stuck at 168lbs =/

[paintballproam]

posting this for the girl

starting stats 5'8 192 35%+ bf
current stats 5'8 168 26%bf

diet is 1400cals/day 200g protein, low carbs only coming from oats in the morning, the rest of the cals made up in good fats

heavy weight training m/w/f cardio 45mins hiit sun/tues/thurs

was dropping consistantly and now stuck at 168 for 3weeks.

supps:
multi v
oxy elite pro
100% on whey

 

[musclemom]

posting this for the girl

starting stats 5'8 192 35%+ bf
current stats 5'8 168 26%bf

diet is 1400cals/day 200g protein, low carbs only coming from oats in the morning, the rest of the cals made up in good fats

heavy weight training m/w/f cardio 45mins hiit sun/tues/thurs

was dropping consistantly and now stuck at 168 for 3weeks.

supps:
multi v
oxy elite pro
100% on whey

She's probably in starvation mode. You didn't give her age, but it's around 1600 or 1500 depending on whether she's 20 or 30. She's eating below her BMR.

I'd say bump her calories to at least 1700 (SLOWLY, say 150 this week, 150 next week). Also, consider a carb refeed (cheat day?) or even changing her macros (many women have very good luck with a 40p/30c/30f ratio.

If she still stays stuck you may need to increase her calories until you get her to 12x her body weight. You're working her hard and she's not eating much, women's body's are highly susceptible to going into starvation mode, it's that whole reproductive perogative.

 

[paintballproam]

shes 18, someone on here suggested 1350-1400 cals so thats why her diet is set up that way. so would you say to add carbs? fat? or protein to increase her cals? and i always was told 10xbw to cut, could be wrong tho.

but at 1700cals she wont be gaining bodyfat, right?

 

[musclemom]

shes 18, someone on here suggested 1350-1400 cals so thats why her diet is set up that way. so would you say to add carbs? fat? or protein to increase her cals? and i always was told 10xbw to cut, could be wrong tho.

but at 1700cals she wont be gaining bodyfat, right?

10x to 12x bodyweight to cut, and actually, if you go by BMR, someone who is active can generally add 500 calories to their BMR and still expect to lose weight.

Her BMR is 1620. She is eating almost 200 calories a day below her BMR. By eating below her BMR her body is perceiving a famine situation. She will neither gain muscle nor lose fat. I don't know what the magic number is, but you can only get away with drastic calorie cutting when you're more than 20 or so lbs. over your ideal weight.

The thing is, at 168 she's not obese, just a pinch into the overweight category. Not as low BF as she would like but you both need to remember that the closer a person gets to their ideal bodyweight the harder it gets to lose weight. She needs to increase her calories so she can increase muscle mass and tip the scales in terms of her metabolism. Which means she actually may need anywhere from 1680 to as high as 2120.

As I said in my previous post, I'd increase her carbs and reduce her protein. She's been on an extremely high protein diet with virtually no carbs for about 2.5 months or so now. Change things up a bit. Give her some fresh fruits and veggies.

Fat loss is about sustainability. She needs to learn how to eat healthfully and develop sustainable eating habits that will last her a lifetime. A 40/30/30 ratio is more sustainable over a longer haul.

 

[RottenWillow]

posting this for the girl

starting stats 5'8 192 35%+ bf
current stats 5'8 168 26%bf

diet is 1400cals/day 200g protein, low carbs only coming from oats in the morning, the rest of the cals made up in good fats

heavy weight training m/w/f cardio 45mins hiit sun/tues/thurs

was dropping consistantly and now stuck at 168 for 3weeks.

supps:
multi v
oxy elite pro
100% on whey

If she were carb rotating then 1400 would be ok for the bottom end of the range. If her LBM is 124lbs (based on your figures) then sitting at 1400 kcals everyday, plus exercise, is too low. Only weight she'll lose from now on eating like that is skeletal muscle.

