Tami's Secret to Skinny!!

TamTastic
TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
A PM from Sassiebritches got me thinking and I had posted something on a recent "eating exercise calories" thread. I just copied and pasted it here to possibly help others who may want to know. Remember, the important thing is to be open-minded to your body. Trial and error can be the way to go sometimes to figure out what will work for you. But, just because something worked for one person doesn't mean it will work for you. Just like our finger prints are all unique, how we respond to various things will be unique as well and just having the patience and taking the time to figure it out can make all the difference!! :flowerforyou:

Anyway, here is what I had written on the "Exercise Calories" thread. If it helps even ONE person, it is worth it!!!


All I ever add to these threads is my own personal experience.

But first of all, I know it sounds strange but when you think about it, you start to understand better.
You decide to lose weight. You lower your calories to a certain amount. You then exercise and burn MORE calories than those you are already excluding from your diet. So, eating some back....yes, you are eating more than 1500 calories but that isn't what your body is "bringing in" due to the exercise.

Anyway, for ME. Non-gym days, I ate 1400 calories. (I never ate below that). At the end, that was Mon, Wed, and Fri. On workout days, I got to the point where I was burning over 1,000 calories and I would eat around 1,900 calories on those days. (I ate about half the workout calories back). That was Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun.

On the days I didn't go to the gym, I would do some lunges and squats and things at home and just stuck to my 1400 at the end.

I rarely had a plateau and when I did, I didn't stay for more than a week or two. I lost 135 lbs in 16 months (so even with plateaus or better weeks, worse weeks, etc...that averages out to about 8-10 lbs a month).

So, in MY personal opinion and experience....eating plenty and exercising plenty is what worked for me. And I think by doing the almost every other day thing, my body was kept at a constant burn and HAPPY!

It is all about finding what will work for you. It can be a trial and error thing. But also, making sure the calories burned are accurate is important as well. I never used a heart rate monitor. I did read in a fitness article that a good way to get an accurate reading on a machine like an elliptical (Which I used a lot), is when it asks for your weight, enter in a weight about 5-10 lbs LESS than you are. And at the end, deduct about 15% from the final number it gives you. That is what I did and it worked for me and I never ate ALL of them back.


Good luck! drinker
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Replies

  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    A PM from Sassiebritches got me thinking and I had posted something on a recent "eating exercise calories" thread. I just copied and pasted it here to possibly help others who may want to know. Remember, the important thing is to be open-minded to your body. Trial and error can be the way to go sometimes to figure out what will work for you. But, just because something worked for one person doesn't mean it will work for you. Just like our finger prints are all unique, how we respond to various things will be unique as well and just having the patience and taking the time to figure it out can make all the difference!! :flowerforyou:

    Anyway, here is what I had written on the "Exercise Calories" thread. If it helps even ONE person, it is worth it!!!


    All I ever add to these threads is my own personal experience.

    But first of all, I know it sounds strange but when you think about it, you start to understand better.
    You decide to lose weight. You lower your calories to a certain amount. You then exercise and burn MORE calories than those you are already excluding from your diet. So, eating some back....yes, you are eating more than 1500 calories but that isn't what your body is "bringing in" due to the exercise.

    Anyway, for ME. Non-gym days, I ate 1400 calories. (I never ate below that). At the end, that was Mon, Wed, and Fri. On workout days, I got to the point where I was burning over 1,000 calories and I would eat around 1,900 calories on those days. (I ate about half the workout calories back). That was Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun.

    On the days I didn't go to the gym, I would do some lunges and squats and things at home and just stuck to my 1400 at the end.

    I rarely had a plateau and when I did, I didn't stay for more than a week or two. I lost 135 lbs in 16 months (so even with plateaus or better weeks, worse weeks, etc...that averages out to about 8-10 lbs a month).

    So, in MY personal opinion and experience....eating plenty and exercising plenty is what worked for me. And I think by doing the almost every other day thing, my body was kept at a constant burn and HAPPY!

    It is all about finding what will work for you. It can be a trial and error thing. But also, making sure the calories burned are accurate is important as well. I never used a heart rate monitor. I did read in a fitness article that a good way to get an accurate reading on a machine like an elliptical (Which I used a lot), is when it asks for your weight, enter in a weight about 5-10 lbs LESS than you are. And at the end, deduct about 15% from the final number it gives you. That is what I did and it worked for me and I never ate ALL of them back.


    Good luck! drinker
  • heather0mc
    heather0mc Posts: 4,656 Member
    thx chica! :flowerforyou:
  • Cindysunshine
    Cindysunshine Posts: 1,188 Member
    Tami, Thanks for a great post! Congrats on reaching your goal! You Rock! Cindy
  • RachVR6
    RachVR6 Posts: 3,688 Member
    Makes perfect sense! Congrats on the weight lost and baby on the way! :flowerforyou:
  • Elita
    Elita Posts: 92 Member
    Hi, thank you for your secret! I will start entering my weight with 10lbs less, I also use the elliptical a lot. Can you tell me your settings on it and for how long? (resistance and speed?)
  • kellch
    kellch Posts: 7,849 Member
    Tami's my hero crush.gif


    Seriously lady you are my inspiration here!! :flowerforyou: Tops in my book :smooched:
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    Thank you for sharing that!

