Best way to use this program?

Emaginesc

Morning,

I wanted to get some advice now that I have played with my settings. Intially I put in loose 2 pounds a week like most. I was not budging at all and most of the time gained or stalled. I have upped my workouts daily...

*am bike ride (just began)
*Pilates DVD 45 mins
*Walking 3-6 miles depending on the day at an average of 3.10 with friends in the PM
*2-3 days a week Julian Michaels 30 day shred lvl 1

Doing the bottom 3 for weeks now I was not budging at 1200, was not hungry at all so I did not eat much of the calories burned. I changed my setting to loose 1 pound a week and managing to loose half an inch to an inch here and there. Good I know, the scale not so much. I may drop half a pound or what ever.

Now that I am doing the loose 1 pound a week, I do not always do that. I try to count the inches in its place. Now I am finding I am hungry when I should be and wish to actually eat. With the exception of one bad day yday I am doing so. I drink 9-12 glasses of water. I am just a water drinker so it adds up. I do not drink coffee, soda, tea etc and water has always been my go to drink so that is habit since I was a kid.

A basic day is Oatmeal High Fiber or shake for Breakfast, snacks include a banana a day for my cramps in my legs or an yogurt or the new activia light pudding. I take individual viamins as I have an issue asorbing them. Lunch is a low carb mission wrap with either melted cheese like a quesadilla and sometimes include left over chicken in it. Dinner we eat early at 4-5 so I can do the evening walk. It is usally something grilled, some veggies etc. I measure.

I do not eat my workout calories back as someone suggested and add them at the end of the day.

I would very much love to say I lost this week when others are. Should I stay at the 1 pound a week, change it up and if so how.

I am about to turn 38, 5 foot 8, and 183 pounds. I did have a hysterectomy in the Spring so I know that is a factor as well.

Thoughts from the pros? Help a chunker out

GauchoMark

First off, the most important thing you can understand is that all of the numbers you are using to lose weight and track results are estimates. So, you have to tinker with the numbers to see what works for you. A 1200 calorie diet for you might actually be 1400 calories depending on how good you are at estimating, so the main thing is to be consistent in how you do it and be as honest as possible with yourself.

That said, based on the stats you gave, your BMR is around 1592 calories/day. The way I set up MFP is to use the sedentary setting, which gives you a TDEE of 1910 cal/day. I would probably pick a 1lb/wk loss rate, which gives you a net calories of 1410 cal/day. Using this, I would log any exercise I do and eat back between 50-100% of the calories depending on how hungry you are after the workout. I would also change my macros to 40/30/30 or something close to that.

As far as tracking results, I like to weigh daily and record the number in a spreadsheet. This does a few things, but mainly, you get to the point that you don't care what the number that day is - its just 1 measurement - and you start understanding how your body weight fluctuates. Additionally, you collect quite a bit of data that you can average or trend and really see your weight loss. I can't stress enough how insignificant a single weight measurement is and people are continually stressed about getting on the scale... Again, this is an estimate, so you really need to try to be consistent. Use the same scale, at the same time, under the same conditions, etc.

If you follow this plan for a month and trend your weights, you will see a weight loss. If it isn't the amount of weight you expected to lose, just adjust the numbers a little - it just means your estimates are off a little.

Emaginesc

I do weigh the same, every morning etc... I do not go bonkers if I go up or down, I like to see a weekly goal. I have noticed lately though I have been about the same weight for over a week now. If I loose a little, I regain, loose, regain. This has been since I changed it to the 1 pound recommended goal.

I wonder if my issue is I am not really hungry for the extra calories? I do not eat them. Only thing I do have going thus far is inches. I am doing ok enough there to keep swimming.

I am going to leave it at 1 pound for now. The macros I have yet to grasp though.

Thank you kindly for your response, it helps