I think I've only been eating 1000-1200 calories a day

[Cicero]

So sometimes, I usually have 1-2 bowls of cereal with vitamin d milk in the morning, then I'll have a 50-100 calorie ranch with a turkey wrap (maybe another ranch, so 2, but that's only sometimes) and ill sometimes have a 130 calorie milk (that's not often though), then I'll have another 2-3 bowls of cereal in the morning, then I might have a chicken breast.

I'm actually supposed to be eating 3000 calories a day. So do you think this is the reason why I haven't lost any fat?

[NTTHRASH]

No. The less calories you consume while constantly keeping yourself eating, the more your metabolic rate increases.

[Chon]

No. The less calories you consume while constantly keeping yourself eating, the more your metabolic rate increases.

Not true.

When you restrict your calories to a certain point, you begin to lose weight. At first you burn any carbohydrates stored up. After the carbs are gone, you start to lose fat. Your brain requires energy from one of two sources, carbs or muscle and accounts for about 20% of calorie usage.

When there are no carbs available, fat can not pass the blood brain barrier so the energy for the brain comes from muscle that has been catabolized. As you decrease in lean muscle mass, this will slow your metabolism simply because muscle has a higher energy need than fat (burns more calories). Yes, they lose weight, but they lose muscle tone and food that they do eat will take longer to burn (even if it is still an extremely low amount).

Eventually you will be left looking thin and actually having a very high percentage of fat. The effects of the stalled metabolism becomes evident when a normal diet is resumed, the metabolism has been slowed and the weight comes on quicker.

@OP - Try meeting your caloric needs, Use a calorie calculate to find out how many you need and if you're trying to lose weight eat 200 calories less for a week and see how that works, If not go down another 300 so you're at 500 less than your needs. But try eat healthy, swap out a bar of chocolate for a piece of fruit. Trust me it shows when you eat healthy.

[Cicero]

Not true.

When you restrict your calories to a certain point, you begin to lose weight. At first you burn any carbohydrates stored up. After the carbs are gone, you start to lose fat. Your brain requires energy from one of two sources, carbs or muscle and accounts for about 20% of calorie usage.

When there are no carbs available, fat can not pass the blood brain barrier so the energy for the brain comes from muscle that has been catabolized. As you decrease in lean muscle mass, this will slow your metabolism simply because muscle has a higher energy need than fat (burns more calories). Yes, they lose weight, but they lose muscle tone and food that they do eat will take longer to burn (even if it is still an extremely low amount).

Eventually you will be left looking thin and actually having a very high percentage of fat. The effects of the stalled metabolism becomes evident when a normal diet is resumed, the metabolism has been slowed and the weight comes on quicker.

@OP - Try meeting your caloric needs, Use a calorie calculate to find out how many you need and if you're trying to lose weight eat 200 calories less for a week and see how that works, If not go down another 300 so you're at 500 less than your needs. But try eat healthy, swap out a bar of chocolate for a piece of fruit. Trust me it shows when you eat healthy.

I eat healthy, but here's the thing. In order for me to digest my food, I must take certain pills. But I don't always take those pills. Therefor, I feel full frm eating, but its not digesting so I'm not getting those nutrients or calories. I'm not trying to lose weight but fat.

[Stronger]

So sometimes, I usually have 1-2 bowls of cereal with vitamin d milk in the morning, then I'll have a 50-100 calorie ranch with a turkey wrap (maybe another ranch, so 2, but that's only sometimes) and ill sometimes have a 130 calorie milk (that's not often though), then I'll have another 2-3 bowls of cereal in the morning, then I might have a chicken breast.

I'm actually supposed to be eating 3000 calories a day. So do you think this is the reason why I haven't lost any fat?

Your top paragraph is worded really weird, but if your eating under your target, then you should be losing body fat, eating at your target of 3000 calories you would either me maintaining your current weight or gain weight. Or there is the possiblity you don't have a lot of body fat at all.

[Magus]

Your top paragraph is worded really weird, but if your eating under your target, then you should be losing body fat, eating at your target of 3000 calories you would either me maintaining your current weight or gain weight. Or there is the possiblity you don't have a lot of body fat at all.

