How the heck do you lose weight eating so much?

Options
2»

Replies

  • sue01
    sue01 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I'm only a shortie too! 156cm! But been told to not look at the scales and to eat more. Just clean and healthy.
    6 times a day. I'm trying it, what's 12 weeks. People swear the fat will come off. Don't lose faith.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Options

    So with 5 hrs of exercise, TDEE is 2300, and 20% deficit is 1840.
    If you make those 3 days heavy weight lifting and the 2 days lighter cardio, you can do 1705 as daily goal.

    why is it the case that you reduce calories by 135 if you are heavy lifting 3x a week? i saw this on your spreadsheet and it seemed weird to me. don't you need more calories when lifting heavy, if you're modifying them at all?

    Because weight lifting burns less calories during the workout, and more calories later. Fat calories. Who needs to replenish fat calories when on a diet, so you can have bigger deficit then.

    Also, every single study shows the way to maintain muscle mass on a deficit diet - weight lift. The study linked to in the spreadsheet shows at that level of deficit, athletes actually gained muscle mass.

    And then the other big reason, light cardio should be done on recovery days, Active Recovery HR zone (fat-burning zone) is it. Just enough to get blood flow to aid healing in muscles, not to actually stress them again.
  • runfreddyrun
    runfreddyrun Posts: 137 Member
    Options

    Because weight lifting burns less calories during the workout, and more calories later. Fat calories. Who needs to replenish fat calories when on a diet, so you can have bigger deficit then.

    see i don't get this. i've read that weight lifting burns less calories during the workout but i don't understand why. i thought it was all based on HR? is HR just part of it?

    and what do you qualify as light recovery? if my max HR is 180, what zone is the fat burning zone? i'm thinking it's the lowest one but i wanted to make sure. is that why walking is recommended for recovery?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Options
    see i don't get this. i've read that weight lifting burns less calories during the workout but i don't understand why. i thought it was all based on HR? is HR just part of it?

    and what do you qualify as light recovery? if my max HR is 180, what zone is the fat burning zone? i'm thinking it's the lowest one but i wanted to make sure. is that why walking is recommended for recovery?

    HR has no bearing on anaerobic exercise.

    HR matters where oxygen must be delivered so that fat/carbs can be burned aerobically, steady-state, and sustained for some time.

    HR for anaerobic goes up because of the stress. Same way when nervous or scared. Or contract all your muscles for a while, HR shoots up because of pressure, not for delivering oxygen to burn fuel.

    You burn ATP outside of oxygen, anaerobic. That's why HRM's overestimated weight lifting calories. That's why so many think it burns alot, incorrect use of the tool.

    You burn more fat during recovery because the food you eat is used for repair, and therefore body still needs energy stores, and there is fat to use.

    The Active Recovery HR zone is 50-60%. You can go off HRmax, but better to go off HR Reserve. HRR takes into account your resting HR, and RHR and HRmax give a range that you get % from.

    For doing that easier, use the spreadsheet referenced in this topic, the HRM tab, about half-way down is a zone table. Get RHR first thing in morning. Couple mornings, hopefully following a rest day.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/677905-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-calc-macro-calc-hrm
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    Options
    Since you are breast feeding, I'm going to guess that getting a good nights sleep is next to impossible. Sleep deprivation for any reason will cause weight gain. Keep doin what you're doing, and when the baby begins sleeping through the night, you'll also start getting the rest you need to rev up you metabolism.
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    Options
    As Therealparis said lack of sleep doesn't help..breastfeeding is a big job. You've got to balance what your body needs to make breastmilk but also lose weight..increasing exercise can decrease the body's ability to make milk. Perhaps too...(as well as trying to get a good night sleep) slightly increase cals with veg n protein and actually back off from rigorous exercise...pop baby in pram and walk 30min. Just until you get a balance with food and breastfeeding requirements. It will come off but sometimes with added factor of breastfeeding you need a little more patience.
  • booyainyoface
    booyainyoface Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    buy a food scale. you are probably eating more than you think as portion sizes can be hugely incorrect.
  • CowgirlKimi
    CowgirlKimi Posts: 107 Member
    Options
    Hi! Are you drinking all your water everyday? Cut out ALL other beverages if possible! I know you are breastfeeding, so you need to continue to eat protein rich foods and lean meats, too!

    God bless you and your precious new family!!!!!!!!!!

