Trying to lose weight and getting a little worried

Lindylax821

Hey I've been going to the gym since December 23rd because I have to lose weight to enlist in the Air Force and I've lost 8 pounds because I usually run for at least 15 minutes and then lift. And I've kept my calories under 1,000 per day, and I only ran off 200 at the gym and saw more of a difference by doing that, than what I've been doing where the last 2 days I've actually consumed the same amount that I've ran/walked off. Where yesterday I consumed and ran off 600. And today I consumed 690 calories total and ran off 700. Without lifting at all. So should I not even worry about the fact that I weighed less at 187 this morning and I'm now 188.9 at night?

army_cobra

For one it don't happen over night, for two you are not giving your body the nutrients it needs on less than 1000 cals. I don't know your stats so I cant tell you the correct cals that you should be eating a day. If your looking to lose weight run longer then 15 mins. Go for a hr and keep your heart rate at a steady pace don't jump up high then low. For the pound you gain that could just be water weight.

kiwitechgirl

If you consume the same amount that you are working off, you're effectively not fueling your body at all, which will lead to all sorts of unwanted side effects. Put all your details into MFP, and go by what it tells you to eat - and eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories (I eat all mine back and am losing steadily).

AeternityMiserealis

Weight yoyos up and down in a day, I would suggest weighing in the morning each time or else your results will be skewed.

cwolfman13

you do realize you don't have to run off or exercise off all of your calories right? exercise is rather insignificant to you overall calorie requirements and thus "burn"....you burn far more calories just being alive than you could ever do on a consistent basis with exercise. The average female "burns" roughly 1400 - 1500 calories just being alive...the average male burns around 1800 - 1900 calories just being alive. Then on top of that you have you day to day bull **** and then finally some exercise...maybe.

Ever wonder why nutritional info is given for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets...because the average female maintains weight right around 2000 calories and the average man maintains weight around 2,500 calories...and I guarantee you that nobody beyond a professional athlete or someone getting paid to exercise is "burning" that many calories with exercise.

I'd suggest doing quite a bit more research in RE to proper nutrition, calorie requirements, fitness, etc....you're heading down a pretty disastrous avenue here.

sunshinenjjr

you do realize you don't have to run off or exercise off all of your calories right? exercise is rather insignificant to you overall calorie requirements and thus "burn"....you burn far more calories just being alive than you could ever do on a consistent basis with exercise. The average female "burns" roughly 1400 - 1500 calories just being alive...the average male burns around 1800 - 1900 calories just being alive. Then on top of that you have you day to day bull **** and then finally some exercise...maybe.

Ever wonder why nutritional info is given for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets...because the average female maintains weight right around 2000 calories and the average man maintains weight around 2,500 calories...and I guarantee you that nobody beyond a professional athlete or someone getting paid to exercise is "burning" that many calories with exercise.

I'd suggest doing quite a bit more research in RE to proper nutrition, calorie requirements, fitness, etc....you're heading down a pretty disastrous avenue here.

This. I am 5'1", 124 lbs, and 43 years old. On a daily basis I eat between 1,600 and 1,900 a day. And I'm still losing weight. Eat more.

CMGoodie

A couple of things:
1) Pick-up your calorie intake. If you eat less than you should your body will store what it can as fat as a precaution.
2) Weigh yourself at the same time and in the same outfit....this way there isn't a weight differential due to clothing.
3) Muscle weighs more than fat.
4) Don't weigh daily as it can get frustrating and the numbers will fluctuate. This can be caused by eating something different, drinking liquids, water retention, waste build-up or even hormones.

Recommend weighing weekly and preferably 1st thing in the morning right after using the bathroom and before the shower.

As for the joining the Air Force, congratulations....my suggestion there is endurance. Most of your fitness tests will be cardio related i.e. running, sit ups, and push-ups.

Francl27

Why do you even bother lifting weights? With what you're eating it's a total waste of time, your muscles will be the first to go.

Lindylax821

Thank you for your input, however don't get me wrong. I do eat. I just keep my calories down. By having a small but significant lunch

Pixt

Thank you for your input, however don't get me wrong. I do eat. I just keep my calories down. By having a small but significant lunch

If you're an 18 year old male, working out daily, eating only 600 to 700 calories a day is likely hurting your weight loss more than helping it. At that few calories, your body won't be able to maintain your muscles. Without knowing your height, we can't tell you precisely how much you should be eating. However, I can say that you likely need to add at least 1400 calories and be eating 2000 to 2100 calories per day to fuel your body properly to workout and lose weight. Also, if you're tracking your food in MFP, bear in mind that the protein goal is one you should be aiming to hit, not come in under. Someone else recently referred to protein as "muscle insurance" and I wholeheartedly agree.

