In the healthy weight range but want to tone and trim - help

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juliaodea
juliaodea Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I am exercising 4 times a week (each time burning about 450 to 650 calories). I keep track of everything that I eat or drink and my allowance is 1230 cals a day. On the days that I exercise I have cals left over as I don't manage to eat up the exercise cals, on the days that I don't exercise sticking to 1230 is tough!

I started this weight loss challenge just over a month ago and the scale isn't budging. I am in the healthy range for my height and age but I want to trim down, tone up and lose about 4 kilograms.

At the moment I am still motivated, even though the results are hardly noticeable. Any tips on how I can speed things along while maintaining a healthy balance of cals and exercise?

Replies

  • kayleigh333
    kayleigh333 Posts: 138
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    Doing exercises with a resistance band is good for toning you up fast. I have a dvd called dyna-band that came with a resistance band, it has five different workouts (each is only about 25 minutes long including the warm up and cool down) but it's really good at toning, you can see the difference within a few weeks just by doing 5 workouts a week with two days off. A good option for lazy girls like me!
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
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    Remember to measure too! You may be seeing changes in inches that are not showing on the scale. Also, how different is your calorie intake and exercise plan from before you started? If it is not different enough, your body may already be used to it and not be giving you the results you want.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
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    If you want to tone and be fit. the number on the scale may go up a little bit since muscle weighs more than fat. At some point you have to disregard the scale and judge your progress based on measurements and how you feel when you look in the mirror. I'm almost getting at the point where I only have a little bit of fat I want to lose but want to gain muscle so I am more toned.

    What kind of exercise are you doing right now? If it is just cardio you may want to add in some resistance training. Also, are you eating your exercise calories on the days that you do work out?
  • Rynatat
    Rynatat Posts: 807 Member
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    Since I'm 35 (34 when I started this new journey :tongue: ) I realized that losing weight was not my main focus: I focused on toning & strengthening which while I've lost about 11lbs in the process in the last 8 months, I've toned & firmed so much that I fit into clothes I was wearing when I weighed 10lbs less than I do now (so glad I didn't take them to Goodwill in frustration now:laugh: ). I workout a minimum of 5 days a week (usually 6) for 45-50 mins a day: I have some different DVD's that I mix up, including Tai-Chi, a Tai-Chi/kickboxing mix and a couple buns, abs, thighs & arms vids. I mix up my weights between 5 & 10lbs & added 2.5lbs ankle weights to each leg. I also mix up my foods and listen to what my body craves and plan food choices around that (since I've been working out I've noticed I don't crave sweets but I usually crave fruits & salads in summer & veggies & meats in winter!).
    Measuring is a good way to "see" results as well since the numbers on the scale can "lie"
    Variety is the spice of life, so mix up what you're doing, don't let yourself get into a routine that your body gets used since it won't work as hard.
  • juliaodea
    juliaodea Posts: 9
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    Remember to measure too! You may be seeing changes in inches that are not showing on the scale. Also, how different is your calorie intake and exercise plan from before you started? If it is not different enough, your body may already be used to it and not be giving you the results you want.

    My calorie intake and workout plan is very different to what is was before I started. Before I would eat whatever I wanted (within reason of course) but I wasn't bothered about the calories. I hadn't been exercigins for about 8 months either. So with limiting my calorie intake and upping the exercise (from nothing) I thought I would see results quicker.
  • juliaodea
    juliaodea Posts: 9
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    If you want to tone and be fit. the number on the scale may go up a little bit since muscle weighs more than fat. At some point you have to disregard the scale and judge your progress based on measurements and how you feel when you look in the mirror. I'm almost getting at the point where I only have a little bit of fat I want to lose but want to gain muscle so I am more toned.

    What kind of exercise are you doing right now? If it is just cardio you may want to add in some resistance training. Also, are you eating your exercise calories on the days that you do work out?

