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Hello all. I am using https://tdeecalculator.net/ to calculate how much I should be eating but I am unsure of what exercise level to put. I have an office job but make sure to walk at least 9k steps a day and I do bodyweight fitness 3-4 times a week. I don't know whether this makes me "sedentary" or "lightly active". I am also conflicted because I have PCOS and I don't know how exactly that affects how much I should eat or what I should eat. I was on keto a couple of years back because I had heard it was good for people with PCOS and I got pretty thin (to be fair I was eating 1200-1400 calories a day too) but ended up stress eating it all back. My eating disorder therapist tells me that carbohydrates are important but I have trouble believeing it. They also say that I should be eating at least my basal metabolic rate (1657 calories) in calories to lose weight. I feel like I'm getting conflicting information from everywhere and no one really knows what they're doing. As someone who highly values structured numbers and orders, this is highly frustrating to me. Any advice would be appreciated.

First off I know that everyone says you can't build muscle and gain fat simultaneously, but would this actually work? What is it that enables muscle gain - purely protein intake or do you have to increase all macronutrients and calories too? I know this question is kinda dumb, but I was just thinking about it because I've been trying to eat at a calorie deficit for a while now but only recently started increasing my protein intake within that calorie deficit, and (this may not be true) but I feel like I am eating more protein than I used to be when I just ate whatever and at maintenance... :')

Hello everyone! I am buttercupmakeup and I am not a novice when it comes to weight loss. I've actually lost 61 lbs so far, but unfortunately have been stuck for a while. I would like to take you on a journey into my back story so that all pieces of evidence can be considered! So my weight loss has been over two years of actual active weight loss. I achieved this through heavy lifting and basically keto. Well one day the platue monster decided to rear it's ugly head and has been siting guard over my coveted goal weight since that time. I am now in year three and making some changes. It took me a while not be afraid of carbs, and to have a healthy relationship with them. I would eat junk carbs when i did eat them, because carbs are bad so if I am going to be weak might as well be bad to, right? WRONG! I realized that this thought process was rather dysfunctional, and over the past month started focusing on getting my carbs from a healthy source, such as fruit, veggies, and whole grain sources. I have also started eating less meat. So a few other quick details is I started doing roller derby! this is what made me start eating carbs, because a few times I have been close to passing out from too few carbs. I also lift 3 days a week and have started doing HIIT (8 minutes not alot) 3 days a week. I know my plateau is due to A) drinking alcohol too often and not logging it (I have since cut back) B) thinking "hmmmm the mini kitkat isnt that bad I don't need to log it, C) not counting my oils, and D) Not actually weighing and measuring my portion sizes. All things have been rectified, and now I am starting to lose some weight, so here is my question... ARE YOU READY? I am maintaining around 1500-1600 calories a day, my mind is still stuck on 1200 calories as the golden number, BUT i don't think I can keep up the intensity of derby and HIIT at that low of an amount (oh and I am training for a 5k so I can get my cardio endurance up). I am 5'1" 191 lbs and my job can be any where from sitting all day to brutally active depending on the day. Do you think 1600 is too much on my extremely active days? (extremely active days includes the following: 10 minutes of cardio with sprints, 12 minutes HIIT training, 3-5 laps jogging around the track, and then 1.5 hours on my skates practicing). Please feel free to ask me anything about my current nutrition and offer me your opinion!

Hello, I am a 20 year old girl who has been training in the gym for a year now, i am 5'6", and started weighing 71,5kg as a i came back for a 1 year vacation. I currently weight 63kg, have a muscle mass of 45,8 and a Body fat percentage of 23% (last time i weight myself, but I know is approximate so i would say im around 25%). I go to the gym 4 times a week, 2 days upper body, 2 days lower body, 25min of cardio all those 4 days. I have three dogs so i keep myself active also after the gym. About my diet, is something i was very aware of at the beginning but not so much now: BREAKFAST: 1/2 lemon with 400ml of water, and a garlic suplement pill. LUNCH: tomato and spinach sald, with seeds and nuts, and olive oil, (small, like a quarter of tomato, one tea spoon on seed and nuts and 100gr of spinach) + main dish (can be mashed vegetables, soup, pasta with tomato, quinoa with tomato...) + 1/2 pieces of fruit MID-ADTERNOON: 1 banana, and 1 homemade chocolate cupcake (since 1 week) NIGHT: hazelnut yogurt, with natural hazelnuts, almonds, and granola, also some chocolate chips, blueberries and half a banana. i am not vegan but i try to maintain all my meals animal-free. About my diet, i know i have to do this following things, but in would love any other suggestion: no more chocolate cupcake, avoid the pasta in the lunch period, instead more vegetables and proteins, (what vegan protein preferible so you recommend me to add to my lunches?)

