Help with calculating expected weight loss

girlreadingbook

My objective is to lose the weight I have gained over the past three years since I stopped smoking and suffered a serious injury preventing me from pursuing the physical (and mental) activity I love and previously engaged in quite intensively.

Since this has been an ongoing struggle without much success - I need to see results and when I don't, I get really demotivated - so now I would like to try an alternative approach.

Can anyone tell me whether it is possible to calculate how much one can expect to lose per week (or month) if one were to stick to the following guidelines:

consume 1200 cals a day
exercise one hour per day burning approximately 450 cals

Age: 48
Height: 179
Weight: 67.5 kg
BMI: 21

Thank you very much in advance.

L1zardQueen

What is your starting weight? How did you calculate your calorie burn for 450?

TavistockToad

Given your stats, why are you only eating 1200 cals?

Your BMI is 21, how much more do you want to lose?

AGFitnessmfp

Ratfactor.com/fat-loss-calculator
To lose 20lbs in 90 days you should consume 1390 cals. With the calories you are consuming you are already on a great track. Have a nice day!

girlreadingbook

@lizardQueen, start weight is 67.5 kg as indicated above. The calorie burn is calculated on the basis of mapmyride averages: I cycle for exercise at the moment.

Meghanebk

The minimum healthy number of calories recommended for women per day is 1200 - NOT accounting for extra exercise.

If you are really burning 450/day exercising you should be eating at least 1600 calories per day. Drastic calorie deficits can lead to health issues - including heart problems.

That said, most people and devices overestimate how many calories are burned during exercise. For me, I eat back at least half the calories I burn and still lose weight at my expected rate.

It took you three years to gain the weight, don't try to lose it in three months or you will inevitably gain it back.

girlreadingbook

@Travistocktoad

I want to get back to my normal weight which used to range between 59 - 60 kgs. I don't care for BMI to be honest - it's an indictor, sure, but I've never 'worked' with it till now. I just want to feel comfortable in my skin again.

L1zardQueen

Well then, that doesn’t make sense.

girlreadingbook

@Meghaneebk, thanks for your reply. I'm aware of the dangers of consuming too few calories, which in part is why I am posting. The thing is, according to Cronometer, if I want to lose 1kg per week, which I thought is not an unreasonable goal, I should consume only 670 cals per day. Obviously that's not on the cards. That's why I am cross-checking, in an attempt to figure out a sustainable daily intake and exercise level which will yield results at a level that would keep me motivated. The weight gain, btw, happened over a much shorter period than three years - which is not to say you're not making a valid point.

sijomial

girlreadingbook wrote: »

@Meghaneebk, thanks for your reply. I'm aware of the dangers of consuming too few calories, which in part is why I am posting. The thing is, according to Cronometer, if I want to lose 1kg per week, which I thought is not an unreasonable goal, I should consume only 670 cals per day... So I am kind of cross-checking before I embark on my quest to lose the weight for once and for all. The weight gain, btw, happened over a much shorter period than three years, but that's besides the point.

You "lose weight once and for all" by learning and adopting healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle habits.
Crash dieting isn't a healthy choice and 1kg per week with your stats is not a reasonable goal.

TavistockToad

girlreadingbook wrote: »

@Travistocktoad

I want to get back to my normal weight which used to range between 59 - 60 kgs. I don't care for BMI to be honest - it's an indictor, sure, but I've never 'worked' with it till now. I just want to feel comfortable in my skin again.

Aim to lose 0.5lb per week max, or look into recomp

Meghanebk

You don't have a lot to lose, I'd try for a sustainable rate more like 0.25kg/week.

Have you thought of recomposition instead of weight loss? Or recomp after you lose a few kg? Given that your BMI is in the middle of the normal range you may want to focus more on building muscle and reshaping your body instead of just weight loss.

There's a thread here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

kimny72

girlreadingbook wrote: »

@Meghaneebk, thanks for your reply. I'm aware of the dangers of consuming too few calories, which in part is why I am posting. The thing is, according to Cronometer, if I want to lose 1kg per week, which I thought is not an unreasonable goal, I should consume only 670 cals per day. Obviously that's not on the cards. That's why I am cross-checking, in an attempt to figure out a sustainable daily intake and exercise level which will yield results at a level that would keep me motivated. The weight gain, btw, happened over a much shorter period than three years - which is not to say you're not making a valid point.

If I'm converting correctly, you want to lose @ 15-20 lbs. So a reasonable rate of loss would be 0.5 - 1 lb per week. Enter your stats into MFP and get your calorie goal. Log your exercise and eat back at least half of those calories.

Fast, impatient weight loss more often than not leads to gaining it all back. The main thing you have to fix is:

girlreadingbook wrote: »

Since this has been an ongoing struggle without much success - I need to see results and when I don't, I get really demotivated

The human body is a complicated thing with an evil sense of humor. It doesn't do what we expect it to do. There's a lot of stuff going on in there, and the weight on the scale doesn't always react exactly to the effort we are putting in. You need to trust the process and take the long view. Otherwise you will end up a yo-yo dieter. Weight loss is not linear. Even if you do everything perfect, you will NOT lose weight every week on schedule. Take some time to log accurately and tweak what you are eating and when you are eating it so you can figure out a way to eat that you enjoy, that's practical, and that will help you stay at the right calorie level to MAINTAIN a healthy weight for the rest of your life. Then you won't need to be motivated, it will just be the way you eat. Then you'll be golden :drinker:

girlreadingbook

Meghanebk wrote: »

You don't have a lot to lose, I'd try for a sustainable rate more like 0.25kg/week.

