But really...how much should I be eating? page

[gated312]

Ok, so I've been trying to figured out exactly what my needs are when it comes to how much (in terms of calories) food I have to eat in a day. I think I've been under-eating for quite some time, but am not entirely sure. Now, this isn't purposively; I eat until I'm content (but not usually stuffed). I fast about 3 days a week, not breaking the fast until mid afternoon (after eating around 9 pm the night before), which is why I think I might not be eating enough. I just don't feel as hungry when I'm eating in such a short window.

Despite eating until I'm content, I wonder if I need to get more in. If I were to make an educated guess, I'd say I'm anywhere between 2200-2600 calories on average. Is there a way to calculate roughly how many calories I need? Surely there must be some kind of formula I can plug a bunch of numbers into and figure this out.

If you want to know - I am a 6'2, 23 year-old male. Relatively active (sprint 2x a week, bodyweight training also 2x a week) and work on my feet for 8 hours a day as a short order cook.

[bdilla]

Are you unsatisfied with your progress? Are you trying to build muscle? What is your intent?

If you're content, I see no reason to eat more if your body isn't giving you the signs. It's different for everyone, so there isn't a universal formula. However, if you're trying to cut down your body fat, improve strength, etc; there are different things you can do. For general health and low bodyfat, it sounds like you're doing great already.

[gated312]

Are you unsatisfied with your progress? Are you trying to build muscle? What is your intent?

If you're content, I see no reason to eat more if your body isn't giving you the signs. It's different for everyone, so there isn't a universal formula. However, if you're trying to cut down your body fat, improve strength, etc; there are different things you can do. For general health and low bodyfat, it sounds like you're doing great already.

A little unsatisfied. My weight is around 187, and I would like to strike some kind of balance between strength and reducing body fat (so recomposition I suppose). I feel as if I might have hit something of a plateau, which I realize happens all the time, and am just trying to switch things up a bit. Also, my energy levels have been a little low as of late, but it seems like I'm lacking a bit more in motivation. That kind of get-up and go energy rather than general activity.

[his_chick]

You can find out your basal metabolic rate just through googling for a BMR calculator. That would give you a maintenance level for calories in. Goes on height vs age and weight. I found it helpful when I began looking more into my macro breakdown.

[bdilla]

A little unsatisfied. My weight is around 187, and I would like to strike some kind of balance between strength and reducing body fat (so recomposition I suppose). I feel as if I might have hit something of a plateau, which I realize happens all the time, and am just trying to switch things up a bit. Also, my energy levels have been a little low as of late, but it seems like I'm lacking a bit more in motivation. That kind of get-up and go energy rather than general activity.

There are many ways of targeting and breaking through plateaus. They include cutting out certain foods which may be stalling your fat loss, including nuts, dairy, alcohol, among others. However, I would not suggest eating more if you are not losing fat. Your energy levels may also be determined by your stress levels, amount of sleep and rest, and what you are consuming in context with your workouts.

You may want to experiment. I would suggest trying LeanGains, which you can read about here: Intermittent fasting diet for fat loss, muscle gain and health
This includes carb cycling, and since I have begun LeanGains I have broken my plateau which was very similar to yours. You also may want to examine your workouts; perhaps you need to be lifting heavier weights.

In addition, you can try a Whole 30, which you can read about at Whole9 | Paleo Nutrition, Nutrition Workshops, Nutrition for Health and Fitness Facilities, and the Original Whole30 Program, Designed to Change Your Life in 30 Days
This includes removing most of the problem-causing foods many people have when trying to cut down to lower body fat.


P.S. I know what you are going through. I literally had the exact same plateau, motivation loss and all. LeanGains was my key to fixing all of it. Not suggesting it as an end-all, but people seem to have excellent results with it, and my experience so far can attest to it.

Cheers!

[Gadsie]

You can find out your basal metabolic rate just through googling for a BMR calculator. That would give you a maintenance level for calories in. Goes on height vs age and weight. I found it helpful when I began looking more into my macro breakdown.

Bmr would give you a very low calorie number. Because it's what you burn when you do ABSOLUTELY nothing