Question regarding calories...

[ArtzyJen]

I have a question regarding calorie intake. I'm still trying to drop weight, but focus has been more on working out and training for 10k and half marathon coming up. I do boot camp M/W/F and generally run M/TH/Sat. I know I burn lots more doing boot camp than running. calorie levels on days of boot camp, I try to go for 2000-2100 (otherwise I feel like I'm stuffing myself) and on days that I just run (unless it's a long run) I usually keep calories to 1700-1850. Am I getting enough?

Also, what do I need to tweak with diet? Here's today so far, and this is pretty typical. (I might get in a short run later- but just a couple of miles- have orientation for HM training tonight)

Breakfast- 1 c red seedless grapes, 1/2 c 2 % Reduced Fat Milk, 1 serving Get Balance Cereal, 5 slices of Deli Sliced Turkey

Morning Snack- Body Fortress Protein Powder, water, 1 c mixed mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries

Lunch- 4 oz. Tilapia Filet, Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt, Carrots, raw

Afternoon Snack- Mission wheat tortilla, Philidelphia Cream Cheese 1 tbsp, JIF Peanut Butter - Chunky 1.5 tbsp

Probably for dinner- lean 6 oz. boneless chicken breast, iceberg salad with kidney beans, 1/4 c shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon of vinagerette dressing, 1 c wheat pasta

After dinner snack- apple and/or protein shake.


I avoid processed carbs because they cause me to bloat. Rarely eat bread, just wheat tortillas and even that's maybe once or twice a week. I eat cereal maybe once a week. Today just happened to be that day. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

[Boss Man]

calorie levels on days of boot camp, I try to go for 2000-2100 (otherwise I feel like I'm stuffing myself) and on days that I just run (unless it's a long run) I usually keep calories to 1700-1850. Am I getting enough?

(Maintain the same calories on all Cardio days, to simplify things.)

Breakfast- 1 c red seedless grapes, 1/2 c 2 % Reduced Fat Milk, 1 serving Get Balance Cereal, 5 slices of Deli Sliced Turkey

(Give the Grapes 10-15 minutes to start digesting, os the rest of the food doesn't impede them too much. Also be ware that you are consuming quite a lot of Carbs from the Cereal, Grapes and Milk, so it might be as well to perhaps reduce the Cereal portion slightly to around 75%.

Don't go too low on it or good things lik Beta-glucan and non-heam Iron will be significantly reduced, potentially reducing Erythrocyte, (Red Blood Cell), levels and elevating HDL Cholesterol too.)

Morning Snack- Body Fortress Protein Powder, water, 1 c mixed mango, papaya, pineapple, strawberries

(Not too bad. Same advice on the Fruit)

Lunch- 4 oz. Tilapia Filet, Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt, Carrots, raw


(Boil the Carrots to get more Beta-Carotene release if you can. Blending them as well, is even better for it. That looks fine, but monitor the intake of the Spinach and Carrots, incase you're perhaps over carbing a little and causing a little bit too much Fat conversion. Also Salt is useful for Elctrolyte balance and to avoid Cramps, but again too much can cause things like Water retention and Edema, (Fluid buildup in the Legs), so consider possibly reducing it slightly, especially if you might be salt sensitive.)

Afternoon Snack- Mission wheat tortilla, Philidelphia Cream Cheese 1 tbsp, JIF Peanut Butter - Chunky 1.5 tbsp

(You are getting quite a bit of Carb in here too and maybe a little too much Fat, so perhaos consider something like Low Fat Cheese instead. The Low Fat would be good for things like more Protein, Omegas 3 and 6 and Fat Soluable Vitamins as well as things like Calcium to name but a few, so a good replacement for the Peanut Butter also. Kill two birds with one stone.

Low Fat has a lot more Protein and good content than the Cream cheese, plus less Salt and more fibre it would appear, so it makes sense)

Probably for dinner- lean 6 oz. boneless chicken breast, iceberg salad with kidney beans, 1/4 c shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon of vinagerette dressing, 1 c wheat pasta

(Way too much protein. You're getting over 50g from the Chicken, plus the Cheese and Kidney Beans and some from the Pasta, then Carbing up with Pasta, Cheese and Beans.

I'd suggest having around 100g Chicken, (3.5OZ), which is 30g Protein, then you can add a fat source like some sort of oil, Seeds, portion of low Carb Nuts etc, because things like Grapenuts, Cashews and Chestnuts are higher carb than most and maybe a Carb portion like some Broccoli, Carrot, Cauliflour, etc etc, or mix in a few lower Carb things like Onion, to mix and match your Carbs, which would work well in a Stir-fry format as well, but limit your Carbs there to no more than 40g.)

After dinner snack- apple and/or protein shake.

(Have both, but same advice on the apple.)

[ArtzyJen]

The cream cheese wasn't full fat... if that helps any. I do a lot of cottage cheese usually anyway. I just need to make a run to the store since I'm out of a lot of things I normally eat, like oatmeal, cottage cheese, natural peanut butter, etc. I guess today was not the best day to show you.

Here's a more broad description of a typical day.

Breakfast
Boiled egg
1/2 c cottage cheese
1 c oatmeal
1 fruit (strawberries or 1/2 c of apple slices, or melon when in season)

Morning snack
Protein shake (water, powder, 1 c fruit)

Lunch
Chicken or fish (4-6 oz) (I do get what you're saying about getting too much protein)
salad (1-2 cups)
cheese (1/8 c)
vinaigrette (1-2 TBSP)

Afternoon snack
1 c raw veggies (broccoli or carrots)
A tiny bit of dressing (working off of this)
Maybe a couple slices of lunch meat to balance out carbs a little

Dinner
Chicken or fish, sometimes lean beef (only 1-2 times a week) always baked or pan-seared
2 veggies (corn, salad, green beans, etc)
1/2 c to one cup of wheat pasta (only sometimes)

After Dinner
protein shake (water, powder, fruit)

Hope maybe that helps. Here's understanding of some things. The body has a hard time properly metabolizing more than 30 g of protein at a time. It's better to eat carbs and protein at a balanced rate (such as a carb/protein combination for all meals and snacks)(also 20-30% fat, 30-35% protein and 30-35% carbs for the day). Protein is best after working out and should be eaten within 30 mins of the end of a workout. Am I right in thinking?

[ArtzyJen]

Thanks Leslie. And Boss

[Boss Man]

simple carbs are best after a workout.

I'd politely disagree. Complex are best in opinion. Simple elevate Bloodsugar, but don't have much effect on Muscle Glycogen recovery, or Glucogeonesis, as they interact with the Liver.

Logically, if you want good protein synthesis, then why have a Carb source that creates an insulin spike, which subsequantly tails off before Protein digesiton is complete? Complex break down at around the same rate as Protein, so you'll get the Insulin spike for longer, relative to the duration of protein digestion, which should hopefully decrease the amount of protein wastage.

You could double up with complex and simple, or use a protein powder with a simple / complex mix, like Glucomannan or Palatinose, but for me, if it was a straight choice, Complex over simple.

[Boss Man]

Yes it does .

A bit like saying Casein is better before bed, than after workouts, but not necessarily the best type of protein to consume regularly.