Bit of a problem, requesting help. Please read.

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  • Weezoh
    Weezoh Posts: 171 Member
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    You can't compare calorie burns to other people, Age, Gender, Weight, Muscle Mass, wind direction, phase of moon. . .. all will affect the numbers.

    My wife hates me because I can burn 1400 calories on a bike ride where she only burns 400. I still have 80 pounds to lose, she's at her goal weight, she's a foot shorter than me, the whole hormonal/chromosome difference. . .
  • alexroet
    alexroet Posts: 65 Member
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    first of all, if your goal is 125 and you're at 127, you need to give yourself a break. You want to lose two pounds, not 100.
    At 5'7" your ideal body weight would be (around) 135.
    I find it hard to imagine that you have a huge saggy stomach.
    So my hunch is that you are just way too hard on yourself.

    I can't see your diary so I don't know what you're eating, but what's your calorie goal? How long have you been working on this?

    but bottom line- that definitely sounds like too much exercise to me. 30min + 90min + 45 min walk every single day?
    And not getting your period could be (but isn't necessarily) a bad sign.

    If you haven't talked to a doctor, I'd recommend it. You may have a hormone issue. You may have a psych/body image disorder (hard to say without pictures). (you may want to google Body Dysmorphic Disorder and see if it sounds like you). Or you may be perfectly fine- but just being harsh on yourself.

    I'm all for being healthy and having your ideal body- but you also need to have healthy expectations, and go about it in a healthy way.

    I don't mean to be harsh and negative- but I suspect you're being overly hard on yourself. You're 18! Too young to be overly stressed and obsessed with dieting, especially when you're already at a normal (even low-normal) weight.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    *Not an expert*

    Looking through your diary, you appear to be eating between 800-1200 calories a day and not eating back your calories burned through exercise. Toned abs seem to come from a combination of working out the muscles, feeding your body enough to allow your muscles to get bigger, and dropping body fat percentage. My guess is that you are not eating enough.

    Granted, I'm in the eat at least your BMR camp. It seems about half of the forum thinks that's a horrible idea and half thinks it's the best thing ever. Take your pick, but I would say you are under eating, and your muscles aren't going to get bigger (having a "toned" look means you can actually see your muscles, which means they need to be bigger than what they are now).

    Will doing the same program that I am doing (Maybe even a bit less) But upping my calories, help me to get more toned?

    As I said, I'm not an expert, and I'm at the beginning of my journey, so I'll defer to others with experience. It also depends on how you define "toned". I found this story very inspirational: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    If you look at her after photos and you consider that "toned" and that's what you're going for, look at her meal plan and calorie intake. She's not "toned", she's ripped (just not in a scary way).
  • knk1553
    knk1553 Posts: 438 Member
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    1. that doesn't seem like too much to me, but if you did just start exercising you may want to cut back until you get used to it. My workouts vary from 30 mins to 1.5 hours 6 days a week, but one of those days is usually just an hour of deep stretching and core work. Im at work so I can't look at the be fit in 90 video, but I used to do the 30 day shred and run for 30-45 mins 5 days a week my senior year of undergrad.

    2. Go in a manually set your macros to 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat, IMO MFP sets your protein too low and your carbs too high, 40/30/30 is what I see recommended most places for macro totals.

    3. Take measurements, often times when you're close to your goal you don't lose weight, just inches. I've only lost about 6-7 lbs, however I've lost inches and seen a substantial difference in how my clothes fit/hang/look on me. I also take pictures as well. Make sure you're doing weights that are heavy enough as well. Also, you should focus on your diet, a good body is about 70% diet and 30% exercise. You can do crunches all you want but until you lower your body fat through diet you won't see any abs. I really highly suggest going with pictures and measurements though, you usually don't see change on yourself because you look at yourself everyday. I look at my before pictures and go wow I really did come a long way since then even if I don't see it.

    4. I follow IIFYM (if it fits your macros), if I want it, I eat it, as long as it fits in my macros/caloric needs. With that being said, I still prefer to keep my diet mostly natural, unprocessed foods majority of the time. I aim to eat clean 80% of the time, and the other 20% of the time is what I want as long as it fits into my macros.

    5. Your depression could be unrelated to your diet/exercise. I would suggest talking to a doctor or a psychologist about this. Are there other things going on in your life that are causing stress to you? Exercise should increase your energy and endorphins as long as you aren't overdoing it.

    6. When did you start losing weight? How quickly did you drop your 30+ pounds? You're 4 inches taller than me and weigh the same as me, however weight looks different on neveryone and you're still at a healthy weight. If you dropped your weight really quickly then that could be why, there could be other reasons. Has your period always been regular before this? did you start taking birth control around the same time? Did you switch birth control? Was your period really light before? Talk to your doctor about this I would suggest.

