Calories.. Calories.. Calories..

[baged]

Im getting different advice all over the place but figured there would be more knowledgable people here. Im trying to work out how many daily calories i should have doing my current cutting routine.

All cardio is performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach at low intensity and weight sessions take around an hour.

Monday
40 minute cycling
shoulders/triceps

Tuesday
40 minute cycling
back

Wednesday
40 minute cycling

Thursday
40 minute cycling
chest/biceps

Friday
40 minute cycling
Legs

Saturday/Sunday
Nothing


Im 22, 6ft and 187lbs, my body fat is around 13%. What do you guys reckon on calorie intake?

 

[tucker01]

Way too many variables to tell you how many calories you specifically need to take.

If you know your maintenance, drop 10% of your cals off, and go from there.

 

[Built]

You're not doing the lifting after the cardio, are you?

 

[baged]

Way too many variables to tell you how many calories you specifically need to take.

If you know your maintenance, drop 10% of your cals off, and go from there.

I have no idea what my maintenance is.

You're not doing the lifting after the cardio, are you?

Yes cardio first thing in the morning weights after 2 or 3 meals. Can that cause a problem?

 

[Built]

No, that's fine. I just wanted to check that you weren't going in empty, running for an hour and then doing a weight-training workout.

Please read the link in my sig on getting started.

 

[baged]

No, that's fine. I just wanted to check that you weren't going in empty, running for an hour and then doing a weight-training workout.

Please read the link in my sig on getting started.

Thanks i read the sig was a good read. Assuming my maintenance calories is 2500 i want to subtract 500 to reach my goal in 2 months. But what i dont get is since im doing cardio and weight lifting how do you work out how much calories they are using, obviously you cant be exact but a rough estimate is there a calculator somewhere?

 

[Marat]

Track your calories for a few days. FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal

If you are maintaining on those calories, then you've found your maintenance.

 

[Gazhole]

Thanks i read the sig was a good read. Assuming my maintenance calories is 2500 i want to subtract 500 to reach my goal in 2 months. But what i dont get is since im doing cardio and weight lifting how do you work out how much calories they are using, obviously you cant be exact but a rough estimate is there a calculator somewhere?

Don't worry about it. Just eat under maintenance and you'll lose weight. The important part is working out what your maintenance actually is. If you cant be bothered to work it out manually by counting calories and whatnot, that thread Built made has a rough calculation in it based on your bodyweight.

 

[Built]

Cardio burns very little; I usually discount it entirely. It does burn a little, but not enough to really adjust your intake about. If you drop a little faster because of it, think of it as a boon.

 

[baged]

Don't worry about it. Just eat under maintenance and you'll lose weight. The important part is working out what your maintenance actually is. If you cant be bothered to work it out manually by counting calories and whatnot, that thread Built made has a rough calculation in it based on your bodyweight.

I will work it out over the next few days properly, but using the calculation method say 2775 is my maintenance i want to try and lose 1lb/week so i subract 500.

Surely 2275 calories per day is not enough for the body when doing the cardio albeit low intensity but an hour weight lifting 4 days/week as well? It just seems really low and not healthy?

 

[Built]

If you think that sounds too low, try 2500 for a few weeks, see what happens; if you don't drop or don't drop fast enough, lower calories a bit further.

 

[baged]

Ok one last thing i put together a diet plan it looks pretty good to me can you just give it look over and see if it seems ok.

Using 30/50/20 and 2300 calories a day means i need 172g protein, 287g carbs and 51g fat i came pretty close.

