currently i have a diet plan that involves a low amount of calories...probably 1100 on a good day, i kno thats dangerously low but if you've read my previous posts u kno that i have issues with stayin on a diet so i wanna lose as much weight as possible while im dieting...but thats besides the point, i am wondering what i need to do to lose fat, not just lose 8 pounds of water weight in 3 days...heres my current eating plan (im in high school so i cant space them evenly apart)...breakfast: 3 eggs (whole) with some green tea to drink, lunch at school-ham sandwhich (whole wheat bread, 2 slices 99% lean ham), protein shake when i get home (25g, 127 cals per scoop, i have one scoop), dinner is one of these healthy choice meals, they taste good and average around 270-300 calories...and thats what i eat everyday...pretty much every meal has plenty of protein, so i can maintain muscle while losing fat...thats what i think will happen anyway...so anyone out there can give me advice on how much more to eat/what more to eat...please keep in mind im a soph in high school so i dont have much control over gettin stuff into the house to eat...almost forgot just so u kno, 5' 9'', 180lbs, 16 in couple months
lose fat, not water?
- Thread starter FoodIsMyLife
- Start date
Hi,
I'm not sure I understand your question about losing fat instead of water? Do you think you are just losing water right now?
As you already know, you are probably undereating. I don't see any fresh fruits of veggies in your diet either. Are you exercising at all? Maintaining msucle while losing fat involves more than just eating protein. You need to eat adequate calories and do some strength training.
I really think you need to increase what you eat, but do so very slowly. Increasing to fast will cause fat gain. I would start by just adding in some veggies and fruits.
Sarah
I'm not sure I understand your question about losing fat instead of water? Do you think you are just losing water right now?
As you already know, you are probably undereating. I don't see any fresh fruits of veggies in your diet either. Are you exercising at all? Maintaining msucle while losing fat involves more than just eating protein. You need to eat adequate calories and do some strength training.
I really think you need to increase what you eat, but do so very slowly. Increasing to fast will cause fat gain. I would start by just adding in some veggies and fruits.
Sarah
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You should reallly try to add in some more food, although I know working around a school schedule can be hard. Try bringing some fruit and/or veggies that you precut at home - you could try adding something like that in between classes.
It sounds like you have found the strength to make some good changes. Be proud of that. You said that you wanted to lose as much as possible while on a diet. What good is that going to do you if you plan on eating as little as possible for a while, then going right back to your old ways? All you have to do is take the good changes that you've been able to make, and tweak them a little, and boom - you have a new lifestyle. Otherwise, it'll be a lifelong battle of gaining and losing weight - and that's a lot harder to manage than just a little tweaking to what you've already accomplished.
It sounds like you have found the strength to make some good changes. Be proud of that. You said that you wanted to lose as much as possible while on a diet. What good is that going to do you if you plan on eating as little as possible for a while, then going right back to your old ways? All you have to do is take the good changes that you've been able to make, and tweak them a little, and boom - you have a new lifestyle. Otherwise, it'll be a lifelong battle of gaining and losing weight - and that's a lot harder to manage than just a little tweaking to what you've already accomplished.
what i meant is that when i stick to it for a few days, i lose like 8 pounds...no visual differences, and if i binge after those few days, i regain all of those pounds, so in 4-5 days i lost no fat at all...just water...so im just wonderin how much more i need to eat...and as far as exercise i have no problem workin out, liftin weights, that stuff...i am in weight training in school, its a class during the school day, and i play basketball for 30+ minutes after school...so i eat protein and weight train to maintain muscle...but should i still eat more and if so how much, calorie wise? and ill definitely add fruit and veggies to my lunch at school as well as meals other times of the day...thanks for the advice
you cannot healthily lose more than 2lbs of fat a week, and that's if you're doing EVERYTHING right.
as is already pointed out, you're doing it all wrong. you don't 'go on a diet'. that just sets you up for failure.
you need to make LIFETIME changes...lifestyle changes...about what, and how, you eat...as well as exercising with both cardio and weights.
1100cals a day will likely put you into what's called 'starvation mode'. It means your body does whatever it can to hold onto your current bodyfat, and add to it when possible, and instead you'll lose lean muscle tissue. the less lean muscle you have, the fewer daily calories you need to survive, making it easier for the body to store fat.
You can choose to heed our advice and eat more, exercise more, and get into better physical shape...or you can attempt to starve yourself to death and suffer all the repercussions associated with it.
but just a tip, they give people in coma's about 1100 cals a day...I assume you are a little more active than a coma patient
as is already pointed out, you're doing it all wrong. you don't 'go on a diet'. that just sets you up for failure.
you need to make LIFETIME changes...lifestyle changes...about what, and how, you eat...as well as exercising with both cardio and weights.
1100cals a day will likely put you into what's called 'starvation mode'. It means your body does whatever it can to hold onto your current bodyfat, and add to it when possible, and instead you'll lose lean muscle tissue. the less lean muscle you have, the fewer daily calories you need to survive, making it easier for the body to store fat.
You can choose to heed our advice and eat more, exercise more, and get into better physical shape...or you can attempt to starve yourself to death and suffer all the repercussions associated with it.
but just a tip, they give people in coma's about 1100 cals a day...I assume you are a little more active than a coma patient
As for how many calories your body needs google "harris benedict equation" - work the equation, multiply by the appropriate number according to your activity level. Then for weight loss, you would subtract about 500 kcal a day from that, or you can subtract around 20%. That will give you a good idea of what your body will need to sustain itself, and what a healthy amount of calories you should consume to lose weight.
Also, you might be like me. I hold a ton of water. When I first got back into eating right, I initially lost some water weight too. Don't think of it as "just" water weight. If your body was hanging on to too much fluid like mine, you needed to get it off of you, and it can go a long way in reducing that "puffy" look. If you were eating a lot of fast foods etc, then you probably had too much water from all the sodium in that junk, so your body needed to get rid of it.
Also, you might be like me. I hold a ton of water. When I first got back into eating right, I initially lost some water weight too. Don't think of it as "just" water weight. If your body was hanging on to too much fluid like mine, you needed to get it off of you, and it can go a long way in reducing that "puffy" look. If you were eating a lot of fast foods etc, then you probably had too much water from all the sodium in that junk, so your body needed to get rid of it.