 

[paintballproam]

ok so i switched her to 40p/30c/30f and started her at 1450cals first week, she said she felt like she was gaining weight, probably some bloat from carbs but weighed in at 168, she then bumped it up to just about 1700cals, same macros, but is now up 2lbs, should she stick with the 1700? shes trying hard to lose weight

 

[musclemom]

ok so i switched her to 40p/30c/30f and started her at 1450cals first week, she said she felt like she was gaining weight, probably some bloat from carbs but weighed in at 168, she then bumped it up to just about 1700cals, same macros, but is now up 2lbs, should she stick with the 1700? shes trying hard to lose weight

Tell her to stop obsessing over the scale. How are her clothes fitting? Get her to take her measurements, start from the neck and work down, including arms, measure at the waist, belly button hips, mid thigh.

There is NO way she is gaining FAT on 1700 calories, absolutely none. Not at 18 and 5'8". She's BARELY eating her BMR and active. And you certainly haven't given her body a lot of time to adjust to a new eating habit, you only made your first post 9 days ago. You need to give her at least two weeks (ideally four) on any eating plan before you reevaluate. Her metabolism may still perceive starvation and be hoarding calories. She might need more food, 1800 or even up to 2000.

She's been virtally starved for a couple months, she's finally getting fed, there's going to be an adjustment period but when you get the right balance (and cutting her food MORE is NOT the way to do it, not this close to normal weight) she's going to start building muscle like she hasn't been able to before. I know some personal trainers who tell girls to throw their scale out the window, that might be a good idea with this young lady.

What we really need is to see exactly what she's eating, and when she eats it, meal by meal. The macros don't tell us a lot. What would be even better would be if she joined the forum here so she can communicate directly with us.

 

[paintballproam]

her diet consists of
oats
whole grain pasta
chicken breasts
protein shakes
1% milk
fruits+veggies
olive oil
multi v

i know breakfast is oats, pwo is a shake, next meal is 4oz pasta, the rest of the meals are usually chicken+fruit or veggies and milk, the olive oil gets mixed into 1 meal, and pre bed is a casien protein shake. so ill have her stick to the 1700cal diet at the macros you suggested and see where it goes in 4-6weeks or so

 

[musclemom]

her diet consists of
oats
whole grain pasta
chicken breasts
protein shakes
1% milk
fruits+veggies
olive oil
multi v

i know breakfast is oats, pwo is a shake, next meal is 4oz pasta, the rest of the meals are usually chicken+fruit or veggies and milk, the olive oil gets mixed into 1 meal, and pre bed is a casien protein shake. so ill have her stick to the 1700cal diet at the macros you suggested and see where it goes in 4-6weeks or so

It would really help if you could get her to put down one average day of meals, in terms of how much, what and when.

Just from what you've said, it looks like she's not getting any protein for breakfast, and pasta (even whole grain) is not a very good carb source (too high glycemic). Sweet potato or brown rice would be much better.

 

[RottenWillow]

Tell her to stop obsessing over the scale. How are her clothes fitting? Get her to take her measurements, start from the neck and work down, including arms, measure at the waist, belly button hips, mid thigh.

There is NO way she is gaining FAT on 1700 calories, absolutely none. Not at 18 and 5'8". She's BARELY eating her BMR and active. And you certainly haven't given her body a lot of time to adjust to a new eating habit, you only made your first post 9 days ago. You need to give her at least two weeks (ideally four) on any eating plan before you reevaluate. Her metabolism may still perceive starvation and be hoarding calories. She might need more food, 1800 or even up to 2000.

She's been virtally starved for a couple months, she's finally getting fed, there's going to be an adjustment period but when you get the right balance (and cutting her food MORE is NOT the way to do it, not this close to normal weight) she's going to start building muscle like she hasn't been able to before. I know some personal trainers who tell girls to throw their scale out the window, that might be a good idea with this young lady.

Ok you've left me nothing to type.