    It sounds like you have more going on in your life than just weight loss that is causing you to feel down, depressed and lose self esteem. This would be a time that would be good to go talk to a psychologist/therapist if you're feeling this way, theres a good chance it isn't related to your diet/exercise and if you're suddenly feeling really self conscious and if you find yourself severely restricting and dropping your goal weight lower and lower, you want to address this before it becomes a bigger problem.

    Also - you can try eating more, the closer you get to your goal weight, the closer you need to get to eating maintenance calories

    Hope that helps! Feel free to PM me, I am far from an expert on nutrition, but those are some general guidelines/tips I've learned along the way!
  • Pandasarecool
    Pandasarecool Posts: 508 Member
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    What does everyone think about stopping 30 day shred and finishing up be fit in 90, THEN moving back to 30 day shred, plus a walk every other day or so? Would that be enough to tone up, if I work hard on upping my calories? I am just so scared that if I up my calories, and down how much exercise I do, I will lose the bit of muscle I have, but if I am understanding this right, the opposite is true? If I eat more, exercise just a bit less, I will see more muscle development? Is it possible to have a toned body without lifting super heavy and going really intense (like insanity or P90X)?
  • gothicfires
    gothicfires Posts: 240 Member
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    I hope you realize that 5'7" and 127 pounds is already a fantastic body. You don't need to loose two more pounds. You don't have your period because your body needs fuel and body fat.

    It's a hard concept to believe now now, but only a few hundred years ago your weight would be considered sickly because being that thin, no one would trust that you could carry or bear a child. A woman who was the modern 'overweight' would have been found more attractive because her body could support reproduction.

    a woman's body is meant to have a certain amount of fat on it to be healthy.

    So now you should be enjoying your size and gradually shape your muscle. You don't need to loose more weight.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    You need to see your doctor.
  • samanthawarren
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    I am no expert so this is just my 2 cents. If you are miserable then you definitely need to change something. I looked at your food diary and it doesn't seem extreme to me, except when you factor in all of the exercise you listed below you are not feeding your body enough to give it the energy it needs to accomplish all of these workouts.

    When I was your age (many moons ago) I was very active. I used to run 4 days a week, play basketball or tennis almost everyday and in the summer swim everyday. Golf on weekends, skiing in the winter, you name it I did it. I also worked out, sometimes twice a day(my run or athletics would be one of those times) I was pretty cut. I felt great, but I was also eating twice what you are. I also was a person who needed 9 hours of sleep a night to feel my best. When you are young sometimes you do need more sleep, everyone is different. I don't know how tall you are so I don't know if your weight goal is realistic, but your muscles need enough protien to repair themselves when you are working out a lot. My typical breakfast back then was 2 fried eggs, toast with butter, homefried potatoes with garlic and onions or a large bowl of oatmeal, orange juice and milk. I am serious, I could down that no problem. I didn't eat like that all day, but breakfast was big for me. I also got plenty of lean protien the rest of the day.

    I was in great shape until my early 30's when health problems changed that. I guess my point is everyone is different, but you really need to find a balance that isn't wearing you out or you will not be able to make fitness part of your long term lifestyle. You should probably consult your doctor and explain what you did here and let them give you some suggestions. Also they can tell you if there is another reason why you don't feel so well.

    OK so maybe that was more than 2 cents, more like 5 cents.:wink:
  • BeSophisticate
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    There is nothing WRONG with you.

    If you are feeling overwhelmed, than yes, you are probably trying to do too much all at once. Exercise should make you feel great, powerful, etc. not depressed.

    Also, you are already on the verge of being underweight. I'm not 5'7", but the bottom end of the scale for my height is actually under weight for me. I know this, because I was down there once and my bones were breaking spontaneously. I kid you not. You are likely not at a healthy weight for your body type, which could very well cause you to miss periods.

    My recommendation is to toss your scale in the garbage. Also, you might cut all the way back to basics on your exercise and then add them back one at a time to find a level that's going to work for you without making you depressed. You are likely over training, which can actually slow your progress. Meaning, if you do less than you are now, you may actually see faster progress.

    I'm not trying to lecture. I'm concerned because I've been where you are and I caused permanent damage to my heart even though I was never "technically" under weight. Weight charts don't know everything. BMIs don't know everything. Your own personal ideal weight depends on your overall build. Your ideal weight is where ever you feel healthiest and it sounds to me like your target just isn't it.
  • michelejoann
    michelejoann Posts: 295 Member
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    First Point: You really should be asking a TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL these questions. A good majority of us here are not experts, but are on the same weight loss journey as you are.

