Counting calories

[Dleg]

I have been trying to lose 15 lbs recently.  I have been hitting the treadmill more reliably (3x a week), running faster (9 min miles for 3 miles), doing some crappy video workout (Sean T's T25!) with my wife 2x a week that seems pretty strenuous, and eating less/healthier at lunch and dinner.  After 3 weeks of this, I have gone from 197 (avg) to 196.  So basically, no benefit.

So as I was running on the treadmill yesterday, disliking every minute of it, I started doing some calculating in my head related to "extras" that I have been consuming lately.  One single Claey's (spelling?) lemon drop is 30 calories.  Based on my treadmill display, that's one lap or about 2:20 of running at my current pace.  In other words, a lot of work and not pleasant at all.  On a normal night, if those things are near me, I'll pop about 6 of them into my mouth while watching TV at night.  That's 6 laps, or half my whole run.  

A single, decent beer runs about 180-200 calories.  That's another 6 - plus laps.  I've been enjoying one Alaskan Amber or similar pretty much every night.  Well right there is my entire freaking workout - 3 miles of treadmill misery  - for one beer and some lemon drops. So I guess I have to give that stuff up for a while  

What do you guys do when you need or want to lose a little weight?  

 

[DVINNY]

it is all about the diet, or at least more than 90% of it is diet.

that's the part that sux.  

 

[DVINNY]

I tightened my diet back up, and since last week of Feb, I've went from 248 down to 225.  I'm wanting to be between 210-215 for the summer

 

[Dleg]

Ha!  I should have known this topic would lure you out of the woodwork!

 

[DVINNY]

I'm either at the gym, work, or dealing with motorbikes lately.    not much woodworking

40 grams of protein every 2.5/3.0 hours, and 40 grams of clean carbs, like brown rice, oats, etc.

do 6 meals a day of it, drink only water and unsweet tea, maybe 1 coffee in the a.m. (I have to) and things will shape up after about 6 weeks on it.

get at least a gallon of water a day.

Beer doesn't count as water either.  

 

[Dleg]

^Cool.  6 weeks is a good time frame for me. I need to be in my dress uniform at a conference by about then. I can fit in it now, but it was sized based on a skinnier version of me...

 

[DVINNY]

I know the struggle.  I have several sets of suits for that same reason

 

[knight1fox3]

I was able to drop 15 lbs in 30 days when doing P90x. But as DV mentioned, this was also attributed to a change in my diet. Once I started tracking my activity and calories, I really learned that most of my meals and snacks were very carb heavy. So I started working in more protein in my diet and started seeing much better results. I didn't completely cut carbs out, just balanced things more. As DV also mentioned, I also had to cut out most of the "fun" stuff (i.e. beer, high calorie snacks, etc.). Difficult, but can be done.

I'm also not fan of treadmills, but given your geographical location, I know that's an issue. :thumbs:

 

[MetsFan]

We're doing a biggest loser challenge at work.  We've done it for 14 weeks now and we're down to the last 6 weeks.  I've gone down from 214 to 192 as of today.  I started out using myfitnesspal to keep track of my calorie intake.  After 8 weeks or so, I knew pretty much where I had to be with food and stopped logging in.  I've had back issues and my achilles flared up for a couple of weeks so I had to take some time off from exercises but the diet definitely helped me keep on track.

edited for weeks

 

[MetsFan]

4 minutes ago, knight1fox3 said:
I was able to drop 15 lbs in 30 days when doing P90x. But as DV mentioned, this was also attributed to a change in my diet. Once I started tracking my activity and calories, I really learned that most of my meals and snacks were very carb heavy. So I started working in more protein in my diet and started seeing much better results. I didn't completely cut carbs out, just balanced things more. As DV also mentioned, I also had to cut out most of the "fun" stuff (i.e. beer, high calorie snacks, etc.). Difficult, but can be done.

I'm also not fan of treadmills, but given your geographical location, I know that's an issue. :thumbs:


 

Wow, 15 in 30 days?  That's pretty awesome.  I'm 4 percentage points behind so that would be pretty much what I need to get on top.  I'm afraid of doing anything serious with my recent back issues though.  I'm going to stick to the treadmill for now and try to do intervals or something. 

 

[Dleg]

^Nice work, @MetsFan!  I've dropped 10 lbs in a month before, on careful avoidance of fat and sugars, and total elimination of beer (ugh).

I was able to drop 15 lbs in 30 days when doing P90x. But as DV mentioned, this was also attributed to a change in my diet. Once I started tracking my activity and calories, I really learned that most of my meals and snacks were very carb heavy. So I started working in more protein in my diet and started seeing much better results. I didn't completely cut carbs out, just balanced things more. As DV also mentioned, I also had to cut out most of the "fun" stuff (i.e. beer, high calorie snacks, etc.). Difficult, but can be done.

