Hi all.

I’ve been searching my book and can't find a thing about caloric intake. I understand the portion issue and eating throughout the day. 10x's my body weight is only going to put me at 1400-1450 calories a day, and I’m spending way to much time being hungry at this level.
I’m not looking for a quick fix with the bfl I am just trying to make sure I’m doing this right. I’m feeling fine, but eating close to 2000 calories a day is not going to cause weight reduction (or is it )
Thanks.
Regards,
Brenda

Bren, this is where the tweaking comes in. I would caution you to not go below 10-12x your current body weight. Use that as a minimum in your case. 100 calories can make a huge difference when it comes to what works. At 1700 I'm hungry, at 1799 I'm happy.

BMR calculations are just that, calculations. You'd be as accurate if you called them a sophistocated guess. If you have a more active metabolism then you're going to need more energy.

One sure way of figuring out your calorie needs would be if you knew your maintenance levels. At what number can you eat and not gain fat? Take this number and subtract 500 calories - this gives you approx 1lb loss per week (approx of course). You can also calorie cycle (raising and lowering calories on a daily basis by a specific deficit with the net calorie count at the end of the week being the number that is your BMR - 500 divided by 7).

Calorie cycling helps to confuse the old body so it doesnt think "diet". Here are a few good links that can explain in better detail what I mean

ABCDE Diet
Muscle Media - ABCDE

HTH
Nat

Thanks Nat.

I need to check out these sites, but the info you gave me really helps. Not sure exactly how to find out my maint. Level. Everyday is so different, but keeping track on fit day is a start, I guess.

I have no desire to go below the 10-12%, but just wanted to know what the "ceiling" was without gaining.

Thanks again
Regards,
Bren

Bren, I think the link to T-mag gives you a formula for figuring out maintenance- or approx. You use numbers based on whether you consider yourself to have a fast/med/slow metabolism.

We're all so different - Gale (Gwilson38) is consuming something like 2300 calories in maintenance and shes 134 lbs!

Be sure to keep in the forefront of all your thinking that the scale won't provide an accurate measure of progress when you lift weights - the tape measure and the pant-o-meter will give you a better idea of how you're doing. KarenB hasn't lost an ounce since she started but she's down 2 dress sizes.

Nat

Saw this thread and looked in because I am about ready to scream. I started BFL last week and have gained 5 pounds. I have not noticed any change in the way my clothes fit, other than my pants are getting TIGHTER! I am low carbing also, with no more than 30-40 grams of carbs a day and at least 160-200 gm of protien everyday also (usually not more than 2000 cals a day). I do at least 30 minutes of high intensity cardio everyday, and do the ubwo and lbwo in accordance with the BFL plan. I drink at least 100 oz of water a day, more most of the time as it is very hot and humid here and I sweat a lot so I need it. I am hoping that this 5 pounds is water weight, but it is very discouraging to see the scale go UP when you have been busting your butt working out to try to get the weight off. Maybe it is muscle mass too, but I would think my pants would not be TIGHTER if it were. Maybe it is a combination of things. All I know is that this whole thing is driving me nuts, and if I don't get the weight off my career could be in jepardy (the military are weight nazi's). According to fitday.com I should be losing as I am burning more cals per day than I am consuming, yet nothing is showing. *tearing hair out*

This is what I ate today, and is indicative of what I eat pretty much EVERY DAY:

Food Name Servings Serving Size Cals Fat Carb Prot
Myoplex Low carb shake mix 1 serving 290 6 9 50
Chunk Light Tuna Pouch 1 serving 90 1 0 19
Egg, whole, boiled 1 large 77 5 1 6
Mayonnaise, regular 2 tbs 198 22 1 0
Libby chicken 3.5 serving 280 14 7 32
Turkey Mignon 1 serving 241 9 4 36
Blue cheese dressing 2 tbs 154 16 2 1
Totals 1610 87 31 176

I hope that makes sense, gotta love fitday cut and paste

OK, time out for me

Sizzle,

Where are you in your cycle? It's guaranteed that your muscles are retaining water while they recover from your first week's workout....they're in shock! Give it another week or two before you pull your hair out.

OK

*tries to glue hair back in*

Thanks

if you are following bfl workouts after you workout i would have a good heaping of carbs play aroujnd with it and see how many you can have and still be in ketosis because it vital after you workout with weight to stop crostiol release from your system and the only way to do this is with an insulin spike which you want other you will be burning muscle i would have the myoplex low carb after weights and take some ALA after too this will help stop it without taking in too many carbs

I’m so happy ya'll replied to this! I’ve just started week 2 of my first challenge, and nothing fits!! All my pants are tight in the thigh and I feel like my chest is going to burst through my shirts! I have not stepped foot on the scale for fear of an emotional upheaval, but now I know not to worry.

Need to go figure out my maintenance levels now…
Thanks so much
Regards,
Brenda

I was browsing and just had to add my two cents. I'm not doing the BFL, but I do workout with weights and have for years and can attest to the fact that anytime you start increasing weights and doing serious workouts, you will find areas expanding... particularly legs! Muscle holds water not to mention that when you first start adding more muscle, you still have the same old fat sitting on top of it and until the muscle starts burning off the fat, you'll have that problem.... But it should be temporary, unless you are really doing some extreme weight and are trying to become Arnold but then you'll just have big legs that are all muscle and no fat on them!

Patience, little grasshopper(s).

Just to calm the fears I see arising from this comment... While men can try and some will succeed in looking like Arnold, it's not in the realm of the possible for most of us women. That kind of size isnt a function of how heavy you lift so much as it is a funtion of your hormone profile - women just don't have that much testosterone. Yes, it can be done, but it's going to take some not so legal help and a heck of a lot more work than a LBWO every 5 days

Nat

word of the day for me.....


The ability to perceive things in their actual interrelations or comparative importance

The relationship of aspects of a subject to each other and to a whole


thanks guys.
bren

Thanks Nat, for clarifying better for me!

Just to say that while shopping yesterday, I came across a book "Carb, Calorie, Protein and Fat Bible" which I bought.

It lists calories required for maintenance for weight and height and recommends you deduct 500 for a lb a week loss, 750 for 1 and 1/2 lb a week. Also listed by sedentary, moderately sedentary etc.
Brenda,or anyone else, if you would like me to look up your maintenance calories, I'm happy to do so.

I intend keeping to calories/low carb strictly after my holiday as I have been slipping a lot lately. The book is fine but sponsored by weightlossresources.co.uk which website is against low-carb.

that sounds great! let me know what info you need and i'll post it. ya' can never have too much information!
thanks
regards,
brenda