Calorie Crime??

[rednow]

Hi there.

A question about calories and meals.

On counting calories, I am taking in approximately 1100 a day. I am female and am currently 146 Ibs (lost 13 Ibs so far after 6 weeks). I was worrying that the weight loss is maybe coming from the lack of calories (8as I cant quite believe that I have lost this much) however I think my nutricion is good and I am rarely hungry. Here is what I have been eating the last few weeks:

Meal 1
Myoplex shake (with water)

Meal 2
2 pieces of fruit and small handful of nuts

WORKOUT

Meal 3
Myoplex shake (with water)

Meal 4
Chicken breast (teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil)
2-3 small new potatoes
Mixed Vegetables

Meal 5 (before bed)
100% Whey Protein (with water)

I am rarely hungry enough to have another meal. If I am hungry I usually have 2 slices of extra lean ham (20 cals for 2 slices) and a piece of fruit.

My other worry is that the weight I have lost is coming off from the wrong places (ie muscles) and that as soon as BFL finishes, it will jump back on. I do however feel muscles building alot! I used to eat McDonalds and KFC upto 2 times a day for the last couple of years and am amazed how I can live without them. I feel really satisfied with what I eat now but I still do take advantage of the free day. I reckon I take in approx 2000 cals on the free day. I calculated my BMR and if correct is at 1470 (approx).

I also used a calorie counter that Chris had advised to another member and noticed that my protein intake was something like 160% of my daily allowance. Do you reckon this is OK as it is a protein rich programme?

Thank you!

[Chris]

I usually don't recommend anyone going below 1500 calories... If you can't lose weight at 1500, then you need to be more active. I created a BMR calculator that I've been sharing with folks. It's here: Google Docs

Put in your weight, bodyfat, activity level, and goals and it will prescribe your daily average calories. If you consume your TDEE (BMR plus activity) on your free day, then subtract another 90 calories per day to lose roughly 1 lb per week.

[rednow]

Thanks a lot for this. It says that I need to consume over 1700 cals a day. I will find it difficult to get it to that, I won't lie. However, I know it is important to do it the right way so I will sit and review my whole plan. Also, after using the calorie counter, I am taking in a little more than I thought. I have been wanting to do 10 min extra cardio a day too that is not too intense so I will wait until I get the calories sorted out better. Thank you

[Chris]

Cool. Check this out: Calorie Calculator

I posted there how I'm currently using the information that it spits out.

[schoonma]

Hi Everyone,

So the bottom line here is you really are COUNTING calories I was hoping to get away from that, actually in a way I have, but still feel the need to go back and make sure my calories are in a good range, you know, double check yourself.

Chris, I also checked out the spreadsheet you so nicely put together and it states that I should be eating 1,653 calories.

Thanks!
Mary Ann

[Chris]

Counting calories is soooo important. Of course it's not officially in the BFL book and is definitely one of the reasons people like this program. But in the end, BFL works MUCH better if you count your calories and plan your meals around a recommended intake.

So you don't have to count... but I recommend that you at least try it for a couple weeks.