Can one of you exercise gurus plese help!
AngelaJordan712
Posts: 105 Member
My diary is open to everyone, I joined MFP on July 27th and started this journey...I have lost 72lbs since then...I started out at 347.5 and am now 275.3 and have a long way to go! I would like for someone to look at my food/exercise diary and give some opinions, you dont have to be kind (by the way I know today was awful)! I use an HRM for calories burnt, not MFP....I love lifting weights, did not get one of my weight days in this week, but usually 3 a week....I would really appreciate some help? I was scared to death this week, because I increased my calorie intake.....Looking for some help please!
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So, let me first say, I'm certainly no "guru"! But I looked over a few days of your journal and have no real criticism
I think you're doing a great job with the nutrition!! The only tweak I might make would be to shave maybe 150 calories from each meal and add them back as snacks between meals. Eating every 2.5-3 hours keeps your metabolism going. It would also keep you from getting so hungry, (I assume the gum is to curb your appetite between meals). Keeping hunger at bay is crucial, then you won't have to rely on will power, which eventually fails us all, haha. What you are doing RIGHT is getting lots of veggies and lots of lean protein. Keep up the great work! 0 -
So, let me first say, I'm certainly no "guru"! But I looked over a few days of your journal and have no real criticism I think you're doing a great job with the nutrition!! The only tweak I might make would be to shave maybe 150 calories from each meal and add them back as snacks between meals. Eating every 2.5-3 hours keeps your metabolism going. It would also keep you from getting so hungry, (I assume the gum is to curb your appetite between meals). Keeping hunger at bay is crucial, then you won't have to rely on will power, which eventually fails us all, haha. What you are doing RIGHT is getting lots of veggies and lots of lean protein. Keep up the great work!
No.
Meal frequency doesnt affect your metabolism.
I personally LOVE eating more at once.
eating small meals is like foreplay, with no...BANG!
i have coffee for breakfast and use my calories for later, and my metabolism is justttttttttt fine
it is about what works for YOU
I would keep that protein over 100g
and SMASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH0 -
I agree! Your diary looks pretty good!! I looked at a few days and nice protein intake on most of them!! Keep up the good work!0
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I'm no "guru" either, but one thing I wanted to caution you about... HRMs are not very good at accurately estimating calorie burns when doing anything other than steady state cardio that is focused on the lower body such as running, walking, biking, etc. They just don't work well for strength training, so take those calorie numbers with a grain of salt.
I guess in short, I'm worried that you may be eating a bit too much since you seem to be eating back most of your exercise cals. You might try and undershoot that by a 25 or even 50 % of your exercise calorie burn and see how you respond. If you find your workouts suffer, or your excessively tired, up the cals a bit more.0 -
I'm no "guru" either, but one thing I wanted to caution you about... HRMs are not very good at accurately estimating calorie burns when doing anything other than steady state cardio that is focused on the lower body such as running, walking, biking, etc. They just don't work well for strength training, so take those calorie numbers with a grain of salt.
I guess in short, I'm worried that you may be eating a bit too much since you seem to be eating back most of your exercise cals. You might try and undershoot that by a 25 or even 50 % of your exercise calorie burn and see how you respond. If you find your workouts suffer, or your excessively tired, up the cals a bit more.
sorry...again i have to disagree.
I agree with the fact that calorie burns can not be accurate at times
BUT she is eating between 1400 and 1900 calories a day with exercise, which is NOT too much at all.0 -
So, let me first say, I'm certainly no "guru"! But I looked over a few days of your journal and have no real criticism I think you're doing a great job with the nutrition!! The only tweak I might make would be to shave maybe 150 calories from each meal and add them back as snacks between meals. Eating every 2.5-3 hours keeps your metabolism going. It would also keep you from getting so hungry, (I assume the gum is to curb your appetite between meals). Keeping hunger at bay is crucial, then you won't have to rely on will power, which eventually fails us all, haha. What you are doing RIGHT is getting lots of veggies and lots of lean protein. Keep up the great work!
No.
Meal frequency doesnt affect your metabolism.
I personally LOVE eating more at once.
eating small meals is like foreplay, with no...BANG!
i have coffee for breakfast and use my calories for later, and my metabolism is justttttttttt fine
it is about what works for YOU
I would keep that protein over 100g
and SMASHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
This hot lady knows what she's takin bout. Same goes for me!!!!0 -
Also, she's lost 79 lbs. Methinks she's not eating back too much.I'm no "guru" either, but one thing I wanted to caution you about... HRMs are not very good at accurately estimating calorie burns when doing anything other than steady state cardio that is focused on the lower body such as running, walking, biking, etc. They just don't work well for strength training, so take those calorie numbers with a grain of salt.
