Calories and Force Feeding

I'm still confused.  Are you trying to lose weight or trying not to?  Sorry if I'm being dumb, but I really can't work it out.

If you're trying to lose weight, what are you worrying about?  It's going well, you are losing and you are not hungry.   Just eat healthily and eat to your hunger.

Maybe you need to worry about energy rather than calories PO? If you're feeling ok and you're not running out of energy then i wouldn't worry about the amount you're eating. Food for runners is all about fuel and you're eating better fuel so you're body will be able to utilise it better than if you were just eating cake and drinking beer all the time.

As you say its been done to death i really wouldn't over think it, if its working and you're getting the right results then great.

I am trying to lose weight, but fat - not muscle.  So I don't want to be losing stuff that I want to build on.  And I don't want to be slowing down my metabolism because I'm not actually eating enough.

Some people have put this into my head.  Now it's hard to get it out.

"Eat less, exercise more" is apparently a lot more intricate than I thought

JWrun wrote (see)

Maybe you need to worry about energy rather than calories PO? If you're feeling ok and you're not running out of energy then i wouldn't worry about the amount you're eating. Food for runners is all about fuel and you're eating better fuel so you're body will be able to utilise it better than if you were just eating cake and drinking beer all the time.

As you say its been done to death i really wouldn't over think it, if its working and you're getting the right results then great.

That's more along what I was thinking - I can run really well, feeling great on the runs - not losing steam or feeling lethargic.  In fact, can run, mow the lawn for 3 hours, clean the house and only stop because my back gets sore.

I am eating two potatoes a day - making sure that my "energy" levels are enough to maintain the sports.  Calories get burnt up too quickly!  I mean, in a single session I can burn more calories than I am supposed to be eating.

You're right though - will just maintain for sports and running.  It's not like I am a walking ball of fat either (although, pretty close to)... 

Thanks for those links LN...

Much help! 

To make sure you're not breaking down muscle, make sure you get enough protein (also vitamins, minerals - keep a balanced diet). Otherwise, if you feel okay, not getting tired, and you're losing the weight you want to lose, don't worry about it.  Protein needs: basic about 0.8 g protein per kg body weight per day; might increase to 1.5 or 2 times that if you're exercising a lot and putting on muscle - so you may want as much as 1.6g per kg per day. But most people on a Western diet eat WAY more protein than they need.

The only thing I'd add to what you're eating is vegetables - maybe e.g. a carrot instead of one of the pieces of fruit - vegetables tend to contain more vitamins and minerals than fruits. Avocado is good as well, containing "good" oils.

Actual calorie counting on a daily basis is fraught with inaccuracies IMO.  You're clearly just confusing yourself.  If you're eating enough to satisfy your hunger, taking in enough to fuel your running, etc, then I wouldn't worry too much about the figures.  As for losing fat and not muscle, and not slowing down your metabolic rate, again I think that your hunger being satisfied by a reasonably rounded diet, and exercising regularly, means this isn't anything to worry about.

If you want to improve anything I think 'tweaks' to your current regime is the way to go, e.g. make sure you get the healthy sources of protein, fat, etc that people are suggesting and generally widen the food groups as much as possible.  More veg in place of fruit sounds like a good idea, widen your selection of carbs, and I'm a big fan of all beans and pulses as being good sources of protein, carb and fibre all in one.

Thanks guys - it's funny how people on a weighless forum are telling me to add more high calorie foods to my diet to compensate.  I like this forum though because it largely just told me what I want to hear!! 

Will add a couple carrots to my diet.  I bought beans and pulses and am going to try and cook with them.  I hate beans and pulses though so will have to force it down - but I know it's good for me... 

Ah, but this isn't a weight loss forum - it's a running forum, so different emphasis!

Re. beans and pulses - I used not to like lentils (a texture thing), but I knew I ought to eat them (I'm vegetarian, so they're useful). After a while I got used to the texture and now I really like them and they're an important part of my diet - hopefully the same will happen for you (starting to like them, I mean).

HA Debra - this I know.  Hence after having enough of the rubbish from the weightloss forum, I popped back to my old cronies for advice here 

I hope I like them too - although, I added a bunch of soup beans to my soup and ground them up - didn't even taste them!

you definately need more calcium by way of cheese or milk or nuts and seeds .. but i'd be tempted to chuck a small bit of grated cheese on that Jacket potato with beans..

Also re the water thing.. i have acid reflux and my specialist insists i drink upto 3 litres of water a day to help calm my stomach acids, so it's not that silly, as long as you sip it (your cells have a maximum capacity for absorbing water so drink a litre at a time and you'll get rid of about half of that in the lav... )

I get a lot of heartburn and drinking water also helps with that.  Either way, if I am not thirty, I don't drink.  I also seem to drink water when I'm bored...

Yeh I am going to get a supplement for calcium I think - 1500mg for a person of the female persuasion in her late 20's isn't something that i am going to get through yoghurt and cheese

Thirty should OBVIOUSLY say thirsty.

I'm not thirty and my life would suck is that was a requisite to drinking!

Are you sure you've got your counting right Plod?  I've been drinking with you a couple of times and know that can put away more than 100 cals - that's about half a pint I think.

Great to hear your doing good

Har har BDB - you clown!

I suppose if we are taking a proper drinking night into account, then I drink enough to drown Wanda and her fish.  But since I only do that with YOU, I think we can safely assume that 150 calories of a shared beer is pretty much what I go for these days!

Being of older age and all

But still younger than most...