Is this enough exercise a week to lose weight?

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  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    It sounds like no matter what we use it won't be exactly correct lol.

    correct. Neither will calories in.

  • dontgiveup2319
    dontgiveup2319 Posts: 145 Member
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    Is a guessing game ;)
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    It sounds like no matter what we use it won't be exactly correct lol.

    Exactly. HRMs can approach accuracy only during steady state cardio ... it is the only situation where the formulas they use apply. They use HR as a proxy for effort using known relationships for certain, steady aerobic activities ... running, rowing, cycling. That relationship does not exist for anaerobic activity. Intervals result in skewed calculations ... HR remains elevated long after the effort level drops so the relationship the device looks for (HR/effort) isn't there.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    If you have your FitBit account linked here you needn't worry about your activity setting here. You can just set it to sedentary and it'll give you an adjustment for any days you earn more. For round the clock activity monitoring a tracker will serve you much better than an HRM which is better for stand alone workouts where your heart rate is consistently elevated.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    It sounds like no matter what we use it won't be exactly correct lol.

    That's right. So you choose the most accurate options that you can (for tracking both calories burned and calories eaten) and you adjust based on your real world results. Not losing like you want after a few weeks? Something's off so you adjust your calories downward and see what happens. Losing weight faster than you expect? Well, something's off in the opposite direction so you can eat a little more. It can be hard when you're getting started, but within a couple of weeks you should get enough information to figure out how you fit into the general equations.

  • dontgiveup2319
    dontgiveup2319 Posts: 145 Member
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    WaterBunnie wrote: »
    If you have your FitBit account linked here you needn't worry about your activity setting here. You can just set it to sedentary and it'll give you an adjustment for any days you earn more. For round the clock activity monitoring a tracker will serve you much better than an HRM which is better for stand alone workouts where your heart rate is consistently elevated.

    I can't get my fitbit to sync. It says it's already connected with mfp but I don't see it anywhere?
  • janegalt37
    janegalt37 Posts: 270 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    Is a guessing game ;)

    Not so much 'guessing' as 'trial and error' until you find your sweet spot. Then, a few weeks or months into your progress, the sweet spot will move, and you adjust. It really is easier than it sounds.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I can't get my fitbit to sync. It says it's already connected with mfp but I don't see it anywhere?

    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. No need to log any step-based activity—your Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • ElisaJtsu
    ElisaJtsu Posts: 97 Member
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    tincanonastring wrote: »
    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    When I first started which was a year and a half ago I worked out 8,11 hours a week almost everyday and my diet was eating veggies, fruit, meat, nuts and some eggs. I ate a lot of fish and chicken and ate 3-6 meals a day....I'm a working progress as I'm trying to get back to that again. It's hard when you're not hungry.

    I don't think I counted carbs though. By doing this I lost 21 lbs in a month. I also drank about a gallon of water a day. I guess I could workout more than what I do. I don't work so I'm home doing nothing most of the day.

    You don't need to cut/count carbs. You don't need to exercise 8-11 hours a week. You don't need to eat clean. None of those things are necessary for weight loss. Do them if they make you happy, but don't think that you must do those things to lose weight. It's just not the case.

    THIS! And, calories are energy. If you consume more than your body needs, you put on weight. If you use up more than you consume, you lose weight. Exercise & 'clean' eating is beneficial for your health not weight loss.
    And don't ever be sorry for asking questions! Why would we have forums like this? :)
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
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    Naener wrote: »
    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    So it's only how many calories you eat? I don't understand how you can eat whatever you want and never exercise and lose weight?

    You cant "eat whatever you want" theres still bad and empty calories. eating at a deficit (less than usual/less than needed to maintain your current weight) is how you lose fat.

    if you eat nothing but fat... well, its not likely that youll lose much of it, is it?

    Actually if you eat at a calorie deficit you CAN eat anything you want. Will it be healthy weight loss? Probably not but you can lose weight eating crap.

  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I've ate whatever I wanted without exercising and didn't go over a certain amount of calories a day and I never lost weight. Junk food equals unhealthy life.

    That is absurdly false. I eat what you would call "junk food" all the time and every single one of my health markers related to weight (other than my actual weight) are solidly in the healthy range. Besides, your question is about weight control, not health.

    If the "certain amount of calories a day" you eat is less than that which you burn, and that pattern continues for an appreciable time period, you will lose weight. There is literally no way for it to work in any other way.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
    edited July 2015
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I've ate whatever I wanted without exercising and didn't go over a certain amount of calories a day and I never lost weight. Junk food equals unhealthy life.