 

[Varga]

My gf is going to a similar situation and what I have her do is to eat her carbs early to mid day and switch to protein and veggies at days end from 6PM on. last meal have her eat a bit of fat with the protein so she wont be hungry 3 hours before bed time!
Cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning for 30-40min 3x a week.Lifting moderately 2-3x a week
Carbs consists of whole grain and fruits/veggies, high fiber. Fat under 25g a day and the rest of the calories consists of lean protein.
Small meals 5 a day, total calories 1200 but that's her methabolism. Her weight 150lbs. You need to find where her caloric intake is im not sure but somewhere between 1200-1700

One month results lost 10lbs at a steady rate after she was stuck there for a while.
I feel that she should NOT do heavy lifting on a diet...it is not for her. Main reason is that heavy lifting requires more food and rest to recuperate and encourages overtraining.
Switch her to mod-light weight training and focus on the cardio on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.HIIT IMO is useless if it's done at the wrong time of the day. Plus follow the carbs I suggested earlier and def drop the pasta
If you want I could go into more details about the foods and snacks throughout the day

 

[musclemom]

I'm making a general comment here:

WOULD YOU BOYS WHO WANT YOUR GIRLFRIEND TO HAVE A BODY LIKE A FIGURE COMPETITOR PLEASE STOP STARVING THEM AND WORKING THEM LIKE RENTED MULES?

In fact, no normal adult human being, whatever gender, should be consuming 1200 calories a day (or less). In fact, I doubt if any woman who is 5'5" or taller and exercising regularly should be consuming less than 1500 calories, period.

Stop thinking that because they're girls they can live on two lettuce leaves and a rice cake. Stop thinking that they're girls so they need more cardio. You're not doing anyone any good and it's counterproductive.

Encourage them to eat whole foods with adequate protein (stop encouraging them to take in all their calories in protein shakes). Get them to build up a nice muscle base (which will increase their metabolic rates), and have them do regular, SANE cardio. I promise you, boys, they will lose weight, and more importantly, they will lose it healthfully and it will be sustainable.

And just like a man, if she's losing more than a pound or so a week it's NOT reasonable, because then she's just burning muscle up.

And finally, THE SCALE SUCKS. If you have a girlfriend who is about to undertake a new regimen with the goal of losing fat and "toning up" (gaaaa I hate that phrase) then TAKE MEASUREMENTS, or really splurge and get her DUNKED, but STOP LIVING AND DYING BY THE SCALE, WOMEN DO THAT ALREADY.

A gallon of water weighs 7 pounds. It's very easy for a woman's weight to fluctuate by 5 to 7 pounds (even more, sometimes) depending on where in her cycle she is, how hydrated she is, how many carbs she had, if she had any alcohol, etc., etc., etc. Also, muscle tissue holds water when it's been injured (you can hold up to two or three pounds of water after weight training). Finally, HOLD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR MIND:

The equivalent amount of fat is NEARLY twice the size of lean muscle tissue. That's why the SCALE IS BULLSHIT as a measurement of success. GET A DARNED TAPE MEASURE! TAKE PHOTOS OF HER IN A BATHING SUIT!

 

[trex74]

I'm making a general comment here:

WOULD YOU BOYS WHO WANT YOUR GIRLFRIEND TO HAVE A BODY LIKE A FIGURE COMPETITOR PLEASE STOP STARVING THEM AND WORKING THEM LIKE RENTED MULES?

In fact, no normal adult human being, whatever gender, should be consuming 1200 calories a day (or less). In fact, I doubt if any woman who is 5'5" or taller and exercising regularly should be consuming less than 1500 calories, period.

Stop thinking that because they're girls they can live on two lettuce leaves and a rice cake. Stop thinking that they're girls so they need more cardio. You're not doing anyone any good and it's counterproductive.

