Please help with my diet/fitness needs

suzyw7

First let me introduce myself, I'm 37, 5 ft 6, current weight 164, "goal" weight 147.

I've been counting calories for the past 6 weeks and I've managed to lose 5.5 pounds, which is great don't get me wrong. What I'm not happy about is that my weight seems to be yo-yoing each week. Last week I lost 2.5 pounds, this week I've put it back on!

I'm so confused with exactly how many calories I should be eating. When I first started I let MFP tell me my calories and then ate my exercise calories back, but after reading more about TDEE I decided to follow that approach 3 weeks ago and have lost weight. I'm just not 100% sure if I'm eating the right calories.

I work out 5-6 days a week rotating Jillian Michaels DVD's (Banish Fat, Trouble Zones, Killer Buns, Ripped in 30, 6 Week 6 Pack) which range from doing 40 minute DVD's 4 times a week and 55 minute DVD's 1-2 times a week. On the 40 minute DVD's I burn around 400 calories and the 55 minute DVD's I burn around 550 calories (I have a HRM). Should I be logging myself as mod active or lightly active? There seems to be a big difference in calories.

I've been eating around 1800 calories a day and doing the above exercise over the past three weeks. Again yes I have lost weight, but I'm also gaining it back every other week, which isn't good for my motivation! I have also moved in the next dress size down, which I'm over the moon about, I haven't been in this dress size since I was in my 20's so I know this should make me happy, but because I've always had weight issues that "magic number" is always calling me!!

Earlier this year I hadn't done any excercise for years and I am over the moon on how much my fitness has improved. I started off with Jillian's 30 Day Shred earlier in the year and now do all her DVD's without stopping and although sweaty am not shattered from the workouts.

I don't have a huge way to get to where I want to be weight wise, but after being overweight for sooo long I really want to get to my goal weight and stay there forever!

So I'd be grateful for some help in how many calories I should be eating each day to get to my goal weight and if the exercise I'm doing is going to get me to my goal or is there something else I should be doing?

One more thing, I tried the eating 1200 calories thing at the beginning and there is no way I am going to eat lower calories ever again!!

Thanks in advance and sorry for the rambling on. I'm just so fed up of being confused and wondering if I'm eating too much or not enough :explode: !

thisismeraw

Don't get discouraged when you see gains. Look at the overall trend instead of the week to week numbers. Your weight will change based on hormones, water retention, muscles holding onto water, sodium intake, etc etc. Look at your average losses instead of the week to week numbers. Weight loss is not linear.

Focus more so on your measurements instead of your weight on the scale. So many things influence what the scale says so it's not always accurate.

If you are closer to where you want to be maybe focus on building muscle. LIft heavy, eat enough and get enough protein. Muscle will change the look of your body more than a few lbs will. More muscle may mean a higher weight but it will mean a smaller body!