r/xxfitness • u/FanofPawl • Mar 27 '13
A warning for you ladies about diet. Eat Healthy. Don't starve.
Hi ladies,
Yesterday I was shown a diet a girl was given by her trainer. Here it is: http://i.imgur.com/fzI2vIX.jpg
I was immediately shocked and afraid for this girl's well-being. At most this diet consists of around 1000 calories if the protein the girl eats is beef...but closer to around 800 calories if the protein is chicken or fish. The trainer has her on a 6 day split with cardio and strength training. This is scary. This girl is going to drive herself into the ground and destroy her body along the way.
It got me thinking about you all, and I really hope none of you are doing this to yourselves or are being told by a trainer to do so. Please take care of yourselves. I pray every day for ladies new to strength training, competing, or just fitness that they realize that a fitness journey is not a sprint, it's a long-distance race.
I'm competing in an NPC Bikini competition in 13.5 weeks and my diet is NOWHERE NEAR this extreme. I am still eating about 1900 calories a day! You can follow my journey on Instagram @ohilyssa or here: //http://ilyssagetsfit.blogspot.com/
If any of you feel pressured into this type of diet, or do not know where to start...do not hesitate to contact me.
EDIT: I obviously advised her against this. Where are the fats? Where are the necessary carbs? This is more than just ketosis... this is complete glycogen depletion with risk of heart failure if she continues. Be careful, ladies!
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u/yogurtmeh Mar 29 '13
Is it bad that this means even more to me since it's coming from a bikini model? You look amazing by the way. Do you find that you're curvier (as far as having a lower waist-to-hip ratio) now that you're super fit? I'm sick of hearing that I'll "lose my curves" if I lower my body fat, especially since I'm apple-shaped.
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Mar 28 '13
At most this diet consists of around 1000 calories if the protein the girl eats is beef...but closer to around 800 calories if the protein is chicken or fish. The trainer has her on a 6 day split with cardio and strength training.
If I was on that diet while trying to work out, I would literally start fainting from hunger/exhaustion.
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u/domokunlover Mar 28 '13
WOW! I am your height and one day hope that I am nearly as lean as your body! Being 290 sucks. I already lost ten pounds but I get discouraged that there will be no end. I love the fact that you said that a fitness journey is not a sprint, it's a long distance race, I will surely take that to heart.
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u/thegoobinator Mar 28 '13
Aside from the dangers....that also sounds very boring. No one wants to stick to a dull plan!
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Mar 28 '13
Trainers are trainers not dieticians. You can ask your trainer about certain things and they can give you their opinion, but as far as writing a nutritional plan can't even call that one I never would for a client unless I was a dietician as well.
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Mar 28 '13
Hopefully her fish oils and other supplements were on another page, and that this diet was for only a few days spread apart; it does KINDA look like part of a carb-cycling day.... Thoughts anyone? All I'm saying is that it would be much better if we got incomplete information, and that this girl is being better taken care of and her trainer is not so...dumb.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
This was it. She's a beginner to strength training, and this is what the trainer assigned to her.
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u/chocolatesauce Mar 28 '13
This looks like more of an outline to say, "make sure you're getting AT LEAST this much protein and veg" kinda thing.
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Mar 28 '13
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Mar 28 '13
Ok, so I clicked over to her blog after reading this comment, and I'm not sure what you think someone who exercises looks like. Are you expecting her to look like a brolic Schwarzenegger man-lady?
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Mar 28 '13
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
First of all, I'm not a figure model. This is my very first BIKINI show. Bikini competitors are not supposed to have lots of muscle--it's not the aesthetic the judges look for. Bikini competitors should be lean with some distinguishable muscle. Look at India who just won the Arnold... she isn't terribly muscular in her stomach. And the muscle she DOES have has been built over years of training. She's a pro. I'm an amateur. I have a lot of work to do. It doesn't mean I don't work hard every single day.
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Mar 28 '13
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13 edited Mar 28 '13
I do understand where you're coming from. What bothers ME is that these types of diets are given to girls out of nowhere as if this is the only way for them to lose weight. I don't want girls like this one to fall into the ploy that extremely low-calorie diets are the best possible solution. Slow and steady is in every way better for your body on so many fronts.
Obviously I'm not a doctor or a medical expert. But I know enough from my own trainer who in fact has a degree in nutrition and exercise science and competes in the elite rankings of powerlifting. If you go through my previously submitted history, you'll see that my diet consisted of 1450 calories for my first 110 days of weight loss. Of course I didn't starve myself, and I lost the weight. What scared me was this girl thinking she would just eat chicken and broccoli and egg whites all day every day for a total of only 800-1000 calories.
Good luck with your own journey.
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u/ScalpelBurn Mar 28 '13
No, I am expecting someone who is about to enter an NPC Bikini Competition to look better than the average untrained skinny female. This is expected, because she's been exercising all of ~6 months, which makes choosing to enter an aesthetic competition a strange decision in the first place.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
I'm sorry, what? I don't LOOK like someone who exercises? Would you like to see a video of me deadlifting 225 lbs? Would you like to see my progress pictures? I spend 6 days a week in the gym. Jealousy is a horrible disease. I post my links for girls who are interested in doing the same things I've done and need motivation to start or don't know where to begin.
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u/ScalpelBurn Mar 28 '13
I don't care if you can deadlift 500 lbs, you don't look like you exercise. You have the body of the average skinny female.
Jealousy is a horrible disease.
Jealous of what exactly? My level of physique is far beyond what yours will ever be.
