Maintaining Caloric Intake
- Thread starter Ironman
- Start date
Same here. When i've done things very meticulously, results are great. I don't think it's really worth it to put too much thought into it though. I put way too much into it and have fallen into a pit of putting together a diet, reading something new, changing it, reading, changing ...
Results ... i haven't been able to follow and diet plan i've put together for months. Undecided all the time, and discipline seems out the window right now. I'm still lifting, but without a diet of any sorts put together, i'm just spinning my wheels.
I have to get out of this rut. I look at my condition last year and get discouraged that the summer's almost over and i still havn't even gotten a headstart on cutting due to lack of discipline.
Results ... i haven't been able to follow and diet plan i've put together for months. Undecided all the time, and discipline seems out the window right now. I'm still lifting, but without a diet of any sorts put together, i'm just spinning my wheels.
I have to get out of this rut. I look at my condition last year and get discouraged that the summer's almost over and i still havn't even gotten a headstart on cutting due to lack of discipline.
I like the idea of winging it ... to an extent. More or less, put together a diet, start with protein, then add plenty of good carbs and fats. No reading ratios of Omega 3's to 6's, sat's to poly's, carbs to protein ratios, whatever. Just get 1g/lb, fill in the rest with good quality foods and watch what happens. Not losing the weight? Cut some food out of there. Not gaining? Add some food.
This is the same of being so meticulous really. You're still doing the same thing, taking away or adding more calories for a desired result.
This is the same of being so meticulous really. You're still doing the same thing, taking away or adding more calories for a desired result.
jvroig
Super Moderator
I just keep mental tabs, nothing so serious.
It's kinda like what Lance said. All I do is first establish that I get enough protein. Then I see if my calories are ok. Then I just make sure I eat good quality foods, I read the label before I buy and see how much bad stuff and good stuff it has. I don't write them all down and compute, I just avoid foods with too much of the bad stuff.
And time and again, I treat myself with brownies or tarts or ice cream or whatever.
It's kinda like what Lance said. All I do is first establish that I get enough protein. Then I see if my calories are ok. Then I just make sure I eat good quality foods, I read the label before I buy and see how much bad stuff and good stuff it has. I don't write them all down and compute, I just avoid foods with too much of the bad stuff.
And time and again, I treat myself with brownies or tarts or ice cream or whatever.
brisbanemick
New Member
I just make sure I eat big and clean every 3 hours.
Thanks for the info! Apparently there are a few people here who do count and record everything. Ive posted this on other boards as well and most people went for option 2: keeping mental tabs.
I think if you put in the effort (or hire someone do it for you) the scientific apporach is the best one in terms of it ability to yield results. However for us everyday folk who arent training for the next win at the Olymipa, keeping mental tabs seems to be the most practical solution.
Ive been winging it lately due to lack of discipline (and a monsterous appetite) but im gonna start eating cleaner and more stuctured from now on.
I think if you put in the effort (or hire someone do it for you) the scientific apporach is the best one in terms of it ability to yield results. However for us everyday folk who arent training for the next win at the Olymipa, keeping mental tabs seems to be the most practical solution.
Ive been winging it lately due to lack of discipline (and a monsterous appetite) but im gonna start eating cleaner and more stuctured from now on.
I was advised to use fitday to count all the calories, but that took too much time and I didn't keep up with it after two days. Instead, with a little help from Dan, some simple math, and a list full of foods and where their calories come from, I made a sweet @$$ excel spreadsheet recording everything. The numbers for my metabolism seem to be working 99% correctly with estimations, body fat%, and lean mass predictions. I am four weeks into my first cycle and I gained 2lbs while my BF% went down 1%.
Where do the kcals come from? I've been getting 1g/lb of protein with the rest coming from carbs and good fats. Unfortunately, alcohol plays a role in my calories, so days when I drink, I am taking in 4200-5000 kcals - so I have to make up for those useless calories by doing extra cardio.
By the way, I am neither cutting nor bulking... with some cardio and HST lifting, I eat about 300 calories above maintenance. It was a good number advised by O&G (I hope his HST forum SD is going fine and that he comes back) I think I might start taking creatine today as I kept forgetting to take it all cycle.
This is the first time in my life that I have taken my diet this serious, and it only takes 10 minutes out of my day. I'm a stat freak too, so I don't mind.
