New. Please help!

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nlow83
nlow83 Posts: 2
in Getting Started
Hello!

I am 31 years old, 5'2 and 135lbs.

I was thin my whole life. However, after getting a running injury 2 years ago I started binging and did not work out at all. I went from 112-135.


I won't even look at myself in the mirror. 135 may not be obese, but I've never been this weight in my life and I am extremely unhappy. I've tried dieting before but become frustrated when the scale doesn't budge and start eating badly again.

So I am making a change and dedicated to losing it. However, I'm not sure how many calories I need to eat. I work out hard on the eliptical or on the trails running for at least an hour 6-7 days a week. I lift weights twice weekly. I'm not sure if that counts as active or not, since I do not work and outside of housework, running errands or walking the dog I'm not on my feet all day.

Also, do I eat back what I burn?

Thank you in advance for the help- I am so tired of hating myself and I'm ready to do this.

Replies

  • DanielOtt
    DanielOtt Posts: 3 Member
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    If you want to lose the weight, you just need to have a calorie deficit. Based on your height, weight, and age your daily calories burned is around 2100. So I would start tracking your food and aim for around 500 to 700 below that to put yourself at around 1-2 pounds a week. Cardio is great for burning calories. An hour on the elliptical can burn between 500-700 calories. Your goal is achievable, and you can get it with a little work. If you want any help on what to eat, or workout plans feel free to send me a message.
  • LiftHeavyWeights
    LiftHeavyWeights Posts: 336 Member
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    Hi I'm 5' 2" too. In 2006, I was at my heaviest I at 138 lbs. I used weight lifting to reduce that.

    It is totally doable. I currently weight lift 3 x week & do cardio that has a weight based component. Examples: Aqua Fit, suspension straps, bodyweight exercises. Yes, I'm mostly sedentary outside of the exercise, gardening that I do. I fluctuate between 110 & 115 lbs. now.

    Consider the TDEE method that accounts for the exercise calories you burn. For example if you exercise 5 or more times a week that would be more calories needed than if you exercise fewer times a week. Then set a deficient so you know the amount to eat. I'm a lot older than you so my calories would be different than yours.

    You also might consider a Heart Rate Monitor that includes a built in trainer. That's what I did. It made me realize I needed to exercise more to maximize my fitness level. My Polar FT80 tells me how many exercise calories I need to burn a week & in what heart rate category. (There is a Polar FT60 that also has a built in trainer which may suit your purposes better)

    Best of luck on your journey.

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