New to this EM2WL and scared
ANT98
Posts: 137 Member
So I'm 5'5", 152lbs, 18, female, ~28% bf, trying to lose 15-20lbs, sedentary+300 calorie burn exercises 4-5x a week. I have never been successful with weight loss, I've binged and went from 140-160 through 2 years and am down to 153 now but this is over 6 months getting here, I'd say this is from not being in a straight deficit.
Lately I've been eating 1500, and some say I should try eating less.
Some say don't eat below bmr, mine is 1500.
Some say 1500+exercise burn.
Some say 1800.
Others say I should reverse diet to find true maintenance and then start again because I've been on and off on calories for past months.
Others say to eat more because my metabolism needs to be fed?
Others say be more consistent with intake.
I've been yoyo dieting a lot lately with days that I go 1400, 1500, 2200, 1500 but I still stay within an average of 1500-1600 calorie range for the week.
I'm lost in what I should do and how I would start and what should I expect.
Lately I've been eating 1500, and some say I should try eating less.
Some say don't eat below bmr, mine is 1500.
Some say 1500+exercise burn.
Some say 1800.
Others say I should reverse diet to find true maintenance and then start again because I've been on and off on calories for past months.
Others say to eat more because my metabolism needs to be fed?
Others say be more consistent with intake.
I've been yoyo dieting a lot lately with days that I go 1400, 1500, 2200, 1500 but I still stay within an average of 1500-1600 calorie range for the week.
I'm lost in what I should do and how I would start and what should I expect.
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Replies
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Eat less than you burn on average by a reasonable amount - that's the principle.
Reasonable has to do with amount to be lost and types of exercise done.
What you eat has a lot of variety to recommendations, but generally enough protein and fat to assist body functions so it's not stressed out, and retain muscle mass. Other stuff is usually just personal preference for you.
What you burn is the kicker, and starting to build from the low end never works, like BMR + whatever.
Best to start from high end estimate.
15-20 lbs is 15% or maybe 350 cal deficit as reasonable. Dropping to smaller at 10 lbs left.
Eating more than potential maintenance won't do anything but cause fat gain.
Eating more than suppressed maintenance can indeed help unstress body. Nothing to heal though, it slowed down because it's working right actually in response to extreme deficit. You just want it sped up to potential.
Get a good estimate of what your average daily burn is, being honest with your time and exercise and daily activity.
Like 3 to 4 times weekly 40 - 60 min is either 3.5 x 50 min, or really add up the average workout time better, if some days always 40 some always 60.
Use this for better estimate.
Just TDEE please, better than 5 level TDEE charts.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit?usp=sharing
And if you've been eating for awhile at about BMR, calories needed just for sleeping all day, but you have been exercising too - ya, body is stressed out and probably adapted slower.0 -
It is scary because you're beat about the head with CICO. Especially in the forums where evey art history major is now a physicist and professor of thermodynamics.
What you have to understand is that the body, in response to less intake, will lower it's output. So you just have to break the monotony of the deficit with some time spent finding and eating at maintenance. It's okay, trust the process.
Like @heybales says, set a routine or accurately measure the one you have. Consistent activity is crucial. Then it's up to you what you decide to do with the information given.
Good luck.0 -
XavierNusum wrote: »
Like @heybales says, set a routine or accurately measure the one you have. Consistent activity is crucial.
Good luck.
Wow thanks you guys! Yeah there's so many recommendations I'm getting.
@XavierNusum Sorry I'm confused what you mean by this0 -
You are young. You have so much time to figure this all out. What I would do is figure out what your TDEE is. Go to the articles part of this and read. It means you won't lose weight for a while, but it will allow you to figure out what you should be eating and then what your healthy deficit should be. It's worth doing now so you don't screw yourself for years (coming from someone who did and has finally figured out all of this in her 40s). Take the time - it might be over a year, but it'll be worth it.0
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mymodernbabylon wrote: »You are young. You have so much time to figure this all out. What I would do is figure out what your TDEE is. Go to the articles part of this and read. It means you won't lose weight for a while, but it will allow you to figure out what you should be eating and then what your healthy deficit should be. It's worth doing now so you don't screw yourself for years (coming from someone who did and has finally figured out all of this in her 40s). Take the time - it might be over a year, but it'll be worth it.
Thank you, yeah I'm kind of mad at myself for even getting sucked into this diet stuff in the first place. It started when I was 16 (Ik, worst time to deprive myself) and it took 2 years before I am actually going the healthy approach. The only good I can say that comes out of this is that I can recognize when someone else my age or younger is going down the wrong path.0 -
XavierNusum wrote: »
Like @heybales says, set a routine or accurately measure the one you have. Consistent activity is crucial.
Good luck.
Wow thanks you guys! Yeah there's so many recommendations I'm getting.
@XavierNusum Sorry I'm confused what you mean by this
If you don't have a consistent exercise routine or activity routine start one. If you do, break it down and put it in the calculator because that is the key to consistent TDEE.0
