NEW AGE DIETING. (for those slightly out of shape)

[Traintosucceed]

Everyday there are more and more advances being made in the dieting and nutrition field, some good and some bad. Due to inclement weather conditions that have me house bound for the day I feel it is necessary to take this time and provide the people of this forum with the new age way of FITNESS dieting. I say FITNESS dieting because that is exactly the image I have for the Canadian Forces and its people, the fitness elite of our great country, because lets face it, the Canada's guide to nutrition isn't exactly updated on a regular basis (if you all remember those charts we seen in school, they have pretty much remained the same over the years). So without further ado, lets get on with the show!

The following will allow you to calculate the number of calories you burn daily based on you activity level. Its is broken into 2 steps. The first step is your BMR (basal metabolic rate), this is the number of calories you burn daily doing no activity whatsoever. The method shown here is the Harris-Benedict Formula. The second step uses your BMR along with constants based on your daily activity level to calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).

Step 1
Calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate):

Men: BMR = 66 + (13.7 x weight in kg) + (5 x height in cm) - (6.8 x age in years)

Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

Remember 1 inch = 2.54cm and 2.2 lbs = 1 kg.

Step 2
Calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This will tell you the average number of calories you burn based on your BMR and your daily activity level.

Sedentary = BMR X 1.2 (little or no exercise and a desk or still standing job)
Lightly active = BMR X 1.375 (light exercise or sports one to three times per week)
Moderately active = BMR X 1.55 (moderate exercise or sports three to five times per week)
Very active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise or sports six to seven times per week)
Extremely active = BMR X 1.9 (hard daily exercise or sports and a physical job, or twice a day training for an athletic event such as for a marathon or intense competition)

So the figure you come up with will be the average number of calories you burn daily. This number is crucial so you can adjust caloric intake in order to bulk (add mass) or cut (reduce body-fat) or even to maintain if that is your goal. Remember this will only be as accurate as the data you put in as well as how honestly you assess your daily activity level.

How many meals per day should I eat?

This is a highly debated topic in the fitness community. Some people can eat 1 large meal/day and get great results. Some fast for several hours/day, then go through a feeding phase. For the purpose of this article, stick with the generally accepted standard of 6 to 8 smaller meals per day. I try and keep my meals about 3 hours apart. If you can only do 2 hours apart, do it.

How many calories should I eat?

So your TDEE is 2500. You know that if you eat 2500 calories per day, you should maintain your weight. You also know that dropping calories too low is a terrible idea. So, what is the answer? The fact is, there is no set answer as we are all different. However, the general rule of thumb is to start with a deficit of 300-500 calories. You will need to monitor yourself closely and continue to adjust until you hit your 'sweet spot' (you'll know when you do). In my example, I'm going with a 500 calorie deficit, so daily intake will be 2000 calories per day.

I've figured out my TDEE, but have no idea how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats I should eat to reach that number?!

For the sample diet, we're going with a TDEE of 2500 calories, with a 500 calorie deficit.  The diet will be 2000 calories a day. There are countless macro percentage splits (macros = macro nutrients, the stuff that makes up your food, i.e. protein, carbohydrates, and fats), but a widely accepted starting point is 40% protein, 40% carbohydrates, and 20% fats, shortened to 40/40/20. So 40% of 2000 calories = 800 calories (2000 x .40 = 800). That means 800 of your calories will come from protein, and 800 will come from carbohydrates. 20% of 2000 = 400. 400 of your calories will come from fats. Protein and carbohydrates each contain 4 calories per gram, and fats contain 9 calories per gram, therefore this diet will consist of 200g protein, 200g carbohydrates, and 45g fat.

From this point, you can play with the numbers a bit to your liking. You may want to adjust slightly to make it 250g protein, 150g carbohydrates, and 45g of fat. In so doing, the total of 2000 calories hasn't changed, only the macro split has.

I don't know how I should combine my proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. What should I eat, and when?

Great question! Now you know you'll be eating 2000 calories/day, at 40/40/20, then modified a bit to bring us to 250g protein, 150g carbohydrates, and 45g fat. In our example diet, we will break this down across 6 meals, spaced 3 hours apart.

