Wish I knew what I did wrong - I seem to be the only one who actually gained weight following the BFFM plan. 30% protein was killing me - I actually would wake up dreaming of choking on chicken and feel stuffed (uncomfortably) before I even started the day. I am not trying to lose weight but lose a bit of body fat and simply become a bit more lean and defined so am eating 2,000 cals a day which is under what I need to maintain (I am at 14% body fat and 104 lbs muscle) but do have layer of fat over abs that I hate. Anyway at 2000 cals thats 150 grams of protein/day. Like I said I gained. I am back to my normal eating - 20-23% fat, 25 % protein and rest carbs. But having a hard time getting rid of the pound or two I gained - any advice out there??? I mean - isn't 150 grams of protein way too much???? I'm only 5'3" and not a body builder - just love working out.
BFFM Diaster
- Thread starter Beth1
- Start date
teddy16410
Cathlete
caren-
I relpied on your other posting.
I relpied on your other posting.
August
Cathlete
Hi, Caren,
First of all, 14% is very lean!
Now that that's out...
Now, I'm no BFFM pro yet but I wonder if you should try calculating your numbers one more time...the "104 lbs of muscle" you wrote - you mean that your LBM is 104pds? When you calculated your TDEE and plugged your LBM in it, did you change your LBM to kilograms?
When I put your stats into the equation (assuming that you mean that your LBM is 104pds, which is 47.2 kg), I get these numbers for your maintenance calories :
Moderately active = ~2150 cals
Very active = ~2360 cals
In which case, for fat loss, you'll want to eat 500 calories or 20% less than that.
So if you want to go for somewhere in between moderately and very active, for fat loss you'd be shooting for about 1700 calories.
If you are shooting for 1700 calories and want to eat a 50/30/20 balance, here's what you'd be eating :
C = 213 grams
P = 128 grams
F = 38 grams
If you were eating 50/30/20 eating 150 grams of protein, then you were eating tons of carbs and fat that you didn't need, either! You must have felt awful!
Best of luck to you (and other BFFMers, if I'm wrong, please correct me!)
August
First of all, 14% is very lean!
Now that that's out...
Now, I'm no BFFM pro yet but I wonder if you should try calculating your numbers one more time...the "104 lbs of muscle" you wrote - you mean that your LBM is 104pds? When you calculated your TDEE and plugged your LBM in it, did you change your LBM to kilograms?
When I put your stats into the equation (assuming that you mean that your LBM is 104pds, which is 47.2 kg), I get these numbers for your maintenance calories :
Moderately active = ~2150 cals
Very active = ~2360 cals
In which case, for fat loss, you'll want to eat 500 calories or 20% less than that.
So if you want to go for somewhere in between moderately and very active, for fat loss you'd be shooting for about 1700 calories.
If you are shooting for 1700 calories and want to eat a 50/30/20 balance, here's what you'd be eating :
C = 213 grams
P = 128 grams
F = 38 grams
If you were eating 50/30/20 eating 150 grams of protein, then you were eating tons of carbs and fat that you didn't need, either! You must have felt awful!
Best of luck to you (and other BFFMers, if I'm wrong, please correct me!)
August
I agree with the fact that 150 grams of protein is way too much. According to BFFM, it says the one-gram-per-pound guideline is the most easiest and commonly used method of calculating your daily protein requirement. If you're within the normal ranges for body composition, then this method provides a fairly good estimate of your protein needs. As long as you're training regularly and are within normal ranges for body composition, then this is a good, solid recommendation. OR, it says the best and most accurate mthod for determining protein consumption is to calculate protein needs as a percentage of your total caloric intake. First, determine your daily caloric needs based on lean body weight, Then select optimal percentage of calories from protein. The percentage you choose should be in line with your goals, activity requirements, body type and metabolic rate. The baseline recommendation is 30% of total calories. Multiply the percentage of calories from protein by your total calories for the day. This will give you how many calories should come from protein. Remember, there are 4 calories per gram of protein. The 30% figure usually comes faily close to the 1 gram per pound of bodyweight guideline. The three times when a higher protein intake is necessary is 1) when you're trying to gain muscular body weight, 2) when you are using a low carbohydrate diet for fat loss and 3) when you are carboydrate "sensitive". Some people go by the .8 grams per pound principle. So, if you are about 120 pounds, you should be getting between 96 and 120 grams of protein daily.
Sorry for the lost post. Hope this helps.
Marcy
Sorry for the lost post. Hope this helps.
Marcy
xschwarz
Cathlete
Don't forget that one of the foundations to success that is stressed in BFFM and is widely understood as key to success, is continuously re-evaluating your plan based on your individual results.
This is imporatnt: Yes, the formulas and calculations are great foundations but you must consider other factors...
Are you adhering to 90-95% clean eating?
Do you find the calories are too much? Or are you left hungry?
