Help gaining not loosing

momof5kiki
momof5kiki Posts: 9
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
according to the wieght loss calculator I need to be on a 1,200 calorie a day diet. I have been on it for three weeks now, and all my clothes are getting tighter!

My friend said that I need more calories. I am upping it to 1,400. Now my question is this.

One, do you think the extra 200 calories will help me to loose not gain, and I need exercise help.

I am a mom of 6. I do laudnry and cleaning daily. My husband says that I HAVE to do cardio every day or I am not going to loose, even on my restricted calories. Help.

Oh, and he said that I am drinking too much water?? I am drinking between 60 and 80 ounces a day. He said that is too much.

I am so confused, I just want to loose these 30 pounds and be healthy! Please, help.

Replies

  • momof5kiki
    momof5kiki Posts: 9
    oh, and do you really think that an hour of leisurly swimming will burn 400 calories?
  • BeautifulScarsWECHANGED
    BeautifulScarsWECHANGED Posts: 749 Member
    A few of the normal questions come to mind:

    Are you drinking soda?

    Are you eating yoru exercise calories?

    Are you eating a lot of sodium?


    Your water intake should be at least half your weight in ounces per day. You don't HAVE to do cardio every day to lose weight, a lot of it is eating the right food. It's hard to know for sure what's happening without looking at your food diary.

    I don't know how any of you members survive on 1,200 calories a day, I would have to do 1,200 calories worth of exercise to make it happen. :laugh:
  • ieatstickers
    ieatstickers Posts: 51 Member
    Actually, water helps boost metabolism, which is a good thing. You should be drinking water. It will help a lot. Try to drink at least half your body weight in ounces ( i.e. i'm 196, so i need to drink 98 ounces a day ). 1400 sounds reasonable, and as long as you make healthy choices as often as possible it will help. You do need some sort of cardio for you everyday routine. Walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, tae bo, aerobics are all great cardio exercises you could do.
  • elmct57
    elmct57 Posts: 594 Member
    swimming needs to be a moderate pace. if you can backstroke, you will burn more calories. an hour can be up to 550 calories depending on your weight now.
  • Gerkenstein
    Gerkenstein Posts: 315 Member
    I've heard from numerous, reliable sources that diet is 80% of the battle. You get that in check, the rest will fall into place. If you can't do cardio EVERY day, that's okay. I shoot for 30 minutes, 4 times a week. Anything else is a bonus. You have to be okay with losing slowly. There is always another meal to look forward too! Don't set yourself up for failure. Baby steps...
  • momof5kiki
    momof5kiki Posts: 9
    well why am Igaining then? three weeks and all my clothes have gotten tighter to the point I can hardly buckle my pants. It is very depressing when you are working sooooo hard. At least when I ate crap all day I wasn't gaining, I just was not loosing. Now I am eating healthy, counting EVERY calorie, drinking a ton of water and my clothes are getting tighter!
  • momof5kiki
    momof5kiki Posts: 9
    no soda at all. All I drink now is water, that's it. I have never really been a soda drinker ever.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Seems strange to me but sounds like water retention.

    Have you inputted into the diary one of your typical days prior to eating healthy to see where you were at before? If there is a big difference between this amount and your current totals then your body may not be used to it and still going into starvation mode. I don't believe this starvation mode is due to a certain number of calories (1200 seems to be the magic number around here :P) but also a drastic change in cals.
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
    Maybe take a step back and review what you are eating within those 1200 calories. Are you making healthy choices? Try switching up your diet and what you eat within those calories.
  • momof5kiki
    momof5kiki Posts: 9
    I am sure I was eating alot more then 1200 thats for sure. I would eat tacos, burgers, spaghetti, garlic bread, cereal, french toast, pancakes, waffels. I am guessing that maybe I was consuming around 4,000 a day, I really have no idea, what I do know is that I was consuming alot more then I am now. I also would have fast foot about once a week. Maybe it is that my body is starving? I do try and eat when I am hungry and still stay within my calories. I eat smart ones usually for lunch and dinner, and sometimes I will have the breakfast ones. I eat bagle thins with spray butter, yogurt (fiber one) for snacks, and so on.

    I have 6 children, so anything that I can grab and go is good. I don't have time to prepare a ton of food, as my husband is home very little and I do alot on my own.

    I am drinking 80 ounces of water a day. I am wondering if I should add in a glass of skim milk in the morning? Problem is that I get so nervous now to eat stuff. I find myself obsesiing over calorie intake.
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