PACT Plan Challenge 2 "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise" I'm continuing my plan to Put Away Childish Things (PACT) which you can read more about here. I will be continuing my daily calorie goal, taking the next step in my sugar goal, and adding in a sleeping goal which will be the big focus of this challenge. I also plan to maintain my habit of walking every day, but will not report on it in this challenge. June Goals Eat one or less servings of sweets per day - YES/NO One day per week with NO sweets - YES/NO/PENDING Eat less than 2500 calories/day - YES/NO Go to bed by 10:00pm daily - YES/NO Wake up and get ready at 7:00am daily - YES/NO Determine diet habits and triggers and adjustments to be made - YES/NO/PENDING Get new bank account - YES/NO/PENDING It looks like a lot, but I think it'll be manageable. The sweets and calorie goals I've been working on for over a month, so it's basically a continuation. The sleep and wake-up goals are paired (I need to go to bed earlier if I'm going to get up earlier) and are the big focus this challenge. The last two are just to be done sometime in the month. The first is to help fill out my future goals to get a better handle on my diet and change some of my bad habits. The second is just a to-do that fits with the challenge theme =) As with last month, I've identified a few obstacles I'll face and a plan to overcome them. First off, later this week I am graduating!! That'll likely mean extra food and a late night. I'll allow 2 sweets for the day on both Friday and Saturday (graduation parties) and will eat healthy while not at the events to leave more calorie room. Saturday night is the banquet, so I will waive the bed time that night, and adjust the wake time on Sunday to 8 hours after I go to bed. I'll also be camping later in the month, and plan to bring less sweets than usual and more fruit. I will also note that the calorie goal will shift down as needed if I gain weight two weeks in a row while actually following the goal. I hope that this system will keep me on track for weight loss, but also make sure I don't try to move down too fast. Thanks for taking the time to read! I'll be glad to have the support!

Become the Wolf Here we go again (Again again again). Last time I attempted this I tried my hand at Keto and although it worked really well in the beginning it wasn't for me. Near the end I was mentally exhausted, bitter, frustrated and found myself cheating and eating worse than I did while off the diet. Which of course brought on the feelings of guilt and failure. So here I am again, ready to push forward and become the wolf. Fierce, wild and determined. Let's see how far I get this time. The plan - Drink at least 2L of water daily - Meal plan ahead of time - Snacks in moderation - Move a bit more Goals -5lbs by Nov 19 -10lbs by Dec 24 -15lbs by Jan 28 -20lbs by Mar 04 Stats to date Height: 5'10" Weight: 256lbs Est. BF%: 45.3 Measurements Neck: Bust: Bicep: Forearm: Wrist: Waist: Hips: Thigh: Calf:

I decided a challenge where I treat myself like a queen would probably yield great results. be strong for yourself and the people that depend on you lift 4x per week (except week 4) use the resources you already have available I have a pull up bar I never use. pull up bar play, 10 mins per week be graceful and well-rounded run/hike/cardio 2x per week burpees 3x per week: 20 per session yoga 60 mins per week take care of your regal self stay within 13,000 cals per week no more than 800 alcohol calories per week manage your busy schedule 8/12: beach morning and family BBQ in afternoon 8/13: friend’s wedding shower 8/19: beach day 8/20: dad-in-law’s bday 9/1 – 9/4: camping trip 9/8: friend's bday outing 9/9: campfire hangout

I'm male, 16, 259 LBs, and at 34% Body-fat. For fat loss I am considering consuming only 1800 calories (I'd go lower but I'm a teenager) Here are the details. Cal:1,800 Carbs: 90 Grams (Excluding added sugar) Protein: 180 Grams Fat: 80 Grams (Moderate saturated fats and unsaturated fats. No trans-fats) I will also be lifting and doing moderate cardio. Please let me know if this is good or not.

