Help. Help. Help.

Spence711

Make sure you are eating enough calories a day to burn off. Not eating enough calories can stop you losing weight as well. We have to eat to burn it off when we work out or go for a walk. Another thing that helped me....switch workouts. Don't workout to the same thing everyday. I own about 7 workout DVDS. I switched everyday and some days I will walk for 1 hour.

You have to find what work for you. Keep trying new things....

cait0902

So I wanna eat more, about 1700-2000 cals per day...how many of those do I want to burn??

harlanJEN

I highly recommend checking out the forum group : Eat More to Weigh Less

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

I'm a huge advocate of properly fueling our bodies and strength training. I want to lose FAT, not just WEIGHT. There is a difference ! I've had success and I've been trying to get this right for YEARS.

DixiedoesMFP

TDEE (total daily energy expenditure: all calories burned throughout the day sleeping, eating, exercising, cleaning, etc.) calculator:
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

I am 5'4" 141 and currently eat between 1800 - 2000 calories per day. The weight loss isn't overwhelmingly fast, but I also never feel hungry or deprived, which means I'll be able to stick with this in the long run.

Also, if you eat near your TDEE you won't necessarily want to eat your exercise calories back, but I burn between 300 - 500 calories when I work out. Simply moving more (cleaning, chasing kids, etc.) also burns calories on days you don't work out.

suzikay12

I'm 5'8 and 169lbs. I walk 40 minutes a day and do 30DS. I eat around 1500 calories M-F, closer to 2000 on weekends. I lose around a pound a week. It sounds like we are close in stats and exercise levels.

My diary is open but I'm not great at logging all my food intake, especially on weekends. Feel free to browse through it. I'm rarely hungry and don't feel like I'm depriving myself at all.

missigus

I have my calories set at 1200, but i have started eating back some of my exercise calories. About 2/3rds of them. So on the days that i work out, I should be eating about 1550. I'm eating back 1375 to 1425 on those days that i get my work-out in. My BMR is 1400. I was sticking to 1200 or 1100 like you and while I was losing steadily for a while, I eventually hit a plateau. I also got hungrier and more agitated. Now that I added just those 200/225 little calories I have beat the plateau and feel less hungry/agitated too. I think there is something to adding a few more calories...not going crazy with it or anything, but being sensible about it based on being at or near your BMR.

jeawashko

i am following this convo cait!- because i'm in the exact same boat! 5'7", i've lost 4 lbs, and i'm doing 1200/day. granted i am already down to 143, however, i've ben around this weight, never topping out more than 149 over the last 2 years or so--- and that was after being 210+ to start. keep me posted on how this is working for you! i know we're doing the shred together, too-- but i often wonder if i should be eating more calories or if now that i'm more "maintaining" that isn't the case? who knows! but good luck

beachlover718

Just a warning- I gain at first whenever I start exercising- especially when I lift weights if I havent for a while. It can be really discouraging but in the end it's worth it. I love how much better I look when more toned- I'd rather be a little heavier and have more muscle (not talking body builder muscle lol) than be thin but flabby. I say do the whole 30 days of 30 DS then switch it up to something totally different for the next month ( it'll be warm out, maybe swimming if that's available to you or walking/running)

I also agree with other's that youre not eating enough. try to add more protein and healthy carbs/fats rather than junk. :-)

stephreed11

You're not eating enough. Calculate your BMR & NET at or slightly above it. I know it sounds contradicting, but (accurately) eating more helps you lose. & keeps you healthy.

thrld

By any chance have you calculated your BMI? (Try www.freedieting.com for the calculator) 1000-1100 calories a day doesn't seem like your eating enough. From my understanding you should never eat below your BMI or your body will start to go into starvation mode. I would calculate you BMI and try eating just above that and see if it helps.

So this website said that I need 2517 to maintain, 2014 for fat loss, and 1510 for extreme fat loss...so I need to eat more? I can do that But like most people, I'm sure, this kinda scares me...just doesn't make sense ya know?

Yes. You need a lot more than 1200. Try 1700-1800. Seriously. It works. Don't make this harder on yourself than you need to. You're going to feel so much better; and give it a month. Don't freak when you gain a pound in the beginning - you've been undereating. Stick with any changes for a month to get a full picture of what's going on.

Keep your protein high - make sure you hit those protein goals - that's the most important. The protein here is a Minimum, not a Maximum. So get at Mimimum the protein this site recommends.

True. The eat more people are completely right. Do a search on 'eating back excercise calories" --- there are tons of posts. And the science is there -- don't put yourself in starvation mode.

just4u_cara

The idea of eating more is scary!! It took me awhile to actually do it!! HOWEVER it was the BEST thing I have ever done...I was stuck in a plateau for almost 2 months, so I upped my calories and in 2 weeks I lost 4lbs!

Yes, I had the same experience. Eating more doesn't mean gaining more. I still can't wrap my head around it, but from my stall in Feb/Mar and then losing again in late April when I started eating more, it DOES WORK!!

The tracking in MFP sure helped me realize this, I eat back about half my exercise calories, and keep my daily calorie intake about 1500-1700 depending on how much I workout.

ladynica

I agree with everyone else that said eat more.