# Calorie requirements



## workoutgirl (Jun 6, 2009)

I am 5'2" 166lb 38 year old female, my goal weight is 120 and I was wondering approximately how many calories I should be consuming to lose weight.I do cardio 6 days a week for 45 minutes and weights 5-6 days a week for approximately 30 minutes.


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## vader (Jun 6, 2009)

I am sure others will chime in here but my wife was in the same position,she *was* 5 ft and weighed 155, now she's at 120lbs. She took in 1300 cals a day so I would imagine that number would be close to what you would need also.
Where's Built at? She could help you with this.


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## Marat (Jun 6, 2009)

Give this a quick read. http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/new-members-begin-here/97077-read-me-first-homework-1-newbies.html

It was written by Built and it'll provide you with a good starting point. The main thing you want to look at is the second point....about your diet. We'd like for you to go ahead and get a FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal account. It's free and you'll be able to track your intake. Go ahead and sign up and track your typical diet for a few days. Just eat like normal. After that, post your average protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber intake. We'd prefer that you gave us the numbers in grams, no percentages please. 

That's your first step. Get that taken care of for us and we'll certainly be able to help you reach your goal.


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## Built (Jun 6, 2009)

Vader, nice to hear your wife hit her goal! 

m11, thanks for that. Workoutgirl, drop me a pm if I don't see your reply to this thread once you've read the link m11 suggested.


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## Kevsworld (Jun 6, 2009)

Here ya go:

Calorie requirements:
Strong and Fit: How Many Calories Should I Eat?


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## workoutgirl (Jun 8, 2009)

*Daily intake average*

Ok, on an average weekday here goes..give or take:

fat 72.9 grams
carbs   184.7 grams
protein   99.1 grams
fiber   27.2 grams

Another question, what about weekends. Are those as strict or are cheat meals allowed?


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## Built (Jun 8, 2009)

Okay, so about 1800 calories, roughly 1g protein per pound LBM, fats are ample, likewise fibre. How do you feel on this, and are you dropping or maintaining on these calories?


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## quadluver (Jun 8, 2009)

You might want to make sure that food is your problem. It sounds like you may have a hormonal problem, for which no diet will permanently address your weight.


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## Marat (Jun 8, 2009)

quadluver said:


> You might want to make sure that food is your problem. It sounds like you may have a hormonal problem, for which no diet will permanently address your weight.



What information has been presented that would suggest anything of that nature?


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## Built (Jun 8, 2009)

Good question. I see nothing in this thread that would suggest an endocrine problem.


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## danzik17 (Jun 8, 2009)

Sounds like a bullshit guess to me.  Now if you're gaining fat at 1800 calories, that's different, but you didn't say that.


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## workoutgirl (Jun 9, 2009)

*Response to intake..*

No not losing or gaining, pretty much maintaining. I have been eating this way for about 3 weeks. I was eating larger portions so I have been trying to be really mindful of how much I am eating,especially at night. 
even with the amount of time I do spend working out is this too much food maybe? It definitely doesn't feel like too much.


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## Built (Jun 9, 2009)

It's clearly not too much or you'd be gaining. 

I'd be hungry on those macros, though. How do you feel about swapping out some carb for protein?


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## workoutgirl (Jun 10, 2009)

*Intake response*

You know I do get hungry throughout the day. If I swapped out some carbs for protein what are some suggestions, my typical day during the week is:

breakfast: 1 cup Kashi cereal, 1% milk, 1/2 or whole banana depending on size, 1/2 cup v-8

mid morning- GNC Max protein shake with 1% milk

lunch-either sliced turkey and 2% cheese or all natural almond butter sandwich
mixed veg salad with Newmans dressing and sometimes a 1/2 cup oats depending on how hungry I am

mid-afternoon-apple and 1/2 oats if I didn't eat them with my lunch

workout after work

dinner-some form of grilled or baked meat..chicken or fish or pork chop with a serving or 2 of vegetables and rice or potatoes


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## Built (Jun 10, 2009)

Breakfast: skip it entirely, OR eat eggs, or my personal favourite: cottage cheese with half a tin of tuna and half an avocado. Fills me up for HOURS. 