Encourage them to eat whole foods with adequate protein (stop encouraging them to take in all their calories in protein shakes). Get them to build up a nice muscle base (which will increase their metabolic rates), and have them do regular, SANE cardio. I promise you, boys, they will lose weight, and more importantly, they will lose it healthfully and it will be sustainable.

And just like a man, if she's losing more than a pound or so a week it's NOT reasonable, because then she's just burning muscle up.

And finally, THE SCALE SUCKS. If you have a girlfriend who is about to undertake a new regimen with the goal of losing fat and "toning up" (gaaaa I hate that phrase) then TAKE MEASUREMENTS, or really splurge and get her DUNKED, but STOP LIVING AND DYING BY THE SCALE, WOMEN DO THAT ALREADY.

A gallon of water weighs 7 pounds. It's very easy for a woman's weight to fluctuate by 5 to 7 pounds (even more, sometimes) depending on where in her cycle she is, how hydrated she is, how many carbs she had, if she had any alcohol, etc., etc., etc. Also, muscle tissue holds water when it's been injured (you can hold up to two or three pounds of water after weight training). Finally, HOLD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR MIND:

http://johnbarban.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/FatvsMuscle.jpg

The equivalent amount of fat is NEARLY twice the size of lean muscle tissue. That's why the SCALE IS BULLSHIT as a measurement of success. GET A DARNED TAPE MEASURE! TAKE PHOTOS OF HER IN A BATHING SUIT!

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
What she said

Plus the whole scale thing turns into an unhealthy obsession very easily...and if it's PMS time, you're gonna have water weight anyway which is just the way it is but if you're focused on the scale you just feel fat despite knowing it's just water.

 

[Varga]

I'm making a general comment here:

WOULD YOU BOYS WHO WANT YOUR GIRLFRIEND TO HAVE A BODY LIKE A FIGURE COMPETITOR PLEASE STOP STARVING THEM AND WORKING THEM LIKE RENTED MULES?

In fact, no normal adult human being, whatever gender, should be consuming 1200 calories a day (or less). In fact, I doubt if any woman who is 5'5" or taller and exercising regularly should be consuming less than 1500 calories, period.

Stop thinking that because they're girls they can live on two lettuce leaves and a rice cake. Stop thinking that they're girls so they need more cardio. You're not doing anyone any good and it's counterproductive.

Encourage them to eat whole foods with adequate protein (stop encouraging them to take in all their calories in protein shakes). Get them to build up a nice muscle base (which will increase their metabolic rates), and have them do regular, SANE cardio. I promise you, boys, they will lose weight, and more importantly, they will lose it healthfully and it will be sustainable.

And just like a man, if she's losing more than a pound or so a week it's NOT reasonable, because then she's just burning muscle up.

And finally, THE SCALE SUCKS. If you have a girlfriend who is about to undertake a new regimen with the goal of losing fat and "toning up" (gaaaa I hate that phrase) then TAKE MEASUREMENTS, or really splurge and get her DUNKED, but STOP LIVING AND DYING BY THE SCALE, WOMEN DO THAT ALREADY.

A gallon of water weighs 7 pounds. It's very easy for a woman's weight to fluctuate by 5 to 7 pounds (even more, sometimes) depending on where in her cycle she is, how hydrated she is, how many carbs she had, if she had any alcohol, etc., etc., etc. Also, muscle tissue holds water when it's been injured (you can hold up to two or three pounds of water after weight training). Finally, HOLD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR MIND:

The equivalent amount of fat is NEARLY twice the size of lean muscle tissue. That's why the SCALE IS BULLSHIT as a measurement of success. GET A DARNED TAPE MEASURE! TAKE PHOTOS OF HER IN A BATHING SUIT!

I understand your point but ppl are different and you cant categorize eveyone in the same braket...yes most girls eat around 1800 cal but that is not the rule for everyone. It very much depends on genetics, thyroid activity, physical activity, age and so on. BTW my gf is 5'2 and has had a slow metabolism all her life so if she would eat 1800 cal she will gain weight very easy unless she would spend her entire day doing cardio which is not practical at all.
She enjoys the program, she has a ton of energy and is losing weight so I dont mean any disrespect here but it works and only eats around 1200 cal per day.