This challenge I have been logging my meals into MyFitnessPal. All week I have been below the calorie goal but I'm not hungry. Today I slept through breakfast (until lunch because I was out late last night) I ate lunch, did my workout a few hours later, and then ate dinner. After logging it all I didn't even get 900 calories today. On a regular day I seem to get around 1200 net calories. The thing is I feel like I am eating enough and I'm not hungry. I am trying to lose weight and I have since going primal last challenge but I am worried that I am doing harm to my body by not getting enough calories on a regular basis. Comments, suggestions, and ideas are welcome!

Hi there, I have just joined you guys. Yay! I am a female, height 154cm, weight 69kg. I am trying to lose weight. I started about 3 months ago. It has been a rocky road this far but I lost 3kgs in 3 months and only a few 8cms. It is a small amount over 3 months and the number on the scale refuses to dip below 68. I was doing resistance band routines in the morning and about 3 weeks ago started doing dumbbell (I think endurance) routines with a friend that was looking for a partner in the afternoons. I also do a 10-15 yoga (very beginning beginner, so nothing hectic) whenever possible. Next week I am starting with weight training in the mornings, and will still join m friend in the afternoons at least. I am hoping that this will boost me into losing more the inches. One thing that I am stuck on though is my calorie in take. I have been eating veg and meat and fruits and eggs at a deficit, and still my results are low. After reading a few articles on NerdFitness I have come to realise that this may have been a terrible idea. All in all, I am completely uncertain on how many calories I should be eating with my amount of exercise, especially for weight loss. I have been told over and over to eat 1000 - 1200 calories, but see no change. If anyone has the right type of advice for me, please send some light my way. Thanks a million!

Soooooo! I am getting in on this new challenge too! Last challenge was a sort of "grand" return to these fine forums, and I had a lovely time doing it, and could not wait to sign up or volunteer as tribute for the new challenge! My goals in four parts are thus, this time, not all fitness oriented, because Summer's coming and I have art to make! 1) I have a FitBit. Time to make use of it's nifty app. I'm aiming to hit my step goal (10,000) everyday, but the goal is more to track food, water, sleep, and calories in/out. I tracked calories last challenge with a different app, but I am trying to take advantage of the Fitbit's all-in-one-stop-shop-ness. (This is the "pattern" part of my title, in that I am trying to sort out my eating, drinking, sleeping patterns) 2) Here's where things get more interesting, and a bit more... ME. I am building a Rick for DragonCon (ala Rick & Morty), I've not been publicizing this, but I try to bring a new puppet down every year. I've been leaning on #PuppetCapaldi from Doctor Who (you can google it, I actually show up!) but his tenure as The Doctor is ending and I feel the need to move to a new puppet. #PC is still coming with, I might even give him a new hair cut (wig). But his days are numbered. I LOVE having grumpy old man puppets, I don't know why. So I am making a Rick with mechanical eyes and brow. This is a huge step in my mechbuilding, and I am attending the National Puppetry Conference in June (during this challenge) to pick up tips from the incredible Jim Kroupa, who I studied with last year, and just wrap my brain around it all and STOP BEING SO SCARED OF JUST TRYING TO BUILD SOMETHING. Anyway, it's going to be a lot of work, but it's going to be fantastic, I hope. 3) JAPANESE. I am trying to head back to Japan to study Kuruma Ningyou Puppetry with a master there. I've been invited, which is stellar, but I want to brush up and rebuild my Japanese. Right now I have been using Memrise (I've paid for it at a discount), and I just need to keep up once-a-day practicing. This will be most difficult when I am at The O'Neill (Puppet Conference mentioned above) but I can make it work. And if I fall off the wagon, I can climb back on. Just trying to keep it a priority. Japan is freaking amazing and I need to go back. 4) My last part of my goal was going to be veganism, but I am not sure. Really it was going to be "Freeganism" because I wasn't going to complain if someone made me something that had egg in it, or dairy, I am just not that picky, or pretentious. But for myself at home, I was going to cut out dairy and animal byproducts. I am still on the fence about how much a actually care about this though. I am a vegetarian and have been for 15+ years, so that's not going anywhere... but veganism interests me, I just don't have the commitment to it. That said, I am interested in trying it out, veganism with intent rather than vegan-by-accident. Maybe I'll book mark that for the next challenge. PROPER GOAL 4) Zombie 5K Training. I tried this last challenge and utterly, utterly failed. I just couldn't get my schedule to fit it in. I am attempting 3 evenings (or mornings?) a week with this app. I just need to do it. I intend to keep up running at The O'Neill, so that's a goal the conference won't shove-off. And maybe I'll eat a bunch of vegan lentils after. Oh, and keep running shoes and clothes in a bag in my car, with an inhaler, so I am always ready to go. That's about it, I would still love accountabilibuddying! It helped me SO MUCH last challenge!