Have you thought of recomposition instead of weight loss? Or recomp after you lose a few kg? Given that your BMI is in the middle of the normal range you may want to focus more on building muscle and reshaping your body instead of just weight loss.

There's a thread here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1

Hi Meghan,

thank you for your reply. I hear you, but for me 7kgs is rather a lot to lose. The last time I hit 67 on the scales was for a brief period in high school, exactly thirty years ago! In my twenties and early thirties I maintained a weight of 60-63kgs, which in my mid-thirties dropped to 59-60 kgs. I maintained this latter weight till three years ago when things went awry. As indicated, the weight gain started when I stopped smoking (perfectly normal and something I had factored in), but the real knock came when my maintenance regime, my life really, was thrown into turmoil (and some more) by an injury which prevented me from doing the 'exercise' I had been doing intensively for many years and which helped me deal with stress (total stress bunny) whilst keeping me lean, strong, light and happy.

That was a mouthful, but I hope it gives some background to where 'I am coming from', so to speak.

I am very curious about the notion of recomposition, and at one point I did consider trying it once I had lost the first 4 kgs, but there are obstacles. I don't know whether I am cut out for it: I know nothing about weightlifitng, I hate loud music (gyms in my neck of the woods play awful music) and since I am pretty focused on technique I would want and need a personal trainer which I can't afford. Moreover, the injury has repeatedly flared up over the past year, in fact, each time I started getting into a routine again, I'd experience a setback, which would undo all the good work I had put in. That's why I decided to settle on cycling for the time being... Not satisfactory at all - especially not in toning up!! - but this, seemingly, is where I am at.

But thank you for the link, I will definitely go lurk. :-)

girlreadingbook

kimny72 wrote: »

girlreadingbook wrote: »

@Meghaneebk, thanks for your reply. I'm aware of the dangers of consuming too few calories, which in part is why I am posting. The thing is, according to Cronometer, if I want to lose 1kg per week, which I thought is not an unreasonable goal, I should consume only 670 cals per day. Obviously that's not on the cards. That's why I am cross-checking, in an attempt to figure out a sustainable daily intake and exercise level which will yield results at a level that would keep me motivated. The weight gain, btw, happened over a much shorter period than three years - which is not to say you're not making a valid point.

If I'm converting correctly, you want to lose @ 15-20 lbs. So a reasonable rate of loss would be 0.5 - 1 lb per week. Enter your stats into MFP and get your calorie goal. Log your exercise and eat back at least half of those calories.

Fast, impatient weight loss more often than not leads to gaining it all back. The main thing you have to fix is:

girlreadingbook wrote: »

Since this has been an ongoing struggle without much success - I need to see results and when I don't, I get really demotivated

The human body is a complicated thing with an evil sense of humor. It doesn't do what we expect it to do. There's a lot of stuff going on in there, and the weight on the scale doesn't always react exactly to the effort we are putting in. You need to trust the process and take the long view. Otherwise you will end up a yo-yo dieter. Weight loss is not linear. Even if you do everything perfect, you will NOT lose weight every week on schedule. Take some time to log accurately and tweak what you are eating and when you are eating it so you can figure out a way to eat that you enjoy, that's practical, and that will help you stay at the right calorie level to MAINTAIN a healthy weight for the rest of your life. Then you won't need to be motivated, it will just be the way you eat. Then you'll be golden :drinker:

Dear Kim,

thank you for taking the time to reply. You are right, the human body is a complicated - and wonderful - thing indeed. Thank you for the reminder. Also of the value of patience - not my strong point.

Take care,
GRB

JeromeBarry1

A not unreasonable amount to try to lose is 1% each week. If you succeed at that for a few weeks you will begin to notice that you are not losing weight so much any longer. That will, of course, be because you weigh less and need less food. Recalculate the 1%. Be patient, be careful, and be happy. This stuff works.

Starting weight 67.5 kg, of which 1% is .675 kg,
A weekly deficit of 5200 calories, achieved by any means, will get you there eventually. If you experience life along the way, you will have weeks of not achieving that deficit, and some of not acheiving any deficit at all. Do not despair. The math is still true.

girlreadingbook

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

A not unreasonable amount to try to lose is 1% each week. If you succeed at that for a few weeks you will begin to notice that you are not losing weight so much any longer. That will, of course, be because you weigh less and need less food. Recalculate the 1%. Be patient, be careful, and be happy. This stuff works.

Starting weight 67.5 kg, of which 1% is .675 kg,
A weekly deficit of 5200 calories, achieved by any means, will get you there eventually. If you experience life along the way, you will have weeks of not achieving that deficit, and some of not acheiving any deficit at all. Do not despair. The math is still true.

Dear Barry,

Thank you for your response, what a relief to hear that I am just .325 kg off the mark. :-)

Best,
GBR