should I eat more?

L

lil_wilde

New member
I'm a 32 yo female, 122 lbs, '5"2, pretty muscular but I want to lose the bit of chubb I have around my thighs and bum so I've been following Jillian Michaels, "Making the Cut" book. I'm eating super healthy low cal foods and exercising hard at least 3 days a wk.

She states in her book that in order to lose that last 10lbs I need to eat only 1340 calories a day (this is what I determined I would burn if I sat on the couch all day) and exercise. My understanding is that the exercise will burn more calores than I am eating so I will lose fat.

My problem is that Ive also been taught that when I start to feel hungry my body immediately starts to store fat. On a 1340 calorie a day diet I am hungry alot. I'm trying to find a balance by snacking on really healthy low cal foods to keep away the hunger but my calories are often going over 1700 in order to keep the hunger edge off.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks, Erin
 
My problem is that Ive also been taught that when I start to feel hungry my body immediately starts to store fat.
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First of all, that's complete and utter horse hockey. :) Your body just doesn't work that way.

I suspect around 1300 calories is right for you to lose weight. If you're feeling hungry, take a look at WHAT you're eating. 1300 calories can be tight, but there are ways you can maximize the volume of what you eat, while not going over cals.

Also make sure you're getting enough protein and healthy fats. They will help you feel full for longer than just carbs or veg/fruit.
 
ok, perhaps it isnt quite so immediate as (feel hungry=body starts storing fat) but Im pretty sure theres a correlation, no? The whole evolutionary thing of caveman body stores fat for survival when low on food cuz body doesnt know when its gonna get more...

yes, Im sure I will lose weight on 1300 because for someone with my activity level to stay at the same weight I should eat around 2000 cals.

I guess Im wondering if it might be better to eat 1600 cals so Im still at a deficit but not feeling hungry (thereby screwing up my metabolism). Maybe that would be more efficient for me than eating at such a big deficit and possibly making my body go into caveman mode.
 
oh, and thanks for the tips on eating more proteins. I do try to eat alot of protein but usually in the form of eggs and chicken. Unfortunately veggies and fruits and bread type carbs are super easy to take to work...
 
ok, perhaps it isnt quite so immediate as (feel hungry=body starts storing fat) but Im pretty sure theres a correlation, no?
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No, not really. No. :)

The general rule of thumb for figuring a good level of calories to eat to lose weight is to multiply your current weight by somewhere between 10-12. (In other words, somewhere between 10-12 calories per pound of bodyweight to lose weight reasonably and healthily.)

So at 122, that would put your range between 1220 and 1464. Any more calories than that, and I suspect you wouldn't see much weight loss.
 
The reality is that in order to lose fat, you have to have a deficit between the number of calories you are eating, and the calories your body burns throughout the day. This probably means you are going to get a little bit hungry. Sorry, that's a fact of life you'll have to deal with. Or stay fat.
 
Well you keep not answering the question of WHAT are you eating.

Maybe if you tell WHAT you're eating ... we can offer some suggestions that will help with the hunger.
 
You know, I can deal with being hungry, thats not the issue. I'm just worried that if I'm feeling hungry then my body is going to start storing fat because thats what I have had hammered in from several places.

And if you read my intro you would know I'm not fat, but thanks for the thoughtful advice Harold.

Kara, as for what I am eating: Whole wheat pasta with lean beef meat sauce, Chicken tortillas, cottage cheese, All Bran, Kashi, eggs, nuts, fruits, veggies. Everything is low fat, etc.

Anyone have some tips on snacks that are filling, low cal and easily portable?
 
Feeling hungry has NOTHING TO DO WITH STORING FAT. I'm not sure how else to say that to you so that you believe it. Hunger is caused by several things - some of them physical, some of them psychological. Hunger is completely and totally unrelated to storing fat.

To some degree, when you cut back what you eat, you're going to feel a bit hungry. Working out really hard will also make you feel hungry - that's pretty normal.

Learning to eat in ways that keep you from being hungry is helpful when you're trying to cut fat and become more fit. You say you're eating everything low fat and I think that might be part of the problem. FAT IS NECESSARY. Fat is satiating - that means it helps you feel full and satisfied for longer after you eat. Healthy fats are necessary to help your body process certain vegetables. Certain types of fats (omega3 and omega6 fatty acids) are necessary nutrients. I'm thinking that you need to really analyse WHAT you're eating and work on tweaking those macros.

You should be getting at least 20%-25% of your overall diet from healthy fats - things like olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, etc. The remainder of your diet should be split between protein and complex carbs (whole grains, etc.).

Perhaps spending some time really looking at your nutrition and your macros would make a difference.
 
Here's something to ponder. If you're in a calorie deficit, meaning burning more calories than you consume, then you will lose weight. The bigger the gap between what you need and what you take in determines a good part of what you will lose. Given that, even if your body starts storing fat if you get hungry, being the body is in a deficit of calories, it's going to yank that fat right back into the cells to burn at some point in the very near future (read: the next 12-24 hours). End result will still be the same, that tuna sammich you ate for lunch today will be this afternoon's energy and tomorrow's poop.

Exercise seems to be serving multiple benefits in most overweight people in that besides burning a small amount of calories (very small) it also helps pick up the metabolic burn rate for a period of time after wards (depending on the exercises, duration and intensity), help regulate some various hormones better, as well as increase your insulin sensitivity (a good thing(tm)) and thus your ability to burn calories.

I hope this explanation makes more sense to you and answers your questions.
 
oh, by the way, as far as avoiding hunger.. what helps me.. foods that have more water in them (think cucumber and tomato vs carrot and radish), also more protein in the diet. Yeah, carbs are easy, but that's how they are by design and evolution. Carbs burn off quick though. Complex carbs/starches burn slower, proteins burn slower and longer and fats slower still.