I guess in short, I'm worried that you may be eating a bit too much since you seem to be eating back most of your exercise cals. You might try and undershoot that by a 25 or even 50 % of your exercise calorie burn and see how you respond. If you find your workouts suffer, or your excessively tired, up the cals a bit more.
sorry...again i have to disagree.
I agree with the fact that calorie burns can not be accurate at times
BUT she is eating between 1400 and 1900 calories a day with exercise, which is NOT too much at all.
To the OP, I understand the fear that comes with increasing your cals for the first time. Unfortunately, there's no way for us to really tell you whether or not it will work.
The best bet? Stick with your current calorie intake. If after a month you've steadily gained, drop it back down. If you've maintained, try it another month to confirm that it's not working. If you lose...well, you're golden.0 -
Also, she's lost 79 lbs. Methinks she's not eating back too much.I'm no "guru" either, but one thing I wanted to caution you about... HRMs are not very good at accurately estimating calorie burns when doing anything other than steady state cardio that is focused on the lower body such as running, walking, biking, etc. They just don't work well for strength training, so take those calorie numbers with a grain of salt.
I guess in short, I'm worried that you may be eating a bit too much since you seem to be eating back most of your exercise cals. You might try and undershoot that by a 25 or even 50 % of your exercise calorie burn and see how you respond. If you find your workouts suffer, or your excessively tired, up the cals a bit more.
sorry...again i have to disagree.
I agree with the fact that calorie burns can not be accurate at times
BUT she is eating between 1400 and 1900 calories a day with exercise, which is NOT too much at all.
To the OP, I understand the fear that comes with increasing your cals for the first time. Unfortunately, there's no way for us to really tell you whether or not it will work.
The best bet? Stick with your current calorie intake. If after a month you've steadily gained, drop it back down. If you've maintained, try it another month to confirm that it's not working. If you lose...well, you're golden.
What these fab ladies said. I swear by my HRM and use it EVERY time I workout. That being said, make sure you have a HRM that has a chest strap. Personally I recommend Polar. Either the FT4 or the FT7. I've heard that Garmin (sp?) makes a decent one too.0 -
I have a few notes for you:
-First off, you have some SERIOUS calorie burns in there! Go you! But I don't think you're eating enough to support those burns. One day I saw you had a close to NET=0 day- 1400 cal burn and 1400 cal total intake. That's a bad idea, and it's going to shoot you in the foot, because too high a calorie deficit causes your metabolism to slow, and causes you to lose more lean mass than you should (you want to preferentially burn FAT, I assume!) I would HIGHLY suggest using the following link and figuring out what calorie level would be appropriate for you and your level of activity:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/682138-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
-Next, meal timing is a matter of preference. Eat whatever schedule- 3x a day, 12x a day, 1x a day- whatever helps you to feel satiated, make good choices, and stick to your calorie limits. Like Crank, I opt not to eat in the mornings. For me, when I start using calories early, I find myself "snacky" all day, so I prefer to do coffee until lunch, and some days I don't start eating until 5pm. I like eating a lot at night. I'm not saying it's right or wrong- it's whatever YOU prefer.
- I saw in your diary, on one of the 1400 cal burn days, you were ragging on yourself for sodium. If you have a medical condition which requires strict monitoring, follow doctor's orders, obviously. But in the absence of a Dr's order, just know that when you sweat you sweat out salt, and it's important to replace that sodium- so don't be TOO hard on yourself on workout days for going a little over your goal.
- I would agree with Crank that a minimum of 100-g of protein would be a good starting point. Probably more ideally 120. It should be roughly 1 gram protein per pound of lean body mass. Without knowing a woman's body mass, my educated guess is 100-120 g pf protein is good. But you're pretty close, so well done!
- Don't get down on yourself for a bad day. Just move on and get back on the wagon tomorrow. I suspect that if you find yourself unable to resist certain foods, those feelings will be alleviated when you recalculate your calories to support your workouts.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have questions.0 -
Congratulations on your loss so far.
I just want to re-iterate a few things already mentioned.