Hello all, I've fallen off the internet a bit, but I am clawing my way back to the forums and just in time for the 4 week challenge! I'm setting out my goals as such (from the nifty worksheet): Put House in Order (Konmari Method) 4 Weeks of Calorie Counting, goal is 1,200/day Zombie 5K Meal Plan for the week, and making one shopping day. I have already started the KonMari method of putting my house in order, but I am hoping I can finish it up in these 4 weeks. My reward to myself (another chore) is to paint my living room when I am done. Hello, Batcave upgrade! I'm also trying to measure my calorie intake. Somewhat as a diet plan, but also because I like collecting information like that, and I feel like I can't help but course correct decision making if I am actively keeping track. Using "MyFitnessTracker" which I saw suggested by someone in the FaceBook Group. Zombie 5K, I'm using the Zombie Run 5K app, and it's time to get back to it. I am on week 3 now, so will be working through the program in the next four weeks. And meal prep/planning. I'm trying to save money this way too, by making my grocery shopping an all at once errand, and not picking up more than I need as the days go on. It should mean more time for running and gardening after work. Monday is my shopping day, with planning going into it on Sunday. That's about it... but really, I'd love some help with accountability. I am thrilled that as I write this the "MyFitnessTracker" pinged my phone and told me I hadn't logged my lunch today... which is true, I've not had a chance to eat lunch today. Planning will help with this, I do hope. Any plans? Ideas? Friendly advice? RECIPE IDEAS? I need all the help and suggestions I can get there, I love them. I'm a vegetarian, if that makes any difference. Paleo-ish, but not super much. I eat pretty healthy already. But recipe ideas make me happy! PS, if you're interested in my big mega plan, I filled out the worksheet here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHD01rm1i72EPEqmMX8NEBuE3GMinTrkeWV0nxZ0rNo/edit?usp=sharing

ERMGAH I AM LATE. I don't have a challenge figured, out, so I think I'll do the same thing last time. it.... kind of worked out? stemmed the upwards weight, anyway. got me back in the habit of gymming. MAIN QUEST LOSE FAT. This could be signified by either losing weight, or using fancy schmancy tracking tools (wifi scale, skulpt device, measurements, photos) to double check. * so.... actually compare photos this challenge, hmmm? Goal 1: Exercise More / Don't Break The Chain I need to do something every day. Running, TKD, going to the gym and doing weights, SOMETHING. If I can't do a formal thing exercise for at least 30 minutes (20 if it's running, plus a cool down at the end), these are my options for not breaking the chain: * do at least 5 sets of 100 jumping jacks * go for a real 30 minute walk. Poke-walking counts. just WALK. * hula hoop practice for at least 15 minutes. * other things that are like these things that will be good for me Goal 2: Eat Less / Eat Better STICK WITH THE PLAN, STAN. I did really good last month, keep it up!!! my loseit plan is still set at losing 1 lb a week, which is a 500 calorie / day deficit over where it thinks I actually am. ALSO I am going to start logging half and half in coffee / milk in tea. --> do better at this, I totally skipped it last month. Goal 3: Put the NERD back in NERD FITNESS. Use the tools! Track food, daily weigh, dust off my nutty excel spreadsheet and fill in the last few challenges. ALSO weekly photos weekly measurements weekly or MORE skulpt readings. * do better with measurements. Fix the skulpt. * and most importantly! USE THIS TOOL! the forums are like my A+ Number 1 tool for success, and that needs to include WEEKLY CHALLENGE RECAPS as well as mostly nearly every day daily check-ins! ok let's get on this.

