caloric intake question

tlmcint

perhaps I am expecting more than I should be given my age etc. I am 48, and I have a desk job. When I get home I use to sit at the computer... I zoomed up to 226. Finally I decided to take control and in late January I changed everything in how I eat, and started exercising.

Then I found this site and started logging my intake and exercise. Which until today I kept private. I am down to 196 (which averages to a little over a pound a week loss), which I am thankful for!! However, given the fact that I went from eating anything and everything and a lot of it... and drinking multiple cokes a day and never exercising, I feel the weight loss should be faster and more given the changes I've made.

Now, I do have a harder time on the weekends sticking to healthy eating.. Sundays especially since we eat with my in-laws, but surely one bad day a week can't negate everything else. Last week I lost nothing despite eating well and exercising every night. And this has happened many times, that I lose nothing for a week despite everything I've done over the week to eat well and exercise.

With the exercise I log, I am only logging the cardio and not the weights I am also doing.

Ok I'm rambling a bit, my question is this... am I eating too few calories overall and that is why perhaps the weight loss is so slow to come? Or am I just expecting too much? oooorrr.. am I not doing as well or as much as I think I am.. lol

kmash32

HI,

One to two pounds a week is normal and great. I would be proud of how much you have lost.

That being said I did take a look at your diary and noticed except for Sunday's you generally stick to eating 1200 calories or less a day even though you exercise. I know there are a lot of people on here that will disagree with me but for me I actually found I lose about 2 - 3 pounds a week (except for that time of the month) by eating 1500 calories a day when I exercise and 1200-1300 when I don't.

My friend just got back from 6 weeks at the biggest loser ranch and she would be around your size and they told her they use to use 1200 calories but now do 1500 and that there clients have much more success.

I have seen professional dietitions and nutritionists because of my PCOS and they all say that yes there is such a thing as your body going into starvation mode (which I know a lot of people on here don't believe). She explained it that for anorexic's there body eventually goes past this and has to feed off the fat and muscle to survive but for normal people because it is just short periods between eating your body stores the fat until it gets fed again. (not sure if I am explaining it very well).

Bottom-line is maybe you want to try and up your caloric intake a little, but it is completely up to you.

Kim

ngyoung

perhaps I am expecting more than I should be given my age etc. I am 48, and I have a desk job. When I get home I use to sit at the computer... I zoomed up to 226. Finally I decided to take control and in late January I changed everything in how I eat, and started exercising.

Then I found this site and started logging my intake and exercise. Which until today I kept private. I am down to 196 (which averages to a little over a pound a week loss), which I am thankful for!! However, given the fact that I went from eating anything and everything and a lot of it... and drinking multiple cokes a day and never exercising, I feel the weight loss should be faster and more given the changes I've made.

Now, I do have a harder time on the weekends sticking to healthy eating.. Sundays especially since we eat with my in-laws, but surely one bad day a week can't negate everything else. Last week I lost nothing despite eating well and exercising every night. And this has happened many times, that I lose nothing for a week despite everything I've done over the week to eat well and exercise.

With the exercise I log, I am only logging the cardio and not the weights I am also doing.

Ok I'm rambling a bit, my question is this... am I eating too few calories overall and that is why perhaps the weight loss is so slow to come? Or am I just expecting too much? oooorrr.. am I not doing as well or as much as I think I am.. lol

That rate is about how much the average person can actually burn in body fat. There may be periods where you get a greater rate but in the long term it usually averages out to that much. You also have to take into consideration your body composition. If you are replacing fat with muscle it effects your net weight loss. Now that you are down to a more reasonable weight I would be gauging your success based on your physical performance, doing more reps or heavier weights, feeling more agile, more endurance, etc. Keep up what you are doing while being mindful of avoiding workout injuries and you will be fine.