Please help- I'm all over the place

jaz050465
jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
in Motivation and Support
Over the years I have tried everything. For the past year I've tried MFP calculations, scooby calculator, BMF and fitbit. All give me very different TDEEs but I don't seem to be able to lose weight. I am within my healthy weight range so have tried a deficit of 500 but then every so often I binge (only mini binge) and lose any deficit I had. I am constantly gaining and losing the same few pounds.

I then throw myself into exercise and am so stiff that I can't do anything for a few days. I want to do alternate days of C25K and strength training but lack of weight loss demotivated me to do this too.

I want it to work but have totally lost confidence in ever losing weight. I also don't know what to believe in terms of my TDEE and what deficit to have so I don't know how many calories to eat.

I am 47, 5 ft 7 and weight about 148 pounds. I have a small frame though and am about 36 % body fat.

I am really getting depressed by this. I am going on a beach holiday in three weeks and I really wanted to be about 10 pounds lighter when I booked it last year. I haven't really lost anything.
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Replies

  • dlh04
    dlh04 Posts: 1
    You are not alone, I am similar size, exercise, weight loss/gain etc. It is vital to stick at it but I think feeling bad and going over the same gain/loss is disheartening. I don't know the answer but we both need advice on how to break the cycle. Just don't imagine you are the only one to have this problem.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Thanks. Let's hope someone can give advice.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    How accurate is your diary?

    At your height and weight I'm guessing your bmi isn't too far off the healthy range - I know its only a rough guide , but it would indicate that you don't have much to lose, so you need to be smart.

    What exercise are you doing currently? Its unlikely you'll be able to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks, but a good exercise programme will show improvement in that time.
  • Leahsz
    Leahsz Posts: 81
    You sound a little 'all or nothing' - I've always been the same, until MFP. Try a smaller deficit since you're close to goal - you'll be more likely to stick to it. And start working out twice a week maybe and build from there - don't try and work out every day. Someone else probably has better advice, but this is what's working for me - start small.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    How accurate is your diary?

    At your height and weight I'm guessing your bmi isn't too far off the healthy range - I know its only a rough guide , but it would indicate that you don't have much to lose, so you need to be smart.

    What exercise are you doing currently? Its unlikely you'll be able to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks, but a good exercise programme will show improvement in that time.

    Not been tracking recently but before then it was VERY accurate. As leahsz said , I am a very all or nothing person so I am either doing C25k alternating with strength training, or nothing.

    I know I won't lose that wright now- I would be happy losing two or three pounds in a month- as long as it stayed off.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    It's the picking a TDEE bit I find difficult. I get different values from online calculators, MFP, fitbit and BMF. Then there's the question of deficit. Many people say as I'm in my healthy range it should be 500 or less but when using BMF, that didnt work. With two sets of variables - how do I know where to start? Then when I adjust if it doesn't work, do I go up or down?
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    You could look to getting your BMR tested.

    But it generally will cost you a bit.

    Or if you are eating x and your weight consistently stays the same, x is your TDEE.

    What strength training do you do?

    I'd certainly be tempted to try and focus on doing that for a while, with eating a little below some TDEE figure and making sure you get plenty of protein.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    You could look to getting your BMR tested.

    But it generally will cost you a bit.

    Or if you are eating x and your weight consistently stays the same, x is your TDEE.

    What strength training do you do?

    I'd certainly be tempted to try and focus on doing that for a while, with eating a little below some TDEE figure and making sure you get plenty of protein.


    I have registered for 5k run in August and am doing C25k programme. I want to alternate it with strength training.

    I have tried chalean Extreme, body by you (you are your own gym) , body Revolution and 30DS. I don't want to join a gym and haven't got room for a squat rack so can't do a heavy lifting programme. I'd like advice on which of the above would be best. If I did BR or CE, I'd take out the mainly cardio workouts.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It's the picking a TDEE bit I find difficult. I get different values from online calculators, MFP, fitbit and BMF. Then there's the question of deficit. Many people say as I'm in my healthy range it should be 500 or less but when using BMF, that didnt work. With two sets of variables - how do I know where to start? Then when I adjust if it doesn't work, do I go up or down?