 

[cnicolea]

I'm 5'2 and weigh 115lbs . I look skinny fat and am actually bigger in my pants than when I weight 120-125 with rigorous exercise.I have always worn a size 2-3 pant even when I'm almost 10lbs over what I am now. At 122lbs I had a lean hard physique . It was a hard lesson for me to learn that in order to see cuts I needed to eat more calories. Protein shakes do not suffice I must eat food. In order to get the most out of my lifting routine I have to eat more calories.

It was a difficult transition just like it is right now. I get bloated and hold more water when I'm transitioning into a proper bb /eating routine. The result is I do not get hungry I don't crave crap food I sleep great and I have excellent muscle recovery. I have been working hard for the past few weeks and I have maybe lost 1 lbs lol My pants are loser and I'm seeing a few cuts in my abs which I genetically have as I am long through my torso. I see some shoulders popping and I'm excited for the drop to start.

I am eating 1440 calories 3 days and 1700-1800 for one then back to 1440 next week I'm going to up my calories to 1500. I always go slow and eat frequently. I'm a little moody but I'm getting old now so this is life lol

 

[Varga]

I've been into bodybuilding for many years and I can def understand the eating more and not starve point of view. Believe me she tried eating more the was the first thing we tried. I had her build muscle and eat well over 1200 cal a day.
She put on muscle but now she doesnt want to get any bigger...her T-shirts are tight around the arms. Honestly she can put on weight fast and furious it's crazy.
Now we kept thinkering with different diets and stuff and doing cardio first thing in the morning and eating her carbs morning to mid day then eat her protein and fat later works perfect for her.

So is not something I just dropped on her we tried all avenues and finally I had her do what I do when I cut down. This is exactely my regimen for cuting down only that I adjusted the caloric intake to fit her needs. She seems to be carb sensitive that's why she only gets her carbs from fruits, veggies and whole grains.
I hope this may help some ppl stuck try a different avenue to get going again. THis is not a starvation diet and you should adjust your daily food intake based on your personal needs and goals and honestly how you feel.

 

[AFeedz]

I'm making a general comment here:

WOULD YOU BOYS WHO WANT YOUR GIRLFRIEND TO HAVE A BODY LIKE A FIGURE COMPETITOR PLEASE STOP STARVING THEM AND WORKING THEM LIKE RENTED MULES?

In fact, no normal adult human being, whatever gender, should be consuming 1200 calories a day (or less). In fact, I doubt if any woman who is 5'5" or taller and exercising regularly should be consuming less than 1500 calories, period.

Stop thinking that because they're girls they can live on two lettuce leaves and a rice cake. Stop thinking that they're girls so they need more cardio. You're not doing anyone any good and it's counterproductive.

Encourage them to eat whole foods with adequate protein (stop encouraging them to take in all their calories in protein shakes). Get them to build up a nice muscle base (which will increase their metabolic rates), and have them do regular, SANE cardio. I promise you, boys, they will lose weight, and more importantly, they will lose it healthfully and it will be sustainable.

And just like a man, if she's losing more than a pound or so a week it's NOT reasonable, because then she's just burning muscle up.

And finally, THE SCALE SUCKS. If you have a girlfriend who is about to undertake a new regimen with the goal of losing fat and "toning up" (gaaaa I hate that phrase) then TAKE MEASUREMENTS, or really splurge and get her DUNKED, but STOP LIVING AND DYING BY THE SCALE, WOMEN DO THAT ALREADY.

