Increase exercise or decrease calories?

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Antd420
Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have 9 pounds left to lose, I already lost 46. These last 9 pounds just aren't budging, should I increase my exercise or decrease my calories? I'm at 1800 calories right now.
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Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Antd420 wrote: »
    I have 9 pounds left to lose, I already lost 46. These last 9 pounds just aren't budging, should I increase my exercise or decrease my calories? I'm at 1800 calories right now.

    Yes.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    How much are you working out now?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Antd420 wrote: »
    I have 9 pounds left to lose, I already lost 46. These last 9 pounds just aren't budging, should I increase my exercise or decrease my calories? I'm at 1800 calories right now.

    whichever you find easier
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Assuming everything else stays the same... it won't matter. The end result will be the same either way.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
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    Whichever one you are willing to maintain long-term.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Which ever one you find easier. If you take in less than you burn you will lose. :smile:
  • Antd420
    Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
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    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    How much are you working out now?

    90 min weight training and 60 min cardio 5 days a week. I don't want to lose muscle which is why I'm asking.
  • Antd420
    Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
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    Thanks for the comments
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    You do both strength and cardio each day, 5 days a week? Or one each, alternate days, and 2 rest days? Personally, either way sounds like you have enough exercise and adding more could lead to overuse injuries or burn out. You could add something easier one day a week, like swimming or yoga, or just take a walk to stay active. I would look closer at your food diary. At 1800 calories, you should still be losing.
  • RanaSimon
    RanaSimon Posts: 73 Member
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    Antd420 wrote: »
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    How much are you working out now?

    90 min weight training and 60 min cardio 5 days a week. I don't want to lose muscle which is why I'm asking.

    I'd suggest reducing calories or increase cardio. You might want to keep a closer eye on sugar and fat intake, too, and adjust that instead of calories.

    Also, how much water are you taking in on a daily basis? Make sure you're at 8-10 cups a day, or you might be retaining water.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    You do both strength and cardio each day, 5 days a week? Or one each, alternate days, and 2 rest days? Personally, either way sounds like you have enough exercise and adding more could lead to overuse injuries or burn out. You could add something easier one day a week, like swimming or yoga, or just take a walk to stay active. I would look closer at your food diary. At 1800 calories, you should still be losing.

    My thoughts exactly.

    Assuming your logging is reasonably accurate and that 1800 cals is pretty close to 1800 cals, you should still be losing.

    If you're both lifting and cardio-ing 5 days per week, you might want to consider dropping the volume and increasing the intensity a bit if muscle preservation is your focus while you continue to drop weight. That sounds like a ton of exercise on minimal cals to me.

    That said, I'm doing something similar, so WTF do I know???
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    I vote for increase exercise :D.
    Eat to lose weight. Exercise to eat more. Ha!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,633 Member
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    I would have you increase your calories by 250 and just increase the INTENSITY of your exercise.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • rosepedals02
    rosepedals02 Posts: 16 Member
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    Well ! You have to take in less calories and burn more .. So lower your calorie count to 1600 ..
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
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    Antd420 wrote: »
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    How much are you working out now?

    90 min weight training and 60 min cardio 5 days a week. I don't want to lose muscle which is why I'm asking.

    Any weight training over 60 minutes is pointless in my opinion. After an hour, you are not getting any real benefit. Unless you are taking long breaks.
  • Antd420
    Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
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    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    You do both strength and cardio each day, 5 days a week? Or one each, alternate days, and 2 rest days? Personally, either way sounds like you have enough exercise and adding more could lead to overuse injuries or burn out. You could add something easier one day a week, like swimming or yoga, or just take a walk to stay active. I would look closer at your food diary. At 1800 calories, you should still be losing.

    I do both 5 days a week
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    I would up the intensity of my cardio work.

    I'm an avid cycling enthusiast and have primarily done endurance type events and thus a lot of endurance riding...slogging out miles and long hours on the bike. This summer I signed up for a time trial series which is a whole new realm of cycling for me so instead of spending an hour plus on my bike and slogging out 80-100 miles per week, I'm going out for shorter but much higher intensity rides to train for my races...I've dropped about 5 Lbs in the past month and that's really the only change I've had...wasn't really trying to drop weight, but now that I have I realize I'm actually at a better riding/racing weight now.
  • Antd420
    Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
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    RanaSimon wrote: »
    Antd420 wrote: »
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    How much are you working out now?

    90 min weight training and 60 min cardio 5 days a week. I don't want to lose muscle which is why I'm asking.

    I'd suggest reducing calories or increase cardio. You might want to keep a closer eye on sugar and fat intake, too, and adjust that instead of calories.

    Also, how much water are you taking in on a daily basis? Make sure you're at 8-10 cups a day, or you might be retaining water.

    I'm drinking around a gallon a day.
  • Antd420
    Antd420 Posts: 161 Member
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    jacksonpt wrote: »
    DancingMoosie wrote: »
    You do both strength and cardio each day, 5 days a week? Or one each, alternate days, and 2 rest days? Personally, either way sounds like you have enough exercise and adding more could lead to overuse injuries or burn out. You could add something easier one day a week, like swimming or yoga, or just take a walk to stay active. I would look closer at your food diary. At 1800 calories, you should still be losing.

    My thoughts exactly.

    Assuming your logging is reasonably accurate and that 1800 cals is pretty close to 1800 cals, you should still be losing.

    If you're both lifting and cardio-ing 5 days per week, you might want to consider dropping the volume and increasing the intensity a bit if muscle preservation is your focus while you continue to drop weight. That sounds like a ton of exercise on minimal cals to me.

    That said, I'm doing something similar, so WTF do I know???

    Yeah it can get confusing.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
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    I find it much easier to get in some extra cardio or weights, than I do to eat less calories. More exercise makes more sense for me.

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