Hi, I'm Kat & I'm Totally Lost!

KatNewby

Hi MFP Community!

So, if the subject line didn't clarity this, I'm completely and utterly at a loss on what to do to lose this weight.
There are SO many conflicting stories I am hearing. And because I don't have a large amount to lose, I think it's going to be difficult for me.

MY INFO:
Name: Kat
Age: 21
Height: 5'4
Current Weight: 142lbs
Goal Weight: 125-ish
Measurements: 36 - 28 - 41

What I've Been Doing:
I've been keeping my calories right around 1,200 daily for about a week. I have next to no idea how to cook or how to eat healthy. I basically try to keep my food as close to it can be to it's natural state. I mostly drink meal replacement shakes. The one I like is called RAW Meal (Chocolate) by Garden of Life. It's raw, so it hasn't been heated and processed. It's also organic and USDA certified organic. Without posting a picture of the ingredients, here is the break-down of it's nutrition:

Calories: 170
Fat: 3.5g
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 17.5g
Sugars: 5.5g
Fiber: 8g

From what I understand, this is pretty good. But I'm not positive. Other than this, I typically eat grilled chicken, veggies, fruits, and nuts. I'm going to try to incorporate salmon into my diet as well. My problem is, I'm a piss poor cook because I grew up with a single father who only ever fed us take-out or boxed meals.

But my present goal is to be right around 130lbs by July 26th, my wedding day. I know, I put this off way too long! I have lost 6lbs in the past month without doing much different than usual, just trying to eat fast food less and portion control. Ultimately, however, I am much more concerned with dropping inches and fat.

I hear people saying keep your calories above your BMR, which without knowing my BF% is supposed to be 1469 calories per day. But this just seems like a lot of calories to eat, especially when I already find it difficult to enough food on a sensible diet. I'm just not super hungry lately, and if I am hungry, all I want is junk food and I refuse to give into the beast. I'm not looking for a fad diet or anything, and I would like to do this in a way that is lasting and I can sustain, but frankly I really want to shed some lbs quickly before my wedding day. I don't exercise at this moment because I'm confused on whether I should be doing high intensity cardio intervals, or weight training, or both. I'm also confused on eating back my exercise calories. I hear you're supposed to eat 60% of the calories you burned exercising, but naturally I have no clue.

I could really use any advice, because I have no idea how many calories I should be eating, what sort of deficit is healthy so that I won't go into starvation mode and weaken my metabolism's ability to burn fat. I don't want to plateau. I simply haven't the time!

Please please help me!

t3chl3ts

You could try something like Zumba or swimming that is fun exercise and that tones you up. Muscle takes up less space and is sleeker than fat, even though it makes you weigh more. I think with your wedding you are wanting to look good, not just count calories, so anything that tones you up should give you extra space in your dress, you shouldn't JUST go by the scale. Weight training is also good for making you sleeker. Either way, you metabolism will stay running higher even after you exercise so that will burn more calories than sitting still too. I think your diet is mostly good stuff but exercise will help. I would suggest you dump the liquid drinks because they seem to be higher in carbs and will go right through you and while having carbs isn't bad, they don't stay in the stomach as long as proteins (physically, they leave sooner) and higher protein will make you feel less hungry.

I know a lot of people who've dropped a lot of weight as they took up running. I don't know how fast that is, though. Climbing stairs burns up a lot but I mean actual climbing/running up and down real stairs, not grabbing the sides of the machine and moving your legs up and down like I've seen people do at gyms. I lost weight doing that in the past.

The other thing to remember is as you eat more raw fruits and veg, and less processed foods, you will be fuller with more fiber and water and less calories so you're doing good on that front. Low fat soy, cottage cheese, or beef jerky (yes it's processed but the fat's all been cut off and it's relatively low calorie) is good to help you feel full or a for quick snack. You can eat a tableful of fruit and veg and be full or eat a single cheeseburger and blow your calories for the day. Good for you for eating veg and less processed already, it will be healthier for you too, because the less cooked something is, generally the more vitamins stay in and the more nourishment you get.

Good luck and congratulations!

KatNewby

Thanks for the response, t3chl3ts!

I agree, the whole point here is to feel great in a dress and drop inches and get toned. Weight loss will be a byproduct of that. I think I do get stuck in the trap of worrying too much about those numbers on the scale.

I wanted to add that I don't find myself too hungry through-out the day, so it isn't hard to restrict myself. I mostly need to know how to restrict myself the correct way, and how many calories I should be eating given my personal stats.

The stair walking is a great idea! I live on the second floor and have my own set of steep stairs!

billsica

There are basically 2 groups on mfp. The ones starving themselves at 1200 calories, and the ones kicking butt. I guess make your choice... Our side has cookies and poptarts.


How can anything in shake form not be processed?

You need to eat above your BMR because you will plateau or end up skinny fat.Eat below your TDEE for weight loss.