Given that, that is why people who go carb crazy usually have their insulin levels bouncing around like a bunch of fat kids on pogo sticks. While you need some carbs for that instant or immediate energy while the other foods take their time to burn, think of the starches, proteins and fats as natures little nutritional time release capsules.. and since your body is getting nutrients, it helps curb the hunger signals.

Make sense?
 
ok, thanks for the advice Kara and BigD.

I try and get some fats through nuts and PB but I think thats it. Oh, and theres Omegas in my eggs according to the box. I love avocados, Ill eat more of them too!

Would light cream cheese, plain yogurt, light cheese add more fats? These are some other things I eat that I dont think I listed. Sucks that nuts have so many calories, they are yummy and easy to take for lunch.

Kara, you say I should get 20-25% of my diet from fats. What am I measuring 25% of? 25% of my calories? The weight of my food?

What are macros?
 
Big D said:
oh, by the way, as far as avoiding hunger.. what helps me.. foods that have more water in them (think cucumber and tomato vs carrot and radish), also more protein in the diet. Yeah, carbs are easy, but that's how they are by design and evolution. Carbs burn off quick though. Complex carbs/starches burn slower, proteins burn slower and longer and fats slower still.

Given that, that is why people who go carb crazy usually have their insulin levels bouncing around like a bunch of fat kids on pogo sticks. While you need some carbs for that instant or immediate energy while the other foods take their time to burn, think of the starches, proteins and fats as natures little nutritional time release capsules.. and since your body is getting nutrients, it helps curb the hunger signals.

Make sense?
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I was with you up until you said starches. Starch is actually carbohydrate, and some forms of it, like white bread and mashed potatoes, will raise your glucose as fast as eating pure sugar.
 
Balanced low calorie diet

I like to snack on fat free popcorn, a 60 calories yogurt, rice cakes, frozen fruit, fresh veggies, or a can of green beans. Usually when I eat a snack, then I try to do something to keep me busy a load of laundry and vacuum the house so it gives my body time to realize that I ate and I do not need anything else to eat.
 
Harold14370 said:
I was with you up until you said starches. Starch is actually carbohydrate, and some forms of it, like white bread and mashed potatoes, will raise your glucose as fast as eating pure sugar.
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yeah, I know they are, that's why I grouped them with carbs. Tho I'd note that white bread is generally crap, so I wouldn't be surprised that its spiking sugar. white bread and spuds aren't the only starches on the face of the earth tho, as I'm sure you're aware.
 
Hmmm.... I have not read Jillian Michaels but, I see her all over the internet. Once upon a time I was a competitive bodybuilder and one of the greatest challenges is to maintain muscle mass while decreasing body fat. The other big challenge was to hit a particular weight class in hopes that you will be on the top end of the weight class but have the lowest bodyfat. This experience led me to study exercise physiology, fat and lean mass responses to exercise and nutrition, and exercise/nutrition protocols.

RE: Appetite. Appetite is controlled via a system of hormones that interact via redundant mechanisms. This means that as you try and manipulate one hormone level (i.e. insulin) other hormones will step in to perform the role of insulin and or ameliorate the affects. One hormone that has been shown to increase due to exercise is ghrelin. It is an appetite stimulant and acts on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. There are other chamicals that stimulate appetite also, however, suffice it to say your body has activated the "FEED ME" protocol.

If you are serious about getting those last stubborn pockets you may have to move to a 45% CHO/30% Pro/ 27% FAT diet. (Also remember that fats burns in the flame of carbs [CHO]) You will also have to put together a program that has you gaining muscle and losing fat, while not changing your weight. Since you are hungry your body is saying that the activity level needs are not being met. To try and lose weight could be a mistake. Not knowing your bodyfat percentage but, knowing that at a certain point the female body really protests going any lower. But staying at your current weight and changing the composition is an easier way of lowering bodyfat percentages. Sadly, once you get there you have to continue what ever it took to get there.

RE: Starch. Starch is the storage form of glucose for plants. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose for humans.
 
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lil_wilde said:
ok, thanks for the advice Kara and BigD.

I try and get some fats through nuts and PB but I think thats it. Oh, and theres Omegas in my eggs according to the box. I love avocados, Ill eat more of them too!

Would light cream cheese, plain yogurt, light cheese add more fats? These are some other things I eat that I dont think I listed. Sucks that nuts have so many calories, they are yummy and easy to take for lunch.

Kara, you say I should get 20-25% of my diet from fats. What am I measuring 25% of? 25% of my calories? The weight of my food?

What are macros?
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Percentages of macro nutrients (CHO/Po/Fats) are done thusly:
approx: 1000kcals
45% CHO 1 gram of CHO = 4 kcals 45% of 1000kcals = 450 kcals = 112.5 gr CHO
30% Pro 1 gram of Pro = 4 kcals 30% " = 350 kcals = 87.5 gr Pro
25% Fat 1 gram fat = 9 kcals 25% " = 250 kcals = 27.77 gr Fat
Total = 1050 kcals
Now remember the human body works cumulatively. The balance at the end of a 14 -21 day period is what matters.
 
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Macros = macronutrients. The big 3 - carbs, protein, and fats.

If you register with a free site like fitday.com or thedailyplate.com you'll see that it automatically calculates your macros for you. A fairly common macro split is 40% carb / 30% protein / 30% fats ... although some people will tweak that one way or the other (I prefer a bit more protein in my diet).

You do need fats in your diet - at least 20% - in order to be healthy
 
Thanks for the tips. Ive joined thedailyplate.

cbsfitness, my bodyfat is 21.6%.

So far the diet seems to be working. The abs are looking alot more defined...
 
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