Help with my calories

loseit4ever12
loseit4ever12 Posts: 53
in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5'11, 210 today (i was 208 last week) 34 years old. Started here Jan 1st. My first goal is 175.
I am a stay at home mom, I homeschool and babysit and put myself as lightly active on MFP.
This gives me 1620 for a 1.5 pound a week loss. In the first 3 weeks I dropped 12 lbs. Since then I have only lost 3.
I workout 6 days to the tune of 45 mins- 1 hour. I go until my HRM says I burned 500 cals and I log 400 cals. I eat back my cals since my BMR is around 1700. I am doing C25K and NROLFW on opposite days.

So I usually eat 2000 calories.
I have read everything there is to read. I am on week 4 of NROLFW and week 7 of C25K.
Basically in 9 weeks I have lost a total of 3 pounds. I have only lost 3 inches in my waist.
I want to eat the MFP way and log exercise
I am not going to open my diary but I do weigh everything. I sometimes go over on sodium.

Am I on for calories???

Replies

  • thisisme13
    thisisme13 Posts: 150
    If you won't open your diary it would be tough to make suggestions based on what you are eating. Just make sure you are accurately tracking everything. Use a kitchen scale for ALL foods.. even foods that have a cup measurement as a serving size. My oatmeal weights more than what the serving should for example if I measured it out with the cup measurement. Make sure you are tracking everything you eat and drink. Measure and track that cream/sugar/milk in coffee or tea. Measure the milk in cereal or oatmeal. Measure and track that mayo/mustard/etc on a sandwich or that dressing on a salad. Make sure you measure and track any and all oils used for cooking etc.

    If you have recently changed your exercise... which I'm guessing you have with being on week 4 of the lifting program and doing C25K your muscles will most likely be retaining water which can cause you not to see changes on the scale. With the lifting program, provided you are lifting heavy, your muscles will be retaining water to repair themselves.

    Weight changes so often... weight loss isn't linear. Hormone changes, sodium consumption, water consumption, exercise changes, etc will cause your weight to change regardless of your eating. Keep with it and you will eventually see changes.

    What kind of HRM do you have? Does it have a chest strap? Does it let you enter your age, sex, height and weight?

    Also, personally I prefer to weigh in the day after a rest day so it gives my muscles a change to release any water they may be retaining.
  • kris4chloe
    kris4chloe Posts: 245 Member
    honestly you are doing great. ONLY 3 inches? that is actually alot. The first few weeks of any exercise and diet program you will see big losses due to excess water weight and the change up in routine. Then typically you stay pretty level for awhile, but if you stick with it you will start to see losses again. IT is the overall general downward trend you want to see.

    Also lifting weights will replace fat with muscle so that is the best way IMO, instead of just losing both fat and muscle to get to a number on a scale.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Nice job so far!!
    With the amount of weight you want to lose, a goal of 1/2 a pound or 1 pound a week at the most would be a more realistic goal. So the problem may be that your calories are a bit low. If you just recently upped your calorie intake, your body may still be adjusting to this change.

    Since you are fairly new to lifting, the slow loss may also be due to water retention. That soreness you feel the next day is called DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. And when that occurs, it's a safe bet that you're also retaining water as part of the healing process.

    And since you mentioned high sodium intake, this can also be a factor with water weight. One gallon of water weighs approximately 8 pounds so it's not hard to imagine being up on the scale if your body's holding on to water for whatever reason.

    The scale is just not going to be your friend right now so pay closer attention to accomplishing your fitness goals and the inches lost for right now. The pounds will come along in time. Be happy that you've lost what you have and that you're getting fit and healthy!!
  • thisisme13
    thisisme13 Posts: 150
    Also lifting weights will replace fat with muscle so that is the best way IMO, instead of just losing both fat and muscle to get to a number on a scale.

    Just to clear things up for the OP, when you strength train you may gain a lb or two (if that) of newbie gains when you start a lifting program. You will not actually build noticeable muscle when you eat at a calorie deficit. It is something that is said a lot when you aren't losing as much weight when lifting but eating at a deficit you will not be gaining muscle.. and ultimately you never replace fat with muscle.

    Your body actually loses muscle when you eat at a deficit and try to lose fat. OP, your lifting will help retain your muscle as long as you are consuming enough protein.
  • loseit4ever12
    loseit4ever12 Posts: 53
    I feel that since I have been doing NROL4W and C25K for over a month that my body would be adjusted. I am concerned that my calories are off. If I am eating at a deficit for 9 weeks I should be seeing more loss.

    I know weight fluctuates and all that. I actually weigh daily but log weekly. I was up 5 pounds on Friday.

    I weigh and measure everything.

    I think my calories need adjusted but should I try upping or lowering?
  • thisisme13
    thisisme13 Posts: 150
    I honestly don't think you need to adjust your calories. You are losing inches which shows you are losing. Don't solely use the scale as a measurement.

    Don't weigh daily. Just weigh once a week. Sometimes weighing daily can discourage us.

    I'm sure posters could make better suggestions with a view of your diary.
  • JoanB5
    JoanB5 Posts: 610 Member
    Pretzels regularly throw me on sodium and cause me to gain a lot of water weight. I've had to find other fillers, if that is a common choice for you.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    I am 5'11, 210 today (i was 208 last week) 34 years old. Started here Jan 1st. My first goal is 175.
    I am a stay at home mom, I homeschool and babysit and put myself as lightly active on MFP.
    This gives me 1620 for a 1.5 pound a week loss. In the first 3 weeks I dropped 12 lbs. Since then I have only lost 3.
    I workout 6 days to the tune of 45 mins- 1 hour. I go until my HRM says I burned 500 cals and I log 400 cals. I eat back my cals since my BMR is around 1700. I am doing C25K and NROLFW on opposite days.

    So I usually eat 2000 calories.
    I have read everything there is to read. I am on week 4 of NROLFW and week 7 of C25K.
    Basically in 9 weeks I have lost a total of 3 pounds. I have only lost 3 inches in my waist.
    I want to eat the MFP way and log exercise
    I am not going to open my diary but I do weigh everything. I sometimes go over on sodium.

    Am I on for calories???

    You've lost 3 inches off yor waist?? That's awesome.

    If I could lose the inches from my body I really couldn't give a damn what the scale says - nobody sees your scales in the morning, but everyone sees your clothes size shrinking.

    You are doing great, stick at it. :)

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