Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - New eating plan - Worries

So I went to the dietitian.

I told her I ride my bike 5-6 times a week for about an hour each day. I keep my pulse in the 150-160 bpm range and I try not to coast. She told me I shouldn't do so much cycling but only 3 times a week for 40 minutes each. Of course I told her I don't intend reduce my exercise.

Despite this, she prepared an eating plan for me, at best in the 2000 calories range.

A typical day from this plan:

6:00 - 1 sandwich with a slice of turkey and a slice of light cheese, 8 oz semi-skimmed milk.

9:00 - 1 banana

12:30 - 1 serving of chicken breast, 1 + 1/3 cup of pasta, salad with 3 teaspoons of olive oil

16:00 - 1 cereal bar (90 calories)

19:00 - 1 serving of chicken breast, salad with 3 teaspoons of olive oil

21:30 - 4 oz of semi-skimmed milk.

Help, guys... I think this plan isn't for me (age 21, weight 260 lbs, height 5' 6", 6 hours per week aerobic exercise at a fair intensity of 150-160 bpm).

I think I need more calories... And I think I need proteins in all my meals. I normally do my workout at 7-8 am. And then I get to eat only a banana (or 1-2 other fruits).

What do you guys think? Should I go talk to her tomorrow morning? I don't want to sound rude or that I question her knowledge.

This is NOT a professional opinion but I have a lot more faith in Nutritionists than I do in Dietitians. The fact that she told you to cut back your exercise already wouldn't sit well with me. Having said that, 2,000 calories is more than you think it is. Will it be enough to sustain you with your exercise routine? A few days and you'll know. Good luck and keep us posted.

I really don't know what her success rate is, but many calculators say that I burn about 3500 calories per day. A 1500 calorie deficit seems way too much. I don't wanna lose that much muscle. I'd prefer slow and healthy progression this time. I've done many extreme diets in the past like this but none worked in the long run :(

She even added 2 pieces of cake in place of 2 meals in the week. What kind of a dietitian suggests cake twice per week? :/

First, asking questions is not questioning her knowledge :D. Ask her to go over the serving size, calories, and macro nutrient profile of each meal. Bring along a pen and paper as well as a calculator.

From a rough estimation I have you consuming 1675 calories with a profile of 81 grams of protein, 192 grams of Carbohydrates, and 65 grams of fat.

Truthfully I don't think anyone knows for certain how you will do until you do it. Just document any changes in mood, weight, energy level, sleep patterns, or anything else you feel is important.

Before hand I would go over with her what you are currently eating, how much you weigh, how much body fat and lean muscle mass you have, and how much you exercise you do. Don't forget about mood, sleep level, energy level, or whatever else is important. Basically before starting the journey, know where you are beginning from :thumb:.

If you are not sleeping perhaps you are doing to much exercise and need to cut back. If you are loosing to much muscle than manipulate your protein level or amount of calories consumed. If you feel a lack of energy than try consuming more carbs, or reducing the amount of exercise, or get more sleep.

Make adjustments when necessary. If your nutritionist takes a "one size fits all" approach and is unwilling to change then look for a different one :rolleyes:. A good nutritionist works with you, answers questions or concerns, and builds a relationship over time.

Basically its a process. Just document your steps along the way. Good luck :thumb:.

The bad thing is that she won't measure my body fat percentage until the 11th day in the program. I didn't insist, but after 10 days consuming this low calories I think I'm gonna lose too much lean mass. And we won't be able to tell since we didn't take a measurement the 1st day. I already weigh 2 lbs less. And it's the 2nd day following the plan...

Regarding my mood, I feel that I'm hungry in the morning after the workout and I get irritated too easily.

I wouldn't worry about losing muscle mass in 10 days unless you were on a hyper restrictive caloric regimen with limited exercise. Plus, muscle mass is pretty easy to regain. Getting it in the first place is the hard part.

