Please tell me I am making a mistake by doing this...

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  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    It's not rubbish. "Bath salts" are great for weight loss. Don't know why you want to bath in them.....

    <twitch>

    No way dude. Last time I tried bath salts I went on a non-stop human face binge, for like three weeks.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Thanks guys. I guess I know deep down that going back to 1200 calories will not be good for me, but it’s hard! I have been trying to eat cleaner and I struggle to reach 1400 calories a day. Plus I have been trying to eat back my exercise calories too. I know I should add weight training to my exercise routine but I have no idea where to start! I don’t have access to a gym and I only have 5 lb weights right now.


    @nhradeuce- The problem is that I’m not losing weight OR inches. My measurements haven’t changed.

    @FabulousEgo- It’s just a goal I set for myself back in August to keep motivated!

    @Princess41463- Could drinking more water really help? I drink about 4-6 cups a day, so maybe I could try more.

    @Vmgals- I’ve been thinking about trying calorie zig-zagging. It sounds interesting.

    @psulemon- I’ve tried upping my calories some days but I just gain though! I guess you are right about eating at 1200 though. It’s just hard to eat more when you are trying to lose weight.

    @contingencypl- I know I have a small frame though and my body fat was calculated back in September and I was at 27%! I have lost 7 lbs since then so I’m sure it’s a little bit less.

    @sevsmom- I’m still doing the 30DS, Just Dance and other wii games, and pilates.

    @emanyalpsid- Thanks, well at least you are honest.

    @ninerbuff- I still have a high body fat % though.
    27% body fat is NOT high for a woman. It's on the lower end of normal, approaching athletic. I think you have body dysmorphia issues going on more than anything.
  • em3120
    em3120 Posts: 154 Member
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    27% body fat is NOT high for a woman. It's on the lower end of normal, approaching athletic. I think you have body dysmorphia issues going on more than anything.

    From what I can see, 27% is "acceptable" and less than 25% is lean and athletic. While I'm not the most athletic person in the world, I don't want to fall under "acceptable". I know I am at a healthy weight, but losing a little bit more fat is reasonable. My goal is in the healthy weight category still and I'm not looking to be 100 lbs or anything.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    That still doesn't make it high.
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    27% body fat is NOT high for a woman. It's on the lower end of normal, approaching athletic. I think you have body dysmorphia issues going on more than anything.

    From what I can see, 27% is "acceptable" and less than 25% is lean and athletic. While I'm not the most athletic person in the world, I don't want to fall under "acceptable". I know I am at a healthy weight, but losing a little bit more fat is reasonable. My goal is in the healthy weight category still and I'm not looking to be 100 lbs or anything.

    If 20% is the bottom of normal, and 30% is the top, then 27% is high. Athletic starts at 18%. 25% is a perfectly acceptable goal. My goal is 15%, and I see women with under 15% on MFP all the time. If you have lost 7lbs. since you had your body fat measured, you are easily are under 25% body fat as long as you kept most of you LBM. Someone else can do the math for you.
  • em3120
    em3120 Posts: 154 Member
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    If 20% is the bottom of normal, and 30% is the top, then 27% is high. Athletic starts at 18%. 25% is a perfectly acceptable goal. My goal is 15%, and I see women with under 15% on MFP all the time. If you have lost 7lbs. since you had your body fat measured, you are easily are under 25% body fat as long as you kept most of you LBM. Someone else can do the math for you.

    I would like to be under 20%. The online BF% calculators put me at 21% but I know that can't be right. I'm guessing I'm around 24% right now. I just went back and checked and I am 9 lbs less, 2 inches less off my waist and 1 off my hips since it was last measured as 27%.
  • hiker359
    hiker359 Posts: 577 Member
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    Ignore the scale. Measure your body and take pictures to compare. If your clothes are getting looser and you look better in the mirror, what difference does it make what the scale says?

    This!
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    If 20% is the bottom of normal, and 30% is the top, then 27% is high. Athletic starts at 18%. 25% is a perfectly acceptable goal. My goal is 15%, and I see women with under 15% on MFP all the time. If you have lost 7lbs. since you had your body fat measured, you are easily are under 25% body fat as long as you kept most of you LBM. Someone else can do the math for you.

    I would like to be under 20%. The online BF% calculators put me at 21% but I know that can't be right. I'm guessing I'm around 24% right now. I just went back and checked and I am 9 lbs less, 2 inches less off my waist and 1 off my hips since it was last measured as 27%.

    Two inches off your waist is awesome! I'm not sure about how those BF% calculators work or how accurate they are, but the changes in your measurements are a great accomplishment, and it sounds like you are really close to your goal.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    Thanks guys. I guess I know deep down that going back to 1200 calories will not be good for me, but it’s hard! I have been trying to eat cleaner and I struggle to reach 1400 calories a day. Plus I have been trying to eat back my exercise calories too. I know I should add weight training to my exercise routine but I have no idea where to start! I don’t have access to a gym and I only have 5 lb weights right now.


    @nhradeuce- The problem is that I’m not losing weight OR inches. My measurements haven’t changed.

    @FabulousEgo- It’s just a goal I set for myself back in August to keep motivated!

    @Princess41463- Could drinking more water really help? I drink about 4-6 cups a day, so maybe I could try more.

    @Vmgals- I’ve been thinking about trying calorie zig-zagging. It sounds interesting.

    @psulemon- I’ve tried upping my calories some days but I just gain though! I guess you are right about eating at 1200 though. It’s just hard to eat more when you are trying to lose weight.

    @contingencypl- I know I have a small frame though and my body fat was calculated back in September and I was at 27%! I have lost 7 lbs since then so I’m sure it’s a little bit less.