    I really isn't your calculations that are causing you problems - it sounds like you struggle to adhere to your regime for any length of time.

    Just pick a number and stick to it. Log accurately and find an exercise program that you enjoy and will keep doing. After a period of time you might have to (or want to...) adjust your calorie goal based on results.

    The reason you keep losing and gaining the same few pounds is that you are close to maintenance level so when your food intake or exercise varies your weight inevitably does too.

    The good news is that you really only need to make a small lifestyle change to tip the balance. That might be food choices or simply portion control.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    It's the picking a TDEE bit I find difficult. I get different values from online calculators, MFP, fitbit and BMF. Then there's the question of deficit. Many people say as I'm in my healthy range it should be 500 or less but when using BMF, that didnt work. With two sets of variables - how do I know where to start? Then when I adjust if it doesn't work, do I go up or down?

    I really isn't your calculations that are causing you problems - it sounds like you struggle to adhere to your regime for any length of time.

    Just pick a number and stick to it. Log accurately and find an exercise program that you enjoy and will keep doing. After a period of time you might have to (or want to...) adjust your calorie goal based on results.

    The reason you keep losing and gaining the same few pounds is that you are close to maintenance level so when your food intake or exercise varies your weight inevitably does too.

    The good news is that you really only need to make a small lifestyle change to tip the balance. That might be food choices or simply portion control.

    You're right. I suppose I struggle sticking to anything as I'm never sure if I'm doing the right thing. How long should I stick to a regime before I adjust it?
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member

    You're right. I suppose I struggle sticking to anything as I'm never sure if I'm doing the right thing. How long should I stick to a regime before I adjust it?

    When I was changing over from weight loss to maintenance I just simply adjusted every month by custom setting my calorie goal.

    The other thing to think about is not just measuring progress by solely the number on your scales. Having measurement, fitness, health or strength goals really helps to give you a boost and keep you on track.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Thanks. I'll think this all through.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    I have registered for 5k run in August and am doing C25k programme. I want to alternate it with strength training.

    I have tried chalean Extreme, body by you (you are your own gym) , body Revolution and 30DS. I don't want to join a gym and haven't got room for a squat rack so can't do a heavy lifting programme. I'd like advice on which of the above would be best. If I did BR or CE, I'd take out the mainly cardio workouts.
    Anyone that can help you with the weights?
    My friend who's been doing weights at my place has to have me lift the weights on to her back, because the DIY power cage is setup for me - I could as well be lifting them from the floor.

    Adding weights to Cardio isn't really 'doing weights', it's just making cardio a bit harder - a big difference.

    At the moment I've been doing weights Monday/Wednesday/Friday and usually about an hour to an hour and a half running (depending on pace - 6 to 9 miles generally) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    But I'd agree with the above, it does sound like you need some consistency - if you do something for a month and don't find the scales going down but otherwise find you're ok, I'd then look to lower calories a chunk personally (I know that isn't popular around here.)
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    You're right. I suppose I struggle sticking to anything as I'm never sure if I'm doing the right thing. How long should I stick to a regime before I adjust it?
    How about: stop doing "regimes"?! No wonder your mind is rebelling. Physical deprivation can cause binges. Psychological deprivation can cause binges. It's normal. For some people, this is more of a risk than for others, but the process of dieting can seriously mess up people's relationship with food. If you're binging (however mini; the point is you feel out of control with it) then that's a clear sign that what you're doing isn't working. You don't need to get more will power, or get more motivation, you need to find a different way. You say "I'm a very all or nothing person". Well - maybe you need to try to do things differently.

    By cutting 500 calories a day, you're aiming for 1 lb a week of fat loss, which is not realistic or recommended for someone who is already a healthy weight. And clearly, it's not working for you psychologically. Try a smaller deficit - like 250 calories. Forget your 3 week deadline, in fact try not to have deadlines at all. Accept that you're not 10 lbs lighter than you'd hoped you would be, and don't let that ruin your holiday.

