Not losing any weight?

Ada89

Hi everyone,

I'm new here (as in I just joined earlier today) but before I get started, I want to make sure I'm doing everything correct. I'll give you a bit of back story, so I apologize if this is long lol.

I've always been overweight but last year I joined Weight Watchers and I lost 30lbs. I generally exercise anywhere between 3-5 days a week and my diet has improved A LOT. At Weight Watchers I never really had any support or understood WHAT to do with my exercise points, I just let them bank up week after week and never ate them back. Lo and behold, my weight stopped coming off (after reading some threads here, I now understand I wasn't giving my body enough fuel. Oops!) and I hit a wall. I actually gained weight.

I loved Weight Watchers but it wasn't teaching me proper nutrition and you guys all looked so much more welcoming (plus, it's free!). So... hopefully someone can help me out with the following:

- It feels like I am eating TOO much on 1370 calories. I don't want to be hungry and cranky or anything, but 1370 simply feels like too much to me. I didn't exercise today, if I did then I'd have another 200-400 calories to add on top of that. Maybe I just need to get used to it or something, but the thought of eating THAT much daily is sort of scary to me. Would it be unsafe/unwise to drop down to 1200 a day? My stats are:

Current weight: 160lbs
Goal weight: 120 - 130lbs
Height: 5'5"
BMR: 1,492
Activity is set to sedentry, I work at a desk job.

- I've read a lot of posts about this but after reading so many different opinions, I am confused lol. Should I eat back ALL of my exercise calories, or just majority of them? I don't want to send my poor body into starvation/survival mode but I don't want my workouts to go to "waste" even though they're helping me become more fit either way.

Thanks in advance. I hope I made sense and am doing this the right way. My diary SHOULD be public. If it isn't then let me know.

ronellevan

Set your goal to lose half a pound a week on MFP and stick with what it decides for you for calories.
And always eat your exercise calories.

Weight/strength training is also very important if you want to change your body composition.
Basic cardio is also old fashioned, you need to work some high intensity intervals into all your cardio workouts.

TavistockToad

i would say stick with the numbers MFP gives you, for the next month at least. eat back at least 50% of your exercise cals - as you dont have much weight to lose. and most importantly, be patient! its a lifestyle change, that you will be doing for ever, not a diet to do for a few weeks and then stop.

Ada89

Set your goal to lose half a pound a week on MFP and stick with what it decides for you for calories.
And always eat your exercise calories.

Weight/strength training is also very important if you want to change your body composition.
Basic cardio is also old fashioned, you need to work some high intensity intervals into all your cardio workouts.

Any reason why I should change my settings from 1 pound to half a pound? I am already struggling to eat the calories MFP has set me at 1lb.

I do weight training mixed in with cardio intervals.

godricshollow

I felt like I was eating too much when I first joined. Mostly because I had been "dieting" aka restricting what I ate. Give it a try for at least a few weeks and see how you feel. Leave it at 1lb a week and drop down to 1/2 next month and see if that makes a difference. You don't have a whole lot of weight to lose so just experient and find what works best for you as like someone above me said - it is a lifestyle change.

Good luck and congrats on the loss so far. :flowerforyou:

sm0113

No, you should not have to eat 1370 calories. We have similar stats, and MFP tells me to eat 1200. but my biggest advice is, as hard as it may be, just eat when you're hungry and don't when you're not. It sounds like you have a good idea about what 'good' foods are from WW. and if that worked, stick to the plan. you can still follow it without paying any money.
and about eating your exercise calories back or not.. the subject has been beaten to death and no one agrees or has the right answer just do what feels right for you.
Good Luck!

snookumss

SERIOUSLY, stick to the calories MFP gives you for the first month or two at the least!!!

Having trouble eating the calories, eat things that have a lot of calories, like peanut butter!
Add olive oil, its a good way to add calories in, seriously Its a great healthy way to do it at the least.

It seems like a lot, but seriously your body will adjust and it will make your body more willing to cut more fat because it has a good amount of calories coming in!

I was eating too few calories (about 1-200 under my daily goal from MFP) and had the HARDEST TIME losing weight. Seriously, when I focused on getting within 50 of my goal I lost like 5lbs in two days.

killerkat89

I used to be apart of weight watchers, I found i lost MORE weight if i ate both my excerise and weekly points. I too Joined MFP mostly becasue its free. You need to eat at least most of your excerise cal's because when you work out you are creating a defficet in calories, so when you "eat the ones you earn" you are just replaceing that cal's you body needs. I am too about 160 with a goal weight of 120/ 125 ish..... havnt been that small in years.. I tend to loose weight until i hit 150 and gain it all back casue i get laxzy or somthing but not this time. I hope this makes since and was helpful...

ladyraven68

best tip for anyone just starting - go to all the stickied threads at the top.

They are very informative and should answer your questions.

Good luck.