-Colby
Where do the kcals come from? I've been getting 1g/lb of protein with the rest coming from carbs and good fats. Unfortunately, alcohol plays a role in my calories, so days when I drink, I am taking in 4200-5000 kcals - so I have to make up for those useless calories by doing extra cardio.
By the way, I am neither cutting nor bulking... with some cardio and HST lifting, I eat about 300 calories above maintenance. It was a good number advised by O&G (I hope his HST forum SD is going fine and that he comes back) I think I might start taking creatine today as I kept forgetting to take it all cycle.
This is the first time in my life that I have taken my diet this serious, and it only takes 10 minutes out of my day. I'm a stat freak too, so I don't mind.
-Colby
Scooper182
New Member
I believe your food intake is easier to manage when bulking. My diet has not been all too fantastic this summer because my mom cannot cook and I would probably burn the house down if I tried. Plus since it is summer, I work seven days a week.
My diet is better at school. (I actually LOST five pounds. The freshman 15? Not here brother. ) At college (I will be entering my sophomore year) I have the priveledge and honor to be served at every meal by a professional cook (thank you, delicious and amazing dining halls!
Like many posting here, I do not keep a log but rather I mentally think about what I eat. Since I am bulking, I know I need to consume a great deal of quality food, especially since I try to workout 5 days a week. I know that even if I gain some fat on my thin frame, I will have the discipline to work it off come summertime.
Therefore, I walk into the dining hall for breakfast and eat a few eggs and some whole grain cereal. For lunch I'll grab a tuna sandwich on wheat. For dinner I'll pile up some chicken or beef with some rice or pasta and some veggies like broccoli or carrots
In between meals I'll go to the "grab n go" and get a meaty sandwich, plus a couple protein shakes.
I know I have the fairly unique scenario of being in college where quality food is made professionally for me every day, so I plan on making the most of it!
My diet is better at school. (I actually LOST five pounds. The freshman 15? Not here brother.
) At college (I will be entering my sophomore year) I have the priveledge and honor to be served at every meal by a professional cook (thank you, delicious and amazing dining halls! Like many posting here, I do not keep a log but rather I mentally think about what I eat. Since I am bulking, I know I need to consume a great deal of quality food, especially since I try to workout 5 days a week. I know that even if I gain some fat on my thin frame, I will have the discipline to work it off come summertime.
Therefore, I walk into the dining hall for breakfast and eat a few eggs and some whole grain cereal. For lunch I'll grab a tuna sandwich on wheat. For dinner I'll pile up some chicken or beef with some rice or pasta and some veggies like broccoli or carrots
In between meals I'll go to the "grab n go" and get a meaty sandwich, plus a couple protein shakes.
I know I have the fairly unique scenario of being in college where quality food is made professionally for me every day, so I plan on making the most of it!
Depends... During cutting and SD I'm definitely much more particular with my exact numbers... Although, my diet is seriously lacking variety =/
I've actually stopped counting protein becuase I tend to naturally eat a higher amount of protein. Plus, I try to eat like 2 dozen egg a week so my protein quality is half decent...
With bulking, or at least the last 2 cycles, I pretty much decided to wing it. Eat. If you dont' gain weight, eat more. I was happy with my gains: 40 lbs in about a year (should post to the results thread)...
I still use fitday on occation, but what I'd *really* like would be some type of food database that would spit out a meal plan for the week. Something that could calculate the various calorie/CPF needs AND pull from foods I normally buy... I know, they probably sell programs like that, but I'm cheap - looking for something free and/or open source =)
I've actually stopped counting protein becuase I tend to naturally eat a higher amount of protein. Plus, I try to eat like 2 dozen egg a week so my protein quality is half decent...
With bulking, or at least the last 2 cycles, I pretty much decided to wing it. Eat. If you dont' gain weight, eat more. I was happy with my gains: 40 lbs in about a year (should post to the results thread)...
I still use fitday on occation, but what I'd *really* like would be some type of food database that would spit out a meal plan for the week. Something that could calculate the various calorie/CPF needs AND pull from foods I normally buy... I know, they probably sell programs like that, but I'm cheap - looking for something free and/or open source =)
hey colby sounds like youv got it all figured out...would you mind sending me that excel sheet, id like to take a look at it and adjust it for my stats. my email is [email protected] -thanks
I plan it out seriously before I start any training plan. Once I have a good feel for where all my calories or coming from, I learn what meals can be subbed in for "equal value". I'm strict with laying it out, but then when it comes time to follow it, I'm very leinent. I'm bulking now and eating just shy of 5000 calories a day. I'm managing to add weight slowly, but surely. I'm a mesomorph, but my job devours half of what I eat, sex the other. There's very little left for training.
