Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
To begin, let me give you a rundown of my situation. I'm 19, my current weight is 250, and my height is 5' 9". I want to get down to around 190 or 180. I've never committed to any sort of exercise and diet program, but I'm pretty overweight and it's starting to affect my health. Time to take action! I'll be using Starting Strength as my training program, most likely. I need to put together a diet plan, so I've been looking at this method for calculating necessary macronutrient levels:
Protein: 1 - 1.5 X target bodyweight
Fat: 0.4 - 0.5 X target bodyweight
Carbohydrates: however many you have left
As a quick aside, should these numbers be modified in any way to be more effective considering my goal?
Anyway, I assume "however many you have left" refers to the amount calories of my total calorie requirement that I need to fill out. My question is do I base my total calorie requirement on my current weight or my target weight? Perhaps I am missing something?
Thank you for your time! Any tips you can provide are more than welcome.
You don't say what your calorie formula might be, but I think current weight will end up being correct. You will be really hungry if you go with a calorie level based on target weight NOW.
To begin, let me give you a rundown of my situation. I'm 19, my current weight is 250, and my height is 5' 9". I want to get down to around 190 or 180. I've never committed to any sort of exercise and diet program, but I'm pretty overweight and it's starting to affect my health. Time to take action! I'll be using Starting Strength as my training program, most likely. I need to put together a diet plan, so I've been looking at this method for calculating necessary macronutrient levels:
Protein: 1 - 1.5 X target bodyweight
Fat: 0.4 - 0.5 X target bodyweight
Carbohydrates: however many you have left
As a quick aside, should these numbers be modified in any way to be more effective considering my goal?
Anyway, I assume "however many you have left" refers to the amount calories of my total calorie requirement that I need to fill out. My question is do I base my total calorie requirement on my current weight or my target weight? Perhaps I am missing something?
Thank you for your time! Any tips you can provide are more than welcome.
CMA
Looks like Alan's stuff. Your total calories should be based on target bodyweight. How fast you get down to that number depends on where you are starting from.
Thank you both for your responses! Glad to be here.
Ian Kay is correct, this formula, as far as I'm aware, originated with Alan Aragon. I found out about it while looking through a couple of forums and websites. I was never able to find an explanation, just the formula itself.
I'm not exactly sure what calorie level I should be going for. I've done some estimates. Using my current weight, a BMR calculator, and a moderately active (1.55) activity modifier, I get 3673 calories. If I use my target weight (190), I get 3094 calories. That's about a 550 calorie deficit.
Should I use a higher activity modifier considering my training program? Though I probably would not be very active outside of training.
Should I use a different method to find my calorie level?
Thank you both for your responses! Glad to be here.
Ian Kay is correct, this formula, as far as I'm aware, originated with Alan Aragon. I found out about it while looking through a couple of forums and websites. I was never able to find an explanation, just the formula itself.
I'm not exactly sure what calorie level I should be going for. I've done some estimates. Using my current weight, a BMR calculator, and a moderately active (1.55) activity modifier, I get 3673 calories. If I use my target weight (190), I get 3094 calories. That's about a 550 calorie deficit.
Should I use a higher activity modifier considering my training program? Though I probably would not be very active outside of training.
Should I use a different method to find my calorie level?
CMA
This is a common problem with calorie calculators, they overshoot for those trying to lose fat. Your best bet is to take note of your historical total caloric (maintenance) intake, and reduce it by about 15-20%.
If you have no clue what your historical intake is, set your carbs at 1g/lb target weight if your activity is moderate. Higher activities may warrant more carbs, sit-assedness will warrant less, but 1g/lb target weight is about the middle ground for carb setup. Your intended targets for prot & fat are fine.
This is a common problem with calorie calculators, they overshoot for those trying to lose fat. Your best bet is to take note of your historical total caloric (maintenance) intake, and reduce it by about 15-20%.
If you have no clue what your historical intake is, set your carbs at 1g/lb target weight if your activity is moderate. Higher activities may warrant more carbs, sit-assedness will warrant less, but 1g/lb target weight is about the middle ground for carb setup. Your intended targets for prot & fat are fine.
I assumed you'd used current bodyweight and adjust the calories down every week or so. You recommend the same level from now til the end?
I assumed you'd used current bodyweight and adjust the calories down every week or so. You recommend the same level from now til the end?
I'd set grams up based on target BW instead of current BW. Target BW being what you can realistically achieve in about 6 (& for some really overweight folks 12) months. Looking any further than that might be too drastic for some folks in terms of decrease. Most people can lose an average of 2-4% of their total BW per month without too much difficulty. Of course, it comes off faster in the beginning, slower towards the end.
Okay...I don't have any idea what my historic intake, so I just went with 1g/lb of carbs:
1g/lb carbs = 190 x 4 = 760 calories
1g/lb protein = 190 x 4 = 760 calories
.5g/lb fat = 95 x 9 = 855 calories
---------------------------------------------
2375 calories at 32%/32%/36% carbs/protein/fat
Sound about right? Total calories seem low to me, but I wouldn't really know. Would weightlifting, three days a week, be considered "moderate" activity?
Example:
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Power cleans
Monday - Workout A
Wednesday - Workout B
Friday - Workout A
When is it acceptable to do cardio? On off days only? I suppose cardio would raise my intake as well.
I apologize for all of the newbish questions. As you can tell, I'm pretty inexperienced. It's hard to find good sources of information (regarding health) on the internet so when I do, I latch on.
3x5 Power Cleans
1x5 Deadlift
3x5 BB BO Rows
3x5 Bench Press
This jumped out at me. Seems to be one heck of a day for the lower back (BB BO Rows right after cleans and deads, likely without much core strength left - and as a newbie he likely doesn't have too much to start with) especially for a new lifter, and esepcially if it might be done on Monday AND Friday of the same week.