    Stop "throwing yourself into things". Make small, gradual changes, that you know you can sustain. Eat the foods you like, just make sure you're consuming a little less energy than you're expending. Find exercise that you enjoy. I can't recommend the C25k highly enough, but only do it if you enjoy it. Don't force yourself to do things that become a chore. Weight loss/maintenance is hard, but don't make it harder than it needs to be.

    Forget the number on the scale, and forget using that as your motivation to continue something. If you aren't already, start measuring your body, and taking progress photos.

    Given that you have a relatively high body fat % for your weight, you need to be able to lose fat while maintaining the lean mass that you have. Strength training is going to be key to getting the body that it sounds like you're after. Again, stop making it about "weight". The number the scale tells you when you step on it already puts you in the healthy range for your height, so you can tick that box. Focus on body fat % now. (Just as a side note - if you're getting your fat % from your scale, they can be wildly inaccurate). For strength, check out the New Rules of Lifting For Women, or Starting Strength, or Stronglifts 5x5. Maybe following a set programme would give you the motivational boost you need. Strength is not just important for getting the look you want though, it's really important for health, for maintaining muscle mass and bone density.

    You might find it helpful to read some of Lyle McDonald's articles where he talks about some of these issues. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/category/fat-loss/psychology-behavior-fat-loss

    Also, check out this MFP group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress- There's a great thread on there if you want someone to estimate your body fat based on photos, and if you're really struggling with your numbers, they can help you out with that too.

    Finally, for a little inspiration from a couple of ladies in their 40s:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/903628-one-year-of-barbells-and-ice-cream-my-story-so-far-pics
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/709987-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
    Thanks for the last few posts - I too am trying to maintain and did great for about a year. The month of May and now into June have been disasters. I have gained a few lbs back and fear the gain of all of it. I have been binging from depression and can only make 3 days max w/out a binge. I have to stop this now. Thx for the inspiration. This is my life!!!!
  • llener
    llener Posts: 2
    I had a similar situation. I believe AGE has a lot to do with it. I too am in my mid-40's and is sucks to lose weight once you get to this point in your life. Look around at the ladies your age - we all have similar problems. I have always been an athlete. I have always had to be actively at the gym to keep the weight off (never been a "skinny" person, but always fit) and never had much of a size difference (6-8 most of my adult life) until I had a ski accident and had to have several leg/knee surgeries that kept my off my feet for nearly a year. 25 pounds later I finally was able to get into an exercise routine with a personal trainer. It took ONE full year to lose only 10 pounds! I was so bummed and depressed and wanted to give up several times. I did the 17 day diet which showed me a new way of eating so now I am very conscience of what I put in my mouth. Still I couldn't shift the last 15 pounds and I have been working my butt off (or so I thought). Recently I upped my cardio to 90 minutes a day and have taken up horseback riding as well as yoga. At first no weight loss, but slowly I noticed the muffin top go away. The scale did not budge during this time but my clothes became looser. I've added 30 day shred as well as some barbell classes into the mix over the past two weeks and guess what? Instantly I've lost 3 pounds! It is true the older you get the harder you have to work out. If you aren't loosing anything - push the cardio. I just make sure I get between 1100 - 1600 calories per day. And no I am not going into starvation mode! As long as you get the minimum and it's healthy calories you will be fine. I also work out 6 days a week. 4 pretty rigorous, and 2 not as much, and 1 totally off unless it's walking or riding.
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 420 Member
    Jester that was a very thoughtful reply. Thanks for the links. I will be checking them out.
  • mfbonafide
    mfbonafide Posts: 14 Member
    Read the Beck Diet Solution Book, by Judith Beck. She also has a website beckdietsolution.com. I have made this book my new staple in my diet. She keeps me remembering to focus in the right places. So helpful. Your head has to be in line before your body can follow. At least that is what works for me.
    Good luck and give yourself a break.
    Margaret
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 236 Member
    Over the years I have tried everything. For the past year I've tried MFP calculations, scooby calculator, BMF and fitbit. All give me very different TDEEs but I don't seem to be able to lose weight. I am within my healthy weight range so have tried a deficit of 500 but then every so often I binge (only mini binge) and lose any deficit I had. I am constantly gaining and losing the same few pounds.