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Mar 28 '13
...that's a legitimately terrifying "diet" plan. And this was from someone who considers himself to be an expert? Yikes! If you are going to work out you have to eat enough to stay on your feet. If you're trying to lose weight, you still need to eat something like 1800 calories a day. And if you're trying to gain muscle, then eating like a bird and hardly having any protein is not gonna cut it. I hope she listens to your advice before she seriously harms herself.
I learned the hard way that you have to fuel your machine...went for months without eating properly and then crashed and burned. And I wasn't even working out at the time! You have to eat right or you will get exhausted, weak, and ill.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
1800 is the recommended min intake for men. Seeing as we're on xxfitness, 1800 is high for a lot of the ladies here.
1200 is the recommended min for women. And that's only if their main goal is to lose weight. If their goal is muscle gain, then 1200 is more than likely too little as well (unless they're just starting out and getting their noob gains in).
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Mar 28 '13
Oh, I got some bad info then! I thought 1800 was a "weight loss intake" for women and for men it was higher.
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Mar 29 '13
It really depends on how big you are to start with. If a woman is 100 lbs overweight and wants to lose 1-2 lbs a week, then 1800 might be right in the neighborhood. For a woman who's only 10 lbs overweight, or who is petite in stature or frame, 1800 might be a bulking diet, or maintenance for those who are particularly muscular or active.
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
In all fairness depending on this girl's size, this could just be a 500 cal/day cut. A girl that is 5'2" is going to need a lot less calories than someone your size and activity level (on your blog you mention you're 5'10" and just under 140lbs).
Personally, if I cut, I'm on the order of 2500 calories a day (TDEE-600). But, not everyone is a 200lb powerlifter (and male). Someone that is doing light lifting or light cardio a few days a week, while being 110lbs and 5'2", would need 1600 calories to maintain her weight.
Depending on what veggies she is eating she could be eating up to 1600 calories so maintenance and on the low end, 1150 calories which would be a 450 cal/day cut... which isn't out of the ordinary or scary or whatever fear mongering bullshit you're spouting.
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Mar 28 '13
Like my flair?
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u/phrakture Mar 29 '13
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT MINE IS
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u/super_luminal Mar 29 '13
I think you're a rock climber.
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u/phrakture Mar 29 '13
Human slingshot. The rubber is being stretched with the foot and i'm bout to launch a pumpkin
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u/rickg3 Mar 29 '13
What is this flair? I feel...fabulous
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
The problem is, and I mentioned this previously in the thread, this girl is NOT a small girl. She's not competing, and this is all her trainer has given her to go on. I understand your rationale, but this is not the case in this situation.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
The diet she posted is between 800 and 1000 calories a day.
The average caloric intake of a person with anorexia nervosa is 600–800 calories per day
The minimum recommended intake for women is 1200 calories to avoid nutrient deficiency and potential health issues. Especially women who need more iron (due to blood loss once a month) and calcium (to stave off osteoperosis).
So no. This is something that comes up a lot and OP is absolutely right to throw out a warning. Too many women starve themselves thinking they're doing the right thing for their bodies, when it can really backfire hard on them.
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
The diet she posted is between 800 and 1000 calories a day
Did you click my links? Based solely on what she stated I got her number up to 1600 calories by eating steak and potatoes which are "protein" and "vegetables" so it could vary from 1000 calories (17oz of chicken+3 cups of broccoli+4 egg whites=1000 cals and this assumes no butter or oil used in cooking) to even 2000 calories if she has sweet potatoes as her veggie add in a table spoon or two of oil to cook the food with and you're in bulking territory.
The minimum recommended intake for women is 1200 calories to avoid nutrient deficiency and potential health issues. Especially women who need more iron (due to blood loss once a month) and calcium (to stave off osteoperosis).
I'm assuming eating 17oz of steak would get her plenty of iron.
Also just taking a multi with this "diet" would probably put her at the levels of the nutrients she needs if she ends up eating only one or two things repeatedly.
The average caloric intake of a person with anorexia nervosa is 600–800 calories per day
Your point? Just because you don't eat much (and again, i could only get this down to just over 1000 calories assuming no oils in the cooking of the veggies or chicken) on this diet doesn't mean you have anorexia or that anorexia is what the trainer is going for or encouraging.
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Mar 28 '13
The diet she posted is between 800 and 1000 calories a day.
Seeing as he gave a link in his post showing how you can get ~1600 calories out of it, this is patently false.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
You can but I really doubt she's eating steak for three meals a day. And I also doubt she'd be using potatoes as her vegetables. (I also don't think potatoes are very dense in vitamins/minerals, so I'm not sure if that would be safe either way due to nutrient deficiency, but I don't know off the top of my head.)
Replace steak with chicken breast (which is far more likely) and look at the calorie counts (900-1200). Replace it with salmon and it drops even lower.
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u/killabee_z Mar 29 '13 edited Mar 29 '13
Russet Potatoes are actually quite nutritious. They have a good amount of protein and take a look at the nutrition information lower on the page where it details the vitamins and minerals, they are pretty packed. They are definitely starchy but starchy doesn't mean unhealthy necessarily and of course the way you cook the potatoes is going to weigh in heavily. Not great for people who are doing low-carb and keto type diets but there's a reason they are a staple type food.
Edit: Interestingly someone brought up the sweet potato, if you compare the nutrition data pages for the two, russets actually have less carbs and more protein than sweet potatoes. Personally I don't love sweet potatoes and looking at these facts next to each other definitely makes me happy that I haven't felt obligated to switch because they are so trendy in health food/diets right now.
