So many myths it’s exhausting.

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Replies

  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    I think everyone's got it pretty much covered lol. Eat less than you burn, boom, done. Why people insist on making it harder than that is beyond me.

    The same thing I say reading the long comments. It’s complicated.

    No it is NOT complicated. Figure out how many calories you need to lose 1lb a week if you are just sitting around doing nothing (use MFP to do the calculation. it is simple and reasonably accurate).That is it. Weigh all solid and semi solid food and measure all liquid except water and log everything that goes in your mouth.

    IF you exercise, log it and eat 1/2 of the extra calories earned the same day you exercise.

    Done.

    I am retired and substitute teach on occasion. I am not active. I do try to get to my fitness center 3x a week to swim laps and take a water aerobics class. I currently cannot walk much because of a joint issue. The days I get to the pool, I get extra calories to eat. The days I don't, I eat less. Right now my pool is closed for major renovation so every day I eat less.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Simplify. If this all looks complicated, do exactly this and forget about everything else for now:
    1. Set MFP with your height, weight, and choose sedentary activity level.
    2. MFP will give you a number of calories to eat. Depending on your starting weight I suggest you pick 1-1.5 lbs a week.
    3. Log everything you eat into MFP
    4. Do whatever exercise you like and let apple watch or fitbit or whatnot add the calories for you to eat
    5. After a month or two of logging every day, increase your calories if you're losing too fast and decrease them if you're losing too slow.

    Really, the only thing you have to do yourself is logging the foods you eat. Everything else will be done by MFP for you automatically. It will get less intimidating with time.

    Don't let your desire to do it perfectly paralyze you. Logging imperfectly is still better than not logging at all. At least it will allow you to look at your diet objectively and notice little things like "this was filling and didn't cost too many calories, maybe I should eat it more often" or "maybe I can improve this meal and make it lower in calories. As you gain confidence in your logging, it will improve.

    To summarize, focus on one thing and only one thing for now: log your food.

    This. Exactly this.↑

    On #4: The MFP database includes various cardio options (time-based) - so you can estimate from that. walking/running have pretty good estimates using formulas based on mileage. Since you are most likely to walk for extra cardio... Walking: calories ~ [0.30]*[weight_in_lbs]*[miles]

    On #3: I'd strongly suggest a food scale. People are almost universally awful at estimating portions by eye/volume (also quite a few foods -cereal, in particular- do not have a consistent packing density) (which is why we get a zillion of the "I'm only eating 1200 calories a day - why am I not losing weight?" posts - hint: they aren't..as in not even remotely close to that few calories).
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    shaf238 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.

    You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.

    While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
    Always so much good advice and knowledge.


    All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻‍♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?

    You do NOT need to become a cardio bunny in order to lose weight. Eat less. A daily cardio class is enough cardio for fitness. Walking to increase step count is the least effective way to accomplish anything, either adding calories or increasing fitness - it's better than nothing, but pretty much all forms of cardio are more efficient than walking. And walking on a treadmill is a serious waste of your life - walk outside where it's pretty if you want to walk. Walk TO or FROM something. Or don't - you don't need to.

    Why all the treadmill hate? Not all places and seasons are suitable for walking outside. I use one (actually an ARCTrainer more recently; burn is higher than walking or treadmill) some mornings while I watch the news on one of the big screens. I like to be informed. I understand it isn't for you, but it isn't a waste of my life and I don't know whether it would be for the OP.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,563 Member
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    shaf238 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.

    You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.

    While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
    Always so much good advice and knowledge.


    All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻‍♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?

    You do NOT need to become a cardio bunny in order to lose weight. Eat less. A daily cardio class is enough cardio for fitness. Walking to increase step count is the least effective way to accomplish anything, either adding calories or increasing fitness - it's better than nothing, but pretty much all forms of cardio are more efficient than walking. And walking on a treadmill is a serious waste of your life - walk outside where it's pretty if you want to walk. Walk TO or FROM something. Or don't - you don't need to.

    Why all the treadmill hate? Not all places and seasons are suitable for walking outside. I use one (actually an ARCTrainer more recently; burn is higher than walking or treadmill) some mornings while I watch the news on one of the big screens. I like to be informed. I understand it isn't for you, but it isn't a waste of my life and I don't know whether it would be for the OP.