Are you over training with cardio?
Then adjust the macronutrients...as you are trying to do now. There is no cookie cutter plan that fits everybody. So the weekly results (weight along with BF%) are critical in making those adjustments.
Sounds like you are on the right track with the advice of your friends here.
X
This is imporatnt: Yes, the formulas and calculations are great foundations but you must consider other factors...
Are you adhering to 90-95% clean eating?
Do you find the calories are too much? Or are you left hungry?
Are you over training with cardio?
Then adjust the macronutrients...as you are trying to do now. There is no cookie cutter plan that fits everybody. So the weekly results (weight along with BF%) are critical in making those adjustments.
Sounds like you are on the right track with the advice of your friends here.
X
kathryn
Cathlete
>I mean - isn't 150 grams of
>protein way too much????
Not if you weigh 300 pounds, perhaps!;-)
Yes, that much protein is excessive, IMO, and hard on the body, especially the kidneys.
At your body fat and weight, I really don't think you have any weight to lose. 14% body fat is rather low for a woman. That "layer of fat over the abs" may just be something you have to accept or deal with in another way besides losing weight.
You may find that doing workouts that target the transverse abdominals might make that area look better. Pilates does this well. Exercises like planks and other core-related exercises that require you to stabilize your core (either to hold a positiion, or against the movement of your arms and legs, like 'dead bug' exerises)also target this are
Do you do any interval training? Inverval cardio is good for fat-burning. 1-2 times a week (3 at most, but always with at least 48 hours between interval workouts) is a good guideline.
>protein way too much????
Not if you weigh 300 pounds, perhaps!;-)
Yes, that much protein is excessive, IMO, and hard on the body, especially the kidneys.
At your body fat and weight, I really don't think you have any weight to lose. 14% body fat is rather low for a woman. That "layer of fat over the abs" may just be something you have to accept or deal with in another way besides losing weight.
You may find that doing workouts that target the transverse abdominals might make that area look better. Pilates does this well. Exercises like planks and other core-related exercises that require you to stabilize your core (either to hold a positiion, or against the movement of your arms and legs, like 'dead bug' exerises)also target this are
Do you do any interval training? Inverval cardio is good for fat-burning. 1-2 times a week (3 at most, but always with at least 48 hours between interval workouts) is a good guideline.
I did calculate correctly (kilograms) LBM was 103.8. I weighed 122 when I started (now am between 124-126 depending on the day), not a big deal but really shows on me - my clothes feel and look tight. The only way to get 30% protein would be to reduce my calories to 1700/day, I can't even do 1800 without being too hungry to sleep, so that won't work. I really thought since my requirements were around 2300 per day, then a 300 deficit would give me the results I wanted. Realize now, that whatever I need to do to lose this bit of ab flab cannot be with 30% protein, not at 2000/day. I do eat clean 90 - 95% of the time. I have one night when I allow myself something I love for dessert which of course is on his "horrible combo list" (choc angel food cake and soy ice cream or froz yogurt).
Oh, and yes, I added cardio workouts based on his recommendations and know it was too much - because along with gaining weight I also (for the first time ever) would start to work out and immediately feel like I was climbing an insurmountable mountain - body hurt, no energy and wanted to cry all the time. So, yes, I think I was doing too much of everything that wasn't working for me.
I thank you all so much - you all given me such great advice and suggestions. I am back to 120-125 grams/protein per day and already feel so much better - workouts better, everything better but haven't lost the few lbs yet. Hoping that will follow.
Oh, and yes, I added cardio workouts based on his recommendations and know it was too much - because along with gaining weight I also (for the first time ever) would start to work out and immediately feel like I was climbing an insurmountable mountain - body hurt, no energy and wanted to cry all the time. So, yes, I think I was doing too much of everything that wasn't working for me.
I thank you all so much - you all given me such great advice and suggestions. I am back to 120-125 grams/protein per day and already feel so much better - workouts better, everything better but haven't lost the few lbs yet. Hoping that will follow.
That's pretty funny - since if I'd kept it up I would have weighed 300 lbs eventually. I do interval workouts, I do it all right which is what makes it frustrating. But will add Pilates back in (stopped since it doesn't burn fat), will incorporate more planks etc. And think maybe I need to accept that I'm not going to look like the chiseled bodies I see in Fitness mags ever. Especially since I just turned 50 - and pretty much have a suspicion that all of this might have begun due to realization that I am now a half century (oy!) old.
candi
Cathlete
Caren,
Just wanted to reiterate, because it has been mentioned here, that the girls in the fitness magazines don't always look that chiseled. They do relax their eating somewhat when they're not competing. 14% bodyfat is pretty low. Add the fact that you're over 50 and I say you are doing a phenomenal job of staying in shape. I commend you. As a 51 year old woman I know how hard you're working
Just wanted to reiterate, because it has been mentioned here, that the girls in the fitness magazines don't always look that chiseled. They do relax their eating somewhat when they're not competing. 14% bodyfat is pretty low. Add the fact that you're over 50 and I say you are doing a phenomenal job of staying in shape. I commend you. As a 51 year old woman I know how hard you're working
kathryn
Cathlete
>Just wanted to reiterate, because it has been mentioned here,
>that the girls in the fitness magazines don't always look that
>chiseled. They do relax their eating somewhat when they're
>not competing.