    I then throw myself into exercise and am so stiff that I can't do anything for a few days. I want to do alternate days of C25K and strength training but lack of weight loss demotivated me to do this too.

    I want it to work but have totally lost confidence in ever losing weight. I also don't know what to believe in terms of my TDEE and what deficit to have so I don't know how many calories to eat.

    I am 47, 5 ft 7 and weight about 148 pounds. I have a small frame though and am about 36 % body fat.

    I am really getting depressed by this. I am going on a beach holiday in three weeks and I really wanted to be about 10 pounds lighter when I booked it last year. I haven't really lost anything.

    Take a few nights and read most or all of these links:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/983158-all-in-one-info-page-halp

    there is a link to a BMR calc, tell it you are sedentary, go onto mfp and use that as your cals & then eat back your exercise cals. If you tell it your active & eat them back well you have accounted for the burn twice and that's some ppls issue. but please read all of that info. It helped me lose 7 inches in one month :)
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 236 Member
    I have registered for 5k run in August and am doing C25k programme. I want to alternate it with strength training.

    I have tried chalean Extreme, body by you (you are your own gym) , body Revolution and 30DS. I don't want to join a gym and haven't got room for a squat rack so can't do a heavy lifting programme. I'd like advice on which of the above would be best. If I did BR or CE, I'd take out the mainly cardio workouts.
    Anyone that can help you with the weights?
    My friend who's been doing weights at my place has to have me lift the weights on to her back, because the DIY power cage is setup for me - I could as well be lifting them from the floor.

    Adding weights to Cardio isn't really 'doing weights', it's just making cardio a bit harder - a big difference.

    At the moment I've been doing weights Monday/Wednesday/Friday and usually about an hour to an hour and a half running (depending on pace - 6 to 9 miles generally) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    But I'd agree with the above, it does sound like you need some consistency - if you do something for a month and don't find the scales going down but otherwise find you're ok, I'd then look to lower calories a chunk personally (I know that isn't popular around here.)

    go onto youtube and look for instructional videos for dumbbell squats and flys, etc. or msg me and I can. You can find a lot of weight exercises that you don't need a squat rack for. To work the shoulders, back, arms, core, legs, all over really and your body will thank you for it =)
  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
    How accurate is your diary?

    At your height and weight I'm guessing your bmi isn't too far off the healthy range - I know its only a rough guide , but it would indicate that you don't have much to lose, so you need to be smart.

    What exercise are you doing currently? Its unlikely you'll be able to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks, but a good exercise programme will show improvement in that time.

    I'm going with the above poster. You are probably very close to your goal (ideal) weight and without some very detailed eating plan and exercise plan, you aren't going to see any more weight come off. I think you should look into some strength training. it will help you reshape your body and make your 148lbs look slimmer!

    Be careful and DON'T throw yourself into exercise to the point that you are sore for days. It's harming you more than it's helping you. I would say do 3 days of strength training and 2 days of cardio training.. ie: your C25K program. A guide line is... strength train on Monday, you should be stiff and sore on Tue but JUST stiff on Wed. where stretching easies the stiffness. Then you should be able to do your strength training again on Wed.

    You are at a point now where ANY changes are going to be slow and you have to be consistent and patient.

