What's wrong with my diet?
Discussion
Hi all - would really appreciate some advice.....
I always assumed that weight loss is a pretty simple calculation…if you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight. However, I don’t think I have a high calorie intake, yet have body fat of approx 22%. This has generally been pretty constant in the 12 years since I was 18 (though in the last few weeks seems to be going up slightly). I can’t work out what I’m doing wrong.
I vaguely wondered if there actually wasn’t enough fat in my diet, so my body stored fat when it was available. However, I’m no expert in physiology – so this could be complete pish!
Diet
Not a diet per se, but I eat pretty healthily – standard day would be:
Breakfast: weetabix or bran flakes, sometimes with a little bit of sugar-free muesli.
Lunch: soup, tuna/chicken/prawn salad, or a brown bread sandwich.
Supper: fish or chicken with vegetables. If I get back too late sometimes I end up just having cereal or a couple of slices of cheese on toast.
Snacks: fruit – maybe 4 pieces a day.
I don’t live like a complete saint (or have much intention of doing!), but probably only drink once a week, and maybe have a takeaway twice a month and probably a fried breakfast once a month. I used to have a very occasional biscuit or cake in meetings but have cut these out. Still, overall I think this must be a healthier diet than average.
Exercise
Exercise-wise, on average:
Walk to work 4 days a week (1hr each day)
Weights 3 times a week (40 mins each session)
Out on bike one evening a week (1hr)
Hillwalk or mountain bike one day at the weekend (2-4 hrs).
I must admit as I have a fairly demanding job (often of 12+ hrs per day) there is a tendency to sit on the sofa when I do get home in the evening.
Any tips/comments would be much appreciated!
I always assumed that weight loss is a pretty simple calculation…if you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight. However, I don’t think I have a high calorie intake, yet have body fat of approx 22%. This has generally been pretty constant in the 12 years since I was 18 (though in the last few weeks seems to be going up slightly). I can’t work out what I’m doing wrong.
I vaguely wondered if there actually wasn’t enough fat in my diet, so my body stored fat when it was available. However, I’m no expert in physiology – so this could be complete pish!
Diet
Not a diet per se, but I eat pretty healthily – standard day would be:
Breakfast: weetabix or bran flakes, sometimes with a little bit of sugar-free muesli.
Lunch: soup, tuna/chicken/prawn salad, or a brown bread sandwich.
Supper: fish or chicken with vegetables. If I get back too late sometimes I end up just having cereal or a couple of slices of cheese on toast.
Snacks: fruit – maybe 4 pieces a day.
I don’t live like a complete saint (or have much intention of doing!), but probably only drink once a week, and maybe have a takeaway twice a month and probably a fried breakfast once a month. I used to have a very occasional biscuit or cake in meetings but have cut these out. Still, overall I think this must be a healthier diet than average.
Exercise
Exercise-wise, on average:
Walk to work 4 days a week (1hr each day)
Weights 3 times a week (40 mins each session)
Out on bike one evening a week (1hr)
Hillwalk or mountain bike one day at the weekend (2-4 hrs).
I must admit as I have a fairly demanding job (often of 12+ hrs per day) there is a tendency to sit on the sofa when I do get home in the evening.
Any tips/comments would be much appreciated!
count the calories properly...EVERY thing...the milk on the cereal, the mayo on the tuna, the flora on the bread, etc
i bet your cal intake is higher than you think...especially if you are eating sandwhiches and bread for supper.....average sandwhich will have LOADS more calories than a good low cal meal of, say, brown rice/veg/chicken.
i bet your cal intake is higher than you think...especially if you are eating sandwhiches and bread for supper.....average sandwhich will have LOADS more calories than a good low cal meal of, say, brown rice/veg/chicken.
Firstly what are you trying to achieve? lose weight? tone up? build muscle mass?
Your diet doesn't sound too bad, however if you are eating salads do you put much salad dressing on if any at all? do you put alot of butter into your sandwichs? i would reccommend doing more cardio, running/swimming alternating between high and average intensity to really get your heart pumping.
How long have you been on this diet? i would suggest sticking to it, don't give up no mattter how frustrated you may feel because of the lack of results. If you stay dedicated the weight will come off.
Your diet doesn't sound too bad, however if you are eating salads do you put much salad dressing on if any at all? do you put alot of butter into your sandwichs? i would reccommend doing more cardio, running/swimming alternating between high and average intensity to really get your heart pumping.
How long have you been on this diet? i would suggest sticking to it, don't give up no mattter how frustrated you may feel because of the lack of results. If you stay dedicated the weight will come off.
