Looking for dietary help...

[Bladeface]

Hey everyone, first time posting in this part of the forum... Basically, I got a job about 4 months ago as a courtesy clerk at a local carrs(or vons, if you live in cali) and I walk about 12000-17000 steps every day at work, burning between 1000 and 1400 calories a shift... but I only eat about 1000-1400 calories a day, and all the sites I read say I should eat around 5000 calories a day for how active I am, so I was wondering if this is unhealthy. Been losing a lot of weight since I got this job(when I started I was at around 310 pounds, now I am down to 266) and I was hoping I could get some/tips advice.

[Spalding]

the less calories you take in, the more your body holds onto. eat a good brekky, decent lunch and probably wouldnt need dinner. since youre walking ya probably want to keep a regular fluid intake as well. keep those 2 tips in mind.
did you want to lose more weight, keep the same weight? or...

[Bladeface]

the less calories you take in, the more your body holds onto. eat a good brekky, decent lunch and probably wouldnt need dinner. since youre walking ya probably want to keep a regular fluid intake as well. keep those 2 tips in mind.
did you want to lose more weight, keep the same weight? or...

Was hoping to get down to about 180 pounds, since that is what the sites say I should be... I drink a liter or 2 of water a day, and I usually don't eat lunch. Most days I have a breakfast of like 500-700 calories, then work 8 hours eating nothing because eating at work is a ripoff unless I wanna eat at the mcdonalds accross the street, then I eat dinner when I get home if I feel like making anything, if not I usually just have a beer or 2. I didn't notice how terrible for ya the burritos I bought are though so tonight my dinner was 1200 calories and I hate myself for it >.>

[Deleted]

There are calorie counters online, which you can use to get a rough estimate of what you're burning each day. A typical, somewhat small human male expends around 2000 or so simply by breathing. A good thing to remember in this is also that our brains burn around 500 daily. The taller and larger you are, the more you burn simply by staying alive. The more you exert yourself, the more you burn on top of that.

I don't know your age nor your height, but using your current weight of 266lbs, and giving you an age of 25 and height of 5'9", simply by sitting around the whole day, you'd be expending around 2849kcal. Making you a bit taller, 6'1", the number would be 2874kcal. I don't know how you've calculated the 1400kcal exertion, but I'd assume by what you've said, you'd be somewhere around 3500kcal daily. If your intake is only 1400kcal, then you're seriously starving yourself. Remember, brains burn 500kcal, and if you're in an IV on the ER, you'll get something like 1500kcal intravenously.

It's just simply stupid to be starving yourself like that at your weight. That'll do you no good whatsoever. Just eat healthy, get up to around 2000-2500kcal of healthy food, and you'll still be dropping weight at a decent pace.

[Bladeface]

There are calorie counters online, which you can use to get a rough estimate of what you're burning each day. A typical, somewhat small human male expends around 2000 or so simply by breathing. A good thing to remember in this is also that our brains burn around 500 daily. The taller and larger you are, the more you burn simply by staying alive. The more you exert yourself, the more you burn on top of that.

I don't know your age nor your height, but using your current weight of 266lbs, and giving you an age of 25 and height of 5'9", simply by sitting around the whole day, you'd be expending around 2849kcal. Making you a bit taller, 6'1", the number would be 2874kcal. I don't know how you've calculated the 1400kcal exertion, but I'd assume by what you've said, you'd be somewhere around 3500kcal daily. If your intake is only 1400kcal, then you're seriously starving yourself. Remember, brains burn 500kcal, and if you're in an IV on the ER, you'll get something like 1500kcal intravenously.

It's just simply stupid to be starving yourself like that at your weight. That'll do you no good whatsoever. Just eat healthy, get up to around 2000-2500kcal of healthy food, and you'll still be dropping weight at a decent pace.

Don't need to call me stupid :/ I obviously don't know this stuff or I wouldn't be here asking for help. BTW I am 5'11 and 21 years old.

I used this site: http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned and it says I burn 3278 kcals a day without exercise... that seems really high x.x I don't even want to eat that much a day :/

[Deleted]

Don't need to call me stupid :/

Stupid is what stupid does, right? I wasn't calling you stupid, I was saying it's just stupid to be starving oneself like that.

it says I burn 3278 kcals a day without exercise... that seems really high x.x I don't even want to eat that much a day :/

Trust me, it can very well be accurate. The guys on Deadliest Catch for example burn like 5000-6000 a day, and they're not the biggest guys out there as far as height and muscles go. Also, it's just simple science; the bigger you are, the more you expend.

But again, I'm not assuming you're stupid. I'm just saying that doing what you described is stupid.

[Bladeface]

Stupid is what stupid does, right? I wasn't calling you stupid, I was saying it's just stupid to be starving oneself like that.



Trust me, it can very well be accurate. The guys on Deadliest Catch for example burn like 5000-6000 a day, and they're not the biggest guys out there as far as height and muscles go. Also, it's just simple science; the bigger you are, the more you expend.

But again, I'm not assuming you're stupid. I'm just saying that doing what you described is stupid.

Well I am just worried if I eat too many calories I will stop losing weight >.> Especially since I can't really afford anything healthy(my budget is like... 2 dollars a meal)

[Archangel Tyrael]

Well I am just worried if I eat too many calories I will stop losing weight >.> Especially since I can't really afford anything healthy(my budget is like... 2 dollars a meal)

Buy in bulk
Prepare meals at home
Freeze what you won't use
Take the rest to your work
Buy frozen vegetables, usually cheaper than fresh ones and just as good.