    Most of what I do is cardio, although I do 2 toning sessions a week - each are about 45 mins or so. I try to keep withing the 1230 allowance, so on the days that I exercise I have cals left over (allowance plus exercise cals). On days that I don't work out I still try to stick to the 1230 - ie I don't eat what I had left from the day before if you see what I mean. Some days I do go over but at the end of the week I have had less that what I was allowed for the entire week.
  • juliaodea
    juliaodea Posts: 9
    Options
    Since I'm 35 (34 when I started this new journey :tongue: ) I realized that losing weight was not my main focus: I focused on toning & strengthening which while I've lost about 11lbs in the process in the last 8 months, I've toned & firmed so much that I fit into clothes I was wearing when I weighed 10lbs less than I do now (so glad I didn't take them to Goodwill in frustration now:laugh: ). I workout a minimum of 5 days a week (usually 6) for 45-50 mins a day: I have some different DVD's that I mix up, including Tai-Chi, a Tai-Chi/kickboxing mix and a couple buns, abs, thighs & arms vids. I mix up my weights between 5 & 10lbs & added 2.5lbs ankle weights to each leg. I also mix up my foods and listen to what my body craves and plan food choices around that (since I've been working out I've noticed I don't crave sweets but I usually crave fruits & salads in summer & veggies & meats in winter!).
    Measuring is a good way to "see" results as well since the numbers on the scale can "lie"
    Variety is the spice of life, so mix up what you're doing, don't let yourself get into a routine that your body gets used since it won't work as hard.

    Thanks for the advice. Good point - I am very routine orientated so I find myself eating the same things/meals (because I know their cals) and go to the same gym classes every week. I read on one of these threads that you should under and overeat your cals and try different foods to 'trick' your body and keep it working hard. I'm not sure if it works but I think mixing up my routine is a good idea.
  • goola
    goola Posts: 6 Member
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    i completely empathize with this whole thread. i've been working all year to lose 10 lbs (or really just shrink a size and get back to the size i was two years ago). I was on track, but then fell and had to have surgery and was laid up for 2 months. my food went on a bizarre track b/c i was on wicked antibiotics that made me super sick. I ate anything i could possibly keep down with no thought to its nutrients or caloric intake (Wendy's frosty and frenchfries are great for nausea, btw).

    So with all that behind me, for the last 5 weeks, i've been working to get back in shape, with disappointing results. i finally came to the conclusion that just running more wasn't going to cut it b/c after 10 years of running, my body doesn't respond. So i hit the gym, and have been doing intervals on bike, eliptical, running, and walking at incline, plus lifting weights. my muscles are responding and firming up, but my weight has gone UP... and i've not really lost any inches.

    i keep telling myself to be patient and keep hitting it hard at the gym in new ways, and at some point, my body will give up this puffyness and chub. traditionally, my body only likes to slim down when i starve myself, but i don't want to do that this time. ?Clearly it doesn't work, as two years later i have gained back teh 15 lbs i lost from eating one meal a day and running like a crazy person.

    all of you out there that have been there and made it through, I'd love to hear what worked for you. i know all our bodies are different, but i'm desparately trying to keep myself motivated. i have some really cute size 6 clothes that I'd love to fit into.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
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    bump
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I am exercising 4 times a week (each time burning about 450 to 650 calories). I keep track of everything that I eat or drink and my allowance is 1230 cals a day. On the days that I exercise I have cals left over as I don't manage to eat up the exercise cals, on the days that I don't exercise sticking to 1230 is tough!

    I started this weight loss challenge just over a month ago and the scale isn't budging. I am in the healthy range for my height and age but I want to trim down, tone up and lose about 4 kilograms.

    At the moment I am still motivated, even though the results are hardly noticeable. Any tips on how I can speed things along while maintaining a healthy balance of cals and exercise?

    what is your maintenance calories, and what is your calorie deficit. 1230 sounds low for someone who is in the healthy range. Do you know your BF%?

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