Not necessarily.

What you are doing is putting your body into a hunger/danger mode.

Many scientists say, the reason we store fat quickly is because we are genetically inclined to. Because our ancestor has been through famine phase and feast phase.

Those who stored fat, lived. And they shed their fat in the feast phase, because they were hunting, and then stored some of it for the famine phase.

Those who did not acclimated to this condition(very frail thin people), died.

And if you are going under a daily quota, your body will resist losing all bodily fats and rely on catabolizing muscle as the kid above showed us.

So, what you are doing is losing muscles and not fats, and putting your body in to the negative region by not providing it enough nutrition.
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I have no idea what you want to do. Do you want to lose weight? If that's the case, then there is one thing you can easily do.

Start by removing at least 300 or 500 calories from your supposed daily calorie need, which is hopefully 3000. 2500 is your caloric deficit, not 1200.

Exercise by doing both aerobic and anaerobic. It has been tested and verified that doing both will increase and extend the amount of calories you lose.

You should mix sprinting and intervals in your aerobic routine, and do it for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day. Every day. Nonstop, if you want quick results. No, contrary to popular belief, aerobic doesn't make you lose fat faster, but it will definitely help you in the long run.

And do a lot of strength training right after. Your muscles will take the stores in it, and will then replenish it from your body fat, if you are in caloric deficit. And incorporate enough protein in the deit(1 to 2 gram per body kilo weight) for the muscle recovery and build up. Avoid protein shake bullocks at all costs.

This way, you will shed 1 or 2 pounds by each passing week, provided that you are eating a balanced diet.

This is the safest way to do it without compromising your general health.

I have done it. I have shed 15 kilos doing it. Since I have finished schoolwork, so I am going to do it again. And hopefully, once I reached my goal. I am going to make a one final thread for it, with links to real researches.
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So, you have been hearing about balance diet a lot. But what is it?

Simple. Just take a look at the food pyramid. Your priority is at the bottom. Vegetables, grains(try to veer away from gluten products), and so on.

Make sure they meet your daily calorie. And that's about it.

Combine that with the exercise, and worrying about losing fat is a thing of the past.

If you worry that this tested method doesn't satisfy you, then you tried at least. Right?

Since your building muscles, you should not just rely on weight counters. Try to see visible changes as well.

Believe me, even if you don't see good results in the first few weeks, don't fret. Continue pushing and you will see

[PinkFloyd]

Well your body is probably used to it just like my body is used to eating fried stuff like chicken and fries, unhealthy cereal, lots of redbull and mountain dew, more fried stuff, and then icecream.... That's like 4,000 calories yet I don't gain any weight.... My point is that if you train your body to eat less, it will make due. (In my case, dew) ;)

[Cicero]

Not necessarily.

What you are doing is putting your body into a hunger/danger mode.

Many scientists say, the reason we store fat quickly is because we are genetically inclined to. Because our ancestor has been through famine phase and feast phase.

Those who stored fat, lived. And they shed their fat in the feast phase, because they were hunting, and then stored some of it for the famine phase.

Those who did not acclimated to this condition(very frail thin people), died.

And if you are going under a daily quota, your body will resist losing all bodily fats and rely on catabolizing muscle as the kid above showed us.

So, what you are doing is losing muscles and not fats, and putting your body in to the negative region by not providing it enough nutrition.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have no idea what you want to do. Do you want to lose weight? If that's the case, then there is one thing you can easily do.

Start by removing at least 300 or 500 calories from your supposed daily calorie need, which is hopefully 3000. 2500 is your caloric deficit, not 1200.

Exercise by doing both aerobic and anaerobic. It has been tested and verified that doing both will increase and extend the amount of calories you lose.

You should mix sprinting and intervals in your aerobic routine, and do it for at least 20 to 30 minutes per day. Every day. Nonstop, if you want quick results. No, contrary to popular belief, aerobic doesn't make you lose fat faster, but it will definitely help you in the long run.

And do a lot of strength training right after. Your muscles will take the stores in it, and will then replenish it from your body fat, if you are in caloric deficit. And incorporate enough protein in the deit(1 to 2 gram per body kilo weight) for the muscle recovery and build up. Avoid protein shake bullocks at all costs.

