VT'ers Dieting Thread

[sexbelowsound]

I don't really buy into the whole bulking/cutting idea so when I start to lose weight I don't actually touch my calories much at the start because i'm not really eating to excess. I will simply start to track my calories more precisely, clean my diet up a bit and most importantly up my cardio.

Then when I hit a plateau i'll drop my calories until the next plateau where i'll raise my cardio again. If I feel like I want to drop a little bit quicker i'll raise both.

I use intermittent fasting as well which I find works but ultimately it all comes down to energy in/energy out.

[Ingram85]

19 hours ago, Midfielder said:

I've been writing down what i have eaten, as the day progresses, so as to enter into the app that V01 recommended. Damn, to see it written down is actually quite shocking, none of it is what anyone would call bad, but it is the quantity.

Definitely about the portion control as many have said. It is 2pm and i think i am borderline near / at my 1500 calorie suggested limit. Quite eye opening and revealing. Definitely a motivator to cut out these pointless snacking habits! this is from a 6am morning onwards though but damn this looks like a lot 

its only 2pm and :

drinks 5 cups of coffee with semi skimmed milk and about 1 litre of water with no added sugar Robinsons

 

breakfast 1 x two-scoop protein shake (skimmed milk) 1 banana 2 tangerines

snack at about 10am, 1 chicken cup a soup - low fat / low salt (why did i even have this, just bad routine carried forward)

lunch at 12, salad leaves, lettuce, splash of balsamic vinegar, three large ham slices, two pickled gherkins and a dollop of chutney but with two "sandwich thins" edit, oh yeah and a Hartley's jelly for sugar fix (only 10 calorie one though)

 

and have resisted all the biscuits , cakes and other crap that's ever present here. Anyway, that's just a day 1 analysis and will need to do much much better.

 

Struggling to see how that is 1500 calories?

Swap the soup for a banana and apple or kallo corn (not rice) cakes.

Sack the sandwich thins off, its the biggest myth at the moment and they are just as bad as normal bread. If you definitely have to have bread then get Nimble or Weight watchers as its only 55 cals a slice. 

Get diet whey powder, normal protein powder is not for losing weight.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Ingram85

[sexbelowsound]

That's nowhere near 1500 calories.

I assumed the suggested app was myfitnesspal? If so, why not scan the barcodes of the food you've eaten and put it straight into the app?

Edited May 12, 2017 by sexbelowsound

[PieFacE]

My confusion with dieting is, should I eat breakfast or not?

I can very easily go without breakfast, my body doesnt really feel like eating at that time. So I can easily get to lunch eat day without eating it, which results in eating less calories.

 

However, people always say that breakfast is needed as it "wakes your body up" and starts burning calories earlier, but by doing so I get more hungry throughout the day, and ultimately eat more.

 

So which is VT, breakfast or no breakfast?

Edited May 12, 2017 by PieFacE

[Stevo985]

1 hour ago, Ingram85 said:

normal protein powder is not for losing weight.

It makes no difference.

I use normal protein powder when losing weight.

As long as you use it within your caloric deficit then there's no issue. In fact, a quick look on myprotein.com shows there is a pretty insignificant 24 calorie difference between a 50g serving of diet whey protein compared to normal whey protein.

And the diet version has more carbs and less protein. So to get the same amount of protein from the diet version you'd have to have more of it anyway, so you'd end up taking in more calories for the same amount of protein.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Stevo985

[JB]

8 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

My confusion with dieting is, should I eat breakfast or not?

I can very easily go without breakfast, my body doesnt really feel like eating at that time. So I can easily get to lunch eat day without eating it, which results in eating less calories.

 

However, people always say that breakfast is needed as it "wakes your body up" and starts burning calories earlier, but by doing so I get more hungry throughout the day, and ultimately eat more.

 

So which is VT, breakfast or no breakfast?

All total bollocks. Eat breakfast if you're hungry in the morning, if not don't worry about it. Makes no difference as long as calorie intake is the same and you're not doing any strenuous exercise in the morning. 

[Stevo985]

Just now, JB said:

All total bollocks. Eat breakfast if you're hungry in the morning, if not don't worry about it. Makes no difference as long as calorie intake is the same and you're not doing any strenuous exercise in the morning. 

This.

The benefit to breakfast, imo, is that it fills you up in the morning and makes you less likely to snack and break your diet in the morning.

But in terms of timing, and metabolism boosts and all that, it's nonsense. If you're eating less calories than you take in then it makes little difference when you eat everything. IT certainly doesn't matter if you have breakfast or not. Eat whenever you want.

[limpid]

10 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

My confusion with dieting is, should I eat breakfast or not?

I can very easily go without breakfast, my body doesnt really feel like eating at that time. So I can easily get to lunch eat day without eating it, which results in eating less calories.

However, people always say that breakfast is needed as it "wakes your body up" and starts burning calories earlier, but by doing so I get more hungry throughout the day, and ultimately eat more.

So which is VT, breakfast or no breakfast?

There isn't a simple answer - it's not one size fits all.

Use an app. You might eat more later if you skip breakfast. Count the numbers and see.