Mid morning: you won't need it.  If you need SOMETHING, have a half a cup of cottage cheese with a few almonds. Swallow a few fish oil caps before you eat. 

Lunch: large salad, olive oil dressing, the other half the avocado, chicken breast, and for dessert, half a cup of lowfat yogurt with some thawed frozen berries and some splenda.

mid afternoon - you won't need it, but if you do, cottage cheese with a third of an apple and half an ounce of walnuts. 

<train>

Post workout: more cottage cheese, the rest of the apple. 

dinner-some form of grilled or baked meat..chicken or fish or pork chop with a serving or 2 of vegetables and rice or potatoes

For dessert, yogurt with berries and splenda, as before. 
*******

Ditch the AM starch, ditch most of the sweet fruit, ditch the oats, ditch the shake. 

Oh, and start taking fish oil - 10 grams through the day, before meals. A few at a time before a meal enhances satiety. A little yogurt helps too - the type of acid in fermented dairy can do this.


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## majorpain (Jun 10, 2009)

You may find these calculators useful.
Free Weight Loss Calculators and Tools


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## workoutgirl (Jun 11, 2009)

That sounds almost like Atkins or the Zone, high protein with no whole grains and little fruit. I am not interested in competing just losing weight and being healthy with a balanced diet, not all protein. I do take fish and flax, twice a day already. Kashi cereal has 13gm of protein and is alot quicker to fix than eggs in the morning. I do eat eggs occasionally, when I have time to make them. I am not a fan of avocados at all. Just wondering, are you a dietician or nutritionist?


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## Built (Jun 11, 2009)

I don't compete either. I am offering you suggestions that might help you feel more comfortable while you diet.  You are by no means required to take them. 

I'd avoid flax. It can interfere with thyroid function. 

And no, I'm neither of those. Just a middle-aged woman who was fat for a long time and finally figured out how to be lean.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

Built said:


> I'm neither of those. Just a middle-aged woman who was fat for a long time and finally figured out how to be lean.


pssshhh....that's an understatement. Your bod is slammin, you should compete and this girl needs to throw out her Women's Health subscription. 

Workoutgirl, I mean you no disrespect, but Built is giving you simple piece of advice. Plus, it's free. 
She really knows her shit; trust her.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

workoutgirl said:


> That sounds almost like Atkins or the Zone, high protein with no whole grains and little fruit.


the type of diet Built offers you gives an unlimited supply of greens-grains or carbs are just not needed for survival. They make some people hungry (including myself); at 166, it doesnt sound like your diet is currently up to snuff. Doing it Built's way may enable you to accomplish a desired weight that you once thought impossible.


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## Marat (Jun 11, 2009)

Just my two cents, workoutgirl. 

As Built mentioned, she is not a registered dietitian. However, I will be receiving my R.D credentials shortly. I have corresponded with many experienced R.D's including several popular names that you appear on daytime television. Built's expertise is comparable, if not better, then a very large portion of dietitians that are practicing. Comparable is in fact an understatement.  From personal experience, I can tell you that having R.D after your name does not mean that you are actually qualified to give advice that you can apply for the remainder of your life. The training is simply not there during their academic careers.  'Good' dietitians are those that are dynamic in their practice, and you would be hard pressed to find 'good' dietitians who aren't going to charge you $200/hour. Our goal is not to put you on a diet and have you gain the weight back after a year. I do not know if this is your first attempt at losing weight or your tenth, but I can tell you that I have been there. We are trying to help you change your eating so that you can manage your weight for the rest of your life.  

You have found yourself on a bodybuilding forum, and therefore we very much can empathize with your desire to reach your goals. We all understand how important it is to you. However, it is, of course, ultimately your choice whether or not you want to accept Built's advice or seek outside help. Nonetheless, everyone at IM can fully vouch for Built's ability to help you.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

sniff sniff that moved me nn. You...complete me.....