This way, you will shed 1 or 2 pounds by each passing week, provided that you are eating a balanced diet.

This is the safest way to do it without compromising your general health.

I have done it. I have shed 15 kilos doing it. Since I have finished schoolwork, so I am going to do it again. And hopefully, once I reached my goal. I am going to make a one final thread for it, with links to real researches.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So, you have been hearing about balance diet a lot. But what is it?

Simple. Just take a look at the food pyramid. Your priority is at the bottom. Vegetables, grains(try to veer away from gluten products), and so on.

Make sure they meet your daily calorie. And that's about it.

Combine that with the exercise, and worrying about losing fat is a thing of the past.

If you worry that this tested method doesn't satisfy you, then you tried at least. Right?

Since your building muscles, you should not just rely on weight counters. Try to see visible changes as well.

Believe me, even if you don't see good results in the first few weeks, don't fret. Continue pushing and you will see

Wow thanks for all this! I learned stuff I never knew

What I was thinking of, was having 2 bowls of cereal in the morning, then have a turkey/ham wrap with carrots and ranch for lunch, then as a snack have 1-2 cans of tuna, then have 1 chicken breast with vegetables for dinner. Does that sound like it'd be good?

So when you do cardio first, then workout, it uses 2 different energy sources? I'm really wanting to have an improved body by the summer. Like, I have a slight visibility of abs. But I'm dissatisfied with my body

This is my dream body:

http://i.imgur.com/QdD92c5.png

This is a body I'd maybe want by the summer. Is it possible?:
http://i.imgur.com/iZe8B6n.png

[Magus]

Wow thanks for all this! I learned stuff I never knew

What I was thinking of, was having 2 bowls of cereal in the morning, then have a turkey/ham wrap with carrots and ranch for lunch, then as a snack have 1-2 cans of tuna, then have 1 chicken breast with vegetables for dinner. Does that sound like it'd be good?

So when you do cardio first, then workout, it uses 2 different energy sources? I'm really wanting to have an improved body by the summer. Like, I have a slight visibility of abs. But I'm dissatisfied with my body

Breakfast has to be the heaviest meal. 2 bowls or even 7 bowl of cereal will not cut it. It needs to be diversified.

I think just avoid cereal, and try something else.

You should add eggs, if you are not allergic, oatmeal with warm milk, cheese(cottage) or milk, morning fruits like Apple and Strawberry and honey or jam. Vegetables like cucumber, small tomato(yeah, I know it is a fruit), celery and some other herbs like Parsley or Thyme are a good addition to the egg, as well as black pepper. Avoid refined bread(minimize brown bread - gluten is gluten), refined sugar and crackers.

For drinks. Milk, water or tea(or milk tea, which is made out of the three listed XD) will do more than enough. Avoid packed juices. Avoid, even, fresh fruit juices.

Mix and mash the above and add some addition. Monotony is a killer to any diet or weight loss program.

You should know how to cook those yourself. :)

You don't need to fill your tummy to the full. But it should be satisfying enough to get you kick started.

If you are heavy in the breakfast, you won't feel hunger or need for calorie-filled food throughout the day.

It should be at most 600 calories and at least 400 cal. Yes. It is the most vital meal, so don't ruin it.

Add at least one source of protein in it. I prefer free-range eggs for that.
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Next is lunch. Well, in my region, we eat breakfast quite early, but lunch way in the afternoon. We eat lunch at 1-3 o'clock.

Now, this is the second most important meal. In this one, you have to add one good source of protein. It doesn't matter if it is fish, egg, poultry or lamb. But it should have some good amount. If not animal sourced. Plant sourced is a good alternative. All kinds of beans and lentils are a good source. Hummus or fava bean are good choices for a reason.

You can do with unrefined rice, millet, bucketwheat instead of bread made out of regular wheat. Add some another source of carb, like yogurt. Always add in some more herbs and condiments.

After an hour and half. Add in some couple of fruits.

This way, your pumped and ready for your training.

-- This meal has to be at least 400 and at most 500.

--------------------------

And finally comes the dinner.

