Do I have this right?

mechanicmom

Okay I've been on this site for 3 months. I've lost 9 pounds, which is good but in three months I should have reached my goal of 25 pounds right? I have my goals set to 1,200 calories a day, but I've been reading that your calorie intake shouldn't go below your BMR (or RMR) which for me is 1386. So this is saying that I should be eating 1386 calories a day? And if I exercise I just add whatever I've burned to that amount right? Maybe that's why I haven't lost as much weight. I also looked up this link
http://www.shapeup.org/atmstd/sud10v3/sud10s7.php
which has symptoms of not eating enough to keep up with the BMR and I have a lot of those symptoms.
I know you have to eat to lose weight but I feel like going up that much more on my calories will make me gain. But I do understand it correctly, right?
Thanks
Mel

mechanicmom

Okay I've been on this site for 3 months. I've lost 9 pounds, which is good but in three months I should have reached my goal of 25 pounds right? I have my goals set to 1,200 calories a day, but I've been reading that your calorie intake shouldn't go below your BMR (or RMR) which for me is 1386. So this is saying that I should be eating 1386 calories a day? And if I exercise I just add whatever I've burned to that amount right? Maybe that's why I haven't lost as much weight. I also looked up this link
http://www.shapeup.org/atmstd/sud10v3/sud10s7.php
which has symptoms of not eating enough to keep up with the BMR and I have a lot of those symptoms.
I know you have to eat to lose weight but I feel like going up that much more on my calories will make me gain. But I do understand it correctly, right?
Thanks
Mel

mechanicmom

When I go to my goals and custom change it to meet my BMR then it changes from 2 pounds per week loss to 1 pound. Is that all I will lose doing it this way? I guess at this point I should be happy with even one pound a week!

clcomb3

mine has me at 1200 cal a day to loose what i want but im eating around 850 and doing cardio for a hr a day so it knocks me down to around 300 cal im actually consuming.im not sure if this is good but i feel great and full.:flowerforyou:

rperr30

300 Cals that sounds dangerous to me you dont want to put your body in starvation mode!

jessjess

clcomb3,

300 Cals that sounds dangerous to me you dont want to put your body in starvation mode!

I agree with the above statement. You are definitely not eating enough.

Mecanicmom,
It sounds like you are headed in the right direction.
Can you tell a difference in the way you look? Are you putting on muscle?

amandagreen1980

mechanicmom

No, i would carry on the way you were going.

This website works it all out for you and the only way you wouldn't be eating enough is if you eat less than the 1200 calories. No matter how much you want to lose or how quickly, it will never go below 1200 calories.

Mine says to consume 1200 calories (which i try to do) then i also exercise to burn off 400-600 calories, i quite often then eat about 200 of those calories so 1400 total but sometimes i eat them all and sometimes i don't eat them, but I never eat less than 1200 calories because that is when your body starts to go into starvation mode.
Theres a lot of confusion flying about at the moment! But you are doing great and the reason you haven't got to your goal is just because you have so little to lose and it takes longer.

This being said, if you are on a plateau it may be worth upping your calories a bit as this does work, all im saying is you haven't been doing it wrong for 3 months!

Amanda :flowerforyou:

diannholland1965

Well mechanicmom, that all depends.
I read an interesting story about metabolism yesterday and I think that I will post the link on MFP so that you all can read it too.
I have a couple of questions first.
1: Are you still losing about 1 to 3 pounds a week doing it the way you started out?
2: Have you stopped losing weight and seem STUCK at one weight?
3: What exercises are you doing? & do you like them?
4: If weight lifting, are you still lifting the same weight as when you started?
The reasons that I ask these 4 questions are this:
1- If you are loosing a pound to 3 a week the same as when you started, Keep up the good work and do not change things yet. This says to me that what you are doing is working, Why mess with perfection.
2- If you have stopped losing, there are a few reasons for this, but more often then not it is because your body has gotten used to this routine and is not going to do anymore till you RAISE the bar if you will.
3- If you are stuck one of the reasons could be that people that do not LIKE the workout that they are doing have a tendency to do them 1/2 A$$ed If this is the case find a workout that you like better and watch your body change before your eyes.
4- Just like 2 if you are lifting the same amount as when you started you are not training your muscles to grow anymore then they are, they are where they think they need to be, and will keep themselves there as long as you keep doing the same thing. As a rule you should try to up your weight every 2 weeks. Even one pound more weight will jump start your system back into gaining fat burning muscle.
Which will in turn burn more fat weight.
--Diann...

mechanicmom

Diann,
I lost three pounds the week before Christmas and honestly I have not idea how since I was pigging out that week. Before that I was on a plateau for about a month. I gained a pound over the holidays and I haven't lost any more since then. I know that's oly a couple of weeks but I think I am frustrated because when I have lost weight in the past I get stuck here, just under 150 pounds. I have not weighed under 150 for more than a few months since I was 18, that's 12-13 years ago. Some people tell me that maybe I'm just meant to be this weight since I am not horribly overweight and that I should get used to it. I am not happy with being this size! 13 pounds more is all I ask. My measurements haven't changed in about month and a half to two months. I have worked my butt off this week and I will be disappointed if I don't shed some pounds or inches! Maybe before this week I just haven't been working hard enough, so there's been no difference. Maybe I'm stuck. I'm trying to change things up. I just don't know if I should up my calories to BMR or keep it at 1,200.

yoginimary

Diann,
I lost three pounds the week before Christmas and honestly I have not idea how since I was pigging out that week.

I think you have your answer. Try adding a few hundred calories a day. With only 13 to go, a 1/2 lb a week would be done by summer. It would also get you used to maintenance.

rperr30

When i have dieted before i could not get the last 2 pounds off! Is there a reason for this?

Nich0le

It's pretty simple, but it took me awhile to believe it, you do have to eat in order to loose weight.

When you started you put in your information and set a weight loss goal. The calories you are given automatically is the amount of calories you need if you were to just get up and do what you do everyday. When you add exercise to your day you are given extra calories to eat because you have increased your activity.

Example: I am allowed 1380 calories a day, if I was to do nothing but my normal routine that is all I could eat. If I exercise and burn 600 calories I then have 1980 calories I can eat and still have the same expected weight loss.

What is hard is to get used to is that healthy food has less calories than junk food so you feel like you are eatting way more food than you used to but if you take your weight and say you are trying to maintain it you will see that in order to maintain your current weight you have to eat a lot of calories that you probably don't realize you have been consuming. Eat healthier food and eat the calories alloted and you will find you start to loose. Also make sure you update your profile as you loose because your calories will actually increase the closer you get to your goal weight!

Nich0le

Also, for women, weight loss is less predictable. Our bodies are programmed by nature to be prepared to be pregnant and at all costs protect and feed the fetus. It is survival of the species. I have found with my loss (31 lbs so far) that I will loose 6-8 lbs all at once and then I seem to sit at the same weight for weeks, then I will loose a lb or so. Every 10 lbs or so I have to adjust everything I do to break a plateau. You may have hit a plateau already and need to change up your exercise program or meal times.

An easy way to break through a plateau is to go from walking to riding a bike or elliptical to the treadmill. If you are gymless or just prefer one type of cardio then you should increase your exercise by 20%, so if you walk for 30 minutes you want to walk for 36 minutes for at least 10 days, or if you walk 2 miles a day you need to walk 2.4. This will break the plateau and get you motivated to keep going again!

mechanicmom

thanks for your help and suggestions! They are appreciated!