Should I or shouldn't I?

LoonyLovegood8
LoonyLovegood8 Posts: 78
in Health and Weight Loss
My weight loss is set to 1lb per week and that gives me 1200 calories. I'm 111lbs and 5ft 3in and I don't really want to lose weight, I mainly want to tone up. So should I change it from 1lb weight loss/week to 1/2lb weight loss/week. That gives me 1460 calories. Although yesterday I netted 870 calories and I ate 1629 and burned 759 calories. Today is looking similar... any advice on what I should do?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    At your current weight, there is absolutely no need to lose weight. You should at minimum be eating to maintenance...if you want to "tone up" there's only one way to do it...hit the weight room. Simply losing weight and/or just doing cardio isn't going to cut it. The only way to tone your muscles is to build them and the only way to do that is with resistance training. I repeat...**** tons of cardio isn't going to tone you up...and neither is eating at an unhealthy deficit when you're already tiny.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    If you don't want to lose weight, why are you setting MFP so that you eat to lose 1 pound a week? Set your calories to maintenance and then start lifting weights. Something like Stronglifts 5X5 is a good program of compound lifts that will help you get an awesome shape.

    If you continue to burn a lot of calories and net below 1000 cals, you will continue to lose. Not sure why you are doing that.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    At your current weight, there is absolutely no need to lose weight. You should at minimum be eating to maintenance...if you want to "tone up" there's only one way to do it...hit the weight room. Simply losing weight and/or just doing cardio isn't going to cut it. The only way to tone your muscles is to build them and the only way to do that is with resistance training. I repeat...**** tons of cardio isn't going to tone you up...and neither is eating at an unhealthy deficit when you're already tiny.

    This is also the truth. Cardio is not your friend. It tones up your heart.
  • fithealthygirl
    fithealthygirl Posts: 290 Member
    If you want to tone up, but don't want to lose weight you should eat at maintenance and lift weights.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    If you don't want to lose weight (and I agree, at 111, you shouldn't) then why would you set it to lose weight? Are you burning all those calories through cardio? If so, you might want to cut down on that a little, as that won't help you "tone up". Resistance/strength training will help, along with eating enough.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    If your goal is to tone up, do yourself a favor and don't lose any more weight, you'll look emaciated. I'm 5'4" at 110-112 pounds but I was 102-105 at one point and did not look toned or in shape, only skinny. Focus more on eating healthy and strength training and less on losing weight.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    If you don't want to lose weight (and I agree, at 111, you shouldn't) then why would you set it to lose weight? Are you burning all those calories through cardio? If so, you might want to cut down on that a little, as that won't help you "tone up". Resistance/strength training will help, along with eating enough.

    This.
  • GoneKona
    GoneKona Posts: 87
    My weight loss is set to 1lb per week and that gives me 1200 calories. I'm 111lbs and 5ft 3in and I don't really want to lose weight, I mainly want to tone up. So should I change it from 1lb weight loss/week to 1/2lb weight loss/week. That gives me 1460 calories. Although yesterday I netted 870 calories and I ate 1629 and burned 759 calories. Today is looking similar... any advice on what I should do?

    What should you do? Eat healthy and lift. You've achieved your goal weight loss. Don't sweat it.
  • LoonyLovegood8
    LoonyLovegood8 Posts: 78
    Thank you for all your replies! I know I should stop with all the cardio but I get this thing with losing a certain amount of calories and it's ridiculous. I know I need to sort that out.

    Also, at my gym the cardio is upstairs (you enter upstairs) and the weights are downstairs. All the muscly men and guys I know go down there and I've never been down and it makes me really nervous thinking about going down there...I'd just feel embarassed.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    I'm of a similar weight and height with the same goals, and I have it set to lose 1/2 pound a week even though I'm maintaining. I tried setting it for maintenance but found I was gaining weight and my waist was expanding when I ate those extra 200 calories a day. It's not an exact science so you need to play around to see what works for you.

    I'm also curious about how you're estimating your calories burned. Unless you're doing 3-4 hours of really intense workouts I can't see how someone of our size would burn 759 calories from exercise in a day. You may be overestimating.
  • LoonyLovegood8
    LoonyLovegood8 Posts: 78
    I just read what it says on the machines and add it up :)
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
    It looks like you have more than one thread asking the same question and getting the same answers. If you want to tone up, you need to stop eating at a deficit and start heavy lifting.

    http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Rules-Lifting-Women/dp/1583333398
    http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

    Yes, you might gain weight, but you are going to look more and more fit as you're gaining some weight back.

    If you are that afraid of random strangers in the gym, find yourself a work out buddy.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    At your current weight, there is absolutely no need to lose weight. You should at minimum be eating to maintenance...if you want to "tone up" there's only one way to do it...hit the weight room. Simply losing weight and/or just doing cardio isn't going to cut it. The only way to tone your muscles is to build them and the only way to do that is with resistance training. I repeat...**** tons of cardio isn't going to tone you up...and neither is eating at an unhealthy deficit when you're already tiny.