I lost 40kg in six months several years ago and haven't put it back on. I did a lot of research and most of what you'll find out there is nonsense. You've got to find what works for you and the most important part is changing your habits - and that's hard.

And if someone calls themselves a nutritionist you can ignore anything they say that isn't bloody obvious.

[This Could Be Rotterdam]

I tried the body coach earlier in the year and although i definately ate better i didnt see any significant change. I think to get the benefit from it you have to be 100% committed and i just cant find the time for the exercise. A few spin classes a week is my maximum, i probably average 2 a week. 

My problem is working early shifts, its too early to have breakfast when i get up around 430 but then i dont get chance to eat until 930 on a good day so im normally starving by then and end up eating more. Ive been having a yoghurt first thing to tide me over but it just feels like wasted calories that id be better having later in the day when im more likely to be tempted to snack on rubbish. If i can get in a good routine before lunch then i dont see what else i can do barring finding more time to exercise because i eat fairly well, keep carbs to a minimum and dont really drink, but still need to lose half a stone if not more to get to a comfortable weight. 

[sexbelowsound]

27 minutes ago, PieFacE said:

My confusion with dieting is, should I eat breakfast or not?

I can very easily go without breakfast, my body doesnt really feel like eating at that time. So I can easily get to lunch eat day without eating it, which results in eating less calories.

 

However, people always say that breakfast is needed as it "wakes your body up" and starts burning calories earlier, but by doing so I get more hungry throughout the day, and ultimately eat more.

 

So which is VT, breakfast or no breakfast?

It works for me because i'm not really that hungry in the morning at it gives me more calories to play with around the time I go to the gym in the evening.

The downside of it is I often find the later I have that first meal the harder I find it to meet my calorie goal for the day. If i'm shooting for 2500 calories and I miss it by 250 calories a day that is detrimental to what i'm trying to achieve so making sure you still meet your calorie goal is important.

[Midfielder]

2 hours ago, Ingram85 said:

Struggling to see how that is 1500 calories?

Swap the soup for a banana and apple or kallo corn (not rice) cakes.

Sack the sandwich thins off, its the biggest myth at the moment and they are just as bad as normal bread. If you definitely have to have bread then get Nimble or Weight watchers as its only 55 cals a slice. 

Get diet whey powder, normal protein powder is not for losing weight.

Yeah the sandwich thins are "residual" from the cupboard before i do my first diet compliant grocery shop. I'll be avoiding bread as much as possible after.

I adore bread though. That'll be missed, but ruthless times ahead. No alcohol no bread. Just off the top of my head though, say i wanted a ham and mayo (hellmans lighter than light is 5% fat i think, the one with the green writing) ... the idea of having this in a nice large chinese leaf style lettuce leaf, as in, the leaf itself IS the bread, then that actually sounds good. I'll miss the bread but it wont ruin anything. After a while I probably wont give a sht about the bread.

As for what you say there, and @sexbelowsound  i havent used the app yet sorry! (well, i am all set up on it, but havent "used"-used it yet. so i dont know the calorific totals yet, i keep getting the prompts two days in a row now on the screen about having not entered any data, but will do this weekend. Come 2 oclock today no work til Weds for me so have the time to sit through it and PLAN for compliance. 

Never been one for dieting, have never counted calories in my life. So need to make sure I dont falter. Typically i buy what i like in the supermarket i mean, so when i say "planning" yeah i mean all that stuff too, as in controlling a shopping-list-to-be and also effectively planning a meal plan for the week. Might sound a bit girlie that, but i'll be up and running on the app VO1 says. Yeah its that one, sponsored by Under Armour.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Midfielder

[sexbelowsound]

20 minutes ago, Midfielder said:

Yeah the sandwich thins are "residual" from the cupboard before i do my first diet compliant grocery shop. I'll be avoiding bread as much as possible after.

I adore bread though. That'll be missed, but ruthless times ahead. No alcohol no bread. Just off the top of my head though, say i wanted a ham and mayo (hellmans lighter than light is 5% fat i think, the one with the green writing) ... the idea of having this in a nice large chinese leaf style lettuce leaf, as in, the leaf itself IS the bread, then that actually sounds good. I'll miss the bread but it wont ruin anything. After a while I probably wont give a sht about the bread.

As for what you say there, and @sexbelowsound  i havent used the app yet sorry! (well, i am all set up on it, but havent "used"-used it yet. so i dont know the calorific totals yet, i keep getting the prompts two days in a row now on the screen about having not entered any data, but will do this weekend. Come 2 oclock today no work til Weds for me so have the time to sit through it and PLAN for compliance. 

Never been one for dieting, have never counted calories in my life. So need to make sure I dont falter. Typically i buy what i like in the supermarket i mean, so when i say "planning" yeah i mean all that stuff too, as in controlling a shopping-list-to-be and also effectively planning a meal plan for the week. Might sound a bit girlie that, but i'll be up and running on the app VO1 says. Yeah its that one, sponsored by Under Armour.

Apologies if you've already mentioned this.

Is there a reason why 1500 calories is what you are shooting for?

