I need a weight loss plan?

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neldabg
neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I just began my weight loss journey (yay!), and I still don't know how many calories I should aim to eat a day. I weigh 173 pounds; I'm aiming for 120 pounds, but all I want is a 73 cm (28 inch) waist by New Years, even if it means I'll weigh 130 instead of 120. I've done some research, and I've heard both positive and negative things about eating 1100-1200 calories. My plan was to eat 1100 calories a day and then to raise my calorie intake by 100 calories a month (no more than 1600 max. though) once I reached my goal. I've eaten around 1100 yesterday and today, and I feel satisfied. I also planned for 90-120 minutes of exercise a day, but I've only done 10-30 minutes a day :/ (I'm working on it). I take a One A Day multimineral/multivitamin caplet and/or one biotin tablet each day. I think my plan is fine, but I'm afraid though because of the stories I hear sometimes about looking bad or gaining weight immediately after going back to normal eating habits. I just don't know what to do anymore. Should I continue what I am doing or should I consume more calories? Will I still have a chance at a 73 cm waist by New Years if I do eat more? Tips? Advice?
Weight: 173 pounds
Height: 5''1.5
Lifestyle: Sedentary, but I do have to climb stairs like 3-5 times a day

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    Best tip, eat more and concentrate on fat loss, not weight loss. Fat loss means muscle retention. You want to do this since muscle is lean and tight and the more muscle you have, the tighter your body will be. In fact, you could have a smaller waist line (if genetics allow it) at 135 or 140 lbs than compared to 120 based on muscle mass (see below). I would say, you should probably start around 1600 calories, eat a higher protein and fat diet (40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fats) and do a good weight training program 3-4 days a week with some light cardio.


    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • 2aycocks
    2aycocks Posts: 415 Member
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    Eat LESS, move MORE. It works every time! :happy:
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    Sounds great! Thanks for the link!
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
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    Eat LESS, move MORE. It works every time! :happy:

    Eat less than you did when you gained so much weight? Yes, probably. Eat less than 1100 calories? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Check out this thread, it should answer pretty much all of your questions :)
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    It is crucial that you're eating enough. 1100 calories is not enough, and you definitely don't need to exercise 90-120 mins a day (though if you want to, that's great! Just make sure you eat enough to compensate).
  • aprilcarlson
    aprilcarlson Posts: 34
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    bump
  • KBreeding74
    KBreeding74 Posts: 7
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    When I found MFP, I played around the 1st day with the food & exercise. I put in what I would usually eat prior to what I do now. I still eat my favorite foods, but in moderation & not every day. During my 1st week I lost 3 lbs. The first think my doctor said, nachos don't grow on trees. She said to NOT eat processed foods. WOW, currently I don't want to give up all processed foods. A downfall possibly. I hardly ever drink soda & have only had 6 oz in 2 weeks. Same with coffee. I've only had 8 oz total in the last 30 days. With also finding out about an under active thyroid, there are healthy foods that I enjoy & can't any longer. For me, I had already started drinking water more often & in the middle of my 2nd week...I'm drinking 6-8 glasses of water easily as my main source of liquids. For me I'd LOVE to lose 35-40, but being realistic a little at a time so I don't stress or shock my body or relapse. Good luck. I have created a word document of online resources that I can add as I find them. That way I have some reading material available & don't have to go searching every time. B^)
  • IndiaElite
    IndiaElite Posts: 2
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    Eat 6 small meals a day under 200 calories each and drink lots of water. Ive been doing this for 2 weeks and ive lost 8 lbs so far. but i also do 3 miles at the park 4 days a week with my dog (whom has been a huge motivation to get both our fat *kitten* up and outside lol). i also take two multivitamins a day and have cut beef and sugar completely. i add protein powder to two fruit smoothies 2x a day. so far so good. im not saying you have to go as extreme as me but DRINKING LOTS OF WATER AND CUTTING RED MEAT AND SUGAR seems to really help....A LOT.
  • MommaSari
    MommaSari Posts: 22 Member
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    Everyone is going to tell you what works for them, the trick is figuring out what works best for YOU. EveryBODY is different. The one thing I know that works for EVERYONE is....you can't think of this as a diet, and if you plan on going back to "your old ways" when you finish, you mine as well not start. I'm not saying this to be mean, but this isn't a diet...to loose weight, to be healthy, you have to make a change for the rest of your life. That being said, don't do anything you can't do the rest of your life. I WILL NOT give up my favorite foods because I don't want to not eat them, instead, I eat them in moderation. I exercise, but I do things I LOVE To do...jogging (turning into a new favorite), Zumba, volleyball, things that are fun. You have to do what works best for you and really work on changing your life for good, not just until New Years. Good luck!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    Eat 6 small meals a day under 200 calories each and drink lots of water. Ive been doing this for 2 weeks and ive lost 8 lbs so far. but i also do 3 miles at the park 4 days a week with my dog (whom has been a huge motivation to get both our fat *kitten* up and outside lol). i also take two multivitamins a day and have cut beef and sugar completely. i add protein powder to two fruit smoothies 2x a day. so far so good. im not saying you have to go as extreme as me but DRINKING LOTS OF WATER AND CUTTING RED MEAT AND SUGAR seems to really help....A LOT.

    You can get the same results with red meat and sugar if you maintain your calories. What has helped your weight loss was just cutting calories. You are a bit aggressive on your calorie cut which will lead to some muscle loss but you have a lot more to lose than the OP. Just make sure you get enough protein, which is generally around 1 gram per lb of lean body mass. Probably 120-150g of protein.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    Where did you get the 1100 cal figure from? The minimum MFP will recommend to anyone is 1200, and that's without exercise.

    You say you need a weight loss plan but you're already on MFP. Eat the calories MFP has recommended and eat your exercise cals on top of that, which with 90 to 120 minutes of exercise per day will probably take you to around the 2000 to 2200 cal per day mark, obviously depending on what sort of exercise you're doing.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    It was something I planned to do personally, but now that I've seen what everyone has said, I may reconsider my plan.
  • NathanJamez
    NathanJamez Posts: 1
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    Do stick to a calorie-controlled diet.There are countless weight reduction crazes and modifies out there, however in truth, it truly descends to modest maths – so as to shed pounds, we need to blaze a larger number of calories throughout the day than we take in. Adhere to the proposed 1,500 calories a day to get in shape and, when you achieve your objective, 2,000 to uphold. This does hinge on size and condition be that as it may, so if in mistrust, ask your specialist in weight loss program
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
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    Do stick to a calorie-controlled diet.There are countless weight reduction crazes and modifies out there, however in truth, it truly descends to modest maths – so as to shed pounds, we need to blaze a larger number of calories throughout the day than we take in. Adhere to the proposed 1,500 calories a day to get in shape and, when you achieve your objective, 2,000 to uphold. This does hinge on size and condition be that as it may, so if in mistrust, ask your specialist in weight loss program

    Okay. Thanks. ^_^

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