I'm also not fan of treadmills, but given your geographical location, I know that's an issue. :thumbs:

The weather has finally broken here, and once the dirt roads in my area dry out a little from all the melting snowbanks, I can get back outside (too muddy/slushy and wet right now).  I'm running in a 5k this weekend, though, so that will be nice (temperature will probably be in the 30s at that time of the morning)

 

[willsee]

My wife does AIP diet

Eats lots of bacon, salmon, bacon, shrimp, bacon, steak, bacon, veggies

Lost 80 lbs in 1 year

 

[Dleg]

Hey @DVINNY, could you give some examples of foods (and quantities) you eat on a daily basis to meet your protein and clean carbs goals?

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Another thing to remember with the exercise side of things is that you are growing muscle weight. You may not lose much weight, but where that weight is located on your body will be changing. Start losing the gut and flab, but arms, chest, legs get bigger.

I prefer to ignore the scale completely for this reason. I prefer to measure progress in terms of lap times, weights used, and how my clothes fit. I've never really gained/lost weight in my life but my belt definitely gets tight if I've been eating poorly and skipping the gym for too long.

 

[knight1fox3]

^ Exactly. Which is why P90x has you do your initial weigh-in, then you don't touch a scale for another 30 days. What I found out during my first run is that building muscle mass (note: not crazy body building type) is the absolute quickest way to burn fat.

Hey @DVINNY, could you give some examples of foods (and quantities) you eat on a daily basis to meet your protein and clean carbs goals?

I'm sure DV has some advice on this, but here's another good one that I've referenced: http://greatist.com/health/complete-guide-workout-nutrition-infographic

 

[Audi Driver P.E.]

Fat loss is like 80% diet and 20% exercise and it sounds like you're really focusing in on why that's true.  It's important to track calories, but I think tracking macros is just as important.  IME, the best plan to follow is the bro diet.  Just about every body builder does it at some point and most of them come back to it after trying something else.  Also, most people say "weight loss" when they really mean "fat loss"  and the only way to lose fat is to get your body into ketosis.  To do that via exercise alone requires a heck of a lot of exercise.  It is possible though.  There are a few eating plans out there tailored to it (ketogenic, bro, and Atkins), and will make fat loss happen a lot faster with less volume of exercise.  Most all of them restrict carbs.  The better plans, IMO, require that you source your calories from quality sources.  My 0.02

 

[Dleg]

^ Exactly. Which is why P90x has you do your initial weigh-in, then you don't touch a scale for another 30 days. What I found out during my first run is that building muscle mass (note: not crazy body building type) is the absolute quickest way to burn fat.

I'm sure DV has some advice on this, but here's another good one that I've referenced: http://greatist.com/health/complete-guide-workout-nutrition-infographic

Thanks - good reference.

 

[DVINNY]

Hey @DVINNY, could you give some examples of foods (and quantities) you eat on a daily basis to meet your protein and clean carbs goals?

I'll do a sample day:

Breakfast 

Steel Cut Protein Oats, Greek Yogurt, 2 cut up strawberries, 8 oz of carbmaster protein milk

has about 38 grams of protein, 45 grams of carbs

snack, mid-morning

fruit & oats cereal bar, 40 gram pre-made protein shake

40 g of protein, 20 carbs

lunch

salad w/ 1 chicken breast and 4oz of steak both

45 grams of protein, 40 carbs (dressing, etc)

mid day snack

(2) 5 oz chicken breast, 1/4 cup of brown rice (stir fry style)

50 g of protein, 33 g of carbs

dinner

8-10 ounces of chicken or steak, steamed veggies, 1/2 of sweet potato

40-50 g of protein, 50 g of carbs

gallon of water spread throughout the day, a coffee in the morning, some unsweet tea mixed in for sanity

 

[Dleg]

Thanks @DVINNY!  That's what I was looking for, like a calibration of expectations I guess. Sounds pretty good, actually.

 

[goodal]

I lost 20lb in two months last summer for a Spartan race and have managed to keep it off somehow.  Just cut out all junk even though I didn't eat much anyways.  No pop.  No snack cakes.  No ice cream.  i quit my post workout protein shakes and creatine routine.  I changed my 3x week weight routine to more of an aerobic/endurance routine and the pounds fell off at about 2/week.  Had to get all new jeans and my suits fitted.  Haven't really noticed any difference other than i can grab a 10' rim now much better.  That impresses all the 18 yr olds I play with.  I finally gained back 4lb over the course of the Denver/skiing trip last week, but we ate like pigs for 6 days.