I am not sure why she is waiting until the 11th day to measure body fat. My suspicion is she wants you to just look at the weight loss (usually water) without knowing where the weight is coming from.

As with anything new, give yourself time to adapt.

I'm not sure how the process was, but getting a good nutritionist involves an interview process by both them and you. You can get any diet off the internet that might work. Most good nutritionist go beyond that by also assessing a lot of factors I previously discussed such as mood, work ethic, sleep pattern, or anything else.

They also monitor your progress whether daily or weekly and make adjustments when they feel it is warranted. That's where a good nutritionist steps up. They are willing to adapt, learn, and grow with you.

We'll see... I'm gonna pay a visit tomorrow. I'll ask her to explain my diet. I'm almost sure it's not adequate for my exercise :/

Guys, I hope you're seated. She told me she had me on a 1650 calorie plan. Yes 1650.

I told her I ride 6 hours a week with an average pace 12 mph and she wouldn't believe it! She even suggested I cut down on my exercise. I told her I prefer she raised my daily calorie intake. She wouldn't agree on a 2500 calories plan. She hardly raised the plan calories to 2200. At least it's not 1650. I knew something was wrong. I was too hungry suddenly.

She said she won't measure my body fat percentage with calipers but using electrodes. She said calipers were for athletes. (That, or she hasn't mastered the technique.) In 10 days that she'll take the measurements, I'm gonna demand that she uses the caliper. If not, I'm gonna pay someone else to keep track of my BF percentage.

She agreed to move the higher calorie meals early in the day. I told her I needed the energy for my workout. I hope she makes room for protein in every meal. She agreed to completely remove cereal bars. I wanted something less processed.

I think we're onto something now... Not perfect, but I think a lot better... We'll see the results in 10 days.

A sandwich for breakfast? NASTY!

Not to be harsh, but it doesn't sound to me like this dietician has the same goals/outlook that you do. I might seek out a different person to help you with your eating plan. From what you've stated, preferably one who is used to working with more athletic people and utilizes more natural foods.

Guys, I hope you're seated. She told me she had me on a 1650 calorie plan. Yes 1650.

I told her I ride 6 hours a week with an average pace 12 mph and she wouldn't believe it! She even suggested I cut down on my exercise. I told her I prefer she raised my daily calorie intake. She wouldn't agree on a 2500 calories plan. She hardly raised the plan calories to 2200. At least it's not 1650. I knew something was wrong. I was too hungry suddenly.

She said she won't measure my body fat percentage with calipers but using electrodes. She said calipers were for athletes. (That, or she hasn't mastered the technique.) In 10 days that she'll take the measurements, I'm gonna demand that she uses the caliper. If not, I'm gonna pay someone else to keep track of my BF percentage.

She agreed to move the higher calorie meals early in the day. I told her I needed the energy for my workout. I hope she makes room for protein in every meal. She agreed to completely remove cereal bars. I wanted something less processed.

I think we're onto something now... Not perfect, but I think a lot better... We'll see the results in 10 days.

Find a different one. She is trying to fit you into a mold that she is comfortable with when it should be the other way around.

Hey Doom. I wouldn't be visiting that dietitian again if I was in your shoes. She has lost all credibility in my opinion. My wife and I are both in our mid-50s. My wife and I have been exercising via gym, bicycles, etc. for many years. We realized that we were both at the age where metabolism makes losing weight tough. She read the book South Beach Supercharged and followed that diet. It basically has elements of the Sugarbusters diet (fairly low carbs), but starts out the first 2 weeks similar to Atkins (very low carbs). 8 months later she lost 40 pounds (I'm talking of a woman who went maybe from 160 something to 120 something!). I lost about 25 pounds (approximately 235 to 210), the lowest I have weighed since I ran 35 miles a week 25 years ago! The secret is removing almost all sugar and simple carbs (including that cake that your dietitian allowed) and to also restrict excessive complex carbs like whole wheat bread and cereals. We eat a ton of proteins and fats (except transfat), plenty of vegetables, and a little fruit. I'm telling you that I eat like a pig - a typical day might include 6 eggs in the morning, 8 to 16 ounces of yogurt or cottage cheese, a couple of ounces of nuts, a gigantic salad for lunch (with cheese and salad dressing), vegetables and chicken or other meat for dinner, a homemade smoothie later for dessert made with dairy, ice, a little fruit, and sugar substitute. And don't worry about cholesterol with all the eggs - that is total BS! My cholesterol level is very low and I eat like this just about every day! Sorry that I am long winded here, but this works and most dietitians just cannot admit that they have had it all wrong for decades! Although I believe in getting plenty of exercise, I realized over the last few months that a low glycemic diet makes the difference along with at least moderate exercise.