    Second Point: You might be overworking yourself. Have you consistently being doing all of that exercise the whole time? Perhaps your body is too conditioned to what you are doing. Maybe you need to change it up, and rest a little bit. I have had trained medical professionals (in a weight loss research study through the University of Pittsburgh) tell me multiple times that what calories you put into your body matter more than what you expend out. Perhaps eat at or under your calorie goal and cut back a little on the exercise? Don't over eat, though.

    Third Point: Our bodies get fit much faster than our minds. What you see in the mirror and process in your mind is completely different than what reality actually is. It's a cruel trick. I still think I'm a 240+ fat girl even though I'm less than 200 pounds now. Also, from personal observation, I've noticed dramatic mood/emotion changes in people that have lost a lot of weight. Sometimes in their personality. I've had friends (and even in my own family) get thin and then divorce their spouse. Crazy.

    Lastly: I'm the same height as you and I'd give ANYTHING to be even 150 pounds. I could safely say you probably are doing alright. :smile:
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    I think the biggest thing you need to do is not compare yourself to others. Everyone is different and everyone has different requirements needed to help them lose weight. Everyone burns a different number of calories doing the same exercise so don't go off of what someone else burns.

    I know it can be hard to do but you need to find out what works for you. That may be upping your calories, it may be doing LESS exercise...it make take a little bit of time so play around with it, just make sure that anytime you make changes, you're giving your body a week or two to adjust to the changes before you say it doesn't work. This won't happen instantly and if you really only have 2lbs left...they always say the last are the hardest.
  • angleu
    angleu Posts: 140 Member
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    I wish I could find these pictures of people that have posted themselves at your weight, then they gain 5-10lbs of muscle by lifting weights and look transformed. Lifting weights is what you need to do not hours of cardio but you also need to eat more. I bet if you eat even 200 more calories a day you would feel so much better and get more protein in.

    Cardio is not going to change your shape like lifting weights will. Cardio will build endurance and burn calories.

    Good luck at your Dr's

    And thanks for the You Tube link, going to check it out more this weekend
  • Pandasarecool
    Pandasarecool Posts: 508 Member
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    first of all, if your goal is 125 and you're at 127, you need to give yourself a break. You want to lose two pounds, not 100.
    At 5'7" your ideal body weight would be (around) 135.
    I find it hard to imagine that you have a huge saggy stomach.
    So my hunch is that you are just way too hard on yourself.

    I can't see your diary so I don't know what you're eating, but what's your calorie goal? How long have you been working on this?

    but bottom line- that definitely sounds like too much exercise to me. 30min + 90min + 45 min walk every single day?
    And not getting your period could be (but isn't necessarily) a bad sign.

    If you haven't talked to a doctor, I'd recommend it. You may have a hormone issue. You may have a psych/body image disorder (hard to say without pictures). (you may want to google Body Dysmorphic Disorder and see if it sounds like you). Or you may be perfectly fine- but just being harsh on yourself.

    I'm all for being healthy and having your ideal body- but you also need to have healthy expectations, and go about it in a healthy way.

    I don't mean to be harsh and negative- but I suspect you're being overly hard on yourself. You're 18! Too young to be overly stressed and obsessed with dieting, especially when you're already at a normal (even low-normal) weight.

    The be fit in 90 program is actually only 35 minutes long.
  • samanthawarren
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    You should probably CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR and explain what you did here and let them give you some suggestions. Also they can tell you if there is another reason why you don't feel so well.

    I am no expert so this is just my 2 cents. If you are miserable then you definitely need to change something. I looked at your food diary and it doesn't seem extreme to me, except when you factor in all of the exercise you listed below you are not feeding your body enough to give it the energy it needs to accomplish all of these workouts.

    When I was your age (many moons ago) I was very active. I used to run 4 days a week, play basketball or tennis almost everyday and in the summer swim everyday. Golf on weekends, skiing in the winter, you name it I did it. I also worked out, sometimes twice a day(my run or athletics would be one of those times) I was pretty cut. I felt great, but I was also eating twice what you are. I also was a person who needed 9 hours of sleep a night to feel my best. When you are young sometimes you do need more sleep, everyone is different.

    I agree with gothic........ If you are 5' 7" then you are already on the low end of the healthy weight for your height. You may want to consider just maintaining your weight and sculpting your body. Your muscles need enough protien to repair themselves when you are working out a lot. My typical breakfast back then was 2 fried eggs, toast with butter, homefried potatoes with garlic and onions or a large bowl of oatmeal, orange juice and milk. I am serious, I could down that no problem. I didn't eat like that all day, but breakfast was big for me. I also got plenty of lean protien the rest of the day.

    I was in great shape until my early 30's when health problems changed that. I guess my point is everyone is different, but you really need to find a balance that isn't wearing you out or you will not be able to make fitness part of your long term lifestyle.