[Paddywhack]

Reading through this thread, I'm still confused about healthy eating and weight loss.

I'm just going to carry on surviving on quavers and cocopops.

[Midfielder]

16 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said:

Apologies if you've already mentioned this.

Is there a reason why 1500 calories is what you are shooting for?

No probs bud, its what the app set me based on weight (13st 13lbs) age (38) and height (5ft ten) also i had set target in there of wanting to lose 3lbs a week, that might have changed it, but on those details above. 

1500, i can do that for sure. I get continual hunger at the best of times, but that might just be bad routine / greediness and having access to nice foods and bad willpower) and what may have become a hardwiring i guess. Undoing that though.

Edited May 12, 2017 by Midfielder

[BOF]

4 minutes ago, Midfielder said:

No probs bud, its what the app set me based on weight (13st 13lbs) age (38) and height (5ft ten) also i had set target in there of wanting to lose 3lbs a week, that might have changed it, but on those details above. 

1500, i can do that for sure. I get continual hunger at the best of times, but that might just be bad routine / greediness and having access to nice foods and bad willpower) and what may have become a hardwiring i guess. Undoing that though.

1,500 is easy.  It just needs a bit of discipline.  It leaves very little, if any, room for snacking, but numerically it's very achievable and it's what I do most of the time (which then allows for the weekend excess )

[sexbelowsound]

4 minutes ago, Midfielder said:

No probs bud, its what the app set me based on weight (13st 13lbs) age (38) and height (5ft ten) also i had set target in there of wanting to lose 3lbs a week, that might have changed it, but on those details above. 

1500, i can do that for sure. I get continual hunger at the best of times, but that might just be bad routine / greediness and having access to nice foods and bad willpower) and what may have become a hardwiring i guess. Undoing that though.

3lbs a week is a lot. There will be muscle loss alongside fat loss for sure.

Starting at 1500 calories as well doesn't give you anywhere to go once you hit the inevitable plateau. Unless you want to eventually end up chewing on a carrot all day?

You need to find out your maintenance and either up your exercise level (should be priority if possible) or drop maybe 200 calories a day from your maintenance. Weight loss should be slow, steady process, people who drop weight quickly inevitably put it back on soon after they stop their diet. Especially if they go from 1500 calories a day to suddenly eating 2500 etc.

[Midfielder]

28 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said:

3lbs a week is a lot. There will be muscle loss alongside fat loss for sure.

Starting at 1500 calories as well doesn't give you anywhere to go once you hit the inevitable plateau. Unless you want to eventually end up chewing on a carrot all day?

You need to find out your maintenance and either up your exercise level (should be priority if possible) or drop maybe 200 calories a day from your maintenance. Weight loss should be slow, steady process, people who drop weight quickly inevitably put it back on soon after they stop their diet. Especially if they go from 1500 calories a day to suddenly eating 2500 etc.

When you explain it like that, that does make sense, thanks bud. I think my maintenance was 2300 I think I read somewhere when using online calculator. Maybe I'll aim at between 1500-2000 then and adjust to 2 lb a week, in addition to more conscious control over what I eat and when as well as exercise plan. After this weekend I'll have it mapped out in diary 

[limpid]

29 minutes ago, sexbelowsound said:

You need to find out your maintenance and either up your exercise level (should be priority if possible) or drop maybe 200 calories a day from your maintenance. Weight loss should be slow, steady process, people who drop weight quickly inevitably put it back on soon after they stop their diet. Especially if they go from 1500 calories a day to suddenly eating 2500 etc.

I upped my exercise and do a minimum of 10k steps every day. I've probably been short only 3 days in the last 3 years.

My permanent change was along the lines of what BOF said above. I'm sensible most of the time, but don't worry about Friday night / Saturday.

[Midfielder]

36 minutes ago, BOF said:

1,500 is easy.  It just needs a bit of discipline.  It leaves very little, if any, room for snacking, but numerically it's very achievable and it's what I do most of the time (which then allows for the weekend excess )

Yeah the snacking thing I am guilty of , usually for sugar fix. Mostly not necessary at all. 

I do though recommend the Hartleys jellies, they're amply 7 calories for the small pot and 10 calories for big pot. Always five for £2/3 quid in Morrisons / Tesco and give a good sugar fix. All the figures are good on the label. 

Weekend excess I'll get a head start on that with some seven-day compliance first of all. As you'll know sir, pint of Guinness is akin to a meal in itself ! 

[BOF]

Just now, Midfielder said:

Yeah the snacking thing I am guilty of , usually for sugar fix. Mostly not necessary at all. 

I do though recommend the Hartleys jellies, they're amply 7 calories for the small pot and 10 calories for big pot. Always five for £2/3 quid in Morrisons / Tesco and give a good sugar fix. All the figures are good on the label. 

Weekend excess I'll get a head start on that with some seven-day compliance first of all. As you'll know sir, pint of Guinness is akin to a meal in itself ! 

My weakness isn't sugar, it's salt.  I can eat my bodyweight in crisps.  So I don't even go down that aisle in the supermarket