How do I know I'm eating enough?

You'd definitely be better off spreading out your 'treats' throughout the week rather than at the weekend (I assume?!).

Also, how about trying a week when you go to the gym everyday, cardio and weights on alternating days. Going to the gym is not about the calories you burn whilst you are there, it's about the calories you burn when you are not. Google 'Cardio Afterburner effect' and look for a guy called Scooby who has done a few videos about it.

I used to do what you are doing and it worked at first, but I had to rethink things about 3 months ago as my weight loss froze for a few weeks despite averaging at my goal calories at the end of the week. I switched my weekend cookies and icecream for a chocolate protein shake every morning and a caramel protein bar every evening, and now I am back on track.

You'd definitely be better off spreading out your 'treats' throughout the week rather than at the weekend (I assume?!).

Nothing wrong with saving up calories for the weekend

Also, how about trying a week when you go to the gym everyday, cardio and weights on alternating days. Going to the gym is not about the calories you burn whilst you are there, it's about the calories you burn when you are not. Google 'Cardio Afterburner effect' and look for a guy called Scooby who has done a few videos about it.

Newer research shows that the "afterburner" is a complete myth.


Other than being wrong on all points, good first post.

nicely patronised

How to know if you're eating enough or not...

Ask yourself this question: are you hungry?

When I was eating 1200 calories I was STARVING...it wasn't nearly enough calories for my 5 ft 11 self. The lack of food resulted in dizziness, fatigue, lack of motivation, mood swings/bad moods etc. I upped to 1600 (although I expect that I underestimate some things so am probably consuming a bit more than 1600 cals but am still losing weight fine so don't worry about it) and am now not experiencing any of these symptoms.

If you're 'suffering' with anything that can be associated to not getting enough food into you then you need to eat more... if you're feeling energised, full and happy then you're probably doing just fine

Listen to your body!!

How to know if you're eating enough or not...

Ask yourself this question: are you hungry?

When I was eating 1200 calories I was STARVING...it wasn't nearly enough calories for my 5 ft 11 self. The lack of food resulted in dizziness, fatigue, lack of motivation, mood swings/bad moods etc. I upped to 1600 (although I expect that I underestimate some things so am probably consuming a bit more than 1600 cals but am still losing weight fine so don't worry about it) and am now not experiencing any of these symptoms.

If you're 'suffering' with anything that can be associated to not getting enough food into you then you need to eat more... if you're feeling energised, full and happy then you're probably doing just fine

Listen to your body!!

Hey! you have the same height as me. I too was eating 1200 calories at one point. we should share food choices

I don't feel hungry I eat just roughly 100g of protien a day give or take, try keeping my fibre up also, but I feel so exhausted and dizzy when I'm
Using the weights at the gym now like I don't have anything left in me to lift, I had to stop a few times and leave the gym earlier then my normal time there. After the weight machine I'll have some almonds and a banana and I'll feel ok again, I also can't sleep at night which is strange but I feel good...fit but tired? More food needed do you think. Before hitting the gym I'll have some carbs with a good bit of protien so not like I'm
Eating wrongly during the week for the gym.

I would try upping it personally. If you up by a couple of hundred calories and do that for a 2/3/4 weeks you can monitor how you feel and the changes to your body (note I didn't say your weight as often our bodies visibly 'shrink' without the scale number shrinking) and then go from there.

It also sounds like you may be like me in that you need to eat little and often. I definitely can't workout without a snack prior...if I eat lunch at 12 and workout at 5 I need two snacks really, in that time, to get through the workout without feeling rough as anything.

I'm not a master in what you should be eating in the sense of how many grams of this and grams of that etc....I just believe in listening to your body.

Re tiredness I can sympathise due to having suffered with insomnia for half a decade....pretty much got a handle on it now. I went through a phrase of doing squats before bedtime (anything up to 250).... I would collapse into bed and fall straight asleep after. It was a genius way of getting 7 or 8 hours sleep in!

Try upping your cardio maybe? Eating back only half or 3/4 of your exercise calories? Your active at work so I can only see your weight going one way - down!

lol, I am going to suggest that you decrease your cardio.

If you don't have the energy, increasing the cardio is going to make you feel even weaker. Being in the gym for 1 hour and 40 minutes is a looooooong time. Save up your energy for lifting weight as it has a much better effect for preserving muscles.The general rule when decreasing calories is to lower the volume of exercise. The primary goal of exercising is to preserve muscle while on a diet. Let your diet be the primary weapon for weight loss. Remember weight loss is 80% diet.

Maybe increase the protein a little in your diet but other than that it looks good. As long as you are accurately counting your calories (with a food scale). Which I believe you are because you have lost a good amount of weight already.

As far as your "stall" in weight loss, remember that losing weight is not linear. Please read about the Whoosh effect:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

These stall tends to happen the leaner you get. I've had "stalls" that lasted almost 4 weeks and then suddenly, I lose 4 pounds in a couple of days.

i agree with broscientist, you are at the gym for FAR too long. I don't want to seem unsympathetic but YOU KNOW what you are doing is bad news!!!!

if you are tired and dizzy STOP EXERCISING go home and eat and sleep!
To be honest. i'd take a week off, have a really good look at your exercise programme and diet and do some research on both, for what you want to achieve and how to go about it. If you have a specific goal like lose weight and look like a certain person, be realistic both in how they look, their body type and yours and how quickly and SAFELY you can get there.

From what you've written, you're overdoing it and not fuelling your body properly, you won't see any gains and could potentially damage yourself - fainting at the gym is NEVER good, falling off a machine cos you're dizzy is WORSE. Take it from someone with MDDS, dizzy and exercise while tired and hungry do not mix.

an hour at the gym is long enough, 30 mins could be enough if you do it right. you could do a small amount of cardio before and after weight lifting to warm up and down, and stretching. You should be doing full cardio on different days to weights. this gives your body time to recover and build muscle. doing your full routine everytime you go in is detrimental to your development goal, both weight loss and toning/muscle gain. mix it up also, your body gets used to a routine quite quickly, so change it every 3 months or so. your body will also be used to the amount of work you do, so even though you're active, you're body will be used to it if you've been doing it for 6 months or more. keep that in mind when fuelling for it once you've recovered your energy and are properly rested.

if you have an active job you need to make sure you're eating to fuel that, and then eating abit more to fuel your gym/exercise session. Never eat less than 1000 calories (that's what your body need to just function let alone do something stressful like walk or think). don't eat the same amount for your rest days, you can eat just to fuel for work. you should also have a rest day where you don't work and don't exercise (or do VERY light exercise). this also helps your body recover and repair itself. A rest day is NOT a waste of time, top athletes and olympians have rest days, if they do it it can't be a bad thing.

ditch the sweets. eat dried fruit instead (and not much of it) same sweetie taste but with added nutrients. dried mango and dates are my fave.