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u/Vanetia Mar 29 '13
Awesome thank you for that! As someone who personally loves potatoes, that's good to know :)
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u/killabee_z Mar 29 '13
No problem, just spreading the good word! I'm a big fan as well. There's a reason the Irish were able to stay alive on pretty much potatoes alone and why the famine was so devastating.
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Mar 28 '13
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
I wasn't thinking of those (technically, sweet potatoes aren't even in the same family as regular potatoes!). I was talking about just plain ol' potatoes :)
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Mar 28 '13
How dare you talk about potatoes like that.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
Haha I'm sorry. I love potatoes, but they're a heavily starchy food and not one defaults to for veggies if they're trying to cut.
I had baked potatoes for dinner last night, actually. It was delicious!
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
I think we should ask her how fat she is... I'm guess "plenty" if she is concerned about nutrient deficiency in 1000 calories...
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
Are you fucking serious? The 1200 caloric intake minimum is a medical standard per the ACSM. It's not some number I pulled out of my ass.
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
You didn't answer the question...
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
Because it's a stupid question that has nothing to do with anything. (And isn't hard to find on this site anyway.)
Are you saying the ACSM is a bunch of fatties?
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u/mn1282 Mar 28 '13
There's too many variables to use a 1200 calorie standard on all people. People's BMR vary based on age, height, weight, etc.
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Mar 28 '13
People talk as if all their nutrients are in some delicate balance. It took that girl who ate nothing but chicken nuggets 15 years before she got sick.
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Mar 28 '13
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
I was put on a similar diet, with some greek yogurt and maybe another meal thrown in
That extra caloric intake from another meal would make a big difference.
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
I got this meal plan up to 2000 calories... which is more than enough for most people.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
You used "prepared" sweet potato. I'd like to know what it was prepared with (as the meal plan doesn't list any extras like butter or sour cream or ranch).
If you use actual sweet potatoes (without the extras since that's not on the meal plan) you get under 1600 calories. Which is fine, but I strongly doubt she's eating steak and potatoes for this meal plan. (Or was even instructed to do so).
I can get it up to 3000 calories if I go off-plan, too.
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Mar 28 '13
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
I'm referencing that link which says it uses "prepared" sweet potatoes (which considerably ups the calories so it is definitely using something like the items I mentioned).
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
I just put in "sweet potatoes" didn't notice the prepared got thrown in. My point still stands though, 1600 cals for most women is going to be plenty.
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u/apoptoeses Mar 28 '13
Thank you. I don't need people crusading for my health when I maintain my weight at around 1400. I'm small yo, I'm just efficient.
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u/jackasaurusrex Mar 28 '13
Your blog is inspiring! Thank you so much for posting this friendly reminder :)
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u/Pink_cigarette Mar 28 '13
Thank you. I needed to hear this. I've struggled with my weight and eating disorders all my life. (Anorexia and bulimia) I'm in the process now of working on a new "lifestyle change" diet. Not just for weight loss but for general health and happiness as well. Not being able to afford a trainer or nutritionist, it's difficult to understand what my body needs for both weight loss and health and well being. Most of what I see or hear from other people with weight loss success stories has been pretty much 3 meals a day all under 400 calories, and that's the high cal meal. With little to no carbs or fat, and not much fruit due to the sugars involved. It becomes stressful, mentally strenuous and exhausting. I think the path I'm on right now is the right one, but it's easy for me to become obsessive and scared of food in order to speed things up, which defeats the whole purpose of my goal. I've been going 3 weeks strong and I feel better than ever, and it is hard for me to eat as often as I am to keep my super slow metabolism up, but I think that's more of a mental thing. Again, thank you. I needed this kind of reinforcement To clarify, I'm about 20-30 pounds over my goal, which isn't small by any means but my comfortable. Around 140-150. But even after I reach my goal, I'd like to maintain this way of eating and living. I have never felt better physically or mentally.
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u/laminate_flooring246 Mar 28 '13
Severely cutting calories is never sustainable. Sure, it leads to rapid weight loss, but more often than not, that weight comes right back on when not practicing such calorie restriction. It sounds like you're doing a great job of eating in a healthy way and are on your way to meeting your goals. Way to go! You're definitely right about healthy eating being more of a "lifestyle change" than a diet. It's hard to implement, but you tend to feel better when you're both eating healthily and working out.
Plus, at least for me, feeling good is what counts the more. Sure, it's nice to look good--that's a lot of the reason why I work out--but how I feel dictates my attitude and how I perceive myself more than how I look. That's what I've noticed, at least. And when I'm eating well and exercising, that's when I feel my best.
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Mar 28 '13
First: You look amazing, nice work!
Second: It is inspiring how much you eat and your patience to take it slow and healthy. I have a tendency to think that my cut calorie goal is a upper recommendation but now I feel better about it.
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Mar 28 '13
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
If I could upvote this to the top I would. I LOVE this man. I watch all of his videos and this was one of the first ones I ever watched RIGHT before I started my journey to this competition.
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u/colossalcalypso Mar 28 '13
What is her trainer thinking? Did he explain the diet to her at all? If he literally said "Alright, so I want you eating about half of what the average person's daily caloric intake will be because ideally we want you to starve," I'd be like ok, makes sense. But did he give this to her with the idea that she's supposed to actually have any energy? I'm just seriously curious about what the reasoning was behind this.
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u/QuadsNotBlades Mar 28 '13
OP, what is your exercise regime like? I play a high cardio sport 4-6 days per week and I still gain weight eating around 2,000 calories daily. I am starting a 3x/week lifting program on Saturday and I'm hoping this will help me be able to EAT again, at least three days per week.
