General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Need some nutritional advice! Rss Feed  
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2010-05-18 4:37 PM

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Member
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Houston
Subject: Need some nutritional advice!
Hello everyone.  I just started training a few weeks ago.  I'm a 6'3" 30 yr old male that weighs about 320 lbs right now.  I'm down from 327 last monday (all water weight lost obviously...).  My question is I'm having trouble determining my daily caloric intake.  I've calculated my BMI, but I'm not sure what I should be putting in my body when considering the activities I'm doing.  Yesterday morning I did a 1000m swim, 30 min spin, then ran a mile on the treadmill.  I'm also running 5k's now on Satudays and plan to do a 10k this weekend.  I need to lose weight, so I don't want to eat too much, but at the same time I don't want to burn out by going as hard as I am...

Any suggestions?  I'm about to shell out 320 bucks to go talk to a professional but before I do I thought I would stop by here.

Thanks in advance!


2010-05-18 5:13 PM
in reply to: #2866710

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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
I would start by logging how much you eat and how much you burn.  You can use some free online sites like the Daily Plate or FitDay that will help you.  This will help you figure out how many calories you are eating and how many you should be eating. 
2010-05-18 10:23 PM
in reply to: #2866710


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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
x2 on logging your daily intake and calorie expenditure ( but be careful a lot of those sites overestimate calories burned)  as far as finding out how many calories you should eat, I think lance armstrongs site, ( I think it is the daily plate) is great for estimating calories needed, just make sure you put some back in for your workouts.  There is nothing wrong with getting a professionals help to get you going.  Congratulations on starting this journey!
2010-05-21 6:58 PM
in reply to: #2866710

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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
I've got an answer that you're probably not going to like... but don't count calories.  It's a miserable way to go through life, and if you're 10% off (on either calories burned or intake) that's a 20lb difference at the end of the year.

Whatever lifestyle you've been living, it's supported your current weight.  if you change your lifestyle, your body will follow... it won't have any choice.

Great- you're exercising more.  Change some dietary habits to go along with that, and you WILL lose weight.  I've got a dozen weight loss tips, but here's 2 you'll like.  Don't skip meals and snack in between.  Responsible snacks, of course- to include a protein source.

Be consistent, have fun.  It took you a lifetime to get to 320, don't plan on losing 100lbs in 6 mos.
2010-05-22 5:24 PM
in reply to: #2866710


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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
I just started training too, and I checked out MyDailyPlate.com (Livestrong affiliate) and I love it. It calculated my caloric intake for what weight goals I want and counterbalances them with my daily workouts. It also has recipes and a huge list of common foods even from local stores and restaurants. It may help to get ya started.
2010-05-24 8:12 AM
in reply to: #2866710

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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Not quite so many grains.

The most beneficial thing I have done for my diet (other then being a vegan and nearly raw) is eating only when hungry and eating until satisfied. I found this hard at first but then you do not have that "omg I'm soo full" feeling anymore.

Counting calories is often inaccurate and a hassle I have found. Even among different sites I calculated my daily intake once and there ended up being a high and low difference of a few hundred cals.


2010-05-24 8:55 AM
in reply to: #2866710

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Houston
Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback.  I actually bit the bullet and went and talked to a nutritionist.  She didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know, but did at least provide an accountability factor.  I'm working out like crazy and not losing any weight though.  I suppose I'll just have to stick it out because I am having so much fun with my new lifestyle.


Thanks again.
2010-05-24 12:15 PM
in reply to: #2866710

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Subject: RE: Need some nutritional advice!
Here is what I would do if I were you.  Let's target a weight of 240, for example.  Someone 6'3", 30 years old and active, needs around 3800 calories to maintain that weight.  If I were you, I would shoot for 3300 calories / day for 4-8 weeks straight and see what that does.  Make sure you have plenty of energy and still losing weight.

I would target 40% carbs, 35% protein, 25% healty fat(Fish, Nuts, Avocado, Flax Seed, Olive Oil, etc)
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