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Fat loss; total calories in/out or counting macros?

B

buttabeen

TID Lady Member
Jul 10, 2011
12
0
Hi,

I'm 5.3, 175lbs. I've lost a total of 26lbs since September 2013 through the good old fashion way, gym,eating right, and counting cals. I still have 15lbs more to go BUT I've plateaued for the last 3 mo. I'm eating 1500 cals on off days and 1800 on workout days. I'm not one of those people that believe in 1000-1200 calories meal plans so you can stop right there if that's what you're going to suggest....lol

I need some input from some knowledgeable people here in regards to "fat loss" and body recomp not WEIGHT LOSS. I'm not looking to be skinny. I lift heavy and it's easy for me to put on mass and I incorporate cardio 3 days/week.
Should I start focusing more on my macronutrients in order to lose the last 15lbs/ shredd fat?

my current macros are; 135/112/90 (protein,carb,fat) Some might say my protein intake is low but I'm keeping it around my lbm because I'm not trying to add more mass just maintain what I have. All m fat intake is healthy.

I'd be grateful for ANY tips,help etc...;) Enjoy the rest of your week everybody :weightlift:
 
woodswise

woodswise

TID Board Of Directors
Apr 29, 2012
4,334
1,340
Hi,

I'm 5.3, 175lbs. I've lost a total of 26lbs since September 2013 through the good old fashion way, gym,eating right, and counting cals. I still have 15lbs more to go BUT I've plateaued for the last 3 mo. I'm eating 1500 cals on off days and 1800 on workout days. I'm not one of those people that believe in 1000-1200 calories meal plans so you can stop right there if that's what you're going to suggest....lol

I need some input from some knowledgeable people here in regards to "fat loss" and body recomp not WEIGHT LOSS. I'm not looking to be skinny. I lift heavy and it's easy for me to put on mass and I incorporate cardio 3 days/week.
Should I start focusing more on my macronutrients in order to lose the last 15lbs/ shredd fat?

my current macros are; 135/112/90 (protein,carb,fat) Some might say my protein intake is low but I'm keeping it around my lbm because I'm not trying to add more mass just maintain what I have. All m fat intake is healthy.

I'd be grateful for ANY tips,help etc...;) Enjoy the rest of your week everybody :weightlift:

Would you consider changing to a ketogenic diet? If so, cut the carbs to zero, and increase the fats to 140 to 150g and get the rest of your macros from protein. Then measure and log everything you eat. Have a cheat day once per month at most. If you make the switch and don't lose fat after a few weeks, you may want to cut back on the workout day kcals until you are getting 1,500 on workout days too.

If you are still not losing, I would add in some cardio.


If you don't want to do keto, I would have a cheat day once in a while (every week or two) and cut back on the kcals on workout days.

Good luck and keep us posted.
 
B

buttabeen

TID Lady Member
Jul 10, 2011
12
0
I have actually done the keto diet 3 yrs ago but I never went down to 0 carbs, my lowest was 25g per day. Although I did see results it was not a "realistic" life style for me. I did it for 3 mo. Great ideas. I will start cutting cals on my workout out days down to 1500 too. I do a cheat day when I jus can't fight the cravings anymore but it's usually around that glorious time of the month and only then. I use my fitness pal to log any and everything that goes in my mouth.

So you suggest I focus more on my cals rather than my macros or a combination?

...and THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH btw for the fast response :aparty43: ;:)
 
BLTC

BLTC

VIP Member
Dec 23, 2010
753
245
maybe only decrease cals on your OFF days and keep them the same on work days?
 
sityslicker1

sityslicker1

TID Board Of Directors
Oct 6, 2010
938
437
Any diet will work within reason, your cals must be too high for your new body weight and activity level. They probably need to come down. I would take 250 cal from either fat or carbs. Carb cycling would also be something to consider too once you get your macros right you.
 
Seira_1337

Seira_1337

TID Lady Member
Jul 15, 2014
35
5
Try upping your fat intake of mono and polyunsaturated fats and reducing carbs to being only from fruit and vegetable sources. I understand how difficult it can be to greatly restrict your diet. Once you can build that muscle and thus a faster metabolism, its all about maintenance. Getting to that point is the struggle.
 
Last edited:
T

The Rockette

TID Lady Member
Apr 16, 2013
35
19
Hi,

I'm 5.3, 175lbs. I've lost a total of 26lbs since September 2013 through the good old fashion way, gym,eating right, and counting cals. I still have 15lbs more to go BUT I've plateaued for the last 3 mo. I'm eating 1500 cals on off days and 1800 on workout days. I'm not one of those people that believe in 1000-1200 calories meal plans so you can stop right there if that's what you're going to suggest....lol

I need some input from some knowledgeable people here in regards to "fat loss" and body recomp not WEIGHT LOSS. I'm not looking to be skinny. I lift heavy and it's easy for me to put on mass and I incorporate cardio 3 days/week.
Should I start focusing more on my macronutrients in order to lose the last 15lbs/ shredd fat?

my current macros are; 135/112/90 (protein,carb,fat) Some might say my protein intake is low but I'm keeping it around my lbm because I'm not trying to add more mass just maintain what I have. All m fat intake is healthy.

