Weight loss/fat loss question

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maggiewithfins
maggiewithfins Posts: 75 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,
I'm eating 1500 calories a day (I weight 69.5kg and my height is 166cm), I swim 30min - 1hr 3x a week. I usually eat my exercise calories back. Over the last month, I have lost about 1kg. I want to lose weight slowly and steadily, and keep it off, for life. I'm tempted to drop my calories to 1200 but I really don't think I can sustain that. I think my calorie intake is about right.
Because my weight loss is slow, I wonder if I should be doing something differently. But, I wonder about the scales not shifting much and think it could be to do with gaining muscle. But, how much muscle would I realistically gain from swimming only? I suspect it would only be a few hundred grams. In which case I'm not losing weight. But, my clothes feel a little looser, so I wonder if It's just fluid shifts in my body that are showing up on the scales, and that I am losing fat.
If someone can help me with this it would be appreciated.
FYI- I'm training for a 3km swim which is on Sunday, so I don't want to be in a big calorie deficit this week.
-I weigh and measure EVERYTHING that I eat unless it's not possible, e.g. eating out.

Replies

  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
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    Sorry, but you aren't gaining enough muscle to affect your weight loss, particularly eating at a deficit, altho 1 kg of fat loss in the first month isn't bad. Maybe you aren't eating enough? Or maybe it's just slow to start because you weren't eating horribly before? Looks to me like your BMR is around 1500, maybe a little less, so you definitely don't need to cut back to 1200. Definitely need to be eating your exercise calories, and may need to go up a little on your off days as well. Maybe 1600 on off days and eat 1650 to 1700 on workout days? How much are you trying to lose? If it's less than 20 lbs., you are right on track, frankly. If it's more, then I'd up the calories a tiny bit for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.
  • ParkerH47
    ParkerH47 Posts: 463 Member
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    If you are noticing a non-scale difference, I wouldn't worry at all about the number. The only thing I would do is add some weight training, because more muscle = more metabolically active tissue and therefore a faster metabolism.

    just keep on trucking you should see a difference, I wouldn't cut back your calories if it were me.

    Good luck :)
  • maggiewithfins
    maggiewithfins Posts: 75 Member
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    Sorry, but you aren't gaining enough muscle to affect your weight loss, particularly eating at a deficit, altho 1 kg of fat loss in the first month isn't bad. Maybe you aren't eating enough? Or maybe it's just slow to start because you weren't eating horribly before? Looks to me like your BMR is around 1500, maybe a little less, so you definitely don't need to cut back to 1200. Definitely need to be eating your exercise calories, and may need to go up a little on your off days as well. Maybe 1600 on off days and eat 1650 to 1700 on workout days? How much are you trying to lose? If it's less than 20 lbs., you are right on track, frankly. If it's more, then I'd up the calories a tiny bit for a couple of weeks and see how it goes.

    I wonder about the not eating enough thing, I wouldn't really want to eat less. I think that what I am doing is on the lower side of what I would think is sustainable. I worry about eating more, but that's cos I'm a total novice at getting the calories right. I tend to err more on the side of going too low (ie, in a previous life, 1200). Yes I am aiming for an 8kg weight loss over all, but am doing it in 2kg increments to keep motivated!

    Yes I didn't think I was really gaining muscle in any major way. I notice my back and legs are more toned from swimming, but I'm not sure what exactly that means in physiological terms. Is that a muscle gain? Or fat loss?

    My pre-diet eating was healthy meals, but too much snacking in between. So I've cut that out.

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