There are plenty of opinions on when to eat what, but one that I think everybody will agree on is to have a protein source in every meal. To make our sample diet easy to follow, I am going to break our 250g protein down evenly across our 6 meals.  Remember, this is just a sample. So 250g protein / 6 meals = roughly 40g protein per meal. When the fat macro is relatively low like in our example, I would do the same - break it down evenly across all meals. So 45g fat / 6 meals = 7.5g fat per meal. That leaves us with carbohydrates.

On a diet where cutting bodyfat is the primary goal,  Keep carbohydrates focused around your high energy activity, namely, your workout. Pre and Post workout is an ideal time to consume the majority of your carbohydrates. Your first meal of the day is also a great time for carbohydrates for other reasons. The sample will have carbohydrates in meals 1, pre, and post workout. 3 meals - i.e. 150g / 3 meals = 50g carbohydrates per meal.

Even if this information helps one person I have achieved what I set out to do. I hope I posted it in the right area of the forum! I'd like to thank everyone for their time!

PS. use your head, clean foods only. You wouldn't lose the excess weight your carrying eating Oreo's and BBQ chips.

This is a compilation of data I've gathered over the span of a 2 year period from various fitness professionals that I am unable to list. I in no way take credit for the information contained, I merely put it all together in this thread for you!

 

[Sharp]

My TDEE is 1600 (rounded up; from 1593). I'm 21, weigh 170 LBS and I'm 5'10.

My daily caloric intake is 2000 calories. I eat like an obese school kid. McDonald's, Subway, and Pizza multiple times per week. Am I out of shape, overweight, obese, or do I have some sort of alien metabolism?

Why am I not 400 LBS by now?

 

[Scott]

I'm 21

You answered your own question.

Keep that diet up in to your 30's and you will be that 400 pounds. Or dead.

 

[Jarnhamar]

My fitness diet plan seems a bit much

Calories: 4,689.5
Fats: 130.5g
Protein: 416g
Carbs: 502g

 

[Tibbson]

My diet plan worked great:

1)  smaller portions;
2)  less sugars;
3)  more water:
4)  more activity.

Went from 305 down to 225.  No shakes, no calculators, no books, no special foods.

 

[ballz]

My TDEE is 1600 (rounded up; from 1593). I'm 21, weigh 170 LBS and I'm 5'10.

My daily caloric intake is 2000 calories. I eat like an obese school kid. McDonald's, Subway, and Pizza multiple times per week. Am I out of shape, overweight, obese, or do I have some sort of alien metabolism?

Why am I not 400 LBS by now?

2000 calories a day is not very much. How did you come up with that number? With your height/weight/age/gender (assuming your are a male), your basal metabolic rate is about 1800 calories. That's how many calories you would burn just by being alive for 24 hours. How did you come up with that number?

On the increasingly rare occasion that I go to McDonalds, I consume 1540 calories (Big mac, double cheese burger, med fries, med coke). So your "eating like an obese school kid" and only getting 2000 calories a day does not really add up.

 

[Traintosucceed]

My fitness diet plan seems a bit much

Calories: 4,689.5
Fats: 130.5g
Protein: 416g
Carbs: 502g

Weight, height, and age? Sounds like you got your math wrong to me.

 

[Traintosucceed]

My TDEE is 1600 (rounded up; from 1593). I'm 21, weigh 170 LBS and I'm 5'10.

My daily caloric intake is 2000 calories. I eat like an obese school kid. McDonald's, Subway, and Pizza multiple times per week. Am I out of shape, overweight, obese, or do I have some sort of alien metabolism?

Why am I not 400 LBS by now?

First, your math is wrong. You're TDEE is 2898, without any deficit at all (I used 1.55 as your rate, just being on this forum and being involved in the CF should bring you to that type of exercise regimen on a weekly basis). Second, I cannot tell you what your metabolism is, or how out or in shape you are. These are things you must first judge yourself. I merely aimed to provide people with proper information on diet and structure so they can work on any extra weight they are carrying to be better prepared. The less fat you carry the easier life in general will be. For all I know you could be 15% body fat or 8%. It's far too difficult to tell what you're lean body mass blind from the gate.

