Newbie with questions. :)

ShannaSwitzer

Hi there! I'm so happy to have found this group!

I found myself stalled out and bouncing up and down the same pound or two over the last six weeks, after losing 50 pounds in the year prior. I kept shaking my head and thinking "I'm doing everything right! Why am I not losing?" And getting more and more frustrated. I was eating 1380 calories to supposedly lose 2#/wk, just like MFP told me. Working out 4-5 days a week, doing weights.... then I found various threads about eating more, BMR, TDEE, all kinds of calculations and mind-boggling data to consider. And then I started researching lifting weight to lose weight, and got all kinds of excited -- that's speakin' my language!

I think you gals are onto something BIG and important, and I'm excited to change up my thinking that calories are something to avoid or severely limit in order to lose.

So, stats on me: 31 y/o, 5'11.5", SW 257, CW 205. GW 180...? -- I've never been a healthy weight, so I'll reassess as I get closer. According to fitnessfrog, my BMR is 1728, my TDEE at moderate activity level is 2679. I'm a SAHM, and I work out 4-5x/wk. I run, do the elliptical, and do weights 2-3x/wk. I'm going to get a copy of NROLFW. Right now, after poking around here on MFP, I'm doing much shorter sets of higher weight.

I weigh in on Fridays, and JUST switched my calories last Friday after finding myself up 2 pounds (UGH) - had an "off" day that I calculated around 3000, then three 1700-1900 days, and as of this morning I'm down 2.6#. Shocked. I know that's just water/my body releasing after starving it for too long, but I'll happily take it!

So, my questions:

1. Where should I set my calorie level? I'm never to go below BMR, right? But how close should I get to my TDEE? Do I maintain the same calorie level regardless of workouts?
2. I realize now that cardio does not = higher calorie burn. Should I still do it as often as I have been?

Thank you!

ANewLucia

Hi there! I'm so happy to have found this group!

I found myself stalled out and bouncing up and down the same pound or two over the last six weeks, after losing 50 pounds in the year prior. I kept shaking my head and thinking "I'm doing everything right! Why am I not losing?" And getting more and more frustrated. I was eating 1380 calories to supposedly lose 2#/wk, just like MFP told me. Working out 4-5 days a week, doing weights.... then I found various threads about eating more, BMR, TDEE, all kinds of calculations and mind-boggling data to consider. And then I started researching lifting weight to lose weight, and got all kinds of excited -- that's speakin' my language!

I think you gals are onto something BIG and important, and I'm excited to change up my thinking that calories are something to avoid or severely limit in order to lose.

So, stats on me: 31 y/o, 5'11.5", SW 257, CW 205. GW 180...? -- I've never been a healthy weight, so I'll reassess as I get closer. According to fitnessfrog, my BMR is 1728, my TDEE at moderate activity level is 2679. I'm a SAHM, and I work out 4-5x/wk. I run, do the elliptical, and do weights 2-3x/wk. I'm going to get a copy of NROLFW. Right now, after poking around here on MFP, I'm doing much shorter sets of higher weight.

I weigh in on Fridays, and JUST switched my calories last Friday after finding myself up 2 pounds (UGH) - had an "off" day that I calculated around 3000, then three 1700-1900 days, and as of this morning I'm down 2.6#. Shocked. I know that's just water/my body releasing after starving it for too long, but I'll happily take it!

So, my questions:

1. Where should I set my calorie level? I'm never to go below BMR, right? But how close should I get to my TDEE? Do I maintain the same calorie level regardless of workouts?
2. I realize now that cardio does not = higher calorie burn. Should I still do it as often as I have been?

Thank you!

Eat tdee -15% daily and if you have a high burn make sure to net bmr. NROLWFW suggests lifting 3 days and doing HIIT for 30 min max I believe a couple days a week.