Lindylax821

Okay I'm 5'8' 187. And 19 years old, so personally what do you think I should be consuming per day? As well as how long I should be work out and what I should be doing to get my weight down to 170. By July?

mybigvinney

Make sure you are eating all your calories. I stalled for a week without weight loss, then increased my intake & started cutting again. Try 6 meals per day not all at lunch. Your body needs constant fuel. V

mybigvinney

You can't keep your calories down & lose weight. Especially if you are lifting weights.
You probably should be eating 100 calories & increasing when you lift. V

happilyeveractive

Feel free to add me! I've lost 60 pounds in my weight loss journey. I'm a Beach Body coach and love helping others with fitness and nutrition. I have a group on here called Hulk Fitness if you want to add that too

sloth3toes

Check this thread

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161976-adopt-a-noob-official-mfp-thread

roberthill46

Nothing happens overnight, it takes hard work and patience, you also need to consume the appropriate calorie intake for your height and weight and goals, if not your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto fat.

QuietBloom

Well, you have an account here, so that's a start. Set up MFP with your current weight and your goal weight, and (I recommend) a setting of losing 1 lb per week. Set your protein macro to 0.8 to 1 g/lb of lean body mass. Eat all of the calories it gives you. Log your exercise and eat half of those calories back.

You will end up in the hospital with the road you are going down now. If you don't EAT to fuel your muscles, you will LOSE them along with the fat. That is, if you can manage to hold out for more than a few days at the rate you are going.

QuietBloom

Nothing happens overnight, it takes hard work and patience, you also need to consume the appropriate calorie intake for your height and weight and goals, if not your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto fat.

Starvation mode, maybe, if he continues with the negative calorie business. But the body does not hold onto fat from not eating enough.

QuietBloom

A couple of things:
1) Pick-up your calorie intake. If you eat less than you should your body will store what it can as fat as a precaution.
2) Weigh yourself at the same time and in the same outfit....this way there isn't a weight differential due to clothing.
3) Muscle weighs more than fat.
4) Don't weigh daily as it can get frustrating and the numbers will fluctuate. This can be caused by eating something different, drinking liquids, water retention, waste build-up or even hormones.

Recommend weighing weekly and preferably 1st thing in the morning right after using the bathroom and before the shower.

As for the joining the Air Force, congratulations....my suggestion there is endurance. Most of your fitness tests will be cardio related i.e. running, sit ups, and push-ups.

Your body does not hold onto fat under a calorie deficit.
A lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat.

Lindylax821

Okay so should I just go back to burning off 200 calories by running/walking and then lifting? But consuming around 1,200 calories per day since I got my best results with that?

Pixt

A couple of things:
1) Pick-up your calorie intake. If you eat less than you should your body will store what it can as fat as a precaution.
2) Weigh yourself at the same time and in the same outfit....this way there isn't a weight differential due to clothing.
3) Muscle weighs more than fat.
4) Don't weigh daily as it can get frustrating and the numbers will fluctuate. This can be caused by eating something different, drinking liquids, water retention, waste build-up or even hormones.

Recommend weighing weekly and preferably 1st thing in the morning right after using the bathroom and before the shower.

As for the joining the Air Force, congratulations....my suggestion there is endurance. Most of your fitness tests will be cardio related i.e. running, sit ups, and push-ups.

Your body does not hold onto fat under a calorie deficit.
A lb of muscle weighs the same as a lb of fat.

You are mistaken by over generalizing.

You're body won't hold on to fat if you're eating at a modest deficit. However, if you're netting 0 calories per day (as you can tell he is by doing the math from his post) it's possible to throw your metabolism out of whack, I put his numbers into scooby and to be losing at a 20% deficit he should be eating 1800 calories(ish) . The "you lose under a deficit" thing is true and it works, but the healthy deficit range isn't 100%, it's more like 20%. You could push it a bit higher, but it's obvious that 100% wasn't working for him or he wouldn't be in here looking for help.

OP - You're doing great by asking for help

Do what you were talking about and increase your calories. Start at 1200 like you said if you want, but I would encourage you to try 1800 first and see if that works for you. There's no reason to restrict yourself more than you need to. If 1800 is too much, you can always dial it back down.

Talk to some of the lifters in here. Lifting is a great idea and doing it safely is important.

One of the previous posters made a very valid point. Don't completely cut out cardio or you'll be kicking yourself the first time they tell you to run a mile.

Alex

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