A gallon of water weighs 7 pounds. It's very easy for a woman's weight to fluctuate by 5 to 7 pounds (even more, sometimes) depending on where in her cycle she is, how hydrated she is, how many carbs she had, if she had any alcohol, etc., etc., etc. Also, muscle tissue holds water when it's been injured (you can hold up to two or three pounds of water after weight training). Finally, HOLD THIS IMAGE IN YOUR MIND:

The equivalent amount of fat is NEARLY twice the size of lean muscle tissue. That's why the SCALE IS BULLSHIT as a measurement of success. GET A DARNED TAPE MEASURE! TAKE PHOTOS OF HER IN A BATHING SUIT!

I love everything muscle mom says. I'm 5'6 and in a similar boat and I've done the eating few calories thing. It works great for a short amount of time until the female body goes into protection mode and stops losing weight because it's trying to store everything.

I work out about 4x/week and ever since I bumped up my caloric intake (whole, clean foods, good fats, etc.) I'm seeing a huge difference.

It's really hard to give up the scale. The media and people in general talk so much about weight. It was difficult for me to realize it doesn't matter how much you weight, it matters where that weight is coming from : water ,muscle, fat. Like muscle mom said, muscle weighs more than fat. It's totally normal and acceptable to get smaller without much of a weight loss.

Your girlfriend needs to realize that she does not want to lose weight, she wants to lose fat. They're two different concepts. At the end of the day, who cares how much you weigh as long as you look good? It's not like when a man sees a woman he thinks "damn, she probably weighs 125" No. He thinks "damn, she looks good".

 

[musclemom]

I've been into bodybuilding for many years and I can def understand the eating more and not starve point of view. Believe me she tried eating more the was the first thing we tried. I had her build muscle and eat well over 1200 cal a day.
She put on muscle but now she doesnt want to get any bigger...her T-shirts are tight around the arms. Honestly she can put on weight fast and furious it's crazy.
Now we kept thinkering with different diets and stuff and doing cardio first thing in the morning and eating her carbs morning to mid day then eat her protein and fat later works perfect for her.

So is not something I just dropped on her we tried all avenues and finally I had her do what I do when I cut down. This is exactely my regimen for cuting down only that I adjusted the caloric intake to fit her needs. She seems to be carb sensitive that's why she only gets her carbs from fruits, veggies and whole grains.
I hope this may help some ppl stuck try a different avenue to get going again. THis is not a starvation diet and you should adjust your daily food intake based on your personal needs and goals and honestly how you feel.

I'm sorry, but if she works out regularly and is only eating 1200 calories at 5'2" and 150 lbs. then she needs her thyroid checked, especially considering she's had a life long "slow metabolism."

I'll tell you why.

Her BMR, assuming age 25, is 1481 (it will only go higher if she is younger). She is eating less than her body should need to maintain function. I read that on average a low/slow thyroid will cause a metabolism to drop anywhere from 10% to 15% or even more. Y'know what? 15% of 1481 puts her BMR right in the 1200 range.

Otherwise she's so deeply into starvation mode that EVERY SINGLE EXTRA CALORIE she eats over her BMR is being stored as fat.

Either that, or she's not putting every single bite she eats down and slips. People are human and frankly, depending on one's level of passion dieting can be a huge drag.

Anyway, we really prefer that men encourage their ladies to join the forum themselves as opposed to this third party stuff. Getting information second hand just isn't the best way to do things.

 

[trex74]

Just a thought, but rather than calorie restrict the diet, how about just doing a little more exercise?
For instance, rather than three days of cardio for 45 min, why not have more healthy foods and five days of 45 if the fat loss is stalled?
Each 45 min cardio session can burn about 500-700 cals, and creates a rather large deficit to work with.
Or just incorporating more activity into the daily routine?

 

[AFeedz]

Her BMR, assuming age 25, is 1481

I've been really curious about BMR. I've calculated it and I've researched a bunch. The most common equation I found took into account gender, height, weight and activity level.

My concern is this: Two people of the same gender and height may have the same weight, but the weight may be composed of different things. So I don't understand how that equation for BMR can be accurate considering people's body compositions are different, though they may be the same general height, weight etc.