Ah, how great it is to be young...
Ah, how great it is to be young...
[b said:
Yeah, I have a decent list of foods with their macronutrients and calories on there. I haven't been planning what I eat this summer, but when I get back to school, I'll set up some common meals.
[b said:
Sorry it took me so long to reply. I'll have to bring the file to work tomorrow on a flash drive, and then I'll send it to you Ironman.
By the way, what is this mesomoprh, endomorph, ectomorph stuff that I have seen wrote down a few times on these boards?
-Colby
A horrible simplification:
ectomorph - naturally lean, high metabolism
endomorph - naturally fat, low metabolism
mesomorph - naturally muscular (myth
)
I keep meticulous track of my calories during the week, but on the weekends I don't bother entering stuff into fitday. I've found that after several months of doing this, I can estimate quite accurately what I've taken in during the day, but I enter it in anyway just to be on the safe side.
I think during a cut it would be even more important to keep track of every calorie and where it came from.
ectomorph - naturally lean, high metabolism
endomorph - naturally fat, low metabolism
mesomorph - naturally muscular (myth
I keep meticulous track of my calories during the week, but on the weekends I don't bother entering stuff into fitday. I've found that after several months of doing this, I can estimate quite accurately what I've taken in during the day, but I enter it in anyway just to be on the safe side.
I think during a cut it would be even more important to keep track of every calorie and where it came from.
I have uploaded my "Body & Diet Measurements" excel spreadsheet... for those who questioned me if it was good to print out on paper - yes.
As you can see, on the main sheet for body calculations, I record my daily caloric intake along with my BMR (multiplied at 1.2 for lifestyle w/o exercise such as lifting/sports/cardio) and kcals burned in exercise. Day to day along with my BF%
As you can see, on the main sheet for body calculations, I record my daily caloric intake along with my BMR (multiplied at 1.2 for lifestyle w/o exercise such as lifting/sports/cardio) and kcals burned in exercise. Day to day along with my BF%
As requested my multiple people, I decided to just upload my Body & Diet Measurements excel spreadsheet onto the board...
As you can see on the body# sheet, I keep a daily log of caloric intake as well as my BMR (for general lifestyle - based on lean mass) and calories burned in exercise. The BF% recordings that I use everyday are based on my weighted average of three different formulas (I'm not changing it now as the past month has been based on those.) Since water weight and errored measurements in BF% come into play, I decided I would analyze the data weekly using averages. That seems to be working quite well, as my estimated weight goes with my measured weight pretty decent.
Also in the file, there is a list of foods with their basic nutrition facts, a daily caloric intake log, and my personal weight/BF% log.
This is my first shot at making something like this, and so far - so good. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve it. Also, if you have any questions, just throw a reply on this thread, and I'll answer it.
-Colby
As you can see on the body# sheet, I keep a daily log of caloric intake as well as my BMR (for general lifestyle - based on lean mass) and calories burned in exercise. The BF% recordings that I use everyday are based on my weighted average of three different formulas (I'm not changing it now as the past month has been based on those.) Since water weight and errored measurements in BF% come into play, I decided I would analyze the data weekly using averages. That seems to be working quite well, as my estimated weight goes with my measured weight pretty decent.
Also in the file, there is a list of foods with their basic nutrition facts, a daily caloric intake log, and my personal weight/BF% log.
This is my first shot at making something like this, and so far - so good. Let me know if you have any suggestions to improve it.
Also, if you have any questions, just throw a reply on this thread, and I'll answer it.
-Colby
OneMoreRep
New Member
For me i like to make a general outline for what i eat. and then try to stay as close as possible to it.... in the past i've only done this for cutting (bulking i would just try to eat
alot)... doing it this cycle for bulking... hoping to put on some big mass.
alot)... doing it this cycle for bulking... hoping to put on some big mass.
i couldnt do all that working out what you eat all the time stuff,it would drive me crazy
im one of them people that likes everything organised i would spend hours working out and worrying about how much i have eaten.
i prefer to eat fresh food not processed get my efas and protein..
im one of them people that likes everything organised i would spend hours working out and worrying about how much i have eaten.
i prefer to eat fresh food not processed get my efas and protein..