Weight loss guidance needed!

TEC44

A question for those of you who are at the higher end of your "healthy" BMI and want to be at the lower end of your HEALTHY range (I want to stress this fact because I know a girl with a technically healthy weight wanting to lose a few pounds sometimes rings alarm bells in people's heads)

Read below for info about my eating/exercise habits- skip this part to just read the questions and not have to sit through me blabbing haha:
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I'm 22 years old, F, about 135 lbs and 5'3 in height. My general activity level is light but not sedentary- each day I walk one mile including a quarter mile of noticeable incline to work- I would say my heart rate is up (unsure by how much, but definitely pumping harder!) for at least 30 minutes every weekday. My eating habits are odd...I generally am not hungry in the morning, the idea of eating a large meal makes me feel a bit ill, and I usually have something light like apple slices and peanut butter or the like in the AM. After that I'm in charge of children all day without a real "lunch break" and rarely do i feel pangs of hunger throughout the day...then I eat a comparatively larger meal for dinner (more often than not something along the lines of half a baked chicken breast, sauted broccoli and mushrooms on the side, maybe some brown rice sometimes) I know it seems unhealthy but i am genuinely not hungry until dinner most days, I only force myself to eat in the morning because our society puts such importance in eating breakfast that I'm almost afraid not to! Haha.

I drink water with lemon mostly, or seltzer water and a few times a month I'll have a few beers or glass of wine with dinner.

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Long story short I've slowly gained about 15 lbs over the last 5 years and I'd like to get down to 118-120lbs which is what I maintained all through HS without a very different lifestyle (perhaps I was a little more active, but not markedly so...)

I know diet/exercise/calorie deficits and all of those things are important- but I'm wondering if there's something different one must do to trick their body into shedding pounds that it doesn't think it needs to shed...For example- I've heard sometimes thinner girls have to actually eat more to see weight loss?

ryry_

There is no secret...You need to create a calorie deficit through a combo diet and exercise to lose weight.

It is also recommended to get sufficient protein and strength train so everything looks nice when you get to your goal. THat close to your goal and your weight you don't want to go any lower than to lose .5-1 a week probably.

TEC44

I feel like I am creating a calorie deficit- that's the thing, I don't eat much breakfast and rarely eat lunch, I don't drink my calories and I don't binge eat a huge dinner at the end of the day...I don't feel tired or hungry in the way that someone might if they were starving their bodies, I eat when I'm hungry is all. I'm wondering if the reason I don't lose weight is because my calorie deficit is too great? But I thought you weren't supposed to eat unless you were hungry....hahaha the human body really is confusing-amazing! but confusing...

ryry_

Are you logging everything in the diary? If so can u make it public temporarily?

TEC44

I actually only signed up today (total noob) sorry I'm sure that's not very helpful...thanks for trying to help though! I'll look into the diary, sounds like it might help provide me with some valuable insight.

ryry_

I would definitely recommend buying a digital food scale and diligently weighing all of the food you eat (at least temporarily). It gives you a good idea of what your calorie level needs to be to lose weight. To your concerns about what time you eat, plenty of people who are successful on the site skip breakfast and save their calories for dinner. Eat at what time is best for you.

My last advice would be I was 22 once. As entered the real world and the weight started creeping up I tried every diet in the book looking for the magic fix. I have been frustrated constatnly. Then I would stop dieting and eat whatever I wanted. I found myself at 27 farther away than when I started. I am now focusing on calorie intake, and having great success. If you go into my profile you can check the diary. I am eating healthy mostly but also eating some junk food and still losing 2 pounds a week. It has very easily mentally using this strategy.

Long winded but main point is get the fundamentals right now and don't make the same mistakes I did. Good LUck