    I completely agree that eating all of your exercise calories may not be the best for every person and that relying on the machines to give us accurate calories burned is not the best resource.

    :flowerforyou:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Hi, thank you for your secret! I will start entering my weight with 10lbs less, I also use the elliptical a lot. Can you tell me your settings on it and for how long? (resistance and speed?)
    I slowly worked up. I started at level 3, random setting for 20 minutes.

    By the end, I was doing over an hour at level 19 (random/interval setting). I moved really fast too!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    Tam I'm really glad that you wrote that. Lately I've seen a lot of "Tam has even said she doesn't eat all her exercise cals" in threads by new users asking if they should. I think some users were taking it the wrong way. Good post!

    PS- you look great and the little bump is coming along so well :flowerforyou:
  • jdelisle
    jdelisle Posts: 1,050 Member
    bump
  • GameOver
    GameOver Posts: 90 Member
    Tam - Thanks for this post! You're so inspiring. Congrats, too, on your new "bump" :flowerforyou:
  • Thank you for the advice! Your posts are always so insightful :flowerforyou:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Thank you for the advice! Your posts are always so insightful :flowerforyou:
    Thank you!! I really appreciate that! :happy:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Tam - Thanks for this post! You're so inspiring. Congrats, too, on your new "bump" :flowerforyou:

    LOL Thanks!!! It's coming along!!!
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    Burn mode is key! :drinker:

    Great post! :flowerforyou:
  • dewdrop
    dewdrop Posts: 1,715 Member
    Thanks, Tami! :flowerforyou: I think it's important to keep in mind that you were strict about the 1400. I tend to go over quite often, so yeah I guess I am sabotaging myself :ohwell: . So are you on maintain now? Still watching the calories?

    Once again, well done and thanks for sharing! :flowerforyou:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Thanks, Tami! :flowerforyou: I think it's important to keep in mind that you were strict about the 1400. I tend to go over quite often, so yeah I guess I am sabotaging myself :ohwell: . So are you on maintain now? Still watching the calories?

    Once again, well done and thanks for sharing! :flowerforyou:
    I am maintaining and pregnant........so I watch my calories still to make sure I don't go overboard with thoughts of "eating for two!!" :laugh:
  • tashjs21
    tashjs21 Posts: 4,584 Member
    You are awesome SL!!!! :love:

    Thanks for the reminder that everyone's body is different. :drinker:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    You are awesome SL!!!! :love:

    Thanks for the reminder that everyone's body is different. :drinker:
    Your welcome girl!!! :heart: :bigsmile:
  • farmgirlh
    farmgirlh Posts: 240
    Thanks!!!
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
    Tam - Now thats what I call putting it out there for all to see. Thanks for sharing with me and then forwarding this along.........

    :flowerforyou:
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Tam - Now thats what I call putting it out there for all to see. Thanks for sharing with me and then forwarding this along.........

    :flowerforyou:
    Your very welcome. I really hope it was helpful to you! :happy:

    I know how frustrating it can be and there were times I was screaming at the scale too!! :laugh:

    I think over time, I just learned to chill out and listen to my body and give it a break. I mean, If I lose well for a certain period of time.......and my body takes a break for a week or two, how can I blame it?? I am sure all your organs and just your whole body chemistry needs an adjustment period here and there.

    Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite part about my body is, I always say "The whole thing for putting up with the abuse (eating crap and not exercising and gaining so much weight), I put it through for SO long and still rewarded me when I actually started to do the work and treated it right!! :wink:

    I am corny, what can I say!! :blushing:
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    Bump!!!
  • xtina11179
    xtina11179 Posts: 352
    Absolutely inspirational!! :flowerforyou: Especially that last statement. I imagine you'll be getting a LOT of friend requests (including myself!) after this thread!!
  • kimber607
    kimber607 Posts: 7,128 Member
    Tami

    You have done a FANTASTIC JOB...a true inspiration
    The weight I lost doesn't touch a torch to what you've done (30 pounds)
    BUT I just wanted to also add that when I first started on non work-out days I ate 1490 cals and on days I worked out about 1700-1800 cals

    Kim
  • TamTastic
    TamTastic Posts: 19,224 Member
    Tami

    You have done a FANTASTIC JOB...a true inspiration
    The weight I lost doesn't touch a torch to what you've done (30 pounds)
    BUT I just wanted to also add that when I first started on non work-out days I ate 1490 cals and on days I worked out about 1700-1800 cals

    Kim
    That's great Kim. :flowerforyou:

    Maybe what everyone who has had a lot of success or reached their goal can do is to post what they did to reach their goal. By seeing what different people have done, it might help others!
  • watch48win
    watch48win Posts: 1,668 Member
    bump......for "newbies" or for those confused
  • xtina11179
    xtina11179 Posts: 352
    :sad: I still don't understand the "bump" thing. What does it mean??
  • sassiebritches
    sassiebritches Posts: 1,861 Member
    :sad: I still don't understand the "bump" thing. What does it mean??

    It means that you are putting this topic at the top of the community forums, so other people read it and it doesn't get lost in the abyss of "stuff and such". Just gives others a chance to read it.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    :sad: I still don't understand the "bump" thing. What does it mean??

    You have to run around your couch 5x. :laugh:

    It means to "bump" it to the top of the topic's list. :flowerforyou:
This discussion has been closed.