Week 3 Reflections--Still frustrated but hopeful!

ByrdMessy

I'm 5 feet nuthin' and I've set my first goal as losing 50lbs. Depending on boobage and whether or not I'm looking to have kids at that point, I'll see when I get there what my second goal should be.

I don't know for sure, but my BMR is probably between 1550 and 1650.
My TDEE is probably between 2100 and 2200.

I started MFP the middle of March and had a sucky first week. I fluctuated a lot in the first two weeks. Daily. But never really had that sudden loss of what everyone says is supposed to be water weight. I'm in the third week now, and I think my weight has stopped fluctuating as much. I'm hesitant to say it's definitely on its way down. Do I log it the second I see the scale hit a certain number or do I wait for consistency?

MFP suggested a 1400 calorie intake, and I gained weight in the first week. I've set my goal at 1475 now, which might still be below my BMR, but I'm cheating a little everyday. Cheating, even though it's a tiny bit, somehow makes me feel happy. I've also decided that while my intake calories might be low, I'm going to vow to eat back all my exercise calories, even if I assume MFP is generous in doling them out.

For example, on a day I don't work out, I'll eat 1475 (don't forget maybe 100 calories cheating some days). The next day, if I work out for 500 calories, which realistically is probably more like 250 or 300, I'll eat 1975. Ideally, I'll be above my BMR everyday, but the more I exercise, the more I'm increasing my ability to eat this many healthy calories, which is harder for me than eating bad calories. I think this might make for a good balance, and if not, I'll up my calories weekly and be more stingy with my exercise calories until I get it right.

I would rather be at 1600 now and get used to that instead of having nowhere to go down from there after I do lose. But if I go another month and something still seems off, I think I'll look into setting my goal at maintenance and keeping a high deficit. I'm open to hearing more suggestions, but I want to take it slowly and try things differently only every week or two.

One of the most interesting challenges has been drinking water. NSV, I actually did the full 8 cups today! Small victory, but I've got to count something. I'm getting better at squeezing in around 5 or 6 cups a day, but how do I know what's right for me? Not to get technical, but should I aim for a certain color urine? Should I count my (what now seems like a million) trips to the bathroom?

I've been doing some Just Dance on the Wii, some walking--with the dogs, on the treadmill and with the kids I nanny, running for short intervals, and biking on the stationary. I've been trying to add more strength recently, but it seems less familiar and more complex without equipment than cardio does. I'm trying to learn some easy things to do that aren't as daunting as typical squats or push ups or sit ups.

I know I don't want to obsess about every single calorie and I'd like to start feeling confident in my ability to lose weight without being on MFP constantly. I've been eating super clean but allowing for small portions of... well... crap. And I'm exercising more than before, so no matter what it's progress to me.

My diary is open, so feel free to take a gander, and I'm always looking for helpful friends. Thanks for reading--I benefit greatly from having a sounding board, but there aren't too many people in my life I feel I can talk to about this.

ByrdMessy

I know I wrote a lot, so I thought I'd highlight some of my questions. I'd really appreciate some feedback.

I'm 5 feet nuthin' and I've set my first goal as losing 50lbs.

BMR is probably between 1550 and 1650.
TDEE is probably between 2100 and 2200.

Do I log it the second I see the scale hit a certain number or do I wait for consistency?

I would rather be at 1600 now and get used to that instead of having nowhere to go down from there after I do lose. But if I go another month and something still seems off, I think I'll look into setting my goal at maintenance and keeping a high deficit. I'm open to hearing more suggestions, but I want to take it slowly and try things differently only every week or two.

I'm getting better at squeezing in around 5 or 6 cups [of water] a day, but how do I know what's right for me? Not to get technical, but should I aim for a certain color urine? Should I count my (what now seems like a million) trips to the bathroom?

I've been trying to add more strength recently, but it seems less familiar and more complex without equipment than cardio does. I'm trying to learn some easy things to do that aren't as daunting as typical squats or push ups or sit ups.

My diary is open, so feel free to take a gander, and I'm always looking for helpful friends. Thanks for reading--I benefit greatly from having a sounding board, but there aren't too many people in my life I feel I can talk to about this.

heybales

I'm impressed with you wanting to do this smartly, eating more during whole loss.
That does indeed mean you don't lose that instant water weight. Which is usually water tied to the stored glucose. Most taking that huge deficit are also inspired to workout that first week, and hence burn up a lot of glucose compared to normal, and that means water weight. Plus the mere act of logging usually helps sodium levels, so there is more there.

You should weigh on the morning after a rest day. And would be best if that rest day did NOT follow a late evening heaving lifting workout. Muscle will be retaining water associated with repair, so artificially inflated.

Log the fluctuations, that way as you start to lose, you'll remember they are normal. Just one weigh-in a week, unless you do have 2 rest days spread out, in which case both mornings the day after would be fine.