    You can look at your diet and try cutting starchy carbs (breads, pasta, potato chips, cakes and cookies). Cutting those carbs and adding more Protein, veggies and fruit will help reduce tummy bloat as well.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    I've been out for a few hours and come back to,some great replies. I REALLY appreciate all the time and effort you've put in. I'll be reading them properly later and looking at the links. Thanks sooooo much.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Another question - is body weight stuff like 'Body by You - you are your own gym'. Ok to do, instead of investing in lots of heavy weights.
  • WhyFlowersExist
    WhyFlowersExist Posts: 78 Member
    Over the years I have tried everything. For the past year I've tried MFP calculations, scooby calculator, BMF and fitbit. All give me very different TDEEs but I don't seem to be able to lose weight. I am within my healthy weight range so have tried a deficit of 500 but then every so often I binge (only mini binge) and lose any deficit I had. I am constantly gaining and losing the same few pounds.

    I then throw myself into exercise and am so stiff that I can't do anything for a few days. I want to do alternate days of C25K and strength training but lack of weight loss demotivated me to do this too.

    I want it to work but have totally lost confidence in ever losing weight. I also don't know what to believe in terms of my TDEE and what deficit to have so I don't know how many calories to eat.

    I am 47, 5 ft 7 and weight about 148 pounds. I have a small frame though and am about 36 % body fat.

    I am really getting depressed by this. I am going on a beach holiday in three weeks and I really wanted to be about 10 pounds lighter when I booked it last year. I haven't really lost anything.

    You can NOT out exercise a bad diet, it took me a LONG time to accept and realize this statement to be true. You can workout until you pass out and your BF% will still be high if your not eating right. A deficit is great IF your eating all the right foods, you really have to focus on maintaining a healthy diet and combining it with exercise losing fat is 80% diet 10% exercise.

    Get your eating down right and then focus on exercise, i say this because its much easier to focus on one major lifestyle change at a time that way you wont feel overwhelmed and fall back of the wagon.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    So- I've adjusted cals to 1550 plus exercise and macros to 35% protein and fat and 30% carbo. Going to keep sugar down as low as possible.

    Going to do C25k alternated with you are your own gym and going to have two rest days as I don't want got over do it. Going to do this for a month ( unfortunately holiday in Italy in three weeks) and then adjust if necessary. Does this seam a good idea.

    As an aside, as I'm a veggie, if I have milk or cheese, it will increase my sugar too. I,'ll try to snack on protein instead of so much fruit though.
  • FrustratedYoYoer
    FrustratedYoYoer Posts: 274 Member
    We are similar. I'm 31, 5'8, 146 lbs and run 3 x per week (started with C25K back in Dec) and strength train 2 x per week. Up until Feb I was prob only netting 1000 a day after exercise but I made more of a concious effort to get it up to 1200. Then I upped it to 1400, 1500, 1600 week by week. Then I settled there for a few weeks, and once I could see I was still losing I upped it by 50 cals a week til I got to 1700. I sat there for a while and 2 weeks ago upped my net to 1850 cals.

    My weightloss has been slow and steady. Some weeks I gained, some I lose, some I stayed the same, but the overall trend is that I'm losing at a rate of 1-4 lbs each month. I've had 3 consecutive weeks of staying the same since I've upped to 1850 net but my body fat has dropped so I'm not too concerned. What are you netting at the moment? My advice is to experiment. Maybe start netting at 1500 or 1600 which you could do with your stats and activity level and still be losing. Stick at it for a few weeks and then add on 50 - 100 cals each/every few weeks until you reach a level you are comfy with.

    It may take a while but at our height and weight we have little to lose so have to be patient. I am 3 lbs away from my goal and don't expect to hit it until August at the earliest but it's a marathon not a sprint and should be about lifestlye change. Just hang in there :)
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    We are similar. I'm 31, 5'8, 146 lbs and run 3 x per week (started with C25K back in Dec) and strength train 2 x per week. Up until Feb I was prob only netting 1000 a day after exercise but I made more of a concious effort to get it up to 1200. Then I upped it to 1400, 1500, 1600 week by week. Then I settled there for a few weeks, and once I could see I was still losing I upped it by 50 cals a week til I got to 1700. I sat there for a while and 2 weeks ago upped my net to 1850 cals.