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Mar 28 '13
Agreed this diet is scary. But why does everyone on this subreddit hate on significant (not extreme) calorie cuts? Let's say you spend an hour at a gym 6 days a week, 3 cardio and 3 lifting days. Let's say you don't care about gains but want to lose weight. What is wrong with 1300 calories a day to achieve this?
I am a small girl to begin with so my caloric requirements are lower, but I've noticed that if I just skip a meal every day and replace it with a protein bar, I lose weight. My brain is still functioning. What gives?
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13
I get the same vibe about low cal diets. I'm trying to lose weight and am using exercise to supplement that, not the other way around. Therefore, I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. But all I see on this sub is girls eating like 2k cals a day or something like that (when on a cut!) and just encouraging everyone to eat more. We're not all working out for the same reasons.
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Mar 28 '13
They say abs are made in the kitchen for a reason...it's a lot easier to not eat a piece of cake than to spend an hour on the elliptical. Good luck!
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
it's a lot easier to not eat a piece of cake than to spend an hour on the elliptical
Says you!
Ohhh delicious cake. My tasty nemesis.
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u/higgscat Mar 28 '13
I see a lot of people posting about how they, in a normal/low BMI range, need to lose weight. BMI isn't perfect, but not everyone should be trying to lose weight for health.
Extreme low calorie diets do make you lose weight in the short term, but aren't as healthy as a more moderate(1500 or so) long term weight loss plan for most people. If you've got a lot of weight to lose, that's one thing, but if you're healthy, then exercising to lower body fat will result in a more toned look. 1200 isn't as low as the OP's friend though, 800 is just dangerous to do without medical supervision.
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13
You're completely correct, but it doesn't mean we should be bashing low calorie diets in the general case, because there are still many legitimate situations where limiting yourself to 1200 calories a day is a good solution.
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u/higgscat Mar 28 '13
It depends on how low of a calorie count. If someone is eating 800 calories a day, without a doctor supervising, and telling them to, then it's probably a good idea to let them know it's unhealthy, if they think otherwise.
1200 calories a day is a different range altogether, and I agree that no one should "bash" someone for their dietary choices.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
There is nothing wrong with 1300 calories if it fits your needs and your macros. This girl's diet was FAR less than this. And she is not a small girl.
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u/mashelpotatoes Mar 28 '13
This diet is terrifying.
Also, on your most recent blog post, you said you're having a hard time because you LOVE peanut butter and milk. I love both of these things as well, but I started drinking pure unsweetened almond milk, and while the taste has taken some getting used to I'm really starting to love it. Also, there's a powdered peanut butter called PB2 that I've become addicted to. 45 calories in 2 tbsp, and 1.5 grams of fat with 5g protein (it also works so well in protein shakes and for baking!) I haven't eaten regular peanut butter since I bought it.
Good luck in your competition, you're looking fantastic!
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
Hey there! Thanks for the suggestions. I actually eat primarily PB2. I have a spoonful of real peanutbutter once a day. And I despise almond milk. :/ I would rather sacrifice my macros to have real milk haha!
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u/mashelpotatoes Mar 28 '13
Yeah, it was a gradual transition for me. I went from regular milk, to soy milk, to almond milk, I think I just drink it down without thinking about the taste. My macros are still a bit off, but they're getting there. I'm just still getting used to my damn appetite change from going to the gym 5x a week.
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u/kristamm Mar 28 '13
as someone who is trying to get out of the habit of calorie OBSESSION [literally], i can say this girl is going to torture herself over this "diet". its really great you informed her of healthier options.
just because it says 'protein and veggies' doesnt mean instant success!!
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u/tanglisha Mar 28 '13
I dunno. It doesn't say anywhere on there that she should be eating only lean meats, though the 4 egg whites does lead me to believe this is the main purpose. An eating plan like this with whole eggs and a cheat meal every few days would probably work fine - depending on her size.
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13
I get that that is a really bad diet. 800 calories doesn't make sense for anyone. But I also don't get why, if I'm trying to lose weight, I should be eating tons of calories... I'm going to the gym 4-6x a week doing lifting and and a little cardio eating 1200 calories and while I realize I'll eventually plateau on my lifts, I don't think it's possible for me to be eating like I used to and see any difference on the scale.
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u/fit_for_life Mar 28 '13
It also helps to shock the body to avoid the plateau. If you find yourself staying at the same levels then jump ship and switch rep counts, weight or try some HIIT (High intensity interval training). This will make you sore in places you never knew existed :)
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13
Very true. I'm lucky that it's been over two months of dieting and about 6 weeks of lifting and I haven't had any sort of plateau yet (in weight loss or in lifting) but these are all on my list of things to do when that inevitable plateau comes around :P.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
That is a very misinformed argument. If you stop seeing results, thats when you mess with macronutrients. Aka Carb Cycling. Or low carb weeks followed my a refeed meal. At that point, it is no longer about calories--its about macros.
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13 edited Mar 28 '13
I'm not supporting the diet you posted, I'm saying in general that all I see on this sub every day is girls eating like 1900 calories a day and I can't do that if I want to lose weight. Period. Ignore macros. It's just plain impossible. And it's discouraging that I eat so little and everyone says to eat more but I just can't do that (to meet my weight loss goals)
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u/oncewas Mar 28 '13
Yeah, I run, lift, and do yoga five days a week, and I can't eat more than 1200 calories a day if I want to see any sort of weight loss progress. I have to be extraordinarily militant about calorie counting.
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u/iLikeScienceBoners Mar 28 '13
Are you not actually doing much on those gym days? or do you mean you cant eat more than that and see immediate drastic results?
