How are YOU losing weight?

healthyme211

Are you following the standard MFP calorie counts? did you change your calories based on BMR, macros, etc.?
What haas been the most consistent, successful way you have shed pounds?

I am a newbie trying to find my way between eating too many calories or just the 1200. Any advice or tips are welcome! I need to lose 28 pounds.

aedreana

This isn't advice, because it would not be the best way for everyone, but I eat way fewer calories than what is recommended. I am sedentary and do not exercise, and I only have a few pounds to shed, so it will just take a few weeks. I do not possess the patience nor persistence to be on a one-pound-a-week weight loss plan. I am too results-oriented for that.

brillig13

What worked for me very well was eating 1200 calories and limiting the high fat high sugar stuff like cookies to one cookie once a day if I was keeping on my planned track. Also having some exercise like a treadmill. DO NOT starve yourself, it causes horrible cravings to overeat later on. Also try to keep diet-sweet stuff like diet soda and gum to once a week. Otherwise I ate what I wanted but tried to eat a normal supper.

It is easier after the first couple weeks, I think your body has to get used to burning fat.

healthyme211

I love your honesty and good for you! Gotta stay true to what works for you.

abadvat

If you are clueless and never dealt with macros / calories start of with MFP but keep on reading / educating yourself in order to move out of MFP guidelines which are very vague and debatable in my opinion when it comes to daily intake / outtake.
General rule to thumb - 1200 calories is unhealthy and counter productive in the long run (unless you are a very tiny person with no physical activity what so ever).

__freckles__

My TDEE is higher than MFP's recommendation, so I've figured it out through trial and error and eat 10% below that. I only have a few pounds to lose so I'm shooting to lose 1/2 a pound a week. I'm taking it slow and steady to minimize muscle and LBM loss so I don't end up skinny fat like the first time I lost weight (I've had to bulk up since then and am cutting again). I lift 4 times per week and log every bite.

ETA: I also want to lose while eating as much as possible, because, delicious! So I'm losing but still able to eat 1950 calories a day.

totaldetermination

I wear a fitbit throughout the day, and use an HRM to track calories burned when I do cardio.
I always eat 1,000 calories less than what I have burned, except for days that I burn less than 2,200 in which case I eat 1,200 calories.

I have lost 28 pounds in 108 days. one week was a vacation so I was just 'maintaining'. For the rest of the time, this averages to 2 pounds per week.

EvgeniZyntx

Keeping it simple, staying active.

Following this:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

healthyme211

1200 is the number MFP gave me for my height/weight.

enicus91

I had to manually input my daily calorie goal that my nutritionist set for me. MFP was telling me around 2400 but my nutritionist said 1800. So I follow my doctor's advice and do at least 50 minutes of cardio with some weight training on the side (nothing crazy).
But like everyone has said, each person will be different, but 1200 seems really low if you are planning on exercising. Health wise, I'm not an expert on how that can affect your body; I'm more thinking about how hungry you might get which can lead to binge eating.

britain21

Hi. 
I am obsessed with diet and fitness. I am 5'1 and weigh 128 . I exercise 5-7 times a week and usually stay in the 500-800 calorie range. I haven't lost any weight for like two weeks and I don't know why:/?

IllustratedxGirl

1200 net calories did not work for me!! I found that number too difficult to maintain. I have a net of 1350, which is about 100 below my BMR. I use that 100 as a buffer in case of over estimate my intake or exercise.

I workout a lot.. Generally a class like bootcamp or cardio kickboxing on my lunch, strength training after work, followed by another class after that. I also try to throw some yoga classes and hiking in there too.

I eat back my calories but still try to have a few hundred left over as another buffer. Additionally, I'm extremely accurate with my calories counting and measurements.

This has worked well for me, and I lost 4% body fat in the first 3 months. Although during that time I only lost 2 lbs lol. So don't pay attention to the scale.. It doesn't mean anything! I lost quite a few inches on my waist and hips while the scale didn't budge.

shezzzzz

You'll probably find you have to play around with what number works for you. If you go too low, it will be too restrictive and you won't stick to it, Too high and you won't lose as fast as you'd like and lose motivation.

I took an average of several BMR predictors. I'm 5 10, have lost 22 lbs and have another 50 (or so) to go. Currently I try not to go over 1586 per day (started at 1627, I adjust it every 20 lbs or so). I make sure I have at least 25 grams of protein each meal to curb hunger.

It took me a year of trial and error to figure this out. I'm losing steadily, but I can still eat what I enjoy.

When it comes to activity / exercise days, if I have been active more than usual for at least an hour, I allow myself an extra 150 cals for the day. No one told me to do that, some said to eat back my exercise calories, others said not to, the flat 150 works for me.

Stick with the eating the same amount of calories every day (for at least 2 weeks), monitor your losses (or gains) and adjust your calorie intake up or down accordingly.

What ever you do, you have to enjoy it, or you won't stick with it. Once in a while (as in no more than once a month) I'll sacrifice a loss in a week to enjoy a friends birthday dinner or something else special.

Find what works for you.

aedreana

britain21, don't panic. It has to be water retention! Have you recently changed to food that contains a higher sodium content? Or it could be just normal premenstrual water retention. Perhaps you became dehydrated earlier along in your diet, and due to rehydration you aren't seeing the fat loss reflect on the scale. Hydration is a good thing and not something to fight against. The fat loss is continuing even though you can't tell by the number on the scale. You will see that the plateau is only temporary.

Saramelie

Eating below TDEE. Calculated my weight loss at 2000 calories per day and it would take me 2.5 years to get to goal. I am fine with this. Slowly but surely, and with plenty of food ( and exercise daily).