Is there a BMR equation that takes body composition into account? I can't imagine someone who has a higher BF% than another, but weighs the same, should have the same BMR? Maybe I'm wrong. I'm really new to that type of thing.

 

[musclemom]

I've been really curious about BMR. I've calculated it and I've researched a bunch. The most common equation I found took into account gender, height, weight and activity level.

My concern is this: Two people of the same gender and height may have the same weight, but the weight may be composed of different things. So I don't understand how that equation for BMR can be accurate considering people's body compositions are different, though they may be the same general height, weight etc.

Is there a BMR equation that takes body composition into account? I can't imagine someone who has a higher BF% than another, but weighs the same, should have the same BMR? Maybe I'm wrong. I'm really new to that type of thing.

RW has posted some terrific information about this particular topic, this thread was one that I found pretty easily:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...-calculator-katch-mcardle-formula-665955.html

BMR is basal metabolic rate, which doesn't factor in exercise. It's purely the amount of energy your body would need if you just laid in bed all day

Now I've read about this myself. If you have two people, of the same age, height and weight, for argument sake let's make them 150 lbs. but one is male and one is female. He automatically has a higher BMR because of his higher muscle mass, nearly 200 calories more, in fact (her BMR is 1504, his is 1681). Muscle is metabolically "wasteful" meaning it takes more calories to keep muscle alive than fat which is why when you go on a crash diet you lose proportionately higher muscle than fat. The first thing the body does is dump the energy consumer, the muscle. Remember that fat burns less energy, that's long term storage. So by tearing down muscle tissue two steps are accomplished towards survival, the body weighs less, consuming less calories, and less muscle further reduces metabolism.

Again, we're getting back to getting dunked or having a proper caliper BF reading done.

I think, unless you're looking into getting competition lean, the 10% or so fluctuation in calories isn't going to make an enormous difference over the long term.

And, I think driving one's self nuts with numbers by becoming compulsive, is unhealthy (and takes the power away from you and starts giving it to the food or food scale, basically a variation on becoming a slave to another set of numbers). As long as you're seeing steady progress that you find satisfying then it's all good. I'm all about sustainability and finding a lifestyle that works.

 

[AFeedz]

RW has posted some terrific information about this particular topic, this thread was one that I found pretty easily:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...-calculator-katch-mcardle-formula-665955.html

BMR is basal metabolic rate, which doesn't factor in exercise. It's purely the amount of energy your body would need if you just laid in bed all day

Now I've read about this myself. If you have two people, of the same age, height and weight, for argument sake let's make them 150 lbs. but one is male and one is female. He automatically has a higher BMR because of his higher muscle mass, nearly 200 calories more, in fact (her BMR is 1504, his is 1681). Muscle is metabolically "wasteful" meaning it takes more calories to keep muscle alive than fat which is why when you go on a crash diet you lose proportionately higher muscle than fat. The first thing the body does is dump the energy consumer, the muscle. Remember that fat burns less energy, that's long term storage. So by tearing down muscle tissue two steps are accomplished towards survival, the body weighs less, consuming less calories, and less muscle further reduces metabolism.

Again, we're getting back to getting dunked or having a proper caliper BF reading done.

I think, unless you're looking into getting competition lean, the 10% or so fluctuation in calories isn't going to make an enormous difference over the long term.

And, I think driving one's self nuts with numbers by becoming compulsive, is unhealthy (and takes the power away from you and starts giving it to the food or food scale, basically a variation on becoming a slave to another set of numbers). As long as you're seeing steady progress that you find satisfying then it's all good. I'm all about sustainability and finding a lifestyle that works.

Right. I'm not particularly obsessed with the number. It's not like if I found out my BMR was 1504, I'd consume exactly 1504 calories a day or anything, but I do think the number can be useful to know. It's at least a starting point to start finding out what works for me rather than going in blind. But I definitely wouldn't change something I was doing that was working just to make my routine fit within some number.