    OK so maybe that was more than 2 cents, more like 5 cents.:wink:
  • Pandasarecool
    Pandasarecool Posts: 508 Member
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    First Point: You really should be asking a TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL these questions. A good majority of us here are not experts, but are on the same weight loss journey as you are.

    Second Point: You might be overworking yourself. Have you consistently being doing all of that exercise the whole time? Perhaps your body is too conditioned to what you are doing. Maybe you need to change it up, and rest a little bit. I have had trained medical professionals (in a weight loss research study through the University of Pittsburgh) tell me multiple times that what calories you put into your body matter more than what you expend out. Perhaps eat at or under your calorie goal and cut back a little on the exercise? Don't over eat, though.

    Third Point: Our bodies get fit much faster than our minds. What you see in the mirror and process in your mind is completely different than what reality actually is. It's a cruel trick. I still think I'm a 240+ fat girl even though I'm less than 200 pounds now. Also, from personal observation, I've noticed dramatic mood/emotion changes in people that have lost a lot of weight. Sometimes in their personality. I've had friends (and even in my own family) get thin and then divorce their spouse. Crazy.

    Lastly: I'm the same height as you and I'd give ANYTHING to be even 150 pounds. I could safely say you probably are doing alright. :smile:

    I did talk to my doc. about 3 weeks or so, I just wanted to know what everyone else thought, I am kind of shy, so its a bit easier on here... I won't immediately loss most of my muscle (Or lack there of) If I cut back on exercise will I?
  • ihateroses
    ihateroses Posts: 893 Member
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    You sound reeeeealy stressed out.

    Take a week off. Get your brain off your weight (especially since at your height/weight you don't "need" to lose any).

    Think about your goals and then start a more stress-free plan the following week. Maybe just dump those cardio programs and start weight training. It does not sound like you enjoy doing these videos.
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,291 Member
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    just break up \m/
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    First Point: You really should be asking a TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL these questions. A good majority of us here are not experts, but are on the same weight loss journey as you are.

    Second Point: You might be overworking yourself. Have you consistently being doing all of that exercise the whole time? Perhaps your body is too conditioned to what you are doing. Maybe you need to change it up, and rest a little bit. I have had trained medical professionals (in a weight loss research study through the University of Pittsburgh) tell me multiple times that what calories you put into your body matter more than what you expend out. Perhaps eat at or under your calorie goal and cut back a little on the exercise? Don't over eat, though.

    Third Point: Our bodies get fit much faster than our minds. What you see in the mirror and process in your mind is completely different than what reality actually is. It's a cruel trick. I still think I'm a 240+ fat girl even though I'm less than 200 pounds now. Also, from personal observation, I've noticed dramatic mood/emotion changes in people that have lost a lot of weight. Sometimes in their personality. I've had friends (and even in my own family) get thin and then divorce their spouse. Crazy.

    Lastly: I'm the same height as you and I'd give ANYTHING to be even 150 pounds. I could safely say you probably are doing alright. :smile:

    I did talk to my doc. about 3 weeks or so, I just wanted to know what everyone else thought, I am kind of shy, so its a bit easier on here... I won't immediately loss most of my muscle (Or lack there of) If I cut back on exercise will I?

    You're worrying about the irrelevant. You haven't had your period in 5 months and you're worried about losing some LBM because you're not doing 30DS? Your priorities are off.

    My advice is this, in addition to seeing your doctor:

    Bring your calories to TDEE/maintenance for 2 full weeks.
    Take 1 week off of exercise completely.
  • 29bubbles
    29bubbles Posts: 126 Member
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    Looking at your foods I would think you need to eat more if you are exercising as much as you say.

    For some reason though, I feel like I should be exercising MORE because I see people on here burning a TON of calories...

    They may be burning more because they weight more.... your young and don't weight much now... eat more healthy food and don't compare your burn. If you want to be toned...lift weights, do pilates, and those types of workouts.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    IMO you don't need to lose any more weight
    I think that what you really want is not to lose 2 lbs but to lose some fat and gain some muscle, for that you should eat maintenance calories and start lifting weights


    but if you really want to lose 2 lbs, then I would recommend setting mfp for maintenance now, eating all the calories - also exercise calories until you get your period back.
    also drop 30 days shred for now. 30 minute of exercise every other day + walking is enough. (30 day shred- the author recommends doing it every other day!, marketers sell it as every day program)
    also, if your period is not back next month and you go to specialist, make sure to tell them how little you have been eating as most likely this is the cause of lack of period.
    once you have your period back set mfp for losing 0.5 lbs per week, and eat all the exercise calories back. look into resistance training, resistance training will help to get that toned look most of girls is after