What should I go by?

lostgrl85

I'm currently 330 lbs and I exercise every day (usually one day strength training with a personal trainer and the rest either Zumba or aqua classes, with the occasional walk on my aqua days). I have lost 33 lbs since September (watching what I eat, but it was off and on) , but I never actually started counting calories until shortly before joining MFP about 2 weeks ago. I have lost a lot of weight before, but I gained it back when I went back to my old habits, and I was never this big before, so now is different. Lately, the scale will hardly move, and I never had this problem when I lost weight before. I have lost 3 inches in my waist since I started exercising regularly (about 2 months ago), so I am making some progress, but I'm confused about how much I should eat. I looked at BMR and TDEE calculators and they both put me at around 3800-3900 calories for maintenance. If I subtract 25% from the figures I found for steady weight loss, I was coming up with 2800-2900 calories a day. I also have a bodybugg (advertised as 93% accurate) and I've been coming up with calorie burns usually 3600-4000 a day, so it's right in line with those calculators and it says to eat 2600 a day. MFP says 1980 a day though, but it goes up a ton after I sync my bodybugg data. Since joining MFP, I've only gone over the 1980 a couple times. I usually eat closer to 1600 calories a day. The days I did go over, it absolutely did not affect my weight in a negative way. I can also say my workouts are pretty intense for me (Zumba always leads to 700+ calorie burn) and I have been wanting to eat all the time since I started. Would I be better off increasing my calorie intake or should I leave it alone and give it more time to work?

shadow2soul

I'd go by the info from your Bodybugg. MFP is just guessing, where as your bodybugg actually knows a lot more about your day.
Try it for a month or so, if at the end you don't lose weight or inches, then switch to the MFP method (which involves eating exercise calories back) and try that for a month.

Weight – So many things can affect weight, because of this it shouldn’t be the only way you track your progress. Things to keep in mind:
:drinker: Always use the same scale – Different scales can show different weights. You will get the most accurate number for tracking when using the same scale.
:drinker: Don’t move the scale – Carpet, uneven flooring, different types of flooring…can all affect the weight on the scale. So when you weigh, you want it to be approximately the same spot for the most accurate number for tracking.
:drinker: 3500 calories – To gain 1lb of fat you need to be over maintenance by 3500 calories.
:drinker: Muscle Repair – Muscles will hold onto water to repair, because of this it is not uncommon to see a gain for a little while after a workout. This weight comes right back off when they are done repairing.
:drinker: Sodium – Can cause you to retain water. This can also be amplified if you don’t drink enough to flush it out of your system. This is also another reason for temporary weight gain.
:drinker: Water – Not drinking enough water can actually cause you to retain water. Recommended amount is 8 cups or 64oz. I drink 64 oz to 128 oz of water a day. It doesn’t have to be plain water either. I like to flavor mine with crystal light or tea.
:drinker: Time of day – Your weight can fluctuate throughout the day. So for the most accurate tracking, you want to weigh at around the same time.
:drinker: Frequency – This is up to you, but if small fluctuations bother you than only weigh once a week or less.
:drinker: Lightest Weight – Will be naked, first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom
:drinker: Multiple times a Day – Don’t Do It. As I said before, your weight will fluctuate throughout the day. What you eat, what you’re wearing, ect will all affect weight.
:drinker: Clothes – If you weigh with clothing on, keep in mind that the scale will show your weight plus the weight of your clothes. (Jeans are heavy)
:drinker: TOM - A lot of women will retain water around their TOM, but its just temporary and will go away.

withintherose

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

coco3382458

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

so what is the point of cardio then? (new here so that confuses me)

sterven

Another thing I found helpful is don't weigh yourself as often. This is more of a mental challenge than physical. I was weighing in every single day and when I would gain weight I would just give up even if it was only .10 of a pound. But if you only weigh in weekly, assuming you stick to your good eating habits and exercise you should almost always lose some weight.

brit__2006

Just an idea, if you are losing inches then you're losing but gaining. When you start exercising like normal you body will start putting on muscle. Therefore you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Many people say muscle weighs more than fat, not true a pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, but muscle is denser so if you have the same portion of muscle vs fat then yes muscle weighs more. Either way done with my rambling.
If you are seeing inch loss and not weight loss the idea is you're gaining muscle, which is turn is more active and burns more calories. It's a great thing. The rest will catch up!

shadow2soul

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

edit: I misread the statement.