Good luck!

2000 - 2200 isn't unreasonable for the amount of exercise you are doing. Make sure you are getting 8+ hours of sleep a day, and sleep by 11PM, preferably 10:30PM, to allow time for your liver to rest, and muscles to recover.

I had a similar plan as yours, but its 2200 calorie diet @ 317lbs, and I worked out for 1.5hrs a day...45 min aerobics @155bpm (alternating between cycling/spinning, step mills, running, ellipticals to keep my body confused), 30min anaerobic to build muscles to increase metabolic rate, and 15min on core exercises (core strengthening is extremely important btw). Instead of a cereal bar, I ate half a clif bar and kept the other half for when I do go hungry outside of the plan (for me clif bars keeps me full longer than a cereal bar anyway, YMMV). You might wanna think about getting rid of the 4oz milk before bed and eat a fruid salad or something after your 7pm meal...You'll go hungry less often at night, milk goes right through your system.

It worked pretty well for me. Its not cheating, you are giving your body what it needs for you to become more efficient at losing weight by keeping up the metabolic rate. Not to mention clif bars > any cereal bar any day.

I can tell you MY story, because I'm being told that I need to reduce my calories from 2700 daily by 500 calories if I want to lose weight safely.... at no expense to my lean muscle mass:

I had an Hydrostatic Body Fat dunking performed recently. My body fat came in at 36.2% (82.9 pounds of my total body weight is fat!?!)..... in short, I'm FAT. At 5' 2", 230 pounds, and as a 57 year old male, he suggested that my Resting Metabolic Rate was "1936", and from this he determined that my body needs 2700 calories daily just to get through the day doing nothing out of the ordinary. Then I'm to reduce that by 500 calories for weight reduction, BUT I'm to eat another 416 calories for every thirty minutes that I ride the bike (at a moderate rate), and ANOTHER 182 calories for every half hour I walk briskly, AND.... another 156 calories for every half hour of weight training.
---- And every other day, I'm riding a couple hours & walking, then on the other days I'm working with the dumbbells and walking for an hour..... with the weekend off to recuperate.

So if my fatbutt needs to eat as many as 4,280 calories on those days that I'm riding the bike for a couple hours and walking for an hour....... and THAT'S if I want to lose weight!?!
I can't imagine her suggestion of under 2,000 calories.

On the other hand, come August I'm entering into a plan of eating no more than 1,000 calories a day that will have the perfect ratio of carbs to protien, as well as vital nutriants. I am told to exercise no more than 45 minutes daily, and not very intense..... at least until my body get's used to the fuel it's being given. I have since discovered that this plan has options available to me if I want to exercise with the kind of fervor I've grown accustom these last two months.

Your "dietitian" might know what she's talking about, or not. My 1,000 calorie a day Medifast plan, as approved by and designed with the help of Johns Hopkins University might be bunk too.... or not. But in three months, I will have my body fat weighed again, and I'll know to what degree I've lost lean muscle mass for every pound of fatty fat that I've lost.

Personally I would be interested in how your whole conversation went down. Truthfully it doesn't sound like she has much experience which may be why she is hesitant about making changes.

