Weight Loss Advice Needed

toaq
toaq Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I am new here. I am a 20.5 year old male who is currently in college. I am 6ft 3.5 in and weigh 246 lbs. Due to my workload I am pretty sedentary. however as my college campus is quite big, I get to walk at least 2.5 km during the weekdays. I have maintained my diet b/w 1900 to 1800 calories since mid October when I weighed 270 lbs (i have no difficulty maintaining this calorie intake level and I do not feel fatigue). However I have not seen my weight change for past two weeks as it is hovering b/w 247-245 lbs. I would greatly appreciate if could get some advice on how to kick start my weight-loss again.

Thanks

Replies

  • photojunkie28
    photojunkie28 Posts: 292
    check out the scooby calorie calculator on-line. Figure out your TDEE, subract 15% and make this your goal for calories.

    I am female. 28 years old. 165 lbs 5'5 but active and eat 2000 per day to LOSE weight. I think you need to eat more.

    http://www.burnthefat.com/metabolic_damage.html

    Also check out that link...
  • toaq
    toaq Posts: 7
    thanks for the info :)

    However I do not feel as if I am starving and do not feel much hunger when I eat 1800 to 1900 calories per day
  • AmberLeighD
    AmberLeighD Posts: 112
    Watch your sodium and sugar intakes.... not just calories. Sodium can keep the scales from tipping, it has mine in the past.
  • toaq
    toaq Posts: 7
    I think i could be sodium as I have a large amount of sodium in my diet.
  • genkimomof2
    genkimomof2 Posts: 50 Member
    Does your school have a gym? Mine didn't but we could exercise at the Y for free. Ask around. I brought my study materials with me and reviewed notes, or read the textbook (if it wasn't too dense) while doing cardio. I learned that if I recorded professors lectures and listened to them a second time while exercising, concepts that were confusing suddenly seemed crystal clear, so exercising actually improved my grades...bonus! You don't have to be sedentary just because you are a student. I also recommend looking at the intramural activities at your school. having a sport or activity you have to get together with others to train for at a designated time really keeps you on track. My friend joined the ski team and field hockey team and that kept her on the go even when she was feeling like she was too busy or lazy to exercise.

    You will have to balance your social life with your diet goals too. We all know what college is like in terms of calorie consumption of the liquid kind. ;-) Be sure you are logging all that too, to be sure you are truly only consuming 1900 cals!
  • valeriejean1407
    valeriejean1407 Posts: 35
    check out the scooby calorie calculator on-line. Figure out your TDEE, subract 15% and make this your goal for calories.

    I am female. 28 years old. 165 lbs 5'5 but active and eat 2000 per day to LOSE weight. I think you need to eat more.

    http://www.burnthefat.com/metabolic_damage.html

    Also check out that link...

    Agree ^ I recently had the same problem... I was on a plateau for almost a month but then readjusted my calories, really took the time to understand the meaning of all the formulas and stuck with it. The weight has started falling off again!
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Don't weigh yourself. Check your weight at the Dr.'s office once a year. Don't waste your energy dehydrating yourself to make the scale give you an inaccurate, low number just to make yourself feel good. If you have a caloric deficit you will lose body fat. It's physics. Focus on eating healthy and forget about your weight, throw your scale in the trash.

    Someone is probably going to say that you will lose muscle, and you will, but you aren't a body builder so who cares. As long as you don't do anything extreme or unhealthy you will be fine. Doing more exercise or resistance training is healthier, but not essential for losing body fat.

    It is a good idea to double check to be sure you do have a moderate caloric deficit, but we weigh about the same, I'm older and I consume about the same net calories for a moderate, healthy fat loss.
  • toaq
    toaq Posts: 7
    Thanks for the input everyone!
    I would like to clarify a few things I do not dehydrate myself when I take my weight, and also I only drink water or milk. No soda or beer.
  • toaq
    toaq Posts: 7
    If I readjust my calorie intake to 2100-2000 will that be better?
  • valeriejean1407
    valeriejean1407 Posts: 35
    If I readjust my calorie intake to 2100-2000 will that be better?

    I would try going with what MFP suggests... There is a reason they have been as successful as they have with helping people lose weight.
  • james_parker
    james_parker Posts: 6
    Hi toaq,
    You are just 20.5 yr old and also have a good height. You have also maintain your calori level thats your plus point. I just suggest you to join swimming classes. Swimming helps lose weight, burn calories and puts little stress on your body. Swimming works all the major muscles, and will tone you up and slim you down!

    Swimming is known to be one of the best all round aerobic exercises because it works all the major muscle groups so targets every area of your body. Regular swimming when losing weight will improve your health and may reduce the risk of chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It helps me alot in past and its my personal experience.

    You can also look for some more weight loss and dieting tips here: http://www.webhealthmagazine.com/weight-loss

    All the best.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    If I readjust my calorie intake to 2100-2000 will that be better?

    It depends on your goal. If your goal is to lose body fat, then no. Best I can tell 1800 is a good deficit. the lower your body fat gets, the fewer calories you will need and the more you will have to ignore the scale
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    First of all. You are not plateaued. So disregard all advice here and give it 2 to 4 more weeks. If no change by then, then give this a read:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • cedarghost
    cedarghost Posts: 621 Member
    If I readjust my calorie intake to 2100-2000 will that be better?

    It depends on your goal. If your goal is to lose body fat, then no. Best I can tell 1800 is a good deficit. the lower your body fat gets, the fewer calories you will need and the more you will have to ignore the scale
    ^^^no......
    You should be eating below 3300 calories but not below 2400. That is your bmr. It is possible your metabolism has adjusted to your eating too few calories and you may have to eat at your TDEE (3300ish) to reset your metabolism and hormone levels.
    To do this, you can either go straight to the 3300 for a few weeks and see if you gain or lose then adjust, or you may want to eat at your bmr for a couple of weeks then increase to 20% below TDEE for a couple weeks then adjust to TDEE for a couple weeks.
    Once you can eat at your TDEE without gaining (you may experience an initial gain) you will want to eat above your bmr but below your TDEE (ideally at a 20% deficit). Occasionally, you will want to eat at your TDEE for a week or so to reset everything and then start cutting again. I usually eat at TDEE for about a week every 8 to 10 weeks when I am cutting weight. But I also eat at TDEE about one day a week as well.

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