So it's not just eat less move more?! BMI, TDEE, BMR?

Clarewinter73

I really would benefit from some help please!

I am in a state of confusion. MFP says I should eat 1350 cals. Fine – I managed this easily. I also do 1 hour of exercise per day earning 450 cal. My net therefore is 900cals most days.

Before everyone starts screaming “it’s not enough!” I really need an explanation, because I look at several groups of people – those who have had gastric surgery for example, celebrities heralded to be on “babyfood” or edamame beans only… What’s the common factor – they aren’t eating much! So I am confused as to this whole ‘your body thinks you are starving and hangs onto every calorie’ theory. Surely it’s eats less, so more, weigh less?

In 4 months I have lost 21lb (didn’t join MFP until later) - I am disappointed in this, to me, it's not a measure of my efforts. I have PCOS and knew the weight wasn’t going to fly off, but was told that with a concerted effort it would – well, come off maybe not fly! I really feel that I made that effort but now the scales haven’t budged in 2 weeks.

So…I conclude that I am doing something wrong. I’m going to need some convincing on the eating too little front. I also don’t drink much water – is this really a deal breaker? I drink other drinks, not really water much…diet sodas, tea, coffee, a bit of water.

I have used these blogs and seen other similar comments and the advice is to check your TDEE? I did this and it turned out at 1875 cals but with exercise it says eat 2900 -WHY?! I’m not doing exercise to the tune of 1000 cals? I think back to other slimming plans – weight watchers in particular. There was the usual advice to drink water (my bad) and eat the “points” unless you were going to save to an occasion that week. Exercise however, could be done without a need to eat the cals, points, whatever!

Friends are now talking to me about slimming world which just seems unbelievable? Eat as much fruit veg, potatoes, pasta and rice as you like? Sprinkle cheese on if you like it's a "healthy A", have a bread roll it's a healthy "b" - low fat yoghurt is "superfree"? Seems too good to be true??? (and rather complicated)

I have another 70lb to loose – we aren’t talking small numbers. I am also suffering from sporadic sleep apnoa and desperate to get this right for that reason. I like MFP - it's simple and clearly works but I want to get it right

All help greatfully appreciated!

jlyork1981

It sounds like you have plateaued which means you need to swith something up. Not usally is it your calorie intake that needs to change but I would recommend more water and watching your sodium levels because if you aren't drinking enough water to clean out the salt then you may be holding water weight. The one thing I recommend is that you switch up your exercise. What are you doing now?

Clarewinter73

Hi - swimming...only swimming. 1 hour a day at moderate pace. I'm scared of super fit super skinny's at classes!

Clarewinter73

I didn't think of water not getting rid of sodium...many thanks!

jlyork1981

Try doing some walking or add in weight lifting into your routine. I know weight lifting scares alot of people but use light weights and try to work a 2 to 3 muscle groups during your workout days as well as your core muscles. For example do your biceps, triceps and shoulders and for your core its the same situps or crunches of some sort which does your abs and your back at the same time.

NaomiLyn15

First of all, your weight loss is spot on. Congrats on that, you are losing about 1-1.5 lbs a week. This is a great rate for keeping it off. I also have PCOS, so weight loss is difficult for me as well. It took me two years to lose it all and keep it off. The first thing I notice is that you aren't eating enough. Stop looking at the billion ways to calculate what you should eat. If you are on MFP, just follow the process here. Don't look at all the other things. Once you get into a groove and understand how your body works, then look at TDEE. But to start with its all very confusing. So, eat what MFP tells you to eat., but make sure you eat your exercise calories. But, that being said, there are two important things to keep in mind. Calorie burn and Calories consumed.

1. Get a HR Monitor if you don't have one. Make sure you are burning what you think you are. If you can't get one, then do a lot of research online to see what you are probably burning. If you eat back your exercise calories (which you really should), you need to know what you are really burning. Because I don't have a HR Monitor I do an average calorie burn and eat about 75% of that back.

2. Use a food scale. Make sure you are eating what you think you are eating. Its really easy to eat more than you think, therefore over-eating.

But in all actuality, past these two comments, you may just be at a plateau. That is normal, frustrating, but normal. So, keep doing what you are doing and it will start to come back off again. But jlyork is right, change up your exercise and you might jumpstart it. Even adding in more walking can definitely help.

Friend me if you would like additional support. I do understand how difficult it is to lose weight with PCOS.
Good luck.

jlyork1981

I learned along time ago if you have anything at all wrong with your metabolism horomones things are a bit difficult in the losing weight realm. I have hypothyroidism and trust me it means constantly changing things up and checking on things to get everything moving so I can do what I want to do and that is lose weight.

If wanted you can both friend me. I can use all the support I can get in this weight loss adventure since I have about 100 lbs plus to drop,