- intra-day meal timing and frequency is irrelevant to weight loss - eat whenever you want based on performance, energy, adherence and personal preference
- your calorie levels look fine. I disagree that you need to cut anything back. You do not eat all your exercise calories back and you look to have a lowish base so you have a lot of 'wiggle room' there. You had a decent amount to lose so having a large deficit at first was fine at first but I think upping them a bit is a good idea so that you do not keep too large of a deficit. You should reassess however as you go (as you are now). The leaner you get the smaller the deficit should be to mitigate the impact of being at a deficit (hormonal, metabolic, LBM retention etc). Although, that needs to be countered with the fact that you expend less in your day to day activities when lighter.
- your food looks good - from the days I looked at you seem to have a good balance
- I see you do strength training which is great and you seem to have a good mix of low impact and higher intensity workouts (and I see you did Krav Maga - I want to do that myself).
- I would keep an eye on your protein and try to get at least 100g a day, preferably a bit more.
So in summary, apart from maybe getting your protein up - you are doing a stellar job and I would stick with your plan of upping your cals a bit (as I say, you have wiggle room and in the long run it will be beneficial) and keep doing what you are doing - it's obviously been working for you so far.
Edited for typos
-0 -
My diary is open to everyone, I joined MFP on July 27th and started this journey...I have lost 72lbs since then...I started out at 347.5 and am now 275.3 and have a long way to go! I would like for someone to look at my food/exercise diary and give some opinions, you dont have to be kind (by the way I know today was awful)! I use an HRM for calories burnt, not MFP....I love lifting weights, did not get one of my weight days in this week, but usually 3 a week....I would really appreciate some help? I was scared to death this week, because I increased my calorie intake.....Looking for some help please!
You're making it harder on yourself to track what's happening by racing and choking your food intake like that. You're close one day, then 1500 off the next. I don't know what to tell you is wrong. Hit your goal as much as possible. If you need 1600 net a day then hit 1600. Don't eat half a cracker to get the last 10 but let's try to hit it withing 100 calories each and every day. Be consistent and you'll have a much easier time knowing if you're eating too much or not enough.
Once you get this number down to being reasonably close to your goal each day then you can adjust it as necessary. In the mean time double check the calories burned and eaten. Make sure you're not guessing. Some foods can surprise you. Good move getting the HRM. MFP calorie burns can be a bit off so keep using that thing during your cardio and don't forget to adjust your weight on the device as you lose.- I would agree with Crank that a minimum of 100-g of protein would be a good starting point. Probably more ideally 120. It should be roughly 1 gram protein per pound of lean body mass.
This too. Up your protein a bit. Wise advice.0 -
HRM's ARE NOT accurate at reading calories burned for weight lifting. Other than that, keep doing what you're doing.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
OP didn't state exactly what she wanted help with so not sure how to answer. At 72lb down, you've lost more than most of us here so keep doing what you're doing, I guess. Congrats on your tremendous progress so far.0
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So, let me first say, I'm certainly no "guru"! But I looked over a few days of your journal and have no real criticism I think you're doing a great job with the nutrition!! The only tweak I might make would be to shave maybe 150 calories from each meal and add them back as snacks between meals. Eating every 2.5-3 hours keeps your metabolism going. It would also keep you from getting so hungry, (I assume the gum is to curb your appetite between meals). Keeping hunger at bay is crucial, then you won't have to rely on will power, which eventually fails us all, haha. What you are doing RIGHT is getting lots of veggies and lots of lean protein. Keep up the great work!
Thank you very much, actually the gum is to keep me from smoking! I quit cokes and cigerattes on the same day July 3 of this year! Thank you again for your reply and sorry it has taking me so long to get back, I went to bed early!0 -
I agree! Your diary looks pretty good!! I looked at a few days and nice protein intake on most of them!! Keep up the good work!
Thanks!0 -
Also, she's lost 79 lbs. Methinks she's not eating back too much.I'm no "guru" either, but one thing I wanted to caution you about... HRMs are not very good at accurately estimating calorie burns when doing anything other than steady state cardio that is focused on the lower body such as running, walking, biking, etc. They just don't work well for strength training, so take those calorie numbers with a grain of salt.
I guess in short, I'm worried that you may be eating a bit too much since you seem to be eating back most of your exercise cals. You might try and undershoot that by a 25 or even 50 % of your exercise calorie burn and see how you respond. If you find your workouts suffer, or your excessively tired, up the cals a bit more.
sorry...again i have to disagree.