So far so good though Thanks for the help!

 

[musclemom]

Right. I'm not particularly obsessed with the number. It's not like if I found out my BMR was 1504, I'd consume exactly 1504 calories a day or anything, but I do think the number can be useful to know. It's at least a starting point to start finding out what works for me rather than going in blind. But I definitely wouldn't change something I was doing that was working just to make my routine fit within some number.

So far so good though Thanks for the help!

You've always struck me as the level-headed type, Annie I understand being purely curious about trying to get handles on things and and so forth. Hell, I'd love to have a "perfect number" for myself, seriously. I think I'll be tweaking my diet until I can't eat solid food anymore. I also think the types of food you consume strongly impacts how its metabolized. Additionally, I believe some people metabolize some foods differently than other people (I've had to accept the conclusion that I do NOT metabolize meat well at all and it really slows down my digestion badly).

 

[Varga]

I'm sorry, but if she works out regularly and is only eating 1200 calories at 5'2" and 150 lbs. then she needs her thyroid checked, especially considering she's had a life long "slow metabolism."

I'll tell you why.

Her BMR, assuming age 25, is 1481 (it will only go higher if she is younger). She is eating less than her body should need to maintain function. I read that on average a low/slow thyroid will cause a metabolism to drop anywhere from 10% to 15% or even more. Y'know what? 15% of 1481 puts her BMR right in the 1200 range.

Otherwise she's so deeply into starvation mode that EVERY SINGLE EXTRA CALORIE she eats over her BMR is being stored as fat.

Either that, or she's not putting every single bite she eats down and slips. People are human and frankly, depending on one's level of passion dieting can be a huge drag.

Anyway, we really prefer that men encourage their ladies to join the forum themselves as opposed to this third party stuff. Getting information second hand just isn't the best way to do things.

she does have a thyroid problem which has been addressed few years ago but the dosage need it to be readjusted based on the way she felt hair loss etc.recently again. Thyroid is very tricky.. the mumbers doesnt tell the whole story sometimes.
I do understand your point and I will encourage her to paricipate in some of these discussions and like I said I do understand the eating more concept and not be in the starvation mode which I keep an eye on her to not do that.
And yes, she is looking at fat loss not weight loss that's one of the reasons I encourage her to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
She is doing good making lot of progress lost a bit of fat without being hungry.
She does have cheat meals and eats some of her favorite foods but just not as much or as often. So she is def not starving but she wants to accomplish a goal to get down to a lower body fat and weight and Im there supporting her

 

[musclemom]

she does have a thyroid problem which has been addressed few years ago but the dosage need it to be readjusted based on the way she felt hair loss etc.recently again. Thyroid is very tricky.. the mumbers doesnt tell the whole story sometimes.

Endocrine imbalances are a passing interest of mine. There is a very good book out called "Thryoid Power" (I think, I read it more than 6 years ago). Anyway, that turned me onto a very important concept which I watched in action with my own husband: Not all thyroid medicine is created equally. For some reason a LOT of doctors balk at trying different thyroid medications but I can tell you from observation, the difference between being on the right one and wrong one is like night and day and treating thyroid isn't just about getting your blood #s straight but also about how you feel.

I do understand your point and I will encourage her to paricipate in some of these discussions and like I said I do understand the eating more concept and not be in the starvation mode which I keep an eye on her to not do that.

It would be wonderful to have her join us! The more the merrier, particularly with someone who has a supportive significant other like yourself

She does have cheat meals and eats some of her favorite foods but just not as much or as often. So she is def not starving but she wants to accomplish a goal to get down to a lower body fat and weight and Im there supporting her

It really is hard with hormonal imbalances particularly if they're under treated. As I said, a lot of doctors are creative when it comes to treating endocrine disorders, some are more traditional and use a "one size fits all" treatment philosophy.

 

[Varga]

Thanks MM
I try to be supportive as much as I can
Thanks!