Where do I go from here?

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Jackie9950
Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I am just looking for advice. I have no idea if I am doing things right or not, so I am relying on my MFP people to steer me in the right direction. Please... don't judge, because if I am doing something wrong, I have no idea that I am. So here goes:

I have been eating between 1100-1300 calories a day and exercising between 60-100 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week. I usually do about 30-60 minutes of cardio (the dreaded treadmill) and the rest in circuit training, trying to lift a little heavier than my comfort zone. I usually don't eat back my exercise calories, and if I do, I never eat back more than half. I have tried to figure my TDEE, but its like 2496. If I only cut 20% from that, it seems like a lot of calories to consume.

My eating isn't great, but I really try hard to make good choices. I try to stick with oatmeal or yogurt, or cereal in the mornings, and I use Almond milk. I try to drink 10-12 glasses of water a day. Lunch is hard because I am not a planner, so I usually end up eating a frozen meal, like Lean Cuisine, sometimes I bring a PB and banana sandwich, or a salad to work. Dinner is usually whatever my family wants, but if it's not a great choice I try to just eat a smaller portion of the crap food and bigger portions of the veggies.

I lost my first 20 pounds pretty easily. Granted, I worked out like crazy, but I saw progress. I seem to have hit a point where not only has my progress stopped, but today when I weighed I have gained 2 lbs.

I guess I just need to understand this so I don't get discouraged. I need to make sure I am doing this all right. Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    How long has it been since you've lost weight?
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
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    I have been going back and forth between 207-205 for about 2 weeks.
  • geotrice
    geotrice Posts: 274 Member
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    You're question has been asked and answered many times before. Go read this announcement:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    2 weeks is nothing to worry about. Weight loss isn't linear, some weeks you'll lose, some you'll stay the same, some you'll gain. Just stick with it.

    That said, do you weigh everything you eat with a food scale? If you don't, you should start doing that or you can't be sure that you're eating the amount of calories you think you are.
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
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    geotrice wrote: »
    You're question has been asked and answered many times before. Go read this announcement:
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101

    I will read up! Thanks

    I searched for a couple things but it's difficult to find these threads at times. Also, I know ever body type is different so I thought there might be personal insight.

  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
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    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    2 weeks is nothing to worry about. Weight loss isn't linear, some weeks you'll lose, some you'll stay the same, some you'll gain. Just stick with it.

    That said, do you weigh everything you eat with a food scale? If you don't, you should start doing that or you can't be sure that you're eating the amount of calories you think you are.

    Yes, I weigh or measure everything. I love my kitchen scale. It can weight in oz, ml, g, fl. oz., etc. The best thing I have bought so far! :smiley:


  • jenncornelsen
    jenncornelsen Posts: 969 Member
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    looking at your diary it is all in cup form. u will get more accurate results if u weigh. especially fruit meat and heavy starches. but besides that it looked fairly decent so i would give it a bit. sometimes u will stall. i wouldn't get to discouraged. if u really dislike the treadmill why not try something else? do u plan to force yourself to use it the rest of your life? maybe u would rather walk outside, use the bike or try a class?
  • kindrabbit
    kindrabbit Posts: 837 Member
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    Hi
    I would start by being sure about the number of calories you are aiming to eat each day. You say you've tried to work out your TDEE. Have you put all your stats into MFP? If you enter all your details and tell it your activity level and your weight loss goal you will be given a figure to aim for. For example, I am 10st 12, aiming for 10st, aiming for 0.5lb a week loss and am lightly active. I get 1610 calories a day. I enter every single thing that I eat into my food diary. I weigh all solids and measure all liquids (and I mean EVERYTHING - I even weigh an apple then weigh the core to work out how much I actually ate)

    As long as you eat the number of calories MFP recommends you are more than likely going to loose weight. (of course there are variables, but in general you can expect to loose something if you eat the number you are given.) The figure you are given already has the deficit included so you don't have to subtract from the figure you are given, it's all worked out for you. Don't try too hard to get under it but do your very best to not go over it.

    As far as your exercise calories go there is a huge variety of opinion on how much if any you should eat back. Personally I eat back 100% of my steady state (I have a heart rate monitor so I use the figure it gives me), I eat back half of the circuits calories to take into account the breaks and I eat just 25% of my strength training, again to make up for all the resting I do. I think you should eat back because in order to train well you need fuel. That's just my opinion though. I try to make sure the exercise calories come from good lean, high protein foods.

    Hope that helps. Good luck
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
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    Karen_libert wrote: »
    Hi
    I would start by being sure about the number of calories you are aiming to eat each day. You say you've tried to work out your TDEE. Have you put all your stats into MFP? If you enter all your details and tell it your activity level and your weight loss goal you will be given a figure to aim for. For example, I am 10st 12, aiming for 10st, aiming for 0.5lb a week loss and am lightly active. I get 1610 calories a day. I enter every single thing that I eat into my food diary. I weigh all solids and measure all liquids (and I mean EVERYTHING - I even weigh an apple then weigh the core to work out how much I actually ate)

    As long as you eat the number of calories MFP recommends you are more than likely going to loose weight. (of course there are variables, but in general you can expect to loose something if you eat the number you are given.) The figure you are given already has the deficit included so you don't have to subtract from the figure you are given, it's all worked out for you. Don't try too hard to get under it but do your very best to not go over it.

    As far as your exercise calories go there is a huge variety of opinion on how much if any you should eat back. Personally I eat back 100% of my steady state (I have a heart rate monitor so I use the figure it gives me), I eat back half of the circuits calories to take into account the breaks and I eat just 25% of my strength training, again to make up for all the resting I do. I think you should eat back because in order to train well you need fuel. That's just my opinion though. I try to make sure the exercise calories come from good lean, high protein foods.

    Hope that helps. Good luck

    Thank you! It does. I think I am going to go in and look over my MFP stats and make sure they are correct.

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