Calorie Counting...

[GimpFace]

Hi,

As per my profile I have been training for ages but only now am I starting to really get into it.. I am around 2 months in to my new philosophy and am still waaaaayyyy too flabby for my liking but I am am starting to see a difference in body shape and definition (addictive isn't it?).

All this talk of 6-packs being made in the kitchen etc.. (been lurking for a while) has made me really start to analyse what I eat but I want to take it further and apply some science to my intake. Which brings me to counting calories - where do I begin? Well - apart from listing out what I eat each day and looking on the back of the relevant packets for the amount of calories etc... How do I work out what's in my home prepped salad for lunch? Does anyone have any pointers to a site that can give me the calorific values of different foods and drinks (does Vodka/Rum (no mixer) contain less calories than a pint of Beer?).

Also - I don't really care about weight (200 pounds now - although I admit more would be good) in so much as size and def.

Any pearls of wisdom for working out my bulking and cutting phase intakes?

Cheers
GimpFace

[Holto]

www.fitday.com

www.nutritiondata.com

[Geeper]

fitday.com rules!!!!!!!!!

[malkore]

I use fitday.com - you can click the link in my sig to see my public profile, and how it breaks down everything.
I'd also recommend a decent kitchen scale that does ounces and grams.

[GimpFace]

Thanks for the links and info - I will check them out and come back if (when) I have questions.

Thanks
GimpFace

[GimpFace]

Wow - I cannot believe that FitDay.com is free.
They deserve to sell **** loads of adverts!!

Ok - did some more measuring today:
Height - 6 foot 3
Weight - 200 pounds
Body Fat - 20.7%

TWENTY FEKIN SEVEN %!!!!!! I am carrying around 19 kgs of flab. That is sick.

According to FitDay my calories in are 2374
And my calories used (today which is a gym day) is 4028
On a non gym day it says I will burn 3479.

So overall I should be losing weight. Do those numbers sound right?

[GimpFace]

One more thing while I am asking
Do you think my targets are do-able for a 28 year old guy with an office job? Training 4 times per week?

Now April 05 Target Oct 05
Height - 6 foot 3 Not much I can do about this.
Weight - 200 pounds 220 pounds
Body Fat - 20.7% 15 %

[Geeper]

According to FitDay my calories in are 2374
And my calories used (today which is a gym day) is 4028
On a non gym day it says I will burn 3479.

So overall I should be losing weight. Do those numbers sound right?

I NEVER belive the calories used or the basal rate for fitday, always seems a little high or a little low.

As for your goals..... oh, my god... perfect!!!! and absolutely doable! 4 days a week is great! Any more and you're probably working against your self. There's a lot of stickys in these forums, read them, print what a bodybuilder eats off and live it. 80% or more of weight loss, muscle building ect goals is all diet.

[GimpFace]

Thanks for the encouragement Geeper.

How would you recommend working out calorie consuption outside of FitDay?
Does it matter much if I am + or - a hundred calories or so?

[AllUp]

probably not too much, unless you weigh your food to the gram :p

[GimpFace]

Good, cos no way could I be that accurate.

[Geeper]

probably not too much, unless you weigh your food to the gram :p

:withstupi

It's also popped up a number of times when newbies can't believe that we all know our cals pretty close, but the fact is most of us are eating the same things day in and day out so you get to know your cals pretty good.