 

[Sharp]

2000 calories a day is not very much. How did you come up with that number? With your height/weight/age/gender (assuming your are a male), your basal metabolic rate is about 1800 calories. That's how many calories you would burn just by being alive for 24 hours. How did you come up with that number?

On the increasingly rare occasion that I go to McDonalds, I consume 1540 calories (Big mac, double cheese burger, med fries, med coke). So your "eating like an obese school kid" and only getting 2000 calories a day does not really add up.

I may have calculated it wrong. I did it on my phone. Switching back and forth from the calculator and the forum so I might've missed a step or BEDMAS isn't allowed on iOS 7.

Big Mac combo for lunch twice a week. Half a large pizza twice a week. Footling sub twice a week.
I don't eat breakfast and haven't done so in the past 3 years. Dinner consists of a small meal.

Obviously that's a bad thing. I should stop.

I'm gonna assume that's 2000 per day. Otherwise I'm an idiot and can't count.

 

[Journeyman]

..... just being on this forum and being involved in the CF .....

I would suggest that there's more to "being involved in the CF" than merely posting here.  Have a read of all the wannabe posts along the lines of "I'm a couch potato but once I'm in, the CF will put me in a Special Ed platoon to get me in shape, right?"

 

[Traintosucceed]

I would suggest that there's more to "being involved in the CF" than merely posting here.  Have a read of all the wannabe posts along the lines of "I'm a couch potato but once I'm in, the CF will put me in a Special Ed platoon to get me in shape, right?"

Very true, I may have over-estimated from the get go. Pardon my ignorance as I am new to the board as well. I look at any recruit as I look at myself. I'm not doing it to end up in the Special Ed platoon for 90 days.

Either way even at a sedentary rate where there is absolutely no daily activity the TDEE would of been borderline on 2200(with no deficit).

 

[Traintosucceed]

My diet plan worked great:

1)  smaller portions;
2)  less sugars;
3)  more water:
4)  more activity.

Went from 305 down to 225.  No shakes, no calculators, no books, no special foods.

I'm not saying the way you went about it was wrong, however I will say you lost more lean body mass(muscle) then necessary while doing it. The way described above will keep the loss of lean body mass(muscle) to the very minimum. There is no wrong way to reach a goal, only alternatives. What works for some doesn't work for others. Some keep it simple and have great success. Others need to get down to the details and have things fine tuned.

PS. Congratulations, a weight loss of 80lbs is something to be very proud of.

 

[ModlrMike]

I'd say there's more to healthy weight reduction that simple caloric restriction. You also need to keep your metabolic set point up so that you burn off the excess. If you simply restrict your food intake your body will go into "starvation mode" and attempt to store energy.

We are genetically engineered to gain weight in times of plenty and reduce weight loss in lean times.

Exercise is the key; primarily aerobic exercise.

 

[Traintosucceed]

I'd say there's more to healthy weight reduction that simple caloric restriction. You also need to keep your metabolic set point up so that you burn off the excess. If you simply restrict your food intake your body will go into "starvation mode" and attempt to store energy.

We are genetically engineered to gain weight in times of plenty and reduce weight loss in lean times.

Exercise is the key; primarily aerobic exercise.

I beg to differ, Heavy lifting has been proven to burn more calories(and continue to burn calories for up to 36 hours post workout) then aerobic exercise alone. A simple restriction of 200 - 500 calories combined with alternating days of weight lifting and aerobic exercise is the ideal situation. Most who go on a "diet" follow "cookie cutter" plans (something along the lines of the Insanity diet, Atkins, etc ). Dieting is not one size fits all. In the long term use of these plans can cause metabolic damage.(which are in far more deficit then 200 - 500 calories). The plan described above will have anyone eating more food then they normally do, in fact I'm willing to bet anyone will be surprised at the amount of food they will be eating.