    Yeah, I use a combo of outside and treadmill. I don't run in the rain (safety issue), and I also find that I can push myself harder when interval training when I can see how fast I'm going so I can push it a little harder each time without blowing myself up (especially sprint intervals). I find that for me it translates to a steady increase in speed when I do a long run outside.
  • affirmationguy
    affirmationguy Posts: 31 Member
    I may not be the best person to talk to 100%, but 95% of me knows if you continue to try, you will eventually get there! It will happen in other words. It's just a matter of time, personal effort and patience (and lots and lots of it).
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    shaf238 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.

    You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.

    While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
    Always so much good advice and knowledge.


    All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻‍♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?

    You do NOT need to become a cardio bunny in order to lose weight. Eat less. A daily cardio class is enough cardio for fitness. Walking to increase step count is the least effective way to accomplish anything, either adding calories or increasing fitness - it's better than nothing, but pretty much all forms of cardio are more efficient than walking. And walking on a treadmill is a serious waste of your life - walk outside where it's pretty if you want to walk. Walk TO or FROM something. Or don't - you don't need to.

    Why all the treadmill hate? Not all places and seasons are suitable for walking outside. I use one (actually an ARCTrainer more recently; burn is higher than walking or treadmill) some mornings while I watch the news on one of the big screens. I like to be informed. I understand it isn't for you, but it isn't a waste of my life and I don't know whether it would be for the OP.

    Yeah, I use a combo of outside and treadmill. I don't run in the rain (safety issue), and I also find that I can push myself harder when interval training when I can see how fast I'm going so I can push it a little harder each time without blowing myself up (especially sprint intervals). I find that for me it translates to a steady increase in speed when I do a long run outside.

    Same. It's dark when I want to run on weekdays so Tues/Thurs I do 5K on the TM. Saturday/Sunday I run later in the day (9ish) outside as long as it's not a downpour.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    edited October 2018
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    rheddmobile wrote: »
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    shaf238 wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    I actually learned a lot from these forums, as well as reading lifting books, like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    If you want to lose weight, you want to eat in a deficit #1, so less than you burn. Lifting (progressive over time) will help you maintain muscle as you lose fat (also good for health and strength), along with adequate protein. If you do not lift, you will lose fat and way more muscle than you would otherwise and have a softer appearance/higher bodyfat when you get to goal. I've done it both ways and my results from lifting vs not lifting were quite different.

    You can add some cardio to that to help burn more calories add to that deficit (it is also good for health and fitness). But keep in mind too much cardio can start to affect lifting performance and recovery in many so you don't want to overdo it.

    While some people can gain a bit of muscle in a deficit under certain circumstances, you will mostly be retaining what you have right now. So once you get closer to goal, and you feel like you don't have the muscle base you are happy with you can either eat at maintenance to recomp, or you can run bulk (surplus) cycles to put on weight to gain muscle.
    Always so much good advice and knowledge.


    All along I’ve been thinking weights burn more calories than cardio oh myyyy🤦🏻‍♀️ Should I walk in the treadmill for an hour to increase my steps? I’m not an active person. I go to the gym in the morning to only lift weights and in the afternoon I go to a cardio class but that’s it’s. I don’t even get to 10,000 steps daily. Should this be my problem?

    You do NOT need to become a cardio bunny in order to lose weight. Eat less. A daily cardio class is enough cardio for fitness. Walking to increase step count is the least effective way to accomplish anything, either adding calories or increasing fitness - it's better than nothing, but pretty much all forms of cardio are more efficient than walking. And walking on a treadmill is a serious waste of your life - walk outside where it's pretty if you want to walk. Walk TO or FROM something. Or don't - you don't need to.

    Why all the treadmill hate? Not all places and seasons are suitable for walking outside. I use one (actually an ARCTrainer more recently; burn is higher than walking or treadmill) some mornings while I watch the news on one of the big screens. I like to be informed. I understand it isn't for you, but it isn't a waste of my life and I don't know whether it would be for the OP.

    Yeah, I use a combo of outside and treadmill. I don't run in the rain (safety issue), and I also find that I can push myself harder when interval training when I can see how fast I'm going so I can push it a little harder each time without blowing myself up (especially sprint intervals). I find that for me it translates to a steady increase in speed when I do a long run outside.

    Same. It's dark when I want to run on weekdays so Tues/Thurs I do 5K on the TM. Saturday/Sunday I run later in the day (9ish) outside as long as it's not a downpour.

