Cutting calories and healthy eating

[GTIR]

I'm quite lucky that my matabolism allows me to eat pretty much what I like however I am 40 next year and I have/had a little extra chub around the middle.

Over the last month I have totally changed my eating habits, out with any sweets, crisps or anything remotely fatty. Although I must say I didn't eat that much crap before just I have cut it completley.

My typical daily food intake is this; (I write everything down now)
Monday - AM coffee, one cheese ham and Tom Sami on wholemeal bread PM banana, half a cheese and ham sani, steamed fish and veg.
Tuesday - AM 2 wholemeal toast + coffee, 2 bananas. PM 1 sandwich + coffee + one tin tuna
Wednesday - AM 2 wholemeal toast, coffee, 2 bananas. PM stir fry, smoothie
Thursday - AM 2 Bananas, 1 humous, spinach sani, blueberries, cherrys, water. PM 1 cheese ham and Tom mushroom sani
Friday - AM 1 toast and coffee, lean steak sani on wholemeal. PM 2 corn on cob, 1 turkey, cheese, Tom, sani on wholemeal.

That's pretty much it with the occasional "blow out" once a week, as in kievs and chips but much smaller portions.
I also run 3/5 miles min three times a week.

I am losing weight but I want to know am I eating enough calories for a well built, 5'10 male. (well built meaning muscle not fat)?

[Henry Hawthorne]

Is your aim to get rid of the fat at the cost of you getting/looking smaller, or is it just stripping the fat whilst staying at the same size (minus the fat)?

[ccgoose]

i'm currently on a fitness go as well, although so unfit that i'm not able to run several miles. I'm finding that if i do enough fitness and weights my weight is pretty much remaining the same but everything is toning up nicely. I'm upping the weights quite dramatically to keep upper body strength and keeping on fat burner speeds on tread mills / cross trainers to burn off fat. Just when you've had enough, go for a 1km power row. Makes you feel horrendous but well worth it.

[Two Stallions]

For speedy and monitored weight loss, I can wholeheartily recommend the Lighterlife plan, more importantly the counsellor for the company based in Newmarket. I've seen so many people with weight issues lose weight and keep it off, it's amazing.

No affiliation, just that I personally know local people who've done it and seen the results!

Just Google "Lighterlife Newmarket".

Edited by Two Stallions on Wednesday 2nd September 11:43

[GTIR]

Although I am quite heavy I am not fat just quite naturally muscled! I am not bothered about putting muscle on, although my legs etc will get more toned as I run, just want to Lose the belly.

I just feel I should be eating more as it's such a dramatic change and I have heard the body adapts but uses muscle rather than fat for energy.

[cheeky_chops]

GTIR said:

Thursday .... water....

Nice to see you pop some water in every thursday afternoon

You should be drinking 1litre+ every day - it will help water retention/bloating and improve your cardio performance

[paulmurr]

Too much cheese, stick to ham. And you don't say if your sandwiches have mayo or butter on, but they're high in sat fat so best to cut them out too.

Reduce the amount of oil you cook your food in. 1 tablespoon of olive oil is something like 120 calories and 4 grams of fat.

[ShadownINja]

GTIR said:

Although I am quite heavy I am not fat just quite naturally muscled! I am not bothered about putting muscle on, although my legs etc will get more toned as I run, just want to Lose the belly.

If you're quite naturally muscled, then isn't that belly pure 100% 6 pack?

[GTIR]

paulmurr said:

Too much cheese, stick to ham. And you don't say if your sandwiches have mayo or butter on, but they're high in sat fat so best to cut them out too.

Reduce the amount of oil you cook your food in. 1 tablespoon of olive oil is something like 120 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Light olive oil marg (very thin) or butter whatever they call it. No mayo, just humous.

[GTIR]

ShadownINja said:

GTIR said:

Although I am quite heavy I am not fat just quite naturally muscled! I am not bothered about putting muscle on, although my legs etc will get more toned as I run, just want to Lose the belly.

If you're quite naturally muscled, then isn't that belly pure 100% 6 pack?

Yes, 100% underneath.

[HRG.]

Humbug, I've gotta shift about two stone I've started replacing lunch with cereal and semi-skimmed milk and a healthy tea.