Sardines shouldn't be expensive and they're better than Tuna if you're going to eat a lot of it.
Chicken breast is hardly expensive in the USA, I'm sure you can find a place to buy lots of it for a decent price.

Also lentils, beans, oats and brown rice are not expensive at all.

[Bladeface]

Buy in bulk
Prepare meals at home
Freeze what you won't use
Take the rest to your work
Buy frozen vegetables, usually cheaper than fresh ones and just as good.

Sardines shouldn't be expensive and they're better than Tuna if you're going to eat a lot of it.
Chicken breast is hardly expensive in the USA, I'm sure you can find a place to buy lots of it for a decent price.

Also lentils, beans, oats and brown rice are not expensive at all.

How do you expect me to make any of that at work >.>

Also tuna is so good x.x reminds me I need to buy more

[Deleted]

How do you expect me to make any of that at work >.>

You don't need to do shit at work. You eat a smart breakfast, no need to make those in advance. You can then take a sandwich or two, or a salad, or something similar, as lunch to work, and eat that. As far as dinners go, you can easily make 4-5 dinners in one day, and this is without having to freeze shit, so basically you're cooking at the most like twice a week. If you want, you can also go out for a lunch, but just keep in mind to balance what you eat at lunch with your dinner.

All in all, it's really easy, on all fronts. What's easier though? Being lazy and buying simple, unhealthy shit, and eating more of it than you need to. At the end, it's you who's driving the boat though, so make up your mind. Sink or keep floating.

[Spectral]

I walk about 12000-17000 steps every day at work, burning between 1000 and 1400 calories a shift...

Unless you're doing something else that's not mentioned here, walking ~5-8 miles doesn't burn anywhere near that many calories.

but I only eat about 1000-1400 calories a day

This is wildly unlikely. You're almost certainly miscounting. A calorie tracker app, a food scale, and being brutally honest with yourself about what's going into meals is necessary.

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the less calories you take in, the more your body holds onto.

This is broscience and should not be listened to. Your body can't magically retain mass when you run a calorie deficit. If it could, that'd be a hell of an evolutionary adaptation, as eating would no longer be necessary.

[Spanky007]

During lunch you could eat something like a fruit or a tuna sandwich, depending on what you can get which is healthy. Don't skip meals because that will mess up your metabolism by slowing it down.

[Spectral]

Don't skip meals because that will mess up your metabolism by slowing it down.

With the possible exception of very extended fasts, there's no evidence for this. Again, if there was a good way for your body to just consume less energy, it would always be in that mode. Not needing to eat would be a tremendous evolutionary advantage.

[Fatel]

Calories are good to watch. Sodium is better. Watch the sodium content of everything you eat. Try to keep it around 1800mg per day. Its hard and it can suck but you will be amazed at how much it helps. Dont eat anything with a sodium content over 10%. I have been doing this for 3 years now. I was 205 with high blood pressure and am now a lean mean 160

I also work out an hour a day

[Deldavala]

Calories are good to watch. Sodium is better. Watch the sodium content of everything you eat. Try to keep it around 1800mg per day. Its hard and it can suck but you will be amazed at how much it helps. Dont eat anything with a sodium content over 10%. I have been doing this for 3 years now. I was 205 with high blood pressure and am now a lean mean 160

I also work out an hour a day

Unless you eat HUGE amounts of sodium rich foods sodium does nothing more than bind water in the body. The reason why you probably lost weight is you are working out, and the fact that a lot of the high sodium foods are generally unhealthy(high calorie for little satiety).

Depending on diet as well you need more than 1800mg of sodium a day. On a low carb, high protein diet proper sodium intake is cruicial.

[Fatel]

Unless you eat HUGE amounts of sodium rich foods sodium does nothing more than bind water in the body.

DING! Exactly!! Have you looked at the sodium content of most processed foods? And I can tell you all that water weight adds up fast. Its easy without even looking to ingest 4000mg per day. Every nutritionist I saw recommended a MAX of 2000mg. I am sure in most cases folks can get away with that but its an easy way to lose some weight and start some healthy eating habits

[Deldavala]

DING! Exactly!! Have you looked at the sodium content of most processed foods? And I can tell you all that water weight adds up fast. Its easy without even looking to ingest 4000mg per day. Every nutritionist I saw recommended a MAX of 2000mg. I am sure in most cases folks can get away with that but its an easy way to lose some weight and start some healthy eating habits

The thing about Waterweight is that it will go away when you stop eating excess sodium/carbs. Water weight is not dangerous or unhealthy in any way. In can be less flattering since you get a bloated look, but in the whole it does nothing. Focusing solely on Sodium intake is not a good way to loose weight since you can still overeat on low sodium food and gain fat.

[Fatel]

Key word there is 'over-eat'. You can over eat on anything and gain fat. The hard part is finding a balance and something that works for you and you can stick with. After you accomplish that things get easier

[Deleted]

Key word there is 'over-eat'. You can over eat on anything and gain fat. The hard part is finding a balance and something that works for you and you can stick with. After you accomplish that things get easier

This is true but it's easier to overeat on some things more than others. It's easier to overeat on most carbs than it is to overeat on a high fat content meal. Why? Leptin suppresses Ghrelin where Insulin does not. You just know when to stop eating on a high fat diet and on a low fat high carb diet you'll most likely eat until your stomach feels full and be hungry a couple hours later.

I'd rather see someone pick up and nob of butter and eat it than pick up a slice of bread and eat it. Both together would be dangerous though but that would be because of the bread. Insulin is somewhat of a gate keeper to your cells and it's insulin that tells the body to store energy in fat cells.