BMR-caloric needs-net calories ----HELP!

tuck1jl

I have been on this weight loss journey for 2 years now. I am down almost 75lbs however in the past month I have been going back & forth between the same 4lbs. I'm thinking I need to re-evaluate my caloric intake. I think I could be eating too few or too many calories but am unsure what how many calories I need to lose 2+lbs per week.

I am currently 340lbs. I exercise 5-6 days a week. Walk 60 minutes daily plus 1 hour of either aerobics, strength training, circut training daily. I am 5'7" 27 years old. I use a heart rate monitor & average 900-1,000 calories burned daily. The HRM is set to my weight/height activity level. I have a sedentary job but try to move as much as possible. From what I can find my BMR is 2315- my daily caloric needs to maintain 4,005 calories.


Could someone please help me sort this out? I could really use advise on how many I should & should not be eating. I have to start losing again.



Thank you

kris_joanna

First of all, a big congrats for working those 2 yrs to get that 75 lbs off! That is no small feat to take it off the slow, healthy way. Now, it does get harder - I won't lie. When I hit 2 yrs, I encountered the same issue. I was up & down the same 5 lbs for almost 6 mos. It was so frustrating that I nearly gave up. I've just started loosing again over the past several months.

Here's some things that helped me that may help you too:
- Change up your exercise routine. Your body gets used to the 1 hr walking or the specific conditioning that you are doing if you are consistently doing the same things day to day or week to week. That's why programs like P90x & the like are generally successful - because they have you change it up everyday. I'm not promoting P90x - I've actually never used it, it's just an example. The way I change it up is a bit more simple. Change walking to hiking a few times a week. Pay for a trainer every few weeks to give you ideas of different exercises & get different trainers so you get different ideas. Schedule it out with the exercises you currently know well to ensure you are getting a good mix from week to week. Perhaps take a seasonal exercise class for something different for your body.

- For the food intake, I took the liberty of reviewing your food journal for this month. From what I can tell, it looks like you are eating healthy & that's great. I would suggest to perhaps log your food more frequently to really get a feeling for your intake. I'm no expert, but from my experience it seems like you may be able to reduce your calories down to around 1800 a day. This may help your body get to working. Also, if you do opt for the occasional trainer, you may want to use part of a session to discuss calorie goals as well as goals for fiber, fat, carbs, etc. specifically formulated for your body weight, height & body fat %. Not all trainers can do this, but the good ones can & are generally happy to help give you these goals. Also, I noticed you like Chocolate (I do too!). You may want to consider a healthy chocolate shake to replace one of your chocolate snacks. It can be more filling for about the same calories. I have tried Shakology (150 cal) & I like it best among the options. You can mix it with Almond milk (50 cal per 1 cup) & ice or even add fruit if you want to try a different twist to things.

- Gadgets! I really like gadgets. They are not for everyone, but I've used a heart rate monitor, pedometer & then the bodybugg in the past. I am currently using the FitBit. I really like it because it is a pedometer w/ so much more. Tells you steps taken, floors climbed, miles walked, calories burned, activity level & the time on the device itself. That's nice for me, but what I like more is that it will track all this activity over time for me on their website & I automatically earn badges when I walk 100 miles, climb 20 flights of stairs in a day, etc. This makes it a bit more fun. Plus, it interacts with MFP so you don't have to log the day to day errands to track calories burned. One other feature I don't use nearly enough if that you can wear it while sleeping & it will track how well you sleep, how many times you wake up, etc. So, if you like gadgets, you may want to look around & see what you may prefer because I think the more tracking of calories in & out that you have, the more in control of your weight loss journey you are.

These are just some things that have worked for me. I wish you luck in your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Feel free to reach out to me directly if you want. I know you can get over this obstacle.