desired loss.

I appreciate your help and expertise.

Just curious - where'd you research? Everything I've seen suggests that I "should" be consuming closer to 3000 calories, which seems a little laughable, but...

I should say, I'm not an expert - I'm just sharing my experience

[Seth]

Errornet.

[XRe]

Errornet.

There's good info out there. There's also a lot of supposition, rumor, and... well, flat out misinformation. Certainly, limiting caloric intake will cause you to lose weight - not always in the way you want, though. Eating to lose weight doesn't have to be painful, if you eat the right foods (which it sounds like you are). It requires some control, of course...

See what happens if you add in some fat to that mix, per above - it should help with the hunger, at least. Be happy to send you some other resources, if you want 'em...

[Putty]

I have been crossfitting daily for 3 years (with rest days of course) and still 5'10" and 205. I have tried zone dieting etc. to no avail in losing fat. I have also added woodway workouts for pure cardio hell, one hour per day. Getting close to 50 yo so that may be a big factor metabolism wise. I would pay a great deal of money to have someone figure out my problem. I still eat a zone based diet and have added protein shakes to supplement and noticed my soreness decreasing and my strength go way up, but still cant lose that love handle. I dont eat dairy, sugar or drink alcohol . Had extensive blood work done to determine thyroid possible issues but all comes up normal. Acceptance is a lonely road.....

[Viggen]

I've struggled with my weight a lot my entire life. I was never big, just bigger than I should be. About 7 years ago I did Atkins with fantastic success and kept the weight off for a few years. After moving back to Virginia, my wife got pregnant and I started eating. Gained back about 25 of the 40 I'd lost. Since then I've struggled and have basically plateaued.

I recently took a cold look at my dieting habits and calorie consumption and was more than a little shocked at how much I was really eating. So I went on a traditional calorie limiting diet and focused on eating the right foods. The weight is shedding FAST.

That makes me nervous. I've dropped almost 8# in a week. Eating about 1800 calories per day, give or take. Mostly lean meats, fruits and vegs.

Is this a crash waiting to happen or can I actually retrain my brain to eat less and be satisfied?

What you are generally following would be along the lines of the Paleo Diet. Great way to go.

Lots of information available.

The basics as you roughly outlined: eat lean meats, veggies, fruit, avoid all grains, sugar, and potatos.

[Jake Di Vita]

I have been crossfitting daily for 3 years (with rest days of course) and still 5'10" and 205. I have tried zone dieting etc. to no avail in losing fat. I have also added woodway workouts for pure cardio hell, one hour per day. Getting close to 50 yo so that may be a big factor metabolism wise. I would pay a great deal of money to have someone figure out my problem. I still eat a zone based diet and have added protein shakes to supplement and noticed my soreness decreasing and my strength go way up, but still cant lose that love handle. I dont eat dairy, sugar or drink alcohol . Had extensive blood work done to determine thyroid possible issues but all comes up normal. Acceptance is a lonely road.....

If you have been CrossFitting daily for 3 years and don't have the fat loss you want, it IS your nutrition. Not maybe - it definitely is.

Take a week and record everything that you eat or drink (unless it's water or black coffee, etc) and email it to me. Let's see if we can figure this out.

Seth,

I like what I'm seeing a lot. Like XRe said, don't forget to add in the fats! Make sure you supplement with a good amount of Omega 3's as well.

There is definitely something to be said about a restricted caloric diet - especially when it comes to longevity. That being said, don't kill yourself. For myself I like to tweak it to I'm a little heavy on the protein and fat and a little light on the carbs. I'm about 5'8, 160. CrossFitting at least 3 on 1 off. I'm eating around 16 blocks a day totally around 1800 calories. For the most part I'm not hungry and the biggest indicator (recovery) is still at an all time high.

You'll know when you aren't eating enough. You'll have problems thinking, getting your mind off food, be grumpy, and always tired. So I'd say play with it a bit...if it's working for you like it sounds like it is, add some omega 3's and bump up the fat a bit and see how you feel.

I definitely wouldn't be worried about the 8 pounds. I went from about 172 to 160 in a little over a week. As long as performance is getting better - you're doing it right. When performance starts to suffer, we need to look back and figure out why. This is a real good reason to keep a food log.

[Chris Conley]

Even though I have never had a weight issue (don't take that the wrong way) dieting is still a big concern for me. I have to eat right for proper muscle growth and energy. Thru proper diet I started to see some real results and I can tell that being 40 I don't put muscle on like I used to. Granted I don't get a chance to shoot many matches to see if it's making a difference in my shooting but all in all I'm in the best "overall" shape in in life.

Seth, Jake and Dave will steer you in the right direction. Good read fellas and keep training hard.

Chris C.

Edited September 23, 2009 by Chris Conley