As above, you are still eating more than you are putting out. Although you are exercising, it sounds like fairly low intensity stuff. There's nothing wrong with your diet really, you're probably just having a bit too much of it.
Think about this: Over eating by 100 calories a day (roughly one peice of toast more than you need) will see you gain 10lbs a year.
Cheers,
FT.
Think about this: Over eating by 100 calories a day (roughly one peice of toast more than you need) will see you gain 10lbs a year.
Cheers,
FT.
It may not be your diet, but the way you train.
Try interval training. One minute flat out, high load setting (bike,cross trainer, rowing what ever you want) followed by one minute recovery on a lower setting at 60% effort.
Turn your one hour walk to work into a 50 minute walk.
Take the distance you cover in the hour on your bike and do the same in 55mins. Try to reduce it by a minute a week.
Try interval training. One minute flat out, high load setting (bike,cross trainer, rowing what ever you want) followed by one minute recovery on a lower setting at 60% effort.
Turn your one hour walk to work into a 50 minute walk.
Take the distance you cover in the hour on your bike and do the same in 55mins. Try to reduce it by a minute a week.
Edited by SoapyShowerBoy on Thursday 4th June 10:07
Is your 40 min gym session intense? It's all very well going to the gym and doing weights, but if you're not really struggling to do the last rep on the last set you're not working hard enough. You need to push yourself. You need to use correct form - this is the most important. If you're only going three times a week then I would recommend doing full body workout such as the one on strong lifts.com. It's made up of compound exercises and I have created my own variation of it which works very well.
Cheers guys - much appreciated. I'm fairly muscular (haha, if I do say so myself!) so the aim is to ditch the fat. I'll take on board the comments - and start with the high intensity training; as has been said, most of my exercise is fairly low intensity. I'll also watch the calroies... didnt think my diet was too bad in terms of proportion of carbs, but what would be the best fix/substitute...breakfast or sandwiches? I've been avoiding white bread/pasta in favour of wholegrain/brown.
Edited by johnnyBv8 on Thursday 4th June 12:18
This is my diet when i cut up for the summer months (currently on this diet).
When i wake up - maximuscle cyclone protien shake (around 30grams of protien)
breakfast - bowel of rice crispies/crunchy nut with a orange and bannana.
snack - tin of sardines with an apple.
lunch - tuna with a tiny bit of light mayo mixed in with it spread over three rivita crackers.
snack - tin of sardines or salmon.
Does the trick for me but i guess everyone is different.
When i wake up - maximuscle cyclone protien shake (around 30grams of protien)
breakfast - bowel of rice crispies/crunchy nut with a orange and bannana.
snack - tin of sardines with an apple.
lunch - tuna with a tiny bit of light mayo mixed in with it spread over three rivita crackers.
snack - tin of sardines or salmon.
- workout for around 60-75 mins including a 15 min run alternating running to high to medium back up to high intensity.
- Have another protien shake straight after workout as this is when your body will need that protien most.
- Around 8pm i go for a 3 mile jog.
- just before i go to bed - third protien shake.
- minimum of 7 hours sleep.
Does the trick for me but i guess everyone is different.
i just ditched bread completley...easier in the long run. My lunch just now was a bowl of salad leaves, chicken, little mayo......if i had had a chicken salad sandwhich i would have had loads less salad (it wouldnt fit!) but loads MORE calories from the bread.
Only bread i have is occasional slice of toast (small slice of brown) under my eggs if i am feeling like i need a bit extra!
Only bread i have is occasional slice of toast (small slice of brown) under my eggs if i am feeling like i need a bit extra!
I stick to brown rice in the main...you cant put butter on it!ShadownINja said:
Coco H said:
You are supposed to cut out bad carbs - sugars, fruits, potatoes pasta etc and stick with those in veg such as cabbage.
However I think you can have some bread etc - jsut the low GI wholemeal bread
They aren't bad carbs.However I think you can have some bread etc - jsut the low GI wholemeal bread
Coco H said:
ShadownINja said:
Coco H said:
You are supposed to cut out bad carbs - sugars, fruits, potatoes pasta etc and stick with those in veg such as cabbage.
However I think you can have some bread etc - jsut the low GI wholemeal bread
They aren't bad carbs.However I think you can have some bread etc - jsut the low GI wholemeal bread
I can see why cutting out high GI carbs is a good thing but I wouldn't say they are bad for you. I mean... have a look at what constitutes low, medium and high. http://www.the-gi-diet.org/lowgifoods/
Edited by ShadownINja on Saturday 6th June 01:26
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