    False. You lose weight if you eat less calories than you burn no matter what you eat. CICO. You were not tracking your calories in and/or out accurately and that is the reason you did not lose weight.

    You keep wanting to do the "perfect" weight loss - only healthy food, a 100% accurate calorie burn number, the perfect amount of exercise. You don't need to do this all perfectly to lose weight. All you need to do is log calories as accurately as possible (with a scale) and have a reasonable deficit based on either mfp calculator or any other. That's all. Exercise and healthier food choices only matter for your health. Not weight loss.

  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    I eat burgers, fries, pizza, and Little Debbie ... I drink ... my weight stays in a five pound band of the healthy weight range ... I run half marathons and do 40-65 mile bike rides ... no health issues.

    If you eat fewer calories than you use, you lose weight. If you eat as much as you use, your weight remains constant. If you eat more calories than you use, you gain weight. CI vs CO.
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    edited July 2015
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I've ate whatever I wanted without exercising and didn't go over a certain amount of calories a day and I never lost weight. Junk food equals unhealthy life.

    Well, you are probably eating more than you think. Are you weighing your food?
    Keep in mind, we are not your enemy, we are honestly trying to help you. But the only way you will succeed at your weightloss is being honest with yourself.

    I honestly hope that you have read the threads that have been linked to. Can you please confirm if you have.
    I am going to edit in a link to another thread I would suggest you read. It is very inspiring and insightful.

    Edit: this thread http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10105396/to-all-the-mfp-meanies-and-know-it-alls-this-is-for-you/p1
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
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    AsISmile wrote: »
    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I've ate whatever I wanted without exercising and didn't go over a certain amount of calories a day and I never lost weight. Junk food equals unhealthy life.

    Well, you are probably eating more than you think. Are you weighing your food?
    Keep in mind, we are not your enemy, we are honestly trying to help you. But the only way you will succeed at your weightloss is being honest with yourself.

    I honestly hope that you have read the threads that have been linked to. Can you please confirm if you have.
    I am going to edit in a link to another thread I would suggest you read. It is very inspiring and insightful.

    +1 that accurate and honest logging is so important. When I started on mfp I didn't weigh my food and "cheated" by using entries with lower calories if it was something I couldn't weigh. But that all adds up and a few 100 extra calories a day of lax logging = no weight loss. Once I started truly logging as accurately as possible BOOM I lost weight. Now that I am in maintenance and have weighed food I eat a lot many many times I don't weigh everything. But that took like a year of weighing to be able to eyeball. I still weigh very calorie dense foods.
  • dontgiveup2319
    dontgiveup2319 Posts: 145 Member
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    AsISmile wrote: »
    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I've ate whatever I wanted without exercising and didn't go over a certain amount of calories a day and I never lost weight. Junk food equals unhealthy life.

    Well, you are probably eating more than you think. Are you weighing your food?
    Keep in mind, we are not your enemy, we are honestly trying to help you. But the only way you will succeed at your weightloss is being honest with yourself.

    I honestly hope that you have read the threads that have been linked to. Can you please confirm if you have.
    I am going to edit in a link to another thread I would suggest you read. It is very inspiring and insightful.

    Edit: this thread http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10105396/to-all-the-mfp-meanies-and-know-it-alls-this-is-for-you/p1

    Yes I've read everything I needed to read. I read the link you just gave too. I honestly don't know what I'm doing wrong....I eat healthy, I make all my meals from scratch. I eat 1200 calories and my calorie deficit is 1735. I'm not supposed to go under 1200 calories so what am I supposed to do once I hit a plateau?
  • dontgiveup2319
    dontgiveup2319 Posts: 145 Member
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    I weigh all my food...I probably need a different scale because mine only weighs in pounds and fluid ounces.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    dontgiveup2319 wrote: »
    I weigh all my food...I probably need a different scale because mine only weighs in pounds and fluid ounces.

    And we come full circle and return to the importance of accurate logging.
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
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    Have you lost zero weight, or just less than you hoped? You previously lost weight very quickly so maybe your expectations are off. You won't lose 2 lbs a week, it is not that linear. You may lose .5 lb this week and 2.5 next.

    Have you tried trend weight? It can sync with the weight you enter in mfp and see your weight trends. You may go up and down each day but be gradually losing.
  • dontgiveup2319
    dontgiveup2319 Posts: 145 Member
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    I give up on this..... :s

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