I'm busy, really busy. I have a lot of things that I do and that I want to do well. I'm kind of in a funny exploratory place right now, where I'm trying to figure out how to do all the things I want to do, how to do them well, and how to feel like doing my very best is enough. Maybe I am totally delusional but I'm starting to wonder if maybe it IS possible for me to DO ALL THE THINGS. let's see, ok? I mean, it feels delusional, after I could only barely check in during the last challenge. but I'm up for it. * restrict the calories last challenge reminded me that yes, when you diet, it works. I did 2 weeks of a mild cut + good exercise and I saw my weight start to trend down instead of trend up. which is GOOD. SUPER GOOD. so, keep restricting the calories. * do the exercises. same old set of things: running tae kwon do body weight. I really need to work this back in, it's not going to be optional / as you will any more. this challenge I want getting this more incorporated into life as my ultimate measuring stick. my husband is super into running right now, and I'm so excited for him. he's got this super busy program mapped out and maybe out of FOMO I started to look at other training programs also. for YEARS I've avoided intermediate training programs because they have you running 5-6 times a week, and it's just super hard to think I can fit this in to my already packed life. BUT, I am going to increase my distance, and maybe start BW days with a little warmup run (or finish them with a warmup run?). example intermediate training program. work up to 4-5 days of running eventually, instead of 3. * get the sleep. yo, this is imperative. without sleep, getting up for regular exercise is nearly impossible. I have 2 late meetings during this challenge, so the rest of the time it's UP TO ME. that said, there's potentially 2 work trips to manage round, but I should be able to get this straight this week. * do your best. I've been thinking about all the things that I want to accomplish, and where my goals lie. I took the first step today to start working with a life coach, and for the next 4 weeks I want to really establish that process and confirm if it will work for me or not. I am really happy with my life. I'm really happy with all my interests and opportunities, both personal and professional. But I feel stressed about them - like I"m not being responsive enough, or that that I'm not able to make enough room for them. I want so figure out some tips to help with those things. so, do your best means do this. and do your best. the things I want to track are: how about them calories? did I do the bw workouts? did I get the sleep? and did I do my best. ok! let's do all the things!!!

I keep getting different calorie intake numbers. I've tried several sites. According to MFP I should be consuming less than or equal to 1200 calories a day. Other sites say 1500, some say way more. I'm so confused! Also, I am active, but I don't think it's enough to set off my calories. I'm not sure if I'm sedentary or active in lifestyle enough for a change in intake? I work out, but it's a fairly new thing that I've stepped it up a notch. How far into a workout routine change to my schedule should I change intake? Any advice will be appreciated! Thank you!

Me the last two weeks: So After IRONMAN 70.3 New Orleans I slacked and ate like Kirby. Last week I got my butt in gear and hit all my workouts. This challenge I am going to keep hitting my workouts, eat appropriately, get my house work done, and stay on target. Each day I will pick a Video game character to be my goal. No races during this challenge other than a Memorial Day 5k, I may sign up for a GORUCK over memorial day weekend as well, but it will be a last minute thing.

Challenge is gonna look something like this, details in the second comment below. Eat your damn vegetables already Stop eating all the calories Find balance between strength, cardio, and mobility Get shit done So I don't turn into this:

Looks like I'm a day late and a dollar short for this challenge! The end of the last one was a right fizzle. What with being sick and spending so much time on the ski slopes I pretty much forgot to close it out. Not to say that I didn't have a great time--one of my best days of skiing of all time was had on the Saturday of the last weekend of the challenge! But, the season is pretty much done and I've definitely improved quite a bit, and put in a lot of time doing deep lunges down the mountain. Unfortunately, I've also practically given up on trying to keep my diet under control. So that's the theme of this challenge: don't eat like an idiot. There's more to it than that though. I haven't practiced archery in a few months, and I want to keep getting better at that. And, I want to keep building strength so that when I'm old(er) and grey(er) I'll still be strong. So here's the goals: 1. Track calories, 6/7 days per week. Maintain a 250 calorie/day deficit. This will be measured each week. I'll pay attention to my macros, and remember that protein is my friend. 2. Workout 6/7 days per week. This is easy for me, so I'll step it up and say that 3 of those days needs to include strength training, which is harder for me. No, climbing hills doesn't count. 3. Practice archery weekly and take/post pictures of the 30 and 40 yard shots. I've also got an aerial class on the docket, so every week I'll have the opportunity to fly with Mrs. MG99! I'm really looking forward to that, even though we won't exactly be dancing together. I'm still working on getting her to want to go to tango with me. We'll see how that goes Looking for a good theme for my challenge...

When I wasn't exercising, the TDEE I got from these calculators on the sedentary setting seemed to be more or less on the nose. When I ate 1400 calories, I didn't gain or lose weight. Now that I've started working out regularly I want to know how many calories I need now, since obviously 1400 will not be enough anymore. I'm working out with moderate intensity 3 days a week, and these calculators are all giving me 1600 calories. I'm a very small person, I doubt I'm burning 200 calories in a single workout, and I think it's ridiculous that I'd burn any extra calories on the 4 days a week I'm not working out. Is there some sort of residual calorie burn going on that I don't know about, or are these calculators just plain inaccurate for active people? I know I need to eat more to gain muscle, I'd just really like to have an accurate baseline so I know if I'm actually in a deficit or surplus, and how big it is. Thank you!

