a little help needed for someone new

Im a 24 yr old male, 5'11, 201lbs. Ive been counting cals lately and walking on a treadmill at 4.5 speed for one hour every night, lifting weights every other day. Ive been eating a fruit and coffee for breakfast, granola bar for snack, "Jared" sub for lunch, and whatever is cooking at home for dinner. I feel like Im starving b/c after working out at night, I don't eat anything. My last meal of the day is dinner at 6pm. After that its water and sugar free gum. Am I doing this correctly. Is this a healthy approach? Sorry for long post

Maybe if you increase your breakfast you won't be feeling as starving, a coffee and a fruit is not a breakfast at all.
And...yeah try to eat more than that. It seems like so little

how do I figure out the amount of calories my body needs as a minimum to avoid "starvation mode"? I read about that in another thread

if i stopped eating at 6pm, after walking for an hour, i'd be wide awake at 3am and looking for a trucker's breakfast.

i can't tell from what you've posted how many calories you're eating, but it doesn't sound like you're getting anywhere near enough. 

also, i'm not sure gum is such a great idea.  for me, anyway, chewing gum seems to make my stomach think there's food coming.  after a minute or so i start to feel nauseated.

 Can you post what you are eating in a day and how many calories. It sounds like you aren't eating enough but its tough to say.

breakfast" a fruit or granola bar and cup of coffee with nutri-sweet and skim milk

snack:granola bar or piece of fruit(banana, orange or apple)

lunch: 6 inch "jared" sub from subway(usually turkey breast on wheat)

snack: a fruit or granola bar

dinner: whatever is cooking at home(usually chicken and noodles, taco salad, who knows)

thats it

That's about 900 calories
You HAVE to eat more.
I don't see how you can be exercising with only 900 calories consumed.
Your going to kill yourself with that kind of diet
You'll be losing all the muscle left in your body.
Seriously, start thinking of ways to change your diet

I havent been doing it for very long. I had a feeling I wasnt eating enough. How do I figure out the minimum I need?

Tim is right, you are on a bad path and I'm not surprised you're hungry.

The best way to approach how much you need to eat to lose is to look at how much you normally eat and cut it by 250 calories and then burn 250 calories at the gym (which you are already doing so you're off to a great start).

I work out with a trainer and as a 5' woman I eat 1700 calories and still lose weight. As a man working out you should be eating much more. Don't be afraid to eat properly, you will still see results.

There is a calculator on cc - go to the tools section in the top menu. It will ask you to put in your height, weight, and activity level and it will recommend how many calories to eat.

I just tried the calculator for your stats - if you were sedentary -- no exercise at all, totally a couch potato, you'd burn 2500 per day, and  atmoderate activity you burn 3200 calories during a typical day. 

The maximum safe deficit is 1000 calories, and the maximum safe amount to eat for a man is 1500 calories.  

So, you should be eating somewhere between 1500 and 2700 calories  per day, depending on how active you are and how fast you want to lose weight.

thanks a lot for the replies. Im gonna start using the food log thing to count calories so I can get closer to the 1800-2000 level

thanks a lot for the replies. Im gonna start using the food log thing to count calories so I can get closer to the 1800-2000 level

I didnt understand what this meant:

"The maximum safe deficit is 1000 calories, and the maximum safe amount to eat for a man is 1500 calories."

An adult man who is a completely sedentary couch potato needs at least 1500 calories for the body to function properly (heart, brain, liver, etc). If you go below that level, your body starts cannibalizing muscle and organs. It's bad for your health, and you actually lose weight more slowly because your body thinks it is starving and hangs onto fat.

A pound of fat is 3500 calories. To lose weight in a healthy manner, you need to eat less than you burn.  If you eat 500 calories per day less than you burn, that's 1 lb per week. If you eat 1000 calories per day less than you burn, that's 2 lbs per week.

In general, it's not  healthy to have a calorie deficit of more than 1000 calories per day unless you are under a doctor's supervision.

You can calculate the amount that you burn in one of two ways. Either input your height, weight, and average activity level. Or, calculate the amount you would burn if you were sedentary, and then log your workouts and activities.  

Then, subtract 500-1000 calories from the amount that you burn, to figure out how many calories to eat per day for healthy weight loss. 

I didnt understand what this meant:"The maximum safe deficit is 1000 calories, and the maximum safe amount to eat for a man is 1500 calories."




I'm pretty sure that was a typo. The MINIMUN safe amount for a guy is 1500 cals.

Try adding more fiber (veggies and whole grains) and protein (nuts, beans, meat) in every meal... they will fill you up.  You can still make good choices with low fat/ lean choices. 

Many trainers recommend eating before 1-2 hours you work out and shortly after you work out.  This doesn't mean you have to plan a big meal, but eating something full of protein will help you build muscle and stop the hunger.  Try eating peanuts or almonds, drinking a protein shake or something.  Watch the calories, but just enough to take the hunger away.  Make sure it is high protein and your body will build muscle.

You definately need to eat after working out. You could be slowing your metabolism if you don't. your body has used its carbohydrate stores for working out and they need to be replenished. Protein shakes are awsome, as long as they aren't the weight gain ones. Also, you need a balanced breakfast. A couple of scrambled egg whites and a glass of milk with that apple would do wonders.

I was thinking of getting some whey protein to have after workouts. Maybe mix a serving with a cup of skim milk or something

It sounds like you are sticking to a straigh-forward "diet" so to speak, which is great.  However, along with every other reply to your post, too few calories is going to wear down your body.  Try changing up your rountine by exercising in the morning.  That way, when you are done, you can have some water which will line your stomach before breakfast.  Then you can have your coffee and fruit and maybe throw in some bread.  You should feel satisfied with all that liquid in your system.  Snacks are a great way to curb your appetite.  Don't always go with a granola bar though.  You can mix it up with a fudge pop or an apple, something sweet with liquid to again, give your body the illusion of feeling full.  For dinner, it's all about proportion.  Lots of fruits and veges, a little carb and protein and your set.  If you get those late night cravings, don't punish yourself with gum and water.  Grab a banana or a glass or orange juice.  Gum is a great tide-you-over-til-supper-is-ready snack, but not after dinner.  DOn't be afraid to change up your meals and routine a little and remember that "dieting" is not punishment, so stop with the bread and water! lol  Your body will thank you for eating healthfully, just allow room for some fun every now and then!  I hope this helps!  Let me know how it goes...  

I can't imagine not eating a SMALL snack after working out. If I don't then I get CRANKY actually, make that CRANKY, after about an hour if I don't. My favorite is a glass of milk. That's all it takes to stave off a raging b*&)* episode. And I work hard to not let mood swings define me!  (PMS is a lot of work for me!!)

Anyway, I'm curious what pdxandphx's moods are like on so few calories.

Has anyone else experienced this "lovely" reaction to not having a post-workout snack??