What am I doing wrong?

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Replies

  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    I am curious as to why this post already has two pages worth of replies, and the post I put up ten minutes ago asking roughly the same thing, only with more information given, has two replies total? Am I posting incorrectly?
  • Cat_Lifts
    Cat_Lifts Posts: 174 Member
    i wouldn't recommend the 1200 fad, you ought to eat what is going to properly fuel you without going below your BMR. Eating lower than what you should be won't mean faster or better weight loss. If you haven't checked it out yet, please read the 'In Place of a Road Map' post on the forums. If you really want to eat at the borderline of 1200 (which I don't really recommend - I've tried it and didn't get anywhere for 2 months), then you are going to eat back exercise calories.

    Whatever you burn at the gym, eat those calories burned BACK. Even if you eat up to 1300, 1400 calories a day - that is more than okay. You are at a severe deficit from what it sounds like and may work more against you than with you. You want to reach your daily goal of 1200, right? So if you burned 500 calories, you've only subtracted 500 from 1200 = 700 calories taken into your body. You now have to eat back 500 calories to get back up to 1200. At the end of the day, you will have consumed a TOTAL of 1700 calories, but you've really only netted 1200 because of the 500 calories burned at the gym. Does that make sense?

    Again I'd really recommend checking out In Place of a Road Map which will help you to pinpoint what your body needs. Eating below your BMR, from what I've read on here, is not the best idea as your BMR is what your body needs to be able to even fully function if you were in a coma. My BMR is about 1618 calories a day at 5'4", 192lbs - that's 1618 calories just to make sure my organs, brain, lungs, muscles, etc. are all functioning properly. What do you think would happen to your body at 1200? The post In Place of a Road Map has a site where you can figure out your BMR and TDEE (the amount of calories burned in an entire day from waking up to going to bed, based off of activity, weight, height, etc. etc.).
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    I just 1200 as an example. My BMR is 1337 so I have to eat that much no matter what
  • Cat_Lifts
    Cat_Lifts Posts: 174 Member
    I just 1200 as an example. My BMR is 1337 so I have to eat that much no matter what

    Ahhh okay my apologies, I read into you doing the 1200 plan. How much do you aim to eat daily? 1400? 1500? If you haven't checked out In Place of a Road Map yet, figure out your TDEE so you can see (roughly) how much you would consume to maintain your weight. :) From that maintenance weight, you can then subtract a percentage to find yourself a daily goal for further weight loss.

    First off, if you don't mind me asking, how much do you weigh, what's your goal weight, height, etc? :)
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    I'm 5'4", weigh 130 looking to lose another 5 lbs. no I haven't checked it yet.
  • Cat_Lifts
    Cat_Lifts Posts: 174 Member
    I'm 5'4", weigh 130 looking to lose another 5 lbs. no I haven't checked it yet.

    Normally the closer you are to your goal, the slower the weight will drop off. Once you figure out your TDEE, subtract 10 - 15% from your maintenance goal and that should eventually get you there. Also keep in mind the importance of rest days and plenty of water.
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    yup, burning 600-1200 calories through exercise and only eating 1200-1300 per day is definitely doing it wrong. I'm glad people are steering you in the right direction now!
  • MayaSPapaya
    MayaSPapaya Posts: 735 Member
    I agree that your measurements are probably off-do you use a food scale? 1.5 ounces of anything is extremely tiny, and I doubt you are only eating that much. Also, like others are saying, you probably have a lot of water weight from all the sodium.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Overdoing the exercise can actually cause you to stall or even gain fat, because it can impact the balance of your hormones, in particular, the stress hormone, Cortisol. Research it.
    You have so little to lose, you should be aiming at 1/2 Ib a week, and eating at least half, if not all your exercise calories back. You need to be netting as close to your bmr or above as possible. Stick to no more than an hour of cardio a day, and try and do some weights or bodyweight exercises 3 times a week. You don't need weights, just get a book like 'you are your own gym' and that will suffice if you cannot get to an actual gym. Or invest in a set of weights, they do them pretty cheap on amazon. I work with 5 and 6kg dumbbells myself.
  • Heyyleigh
    Heyyleigh Posts: 268 Member
    Clean up your day- you have lots of processed foods. I dont see any thing lean, green and clean and very little water. I would ditch that processed oatmeal asap! Soooooooooooooooooo many other great choices.
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    I was doing eggs for breakfast, but wanted a change, so I did oatmeal as an alternative. Sorry forgot to add some water. I'm up to 48 oz for today.
  • charlenequinn94
    charlenequinn94 Posts: 99
    Thanks for the advice, especially the one about the lemon water. I have been noticing my sodium content has been high.
  • sexymom04
    sexymom04 Posts: 263 Member
    How much lemon do you put in the water?

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