When it comes to talking calorie intake understanding thresholds allows you to make sense of a sometimes confusing area. Calorie thresholds refers to the average intake over a period of days rather than one off days. This is because the body has energy stores /capacity to store food which affects the results of a one off days eating. The three calorie thresholds of importance are –
Fat gaining threshold – At some point you will gain fat if you consistently eat too many calories. This average intake is your fat gain threshold. The idea of learning this point is that by eating on this threshold you can maximise metabolism. The key to this is using foods that are beneficial and not going past this point. If you use “bad” foods (e.g. sensitive foods) then eating more of them actually irritates the body and this will lower the threshold over time. See note below.
Metabolism down regulation – If you eat too little then you will significantly down regulate your metabolism. By definition anything below the fat gaining threshold will reduce metabolism a little. But this point refers to where a significant down regulation in metabolism occurs. When this happens body temperature drops, food cravings increase, rate of fat loss decreases behind expected losses and other health issues arise (low energy, loss of sex drive etc).
Optimal Fat Loss Threshold – Somewhere between the last two thresholds you will find the optimal fat loss threshold, it is more a range over a particular number but when you eat in this zone you have enough energy to train, live, avoid significant food cravings and then also lose body fat.
Changing Calorie Thresholds
If you have made it this far you are now onto the key element to understand, the bit that trips up the average calorie counter. That is, these numbers change!!! Based on two main factors –
Food Quality – The worse the foods within your diet the lower the calorie numbers are for each threshold above, this is where trading a biscuit for vegetables comes back to bite you on the ass. Eating sensitive foods, toxin laden food or nutrient deficient foods will bring down your metabolism. As a result you will say gain fat on 2400 calories instead of 2900 calories.
Previous Intake Thresholds – If you eat consistently on your fat gaining threshold it will increase in value, e.g. form 3000 to 3200 calories. Likewise, if you eat consistently on your metabolism down regulation point this intake level will also go down, e.g. from 1400 calories to 1200 calories.
There are other factors that affect things too –
- Exercise and activity obviously being a major one.
- Macro-nutrient Ratios – Not meeting your basic needs of protein, carbs or fat messes up metabolism and these numbers. For example, 2000 calories from only protein will bring the thresholds right down as the body is super annoyed by the lack of carbs/fat. The same applies to cutting out the other food groups. You must hit your minimum levels of each to optimise metabolism.
- Things that affect the metabolic rate – Caffeine for example can totally skew some of these numbers.
- Temperature – More energy needed in colder climates
- Hours awake – More enegy needed when awake to sleeping
Natural hunger thresholds
Most people will have a natural hunger threshold and if you measure your intake without really focusing on what you eat (most people eat less when measuring food and skew data) then you will find you average a certain calorie threshold. For some people it is more towards the higher or lower thresholds. This hunger level can be reset over time. For most people it can be brought downwards and thus losing fat becomes naturally an easier thing to do. For guys who struggle to build muscle you will probably find your natural hunger level is way below your fat gain threshold. Personally, if this is you (it is me) I’d say it is much harder to eat more than it is lto eat less. Hence the muscle building issues.
Other points
Forget googling what calorie numbers will apply to you. You have to get out into the field and discover your own threshold points.
Saving Time In The Gym – Part 2 – Oval Kennington Personal Trainer
Most people waste a lot of time in the gym which adds more resentment and less effectiveness to the results routine. Here are some time saving methods, for part 1 see here –
Fill you rest periods – When weight training, instead of doing a set of a exercise and then waiting for a minute, instead put another complimenting exercise in the rest period and alternate between two exercises throughout the session. This will greatly reduce your time in the gym
Adapt your exercise workout to the time of the day – Some gyms are more like a rush hour tube than a place to exercise at certain times of the day. Look to adapt your training plan so it doesn’t involve using the most popular machines/equipment which has you waiting to get on for hours. Personally there are only a couple of workouts I will do in prime time due to equipment availability. I would also reduce any prime time exercise workout down to a few machines over a long elaborate list of exercises as once you have some equipment you will lose it if moving around.
Increase Exercise Selection – Almost every exercise has a handful of alternatives you can use. If you only know 1 or 2 it will limit your options in busy times. By adding in some more exercises into your exercise bank,especially those needing no equipment you can rapidly decrease waiting around for exercises.
Learn to Use Rep Tempos – If you do free weight exercises then adjusting your rep tempo is an easy way to make an exercise harder or easier through the time it takes you to move through the movement. A rep tempo has 4 sections. Time to lower the weight, the pause at the bottom, time to lift the weight up and time waiting in the start position. By slowing down the movement in the hardest parts and reducing waiting in the easiest parts you can make the same dumbbell, e.g. 6kg feel like 10kg, therefore avoiding have to wait for the specific weight to become available.
Learn to use leverage – In the same way as rep tempos if you adjust your arm or body position in many exercises you can make it much harder without actually having to change the dumbbell etc. This means you do not have to waste time waiting for something that is not being used because you can turn any dumbbell from 5 – 10kg into an appropriate weight to use.
Stay Focused – Often the exercise session is effective for 20-30 minutes then you lose focus and drift off a bit and end up wasting another 30 minutes while only doing about 10 minutes actual work. If you notice yourself drifting off day dreaming or wandering aimlessly just end the session and come back fresh another day. If you have a set plan you “have to/want to” finish then reminds yourself of it and fly through it to get in and out ASAP
Stop Gossiping – If you are in the gym for an hour and talk to people while not exercising for 45 minutes you have taken an hour to do a 15 minute session. Not good time efficiency wise. If you are looking to get in and out then you need to keep the tempo up. If you happen to be speaking to someone then carry on exercising at the same time. Another way is to put the I pod on and nail through your workout then take it off to talk to people. With a stern and focused look on your face most people will not talk to you.
Switch Off Your Phone – The fastest way for my workout to head downhill is to open up whatsapp, facebook and text message all my motivation out of the room. An hour session with 30 minutes on your phone is once again a 30 minute session that took you an hour to do.
April 12 – April 29 (13/18 days measured)
An awesome two weeks of twice daily gym sessions and the results are showing through. Nutrition locked in so minimal body fat gains while gaining size…..perfect! Another week and half of muscle gain before a fat stripping week.
Diet – Protein – 248g, Carbs – 342g, fat – 65g, calories – 2940, P:34 % C :47% F: 20%
Exercise – 25 Weights sessions, 1 fitness, 4 off day
Weight – Didn’t take Body fat – 38.5mm* Activity Measure – 17.1 km / Day**
Supplements – Vitamin D , Multivitamin, creatine, BCAA’s ***
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*This is my own 10 point self measurement system, it does not correlate to body fat scores. At a guess 40mm – 8%, 50mm – 9.5%, 60mm – 11%, 70mm – 12.5%. I do not take it everyday if looking to gain muscle or maintain as it puts me off wanting to eat more. If on fat loss phase I take it daily. Like any body fat measurement system, as you get to low body fat levels the number become less accurate or reliable.
**Measured using Fit Bit Flex wrist band. Add me as a friend – Ben on fit-bit.com
*** Supplement not taken consistently
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Vauxhall & Victoria – For Personal Training in Vauxhall & Victoria please contact me. I am available for sessions in homes, private gyms or parks for Personal Training in Vauxhall & Victoria