Look at my diary

__freckles__

It's not that I don't care - but my main focus is losing weight...gaining muscle is secondary, it fills the time between different cardio activities I have been doing daily.

However, in an effort to consider your suggestion more, I will change my goal to 1.5 lbs/week. I do still want to lose my chub quickly, and I'm not super concerned for toning or gaining muscle...at least not yet.

Well you're not going to be gaining muscle eating at a deficit. You're going to be MAINTAINING the muscle you have by eating at a slight deficit, getting adequate protein and doing a progressive lifting program. Ok, I'll stop ranting now. Good luck OP. :flowerforyou:

segovm

So I've got more weight to lose than you but more time to add in cardio. If you can't get out of the office for a little more movement, maybe look at one of those under the desk pedal bikes. I've seen them on Amazon for anywhere from $29 - $129 depending on how nice you want them.

Not an ideal solution for a well rounded exercise regime but it might help you burn off an 100 -200 calories a day without a huge disruption to your life (except all the people at work ripping on you for a few days).

Add some veggies into the diet when you can, they are pretty tasty once you get rid of some of the sugar in the diet and the taste buds adjust a little. I tend to eat a big bowl of veggies and right now I love turkey burgers since they are filling, cheap and tasty.

Anyways, good luck!

Oh the other thing for a guy on a time crunch is toss in some pushups and pullups into the morning routine. Fast, easy, effective, don't have to go to a gym for them!

JonnyMacAwesome

Just for comparison's sake, I'm a 5' 8" 180 pound 31-year-old female and I lose weight on 1700-1800 calories without any planned exercise (and no kiddos to chase around, either). You should probably be eating more than I am.

I just modified my weight loss to 1.5lbs/week instead and it bumped me all the way to 1,830/day.

I think that's a good start, hopefully it will all help...I went online before I started and did all my measurements and in order to maintain my weight (at sedentary activity level) the site said I should have about 2,250 calories/day...

I dunno, with the big numbers it just seems too hefty for me to fill - with healthy foods that is.

LifeWithPie

Nothing to add except...OMG that is the cutest baby EVER!

JonnyMacAwesome

Nothing to add except...OMG that is the cutest baby EVER!

lol thanks, I agree - as does my wife. She's going to be trouble in the years to come... part of the reason I need to lose the fat, and THEN focus on getting big and scary looking

__freckles__

I just modified my weight loss to 1.5lbs/week instead and it bumped me all the way to 1,830/day.

I think that's a good start, hopefully it will all help...I went online before I started and did all my measurements and in order to maintain my weight (at sedentary activity level) the site said I should have about 2,250 calories/day...

I dunno, with the big numbers it just seems too hefty for me to fill - with healthy foods that is.

Ok, can't help it, just one more. ALL food is healthy. There are no good foods or bad foods. You can lose weight eating ice cream everyday - there are several people on this website to prove it. Read the links we've provided from the Eat, Train & Progress group. You'll be much happier eating the food you love rather than trying to eat only "healthy" food. This is a lifestyle change. If you can't eat the foods you want to for the rest of your life, it's probably not going to work.

JonnyMacAwesome

So I've got more weight to lose than you but more time to add in cardio. If you can't get out of the office for a little more movement, maybe look at one of those under the desk pedal bikes. I've seen them on Amazon for anywhere from $29 - $129 depending on how nice you want them.

Not an ideal solution for a well rounded exercise regime but it might help you burn off an 100 -200 calories a day without a huge disruption to your life (except all the people at work ripping on you for a few days).

Add some veggies into the diet when you can, they are pretty tasty once you get rid of some of the sugar in the diet and the taste buds adjust a little. I tend to eat a big bowl of veggies and right now I love turkey burgers since they are filling, cheap and tasty.

Anyways, good luck!

Oh the other thing for a guy on a time crunch is toss in some pushups and pullups into the morning routine. Fast, easy, effective, don't have to go to a gym for them!

@segovm - Thanks for the tips, I never even thought to consider Turkey burgers - and I love my burgers, and turkey.

I know I've got to do something to add in more veggies, I don't even remember what half of them look like anymore lol.

I'll see what I can do about pushups and pullups - a little tough to do either in the car for the morning drive to work haha, but I will see if I can squeeze some in (pushups at least) once I arrive at the office at 6am.