Very smart wanting to keep metabolism up for this loss.
Water is usually over-rated, and recommended by those eating way too little, so it is means to fill stomach. You'll reach a balance point anyway, no matter what. Of course a bottle or two associated with a heavy workout is useful. "Crystal clear Italian stream" is nice indicator. The real lyrics say blue, but that would be a problem. lol

Weight lifting will be great. Usually recommended to offset the body using muscle on very low calorie diets, but you are doing that, so not for that concern. But, better muscle burning fat all day is great. Just be aware trained muscle holds more glucose - no weight loss. But for excellent reasons.
Here is great site, pick your body part, in the list of exercises, pick the ones that use body weight or dumbbells (milk jugs with water or sand) - http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WtFemale.html

Since you are wanting to do this journey smart, and you have no HRM (don't need one), you might like a method that doesn't require exercise eatback, because it's included in daily total already, avg out over the week. So no big eat days. Same goal everyday to goal weight, until your routine changes in major way.
Requires a tad more homework to nail activity levels and times, but then you feed your BMR and exercise you want for body improvement, but maximize the deficit possible.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/477666-eating-for-future-you-method

There is a spreadsheet link in there to make it easier.

And you think you write a lot! Ha! don't look at my past posts.

ByrdMessy

Thank you very much!

I've been weighing way too often, but I think I will feel more free to relax once I get in my stride and once I've reached a certain milestone number right around the corner.

I never cared to get the grades in school that I knew I could get, but if I do care about something, I DO do the research.

I just read a post suggesting that eating at your BMR and then planning to make up for it in eating back exercise calories is not the right way to fuel your body as a first priority. I know I have to increase more, maybe like you say, at an average per day, but I still want to take my time and learn how to do that with the right kinds of foods.

It's definitely crystal clear!

Thanks for the links. This map is fun!

I'm trying to narrow down my BMR and I'll be thinking about getting an HRM to get a better idea of how I lose calories. We'll see. Money is probably better spent on a good pair of sneakers at the moment.

Writing is how I process everything, so writing about this and really learning as much as I can means I'm more prepared to take it seriously.

That was very helpful--you rock!

kyt1206

Okay, so I looked at your diary and I noticed some things that you might be able to change and see if it works or not:

1) See if you can eat processed carbs only once or twice a day (try to limit to 1 if possible), in other words, instead of eating bread, cereal, rice and/or bagels, just eat one of them or at most two per day.

2) Instead of opting for cheese, avocado, and yogurt, pick one or two per day, stick with that.

3) Add fish somewhere in there. If you don't like fish, try adding more chicken, but fish is preferable.

4) While you do eat veggies, their portion size is dwarfed by your other dietary consumption. Try making at least half of your meal veggies.

There's a French saying regarding food, Fromage ou Desserts? It means, cheese or desserts. The reason for that is, they believe that cheese should be tasted on its own, for its own merit as an after-meal treat. This has also kept the French skinny for a long time as the rest of the western world slabs it on every hamburger, salad, and pasta known to man and keep expanding their waist lines. So next time you have to choose, pretend you're this fancy French model and you have to pick your cheese or dessert to get into the mindset of it.

ByrdMessy

Ok

1. I've cut out the rice, figuring the sodium wasn't worth it. I'm going to have to check out quinoa. I can keep better track of bagels, cereal and bread. I know I just eat bread as a filler anyway, and if I can find a substitute for cereal with yogurt, that will help.

2. I can alternate cheese, yogurt and avocado. That'll just mean better planning.

3. Definitely. If I add fish (I'm a pescetarian) that will solve the problem of trying to fill calories with the above.

4. I love vegetables. I'm starting a garden this year. I have to find some quicker ways to get lots and lots of veggies in. I get sit-down lunches two or three times a week, so I should be able to fit them in there instead of waiting until I get home--I never know when that will be. They're cheap enough, too. Have any on-the-go vegetable suggestions?

I lived in Paris for 7 months. It was the only time in my life I naturally lost weight without trying. Unfortunately it was because I couldn't afford food or the metro. "Fromage ou desserts?" That's good advice. I'll try to think of it that way. I get towards the end of the day without eating all my calories, though, and I head right for peanut butter and nutella. Again, planning will help that. Oh! I should do it the French way and have a glass of red wine instead. I've been avoiding it since I started, but I'd rather have that than dessert.

This is all a learning process, and I'm pretty optimistic. I'm just concerned that I'm not seeing results and maybe something is way off--I have to start looking more clearly for non-scale victories and be more patient. The funny thing is that I used to be the world's most patient person until I went to France!

Thank you very much. It helps to have real critical scrutiny like this of things I know I can improve on, and if I know I have things to work on, I won't get bored. If I know I'm not doing everything I can, I have no reason to be quite as frustrated.