I agree with the fact that calorie burns can not be accurate at times
BUT she is eating between 1400 and 1900 calories a day with exercise, which is NOT too much at all.
To the OP, I understand the fear that comes with increasing your cals for the first time. Unfortunately, there's no way for us to really tell you whether or not it will work.
The best bet? Stick with your current calorie intake. If after a month you've steadily gained, drop it back down. If you've maintained, try it another month to confirm that it's not working. If you lose...well, you're golden.
What these fab ladies said. I swear by my HRM and use it EVERY time I workout. That being said, make sure you have a HRM that has a chest strap. Personally I recommend Polar. Either the FT4 or the FT7. I've heard that Garmin (sp?) makes a decent one too.
I use mine every time I workout either lifting weights or cardio and it does have a chest strap...it is made by Pyle Sports, I actually wore two one day and tested it against a Polar and it red within in two to three tenths of the Polar. I actually increased my calories this week, I lost around 2.3lbs this week versus the .3 and no change from the week before.0 -
I have a few notes for you:
-First off, you have some SERIOUS calorie burns in there! Go you! But I don't think you're eating enough to support those burns. One day I saw you had a close to NET=0 day- 1400 cal burn and 1400 cal total intake. That's a bad idea, and it's going to shoot you in the foot, because too high a calorie deficit causes your metabolism to slow, and causes you to lose more lean mass than you should (you want to preferentially burn FAT, I assume!) I would HIGHLY suggest using the following link and figuring out what calorie level would be appropriate for you and your level of activity:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/682138-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
-Next, meal timing is a matter of preference. Eat whatever schedule- 3x a day, 12x a day, 1x a day- whatever helps you to feel satiated, make good choices, and stick to your calorie limits. Like Crank, I opt not to eat in the mornings. For me, when I start using calories early, I find myself "snacky" all day, so I prefer to do coffee until lunch, and some days I don't start eating until 5pm. I like eating a lot at night. I'm not saying it's right or wrong- it's whatever YOU prefer.
- I saw in your diary, on one of the 1400 cal burn days, you were ragging on yourself for sodium. If you have a medical condition which requires strict monitoring, follow doctor's orders, obviously. But in the absence of a Dr's order, just know that when you sweat you sweat out salt, and it's important to replace that sodium- so don't be TOO hard on yourself on workout days for going a little over your goal.
- I would agree with Crank that a minimum of 100-g of protein would be a good starting point. Probably more ideally 120. It should be roughly 1 gram protein per pound of lean body mass. Without knowing a woman's body mass, my educated guess is 100-120 g pf protein is good. But you're pretty close, so well done!
- Don't get down on yourself for a bad day. Just move on and get back on the wagon tomorrow. I suspect that if you find yourself unable to resist certain foods, those feelings will be alleviated when you recalculate your calories to support your workouts.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks I of course want to lose fat and not muscle...what are your recommendation on lifting did you see my lifting schedule, not sure if you are a person that like to lift but I assume you are!0 -
Congratulations on your loss so far.
I just want to re-iterate a few things already mentioned.
- intra-day meal timing and frequency is irrelevant to weight loss - eat whenever you want based on performance, energy, adherence and personal preference
- your calorie levels look fine. I disagree that you need to cut anything back. You do not eat all your exercise calories back and you look to have a lowish base so you have a lot of 'wiggle room' there. You had a decent amount to lose so having a large deficit at first was fine at first but I think upping them a bit is a good idea so that you do not keep too large of a deficit. You should reassess however as you go (as you are now). The leaner you get the smaller the deficit should be to mitigate the impact of being at a deficit (hormonal, metabolic, LBM retention etc). Although, that needs to be countered with the fact that you expend less in your day to day activities when lighter.
- your food looks good - from the days I looked at you seem to have a good balance
- I see you do strength training which is great and you seem to have a good mix of low impact and higher intensity workouts (and I see you did Krav Maga - I want to do that myself).
- I would keep an eye on your protein and try to get at least 100g a day, preferably a bit more.
So in summary, apart from maybe getting your protein up - you are doing a stellar job and I would stick with your plan of upping your cals a bit (as I say, you have wiggle room and in the long run it will be beneficial) and keep doing what you are doing - it's obviously been working for you so far.
Edited for typos
-
Thank you and I love Krav Maga you should try it! It is a great core workout when doing kicks correctly,0
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