    My weightloss has been slow and steady. Some weeks I gained, some I lose, some I stayed the same, but the overall trend is that I'm losing at a rate of 1-4 lbs each month. I've had 3 consecutive weeks of staying the same since I've upped to 1850 net but my body fat has dropped so I'm not too concerned. What are you netting at the moment? My advice is to experiment. Maybe start netting at 1500 or 1600 which you could do with your stats and activity level and still be losing. Stick at it for a few weeks and then add on 50 - 100 cals each/every few weeks until you reach a level you are comfy with.

    It may take a while but at our height and weight we have little to lose so have to be patient. I am 3 lbs away from my goal and don't expect to hit it until August at the earliest but it's a marathon not a sprint and should be about lifestlye change. Just hang in there :)
    I change my net calories constantly. The trouble I feel is, my number will depend on what system I use to calculate my TDEE- MFP, BMF, Fitbit, Scooby calculator etc and I keep changing my mind on that. I need to choose one system and stick to that for a while. I think I will use MFP and my Fibbit, using MFP calculation for strength training. I will set my deficit at 500. Is this a good idea?
  • Angela707Wade
    Angela707Wade Posts: 1
    I know it might sound hard to do but you will probably just have to work out and push yourself through the muscle pain. I started with turbo fire and did 90 days of that and now I am on my 5th week of p90x. It is something that I had to push through the soreness but seeing the results. I was 204.8 to start and now am at 184.3 so down 20 lbs. Weight loss is a combination of exercise and eating right. making a meal plan will be key to your weight loss as well.
    one great product that has helped me to cut out my bad foods was shakeology. Now i have gone over a month without having a pepsi and don't even crave it.
    Also another question to ask is are you eating too many carbs?
    Are you eating too little or too much calories.
    Even if you are not seeing results stick to it you might be losing inches and not necessarily lbs so that is not a bad thing. but if you stop exercising all together even if you are not seeing the results that will hurt you more in the long run.

    Like i said earlier your meals are key. you won't get the results you want if you keep eating the bad foods and not enough of the good foods.
    weight loss is 30%exercise and 70% diet. you need to fuel your body right to get the results from the exercise you are doing.

    Also I know for myself I hit my plateau so I changed my workout programs up and then started seeing weight loss again. Anywho hope I was helpful.
  • FrustratedYoYoer
    FrustratedYoYoer Posts: 274 Member
    We are similar. I'm 31, 5'8, 146 lbs and run 3 x per week (started with C25K back in Dec) and strength train 2 x per week. Up until Feb I was prob only netting 1000 a day after exercise but I made more of a concious effort to get it up to 1200. Then I upped it to 1400, 1500, 1600 week by week. Then I settled there for a few weeks, and once I could see I was still losing I upped it by 50 cals a week til I got to 1700. I sat there for a while and 2 weeks ago upped my net to 1850 cals.

    My weightloss has been slow and steady. Some weeks I gained, some I lose, some I stayed the same, but the overall trend is that I'm losing at a rate of 1-4 lbs each month. I've had 3 consecutive weeks of staying the same since I've upped to 1850 net but my body fat has dropped so I'm not too concerned. What are you netting at the moment? My advice is to experiment. Maybe start netting at 1500 or 1600 which you could do with your stats and activity level and still be losing. Stick at it for a few weeks and then add on 50 - 100 cals each/every few weeks until you reach a level you are comfy with.

    It may take a while but at our height and weight we have little to lose so have to be patient. I am 3 lbs away from my goal and don't expect to hit it until August at the earliest but it's a marathon not a sprint and should be about lifestlye change. Just hang in there :)
    I change my net calories constantly. The trouble I feel is, my number will depend on what system I use to calculate my TDEE- MFP, BMF, Fitbit, Scooby calculator etc and I keep changing my mind on that. I need to choose one system and stick to that for a while. I think I will use MFP and my Fibbit, using MFP calculation for strength training. I will set my deficit at 500. Is this a good idea?