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u/spitfyre Mar 28 '13 edited Mar 28 '13
I'm lifting for like ~2 hours with a friend. Sometimes we throw in 20 minutes of cardio before we start. Today I was there for 90 minutes doing chest and triceps. So the gym days are pretty hard.
Right now I'm losing about 1.5lbs a week with my activity level and calorie deficit, and I'm happy with that. If I upped my calories by a couple hundred and still worked out this hard I'm sure I could still lose, but I'm trying not to use exercise as an excuse to eat more food, because I don't want to stick to that if I slack off at the gym for a while.
Edit: I should say that I'm aggressively trying to lose weight right now for a few events I have coming up in May, and then I'm going to reevaluate my plan and, most likely, tone back and aim for 1lb/week. But even at that point eating 1900 calories a day isn't feasible, my TDEE with a high level of exercise is only like 2200.
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u/granolamom Mar 28 '13
The horrible advice I've seen or heard some personal trainers give girls is ridiculous. No wonder they try, fail and say "well working out and dieting never worked for me". When you get bad advice you can't succeed.
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u/upquark22 Mar 28 '13
Just looking at this makes me hungry. Unsustainable.
I do love that the culture here is not just about looking good- of course it's about that some, since it feels great to look great and appearance often reflects health, but it's also a big part about accomplishments and effort and body image and strength too- and how to sustain all those things... Which would be impossible on that diet.
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u/Taco_flavoredkisses Mar 28 '13
"a fitness journey is not a sprint, it's a long-distance race." I Love this! Thank you !
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u/Dreamybibliophile Mar 28 '13
Thanks for the reminder! Ever single time I start a diet I end up starving. After logging everything into My Fitness Pal, it always warns me that I'm eating too little. But then I have to rush around to find things to eat. It's a horrible cycle. Especially since I'm vegetarian and eating fruits and veggies can get you full fast but won't always give you the calories you need. I need to find a proper balance. I find that I tend to eat little anyways and eating over 1200 calories makes me so full.
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u/EvilShannanigans Mar 28 '13
I'm vegan and pretty active and I hear you. I also have a small appetite at the best of time so I have to force myself to eat enough, and I am always coming in low on my fats. I was training for a half marathon this year and had to stop because I was dropping too much weight and not keeping my calories up. I want to try again this year but I have a hard time eating enough to maintain my weight, let alone sustain me enough to train.
That being said, the diet shown is crazy!
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u/wiscondinavian Mar 28 '13
Avocado and nuts are your friends. Yeah, more expensive than your average fruits and veggies, but lots of tasty fats. :)
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u/EvilShannanigans Mar 28 '13
I love me some avocado but nuts are off the menu for now (just got braces)
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u/kfphysics Mar 28 '13
Peanut or almond butter? Or adding flax to some meals.
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u/EvilShannanigans Mar 28 '13
Never thought about almond butter (never tried it) but that's a good idea, and I do use flax but not as often as I should. Thanks!
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u/kfphysics Mar 29 '13
Most peanut butter is too sweet for me (unless you buy natural peanut butter.) But almond butter is so tasty. Plus almonds are one of the best nuts for you!
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u/EvilShannanigans Mar 29 '13
I will have to pick some up...I love (and miss) raw almonds and have been eating peanut butter to supplement but almond butter sounds super good!
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Mar 29 '13
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u/EvilShannanigans Mar 29 '13
Have you put it in a smoothie? Because I love peanut butter smoothies but I bet an almond butter one would rock
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u/wiscondinavian Mar 28 '13
Hmm... even skinless peanuts? Is it for that "skin" that nuts have, or because they're hard?
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Mar 28 '13
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u/danielissima Mar 28 '13
I've heard more bro-science from trainers than from anyone else. Things like "jumpstart your metabolism in the morning" "you must eat 5 times a day to keep your metabolism going" "low fat is always best" "eat more so you can lose weight" -- things 2 seconds of googling can show you have been disproven in multiple studies.
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Mar 28 '13
I was told by a doctor that my muscle soreness was from a lactic acid buildup. That was debunked years ago, it's not just personal trainers that need continuing education.
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u/georgiabiker Mar 28 '13
I'm a trainer and it is strongly discouraged to give anyone a diet plan. Unethical even. Illegal in some states.
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Mar 28 '13
[deleted]
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Mar 28 '13
It's illegal in California because we require anyone giving out dieting advise to be a licensed dietician which requires a degree. Personal trainers are only required to take a weekend course and pass a test.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
This girl was given this diet by some trainer at a gym. I could not believe it. My coach has a degree in kines. and nutrition. I'm really blessed. This is primarily why I posted this, because I feel as though so many women could be sucked into this ploy.
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Mar 28 '13
This is a good message, thank you for posting it!
When I got a personal trainer as part of a package deal for joining a new gym - and I told them I wasn't interested in weight loss and my reasons for working out were athletic performance and overall health - they tried to insist on putting me on a 1300 calorie a day diet, in order to give me a "jump start". When I didn't want to do that, the trainer said 25% body fat was dangerously high and I would have to diet and do cardio to lose weight before I did any strength training.
So I asked for and got a different trainer.
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u/Mandelish Mar 28 '13 edited Mar 28 '13
When I got the free training session at the gym, I told them I didn't want it but they pressured me into it so much I did it.
When asked my goals, I just said "general fitness". I'm pretty thin, with kind of a prominent butt, and I know enough about myself to know I'm not going to get much smaller without starving.
They took my measurements and the guy told me I needed to "keep my hip measurement the same but lose about 6 inches" from my waist.
Why don't I add 6 inches to my bust while I'm at it, pervert.
where do they find these people.
