NEED GUIDANCE-30DS, calorie intake, cardio, etc.

Itssojen

Hey, everyone-

I need some help. Here's my situation right now: I've lost 20 pounds since March 28 - I went from 150.8 to 130.8. I haven't had a loss in weeks, though. I'm currently on Day 9 of 30DS (which I don't do everyday because I have other stuff going on), and I just finished Week 3 of Couch to 5K. I also play slowpitch softball twice a week, which isn't a huge burn, but it's fun. I monitor my calories like crazy (except for yesterday, and I'm so ashamed LOL), and I hardly ever go over.

The 30DS is really changing my body - I'm becoming so much more muscular from the program and from the running I've been doing. I also do other things for cardio, whether it be a bunch of walking, a group class, beach volleyball or something else. I try to get a burn everyday.

Right now, I'm 10.8 pounds away from my goal weight of 120. I'm trying not to focus on the numbers on the scale because I know my body is changing, but I set a goal for myself and I'd really like to achieve it. Also, the muscle that I'm building still has a layer of fat over top of it, so my hardening stomach actually looks rounder and yuck because it's hidden behind body fat that is still there.

My question is this - should I stop the 30DS and just focus on cardio until I hit my goal weight, or should I combine the cardio with 30DS and just hope that it works out in the end? I want to do this the right way, and I want to see results. Maybe I'm just being impatient, but my stomach is just making me sad

Also, MFP has given me 1,200 calories a day to eat, so I eat those and some of my exercise calories back. I wear a HRM, so I rely on more accurate burn numbers rather than MFP since I know the website can be off. Should I be eating all my exercise calories back? Should I be eating more than 1,200? I'm just so confused, and I'm concerned that this is why I'm not losing weight.

Any guidance you can offer me would be so helpful.

Thanks!

Itssojen

Anybody?

RobynBourgeois

I don't really think I know enough to give you advice, but I do want to say that remember that muscle weighs more than fat. Sometimes we have to take the inches as the milestone instead of the number on the scale. Everything you mentioned sounds like you are doing it all the right way. I also have been a bit steady on the scale, but have noticed in my abs, stomach that my pants just don't fit anymore. I take that as a battle win!

claw0416

ok, so I am no one to be talking, since I am extremly over weight. But just from being on here and seeing what the others are doing. Extreme obese to needing to lose a few pounds..They all seem to start out with the MFP set goals or what their doctors set for them..It works great for awhile, then starts to slowly die off, thats when alot of them will tweak their cals. Most of the time it is maybe by a few 100 more or less...For me, my Dr. sset me up on a 1200 cal diet. It worked for a few weeks, but after awhile nothing..I decreased at first..But that only made me more tired and drained and I didn't want to work out or even get my large butt off the couch. So I increased to 1350, that seems to be working great! I have the energy I need and I am losing on average 1-2 pounds every week. I did increase my protein and decrease my carbs as well. I am keeping the carbs around 150 per day, and when I start to die off of not losing again, instead of dropping my cals or increasing, I will probaly play witht he carb count..and see if I need more or less to help burn fat and work on my metabolism..But honestly, it sounds like you are highly motivated and doing a great job iwth yoru work outs..Dont quit the 30Dshred or any of the others..That is what keeps your drive and at the end of the month you willsee results..may not be in pounds, but look at inches lost. I do a weekly measurement to help encourage me..

Good Luck!