She knows that the 1650 caloric intake will work with some of her clients, but you gotta be the one to make things difficult wanting to exercise and everything :D.

Most Biometric Impedance devices would probably be more accurate than calipers so I wouldn't worry about that. However the waiting of 10 days is the issue. Its possible that there is a wait list for the device if its one of the higher end machines. It could also be that she really doesn't want you to realize that the weight loss is actually water (or muscle mass) instead of fat in that time period.

As far as other posters advice about reducing certain carbs, restricting calories, or what to eat and when to eat it, it basically comes down to trying it and seeing if it works for you. While I may have a differing opinion on some of the advice offered, I realize it might be worth trying under the right circumstances.

Again, a good nutritionist works with you. They ask questions as well as listen to responses. They tell you why or why not something may or may not work given certain parameters. However they also need to be willing to concede certain dogma's even if they disagree with it and explain their reservations.

Not sure how relevant this is because it is just personal experience. But, I was at 280lbs in late January. I am now at 208. Did that by working very closely with a dietitian where I work, as well as cycling 2-3 times weekly and doing the Couch to 5K program, and now onto another program that will help me improve my 5K time. I started out at 2000 calories per day, then after losing some weight went down to 1800 and now down to 1500. This was all under the advice of a registered dietician. I happen to work in an office with a lot of health professionals and we trade services a lot.

I can tell you that it is not unusual to recommend that kind of calorie consumption (under 2000). I have no idea if I lost muscle mass or how much but I can tell you that I have visible muscle now, where I didn't have any before. I am way stronger and back to being an athlete. I'm running 3-4 miles 3 times weekly and cycling the rest of the time. And, I'm about to join a tennis league. All at 1500 calories per day now.

So there is something to what she is saying. It may not be for you, but it is not all that unusual and in my case it seems to work fine. Still about 40 more pounds to go for me, but I'll get there.

Good luck. It's great that you've made the decision to work with a dietician. Just make sure and find one who doesn't have a problem explaining her/his reasoning to you. That's a very important quality in any health professional.

Edited to add: Btw, I work with a lot of dietitians and I've never heard one of them recommend cutting exercise down. Especially if it's not an extreme amount. I would also add that dietitians don't generally specialize in exercise science. There are other professionals for that - exercise physiologists, trainers, etc.

Not sure how I would feel about a turkey sandwich for breakfast.

I see a Nutritionist. The diet she has me on is great and I feel full. I don't wake up at night to eat any more. My sleep is great now. I don't like the foods you listed (no veggies). I eat 5 times a day and just feel like a kid again. You need a new care giver.

Thanks a lot for your answers guys... It's sad to realize that I made such a bad choice. She said she had postgraduate certificate in athletes nutrition.

Sandwich for breakfast... yeah it's trendy here in Greece lol... I prefer cereals or something like that.

Get an idea of my new plan:

7:00 - 1.5 glass of milk, 2 slices of bread with 1 teaspoonful of butter and 1 teaspoonful of honey each, 2 egg whites

10:00 - 3 fruits, 1 handful of walnuts

13:30 - 1 serving of chicken breast, 1.5 cup of pasta, salad (raw or boiled) with 5 teaspoonfuls of olive oil

17:00 - 1 sandwich with 1 slice of turkey fillet and 1 slice of cheese, 1 fruit

20:00 - Cheese serving equal to 2 matchboxes (the small ones), salad with 4 teaspoonfuls of olive oil

22:30 - 1 glass of milk

Thanks a lot for your answers guys... It's sad to realize that I made such a bad choice. She said she had postgraduate certificate in athletes nutrition.

I actually follow her recent eating plan better than her original one. But I still have some reservations.

It seems to be more protein heavy in the morning than carbohydrates. Especially odd if you are doing an endurance based exercise rather than an Anaerobic exercise.

But if you do your cycling between 7-8am, why does she have you eating at 10am and not immediately after-wards?

