4lbs in 1 week lost. Exercise questions

jeffpettis

kristinhull1 wrote: »

Im eating around 1200-1600 calories a day. I lost 4lbs in a week. So im doing something right. I have had a addiction to pepsi for 8 years and 8 days ago I kicked the habit for good. Im worried that the 4lbs I lost is due to my body getting the water it needs and that im not doing something right.

If you lost weight you are doing something right. Even if it was all water the body would not have lost any weight if you were not in a deficit. This is common for anyone starting to eat in an energy deficit. The body will normally lose water, glycogen, etc. first and then start losing fat.

snickerscharlie

pwponton44 wrote: »

I also eat all the calories I burned from exercise. It is okay to do so as long as I do not exceed my daily allowance plus those burned from exercising? Exercise is where I am the strongest and use those calories to offset my deficit. I exercise everyday as I overeat my daily goal calories. I am fairly new to MFP.

Generally, most people don't eat back more than 50% of the calories earned from exercise because most exercise burn rates are highly inflated. This will also leave you a bit of wiggle room to compensate for any food logging inaccuracies.

The only way to find out for sure how many of your exercise calories you can eat back and still continue to lose weight is trial and error. If you eat them all back and your weight loss stalls or increases over the time span of *at least* a few weeks, you're eating back too many of 'em.

Edited to add: The other thing I strongly recommend is to buy a digital food scale (@ $15) and weigh everything you eat. Because until you do, you really have no accurate idea of how much you're actually eating in a day.

kristinhull1

@jeffpettis I just worry too much. I dont have the healthiest diet. But have cut out alot of unhealthy choices and added walking 4 times a week and started using dumbells 5 days out of the week, A year ago I tried to lose weight and lost 15lbs and then the weight totally stopped coming off. After months of trying to get the scale to go down I gave up. I have 56lbs to lose. Im 4'11. I need to get to 120-130. Im 181 now.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

kristinhull1 wrote: »

Im going going....I love walking now. The first time walking almost killed me. We live in a apartment complex and in order to get out of our parking lot you have to walk a steep hill. We usually walk around 4 blocks turn around and walk back around them and come down the hill. Im starting some strength training today. My Mom gave me 20lb dumbells.

OMG do not start lifting with 20lb dumbbells, please. You will only hurt yourself. I've been lifting 3-4 times/week.for 6 months and can't do.12 bicep curls with 20lbs. My 15 yo son hyperextended his elbow using a 15lb weight week. Go spend the money on 3 and 5 lb dumbbells to.start with.

JustME1611

As far as exercises, if you can't get outdoors due to weather and can't do a gym then try some workout dvds. Jillian Michaels has some good ones and check out beachbody.com. Turbo Jam is one of my favorites. It does get frustrating when you don't see the scales moving but don't give up! Alot of times when you are working out you may not see a difference on the scales but you can tell it in your clothes bc you will lose inches. Don't give up!

kristinhull1

Did I say 20. I meant 5 lol. She gave me 5 and 20lbs dumbells. Im using the 5's for now.

kristinhull1

@JustME1611 I do notice my stomach looks smaller. Nobody else does tho.

Sandcastles61

snickerscharlie wrote: »

pwponton44 wrote: »

I also eat all the calories I burned from exercise. It is okay to do so as long as I do not exceed my daily allowance plus those burned from exercising? Exercise is where I am the strongest and use those calories to offset my deficit. I exercise everyday as I overeat my daily goal calories. I am fairly new to MFP.

Generally, most people don't eat back more than 50% of the calories earned from exercise because most exercise burn rates are highly inflated. This will also leave you a bit of wiggle room to compensate for any food logging inaccuracies.

The only way to find out for sure how many of your exercise calories you can eat back and still continue to lose weight is trial and error. If you eat them all back and your weight loss stalls or increases over the time span of *at least* a few weeks, you're eating back too many of 'em.

This exactly The number one reason people don't lose is because they underestimate their food intake and overestimate their exercise calories. I often think of weight loss as a never ending science experiment of cause and effect. Every time you make a change in your calorie intake or change up or add to your exercise, you need to give yourself two to four weeks for your body to get used to the changes.

jeffpettis

kristinhull1 wrote: »

@jeffpettis I just worry too much. I dont have the healthiest diet. But have cut out alot of unhealthy choices and added walking 4 times a week and started using dumbells 5 days out of the week, A year ago I tried to lose weight and lost 15lbs and then the weight totally stopped coming off. After months of trying to get the scale to go down I gave up. I have 56lbs to lose. Im 4'11. I need to get to 120-130. Im 181 now.

A "healthy" diet is subjective at best. For your goals, focus on a calorie deficit and not so much on "healthy". I know that sounds odd, but the only thing that is absolutely required to lose weight is a deficit. The types of food you eat don't matter. If you start cutting out the foods you like and start labeling foods as "bad" or "unhealthy" you are setting yourself up for failure.

kristinhull1

@jeffpettis I have a 2 year old Son and a fiance that can eat like he has a pit in his stomach and gains no weight. We've been together 9 years and he still a small 135lbs. Lucky him huh. So they like eating proccessed, fast foods and sugary snacks. I lost 4lbs so im doing something right. Im just afraid its going to stop like last time.