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## TrojanMan60563 (Jun 11, 2009)

Speaking calories, I've heard opinions that it does not matter when in the day you eat the, its just the total number that matters. Logic tells me the smaller meals more often gives an even supply of nutrients all day, and that seems superior to me. I do notice larger meals hold you over, and you dont feel hungry all day. On smaller meals I seem to always crave food like I'm starving. I am starting to wonder if that is a good thing, as in my body cranking out the food faster in return speeding up metabolism. That is my common sense saying the more frequent you eat the quicker your body gets rid of it, and not storing anything.

Any thoughts on that since we are caloric intake?

Workoutgirl, Built has helped me a lot, tweeking a few things here and there. I wouldn't think twice about trying her diet suggestions. She is living proof they work. Obviously everyone is different when it comes to how their body uses food. The fitday.com website is free and will help you log what you do daily. It really really helps when you spend that 5-10 minutes a day logging it. In my opinion if you are 1800 calories a day and not losing weight with all that training you might have a slow metabolism. If that is the case I'd think eating a diet like built mentioned would benefit you a lot. You might need to lower total caloric intake to lose weight, but in order to maintain your LBM you probably need to make sure you get in the ideal amount of protein. Like others mentioned there is no harm in doing some blood work to see if thyroid/hormone levels are idea as well.


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## Built (Jun 11, 2009)

Juggernaut, and especially M11, thank you so much for the kind words. 



TrojanMan60563 said:


> Speaking calories, I've heard opinions that it does not matter when in the day you eat the, its just the total number that matters. Logic tells me the smaller meals more often gives an even supply of nutrients all day, and that seems superior to me. I do notice larger meals hold you over, and you dont feel hungry all day. On smaller meals I seem to always crave food like I'm starving. I am starting to wonder if that is a good thing, as in my body cranking out the food faster in return speeding up metabolism. That is my common sense saying the more frequent you eat the quicker your body gets rid of it, and not storing anything.


Sadly, the increased hunger does not translate to a faster metabolism. It just translates to increased discomfort. When dieting, the only thing that matters is that you stick with it. If you're the type of person who feels empowered by your hunger, then by all means eat frequently through the day! However, if you're a pussy like me and hate that gnawing feeling, eat larger meals less frequently since that seems to make you more comfortable. Either will be equally effective in creating a caloric deficit. 


TrojanMan60563 said:


> Any thoughts on that since we are caloric intake?
> 
> Workoutgirl, Built has helped me a lot, tweeking a few things here and there. I wouldn't think twice about trying her diet suggestions. She is living proof they work. Obviously everyone is different when it comes to how their body uses food. The fitday.com website is free and will help you log what you do daily. It really really helps when you spend that 5-10 minutes a day logging it. In my opinion if you are 1800 calories a day and not losing weight with all that training you might have a slow metabolism. If that is the case I'd think eating a diet like built mentioned would benefit you a lot. You might need to lower total caloric intake to lose weight, but in order to maintain your LBM you probably need to make sure you get in the ideal amount of protein. Like others mentioned there is no harm in doing some blood work to see if thyroid/hormone levels are idea as well.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

you said "pussy" teeheee


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## Kevsworld (Jun 11, 2009)

I'll also chime in here:

I'm not a competitive bodybuilder, but I also find I do much better by lowering my carb intake and getting more calories from protein/fat.  Just works much better for me--I'm less hungry and have much more stable energy that way.  

Some of us are naturally more sensitive to carbs.


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## SouthsideCigar (Jun 11, 2009)

Built,
I notice you build your daily diet around a lot of cottage cheese. Personally, I cannot stand the stuff (no offense). What would you recommend in its place. Is something like Greek Yogurt (the pink label) good? Or is there something else

Dave


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## Built (Jun 11, 2009)

Southside, sure, try yogurt. Some have more protein than others. Read the labels. 

As an added perk, the type of organic acid found in fermented milk products enhances satiety. I often have a big spoonful of yogurt at the end of a meal to further enhance satiety.


Kevsworld said:


> I'll also chime in here:
> 
> I'm not a competitive bodybuilder, but I also find I do much better by lowering my carb intake and getting more calories from protein/fat.  Just works much better for me--I'm less hungry and have much more stable energy that way.
> 
> Some of us are naturally more sensitive to carbs.