Dinner is basically a combo of the lunch and the breakfast. And you have to go lightest on this one.

Dinner has to be the last meal, and that's it. No after dinner fruit or snack. And it should be less than 400 calories.
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Snacks.

A snack after breakfast, and after lunch. And that's it. They both should be under the 200 calories.

Now let us add up with what we got.

B 600 + L 400 + D 400 + S 400 = 1800 calories. This is the minimum for any person. Going any less will not yield any good results.

Don't aim for that. If your daily caloric need is 3000. You need to consume to 2700 to 2500 to properly lose weight without compromising anything. The more you shed weight, the less you need to consuming, up until you reach the 1800 range
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I am not an expert, but I will tell as much as I know from what I have read from several sources and my own experience.

How you lose fat, and which energy your body consumes truly depends on what you are doing.

There is a lot of talks that body takes energy straight from food, or that it takes straight from store fat.

But you see, when you do aerobic for longer than 10 minutes, on using intervals and sprinting cycle, your body sees that you need the energy you consumed, and needs to consume straight from fats to do this workout. Long, mid-high cycled intensity workout to deplete fat directly. Plus, an increase in metabolism.

After the Aerobic, your body gets tired and you still want to lose calories. How? Anaerobic. Once you began that, it takes energy stores that are in the muscles. Once that is depleted, and when you go rest(sleep that is), and if you are on caloric deficit, your body will take from the fat store. Your muscle growth and repairment are done by protein, and not fat though. Fast, high-intensity workout to deplete muscle reserve energy, which is then take from fat reserve. Plus, an increase in daily caloric need.

It is the same reason why people recommend skinny people to eat 100 to 300 calories more than what they need if they want to have a healthy muscle growth. Same goes for long distance runners.

As I have alluded earlier. The more you exercise, the more you are capable to lose fat, as you you will have a good metabolism to counter your slow metabolism, and a high caloric intake because of the grown muscle to finish out reserved fats.
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More tips.

Repeat these mantras:

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
Water. Water. Water. Water.
Warm up before exercise. Warm up before exercise. Warm up before exercise. Warm up before exercise.
Stretch after exercise. Stretch after exercise. Stretch after exercise. Stretch after exercise.

Avoid supplement scam. The only supplement I take is fish oil, Omega-3 which contains both EPA and DHA in 2:1 ratio omega-3 softgel. This helps reduce inflammation in my joints. I would have eaten other sources, such as prawn, but I am allergic to them. And there has been some serious bans in Fishing these days.

You will hear Glutamine, Amino Acids, Creatine and Protein by scammers. Glutamine is made by your body naturally, if you are healthy. Protein and essential amino acids is easily taken from animal and plant protein sources - you need 1 to 2 gram of your body weight in kilos to get the daily requirement to build and recover enough muscles. Creatine is also naturally made. All of these supplements will cause damage to the liver and kidneys, as they needs to be detoxed and converted to something body can use(same reason why people tell you it is better to use unhealthy dose of refined sugar instead of artificial sweeteners - the more closer to nature, the better).

You don't have to do anaerobic everyday. Do it after every two or one day rest. You need recovery.

It is best to join a gym. If money is involved. Body gets motivated to do it.

Cycling, treadmill, elliptical device and swimming are the best cardio. The more high-impact, the more muscle you gain but the more inflammation in the joint.

Barbells, dumbbells and rope machines are needed for your upper body anaerobic exercises.

Allot days for each muscle group. For example, Monday is reserved for Biceps and Triceps. Wednesday is for traps, deltoid and lower back. And so on. Till you reach your next week, that muscle group will be long recovered.

You don't need to have DOMS to know that you did a good workout. If you got tired, and couldn't weightlift. Know that you have done a good workout to that muscle.

Hopefully these should make sense to you.
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Yes, it is hard work and needs some serious dedication. But the payoff is good.

For me, the tightest pants, and the pants I couldn't wore are now falling without a new strong belt. XD

If any information is faulty herein. Please inform me.

Man, I am gonna copy this in the blog.

[randomnessqueen]

cause its not about the calories
its about the quality
eat good and divers food
make sure youre getting nutrients
if youre just eating cereal and meat, youre not getting nutrients