    This is also the truth. Cardio is not your friend. It tones up your heart.

    You are incorrect. Cardio is your friend. do your research.
    The best option is DIET, Cardio AND Lifting. Neither Lifting nor cardio alone will aide you in toning. Your diet needs to be your #1 focus.
  • LoonyLovegood8
    LoonyLovegood8 Posts: 78
    Yep I know I'm asking lots of similar questions because I'm confused of what to do haha.

    Thank you for the links :D
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    If you want to tone up, but don't want to lose weight you should eat at maintenance and lift weights.


    ^^^This! You're not going to 'tone up' aka gain muscle eating at a deficit. Maintenance calories, lot's of protein and heavy weights. Google body recomposition....
  • VitVit18
    VitVit18 Posts: 103 Member
    Thank you for all your replies! I know I should stop with all the cardio but I get this thing with losing a certain amount of calories and it's ridiculous. I know I need to sort that out.

    Also, at my gym the cardio is upstairs (you enter upstairs) and the weights are downstairs. All the muscly men and guys I know go down there and I've never been down and it makes me really nervous thinking about going down there...I'd just feel embarassed.

    Get a personal trainer (who actually knows what they're doing, they're few and far between!), or a gym buddy that lifts! I started not even a year ago weight training with a PT, and I wouldn't look back. And, my guy friends are the best, I text them and ask if they want to go to the gym and we go, and we lift! It's awesome accountability.

    The muscley dudes are there to do curls, admire themselves in the mirrors, and grunt louder when they catch a glimpse of a female, lets be honest!
  • gonnamakeanewaccount
    gonnamakeanewaccount Posts: 642 Member
    I suggest that you set your daily intake to maintenance and cut down on the cardio. Instead, you should start doing more strength training.
  • fusion777
    fusion777 Posts: 197
    How did someone as small as you burn 759 calories! I weigh double what you do and I can hardly do that much. :)
  • VTSarah07
    VTSarah07 Posts: 35
    Thank you for all your replies! I know I should stop with all the cardio but I get this thing with losing a certain amount of calories and it's ridiculous. I know I need to sort that out.

    Also, at my gym the cardio is upstairs (you enter upstairs) and the weights are downstairs. All the muscly men and guys I know go down there and I've never been down and it makes me really nervous thinking about going down there...I'd just feel embarassed.

    You are not alone! Trust me :) I feel this way too and I refuse to go work out with the big boys unless a friend of mine is with me... at. all. times. I know my fear is irrational but, nonetheless, it is a fear and it keeps me from going to lift on my own. I also do not feel like I have enough knowledge about what I am doing so, if it were the only answer, I wouldnt lift at all, most likely.
    But, there is another answer... lots of gyms have weight lifting classes. I am a huge fan of Les Mills BodyPump. You can google it and look on their website to find a gym near you that would have those classes. It is a circuit so you hit all body parts. I do it 3-4 times a week and I toned up. You have to concentrate and set goals for yourself and really work though, you can just go in and lift 5 lbs each time and expect to get toned.
    Also, if you ask the people at your gym, they may have a small area set up for beginners where they can show you a circuit of machines to work through each time you work out. I know at our gym this is called "Strive" and there are about 10 weight machines in a line and you just go down the row to hit each body part. But that way you are learning what to do and how to do it properly.
    Once you get more comfortable with lifting, then maybe you can venture out by the muscly men. Or, maybe like me, you will meet a friend in those types of classes who can show you a thing or two.
    Just ask around your gym and see what they have for beginners or strength training in a class setting, hopefully you will find something you are comfortable with. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Thank you for all your replies! I know I should stop with all the cardio but I get this thing with losing a certain amount of calories and it's ridiculous. I know I need to sort that out.

    Also, at my gym the cardio is upstairs (you enter upstairs) and the weights are downstairs. All the muscly men and guys I know go down there and I've never been down and it makes me really nervous thinking about going down there...I'd just feel embarassed.

    Don't feel embarassed...I'm a dude and just starting heavy lifting. What is heavy for me right now is pretty pathetic...I was a bit shy starting out but figured what the hell...this is the only way I'm going to accomplish what I want. Even though the weight I'm putting up is pretty pathetic, everyone I've come across at the gym has been really supportive, largely because I think they see that I'm doing it right. No weird lifts or isolation or assistance stuff...just full body compound movements with heavy weight. Even had a guy tell me I needed to bump it up a couple pounds now..."you got that last set up a little too easy"...and he was right and called me on my laziness.
  • LoonyLovegood8
    LoonyLovegood8 Posts: 78
    Honestly don't know where I would be without this forum!

    I'm going to ask my friend who goes to the gym with me usually to go downstairs with me. My dad sometimes goes to the gym on a weekend and he's always downstairs so I might go down with him haha.

    Thank you for your replies and being so lovely everyone :)

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