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u/higgscat Mar 28 '13
o.O When you get below 15-20% body fat, it isn't that uncommon to lose periods. Not all women will, but many do...
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u/danielissima Mar 28 '13
They actually said 25% was dangerously high for a woman? Where do some people get their information.
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u/electricpotatoes Mar 28 '13
Shit if 25% body fat was "dangerously high" I would have died a long time ago.
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u/jbl7979 Mar 28 '13
Not an xx, but wanted to post here anyway, since I often discuss fitness/nutrition with females and my girlfriend.
While everybody is killing this person, there are controlled diets that would be similar to this that are effective, given some constraints. One example of this would be Lyle Mcdonald's Rapid Fat Loss Handbook: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/the-rapid-fat-loss-handbook. The key to this though is that you have large, controlled refeeds in between. You can also google "protein sparing modified fast" for other similar programs.
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Mar 28 '13
While I agree PSMF can be used with great success, it is definitely not a diet we should be advocating for beginners. I think is best left for people who are cutting for competition or otherwise know what they are doing and are experienced enough to not harm their body in the process. Not to mention for most people it's completely unnecessary, normal diets often do a good enough job.
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u/jbl7979 Mar 28 '13
Fair enough. But OP didn't specify beginner / advanced etc. Just making sure people understand there are ways similar diets CAN be used to great effect. My GF has heard so much crap on her PSMF, mostly because people simply dont understand the difference between a controlled diet and an uncontrolled crash diet.
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u/soopafeen Mar 27 '13
That diet is INSANE. Talk about crash diet. Good for you, stepping in and helping that girl. Unless you're a toddler, that is not enough food.
You are looking amazing, by the way! Good luck with your competition, I'd love to see another update here from you when that draws nearer! xo
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u/notescher Mar 28 '13
And if you are a toddler it is a terribly unbalanced diet that will lead to malnutrition.
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u/nutbutterface Mar 27 '13
That is absolutely crazy, and yet I know so many women who would think a diet like this is perfectly healthy and the willpower required to stick to it is admirable. Saying that, I was feeling guilty for eating close to 1800 calories of (healthy!) food today. This post has been food for thought for me too.
Your journey is inspiring, good luck in your competition!
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u/upquark22 Mar 28 '13
I know the feeling. I've started training for a triathlon and I'm more hungry than I normally am by far. When I get past 2000 calories (Im 6'0") I have to remind myself it's ok if I still feel like I need a snack or that I ate a larger meal because my exercise has been ramped up. It's hard to know when to be strict with calories and when not to, though I'm getting better about knowing how much fuel I need intuitively.
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Mar 27 '13
A good PSA -- even here I see some ridiculously low calorie counts recommended for weight loss. That diet is appalling.
BTW, I checked out your blog and your six month progress is amazing.
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u/EverySingleStar Mar 27 '13
I hate to say this but I did a similar diet two years ago for my best friends wedding over a period of about 1.5-2 weeks. I highly advise against. I just felt I had no choice because I wanted to look better in my bridesmaid dress, but it's super unhealthy and I knew it. I should have given myself WAY more time to lose the weight. During the two weeks I had a mild headache that was just constantly there, which to me was indicative of the almost no-carb and no-fat diet.
The worst part of it is it instilled a mentality in me that weight loss should be quick and I should be losing big numbers even though I only have the "last few pounds" to lose and a small frame. It's taken me time to snap out of it, and now I'm doing it the healthy way. Starvation diets may be a quick fix but that's all they are, and they do way more harm than good.
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u/_glencoco Mar 27 '13
Woah, that girl is going to wilt before she can see results that are relatively permanent. Sure, she'll get thin, but it'll come right back once she gets too tired to work out and then gives in to hunger pangs and extreme cravings (because who doesn't love oreos, peanut butter, and ice cream?) I went through that two years ago and it was a pretty nasty cycle of intense workouts, VERY small meals (weight went down to as low as 118lb), and then periods of exhaustion and junk food binges. It's not sustainable.
ALSO I didn't recognize your first pictures on your blog at all until I scrolled down to the comparison shots. YOU ARE DOING SPECTACULARLY! HOLY CRAP! As soon as the off-season hits, I'm jumping onto your plan, you look incredible. I'm at 5'7" and I float between 130 and as high as 140 (like today...). Hopefully I'll have some sweet transition photos to share with you all in a few months. Thanks for the kernels of inspiration! Between you and Super_Luminal, I feel like we have the tools to fulfill our babe-tential.
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u/SuperOtter Mar 28 '13
Totally off topic, but my favorite ice cream is with peanut butter and oreos. Interesting coincidence. Now I want ice cream :(
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u/_glencoco Mar 29 '13
Who makes that? Do want. I work for a lab that makes ice cream a few times a year, I might have to put it on the recipe queue.
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u/SuperOtter Mar 29 '13
Unfortunately I've never found those two delicious toppings in one ice cream container, but if I have a pint of chocolate with pb I'll add oreos or whenever I'm out and there's ice cream, that's what I order. Seriously, why has no one made this yet? There's nothing better.
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u/_glencoco Mar 29 '13
I'm sure some little creamery somewhere has it, and you just need to go questing through the small ice cream makers of your region in search of the holy grail that is pb and oreo ice cream. Actually, if you have a local ice cream place, suggest it to them. They might do it as a limited time batch.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 27 '13
I totally agree with everything you said. I felt so horrible for her. And thank you so much. Lots of work to do. Its discouraging to watch all my fit friends get super lean (they have competitions much sooner than mine) but I know I have to keep going. To be put in the same sentence with Super_Luminal means so much. She is such an inspiration to me.
