great site to track eating/exercise habits

[GonzoStyle]

http://www.fitday.com/

the site is free and I used it for the first several months of my diet and exercise routine. It's a really great tool to track the number of calories and percentages of the food groups you are eating. It really helps in keeping track because a lot of the "little things" you forget to factor, really add up. Also I noticed I was really taking in waaaay too much protein and not enough carbs and vitamins as well. Also you can track your weight, progress, etc. After a while you dont need it because it all becomes second nature but its a great starting tool.

[Bama]

I must have missed this thread. I posted a thread about it the next day and nobody commented on it either. WTF?

I use fitday. It's awesome. It takes a lot of work to get everything to set up for the first week or so but afterwards it takes no time.

How much is too much protein?

[GonzoStyle]

I do 50% carbs, 40% protein, 10% fat.

[Bama]

Damn, that's a lot of protein.

Don't know if I could get that close. I'm usually 40/30/30. Almonds, eggs and peanut butter always push my fat up to 30%. I always get at least 200g of protein though.

[GonzoStyle]

yea I try to get more protein but its all coming from either egg whites, tuna, or protein shakes. My caloric intake is pretty low cause i'm dieting, so while the percentage is high, it's not a lot since I don't eat much. Majority is from the egg whites I have in the morning and the protein drink I have after my work out, usually get it at the bar in the gym, 2 scoops of isopure with berries and juice. Other than that i'm eating a lot of the dark greens and a couple apples for the fiber. My caloric intake on a daily basis rarely exceeds 1,400-1,500 calories, I should be getting a bit more but I have been lowering it consistently since I have been losing weight. I started out at about 2,800-3,000 calories when I first started cause I was 440 pounds but now that i'm down to about 230, i brought it down to about 1,400. I take a lot of vitamins and nutrients though.

The majority of my fat comes from the flaxseed or fish oils, I will only have the organic peanut butter if im just way too busy to have eaten much for the day, so I get a shake with a banana and peanut butter to fill up. When schools in session i'm out and about from 8am for work and dont get out from college till about 10pm and then head for the gym and get home around midnight, so its rough to sit down and have a meal during the day.

[Bama]

Where did you get your 1400 limit from? Trial and error?

I've always heard you need to eat around 12 times your body weight in calories to lose weight.

How long have you been eating that low? How much weight have you lost since you started? Any problems with energy at the gym?

[GonzoStyle]

Where did you get your 1400 limit from? Trial and error?

I've always heard you need to eat around 12 times your body weight in calories to lose weight.

How long have you been eating that low? How much weight have you lost since you started? Any problems with energy at the gym?

I started at 440 in march of 06

I am at 230 now, so its -210 pounds. There were a few months where I went through some stuff, then a month when I had my galbladder surgery, so I coulda been done by now and at my goal but its been pretty steady.

For me its all been trial and error, from my diet to how I work out. I have been dieting for almost 2 years now, this march will be 2 years, hopefully i'll reach my goal of 200 pounds by then. Theres different "formulas" but we're all different, we all have different body frames, heights, metabolic rates, etc. I would not reccomend 1,400 calories for everyone, it all depends on your basal metabolic rate and how much extra energy you burn through the day, depending on your job (do you sit all day or do you work construction?) and also how much exercise you do. 1,400 calories is not enough for most people, I have done a massive amount of research and also took a Nutrition course as an elective in college. I make sure I get all the vitmains, minerals, and nutrients I need on a daily basis. No issues with energy because once again I get in my b-12 and caffeine usually before a work out, I dont really need the caffeine but its a great boost for the metabolism. I have tons of energy, otherwise I would be able to work 2 jobs, take 18 credits this semester and go to the gym after doing both of those in a day, plus volunteering to tutor on weekends.

Some formulas say 12 times your body weight, some say 10 times, but thats to maintain your weight, not lose. To lose weight, most nutritionists will say, figure out whatever caloric intake is enough to maintain your weight, then subtract 500 calories a day. 1 pound of fat is 3,500 calories, so 7 days x 500 = 1 pound lost per week by removing 500 calories. You can do it by working out to burn 500 calories, or just remove 500 calories from your diet. Most studies show that you will burn off fat without exercise but the percentages go up by a lot by adding cardio at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes, especially fat in the belly and legs.

to maintain my current weight I should get about 2,200 - 2,500 calories. By subtracting about a 800-1,000 plus the 500-700 calories I burn at the gym, i'm good for about 2-3 pounds of fat a week.

It takes a long ass time and a lot of research, reading, and talking to people WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, to figure it out. Everyone has something that works for them, just talk to people who actually have a clue, like nutritionists, people at the gym, doctors, etc. Then figure out what works for you with trial and error.

Main thing is to remember its gonna take time and a lot of dedication and sacrifice. Theres no magic bullet, pill, or secret. Calories in versus Calories out, thats the only formula you need to really know.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

thanks Gonzo, I am gonna track myself with this and see where I go wrong, then fix it

[GonzoStyle]

yea thats why this forum is such a great idea, weight loss is difficult enough with the sacrifices we must make and all the hard work, its even tougher cause there is so much bullshit out there. Too many standardized answers, forgetting we are all different. It's the same thing I deal with when it comes to standardized testing in my teaching courses.

This forum allows us to share our collective knowledge with each other and make our journies in weight loss a bit easier. Even for someone like me, who has been doing it for so long, I still can learn something here and the extra boost is the motivation we can all give each other, thats so key.

Test things out and see what works for you personally and if you have any questions, we're all here to help each other. There are so many things to remember, many of which I have posted about. From drinking enough water, to getting enough fiber, vitamins, nutrients, proper breakdown in your diet, proper, diet. Then theres exercise, proper break ups of tasks, etc, so its a lot to learn but none of us are alone.

Also don't go too low with your calories, especially if you dont get the supplements you need, otherwise if you simply starve your body, it will get defensive and store fat and burn muscle instead. We're all gonna hit a stall in our weight loss but dont get discouraged, remember to switch up your diet and exercise routines constantly because our bodies are extremely smart and adapt to whatever we do, keep it guessing.