Burning 1700 Calories a Day -> Still no Results

MeganSheil68

I'm looking for some advice. I walk dogs for a living and usually average about 35,000 steps and cycle between 15-36km a day (at about 22km/hr). That's about 1700 calories a day burned (according to google) + my metabolic rate, which my scale says is about 1300 a day. Even though I'm being quite careful with my diet on top of this (not limiting my eating, but limiting my junk food), I'm not seeing the progress I would hope. I've lost 7lbs in 4 weeks. What do I need to change to get maximize my loss? Do I need to increase or decrease my calorie intake? I usually average about 2000-2500 calories a day. Do I need to add in strength exercises? I can't understand how with all this activity 5 days a week (I only do 10,000 steps on days off), I'm not losing weight at a faster rate. Help!

SuzySunshine99

7 pounds in 4 weeks is actually really fast...maybe too fast depending on how much you have to lose.

What is your current height and weight, and what is your goal weight?

AnnPT77

Unless you weigh well over 250 pounds, 7 pounds loss in 4 weeks is already maximizing your loss, assuming you'd like to keep reasonable odds of staying healthy, energetic and strong alongside losing some extra fat. Even at 250 and above, 1.75 pounds a week is a good fat loss rate.

Fat loss is all about how your calories eaten compares to your calories burned (in total: Just being alive, the stuff like breathing, digesting, heartbeat; your daily life job and chores and such; plus any intentional exercise). Eat less than you burn, you lose weight. That's true whether what's eaten is junk food, or the most superfood-intensive whole foods clean diet you can imagine.

Just exercising or having a high activity level doesn't cause weight loss, if a person eats as much or more than the total they burn. Strength exercise is great for our health and strength, but it doesn't have any weight loss magic in itself, either (especially in the short run).

You're already losing at a good clip. (It might even be too fast, if you have less than say 50 pounds to lose.) Keep up the good work!

All those tabloid headlines ("Lose 20 pounds in 30 days on the Dr. XYZ magic fasting gluten free keto supplement plan!") and reality TV shows where they lose double digits of pounds per week: Not normal, not healthy, potential long-term health consequences, possible hair loss, possible gallbladder crises, even heart failure at an extreme. Don't believe a word they say. Those tactics aren't compatible with a normal, energetic life alongside.

The big goal here is to lose fat at a sensibly steady rate, in a way that's sustainable, and that helps you learn how to change habits permanently in order to stay at a healthy weight. Fast loss doesn't much accomplish that . . . even if a person can stick with it long enough to reach the goal weight.

sijomial

Why do you think 7lbs in 4 weeks is anything except losing weight fast?

corinasue1143

7 pounds in 4 weeks is a lot of weight fast.

musicfan68

Why do you think you need to lose more than 2 lbs average per week???? That is a really fast rate of loss. You need to adjust your thinking. How much weight do you need to lose?

Kait_Dee

Congrats on your weight loss to date! Keep going!

shockbishop

1700 cal in exercise a day…and your here on a calorie counter app? Hell I can hardly eat that much as a hungry overweight man. Something not right here.

AnnPT77

shockbishop wrote: »

1700 cal in exercise a day…and your here on a calorie counter app? Hell I can hardly eat that much as a hungry overweight man. Something not right here.

She's walking 35,000+ steps (probably 15+ miles, 24+ km), and cycling 15-36km (9-22mi) daily. She's added that 1700 to her BMR (arithmetically ignoring the role of non-step/cycling daily life movement). She's losing at a weight loss rate (1.75 pounds per week) that suggests she's been running as much as an 875 calorie daily deficit.

She says she's eating 2000-2500, losing weight that amounts to 875ish, which would give her an estimated TDEE of 2875-3375 calories. We don't know how tall or heavy or old she is, though her profile pic looks pretty young.

2875-3375 is pretty high for a woman's TDEE, but she's very active.

I'm not sure what you think isn't right here? I maintain in the low 2000s (say 2200) at 5'5", female, age 66, at a weight in the 120s pounds, and I'm not anywhere remotely near as active as she is. Since she's trying to lose weight, my best guess is she's heavier than I am (though she might be shorter and around my weight or less), she looks much younger than I am. We don't have enough information to know for sure, but the numbers don't sound impossible to me, though they do sound unusual.

PAV8888

She is extremely active, is eating a minimal amount (BASED ON THE ACTIVITY), and is LOSING AT A **KITTENING** FAST clip.

The only thing wrong are the TV expectations.

And the fact that TV expectations neglect to highlight the rebound re-gain that is likely to take place once you're done emulating TV expectations in real life...

nooshi713

You are losing fast. Your expectations are unrealistic.

cwolfman13

MeganSheil68 wrote: »

I'm looking for some advice. I walk dogs for a living and usually average about 35,000 steps and cycle between 15-36km a day (at about 22km/hr). That's about 1700 calories a day burned (according to google) + my metabolic rate, which my scale says is about 1300 a day. Even though I'm being quite careful with my diet on top of this (not limiting my eating, but limiting my junk food), I'm not seeing the progress I would hope. I've lost 7lbs in 4 weeks. What do I need to change to get maximize my loss? Do I need to increase or decrease my calorie intake? I usually average about 2000-2500 calories a day. Do I need to add in strength exercises? I can't understand how with all this activity 5 days a week (I only do 10,000 steps on days off), I'm not losing weight at a faster rate. Help!

7 Lbs in 4 weeks is very fast...you have unrealistic expectations.

hesn92

It sounds like you are doing the right things, 7lbs in 4 weeks is quite fast. Keep doing what you're doing

Seasonal_One

Is this a humble brag?

westrich20940

You literally don't need to do anything. You have lost more than a pound each week.

lynn_glenmont

westrich20940 wrote: »

You literally don't need to do anything. You have lost more than a pound each week.

Or, if you're not obese, maybe eat more, because you could be losing weight faster than is advisable.

kshama2001