Correct Advice?

mommypenney
mommypenney Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,
I'm really hoping someone can help me out here as I'm really starting to lose motivation which can happen to me when things arent clear.
I have lost 3 stone to date since having the children and then plateu'd for ages. Then I signed up to MyFitness pal which after entering my details said I should be on 1200 cals. Now since then hardly anything has come off but I wasn't exercising. This is because I felt really lethargic. After a while I started getting more and more depressed at not dropping the weight as I'd still like to lose another stone and a half (21 pounds). I have an op in April and need it off by then. Then someone mentioned that it seemed like I wasn't having enough calories and probably wasn't even achieving my BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate). So I re-calculated on an altenative webiste and tried 1600 cals a day. Still nothing? So I realised that exercise needed to be included but I have little time as I work full time and have 2 toddlers. Then I bought Gillian Michaels '30 Day Shred'. I started Monday and I'm on day seven and I love it. I decided to do some research last weekend to make sure I was definately getting the right calories and I came across a free website which has great reviews and it is really detailed on knowing what calories you need to stay healthy and lose weight (www.freedieting.com). The shocker came when it said that to lose weight I need to be on 2054 calories a day!!! Surely not??? It then said the best way to lose weight is to alterate your calories every day so that you don't risk your body platue'ing. So this is what it says I should do a week :
Day 1: 2054
Day 2: 1643
Day 3: 2465
Day 4: 2054
Day 5: 1849
Day 6: 2259
Day: 7: 2054
Can someone please please tell me if they think this makes sense or if it is crazy. I have gone up 2 pounds this week and can't figure out if it is because I have started exercising or whether its because I am on too many calories. I weigh 178 pounds, I am female and I am 5ft 8.5 inches. I also do 20 mins exercise a day (30 day shred). My calories above take into account that I do 20 mins of excercise a day.
I'm desperate for some help. I know I can lose the weight but I just need support to confirm I am going about it the right way.
Thanks for listening guys ...I know this is long winded but I am desperate and know the support on here is amazing.

Nic x

Replies

  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    def not real weight or your maintanace cals would have to be less than 1000/day for that amount of cals to add 2 lbs/ In order to gain 2lbs/week you would have to be eating at an average caloric surplus of 1000 per day, so if your maintenance is 1800 plus you burn say 400 from exercise, you would have to eat 3200 per day to gain 2 lbs/week.
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    If you hadn't exercised in a while and just started JM Shred are you pretty sore? Most poeple would say yes at least a little....that means your muscles are being worked and trying to repair...part of that repair will be retaining some water. So my guess is that is what those 2 pounds are. At first the scales may not move but you will liekly lose inches (or centimeters). So I would suggest taking measurement to keep you motivated.

    Also your BMR is around 1575...I would suggest you set your activity level to sedentary which will make your maintenence around 1900. Subtracting 20% form that puts you below your BMR so I would say set your goal at about 1550 calories per day and eat back maybe half of your exercise calories (unless you sue a HRM then you can eat them all) That would get you to a net of around 1850 on exercise days and 1550 on rest days. You should lose a pound every 10 days or so. I know that sounds very slow but with only 20 pounds to lose that is the correct speed of weightloss. It won't be fast but it will work if you stick to it. I also always recommend upping your protein percent to 30% protein helps me feel full longer and it helps repair muscles after a good workout. =)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Bouncing calories up and down doesn't confuse your body or make it not plateau. When I do your calculations I get a BMR of 1566 and TDEE without exercise of 1910. You want to be eating somewhere between those 2 numbers to lose. It's your choice if you want to eat exercise calories back or not.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    Read or watch Forks Over KNives. And get with a trainer to get a good workout routine going. Exercise will help with the lack of mmotivation and depression.
  • xsmilexforxmex
    xsmilexforxmex Posts: 1,216 Member
    I always gain a few lbs when starting a routine.. give it like 3 weeks. Could be water weight.
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    it would be a good thing to open your diary then we can help.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Hey sweetie,

    How long did you stick with the 1200 + exercise?

    I think if you keep changing things around then you will stall?

    I was using MFP for the first year and stuck with the 1200plus exercise and I got to where I am now and been maintaining.

    Everyone is different but you really need to stick at things whichever program you decide to go with x
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    it would be a good thing to open your diary then we can help.

    The only problem is with that is that everyone will begin to slate her for her food choices...it takes a very brave new person to do that...:wink:

    But I get where you are coming from
  • JordanandJacque
    JordanandJacque Posts: 23 Member
    Hey, I am 5'11" and 166 lbs (I have lost 8 pounds). My caloric intake per day, to lose 1 lb per week, is 1600 calories. I actually lost 3 lbs last week!! Anyways, something I do when I have plateued is just what you said, calorie confusion. If your body can't regulate itself ont he amount of calories it can expect to take in every day, your metabolism stays high. So, I will do something like this: 1600 calories, 1400 calories, 1200 calories, 1700 calories, 1600 calories, etc. It's not rocket science, just add or subtract 200 or so calories a day. I wouldn't go too much above or too much below the 1600 calories though.

    I hope this helps! I think it's more important to adjust to what YOUR body will respond to rather than what any website says. I mean, it's good to get ideas, but just listen to your own body above all! I know that for me, I can work out until I am blue in the face and won't lose as much as if I just speed walk around my neighborhood doing 4 or 5 miles. Don't ask me why, but that is what my body responds too.

    Good luck!
  • JordanandJacque
    JordanandJacque Posts: 23 Member
    So, I think you're calories are way to high to LOSE weight. I would take it back down to about 1300 to 1400 calories. I am 5'11" and 170 (stopped doing MFP and gained 10 pounds from 160). I like to do calorie confusion. It's not rocket science, although they like to make you think it is. You just adjust your calories up and down a couple hundred calories each day to "confuse" your body and keep it guessing, so your metabolism stays high. So, I would do something like - 1300, 1100, 1450, 1200, 1350, etc. When you go from eating 2500 calories a day, to eating 1300 of course you will lose weight because your body is working to burn off 2500. If you then continue to eat 1300 calories a day, your body will adjust and your body will then think it needs to burn 1300 calories a day. We have to tell our bodies we want to lose weight. Our bodies are made to maintain weight. So, if you confuse it a bit, then it never settles in and it keeps guessing, keeping your metabolism high.

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