How true. And they prep for photo shoots as well.
I think you could feel better about your abs if you try doing some poses in front of a mirror. Stand in a 3/4 stance, suck in your stomach a bit, and raise your arms over your head. Pooch is gone!
>that the girls in the fitness magazines don't always look that
>chiseled. They do relax their eating somewhat when they're
>not competing.
How true. And they prep for photo shoots as well.
I think you could feel better about your abs if you try doing some poses in front of a mirror. Stand in a 3/4 stance, suck in your stomach a bit, and raise your arms over your head. Pooch is gone!
Okay, that's amazing - you made me laugh. After weeks of hating myself and just wanting to cry.
And I will not only remember that don't they don't always look that chiseled, but that I wouldn't want to live the way they do to get that way. I keep forgetting that I did once - got really, really thin, and was really, really miserable and hungry and envied every woman I saw who allowed herself to eat. So tomorrow morning I'll do the pose, see myself poochless for a moment and then just let it go.
Wish I'd written in before - might have saved myself a few days of utter depression.
You are all really wonderful people.
And I will not only remember that don't they don't always look that chiseled, but that I wouldn't want to live the way they do to get that way. I keep forgetting that I did once - got really, really thin, and was really, really miserable and hungry and envied every woman I saw who allowed herself to eat. So tomorrow morning I'll do the pose, see myself poochless for a moment and then just let it go.
Wish I'd written in before - might have saved myself a few days of utter depression.
You are all really wonderful people.
hootski
Cathlete
I do BFFM too and as Tom stresses, you need to find the right ratio for your body through trial and error. I don't do 30% protein, more like 25% tops. It translates into about 94g per day. I discovered this the hard way! LOL! For me it works and I'm losing body fat.
Hope you find the ratio that works best for you!
Heidi
Hope you find the ratio that works best for you!
Heidi
Hello Caren and everyone,
If it helps, both I and another online diet buddy tried the BFFM format and did not see success but weight gain/bulk. We both read, re-read, calculated and re-calculated the ratios and became obsessed with fitting our meals into the suggested format.
**Please note, in NO way am I saying anything bad about BFFM. I highly recommend it with the simple caveat that it really is soooo true - all of us are different with different caloric needs and unique metabolisms. What works great for one might work horribly for others. Case in point with BFFM. For me and my friend, we felt as though we were force feeding ourselves and spending hours on FitDay software or Excel trying to fit into the right percentages. Frankly I don't think God made us that way - to have to eat like a scientific equation. But again, I in no way am knocking the program. Just want to throw in that its not necessarily you - that type of program is obviously not the best choice for you.
For me - I went back to my old plan of counting calories, eating clean (protein, vegies, fruit, some dairy i.e. cottage cheese and yogurt, lots of water, no soda and hardly ever alcohol)and not necessarily worrying about percentages. After one week I could see a difference. After two weeks the clothes I had started to see getting tight on me are now getting loose on me again. I feel great, enjoy what I am eating and am not spending two hours a day on the PC trying to calculate my percentages anymore.
I hope this helps you. I wish you the best!!
Take care,
Kelly
:7
If it helps, both I and another online diet buddy tried the BFFM format and did not see success but weight gain/bulk. We both read, re-read, calculated and re-calculated the ratios and became obsessed with fitting our meals into the suggested format.
**Please note, in NO way am I saying anything bad about BFFM. I highly recommend it with the simple caveat that it really is soooo true - all of us are different with different caloric needs and unique metabolisms. What works great for one might work horribly for others. Case in point with BFFM. For me and my friend, we felt as though we were force feeding ourselves and spending hours on FitDay software or Excel trying to fit into the right percentages. Frankly I don't think God made us that way - to have to eat like a scientific equation. But again, I in no way am knocking the program. Just want to throw in that its not necessarily you - that type of program is obviously not the best choice for you.
For me - I went back to my old plan of counting calories, eating clean (protein, vegies, fruit, some dairy i.e. cottage cheese and yogurt, lots of water, no soda and hardly ever alcohol)and not necessarily worrying about percentages. After one week I could see a difference. After two weeks the clothes I had started to see getting tight on me are now getting loose on me again. I feel great, enjoy what I am eating and am not spending two hours a day on the PC trying to calculate my percentages anymore.
I hope this helps you. I wish you the best!!
Take care,
Kelly
:7