What do you think I can realistically achieve by mid May?

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JAT74
JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started on My Fitness Pal on 2nd January at 147 lbs and body fat of approx 32%. I started on very low calories (under 1000) but after taking advice on here I upped them to 1200 at first after about 1 week, and later worked out my BMR & TDEE which were 1400 and 1680 respectively (based on sedentary lifestyle).

Based on this I'm now eating 1450 on days with no training (I have gradually increased to this) and if I exercise I am also eating back some of my exercise calories, but not all of them generally. I've changed my ratios so that I'm having 35% protein and fat and 30% carbs but most days I'm under my daily carb goal. I'm also monitoring my sugar intake and trying to keep it under 30 grams generally as well as eating whole grains whenever possible. I want to switch to organic soon and try to cut out processed foods completely except for 1 meal per week.

I've so far lost 2.5 lbs and 1-2% body fat which isn't a huge amount I know and could also be water weight but I'm hoping the low weight loss so far is down to changing my daily calorie intake so much and increasing calories. My primary goal is fat loss and inch loss and I'm just starting week 3 of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution which is 6 days of 25-35 minute workouts (4 days including weights or resistence plus 2 days cardio). On top of that I've also had a few days where I've done extra cardio (on weights days) of 30 minutes and I've also been logging general household activities like cleaning, walking the dog or going up and down stairs which I do a lot in my house as it's on 3 floors (well 4 but I generally don't go to the top floor).

Anyway my question is, based on continuing like this (and my workouts are due to get more difficult in the coming weeks), what can I realistically expect in terms of results? My training programme will end in mid-April and I then intend on starting another DVD based program incorporating weights for at least 2 months after that before I can start trying to maintain my weight as hopefully by then I'll be close to my goal.

What do you think, will my weight loss speed up? I'm not planning on eating any more than I am now in general and will probably be burning off more calories from exercise as the weather gets warmer. I'll also be increasing the weights I'm using too as I get stronger.

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  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Bump
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    It's basedon your deficit but I'll estimate around 12lbs or so based on the info you provided, maybe more depending on how many of your exercise calories you eat back.
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    That sounds quite low. I'd hope to be lighter than that by then, ideally at around 126 lbs by that point as I want to reach my goal weight and body fat by no later than June - I don't think I could stand another summer of covering up when it's 42 degrees outside and the beach is just 10 minutes drive. It generally gets too busy to go anyway in July and August so I want to make the most of it before then. I also find that generally I sweat a lot in summer when doing everyday activities and it's very uncomfortable so figure that losing the excess fat will help with that.

    Any idea what I can do to speed things up? I can't do a lot more exercise than I'm doing now due to time but I can change the foods I'm eating if it will help.

    Any more tips/advice?
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    So you want to lose about 20lbs in about 16 weeks or so. You would need a daily deficit of about 625 calories to achieve this. If your TDEE is 1680, you'd have to net about 1055 calories per day (and remember MFP overestimates exercise by about 2-3 times what you actually burned). Then of course I have to add "you're not supposed to eat less than 1200 calories a day because blah, blah, blah, please don't sue us".
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I know you're right, it's just so frustrating though!!! I don't think MFP overestimates exercise by that much, surely???? In my workouts for 35 minutes I am dripping with sweat and my heart rate is pretty high and MFP says I've burnt off around 300 calories. 10 minutes of dog walking is about 35 calories which I don't think is unrealistic, maybe I'm wrong?

    Perhaps I need to find a way to work out a little more. Another 30 minutes per day would mean at least another 250 calories burned per day which would mean that in theory that I'd lose another half a pound per week if I don't eat any more than I am now. That would be 8 more pounds by end June.
  • JBuehrer1
    JBuehrer1 Posts: 23 Member
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    http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

    Someone on here recommended this site to figure out calories from exercising! It calculates based on your weight and how long and has lots of different options to pick from!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    MFP says I burned over 1,000 calories by biking 25 miles when really I probably only burned like 200-300. I stopped logging exercise for this reason.
  • LBNOakland
    LBNOakland Posts: 379 Member
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    I don't log any cleaning, yard work or play time. I only log my actual workouts. Then I am not tempted to eat back all those calories. It s a mind thing for me. My goal is set at my bmr so I always eat above it. I dont always net above it though.
  • TonyTony91
    TonyTony91 Posts: 3
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    try some of these ways tips in this free ebook i have downloaded. http://bit.ly/1250APr Hopefully it gives you a tip you aren't already using. There 101 of them!!!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    If you're working out more than never, you're not sedentary - if you're going to calculate your own TDEE and use that method. If you're just going to use mfp as it is and log in your exercise, then the 625 daily deficit is not off the 1680, it's off the 1680 + your exercise calories.

    Depending on what your exercise is, mfp can be way off on its estimates. I find walking to be low, running to be just about right. I see a lot of my friends logging 250-300 for body revolution or 30 day shred (don't know what they weigh, but your numbers don't seem outlandish based on that).
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I am putting myself as sedentary to work out my TDEE because I work from home so don't even have to make a journey to work, just get out of bed and get dressed then switch on my PC! I only ever go up and down stairs in my house during the day and maybe walk the dog for 10 minutes. I consider that sedentary so I therefore log all my exercise calories to work out what I can eat.

    I am going to try and add in at least another 20-30 minutes of exercise per day, even if I have to split it in order to find the time to do it.

    I am determined to lose the weight by my goal date!

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