Meal 1
1 bagel (144 calories, 6.4g protein, 28.4g carbs, 0.5g fat)
50g oats in water (175 calories, 5.5g protein, 30g carbs, 4g fat)
12.5g almonds (75 calories, 2.5g protein, 1g carbs, 7g fat)
100g chicken (110 calories, 23.3g protein, 0.4g crabs, 1.3g fat)

Total: 504 calories/ 37g protein/ 60g carbs/ 12.8g fat

Meal 2
1 bag baby veg (75 calories, 4.3g protein, 10.7g carbs, 1.3g fat)
2x slice bread (186 calories, 8.2g protein, 32g carbs, 2g fat)
2x turkey slice (66 calories, 14.6g protein, 0g carbs, 0.8g fat)
16g peanut butter (95 calories, 4g protein, 3g carbs, 8g fat)

Total: 422 calories/ 31.1g protein/ 45.7 carbs/ 12.1 fat

Meal 3 (After workout)
100g wholegrain pasta (338 calories, 7.9g protein, 70.3g carbs, 1.5g fat)
100g tuna (100 calories, 23.5g protein, 0g carbs, 0.6g fat)
100g broccoli/cauliflower (30 calories, 3.3g protein, 2.3g carbs, 0.9g fat)

Total: 468 calories/ 34.7g protein/ 72.6g carbs/ 3g fat

Meal 4
half tin baked beans (150 calories, 9g protein, 25.5g carbohydrate, 1.1g fat)
1 whole egg+2 egg whites (137 calories, 18g protein, 1g carbs, 6.2g fat)
1 crumpet (100 calories, 3.2g protein, 20.9g carbs, 0.4g fat)
12.5g almonds (75 calories, 2.5g protein, 1g carbs, 7g fat)

Total: 462 calories/ 32.7g protein/ 48.4g carbs/ 14.7g fat

Meal 5
100g salmon fillter (215 calories, 21.6g protein, 0g carbs, 14g fat)
50g brown rice (175 calories, 3.5g protein, 37g carbs, 1.3g fat)
1 bag baby veg (75 calories, 4.3g protein, 10.7g carbs, 1.3g fat)

Total: 465 calories/ 29.4g protein/ 48.4g carbs/ 16.6g fat

GRAND TOTAL: 2321 calories. 164.9g protein. 303.5g carbs. 59.2g fat

 

[Marat]

How much do you weigh? What's your lean body mass?

 

[baged]

How much do you weigh? What's your lean body mass?

I weigh 185lbs my lean body mass is 159lbs.

 

[jhawkin1]

Cardio sucks when you're cutting, UNLESS you can keep your cravings under control! I like to focus on my diet while cutting because it makes it that much easier to cut!!

 

[CowPimp]

My opinion is that calorie calculators are shit. They give you a place to start if you're starting in the dark, but that's about it.

You need to use trial and error to find maintenance level calories, and then reduce from there. As Ian said, I think 10% is a great place to start. You want to use the smallest caloric deficit you can while still seeing results if you want to maintain muscle mass to the fullest (Believe me you do).

Calorie calculators cannot possibly take all variables into account including: bodyweight, body composition, temperature, elevation, age, individual genetic variations in metabolism, lifestyle, exercise, employment, etc. Some of these variables are certainly accounted for, but you are kidding yourself if you think it's super accurate.

When I used to work as a ramp agent at the airport I burned a ton of calories. At my leanest I was about 181 @ 8% body fat or so. I was consuming about 4200 calories a day for MAINTENANCE. I was pushing nearly 5000 calories at one time when I was trying to add weight. You think a calorie calculator would've come up with a number that high? Most of them suggest someone of that bodyweight be consuming something like 2800 calories a day. Well, take a 20 year old male who works out 5-6 days per week, has a job that involves heavy physical labor, walks around several miles per day, has an above average lean mass content, and you have someone who's caloric requirements cannot be accurately estimated accurately by a calculator designed for Joe Desk Job.

 

[VILBAUGH]

Im getting different advice all over the place but figured there would be more knowledgable people here. Im trying to work out how many daily calories i should have doing my current cutting routine.

All cardio is performed first thing in the morning on an empty stomach at low intensity and weight sessions take around an hour.

Monday
40 minute cycling
shoulders/triceps

Tuesday
40 minute cycling
back

Wednesday
40 minute cycling

Thursday
40 minute cycling
chest/biceps

Friday
40 minute cycling
Legs

Saturday/Sunday
Nothing


Im 22, 6ft and 187lbs, my body fat is around 13%. What do you guys reckon on calorie intake?

Why are you cutting?