    I should have added that I use my own custom settings on MFP, not the standard ones. And I don't work off TDEE calculations. I've worked through experimenting. Net X amount for anything from a week to a month. See how it affects my weight. If I lose, add on 50 or 100 to my net and repeat. If I had of gained on 2 consecutive weeks 1 lb or more I would have gone down by 50 cals and then repeated. That way you can see for yourself what your TDEE is. Simple as that, no fancy calculators needed. Bear in mind, you have little weight to lose you are bound to see fluctuations in weight and it make take a couple of weeks after upping your net for your body to adjust and settle before you start to lose again. Patience and consistency are the most important things. Hope that helps :)

    EDIT: Also, I think a 500 deficit is too great. I personally could not cope with a 500 deficit now I'm down to this size, otherwise I'd be binging every 5 mins like I used to. This is the smallest of been size-wise and the most consistent I've been since I used the method I mentioned so I'd recommend it. For my macros I only focus on fats and proteins. For me this is a minimum of 100g of protein and a maximum of 146, and fats are a minimum of 47g and I limit myself to 100g a day, although I never get that high. It's usually around 70-80g on average with about 75% of that coming from good fats. As long as I hit those targets it doesn't matter about the carbs.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    We are similar. I'm 31, 5'8, 146 lbs and run 3 x per week (started with C25K back in Dec) and strength train 2 x per week. Up until Feb I was prob only netting 1000 a day after exercise but I made more of a concious effort to get it up to 1200. Then I upped it to 1400, 1500, 1600 week by week. Then I settled there for a few weeks, and once I could see I was still losing I upped it by 50 cals a week til I got to 1700. I sat there for a while and 2 weeks ago upped my net to 1850 cals.

    My weightloss has been slow and steady. Some weeks I gained, some I lose, some I stayed the same, but the overall trend is that I'm losing at a rate of 1-4 lbs each month. I've had 3 consecutive weeks of staying the same since I've upped to 1850 net but my body fat has dropped so I'm not too concerned. What are you netting at the moment? My advice is to experiment. Maybe start netting at 1500 or 1600 which you could do with your stats and activity level and still be losing. Stick at it for a few weeks and then add on 50 - 100 cals each/every few weeks until you reach a level you are comfy with.

    It may take a while but at our height and weight we have little to lose so have to be patient. I am 3 lbs away from my goal and don't expect to hit it until August at the earliest but it's a marathon not a sprint and should be about lifestlye change. Just hang in there :)
    I change my net calories constantly. The trouble I feel is, my number will depend on what system I use to calculate my TDEE- MFP, BMF, Fitbit, Scooby calculator etc and I keep changing my mind on that. I need to choose one system and stick to that for a while. I think I will use MFP and my Fibbit, using MFP calculation for strength training. I will set my deficit at 500. Is this a good idea?

    I should have added that I use my own custom settings on MFP, not the standard ones. And I don't work off TDEE calculations. I've worked through experimenting. Net X amount for anything from a week to a month. See how it affects my weight. If I lose, add on 50 or 100 to my net and repeat. If I had of gained on 2 consecutive weeks 1 lb or more I would have gone down by 50 cals and then repeated. That way you can see for yourself what your TDEE is. Simple as that, no fancy calculators needed. Bear in mind, you have little weight to lose you are bound to see fluctuations in weight and it make take a couple of weeks after upping your net for your body to adjust and settle before you start to lose again. Patience and consistency are the most important things. Hope that helps :)

    EDIT: Also, I think a 500 deficit is too great. I personally could not cope with a 500 deficit now I'm down to this size, otherwise I'd be binging every 5 mins like I used to. This is the smallest of been size-wise and the most consistent I've been since I used the method I mentioned so I'd recommend it. For my macros I only focus on fats and proteins. For me this is a minimum of 100g of protein and a maximum of 146, and fats are a minimum of 47g and I limit myself to 100g a day, although I never get that high. It's usually around 70-80g on average with about 75% of that coming from good fats. As long as I hit those targets it doesn't matter about the carbs.
    But what if my activity levels vary from day to day depending on if I'm working, if I'm exercising or if its me or my partner who walks the dogs?

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