JonnyMacAwesome

I just modified my weight loss to 1.5lbs/week instead and it bumped me all the way to 1,830/day.

I think that's a good start, hopefully it will all help...I went online before I started and did all my measurements and in order to maintain my weight (at sedentary activity level) the site said I should have about 2,250 calories/day...

I dunno, with the big numbers it just seems too hefty for me to fill - with healthy foods that is.

Ok, can't help it, just one more. ALL food is healthy. There are no good foods or bad foods. You can lose weight eating ice cream everyday - there are several people on this website to prove it. Read the links we've provided from the Eat, Train & Progress group. You'll be much happier eating the food you love rather than trying to eat only "healthy" food. This is a lifestyle change. If you can't eat the foods you want to for the rest of your life, it's probably not going to work.

What I meant by that was the moderation aspect, not cutting out completely...that would never pan out.

I love bacon. My idea (and only mine I think) for a serving size of bacon - is the entire pound. If it wouldn't kill me - I could live off of bacon.

I suck with moderation, and so when I start something like this I try to stick to the stuff that has better nutrients for me than the stuff that is all filler and junk, then once I have become slightly more comfortable forcing the nutrition in, I allow myself a little bonus, or a cheat, whatever you wish to call it - so that I can maintain getting a lot more of the stuff that feeds the body, but still enjoy the yummy yummy deliciousness that really gives my body nothing.

AbsolutelyAnnie

Here you go:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

1250 is way too low. I also see you have a kid, so you're definately not sedentary, even with a desk job. You're probably lightly active. Set your weight loss to 1 lb per week. If you lose too much too fast, you're going to lose a lot of LBM along with fat and probably won't like the results when you reach your goal weight. Slow and steady win the weight loss race.

Oh, and this is always a good one to throw in there: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

^^ THIS ^^

Go to both links, and read them all the way through. Twice wouldn't hurt. Especially sexy pants.

If no one else has mentioned it, get a digital kitchen scale and keep it on the counter so you will see it and use it.

1850 calories is a good place to start. It is so much better to start there and keep your intake between 1700 and 1850 net, then to hang out at 1250 and get so crazy hungry that you quit because it's too hard.

Agreed. Cute baby. :happy:

__freckles__

What I meant by that was the moderation aspect, not cutting out completely...that would never pan out.

I love bacon. My idea (and only mine I think) for a serving size of bacon - is the entire pound. If it wouldn't kill me - I could live off of bacon.

I suck with moderation, and so when I start something like this I try to stick to the stuff that has better nutrients for me than the stuff that is all filler and junk, then once I have become slightly more comfortable forcing the nutrition in, I allow myself a little bonus, or a cheat, whatever you wish to call it - so that I can maintain getting a lot more of the stuff that feeds the body, but still enjoy the yummy yummy deliciousness that really gives my body nothing.

This is music to my ears. I'm glad you're not cutting anything out. Moderation is the key. If you have trouble hitting your goals and want to eat what society usually deems as "healthy" foods, try adding nuts, avocado, etc. - calorie dense food into your diet.

fabulousmo

Yikes, that's a low calorie allocation for a day! If you're going to the gym, you're probably not as sedentary as you think. Definitely throw in some more protein rich snacks throughout the day: couple of slices of PC Blue Menu Honey Maple cured turkey (50 calories for total two slices), 10 almonds, a small serving of greek yogurt. Screw the scale, it's a nasty head game. Measuring tape is the way to go! I have recently jedi mind-tricked myself into drinking water. I was like you! It took about a week for me to wrap my head around this new habit. It blasts away the hunger! Also, the old addage (or however that is spelled) "eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at noon, and a pauper at dinner" works for me. I used to skip breakfast. I'd be starving all day! Not anymore. Please consider getting more water into you. You just might find that you get used to it quite quickly. The added bonus for me is that I am consuming way less caffeine.

Janette3x4

also it might help to stop getting cream at Timmies, i heard its like 35% milk fat

Without Timmies I may well just die... I have an 11 month old at home...caffeine replaced my blood long ago. lol... I will try to cut down to a regular though...at least as a start

Taking care of a child? I would put something like moderately active. All the picking up of stuff alone is excercise! You may sit dfown at a desk during the day, but what about in the evenings?

cwoyto123

Please eat more.