    My current workout time is around dawn, which is quickly becoming predawn, then dawn again when the time changes and predawn again by Christmas. The light isn't great and soon it will often be boo chilly. I will still be working out in gym shorts. And the ARCTrainer has become my new go to cardio machine. Absolutely crushes walking and better than I can do on a treadmill or stepper because of knee issues. Serious bidirectional resistance. I can maintain high 150s on it without beating my legs up. I probably shouldn't do that for very long; I will be 60 in 2.5 months and 220 - 60 =160 for suggested max.
  • ata1anta
    ata1anta Posts: 115 Member
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    ... the ARCTrainer has become my new go to cardio machine. Absolutely crushes walking and better than I can do on a treadmill or stepper because of knee issues. Serious bidirectional resistance. I can maintain high 150s on it without beating my legs up. I probably shouldn't do that for very long; I will be 60 in 2.5 months and 220 - 60 =160 for suggested max.

    We have an ARCTrainer in the gym at work. Before I meet my trainer, I’ll either do 5 min on that or 5 on the treadmill before our session. I also have an awesome trainer - our sessions include some physical therapy because even though insurance paid for therapy after my MVA, it was “assembly line” therapy. ☹️
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    ata1anta wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    ... the ARCTrainer has become my new go to cardio machine. Absolutely crushes walking and better than I can do on a treadmill or stepper because of knee issues. Serious bidirectional resistance. I can maintain high 150s on it without beating my legs up. I probably shouldn't do that for very long; I will be 60 in 2.5 months and 220 - 60 =160 for suggested max.

    We have an ARCTrainer in the gym at work. Before I meet my trainer, I’ll either do 5 min on that or 5 on the treadmill before our session. I also have an awesome trainer - our sessions include some physical therapy because even though insurance paid for therapy after my MVA, it was “assembly line” therapy. ☹️

    That's a shame. I have had pretty good luck with PT (not that it was lucky to need so much PT) except for one time when I think the guy I worked with must have been getting kick backs from a stretchy band company. I supposedly needed about 5 different colors to do a dozen exercises which he demonstrated and then just wrote the names of them down as my at home routine.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,312 Member
    edited October 2018
    Jarettzy18 wrote: »
    Yes but since I’m not active I don’t burn enough calories and what I typically eat is 1,200 calories. In order for me to create a deficit I NEED to see how many calories I burn daily so I can create a deficit. But, I don’t know what to purchase that will help me track my calories. How in the world am I supposed to know the calories I burn throughout the day? I don’t know if I need a Fitbit...

    Sorry, but you're totally concentrating on the wrong end of things and operating under a couple of misconceptions.

    You've already said you get "7k steps a day at home". This by itself would make you what is known as "lightly active". If you add deliberate exercise to that you're already shooting well into "active" if everything were lumped together.

    This means that approximately 75% of the calories you're burning today come from EXISTING--being alive. Another 12.5% come from being lightly active in the house. And the LAST 12.5% comes from your exercise.

    The relative numbers may be slightly skewed but not much. For anyone interested they were based on you having a TDEE of 1.6xBMR.

    So, let's look at this again. Activity and exercise account for 25%. Exercise alone for 12.5%.

    Your PAYOFF when it comes to creating a deficit IS IN CONTROLLING YOUR 100% INTAKE, not in tweaking your 12.5% exercise.

    You may believe you are eating approximately 1200 Calories of healthy foods. It may indeed be triggering for you to accurately count calories.

    If it is triggering for you to accurately count calories... you will be neither the first nor the last person to lose weight by "eating a little bit less" and "moving a little bit more".

    So you're not willing to use MFP, as designed. OK. Are you willing to write on a piece of paper what you're about to eat today? NOT AFTER YOU'VE EATEN it. But before or during your food consumption.

    If it goes in my mouth it gets jotted on paper.

    Then look at the paper in a week from now. And reduce the consumption of one or two things (2 slices of bread become one. One tablespoon of peanut butter becomes a teaspoon--egads the extra Calories people get from peanut butter when they don't weigh it and think their "tablespoon" is only 100 Cal). Or trade some mayo for 0% Greek yogurt... you know... **reduce your calories by a little bit**.

    And next time you are about to sit down and watch TV... go out for a walk instead (**increase your activity by a little bit**)

    Or use MFP as intended and actually count your calories correctly and weigh your food in grams. And aim for no more than 1lb a week loss which you should judge using a trending weight application and comparing your weight today to the same point of time a lunar month ago!
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