Counting Calories!

[marshallbenji0]

Ok, I am new to the world of losing weight lol Anyway the calorie calculator here has told me that my maintenance is 3482 Calories per day so minus 500 equals my goal for fat loss (2960). Now, how do I count calories? Look at the back of purchased foods and add everything up? What are the most effective ways?

Thanks

[jimmybro1]

I'm sure I have mentioned this to you before.

Use http://www.myfitnesspal.com

[marshallbenji0]

Jimmybro1! ok I'll find it. I done that Spartacus session yesterday. Dang it was full on. I was able to complete the 4 sets but I wasn't able to do a full minute at times on certain stations because of fatigue and muscle not being strong at those exercises. Legs are dead atm but I'm learning about stacking up on carbs and water so I have energy because yesterday and today I have been tired as heck! Anyway cheers mate

[dannyjay]

i dont count calories, usually just protein

i have a rough idea in my mind of how many calories in the food i eat so i eat accordingly irl

[marshallbenji0]

cool, I'm new to this but excited. I've lasted 1 and a half days before giving in to junk food lol I'm a pacific islander so we always have salted beef, deep fried chicken, pretty much unhealthy food but I'm cutting back on it now

[stubager]

I wouldn't use myfitnesspal... It give you calories for a desk job i mean i work as painter and i had to eat 1690kcals a day to lose a pound of fat i would go crazy. I weight 84kg at about 12%bf and i lose about 2 pound a week at 2400kcals a day... Myfitnesspal doesn't take in to account what your daily activate is it just takes your weight and how much you can eat by sitting on the couch.

As for counting calories you'll lose fat by doing that but it's better to hit macro's than calories.

1g of protein = 4kcals

1g carbs = 4kcals

1g fat = 9kcals

so get a 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight 60-70g's of fat and fill in the rest of your calories with carbs easy... don't listen to most people who say eat carbs around your workout or not before bed as long as you hit your macro's it doesn't matter when you eat... And it terms of carbs it doesn't matter if you get all your carbs from chips,crisp's or sweets or if you get them from wholemeal,sweet potato's or fruit... Your body will still use them in the same weight... Your body composition will still be the same if you ate bad carbs or good carbs...

And as for insulin i hear people go on about bad carbs rocket your insulin yeah and so does protein... So does any food if your a non diabetic your body releases a hormone to stop your body from releasing to much insulin and in terms of 24 hours your body will balance itself out... as you sleep it will plummet and as you eat it will rise so interms of 24hour bodyclcok your body will balance itself out... So for anyone who try's to tell you it will spike your insulin and store fat tell them to shut it

Hope this helps good luck

[vracula]

If you want to follow the above user's approach I strongly suggest you read this

http://eliteimpactlabs.com/articles/iif ... our-macros

multiple ways to skin the cat but I would suggest you try to keep your diet as healthy as possible.

[stubager]

If you want to follow the above user's approach I strongly suggest you read this

http://eliteimpactlabs.com/articles/iif ... our-macros

multiple ways to skin the cat but I would suggest you try to keep your diet as healthy as possible.

Fully agree mate i eat healthy foods myself but the point i was trying to make was that if you want to fit a sweet or a ice cream in to your diet don't stress just try to fit it in to your macros....

I recommend the bulk of your foods be clean it will make you far healthier i mean you could be 4-5%BF and be the most unfit person but look good and whats the point in feeling like shit all day but looking good so yeah fully agree mate with your point...

[vracula]

If you want to follow the above user's approach I strongly suggest you read this

http://eliteimpactlabs.com/articles/iif ... our-macros

multiple ways to skin the cat but I would suggest you try to keep your diet as healthy as possible.

Fully agree mate i eat healthy foods myself but the point i was trying to make was that if you want to fit a sweet or a ice cream in to your diet don't stress just try to fit it in to your macros....

I recommend the bulk of your foods be clean it will make you far healthier i mean you could be 4-5%BF and be the most unfit person but look good and whats the point in feeling like shit all day but looking good so yeah fully agree mate with your point...

yeah people use IIFYM to eat all sorts of shit and not going anywhere with it especially beginners so just clearing stuff up for him.

this is an awesome article as well

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_art ... ing_easier

[Cameron_R]

I wouldn't use myfitnesspal... It give you calories for a desk job i mean i work as painter

It gives you the option to choose

- Sedentary (desk job)

- Lightly Active

- Active

- Very Active (bike messenger)

It will adjust your goal daily intake accordingly

[jimmybro1]

I wouldn't use myfitnesspal... It give you calories for a desk job i mean i work as painter

It gives you the option to choose

- Sedentary (desk job)

- Lightly Active

- Active

- Very Active (bike messenger)

It will adjust your goal daily intake accordingly

You can also go to goals and put in the exact macros and calories you are wanting to consume in the day.

It's a powerful tool, can't believe the app is free too!

[PorkChop]

I wouldn't use myfitnesspal... It give you calories for a desk job i mean i work as painter

It gives you the option to choose

- Sedentary (desk job)

- Lightly Active

- Active

- Very Active (bike messenger)

It will adjust your goal daily intake accordingly

You can also go to goals and put in the exact macros and calories you are wanting to consume in the day.

It's a powerful tool, can't believe the app is free too!

Jimmy recommended it to me as well. Most helpful tool anyone has recommended me for counting calories. I've found it really helpful and it's a whole heap less time consuming than finding the macros, adding everything up and doing it manually. Takes a lot of the guess work out of it as well.