Blacklab78

Hey guys,

Had my 1st appt with a dietician today...want to get my weight down the right way and keep it off.

I told him some home truths about my eating etc and we figured out roughly the caloric intake of my diet. 3000Cal a day!! Wowsers, never realized it was that high!

Anyway i'm 111.9kg, (246lbs) and I want to get down to 85kg (187lbs) by end march '10.

I asked him a few questions on what to eat and when etc and he gave me some answers on things that clear lots of things up for me so i thought i'd share:

- A calorie is a calorie; it doesn't matter what kind it is (protein/fat/carb) your body see's it the same. If you eat 2 serves of McDonald's @2000cal only in one day and you burn 3000cal in the day through general body function and exercise, you'll still lose weight.
- Eating breakfast does not turn your body into the fat burning furnace gym guys tell you it does. It may only make about 50 cals difference at the end of the day (burned through your metabolism). What eating b'fast can do is stop you craving bad foods later in the day.
- your body going into starvation mode because you're eating too little calories is false also.
- 6 smaller meals a day instead of three bigger ones makes no difference - if anything you end up eating more food with 6 meals so it can stop you from losing weight
- it doesn't matter when you eat the food (what time of day)
- 1gram of fat has more calories than 1 gram of carbohydrate - so you can eat more carbs for the same calories as in the fat.

At the end of the meeting we agreed on 1700-1900cal a day eating plan to help me lose around 1-1.5kg a week initially (until xmas), then to monitor it to around 500g-1kg a week from then on.

We'll see how it goes!!

PS/ what are your thoughts on his comments?

John Bailey

I believe I would, and I know I have, gain/gained weight with those suggestions. I'm on the same plan in terms of calories a day (1800). When I don't eat most of my calories for breakfast and lunch, I gain weight. I, especially, need to eat a good breakfast. Carbs, I can burn off much easier than fat. In the last three months, whenever I go below 1500 calories a day for an extended period of time, I've gained weight. I know it will eventually catch up, but it's, sometimes, frustrating, which can also lead to more eating.

I don't doubt that your dietician know what's he's talking about, but from a practical (meaning losing weight) I think there may be something left out of his simplistic view.

The good news is, if you follow his advice, you'll loose weight, and if you combine that with biking, you will become fit. Also, just because certain things work for me, doesn't mean they'll work the same for you.

Good luck with your goals.

John

Blacklab78

Thanks John,

perhaps he just dumbed it down for me...I used to be an elite athlete (10yr ago) and he is a sports dietician with an endurance sport focus/background - but maybe he just wanted to keep it simple so I don't get confused etc.

Anyway I will be eating breakfast so it should be all good!

takingcontrol

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with your Dietitian.
I am currently on a weight loss plan set up by bariatric surgeons as an alternative to surgery.
I eat six measured meals every day for a total of 2600cal. (including one at 9:00 pm)
The reason behind this is sound, it has to do with your primal brain (the one that reacts I/E adrenalin surge) and the reasons behind its fat storing mode.
Humans are the only animal on the planet that intentionally gets rid of its fat.
In nature fat is your safety net for times of famine.
Until the last century humans fell into this category, many still do in other parts of the world, and our primal brain still reacts under the impression that famine could hit at anytime.
Your dietitian is correct in saying that a calorie is a calorie, technically this is true. How your body reacts to those calories is entirely a different story.
Fat is almost a perfect food (greatest amount of energy storage per gram) your body Loves this because it can be converted to energy (alcohol or sugar) with very little effort.
Carbs are the next favorite, work factor again.
and finally comes protein, the more difficult to digest but very energy dense food.
A good balance,the one I use, is a one to one (1/1) ratio of carb protein. The carbs give your brain the sugar spike it wants and the protein balances the spike to make it last longer. If you keep this ratio up in small amounts every 2-3 hours your blood sugar climbs then stays level through most of the day. This means less hunger. Blood sugar staying level keeps your primal brain from turning on fat storage mode( which it can do several times in one day) and eating at 9:00pm and within an hour of getting up I am telling my brain that food is plentiful and no famine is near.
This is a very simplistic overview but I know it works as I have lost over 140lbs since April 2009. 6 months, plus I have retrained my body on how and when it gets hungry and to some extent what it craves.
There is much more to this and if you want to know more just let me know I will tell you.

Glad you have decided to change your life whatever method you use and welcome to the herd

Missbumble 

Hey MR Black Lab - I do think he dumbed it down for you - because he wants you to get started and watch out for all the calories. Probably good advice to someone who is full of a ton of knowledge and he just wants you to keep it simple and start to lose. Most likely he can refine things for you once you get into fighting shape! I bet he eats certain foods for the impact not as he says a calorie is a calorie.

I think if we could do just that eat fewer calories...certainly we'd all lose weight. Yet after a year on a plan and many months on a starvation diet you will likely hit a plateau and you may need to increase calories, eat 6 times a day to pump the body up for losing again.

Also after some surgeries etc - 6 small meals makes a ton of sense and probably for peak performance as well. But as someone who loves food - eating 6 times a day is like an alcoholic going to the bar 6 times a day - probably not where I need to be. So I try and stick to 3 meals a day and maybe a snack. (Disclaimer: Unless I am screwing up which I am likely to do lately)


I do believe that if you burn 3000 eat 2000 you will lose weight. As for eating breakfast - a banana or small bite before the gym and a huge workout may be appropriate - or just workout for an hour then have bkfst. (my plan on a good day)

" it doesn't matter when you eat the food (what time of day)" Unless you are addicted to food at certain times - and eating every few hours may keep you away from the cravings.


Just the bees 2 cents - what a fun subject. I bet a ton of people could/may pipe in.

Askel

He's not exactly wrong per se- all those things are true, it all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. Composition, time of day- doesn't really matter...