Exactly. It's all about controlling intake - if you're less hungry, this is easier to do. 



workoutgirl said:


> I am not interested in competing just losing weight and being healthy with a balanced diet, not all protein.



workoutgirl, something to keep in mind is what YOU think it means to consume a "balanced diet". 

Some would say it means following the Canada Food Guide or the American Food Pyramid. Some would say it means eating whole grains eat each meal, or eating 40-40-20 or any of a number of percentage-based approaches. 

How can so many different approaches all be considered balanced? I suppose it's because for every approach, there is at least one person for whom it works. 

If what you are eating keeps you healthy and lean, it is balanced - for you. 

If what you are eating is "balanced" by some external definition, but does not keep you healthy and lean, you need a new definition of balance. 

Balance is an outcome, not an input.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

SouthsideCigar said:


> Built,
> I notice you build your daily diet around a lot of cottage cheese. Personally, I cannot stand the stuff (no offense). What would you recommend in its place. Is something like Greek Yogurt (the pink label) good? Or is there something else
> 
> Dave


Greek yogurt is good. My wife likes that better because of the higher protein content.
I prefer a ton of cottage cheese. I love the Breakstone cottage cheese. Great stuff and doesnt have that weird cottage cheesy taste. I go through about 4 2lb tubs a week.


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## danzik17 (Jun 11, 2009)

juggernaut said:


> Greek yogurt is good. My wife likes that better because of the higher protein content.
> I prefer a ton of cottage cheese. I love the Breakstone cottage cheese. Great stuff and doesnt have that weird cottage cheesy taste. I go through about 4 2lb tubs a week.





Tried it.  The only cottage cheese brand that tastes good and doesn't make me gag is Friendship.  Tastes kind of like string cheese.


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## juggernaut (Jun 11, 2009)

agreed


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## msummers26 (Jun 11, 2009)

workoutgirl said:


> No not losing or gaining, pretty much maintaining. I have been eating this way for about 3 weeks. I was eating larger portions so I have been trying to be really mindful of how much I am eating,especially at night.
> even with the amount of time I do spend working out is this too much food maybe? It definitely doesn't feel like too much.



Hmm.. If you're not losing, maybe you've hit a plateau? Consider putting a shock on your diet.

-Mike


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## Marat (Jun 11, 2009)

msummers26 said:


> Hmm.. If you're not losing, maybe you've hit a plateau? Consider putting a shock on your diet.
> 
> -Mike



Her answer was in response to a request to track her diet. She wasn't losing because she was eating a maintenance level of calories.


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## juggernaut (Jun 12, 2009)

danzik17 said:


> Tried it.  The only cottage cheese brand that tastes good and doesn't make me gag is Friendship.  Tastes kind of like string cheese.


oh that and ricotta in macaroni or cheesecake....cheesecake...sweet wonderful, ricotta cheesecake...


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## TrojanMan60563 (Jun 12, 2009)

What is the difference in eating 1800 calories in 2-3 vs 4-6 meals? When you over consume in 1 sitting I can only assume what is not used gets turned to fat, or you get rid of it. My concern with less, larger meals is not feeding muscles on a regular basis. So if you get say 350g protein in a day wouldn't your body use more of it by breaking down into smaller meals? Is it false that your body can only absorb or utilize a given grams in a given period of time?

I get 1800 calories a day is 1800 calories a day when it comes to weight loss, but does less fequent larger meals reduce the amount of useable nutrients?


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## Built (Jun 12, 2009)

There does not appear to be any research to support any nutritional advantage from increased feeding frequency. 

That being said, on a bulk, it's a lot easier to spread the food out over the day than it is to pack it all in all at once.


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## nkira (Jun 12, 2009)

I Agree, I tried two large meals thing, even though I felt stuffed I was unable to hit the total cals....its just hard to eat those 600 or 800 cal meals. It's a LOT better if you spread it through out the day.




Built said:


> That being said, on a bulk, it's a lot easier to spread the food out over the day than it is to pack it all in all at once.


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