This is going to be my food log for 1 month. I keep a MFP account (veggiejulia, feel free to add me). However, my macros have been kinda of loosey goosey lately. Hence, I am going to do a 1 month food log here. It's only for 1 month at the moment, due to the fact that I already keep an MFP log. Calories - around 1700, up to 1800 on workout days This: Macros- Carbs - 144 g - 35% Fat - 64 g - 35% Protein - 124g - 30% Dates - February 22 - March 21 Focus for this month - Stay under 1800 calories, - Can have one free day a week where I eat 2000 calories - Stay under 145g carbs on non-workout days, 175g carbs on workout days I can do this!!

Welcome, friend! My overall quest is still the general ‘to look good’, and to move towards this my main goals for 2016 are: Lose body fat (aiming for 12-14%) Build muscle Obviously these cannot be done at the same time, so I have to focus one one. In January I lost a bit of weight and I think I’m making progress on my body fat %, but I’m ready to try bulking. Then, hopefully, by May I’ll have seen some results and can have a three month cut before my holiday. This challenge is going to be focused around what goes in my mouth. My current problem is that I neglect diet so much. I recently reread some blog posts by Steve and he was like 'diet diet diet'. So, this challenge will help me get my head out of the sand. 1. Hit calories I've been very lax about this - and the good thing is eating more is easy (for me)! After looking at what I need on IIFYM (http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/), my TDEE is 1966 cal and so to have a ‘cautious’ bulk I need about 2164kcal - or 2200 kcal/day for ease. My aim is to have 2200 every day, and then 2200+protein shake calories on gym days. The reason I’m being cautious is because I’m worried about putting on lots of extra fat. I’d rather bulk slow and clean than fast and dirty. Very good = <5% of calorie goal Good = within 8% of calorie goal Ok = within 10% of calorie goal 2. Hit macros I've never given a toss about macros... but now I will. After reading this helpful article (I’d never heard of endo/ecto/mesomorph before…) I’ve identified a good macro balance. Muscle gain = 30% carbs / 30% fat / 40% protein After reading the article I can tell I’m an endomorph, so I think having a low carb threshold will be good for me. Incidentally, I do tend to be able to tell when I’ve had a bit too much bread etc, with a general bloated feeling. This will be challenging, since for January I averaged about 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. Side note: Although this isn’t a target, I am going to try to reduce my bread intake (I’m a sucker for french baguettes) and up my fruit and veg intake significantly. Very good = <5% away from each macro Good = within 8% away from each macro Ok = within 10% away from each macro 3. Hit strength I want to increase the weight I'm lifting by 10-20% over some of the key exercises I do. Leg press: Current PB = 130kg. Goal = 150kg Lat pulldown: Current PB = 56.5 kg. Goal = 65kg. Shoulder press: Current PB = 37 kg. Goal = 45kg. Pec fly: Current PB = 61kg. Goal = 69kg. This goal is a hit or miss one. No running targets this time (that all seems to be going well anyway), and no 'giving up' challenges - I've done a few and although they work, I sometimes use the ban to justify a worse choice e.g. not having fizzy drinks in the pub... so I'll have a cider! I’m also going to spend more time reading NF, Reddit etc for more advice, and at the end of Feb I’ll reassess my goals and see what needs changing. I'm also going to try and spend more time on the forums...!