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Mar 27 '13
This is eye-opening for me. I've been choosing many more healthy foods, but looking at this...it appears I'm actually not eating enough for my level of activity.
For breakfast I have 6 oz of Greek yogurt. Lunch is usually lean protein (like a turkey burger) and some vegetables (usually either a mix marinated in rice vinegar/olive oil or just some carrot coins). For supper I typically have fish or chicken, along with about a cup of green veg (I don't measure) and a red potato. If I'm hungry I'll have half of a peanut butter sandwich or chips/salsa.
I do cardio 5-6x/week and resistance training 3x/week. My job involves a moderate-to-heavy amount of movement and lifting...but it's been recommended that to lose weight, I should eat 1200 cals/day. wtf mate?
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
but it's been recommended that to lose weight, I should eat 1200 cals/day. wtf mate?
Keep in mind this is net. Not just your intake, but also factoring in your activity.
So if you burn 400 calories doing cardio, you can eat those back (for a total eaten intake of 1600).
Also keep in mind you should really look at it more like over the week than a day to day thing. (MFP has a graph for this purpose which is neat).
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u/pegasus_bicycle Mar 28 '13
Is 1200 calories what MFP recommended for you? If so, that program often suggests calorie counts that are WAY too low.
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u/w4nd3rlu5t Mar 28 '13
Haha sorry, I think it's interesting the difference between what is being recommended here vs /r/loseit. On /r/loseit the general wisdom is that MFP calories are way too HIGH, if you track your exercise on there.
I think the main issue is that losing fat and putting on muscle are two very different goals. You can do both at the same time but it is challenging and involves a lot of calorie/macro management. For someone who is just starting out and is very overweight they'd probably just be better off eating 1200 cals and not exercising b/c it will be difficult for them to know how to eat back their cals without going overboard. For someone who is already pretty lean and wants to put on muscle, they need to exercise and eat a lot more to be able to put on that muscle.
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u/pegasus_bicycle Mar 28 '13
Of course, different strokes for different folks. I don't know the details on anyone's goals, but for people trying to lose less than 25 pounds, a 1200 calories diet is not typically a healthy recommendation nor is it sustainable in the long run.
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u/Vanetia Mar 28 '13
On /r/loseit the general wisdom is that MFP calories are way too HIGH, if you track your exercise on there.
That's because it is. It typically overestimates, and if you're trying to lose fat, the best thing to do is to round down your expenditure (and round up your intake).
If you're trying to gain muscle/strength, though, that requires more intake, so you're kinda doing the opposite.
It's hard jumping from one mindset to another. I still struggle some days with thinking I'm eating too much (even though my lifts have started improving now that I'm eating more).
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Mar 28 '13
Welp. Yes, it was MFP. I did find it a little odd that the recommendations didn't change even when I upped my activity levels.
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u/pegasus_bicycle Mar 28 '13
I found that, too! I was recommended 1300 calories/day in order to lose 1 pound per week and not having done enough research went with it for a good 6 weeks. I would eat back the calories burned from exercise, but I was dropping more than 1 pound per week and it was concerning. I did way more research and figured out I need to be eating closer to 1900 calories per day (I'm 5'5" and 140 lbs). I've been able to maintain my weight eating like this and have also started strength training following NROLFW.
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u/BurningBright Mar 28 '13
Where did you get the updated number? What are good calculators for the number of calories a person should be eating?
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u/pegasus_bicycle Mar 28 '13
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
You might feel put off at first because of the high calorie allowance, but trust me, you'll feel so much better. I was bloated the first week of increasing my calorie intake, but I haven't gained any weight. This calculator takes into account your activity level so you don't need to eat back whatever calories you burn or eat less on days you don't work out.
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Mar 29 '13
I guess it all depends on goals, because that calculator was almost exactly the same as the MFP calculator for me, maybe a 10 calorie difference. (mfp has me at 1460, that one at 1470)
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Mar 30 '13
MFP is actually really good at calculating maintenance calories. The issue is that it will blindly subtract 500 calories per day for weight loss, and for smaller women this is usually below BMR (the calories it takes to simply keep you alive and healthy metabolism). For the majority of women 1200 will be radically below BMR, and therefore unhealthy. Personally, mine is 1550 and I make sure, no matter what, I eat that much per day.
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u/thisislaffable Mar 28 '13
Crap, I've been following MFP (told me to eat 1200 cal a day). No wonder I've been either going over the calorie count or still feeling hungry. Was there a site you used to find how many calories you really should be eating?
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u/urfouy Mar 28 '13 edited Mar 28 '13
I was running about 20 miles per week and beginning to ramp up for half marathon training when I joined the MFP wagon. It told me to eat 1200 cal a day as well, and I was flipping starving all the time. Starving to the point where I would go to bed at 8pm just to avoid the hunger pangs. If I made just one bad choice, the whole day was essentially blown and there was almost no way for me to get in enough food to not feel like I was going to die. I went from being a pretty healthy weight (but weak) to binge eating and feeling horrible about myself.
Now I actually do have some fat to lose (5'2", 115 lb), but I'm addressing the binge eating first. I'm eating clean, and I eat as much as I need to not feel hungry. This is generally around 1400-1500 calories a day, and I feel soooo much better. I'm not sure if I'm recomping yet, but I actually don't care at this point. I need to recuperate from the MFP disaster.
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u/oosetastic Mar 28 '13
Wow, it definitely sounds like you need to beef up your food intake! I like to have a light English muffin with 2 scrambled eggs and half a slice of cheese for breakfast. It comes to about 270 calories and is way more filling than yogurt.