Not Happy

[amir_j]

HRG. said:

Humbug, I've gotta shift about two stone I've started replacing lunch with cereal and semi-skimmed milk and a healthy tea.

Not Happy

Drop the cereal and stick to protein ie lean meat/fish and lots of green veg (brocolli, spinach etc) for lunch and dinner, if losing weight then you want to drop complex carbs (ie cereals, rice, potato)-a protein based salad/thin slice brown bread sandwich will be better for you. Have carbs as early in day as possible.

Drink lots of water, also have vitamin tablet and some fish oil.

[Silver993tt]

GTIR said:

I'm quite lucky that my matabolism allows me to eat pretty much what I like however I am 40 next year and I have/had a little extra chub around the middle.

Over the last month I have totally changed my eating habits, out with any sweets, crisps or anything remotely fatty. Although I must say I didn't eat that much crap before just I have cut it completley.

My typical daily food intake is this; (I write everything down now)
Monday - AM coffee, one cheese ham and Tom Sami on wholemeal bread PM banana, half a cheese and ham sani, steamed fish and veg.
Tuesday - AM 2 wholemeal toast + coffee, 2 bananas. PM 1 sandwich + coffee + one tin tuna
Wednesday - AM 2 wholemeal toast, coffee, 2 bananas. PM stir fry, smoothie
Thursday - AM 2 Bananas, 1 humous, spinach sani, blueberries, cherrys, water. PM 1 cheese ham and Tom mushroom sani
Friday - AM 1 toast and coffee, lean steak sani on wholemeal. PM 2 corn on cob, 1 turkey, cheese, Tom, sani on wholemeal.

That's pretty much it with the occasional "blow out" once a week, as in kievs and chips but much smaller portions.
I also run 3/5 miles min three times a week.

I am losing weight but I want to know am I eating enough calories for a well built, 5'10 male. (well built meaning muscle not fat)?

you also need to think about nutrition. Too many people only think about calorific intake. Add alot more vegetables to you diet each day. Cut out both the cheese AND the ham. Add brown rice with vegetables to make it more tasty. Don't eat so many bananas, mix the fruit alot more. Eat avacados, they're extremely nutritious and don't contain all of the good fats that you body needs. Make your own smoothies and use cocunut milk, again all the correct fats for your body. Nutrition is far more important than calorific intake.

Edited by Silver993tt on Wednesday 2nd September 20:13

[GTIR]

Silver993tt said:

you also need to think about nutrition. Too many people only think about calorific intake. Add alot more vegetables to you diet each day. Cut out both the cheese AND the ham. Add brown rice with vegetables to make it more tasty. Don't eat so many bananas, mix the fruit alot more. Eat avacados, they're extremely nutritious and don't contain all of the good fats that you body needs. Make your own smoothies and use cocunut milk, again all the correct fats for your body. Nutrition is far more important than calorific intake.

Thanks for the info, I do drink lots of water.

Just wondering why make my own smoothies, what's wrong with Innocent? (apart from them selling out to a corporate and the price)?

[Silver993tt]

GTIR said:

Just wondering why make my own smoothies, what's wrong with Innocent? (apart from them selling out to a corporate and the price)?

firstly they're a rip off, secondly you'll know exactly what's in yours if you make it yourself. The best way is to buy frozen fruit, since it will have retained more vitamins than fruit from supermarlet/grocer's shelves and definetly more than the low grade rubbish that ends up in commercial smoothies. Add some frozen fruit, half a banana, some orange juice, some cocunut milk and some water. Use a blender/hand blender. Add more water if required so it's not too thick. Bingo - it's ready. It's kind of a smoothie-sorbet since it will be very cold, or simply leave for 15mins.

You'll be very surprised about the number of smoothies you can make this way for not alot of money, knowing exactly what's gone into it also.

[T40ORA]

I'm concerned at the amount of bread and cereal. Most nutritionists will advise wheat products to be eaten no more than three times a week. Even wholemeal breads are relatively fast release, so I agree with the suggestion for brown rice (short grain for preference). Porridge is a much better breakfast option.

I'd dump the ham and be cautious about the cheese. Goat and sheep cheese is more easily assimilated than cow dairy. And loads of veg.

It's as much about the type of calories as the amount of calories. You need carbs - they are body's fuel - so don't cut out too many.