I don't know if he needs a heavy BB Row. He's already going heavy on his upper/mid back with the cleans and deads... why not some dumbbell chest-supported rows for scapular retraction? Less overall weight, but they should be much easier on the lower back. My 2 cents.
This jumped out at me. Seems to be one heck of a day for the lower back (BB BO Rows right after cleans and deads, likely without much core strength left - and as a newbie he likely doesn't have too much to start with) especially for a new lifter, and esepcially if it might be done on Monday AND Friday of the same week. My 2 cents.
could be... is this better?
Workout A
3x5 Power Cleans
1x5 Deadlift
3x5 Chinups
3x5 Bench Press
Workout B
3x5 BB BO Rows
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Squat
I've never read Starting Strength, either. Is it really just 1 set of 5 deadlifts?
funny thing is, his back is strong as shit no doubt, but why did he tear a lat during a deadlift? hah.
I think Matt recovered from the lat injury, but then blew out his lower back? He should be fine soon, lol.
I like this quad tear @ 545 x 10, check out how athletic the guy is at not getting pancaked:
Here's what he said 5 months or so after the quad tear:
"Thanks, it wasn't a complete tear but it was a large one. I am fully recovered though and actually I just squatted 1005lbs in training this past Friday."
3x5 Power Cleans
1x5 Deadlift
3x5 Chinups
3x5 Bench Press
Workout B
3x5 BB BO Rows
3x5 Standing military press
3x5 Squat
I've never read Starting Strength, either. Is it really just 1 set of 5 deadlifts?
Yes, it's just 1x5.
The problem with what you have above is simply that it's not consistent with what Rippetoe prescribes. We're getting farther and farther away from the book's program. I think that the original poster should stick with the plan... or very close to it.
Rippetoe makes it pretty clear that he wants squats to be first in each workout, for various reasons. He then has a press second, and a pull last.
In the book, he actually mentions barbell rows, as an (inferior) replacement for the power cleans.
We could argue Rippetoe's opinions on these lifts, but it's a very good basic plan. Adding some sort of row isn't a bad idea, but only if it's an add-on, rather than part of an entire re-arrangement. If he did the above, he'd be doing the Roland Plan - not that that is a bad thing - but it's pretty far from Rippetoe's.
To CrazyAndy: I saw a kid do Starting Strength this summer. He began in May I believe, and is going back to school 25 (good) pounds heavier (i think it was 150 up to 175). His bench went from 95 to about 160, and though I don't remember what his starting squat was, I saw him repping 240 his last time there. So for a beginner, it's a solid program.
Ian Kay is right about the Starting Strength program. I chose this program because it is very simple yet effective. And it seems to be very well respected by everyone who has tried it. I'm going to stick to it pretty closely, as it's designed that way. Might add some rows though...gotta be able to flare them lats!
Back to the diet for a moment:
I calculated using 1.2g/lb carbs and that takes the total count to 2527 calories. I suppose I'll start out with 1g/lb and change it if I need to.
What are the signs that I might need to increase my intake?
Ian Kay is right about the Starting Strength program. I chose this program because it is very simple yet effective. And it seems to be very well respected by everyone who has tried it. I'm going to stick to it pretty closely, as it's designed that way. Might add some rows though...gotta be able to flare them lats!
Back to the diet for a moment:
I calculated using 1.2g/lb carbs and that takes the total count to 2527 calories. I suppose I'll start out with 1g/lb and change it if I need to.
What are the signs that I might need to increase my intake?
CMA
If you find yourself constantly light-headed from hunger (unable to focus on things), unable to complete your workouts, becoming ravenously hungry EVERY day... then you might have dropped too low too fast.
But I'm betting at 2500 cals and right around 200g of protein that you won't be going too crazy. Alan's 'formula' is designed to avoid the crash-diet hazards. So while it may be tough, it shouldn't wreck you.
Sorry. I didn't realize it was a laid out program. I haven't read the book. I'll have to check it out at some point.
No problem!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian Kay
If you find yourself constantly light-headed from hunger (unable to focus on things), unable to complete your workouts, becoming ravenously hungry EVERY day... then you might have dropped too low too fast.
But I'm betting at 2500 cals and right around 200g of protein that you won't be going too crazy. Alan's 'formula' is designed to avoid the crash-diet hazards. So while it may be tough, it shouldn't wreck you.
Good deal. Sounds good!
Thanks again, guys, you've been really helpful. Maybe I'll start a log once I get going!
why don't you download fitday.com (cheap very good computer program that lets you track what you eat) and see how much you normally eat now. then cut back from that amount by about 300 calories per day. weight loss has more to do with calories than it does the composition of proteins fats and carbs. keep it simple and youll be more likely to stick with it.
Joe
why don't you download fitday.com (cheap very good computer program that lets you track what you eat) and see how much you normally eat now. then cut back from that amount by about 300 calories per day. weight loss has more to do with calories than it does the composition of proteins fats and carbs. keep it simple and youll be more likely to stick with it.
Joe
You might wanna check this thread out, it seems Fitday might not be too awesome:
I agree that weight loss has more to do with overall calories than macros. However, LBM retention while losing fat is better achieved by making sure protein (& fat) are adequate when cutting calories, versus being indiscriminate about where those calorie cuts are coming from. Don't get me wrong, I think that general/nonspecific calorie reduction is fine for certain novice populations, but it seems to me that Andy has different goals, and is in a different population than, say, the "weight watchers points counting" crowd.
Mr. Aragon hit the nail on the head, I think. Thank you for the advice though. I certainly am trying to keep this as simple as possible. I love details, so I have to guard against going too far and getting lost in them. But I think this is still a very manageable program. It's actually very simple, with a little planning.
Question regarding macronutrients
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