Am I figuring the exercise wrong?

anya42
anya42 Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

This is the first time I've posted, but I've been using the app for about 4 weeks now. Started at 144, I'm 5' 4", want to get to 130. I set it for 2 pounds a week and was told 1200 calories a day. 1200 was really hard to do, so I've been eating around 1500 a day and excerising to burn off the extra (mostly walking and a stationary bike, hand weights about twice a week.)

For the first two weeks it went great, I lost almost 6 pounds. Then the third week, nothing and gained 1.5 lbs in two days, but then it was gone the next day, so I guess that was water weight? It's now the fourth week and I've lost a whopping .2 lbs. So where did I go wrong? I'm I not supposed to subtract the excercise calories like that? For the first two weeks I let myself have one 'cheat meal' (still counted the calories, but let it go 'over') when I didn't lose anything the third week, I dropped that. So no 'cheating' for the past two weeks. I know you can hit 'plateus' but after only two weeks? What do I do about this? Any help is appreciated.

Replies

  • merlyngrey
    merlyngrey Posts: 34
    How are you counting your exercise calories? MFP allowance for different activities always seems high compared the my HRM.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Your weight loss goals are WAY too ambitious. Shoot for 1 or 0.5 pounds a week given your size, weight, and goals.

    From there, NO cheat meal. Period. Sorry. You're working with small numbers already. 1 cheat meal can destroy your entire week.

    As for exercise cals, only eat back half. This is to offset the uncertainty for how much was actually burned.
  • ksnegirl
    ksnegirl Posts: 85 Member
    How's your water intake? Bump that up if it's not where it should be. Just a suggestion :-)
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    first i want to congratulate you for losing 6 pounds in a month. that is just under your goal of 2lbs a week. great job!!

    seriously, weight loss isn't a perfect system. you will lose weight at different rates based on many things. speaking of... what happens to a woman once a month?? yeah, that usually cause a weight gain right before or during.

    the less you have to lose, the slower it can and should be. you'd probably have more luck with 1lb a week.
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
    :http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I started using this 2 weeks ago, Ive lost almost 8 pounds and I've lost 3.9% bodyfat. Just a suggestion.
  • anya42
    anya42 Posts: 7
    hmm...I'll look into that...
    How are you counting your exercise calories? MFP allowance for different activities always seems high compared the my HRM.
    Using the counter in the MFP (the calorie counter on my bike broke some time ago. :P) So those estimates of calories burned are a little high? Kay, so I'll try the only eat back half like DanaDark suggested. Drinking more water can't really hurt either. Thanks all! Hopefully that'll help.
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
    Water can't Hurt, umm. No, that is the wrong attitude. Water is KEY, you must drink it to cleanse your body. The more you drink the faster you will lose weight. MFP suggests 8 glasses of 8 OZ size each day and that is a bare minimum, the Mayo Clinic recommends 3 liters a day (12 - 13 * oz glasses). Drink more water, force yourself i is the key to your success.
  • anya42
    anya42 Posts: 7
    huh, I thought I was drinking at or near the 8 glasses a day, but defintely wasn't drinking 3 liters. Kay, I'll carry a water bottle around more and just go to town. :D
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
    If you want to truly understand I would definitely give this a read http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • anya42
    anya42 Posts: 7
    bookmarked. will study that page. :)

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