Nutrition Bars

r30079 · 05-09-2010, 04:49 PM

Hi, this is day one for me and I love all the discussions and cheering sections. I have been going to the gym for the past year, but no weight loss. The time has come to balance the Input and Output to make it work for me. As I get up at 0530 to get to the gym, I have a half of a MLO Bio Protein before I begin my workout. I am wondering now if this is wise. I know they are high in calorie, but I need something to burn that early in the day. Comments?

almeeker · 05-09-2010, 06:37 PM

I've never heard of that particular brand of bar, so I can't comment on it's nutritional value. Personally I like a banana before my workout, and I follow the workout with a protein shake and a high protein, low-cal, low-fat breakfast (usually in the neighborhood of 400-500 calories, and 30-40 grams of protein). But keep in mind that everybody is different. I'm a 41 year old woman, 5'-2", with a slight frame, who is trying to lose weight.

All the body building websites seem to indicate that you should follow a workout with high protein. So maybe you should skip the bar ahead of time, and opt for something lower cal, and save the bar for after? I dunno.

tandoorichicken · 05-09-2010, 06:38 PM

I don't think the morning protein bar is a problem. I usually need something before going to the gym just to get me going.

What are you eating throughout the rest of the day? And what do you do when you workout? Those are probably the bigger ticket issues that will help you start your fat loss.

Good luck!

-Nik

r30079 · 05-12-2010, 02:17 AM

Thanks for the encouragement. I am fortunate enough to have a trainer two days a week (paid for by overtime) and then do cardio and bollywood dance the rest of the week. This is only day 2 for me and I am managing to stay around the 900-1200 calorie mark. I love this website! What a great way to be true to yourself.

ebsutherla · 05-12-2010, 05:19 PM

IMO 900-1200 calories is WAAY too low.
You're going to throw your body into starvation mode.

Once again, IMO, you whould be working on a plan for the rest of your life, not for a quick fix. It took a while to get where you are, so allow yourself, and be kind to your body, to take time to get in shape.

I also get up at 5:30 am each morning. I usually have a Nature valley or Fiber One bar before the workout, then a snack of fruit & nuts when I get to work.

I have a 2-year goal to lose 30 pounds. I'm trying to average 200 fewer calories consumption than energy expenditure - 1800-2000. On week 4 I'm having no problem at all. FitDay is awesome!

tandoorichicken · 05-12-2010, 06:17 PM

ebsutherla,

In my experience smaller women balloon on anything more than 1500 calories. My mom, for example, doesn't eat any breakfast besides tea with milk, and eats a few fruits and small amounts of chocolate throughout the day as snacks, and bread with about two cups of vegetables, plus another cup of beans/lentils for both lunch and dinner. She's been doing this for as long as I can remember. Now this is by my estimation around 1100-1300 calories per day.

If we go to a family get-together or have a socially-loaded weekend, she gains weight. When she gets back to her regular eating, she trims down again. This is fairly normal for women of her size.

Starvation mode really kicks in, depending on your personal body chemistry and size, if you're only getting around 1/4 - 1/3 of your daily requirements for an extended period of time, like several days. Sure, if you only eat half your daily requirement, you might start burning off lean tissue to make up the caloric deficit (which is bad for fat loss), but you won't actually do any lasting damage of the kind the wrecks your liver and kidneys.

Hope this clears up the starvation issue.

-Nik

r30079 · 05-13-2010, 05:22 AM

Hey thanks for your input. I actually had that very same conversation at the gym and I guess my thought process was old school and there is so much more knowledge out there. I am now finding a balance of eating well and bringing up my calorie intake. Sounds like more chicken and fish coming my way!

RunbikeSki · 05-14-2010, 02:55 AM

Yeah, I'm with Nik on this one
900 to 1200 may be low for some people, but for others it is just fine. 1200 cals was my Dr. recommended max for a 14 week program. Dropping to 900 for a day or 2 was fine with him. And the last 4 weeks of the diet I ran between 900 and 1200 (just as r30079 is planning) and managed to peel the last 10 pounds with no serious reprocussions. In point of fact one can eat pretty healthy on 1000 cals. It just takes some serious planning.

This "starvation mode" thing is getting a little out of hand. There is a serious benefit to focusing on relatively short term, reduced calorie diets. Although I do understand the caveats regarding yo-yo dieting, one of the great things about Fitday is that you get the whole picture about your consumption. Where your weeknesses are, what foods you need to eat more of, and how physical activity affects your calorie requirements.

Ultimately, the expectation is that once we reach our goal weight that we continue on with the healthy eating habits we have developed here. Again this is the strength of Fitday as opposed to some fad cabbage soup diet.