You can burn some fat without strength/resistance training, but you have a high chance of losing muscle.
Resistance training will help you keep your muscle, so that you burn mostly fat.

brit__2006

Another thing I found helpful is don't weigh yourself as often. This is more of a mental challenge than physical. I was weighing in every single day and when I would gain weight I would just give up even if it was only .10 of a pound. But if you only weigh in weekly, assuming you stick to your good eating habits and exercise you should almost always lose some weight.

I don't disagree at all with what you are saying, but to give each side of that idea. I weigh daily, and yes it's up and down and up and down again. Anywhere from 3-5 lbs either way each day, but the thing you have to do is to learn to not be discouraged. I have realized that weighing myself daily is very beneficial for me because then I have a chance to see how what I did or didn't do the prior day affected me. Especially since I retain water very easily.

tabfjo

It's true. Plenty of research is out there on it. If you just do cardio with no strength training you become "skinny fat."

Velum_cado

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

Wrong. Everyone already *has* muscle. And organs. And a circulatory system. And a respiratory system. And glands. And hair to grow.

Running all of these things burns calories, which, if you're taking in fewer than you're burning, will burn fat.

brit__2006

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this usually when someone is underweight, which in turn causes them to burn lean muscles, but from fat around the stomach?

"The medical term for this is "MONW," or metabolically obese normal weight, which I prefer to refer to as being a skinny fat person. It means you are under lean but over fat -- not enough muscle and too much fat (especially belly fat). It seems it is better to be fat and fit than thin and out of shape."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html

I believe cardio especially in someone overweight is great to start out with. Then gradually add strength training into your workouts. You will initially burn fat and build muscle, but if all you do is cardio cardio cardio then you can wear down your muscles, but it doesn't mean you lose them. I don't know how anyone could say there is a void in where the muscles "should" be. Really?

withintherose

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

Wrong. Everyone already *has* muscle. And organs. And a circulatory system. And a respiratory system. And glands. And hair to grow.

Running all of these things burns calories, which, if you're taking in fewer than you're burning, will burn fat.

It is not wrong.
I know everyone "has" muscle. But the part of strength training is to build on that muscle - which helps burn fat.
Do some reading.

Here is a start: http://enquirer.com/editions/2003/08/11/tem_wwwtem3train11.html

tabfjo

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this usually when someone is underweight, which in turn causes them to burn lean muscles, but from fat around the stomach?

"The medical term for this is "MONW," or metabolically obese normal weight, which I prefer to refer to as being a skinny fat person. It means you are under lean but over fat -- not enough muscle and too much fat (especially belly fat). It seems it is better to be fat and fit than thin and out of shape."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html

I believe cardio especially in someone overweight is great to start out with. Then gradually add strength training into your workouts. You will initially burn fat and build muscle, but if all you do is cardio cardio cardio then you can wear down your muscles, but it doesn't mean you lose them. I don't know how anyone could say there is a void in where the muscles "should" be. Really?

Skinny Fat has nothing to do with being under weight or is it specific to stomach fat. In your quote (which is an excellent description) it defines it, "you are under lean but over fat -- not enough muscle and too much fat." Under lean = little muscle mass.

withintherose

Incorporate more strength training.
You have to build muscle in order to burn fat.

You can cardio cardio cardio all you want but if you lack muscle... it is almost void.

edit: I misread the statement.

You can burn some fat without strength/resistance training, but you have a high chance of losing muscle.
Resistance training will help you keep your muscle, so that you burn mostly fat.

\

You said it better than I, but yes, this is correct.

brit__2006

If I'm not mistaken, isn't this usually when someone is underweight, which in turn causes them to burn lean muscles, but from fat around the stomach?

"The medical term for this is "MONW," or metabolically obese normal weight, which I prefer to refer to as being a skinny fat person. It means you are under lean but over fat -- not enough muscle and too much fat (especially belly fat). It seems it is better to be fat and fit than thin and out of shape."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/skinny-fat_b_1799797.html

I believe cardio especially in someone overweight is great to start out with. Then gradually add strength training into your workouts. You will initially burn fat and build muscle, but if all you do is cardio cardio cardio then you can wear down your muscles, but it doesn't mean you lose them. I don't know how anyone could say there is a void in where the muscles "should" be. Really?

Skinny Fat has nothing to do with being under weight or is it specific to stomach fat. In your quote (which is an excellent description) it defines it, "you are under lean but over fat -- not enough muscle and too much fat." Under lean = little muscle mass.

Right, I understand that, just have never heard of that term for someone who wasn't underweight. I get that under lean means little muscle mass, but I guess everyone has different opinions too. When I hear the term skinny I associate it with underweight.