QuestionI am a 5"8, 191 lbs., 20 year old male. People say i have a "big frame", but i think that's bullshit, frankly.
I exercise 5 - 6 times a week, 45 minutes of cardio with 30 minutes of weightlifting. How many calories should i consume? I burn 400 - 500 calories at the gym and cut 500 calories from my diet. I've been eating 1400 - 1600 a day, and several sites with BMR calculators say that i should eat alot more. 2500, to be precise. I've upped my calorie intake to 2, 000 - 2, 200, and so far everything seems okay, but time will tell. Is 1400 - 1600 too low? Am i in "starvation mode?" If i am in starvation mode, how do i safely get out of it without gaining too much fat back? Also, would having one day of the week where i eat a couple of "cheat meals" as an incentive kill my diet if i don't go absolutely crazy?
Thank you.
Answerby keeping the calorie count too low, you're pretty much guarenteeing that you keep your metabolism sluggish (slow)? With the amount of exercise you're doing, AND being male, you should never go below 1,600 per day, otherwise your body is likely burning muscle (organs and bone) for fuel in order to lower the metabolism even more and build up fat stores. By keeping the calories too low, you're keeping 'starvation mode' intact.
I know it might sound 'wrong', but I can promise you this works EAT MORE - EAT REGULARLY and eat the RIGHT things. Once the body has the right materials to use for maintenance and knows it's getting it regularly - it starts operating more efficiently and IF you need to lose, you'll lose!
Keep in mind, the body is a biological organism. Your head's plans for 'diet' and shape have very, very little to do with instincts overriding decisions.
BTW, it doesn't matter so much how many cals you're burning at the gym; what matters is how much muscle you're developing and toning. The higher the muscle mass, the HIGHER the metabolism (the more cals you burn while at rest). Also, scales are 'idiots'! Put a 5 lb weight on a scale and it says "5 lbs". Now put 5 lbs of FEATHERS on it. It still says "5 lbs" (obviously the mass is different right?). You may be weighing new muscle and since the scale isn't changing its numbers - you think it's still 'fat' . Use how your clothes fit and forget the scale. OH! And the BMI's are totally NOT applicable for someone who has a higher muscle mass. Nearly ALL professional atheletes, body builders and so on will register as "obese" according to those charts.
Check my site for more about what's going on, what to do and some REAL options OK?
www.GetTheReal.info