I'd be grateful for ANY tips,help etc...;) Enjoy the rest of your week everybody :weightlift:

How are you tracking your calories and macros?
Have you ever taken a dieting break in the past almost year?
Eating 1500-1800 calories should still be causing fat loss at your weight, I'm betting on a tracking error somewhere. For accuracy everything should be weighed on a digital kitchen scale, in grams. Measuring cups/spoons and even pre-packaged/portioned foods are not an accurate way of tracking calories/macros
 
shortz

shortz

Beard of Knowledge VIP
May 6, 2013
3,107
897
The three biggest rules in weight loss/fat loss, in order of importance

1. Total calories
2. Macros
3. Types of food you're eating

That's right, doesn't matter how "healthy" or "clean" you're eating, if you're still over eating and your macros are terrible, you will tremendously struggle to lose weight. There is a huge myth going around the community that you can eat healthy and just lose weight. The bottom line is this; you typically lose weight when going healthy because healthy foods tend to have less calories!! OTOH, people like to think things like salads are healthy, when in reality, they put so many calories dense things on their salads, you might as well eat a damn cheeseburger!

This is really tough to start doing, but once you do, you will lose fat really fast. Track EVERYTHING YOU PUT IN TO YOUR MOUTH (ok people, get your minds out of the gutter). It's extremely eye opening. For instance, think about this. You're cooking dinner, not really thinking much about it, and you take several bites of whatever it is you're cooking, then you sit down with a plate and eat your normal portions. Well, guess what, you just over ate. Don't snack while you're cooking.

Little things like that. NEVER eat something you're not prepared to deal with. For instance, if you go to work, someone has donuts, are you prepared to cut out the carbs and fats that you planned on eating that day to make up for the gain in calories/macros? Do you tell yourself "I'll just run more on the treadmill"? Burning a donut off on the treadmill ain't no joke. It's like an extra 30-45 mins of moderate to high intensity work. This is why diet will always be the big winner in fat loss, and cardio comes WAAAAAAAYYY after.

Use fitday.com or myfitnesspal.com to track. Most people use MFP these days though. It's a little better. I use fitday simply because I have been usig it for several years now and have tons of custom entries.
 
Last edited:
D

Docd187123

MuscleHead
Dec 2, 2013
628
192
The two biggest rules in weight loss/fat loss, in order of importance

1. Total calories
2. Macros
3. Types of food you're eating

That's right, doesn't matter how "healthy" or "clean" you're eating, if you're still over eating and your macros are terrible, you will tremendously struggle to lose weight. There is a huge myth going around the community that you can eat healthy and just lose weight. The bottom line is this; you typically lose weight when going healthy because healthy foods tend to have less calories!! OTOH, people like to think things like salads are healthy, when in reality, they put so many calories dense things on their salads, you might as well eat a damn cheeseburger!

This is really tough to start doing, but once you do, you will lose fat really fast. Track EVERYTHING YOU PUT IN TO YOUR MOUTH (ok people, get your minds out of the gutter). It's extremely eye opening. For instance, think about this. You're cooking dinner, not really thinking much about it, and you take several bites of whatever it is you're cooking, then you sit down with a plate and eat your normal portions. Well, guess what, you just over ate. Don't snack while you're cooking.

Little things like that. NEVER eat something you're not prepared to deal with. For instance, if you go to work, someone has donuts, are you prepared to cut out the carbs and fats that you planned on eating that day to make up for the gain in calories/macros? Do you tell yourself "I'll just run more on the treadmill"? Burning a donut off on the treadmill ain't no joke. It's like an extra 30-45 mins of moderate to high intensity work. This is why diet will always be the big winner in fat loss, and cardio comes WAAAAAAAYYY after.

Use fitday.com or myfitnesspal.com to track. Most people use MFP these days though. It's a little better. I use fitday simply because I have been usig it for several years now and have tons of custom entries.

Excellent post Shortz. Cannot agree more.
 
IronSoul

IronSoul

TID Board Of Directors
Apr 2, 2013
6,274
2,007
Shortz always coming through. Great post brother
 
dr jim

dr jim

MuscleHead
Apr 7, 2014
785
168
The three biggest rules in weight loss/fat loss, in order of importance

1. Total calories
2. Macros
3. Types of food you're eating

That's right, doesn't matter how "healthy" or "clean" you're eating, if you're still over eating and your macros are terrible, you will tremendously struggle to lose weight. There is a huge myth going around the community that you can eat healthy and just lose weight. The bottom line is this; you typically lose weight when going healthy because healthy foods tend to have less calories!! OTOH, people like to think things like salads are healthy, when in reality, they put so many calories dense things on their salads, you might as well eat a damn cheeseburger!

This is really tough to start doing, but once you do, you will lose fat really fast. Track EVERYTHING YOU PUT IN TO YOUR MOUTH (ok people, get your minds out of the gutter). It's extremely eye opening. For instance, think about this. You're cooking dinner, not really thinking much about it, and you take several bites of whatever it is you're cooking, then you sit down with a plate and eat your normal portions. Well, guess what, you just over ate. Don't snack while you're cooking.

Little things like that. NEVER eat something you're not prepared to deal with. For instance, if you go to work, someone has donuts, are you prepared to cut out the carbs and fats that you planned on eating that day to make up for the gain in calories/macros? Do you tell yourself "I'll just run more on the treadmill"? Burning a donut off on the treadmill ain't no joke. It's like an extra 30-45 mins of moderate to high intensity work. This is why diet will always be the big winner in fat loss, and cardio comes WAAAAAAAYYY after.

Use fitday.com or myfitnesspal.com to track. Most people use MFP these days though. It's a little better. I use fitday simply because I have been usig it for several years now and have tons of custom entries.

==================================

Your a very insightful and knowledgable TID member Shortz!
Fine post IMO

JIM
 
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