is this a good plan for getting fit?
im looking to get lean
im 17yo, 5ft 10, and about 155lbs
i took a BMR test and i got a BMR of 1805.05 and it went on to say i should eat around 2400cals/day to maintain that weight
now, im wondering how healthy my plan is:
basically i’d be eating about 1400cals/day or a little less
and i know thats apparently lower than it should be
BUT
the food im eating is really, really healthy (i.e. multigrain cheerios, fat free turkey sandwiches, lettuce)
and by doing that alone i cut out 7,000cals from my diet per week, which is equivalent to 2lbs
in addition i’ve started working out moderately a few times a week
so, two questions:
1.) would that work to get lean (not buff)?
2.) is that plan too unhealthy?
Note: by reducing my diet i am not starving myself. this isnt some stupid wana be anarexia based plan. The food i eat is filling and i do not go hungry, otherwise i wouldnt be able to do it lol
August 11th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
I have a B.S in Exercise Science, and my advice is to eat more calories than 1400 per day. First, you won’t have much energy for working out on that amount, plus you are in danger of causing your body to defend itself against such a drastic reduction in caloric intake. The body has a way of hanging on to what’s needed for survival during a famine. And guess what’s needed? Fat. So, you should aim for 1800-2000 calories per day, lowering your target to 1 pound a week. I guarantee that you will lose more than that if you are working out at least 4-5 days a week concentrating on 30-45 minutes of high intense (heart rate 75-85% of max) cardio 2 of those days, and a lower intensity (65-75%) the other days. In that same time frame of 4-5 days of working out, you should include strength training, focusing on push/pull exercises that will work many muscles at once. Example-bench press, lat pull down, pushups, pullups, shoulder presses. You should do moderate weight (not to exceed 10 or 12 reps)- you should be struggling at the last rep. Also, make sure you work your legs, performing squats and lunges if your current health and physical status allows. Machines limit your maximum potential. However, if you must use machines, they will help build muscle as well, increasing your metabolism. There is a great article on this website explaining a great deal about increasing your metabolism through strength training -http://www.wiredmamas.com/the-profound-effect-of-exercise-on-aging/