    @sevsmom- I’m still doing the 30DS, Just Dance and other wii games, and pilates.

    @emanyalpsid- Thanks, well at least you are honest.

    @ninerbuff- I still have a high body fat % though.

    You can't just up your calories for a few days and get a good understanding on how your body adapts. You need to try a routine for a month to six weeks to allow your body to adapt. Also, when you upped your food, which macro did you increase? Was it carbs? If so, you added more water/glycogen storage. Ideally, when you up your calories, you want to up your protein and fats a bit more than carbs.

    Also, it's not as hard as you think to lose weight while feeding your body properly. In fact, when I upped my calories from 1800 to 2600, I saw huge body composition changes. And in fact saw greater weight loss. At first it wasn't much but my weight loss sped up shortly after. You have to realize when you suppress calories for awhile, your resting metabolic rate will adapt and will cause you to burn less calories. So when you increase them, you see initial water weight gains. Within a month, your RMR will go back to a more natural figure and weight loss should occur. The bigger benefit to giving your body more fuel, it's more willing to drop fat. And even if the scale doesn't drop, you will lose inches.


    So like I said, up your calories, adjust your macro's and lift heavy if you want to cut fat.
  • florymonde
    florymonde Posts: 261 Member
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    I agree; it's time to stop obsessing about the number on the scale and start focusing on toning up. Stay at 1400, or try zig-zagging around it (like alternating 1300 and 1500 days), and work on your progress exercising.
  • em3120
    em3120 Posts: 154 Member
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    You can't just up your calories for a few days and get a good understanding on how your body adapts. You need to try a routine for a month to six weeks to allow your body to adapt. Also, when you upped your food, which macro did you increase? Was it carbs? If so, you added more water/glycogen storage. Ideally, when you up your calories, you want to up your protein and fats a bit more than carbs.

    Also, it's not as hard as you think to lose weight while feeding your body properly. In fact, when I upped my calories from 1800 to 2600, I saw huge body composition changes. And in fact saw greater weight loss. At first it wasn't much but my weight loss sped up shortly after. You have to realize when you suppress calories for awhile, your resting metabolic rate will adapt and will cause you to burn less calories. So when you increase them, you see initial water weight gains. Within a month, your RMR will go back to a more natural figure and weight loss should occur. The bigger benefit to giving your body more fuel, it's more willing to drop fat. And even if the scale doesn't drop, you will lose inches.


    So like I said, up your calories, adjust your macro's and lift heavy if you want to cut fat.

    Thanks for the great advice. What do you suggest I up my calories to? How do I adjust my macros? I would like to start lifting but I don't have access to a gym.....
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Are you making sure that you are drinking enough water every day? Seriously - no less than 8 glasses. You might also want to try a detox bath. Hot bath, add 2 cups of epsom salt, 2 cups of baking soda, as much ginger as you can stand (fresh is better, but I also use ground ginger - I just use more of it when it's ground and less when it's fresh). Sit in the tub for 40 minutes. You are going to sweat. After the 40 minutes get out and wrap yourself in a nice warm robe and slippers and keep sweating.

    Make sure you are drinking water during the whole thing, you want to sweat out the toxins but not dehydrate yourself. For some people, this will break a weight loss stall.

    Other things you can try -
    Eat nothing all day until dinner time. Eat a large, lean steak and an apple. (make sure to drink water all day)
    Have an apple day - eat nothing but apples and drink water all day.

    One explanation I got for stalls was that your body has rid itself of the excess fat in the cells, but has replaced it with water. You will stay in a stall until your fat cells release the water - so these are a few ways to get the water to release - but they don't always work for everyone and it's said that when the stall breaks it was usually going to break anyway.

    The first time I did the bath I had a 2 lb. weight loss. The 2nd time I did it I didn't have any. So, who knows, but it doesn't hurt to try.

    Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

    Absolute rubbish.

    It's not rubbish. "Bath salts" are great for weight loss. Don't know why you want to bath in them.....

    <twitch>

    Bath salts might help eliminate water weight, but it won't effect fat loss. It essentially just dehydrates your skin. And it comes back within a few days. If you want long term fat loss, it's all about a calorie deficit and optimizing weight training for muscle retention.

    I said "bath salts" not bath salts....
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    You can't just up your calories for a few days and get a good understanding on how your body adapts. You need to try a routine for a month to six weeks to allow your body to adapt. Also, when you upped your food, which macro did you increase? Was it carbs? If so, you added more water/glycogen storage. Ideally, when you up your calories, you want to up your protein and fats a bit more than carbs.

    Also, it's not as hard as you think to lose weight while feeding your body properly. In fact, when I upped my calories from 1800 to 2600, I saw huge body composition changes. And in fact saw greater weight loss. At first it wasn't much but my weight loss sped up shortly after. You have to realize when you suppress calories for awhile, your resting metabolic rate will adapt and will cause you to burn less calories. So when you increase them, you see initial water weight gains. Within a month, your RMR will go back to a more natural figure and weight loss should occur. The bigger benefit to giving your body more fuel, it's more willing to drop fat. And even if the scale doesn't drop, you will lose inches.


    So like I said, up your calories, adjust your macro's and lift heavy if you want to cut fat.

    Thanks for the great advice. What do you suggest I up my calories to? How do I adjust my macros? I would like to start lifting but I don't have access to a gym.....

    On the first page i have your calorie and macro break out. Also, you can look into a program chalean extreme if you want a dvd set or you can pick up some good resistance bands or weights and look for routines on youtube or www.bodyrock.tv

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