I am new at this and would love some advice!

dreezymama1
dreezymama1 Posts: 5
edited 1:21AM in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently eating a 1200-1400 healthy calorie diet. I am working out for an hour a day 6 days a week. 30-40 minutes of running on an elliptical and 30 minutes of strength training every day. I am only 4' 11" and 148lbs. I recently had a baby 13 months ago and I've trying to get back down to my ideal healthy weight of 120. So I've got quite a bit to lose. I've been doing this method for a week and feel like it's not going anywhere. I know I need to be patience and this kind of stuff takes time. I was just looking for advice to be help me be more effective at losing this weight. I'd like to lose atleast 20 pounds by Christmas because we are going to see my husband's side of the family. Any advce on how I can lose 20 pounds by Christmas please let me know!

Thanks again!

Replies

  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I have a few follow up questions:

    1) Are the 1200-1400 calories NET cals or GROSS cals? If they are gross/total cals, you may be eating too little.
    2) I am unfamiliar with the energy needs of a person as petite as you- What is your BMR and TDEE, and how many calories are the workouts totaling? What is your daily deficit?
    3) How long have you been doing the current workout/diet program and not seeing the results you want?
    4) What is your strength training routine? Every day strength training is a lot. You will likely get better results from fewer sessions of heavier strength training. The real "work" from strength training is done during rest- when your muscles repair. You may not be allowing enough time for proper repair if you're training every day. There are certain programs where you can split the workouts up to get the benefit in 4 or even in some cases 5x/week for really serious bodybuilders, but for the average exerciser 6 or 7x/wk strength training is way too much.
    5) how intense is your cardio? Could you carry on a conversation while doing it?

    Edit for typos.
  • dreezymama1
    dreezymama1 Posts: 5
    Hi, Yes I can conversate for a bit.
    My BMR says 1,347. I am not sure what a TDEE is. Or a daily deficit.
    I run on my elliptical every day for 30-40 minutes which total 340 calories with that which is my cardio. As for my strength training routine I do a DVD which does floor work it's called the Tracy Anderson Method and I'm not sure how many calories that burns. There are not gyms close by I live in a vey rural area. The nearest through a canyon an hour away.
  • dreezymama1
    dreezymama1 Posts: 5
    Oh sorry I didn't read the whole conversation bit of our message but no I couldn't it leaves me pretty worn out.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Can you elaborate on the Tracy Anderson method DVD's? Do you use weights (if so how heavy?) and how many approx reps you're doing during the workout? When you say floorwork, do you mean more like calisthenics?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    With a BMR of 1347, your TDEE (a.k.a. maintenance calories) is probably around 1850 cals, so at a 20% deficit you would be around 1480 cals. With 16 weeks until christmas, that deficit would likely yield you about a 12lb loss by Christmas. If you go down to 1350 cals would be to aim for a 16lb loss by Christmas. A 625 calorie daily deficit would get you to 20 lbs by Christmas (maybe), which would be 1225 Net calories/day. That goal may be difficult to achieve for someone as small as you.

    All of those numbers are "net" calories, not including your exercise. So you would want to add the exercise calories on top of those numbers to meet the goals. NOT eating those calories can cause a deficit large enough to disrupt your hormones, and give you less-than-ideal results.

    If your video is more like calisthenics than weight lifting, I would probably use the Calisthenics (home, light) option in the database and eat back at least half of those calories as well. If it is more like calisthenics then it might not be the overkill I hinted at in my original post.

    ETA: I assumed a "lightly active" multiplier of 1.375 x BMR to get to those numbers.
  • dreezymama1
    dreezymama1 Posts: 5
    Well the DVD has you lifting 3-5 lb weights for about 5 minutes and than a lot of crunches and things of that nature. I will definitly use the advice you have given me. Even if I only lost 12lbs by Christmas I'd be very happy any kind of lose is a big gain in my book and I'd be halfway to my over all goal!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Well the DVD has you lifting 3-5 lb weights for about 5 minutes and than a lot of crunches and things of that nature. I will definitly use the advice you have given me. Even if I only lost 12lbs by Christmas I'd be very happy any kind of lose is a big gain in my book and I'd be halfway to my over all goal!

    I think 1480, the 20% cut, is the "safest" route to go without any unnecessary risks. At 4'11" you will see major changes with a 12-lb loss! Good luck! :happy:
  • dreezymama1
    dreezymama1 Posts: 5
    I am going to stick to that! Thank you for all your help!
  • niyle
    niyle Posts: 6
    I am starting this over and would like to know how long should i wait to weigh my self. I have heard do it everyday at the same time and do it once a week? which is it?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    I am starting this over and would like to know how long should i wait to weigh my self. I have heard do it everyday at the same time and do it once a week? which is it?

    Do whatever works for you. I weigh myself everyday and record it in a separate spreadsheet, but for many people that can get to be too much and messes with their heads. If you weigh everyday, be prepared to deal with fluctuations- both up and down. You have to grow a thick enough skin not to get too excited when it goes down, and not to freak out when it goes up, because it does happen all the time. So many people go with weekly as it's more likely to show "real" weight loss or gains.

    Whether it's daily or weekly, you should make sure to weigh yourself at the same time of day to keep the results as consistent as possible. First thing in the morning after you pee and before you eat or drink anything is generally the most consistent time to do it, as it won't be affected by what you've eaten and drank. Try to keep the clothing about the same too to eliminate that variable. I go with naked or in underwear only.
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