EXCEPT...

...when it come to behavior- which is really the toughest nut to crack. Certain strategies make it a lot easier for some people to eat less calories than they burn. I'm a fan of the breakfast/6 meals a day thing, myself. It's not that these are meaningless, I'd suggest you try them to see what works for you, it's just that it all boils down to calories in vs. calories out. Don't lose sight of that and get bogged down in glycemic index this, low-carb that, eat this now, and eat that then....

Rhodabike

Not always. A study at Childrens Hospital Boston checked the insulin responses of a group of overweight people and found that some produced an huge flood of insulin after eating carbohydrate, while some didn't produce much more than if they ate fat or protein. (Presumably there were also people who fell somewhere between these extremes.) Then these people were put on various types of weight loss diets.
The ones who didn't produce much insulin could lose weight easily on any diet. The insulin "flooders" could only lose weight on low glycemic index diets - when they simply reduced their calories the weight did not come off, contrary to the "calories in-calories out" maxim.
No doubt this explains those annoying people who can eat like a grizzly in autumn and never gain a pound. :-(
It boils down to trying different things and seeing what works.

Askel

Way to take that out of context... https://www.childrenshospital.org/new...blevel306.html Nothing in there disproves the calories in/out maxim.


Like I said, certain things will work better than others for certain people. Give them a try, low glycemic might be the just the thing for you, or maybe it doesn't matter. Just don't lose sight of the calories in/out.

ECB1

Thanks for the info, I have been thinking of going to a dietition because of my old habbits are hard to brake, any info is a start. ECB1

deraltekluge

The original post is dead on. The rest of you are deluding yourselves. If you consume less than you burn, you'll have to burn stored energy to make up the difference. If you consume more than you burn, you'll store the energy to make up for deficits later. Fat is how you store the energy. It's a matter of physics and thermodynamics, and all the wishful thinking in the world won't change it.

DelusionalDude

It's not about a delusion, it's about the behavior.
If I, and probably everyone else in this forum, consume a 800 calorie meal at breakfast and 1000 calorie meal at noon, what is the likelihood I won't eat another meal that day? If those meals consist only of fats and carbs, what is the probably of me failing to consume all the essential nutrients my body needs to sustain the exercise to burn that 1800 calories?

But, if I spread those 1800 calories over 4-6 smaller meals and make sure to consume a balance of proteins, carbs, and fats I will have a better chance of avoiding a binge and sustaining the exercise.

Every individual has to find what works for them. Good luck on your journey Blacklab78, I hope you find your solution quicker than I am finding mine.

txvintage

Any one have info on 1800-2000 cal a day meal plans that don't require finding multiple boutique markets and hours in the kitchen playing Julia Childs to prepare?

I do have a Sprouts organic grocery near by that is pretty cool.

Askel

Fresh fruit and vegetables. Lots. I mean lots.

JoelS

If you stick to 1800 calories a day, regardless of how you spread it out, you'll lose weight.

There is a difference between the very simple concept that if you consume less calories than you burn, you'll lose weight; and the behavioral issues that folks have.

Track the calories. When you hit your limit for the day, stop. Drink water. Deal with the hunger. Wait until tomorrow to eat more. This is also an issue of self-discipline. That was an eye opener for me when I decided to lose weight. I had none! That had to be addressed to go along with the weight loss.

Those that are diabetic, or have other specific health issues will have to deal with them on a case-by-case basis. But in general, what I posted is true.

Blacklab78

Tx vintage:

The plan the dietician and I agreed on is as follows:

BF:sachet of Porridge with Water and some light milk, 1 pc fruit, 2 pcs toast - or 2 eggs on toast and 1 pc of fruit or 1 sml tin of Baked Beans on 2 pc toast and 1 pc fruit.

Snack: 10 Almonds, 1 pc fruit

Lunch: large roll with chicken/ salad/egg (no butter or mayo), 1 pc fruit

Snack: Low calorie Protein shake with Water

Dinner: 150g of Chicken/fish/meat+ 1 cup (cooked) of Mash Sweet potato or Pasta, lots of green (or bright colored) veges.

This get's to about 1500-1600 cals a day - you can add a yoghurt or a muffin etc here or there to get it up.

Oh - and drink between 3-4 Litres of water a day. You wont feel so hungry.

The big one for me is cutting out Soda. I'll save 600-800cal a day just there!

wild animals

Exactly! If I don't eat breakfast, I will spend the rest of the day eating everything else, and I'll probably punch somebody as well.

I try not to eat a lot of junk or drink pop during the day, because it's harder for me to eat well at night, at home. If I drink a pop at work, I know I'm probably going to drink one at home, too. So I don't drink one at work. That is pretty individual. But it does make a big difference for me.

Behavior is THE issue. I don't think there are many people who are fat because they don't understand that pop and pizza have a lot of calories in them.

Fastflyingasian

i eat the same amount of calories now with 5-6 meals as i did with 3 meals. the big difference is i am not so hungry throughout the day. i am the type that even after eating a big meal i can and want to eat some more. so what i do is i take the 3 big meals and spread it out using glad containers so i only eat the amount i am planning on eating. my daily schedule keeps me feeling more satisfied.

5am - wake up
6am - at the gym
8am - protein shake
9am - breakfast
11am- meal 2
1pm - meal 3
3pm - meal 4
6pm - meal 5
8pm - light salad and can be interchangeable with the 6pm meal

i do not eat any extra calories and i find that i feel obligated to not cheat because i will be wasting a meal that i prepared the day before or that morning. as long as my breakfast is correct, after the first couple of meals i generally not that hungry or if i am usually its already time to eat again.

i LOVE to eat so the 2-3 hour interval satisfies my constant want for food.