Need suggestions on my "vanity" lbs

ladyhawk00

I would suggest changing your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and make sure you eat your exercise calories. The less you have to lose the smaller your caloric deficit should be.

i already set my goal to .5 a week. But i dont eat calories back. i believe in calories in and calories out.

That's not what calories in and calories out means.
For example, (I'm just using round numbers) if your maintenance calorie level is 2000, that means your calories out just by breathing everyday is 2000, so you should eat 2000 calories to MAINTAIN your weight.
calories in = calories out
2000 = 2000
Now let's say you started exercising everyday and burned 300 calories. now your calories out would be 2300. To maintain weight, you should now be eating 2300.

So now, if MFP is telling you that in order to lose .5 pounds per week you should be eating 1500 per day, that means they have already calculated your deficit, which would make your calories in (1500) less than your calories out (2000) WITHOUT exercise. (2000).
So now, if you start exercising 300 calories a day, but still only eat 1500 calories: calories in = 1500, calories out = 2300

In theory, this should make you lose MORE weight FASTER, because your deficit is bigger, but in reality if your deficit is too much, your body may think you are starving yourself, and your metabolism drops, and you hold on to weight.

You should be "eating back" some of your exercise calories.
Does that make sense?

in reallity I do eat some back. My maintenance is 1710. And some days its probably really more like 1600. i have my settings at light active because I am a stay at home mom. But some days I am not that active. i eat 1500 calories so yes I consider I have 210 calorie deficit. Its why i changed from eat 1200 calories to 1500 a day. I know i was eating too little. But it was working I was losing 2lbs a week.

I guess on a workout day off I will just need to wear my HRM a full day and see how many calories I really burn.

Actually that won't really work. HRMs are not intended to calculate cals burned in an anaerobic state and are not at all accurate when you aren't doing cardio. For that you'd want to either get RMR tested or get a Bodybugg or Bodymedia.

Many gyms can test RMR, for about $50-100.

As for 2 lbs a week, you may have lost it, but you probably lost a good amount of lean mass along with a little fat (and probably some water weight here and there.) A large deficit in someone near at or near a healthy BMI may result in weight loss, but it's not the kind of loss you're looking for.

mislove68

At 130 and 1710/maintenance you have to be at 16% bodyfat. You sure about those numbers? I only ask because this is a woman at 16% bodyfat:

http://bodyforlife.com/success-stories/nancy-fish

...and so is this woman here:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_woU5s2fwbZo/SopSrmOVS1I/AAAAAAABLZ0/4m-3tTtTeuM/s1600-h/1bg8XL5xdAlHFBkA9hYJOOV3vNksa01816.jpeg


...and I'm not seeing it in your jawline or upper arms. Could just be the angle of the pics, or your pics are older. Or your maintenance number is actually much lower than you think.

I am set to light active. And it gives me 1710. I am 5 4. Short! My body fat is probably like 22-24%

mislove68

I would suggest changing your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and make sure you eat your exercise calories. The less you have to lose the smaller your caloric deficit should be.

i already set my goal to .5 a week. But i dont eat calories back. i believe in calories in and calories out.

That's not what calories in and calories out means.
For example, (I'm just using round numbers) if your maintenance calorie level is 2000, that means your calories out just by breathing everyday is 2000, so you should eat 2000 calories to MAINTAIN your weight.
calories in = calories out
2000 = 2000
Now let's say you started exercising everyday and burned 300 calories. now your calories out would be 2300. To maintain weight, you should now be eating 2300.

So now, if MFP is telling you that in order to lose .5 pounds per week you should be eating 1500 per day, that means they have already calculated your deficit, which would make your calories in (1500) less than your calories out (2000) WITHOUT exercise. (2000).
So now, if you start exercising 300 calories a day, but still only eat 1500 calories: calories in = 1500, calories out = 2300

In theory, this should make you lose MORE weight FASTER, because your deficit is bigger, but in reality if your deficit is too much, your body may think you are starving yourself, and your metabolism drops, and you hold on to weight.