    Kimi
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    Options
    You can't expect to lose a ton of weight fast if you're not putting in the proper time and effort. Like me, I have hypothyroidism, so there's a smack in the face in and of itself. Also, I am VERY busy and when I get time to myself after school work and kids and everything that needs to be done, I just plain don't feel like exercising. And no, that's not an excuse when you just don't want to! I don't expect to lose 2 or more lbs a week because I don't do the work to. Also, I highly doubt, even with a ton of exercise, I would even lose that much because of being hypo. I'm taking it slowly because it's best for my body. Either way, 18 lbs in 2 1/2 or so months, can't complain about that.
  • ays_v2
    ays_v2 Posts: 6
    Options
    just excercise more. your metabolism will catch up sooner than later.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
    Options
    i'm 41 and my maintenance is around 2500 not including exercise. i lose the most amount of fat when i eat a net of 1800 - 2100 calories. anything less and i have a hard time recovering from my workouts (primarily lifting) anything more and i lose less

    honestly i think what's helped me is that i've NEVER been on a "diet", never did a crash diet. i have a few friends who are started off same height and weight as me and their maintenance was way lower than mine and i think it's because they had been on one sort of VLCD diet or another since they were teens. that has to eventually end up affecting your metabolism.
  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    Options
    interestingly i was loosing aiming for 1300 generally being within 300 under or 100 over.. (thats once exercise is factored in)... iv been having problems with toothache on those days i was eating about half my calories with little or no exercise for most of this week iv been in this position and iv put on this week... only o.2 lbs

    its all just about finding what works for you, and also what the rations of what you eat are.
    I dont go low carb or low something else i just eat what i want sensibly, and watch calories. its what works for me im a fussy eater as it is.

    good luck with finding whats right for you.
  • nonomorefat
    nonomorefat Posts: 2
    Options
    DID PEOPLE JUST IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING??!~

    you need to net not less than 1700 calories a day if u are breastfeeding!!!! simply because 1700 - 500(breastfeeding) = 1200.. which is the lowest you should ever go to lose weight

    I breastfeed and my baby is 10 months old and i average 2000 calories a day.. sometimes i go over.. and losing!

    up your calories
    initial weight gain is simply water retention.. ignore it..
    otherwise your metabolism and your weight loss will suffer..
  • BinaryPulsar
    BinaryPulsar Posts: 8,927 Member
    Options
    You just had a baby a little more than a month ago. Your body is trying to conserve for the long haul of breastfeeding for a year or more. It takes time. Eat well, go for walks, breastfeed. When your baby is 6 months and starting solid foods kick your exercise up a notch, and you will see faster progress, especially while breastfeeding.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    Options
    First, what is "barely losing?" Keep in mind anywhere from 1/2lb-2lbs a week is healthy, and 1lb a week is generally recommended.
    Second, are you exercising? I've always found weight loss to be much more effective with exercise, even when I've been netting the same amount of calories.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
    Options
    Burn more.

    Solid response, however... How do you eat that much and still stay in good standing with everything else? IE: Sodium.

    sodium shmodium..unless you have blood pressure issues, going over some aint gonna kill ya. as far as the other macros go...PLAN. need to eat more cals but not go over on fat? then eat leaner foods. hitting your calorie needs and meeting macros isn't rocket science but it does take some paying attention and effort.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Options
    DID PEOPLE JUST IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE BREASTFEEDING??!~

    you need to net not less than 1700 calories a day if u are breastfeeding!!!! simply because 1700 - 500(breastfeeding) = 1200.. which is the lowest you should ever go to lose weight

    I breastfeed and my baby is 10 months old and i average 2000 calories a day.. sometimes i go over.. and losing!

    up your calories
    initial weight gain is simply water retention.. ignore it..
    otherwise your metabolism and your weight loss will suffer..

    You missed the part where she said NET calories, eh? Meaning 1400 AFTER exercise and breast feeding calories are removed from her total daily intake. She's probably taking in 2,300 ish GROSS calories, but 500 for breast feeding, 400 for an hour of exercise are removed for her NET calorie total.

    Seriously OP, you probably just miscalculating somewhere.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,029 Member
    Options
    if i "cheat" (like go on vacation) right now, i find that i put a few pounds on QUICKLY. but i know that long-term if i up my diet back to 1700-1800 calories per day (basically how i was maintaining at my higher weight), i will not put back on 20 pounds. i think my body just grabs onto some of those carbs, etc. initially. we'll see once i reach my goal and up my calories for a longer time.

Categories