 

[Jayrickson]

Ive been following this, in most cases just eating at my BMR intake (2k~), plus cardio and weights. Ive never struggled this badly to shed weight. No breads / refined carbs.

I've definitely put on muscle, all of my lifts have literally doubled in a month,  but I am still fat as all hell, and my BMQ is coming up faaaaast.

In other words, I am frigged and ashamed.

We'll see how much progress I can make prior to BMQ, but if I went as-is I'd be in Warrior or Released, probably.
If i drop cals any lower, I'd be eating 1-2 meals a day.

 

[Traintosucceed]

Ive been following this, in most cases just eating at my BMR intake (2k~), plus cardio and weights. Ive never struggled this badly to shed weight. No breads / refined carbs.

I've definitely put on muscle, all of my lifts have literally doubled in a month,  but I am still fat as all hell, and my BMQ is coming up faaaaast.

In other words, I am frigged and ashamed.

I'm willing to bet your body fat percentage has dropped, Gaining muscle is a good thing, muscle burns fat. Weight loss does not happen over night, its a long tedious process. I'm going to drop you a pm, give me a few minutes to dig out my old laptop, it has a list of foods with marco values included. It's a clean foods list. Also, how much cardio are you preforming and at what intensity level? You also may want to play around with your protein to carb ratio as well. Up the protein and lower the carbs.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'm willing to bet your body fat percentage has dropped, Gaining muscle is a good thing, muscle burns fat. Weight loss does not happen over night, its a long tedious process. I'm going to drop you a pm, give me a few minutes to dig out my old laptop, it has a list of foods with marco values included. It's a clean foods list. Also, how much cardio are you preforming and at what intensity level? You also may want to play around with your protein to carb ratio as well. Up the protein and lower the carbs.

What's your expertise\ education\ professional standing for all your input?

In other words, what makes you the expert everyone should listen to?

 

[ModlrMike]

I beg to differ, Heavy lifting has been proven to burn more calories(and continue to burn calories for up to 36 hours post workout) then aerobic exercise alone. A simple restriction of 200 - 500 calories combined with alternating days of weight lifting and aerobic exercise is the ideal situation. Most who go on a "diet" follow "cookie cutter" plans (something along the lines of the Insanity diet, Atkins, etc ). Dieting is not one size fits all. In the long term use of these plans can cause metabolic damage.(which are in far more deficit then 200 - 500 calories). The plan described above will have anyone eating more food then they normally do, in fact I'm willing to bet anyone will be surprised at the amount of food they will be eating.

You're not differing, you're agreeing. Albeit from a slightly sideways perspective (I say aerobic, you say weights), the end result is the same.

Decades of science has shown that simple calorie reduction will not produce lasting weight loss, no matter what "new age" theories propose.

 

[Traintosucceed]

I never claimed to have any "expertise" to begin with, I stated if you took the time to read, that I was not taking credit for any of the information I provided it has all been a collaboration by many fitness professionals . I'm merely providing it in a neatly organized post.

I'm my own personal test subject and I know what has worked for me. I've been training for 2 years solid and prior to that I had been training on and off since I was 16(which is more then 90% of the worlds population can say). I've acquired experience within the fitness community over the years and I have had the privilege to have some amazing trainers that were hell bent on educating me more so then milking me for my money. If that isn't enough "credentials" for you, or anyone for that matter, then feel free to disregard this post and keep your two cents worth to yourself.

For those who need the help, I welcome you with open arms and I will do everything I can within my knowledge to help you. If I cannot help you, I will ask someone who has an answer to your question.

 

[Traintosucceed]

You're not differing, you're agreeing. Albeit from a slightly sideways perspective (I say aerobic, you say weights), the end result is the same.

Decades of science has shown that simple calorie reduction will not produce lasting weight loss, no matter what "new age" theories propose.

The end result isn't going to be the same. Test subject one lifts and does aerobic exercise, test subject two does aerobic exercise only. The difference being test subject one and test subject two will end up with two completely different body compositions (one will build more lean muscle mass then the other).

I was agreeing that a caloric reduction alone will not do the job though. That's why I begged to differ, I did not feel the need to completely disagree.