I'm also wondering why she has you eating a lot of foods before a workout instead of little to none?

Well, hopefully everything works out for the best DOOM_NX.

A sandwich for breakfast? NASTY!


and with a glass of milk too!

That eating plan looks a bit wacky to me. Time for a second opinion?

It seems to be more protein heavy in the morning than carbohydrates. Especially odd if you are doing an endurance based exercise rather than an Anaerobic exercise.

But if you do your cycling between 7-8am, why does she have you eating at 10am and not immediately after-wards?

I'm also wondering why she has you eating a lot of foods before a workout instead of little to none?

If I wake up to cycle at 7-8 am I adjust my meal time accordingly. In example my first meal would be at 6 am and I will eat within an hour after coming back from my workout.

Do you think I should swap the first two meals? Eat the light meal before workout and when I come back eat the heavier and rich in proteins?

Doom: Drop me an email and I can give you the number of my dietican I work with. She is outstanding.

:o Only one fruit a day??????? You need at least 5 fruits each day.
Throw a tablespoon of peanut butter in with that banana. Proteins are in peanut butter.

Turkey is real good for dieting.
You can eat almost all the green veggies you want, but always have them during a meal.
Also I eat a lot of tuna which you could switch some chicken for tuna.
For some good snack times or if you get hungry late in the evening, take a piece of lettuce, spread on some mayo very lightly and place some tomatoes on. Fold the lettuce over to make like a sandwich.
Your diet may not seem so much now, but your stomach will adjust to eating light in a couple weeks if you hang tight with it.

Many days for lunch I have for a meal made up of:
I can of tuna. (packed in water, NOT oil packed)
Half of can of peas.
Stir in tuna and peas with 1 tablespoon of mayo. (Don't pack as much mayo on spoon as you can get, use just a light bit.)
8 saltine crackers.

Always drink a full glass of water before every meal!

@chefisaac, thank you mate, but I live in Greece :(

@WJordan, I really like your suggestions. I used to eat a lot of tuna too. But it raises my uric acid levels. My last blood test showed uric acid value 9.3 :(

My new plan has 4-5 fruit servings per day. It's good I think.

When I hear people (especially dietitians) quote the 3x a week exercise goal, it irritates me. That is a very general recommendation and naturally wouldn't be true for everyone. 3x a week doesn't work for me. It makes me feel crappy and then I get inconsistent with my exercise. Instead I exercise every day but vary the intensity of my workouts to avoid over-stressing my body. That method keeps me feeling fresh, strong, and full of energy, and it helps me form a routine of exercise which I enjoy.

That said, don't overdo it. I know of a guy who would run 10 miles a day, with marathons on weekends. He was in his 50s. Good for him, right? But he died of a heart attack while on the road because he wasn't allowing time for his body to recuperate. I say find a healthy place for yourself and continue to push your limits within reason. You don't have to apply a blanket rule-of-thumb guideline to your unique healthy lifestyle.

There, that's my soapbox.

Your dietitian could seriously be sabotaging your fitness goals by imposing those kinds of limitations. Find a new dietitian.

Okay, I'm done.

I am following roughly the same plan as the other half, slimming world - eat clean, and exercising 1-3 times a day. I am mixing it up between strengtrh, cardio of various intensity and circuit training. The main sport I am playing at the moment is badminton, since Feb I have lost over 2 st and 7 inches off my waist. i am feeling sooo much fitter.

I would seriously look at getting a dieticain/nutritionalist who knows sport...

Thank you guys... I'll keep searching... :/

If I wake up to cycle at 7-8 am I adjust my meal time accordingly. In example my first meal would be at 6 am and I will eat within an hour after coming back from my workout.

Do you think I should swap the first two meals? Eat the light meal before workout and when I come back eat the heavier and rich in proteins?

