Calorie cuts?

[nol3afclover]

I've got a potential problem on my hands. I currently weigh in at 220 lbs @ 23 years of age and 5'9 in height. My bodytype is a mesomorph and I've got a healthy lifestyle, I eat 6-7 meals per day, I drink nothing but water, I lift weights 3 days per week and I'm trying to work in some running. I originally weighed in at 250 lbs, and now weigh in at 220 with 5 lbs lost in 10 days.

So everything sounds grand right?....Well maybe..

My problem is that even with all my meals, all the healthy stuff, I still only eat about 1800 cals average. According to all the health sites, I need 3800 cals per day to maintain my weight. To me that sounds outrageous, I eat every 3 hrs...I eat well...I get full....I dont know how I'd be able to eat that many cals.....Is my body entering starvation mode without me knowing it?

Heres an example of what I eat in a day:

Breakfast: Special K "High Protein, Whole wheat" cereal w/ skim milk.

Snack: High Protein, Low carb shake (35g protein, 2g sugar, 15g carbs, 280 cals)

Lunch: Large homemade sandwhich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomatos, bell peppers, with turkey and chicken breast. Along with that I'll have a serving of fruit, either watermelon or a large peach.

Snack: High protein bar (0g sugar, 20g protein)

Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with lean ground turkey breast w/ organic tomato sauce and spices (Large plate, but no seconds)

Snack: Anything from protein bar, watermelon, another shake or some peanuts.


All this amounts to about 1800-1900 cals....About 40% cals from carbs, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat.......And of course I drink alot of water..

So what can I do to increase my calorie intake? Should I ? Cause I cant imagine eating any more than that lol.

 

[Steve]

I've got a potential problem on my hands. I currently weigh in at 220 lbs @ 23 years of age and 5'9 in height. My bodytype is a mesomorph and I've got a healthy lifestyle, I eat 6-7 meals per day, I drink nothing but water, I lift weights 3 days per week and I'm trying to work in some running. I originally weighed in at 250 lbs, and now weigh in at 220 with 5 lbs lost in 10 days.

So everything sounds grand right?....Well maybe..

My problem is that even with all my meals, all the healthy stuff, I still only eat about 1800 cals average. According to all the health sites, I need 3800 cals per day to maintain my weight. To me that sounds outrageous, I eat every 3 hrs...I eat well...I get full....I dont know how I'd be able to eat that many cals.....Is my body entering starvation mode without me knowing it?

Heres an example of what I eat in a day:

Breakfast: Special K "High Protein, Whole wheat" cereal w/ skim milk.

Snack: High Protein, Low carb shake (35g protein, 2g sugar, 15g carbs, 280 cals)

Lunch: Large homemade sandwhich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomatos, bell peppers, with turkey and chicken breast. Along with that I'll have a serving of fruit, either watermelon or a large peach.

Snack: High protein bar (0g sugar, 20g protein)

Dinner: Whole wheat pasta with lean ground turkey breast w/ organic tomato sauce and spices (Large plate, but no seconds)

Snack: Anything from protein bar, watermelon, another shake or some peanuts.


All this amounts to about 1800-1900 cals....About 40% cals from carbs, 40% from protein, and 20% from fat.......And of course I drink alot of water..

So what can I do to increase my calorie intake? Should I ? Cause I cant imagine eating any more than that lol.

First, those calculators are only estimates. They certainly don't factor in individual differences.

Second, those calculators spit out your maintenance numbers. And the more overweight you are, the more inaccurate these estimates are.

The starvation mode is NOT something that is turned on and off.

In reality, the moment you start dieting, you are "entering" the starvation mode. Restricting caloric intake triggers the physiological survival adaptations such as a slowdown in metabolism.

The *harder* you diet, the faster these survival mechanisms will trigger.

IMO, you caloric intake is "alright." I wouldn't go much lower. And it certainly won't last forever. But at the moment, while you're carrying this much body fat, you can stand to diet at this low intake for sometime.

Just realize that your weight loss will plateau and you'll have to take corrective action at that time.

I'll also add that if I were you, I'd be eating more to ward off the plateau for a longer time. But this isn't necessary. I believe eating as much as possible while still allowing for weight loss is the best approach for long term success.

 

[nol3afclover]

First, those calculators are only estimates. They certainly don't factor in individual differences.

Second, those calculators spit out your maintenance numbers. And the more overweight you are, the more inaccurate these estimates are.

The starvation mode is NOT something that is turned on and off.

In reality, the moment you start dieting, you are "entering" the starvation mode. Restricting caloric intake triggers the physiological survival adaptations such as a slowdown in metabolism.

The *harder* you diet, the faster these survival mechanisms will trigger.

IMO, you caloric intake is "alright." I wouldn't go much lower. And it certainly won't last forever. But at the moment, while you're carrying this much body fat, you can stand to diet at this low intake for sometime.

Just realize that your weight loss will plateau and you'll have to take corrective action at that time.

I'll also add that if I were you, I'd be eating more to ward off the plateau for a longer time. But this isn't necessary. I believe eating as much as possible while still allowing for weight loss is the best approach for long term success.

So once I hit the plateau, I just need to increase my caloric intake? To maybe 2200?

 

[SweatPea]

The maintenance calculators are giving you an idea of how may cals you would have to eat to maintain your current weight.

Is that what you are trying to do? Or are you wanting to keep on losing?

If you haven't hit a plateau yet, then you are doing alright! When you do hit a plateau that's when you can shake things up a bit - like changing your food, changing your exercise routine, or cutting or adding calories.

 

[Steve]

So once I hit the plateau, I just need to increase my caloric intake? To maybe 2200?

Once you reach your first plateau, I'd actually eat at maintenance for about a week. Let your body know it's fed. Then work down in 20% increments from there. It's a touch & feel process. You won't know specifics until the time is right there in front of you.