Intro: I joined NF a week before the April 2015 6WC started. At that point, I was five weeks into a new workout routine, and nine weeks into attempting to eat better. There are links to my introduction/origin story and my first five challenges in my sig below. Feel free to go rummage around in there. I’ve gone from 255lbs at the end of January 2015 to 209 as of right now, getting as low as 196 by challenge 4 before backsliding after a horrible flu and then cake season. It’s a work in progress. Life Quest: There is an ongoing life goal to dress like a proper grown-up adult man, in clothes which actually look good on me, and make my wife proud to be seen with me when I take her out. The general aim is to continue to overhaul my entire wardrobe, getting rid of anything which falls into one of the following categories: baggy, sagging or ragged. Over my first four challenges, I set a specific goal of getting properly fitted for a good quality, tailored, three-piece suit, and get a good photograph taken wearing it, because I was sick of being disgusted when I looked in the mirror or saw a photo of myself. Having hit that goal, I kind of lost focus over the last couple of months, so for now the focus is on getting back to basics, keeping it simple, and shooting for a fixed target weight of 180. Quest 1: Roots Bloody Roots Back to where it all began. 7,000 calories burned on the cross trainer at my gym. Headphones on, and go to the Happy Place. Achievable Points on offer: +5 STA (v2: 40XP) A - 7000+ (Points x 1) B - 6500-7000 (Points x 0.75) C - 6000-6500 (Points x 0.5) D - 5500-6000 (Points x 0.25) F - < 5500 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 2: Arise I will do 500 burpees within the 28 days of the challenge. Achievable Points on offer: +4 DEX (v2: 20XP) A - 500+ (Points x 1) B - 450-500 (Points x 0.75) C - 400-450 (Points x 0.5) D - 350-400 (Points x 0.25) F - < 350 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 3: Beneath the Remains I will do 500 squats within the 28 days of the challenge. Achievable Points on offer: +3 STR (v2: 20XP) A - 500+ (Points x 1) B - 450-500 (Points x 0.75) C - 400-450 (Points x 0.5) D - 350-400 (Points x 0.25) F - < 350 (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 4: Refuse/Resist Log food, stay mindful of CI-CO, get a consistent deficit happening, and keep getting the body fat down. Ideally looking to have an average daily deficit of 500 or more by Day 28. The official metric here will be Days in Deficit, and tools used will be my FatSecret phone app and my Mifflin-St.Jeor magic number. Achievable Points on offer: +1 CON, +1 CHA (v2: 10XP) A - 27-28 Days in Deficit (Points x 1) B - 26 Days (Points x 0.75) C - 25 Days (Points x 0.5) D - 24 Days (Points x 0.25) F - <24 Days (Fail. 0 Points.) Quest 5: Inner Self Since I’m looking to get writing as well as reading this year, it’ll be read one book per challenge (for now, anyway.) This challenge: The Road We Must Travel by Francis Chan & Others Achievable Points on Offer: +1 WIS. (v2: 10XP) A - Completed 1 book (Points x 1) F - Complete none (Fail. 0 Points.)

I just got a scale today and used it to weigh myself and my body fat % so I could figure out what calories I should be eating in a day to lose weight. I got that I should be looking at eating 1700 cals a day as I'm not currently exercising (I plan to when I'm more confident with my food) I've bitten off more than I can chew in the past (pun not intended) and I want to make sure that what I have is achievable. Here are the deets: 5'4.5inches female 30 100.7kg 53.3% body fat 34.5% body water ( idunno what this means exactly but my scale told me so) 37.4 BMI I decided to use lightly active as I'm not exercising yet. (bar the 15 walk to classes every other day) with that in mind I got a BMR of 1750 and a TDEE of 2130. are these numbers right? Am i right in aims for 1700 calories a day? Please let me know if I'm on the right track I can provide more details if needed. thank you

Should I worry about calories or not? I count calories but don't do more than biking 5 miles a day when I go home from work. I'm down with the Paleo idea, but should I count calories too? Or should I forget about counting calories as long as I'm eating Paleo? it seems like a lot of articles alude to not counting calories if youre eating paleo.

I'm trying to figure out what workout plan to do for the upcoming 6-week challenge. I am already doing Starting Strength every Mon/Wed/Fri each week, and for now, it seems to leave me wanting to do more after I've finished the sets. I want to continue working on my strength training, but I also want something to do on off-days or alongside SS to burn calories, and maybe stretch my muscles in a good way. The beginner bodyweight circuit suggested by Steve seems to give me a good workout and only requires dumbbells. It actually left my legs more sore than SS, so far (I'm 280 lbs and have just finished my first week of SS). So, my idea is that on M/W/F, I will do SS, alongside some form of cardio (bodyweight training or running on a treadmill), and on T/R/S, I will either do bodyweight training, or just running or walking or bike-riding. Is bodyweight training on off-days too much? What are y'alls opinions on the use of treadmills? My goal is to burn at least 500 calories each day. I don't have any particular weightlifting or weight loss goals, because I don't know what would be a realistic goal for a 280 lbs guy who's never done this before. I would like to lose at least 4 lbs after six weeks, but I believe that if I can get my diet under control, I can lose more than that in six weeks.