You should be "eating back" some of your exercise calories.
Does that make sense?

in reallity I do eat some back. My maintenance is 1710. And some days its probably really more like 1600. i have my settings at light active because I am a stay at home mom. But some days I am not that active. i eat 1500 calories so yes I consider I have 210 calorie deficit. Its why i changed from eat 1200 calories to 1500 a day. I know i was eating too little. But it was working I was losing 2lbs a week.

I guess on a workout day off I will just need to wear my HRM a full day and see how many calories I really burn.

Actually that won't really work. HRMs are not intended to calculate cals burned in an anaerobic state and are not at all accurate when you aren't doing cardio. For that you'd want to either get RMR tested or get a Bodybugg or Bodymedia.

Many gyms can test RMR, for about $50-100.

As for 2 lbs a week, you may have lost it, but you probably lost a good amount of lean mass along with a little fat (and probably some water weight here and there.) A large deficit in someone near at or near a healthy BMI may result in weight loss, but it's not the kind of loss you're looking for.

Oh yeah I guess i have noticed that if I sit down with my HRM on it will go off.

I really really doubt I lost muscle mass. I lost a TON of inches. I did lose some water weight I know that. I really cut my sodium down. I know had to because I had kidney stones (which is part genetic my dad gets them ALOT)

erickirb

I would suggest changing your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and make sure you eat your exercise calories. The less you have to lose the smaller your caloric deficit should be.

i already set my goal to .5 a week. But i dont eat calories back. i believe in calories in and calories out.

That is how it works but you will lose muscle not just fat if your deficit is too large and you don't have much to lose. If your goal is 0.5lbs then why not eat your exercise calories back. If you want to lose more change your goal to more then, and eat your exercise calories.

mislove68

I would suggest changing your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and make sure you eat your exercise calories. The less you have to lose the smaller your caloric deficit should be.

i already set my goal to .5 a week. But i dont eat calories back. i believe in calories in and calories out.

That is how it works but you will lose muscle not just fat if your deficit is too large and you don't have much to lose. If your goal is 0.5lbs then why not eat your exercise calories back. If you want to lose more change your goal to more then, and eat your exercise calories.

Because I have to plan out my meals. i dont just just shove crap in my mouth to eat exercise calories back. Someday i dont burn as many calories. And as I have got more fit I dont burn as many. And Its not that I got FAT from eating like ****. I had a baby and as men dont understand you gain weight from it...all over. And every women gains it different. I did a ton of walking when pregnant. I ate really healthy! Now i want to look awesome in a swimsuit and reduce body fat which in return I want to lose some pounds.

erickirb

I would suggest changing your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and make sure you eat your exercise calories. The less you have to lose the smaller your caloric deficit should be.

i already set my goal to .5 a week. But i dont eat calories back. i believe in calories in and calories out.

That is how it works but you will lose muscle not just fat if your deficit is too large and you don't have much to lose. If your goal is 0.5lbs then why not eat your exercise calories back. If you want to lose more change your goal to more then, and eat your exercise calories.

Because I have to plan out my meals. i dont just just shove crap in my mouth to eat exercise calories back. Someday i dont burn as many calories. And as I have got more fit I dont burn as many. And Its not that I got FAT from eating like ****. I had a baby and as men dont understand you gain weight from it...all over. And every women gains it different. I did a ton of walking when pregnant. I ate really healthy! Now i want to look awesome in a swimsuit and reduce body fat which in return I want to lose some pounds.

the losing fat is what I am suggesting. when losing fat you also lose muscle, but the slower you lose, the less muscle you lose, on top of that you have to eat more protein and add strength training to ensure you are not losing muscle.

If you know you are going to workout estimate your caloric burn and eat those as part of your meals, it is best to space them out as opposed to eating them after you workout. Best of luck in your journey.

mislove68

Thanks everyone for your replies but none of this has helped.

btw i do eat a ton of protein, and strength train.

I guess I will go back to reading what Jillian suggests as she is more of an expert.

erickirb

Thanks everyone for your replies but none of this has helped.

btw i do eat a ton of protein, and strength train.

I guess I will go back to reading what Jillian suggests as she is more of an expert.

Actually she is not really an expert. She was a woman that lost a lot of weight and was picking people to go on BL but someone liked her and she got picked to be a trainer on BL even though she had very little training education and experience. She has gained it since then, but I would not consider her an "expert".