I'm going to add. Lift heavy.

ihad

Congrats on the upcoming wedding. The challenge here is you've got 2 months, want to lose 12 pounds, and are already within a healthy BMI range. You'd have to do something a little hard core and that's probably not the best thing to do right before your wedding. Take a look at this link to get a better sense of what's reasonable and healthy.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

You might do some more good with some lifting added into the mix too. Good luck!

Cr01502

There are basically 2 groups on mfp. The ones starving themselves at 1200 calories, and the ones kicking butt. I guess make your choice... Our side has cookies and poptarts.

This.

You can check out this group for good info.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

It will teach you things about TDEE, BMR, and correct macronutrient intake along with exercise programs.

couvetwitt3

go online and find your bmr, eat at your bmr and subtract your exercise calories from 3500....say you walked your stairs for an hour 6 days this week you would take 1,100 calories X 6 =6,600 two pounds is 7,000 so you should be losing 2 lbs per week if you add in weight training as I would suggest so that you tighten your skin and gain muscle so you will be a fat burning machine you will need to eat some of those calories because you don't want to lose weight to fast or with out proper nutrition...look into clean eating athletes eat this way..I have a wonderful book from tosca reno and she has a free shopping list online just put in her name and shopping list and you will see the types of food(pick what you like)you can eat...consider using shakes as pre or after workouts or snacks and eating real food for your meals you want it to be your diet for life not just a fad , or as soon as you add the food you skip back in you will most likely gain the weight back.if you don't exercise you will have to subtract from your bmr but it may not be safe to go below 1200 calories or lose more than 1,000 calories a day without a doctor or dietitians supervision:)there is also carb cycling you can look up online free or get Chris Powell's book this may work if you like a day off to treat yourself, and or you hit a plateau:)

CoderGal

Congrats on the upcoming wedding. The challenge here is you've got 2 months, want to lose 12 pounds, and are already within a healthy BMI range. You'd have to do something a little hard core and that's probably not the best thing to do right before your wedding. Take a look at this link to get a better sense of what's reasonable and healthy.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

You might do some more good with some lifting added into the mix too. Good luck!

This! That link is great for beginners. And yeah...I recommend staying away from the 1200 calorie diets. Cookies are not a requirement of the alternative but is a bonus if you feel inclined

KatNewby

Congrats on the upcoming wedding. The challenge here is you've got 2 months, want to lose 12 pounds, and are already within a healthy BMI range. You'd have to do something a little hard core and that's probably not the best thing to do right before your wedding. Take a look at this link to get a better sense of what's reasonable and healthy.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

You might do some more good with some lifting added into the mix too. Good luck!

Thanks so much for this! Becoming a behavior analyst, I'm inclined to want to see the concrete data to support this, but so many people seem to think that it's the way to go that I'll have to give it a shot I suppose.

I'm supposed to be eating somewhere between 1,650 and 1,800. But that still seems like a lot. But at least I'll be totally full.

matt2442

Well Kat, usually the new women on this site named Kat are dircted to me bcause i am the most supportive, helpful, and insightful member of this site

Also the best looking.

:flowerforyou:

mockchoc

A shake powder is processed rubbish no matter if it's raw or not. It's powedered ffs! Food is not a powder! You should have to chew food. It helps you to feel like you actually ate a meal. Drinking isn't a meal.

You should be eating above bmr since you don't have too much to lose and you should be eating no less than 20% below TDEE probably even 15%.

diolpah

1. Lift heavy objects.

2. Put said objects down.

3. Repeat steps above until failure.

4. Consume adequate amino-complete proteins and calories.

Your BMR will increase, and your hormonal profile will improve.

Barring you being a non-mammal or having some manner of serious medical problems, of course.

KatNewby

A shake powder is processed rubbish no matter if it's raw or not. It's powedered ffs! Food is not a powder! You should have to chew food. It helps you to feel like you actually ate a meal. Drinking isn't a meal.

You should be eating above bmr since you don't have too much to lose and you should be eating no less than 20% below TDEE probably even 15%.

With all due respect, I don't believe you are coming from a place of objectively on this matter. Here is the link to the nutrition label of RAW Meal. Scroll down & open to label for the Chocolate shake:

http://win-edge.com/rawmeal.html

Every thing in there is natural and uncooked and from the ground or tree. It has not been genetically altered. It has simply been dried and crushed into powder form. Just because you drink something doesn't mean it has no nutritional value. This shake is one of the very few, if not only, that I would use as a meal replacement because it is as close to real whole food as I could possibly find. Not to mention, it is very filling so the act of masticating is unneccesary unless I were to be feeling hunger pangs as a result of not "feeling like I actually ate a meal." If chewing was necessary for people to be properly nourished, people fed with feeding tubes would die everyday.

Anyway, I was mostly asking about the macros in it, and not whether or not people thought a meal replacement shake was acceptable, because I think it is and I'm sticking with that. It will also be a sustained lifestyle change, as I will probably drink this for the rest of my life.