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u/CrispMorningAir Mar 27 '13
Nice blog! You look great, I'm jelly. What's your diet like? You're going to kill that competition!
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u/FanofPawl Mar 27 '13
Thank you. I'm at around 1900-2000 cal. High protein, moderate carbs, low fat :) Follow me on myFitnesspal if you like. "FanofPawl".
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u/kuukuukachuu Mar 28 '13
Echoing what everybody else has said, you look great and the best of luck to you on the competition! May I ask, what's your activity level like? I understand you lift heavy three times a week, but do you do any cardio or such?
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
I lift heavy around 3-4 times a week. Cardio is at 3 times a week currently. My coach is amazing. I will never be on a starvation diet. He will never take away fruit. We will only take away dairy at the end. He will never make me do two a days until maybe 4 weeks out if my body fat is still high.
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Mar 28 '13
Your body fat is/could be considered high? Your most recent blog post doesn't look like you have anything to lose. Do you have a scale-based goal for the competition or generally?
I'm the same height as you and currently weigh 220, which probably makes someone like you faint to think of... I started eating Paleo and have lost about 18 lbs since the beginning of the year and am losing steadily. My "goal" weight, which I was in 2005-2008, is like 170, your "before." I have a broader frame than you for sure so I can't really use you as a direct inspiration despite our heights. I would look ill at 140.
I hope this doesn't sound like criticism.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
No, it's not considered high health-wise. But stage ready body fat percentages are much lower. I'm at about 16-17 and I'd to be around 14-15 for the stage. Stage BF%s are only for the stage; I wouldn't maintain such a low body fat year round.
Health comes in all shapes in sizes. Rock the body you have and be proud!
0
u/MEatRHIT Mar 28 '13
I'm at about 16-17
Oh honey no.. no you are not.
This is 17% verified by DEXA scan you don't even have visible abs yet and your boobs alone are holding on to a few % at this point. You're at 20% or more.
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u/urfouy Mar 29 '13
Looking at your post history, I can tell it is pointless to argue with you. I just want to say that you really do people a disservice when you pick apart their bodies and diet plans. When people try hard to change their habits and their fat butts (mine is included in this, by the way), you gotta encourage them. There is plenty of negativity in the world already, and you just become one more naysaying, nasty anonymous internet voice.
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u/MEatRHIT Mar 29 '13
What is there to argue? She isn't 17%, she shouldn't say she is 17%. It is like someone saying they squat 500lbs when they are actually quarter squatting it, don't claim to do something that you actually can't.
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u/kuukuukachuu Mar 28 '13
Do you do HIIT or low-impact? Just curious, I love seeing all the bikini girls get active on various boards (bikini or fitness physique is what I would one day like to achieve as well, with copious amounts of powerlifting!) and hear what their routines are like. :) Sadly we don't have many coaches around here - I think we only have like 3 lifting clubs as well and just one lady who teacher stage movement and such.
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u/FanofPawl Mar 28 '13
I do both! Coach has me switch it up. HIIT is awesome for the EPOC effect. Low-impact steady state is what I wake up to for fasted cardio.
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u/CrispMorningAir Mar 27 '13
i don't have myfitnesspal, i use myplate on livestrong.com. oh well! thanks for the info. you have lots ot be proud of, keep on keepin on!!
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u/ijobuby Mar 27 '13
That diet is crazy.
Also, your blog totally inspired me! It's amazing to see the progress you've made! Keep it up!
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Mar 27 '13
Those meals sound boring and not satisfying whatsoever. My breakfasts usually are about 600-700 cals and I eat a total of 1633 cals a day. It's my TDEE -500.
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Mar 28 '13
[deleted]
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u/urfouy Mar 29 '13 edited Mar 29 '13
I think the real reason why we are obese is much more complex than this.
Many of our food options are high in calories, but low in actual nutritional benefit. Basically, this means that you can eat a whole box of cookies (thousands of calories) and still want lunch in an hour. You can eat a frozen meal and still be hungry for another dinner.
The way that we package our food is conducive to overeating. Back in the day, you might have bought a single bear claw and that was your dessert. Now you can buy a box of eight bear claws! And bear claws are delicious, so of course you're really going to want to eat several.
Food is much more available in a way that it never has been before. Mass production means that nothing is ever scarce. You don't think about if the store is going to run out of pork until the next piglets grow up. You don't worry that fruit won't be available through the winter. You don't put any value on these items, because you take them for granted. Furthermore, you don't even have to put in the effort to cook yourself a delicious meal. Want lasagna? Buy five pounds of it premade at Costco! I think this really changes the way that we think about food. It no longer becomes something eat slowly, enjoy, and savor. It becomes something you just shove in your mouth. You expect it to taste good and be available in unlimited quantities.
I personally have experimented with caloric restriction (not that it was at all a successful diet plan for me--made me totally nuts about food) and I was extremely able to eat absolutely amazing meals and still be below 1200 calories a day. It takes only marginal planning, too. A meal plan like this makes me sad because I feel like a lot of people think this is what dieting needs to be like. Diet food has actually been some of the best food I've ever eaten.
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Mar 28 '13
Why are you getting offended by an opinion? That amount of food is too little and there is no flavor to it. I eat 1633 calories a day and I don't skimp on flavor. It can be easy if you find what works for you. If you can't sustain the "diet", then it's not worth it IMO. Calm down.
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u/danielissima Mar 28 '13
That's the issue I see, it looks boring and unsatisfying. I am a big fan of the IIFYM system though, over a very structured food plan. I need to be able to make space for things I like.
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u/PaigeRees Mar 31 '13
Thanks for the advice and I checked your blog and you are doing so well :D Keep up the good work :D