Switching the meals between the 1st and the 2nd would be what I recommend (i.e. fruits and walnuts first before exercise and Milk/Bread/Eggs after exercise) :thumb:. I would also consider not eating at all before exercise as well.

My reasoning is that after sleep your body doesn't have as much stored carbs (i.e. glycogen) since that was used for repair and recovery (as well as proteins and/or limited fats). That's one of the reasons why Breakfast is claimed to be the most important meal of the day. Your body will pretty much use whatever nutrition is provided for it.

However by exercising early in the morning and not eating, you are forcing your body to use whatever glycogen is still available for fuel. Once glycogen is depleted your body will usually tap into stored fat as its main fuel source (it may also tap into muscle, but it usually prefers fat).

The conversion process that takes place (from using glycogen to stored fat) is also known as "hitting the wall". It is usually signified by fatigue, lethargy, and/or tiredness. The reason for this is because your body must now do an extra step or two to convert Fat into fuel that your body can now use for energy :D.

If your goal is not fat loss per say, but instead training for some type of event then eating before your workout would be advisable. Basically you want the fuel to continue your workout (as well as stay alert and motivated), and not zonk out in the middle of it.

However, some people just feel better with a small meal in their stomachs before a workout. Thats why I feel the fruit (fructose) and walnuts (protein & fat) wouldn't be a bad choice. It should still be relatively light enough to give you energy, but at the same time not disrupt the fat burning potential of your current exercise routine.

Hey Doom. I wouldn't be visiting that dietitian again if I was in your shoes. She has lost all credibility in my opinion. My wife and I are both in our mid-50s. My wife and I have been exercising via gym, bicycles, etc. for many years. We realized that we were both at the age where metabolism makes losing weight tough. She read the book South Beach Supercharged and followed that diet. It basically has elements of the Sugarbusters diet (fairly low carbs), but starts out the first 2 weeks similar to Atkins (very low carbs). 8 months later she lost 40 pounds (I'm talking of a woman who went maybe from 160 something to 120 something!). I lost about 25 pounds (approximately 235 to 210), the lowest I have weighed since I ran 35 miles a week 25 years ago! The secret is removing almost all sugar and simple carbs (including that cake that your dietitian allowed) and to also restrict excessive complex carbs like whole wheat bread and cereals. We eat a ton of proteins and fats (except transfat), plenty of vegetables, and a little fruit. I'm telling you that I eat like a pig - a typical day might include 6 eggs in the morning, 8 to 16 ounces of yogurt or cottage cheese, a couple of ounces of nuts, a gigantic salad for lunch (with cheese and salad dressing), vegetables and chicken or other meat for dinner, a homemade smoothie later for dessert made with dairy, ice, a little fruit, and sugar substitute. And don't worry about cholesterol with all the eggs - that is total BS! My cholesterol level is very low and I eat like this just about every day! Sorry that I am long winded here, but this works and most dietitians just cannot admit that they have had it all wrong for decades! Although I believe in getting plenty of exercise, I realized over the last few months that a low glycemic diet makes the difference along with at least moderate exercise.

Good luck!

Yeah, this is what I have done as well. Not the Southbeach Diet specifically, but a no sugar, low carb eating plan. I started in April. I'm 55 years old, 5'8" and was 295 pounds. By the end of June I was 270 pounds but kind of stuck there. I started riding and now I'm down to 265.

I don't weigh or measure anything I eat. I eat until I'm full and I don't eat fat free anything. Real butter on veggies. I just cut out potatoes, bread and pasta. I eat a lot of meat, salads and cheese. Some fruit, but not a lot. This may not be what you want to eat if you are doing some competitive riding, but my goals are just weight loss at this point and it has worked great for me. I have tried calorie restricted diets in the past and I just can't do them. I just become obsesses about food and when I can eat next and how hungry I am at any given moment. This is much better for me. If I'm hungry, I eat. I find that the low carb meals stick with me longer and when I do get hungry, its not as sharp.