Still trying to figure out this whole 'eating correctly' thing...

**johnny_on_the_spot** · July 15th, 2008, 09:48 AM

so i try to eat correctly, but it is easily the most annoying part of my routine. as far as everything else is concerned, i think im pretty good, i usually sleep 7-8 hours, i workout pretty well, i get descent cardio in, but eating seems to be what i usually have the most questions about.

the diet i'm on now i eat between 1700-2200 calories with about 35+% carbs, 50+% protein, and 10+% fat.

so basically, my question is, at 27 y/o, about 5'10"/11", approx 175-180, is this the amount i should be eating to lose the gut i still have?

the thing is, a few months back (april/may ish) i was around 170 and i still had the gut. i dont know what i need to do to get rid of it...

any suggestions would help

thanks,
johnny

**SAINT_X** · July 15th, 2008, 10:16 AM

...to burn fat. You need to find a cardio exercise that you can do for 45 minutes to an hour - at least - 4 or 5 days a week.

For me it's cycling....get you a good bike, an mp3 player, go find a place you can ride 90+ cadence for that long and I guarantee you if your diet is even close to right ( which it is I think) you'll lose that gut ( which can't be much at 5'10 180 )

**mooshue** · July 15th, 2008, 11:53 AM

i second saintx post, you need long cardio sessions. Do them after your weights workout.
It wasnt until i went with a 40% carb 40% protein 20% fat along with long cardio sessions after every workout that i started to loose the fat without loosing muscle.

**Insex** · July 15th, 2008, 10:41 PM

johnny_on_the_spot, what are those Calories that you're consuming made up of? Are you making healthy food choices and cooking your own food? Or are they fast-food, packaged foods, ect.? There isn't a specific formula that works best for everyone, but if I had to choose one that was healthier for most people, I would go with the 40% carbs, 40% protein, and 20% fat ratio. This ratio is more balanced than what you listed (35% carbs, 50% protein, 10% fat) which is made up of too much protein and too little fat. Just because you want to get rid of body fat doesn't mean you should drastically slash the amount of dietary fat you eat. Your body needs dietary fat, in small amounts. Perhaps you're taking in too much protein and too little fat. Protein is a form of energy too, and can lead to increase in body fat if too much is taken in.

I'll also echo what the rest of the members said. Cardiovascular exercise is essential for stripping off body fat. You won't find any shortcut or easy way around that. Although, you should still stick to a weightlifting program too, because that helps you burn Calories after your workout (cardio only burns Calories during your workout). If you've already been sticking to a cardio and weightlifting regimen, and you haven't seen many results, then it's time for you to raise the bar a little bit and increase the intensity. After a while, your body gets accustomed to the amount and type of work that you do everyday. When it gets accustomed to it, changes are minimal. You need to create more overload so that your body is forced to change. In most cases, this means more intense workouts in the form of heavier weights, less rest in between sets, longer cardio time, running faster, ect.

Challenge yourself!

**johnny_on_the_spot** · July 16th, 2008, 10:02 AM

Meal 1 Calories Carbs Protein Fat
Egg Whites 6 eggs 102.0 1.2 21.6 0.6
Oatmeal 0.75 cup 225.0 40.5 7.5 4.5

Pre Workout
Whey Protein 1 scoop 130.0 4.0 24.0 1.5
Milk 16 oz 160.0 24.3 16.5 0.3

Meal 3
Chicken 4 oz 187.0 0.0 35.2 4.1
Salad 2 cup 45.3 8.8 3.5 0.3

Meal 4
Tuna 1 can 175.0 0.0 37.5 2.5

Meal 5
Beef 96% lean 4 oz 155.0 0.0 24.2 5.6
Mixed Veggies 1 cup 52.2 10.4 0.0 0.0
Brown Rice 1 cup 216.0 44.8 5.0 1.8

Meal 6
Casein Protein 1 scoop 120.0 4.0 23.0 1.0
Milk 20 oz 200.0 30.4 20.6 0.4

Calories Carbs Protein Fat
1767.6 168.5 218.5 22.6

sorry about the format, i just copied it from excel. i know i need to add some stuff, just not sure where and what to add.

thanks for all the help

napoleon · July 30th, 2008, 10:03 AM

Youre just about identical to me. Im at about 185lbs same height and have that bit of gut that ive been wanting to get rid of. I started refining my diet about 6 months ago worked pretty consistently for that time and noticed minimal results. A few days ago we were at the beach and a friend of mine working out the same time really progressed much more than me, course he started about 15lbs leaner than me but when it came down to it we were doing pretty much the same workout his diet was similar but he works construction and im an engineer, so he gets tons more cardio moving bails of steel and just plain walking around all day, I dont.

Next step for me fine tuning my diet, less sugar and more cardio.

Good luck!

**wildstang** · July 30th, 2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by napoleon

Youre just about identical to me. Im at about 185lbs same height and have that bit of gut that ive been wanting to get rid of. I started refining my diet about 6 months ago worked pretty consistently for that time and noticed minimal results. A few days ago we were at the beach and a friend of mine working out the same time really progressed much more than me, course he started about 15lbs leaner than me but when it came down to it we were doing pretty much the same workout his diet was similar but he works construction and im an engineer, so he gets tons more cardio moving bails of steel and just plain walking around all day, I dont.

Next step for me fine tuning my diet, less sugar and more cardio.

Good luck!

this post about nails it on the head!

**SAINT_X** · July 30th, 2008, 10:33 AM

...how's it going with this gut issue?

August 9th, 2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAINT_X

...how's it going with this gut issue?

Well when everyone says fat around the abdomen is the last to go, theyre not lying. As long as I know Im getting rid of the fat somewhere I can wait eventually it will start to come off where I want it