So confused!

CarleyJx

Ok so I started exercising and eating healthily around 2 weeks ago now. Before I was 9stone6.5, today I am 9stone3.5 so have lost about 3lbs in 2 weeks.
Here's where I'm confused, my fitness pal app recorded I burned around 500-600 calories per week. This is my starting off amount as I'm quite unfit. I've heard that 1lb=3500 calories so how on earth have I lost 3lbs!?
I'm now eating around 1000-1200 calories a day.
It's all really confusing to me. The only thing I can think of to explain this is that before I started this I was drinking 3 cans of coca cola a day and probably overdosing on sugar and may have been retaining fluids as thats all I drank and now I drink about a litre of water a day so maybe that's why?
Anyway I'd like some advice on the way forward for me. My goal is to be 8 stone and have a flat stomach by around Seeptember time, how long will this take and how much exercise do I need to do and how many cals?
The week ahead of me I'm aiming to burn about 900-1000 calories a week. I can only seem to find time to go to the gym about 3-4 times a week though.
Also can someone please explain to me.... If I eat 1200 calories a day and burn 300 making it net 900 should I eat more to make up the 300 a day to stop my body going into starvation mode or is eating more going to stop me losing weight?

Thanks for reading my confused rant lol. Thanks in advance for any sort of advice xx

angelcurry130

well...you're eating less, so you've created a deficit. you are working out, so that increases the deficit (unless you are eating back what you burn). you are drinking more water, and are likely flushing water weight.

starting a healthier lifestyle usually has one losing rapid weight very early on. give it a couple weeks and you will see the loss slow down to a normal rate. don't panic. it is normal.

kudos on starting your new journey!

YolieCreator

We can't really help with how many calories you need unless we know what kind of work outs you're doing. If you'd like you can add me and I'll try my best to help you out. If you are going hard at the gym then you need more calories than just 1200.

CarleyJx

Hi thank you both. At the moment I'm doing about 30 mins on the treadmill, 15 mins rowing, and then 15 mins cycling at the gym. Aiming to burn around 300 calories a time for three times a week. Totalling 900 calories a week, is this enough?
I go to the gym after breakfast (normally porridge) feeling full but when I come from the gym I feel so hungry lol x

ernestbecker

yes, please post your work out routine. 3 days is plenty and will definitely help but eating the right kinds of foods at the right amounts is 90+% of getting to your goal of less weight.

CarleyJx

At the moment I'm doing about 30 mins on the treadmill, 15 mins rowing, and then 15 mins cycling at the gym. Aiming to burn around 300 calories a time for three times a week. Totalling 900 calories a week, is this enough?
I go to the gym after breakfast (normally porridge) feeling full but when I come from the gym I feel so hungry lol x

1horseygirl1

If you are feeling hungry after the gym try some protein like a boiled egg.

Well done on getting started with a routine.

affacat

Anyway I'd like some advice on the way forward for me. My goal is to be 8 stone and have a flat stomach by around Seeptember time, how long will this take and how much exercise do I need to do and how many cals?

i use this to figure out my BMR/TDEE/Goal Cals
http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

i also recently found this:
http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/
it's a bit more complex, but if you fill out the pages the last tab has some really nice calculations to see your general timeline

as for having a 'flat stomach' around sept... you want to lose about 20 pounds. If you aim for mid Sept, that's 4 months. It's doable (1.25 pounds a week is reasonable), but most likely what you'll see (assuming a good workout and diet routine) is that you'll lose well for awhile, but towards the end (the 'flat stomach' part) it gets considerably harder/slower. My guess is that in sept you'll be close, you'll feel fit, you'll know you're almost there, but you won't have a completely flat stomach... but you'll be well on your way and almost there.

That's about where I'm at now. I still have a few annoying pounds to lose that come off way slower than the early ones. I know i'm fit, and I look fit in clothes, but i don't have the flat stomach yet. I'm guessing that will take at least another 2 months for me, it's hard to tell. You might have far better results.

vorgas

Body weight easily fluctuates by up to 5 pounds in a day. All kinds of things happen. Excess sodium can cause water retention. Not enough water causes dehydration. Caffeine is a well known diuretic. Naturally changing hormones affect your weight.

It's almost all water. Your instinct is right. Your deficit does not match your weight loss results. I know it's tough, but don't get hung up on that scale. It is best used as a trending tool. One week is not a trend. Two weeks is not a trend. 4 weeks is a trend. That means 4 weeks of the same sort of results.

To get a serious idea of a weight loss trend, you need 8 weeks. It will look like the stock market. Jumping up and down, but overall moving in one direction or another. Don't get too worked up over a 3 lb shift. Like a stock, you are investing for long term change.

affacat

Also can someone please explain to me.... If I eat 1200 calories a day and burn 300 making it net 900 should I eat more to make up the 300 a day to stop my body going into starvation mode or is eating more going to stop me losing weight?

I'm a guy, but the basic answer is yes. I actually kickstarted my way past a plateau at 150 by adding over 400 cals to my diet after i figured out my TDEE (see my above post). Now I seem to be losing steadily again.

I burn 680-800 cals mon through friday doing cardio (running) and additional strength training m/w/f. I try to eat at least 2000 cals a day, though i should probably add another couple hundred on workout days.

You should play around with the links above. In theory, if you set your activity level correctly in the BMR/TDEE calculations, the goal calories you get should be what you eat. That has exercise built in. It's likely more cals than you expect if you're doing a good workout. You want to be eating less than your TDEE... probably 15 or 20 percent.

Adding some strength training to your workouts will help definition so that when you do lose the weight, your skin has a fit body to conform to. Plus it burns cals, adds/retains muscle, and is altogether healthy.

CarleyJx

Thanks everyone for the replies and support so far so am I doing it right at the moment?

PS: Before I started this 2 weeks ago, I was consuming around 2000 calories a day.