What am I doing wrong?

bdahlia13
bdahlia13 Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I know I need to stop being compulsive about weighing myself everyday but after losing 20 lbs and then seeing it slowly creeping up after changing my diet, it's a little scary. I have tried out a bunch of different calculators, tried doing the math by hand, and the calories I need to consume (with deficit) ranges from 1700-1900. I am doing my best to hit at least 1700...I have a food scale. I eat out at lunch because I can't bring in my own (don't ask...owner always wants to go out to lunch and I can't stay in office when he does nor can I keep food in the fridge) but I do my best to eyeball the servings and try to be generous with the calories and make sure to eat non-fried and generally unhealthy items. I do Zumba about twice a week and other cardio exercises the other days and then weight training (3 days weights, 5 days cardio). Maybe I overestimate the burn from these exercises, I don't know. I AM really trying and I DO want to lose weight. This is not me getting frustrated and giving up, this is me being frustrated and wanting to correct what I'm doing wrong...I am still frankly new to this and still learning. It's been about a week now and the number hasn't budged the slightest and I know I should be patient, but I feel that I might be doing something wrong and want to nip it in the bud now...

Could someone take a look at my food diary and see if I am not eating correctly? I know people have wide, varying opinions on how/what to eat...I trust those who say to just keep my macros balanced and my calories in check so I don't have to feel like I'm on a constant "diet". Just trying to eat clean.

Also, does anyone know how to come up with weight training routines? I have been using the Jefit app on my phone...interested in Stronglifts 5x5 if anyone has an opinion on that? How do you calculate the calories burned from weight lifting?

And a sort of random question- what kind of exercises are good for obliques at the gym?

Thank you!

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Your diary looks pretty decent to me - except I didn't see many veggies.

    You could use an HRM to calculate exercise calories, but it isn't very accurate for strength training.
  • mollyW2012
    mollyW2012 Posts: 94 Member
    Your diary looks pretty decent to me - except I didn't see many veggies.

    You could use an HRM to calculate exercise calories, but it isn't very accurate for strength training.

    Agreed.
    I do a little less sodium than you and more veggies and fruit. I am also about 250 calories per day less than you, and I try not to eat back my exercise calories. I would change it up and see if that works. Try going two weeks eating less calories, and maybe doing some strength training.
  • KathleenMurry
    KathleenMurry Posts: 448 Member
    definitely cut back on sodium, eat WAY more veggies and eat more protein on exercise days.

    What kind of lifting are you doing? And what cardio aside from zumba? You're probably overestimating your calorie burn OR you have just plateaued. You might need to increase the intensity of your workouts or do something entirely different. I lost 10 lbs fast from running and then lost nothing for a month. I added Insanity to my schedule and the scale is moving again!
  • KathleenMurry
    KathleenMurry Posts: 448 Member
    Also - if you work out hard enough that you're clothes are soaked through with sweat and your muscles are sore the next morning - you know you're doing something right! That's what insanity is doing for me.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Pilates has some fabulous exercises for the obliques - I'd take a look at the various websites out there just by Googling Pilates. Good luck!

    And yeah, lift heavy!
  • bdahlia13
    bdahlia13 Posts: 26
    I just started exercising regularly about 2 weeks ago... Besides Zumba, I do Stairmasters at around level 6 for 30 mins before jumping into weights. Some Zumba classes are more intense than others depending on the instructor. I will definitely cut back on sodium. It frustrates me that I can't accurately track calories during lunch on work days. I try to have veggies with my lunch and dinner- either salads or side veggies though I know it doesn't show in some of my lunch outings lol. :( Perhaps I should increase the servings even more... And I never sweat much!! I really do give it my all...my mom and sister sweat A LOT when they work out and at the same intensity (I even try to increase the intensity on my own by making my movements bigger or jumping a lot) and we are all about the same weight. I do get sweaty on my back and chest and slightly on my arms/legs but not DRENCHED like them lol. I keep feeling like maybe I'm not going hard enough even though I'm shaking or hurting afterwards sigh. I am SORE the next day when I do my liftings (yes I stretch). I was trying P90X but there are some things I don't have the room for/access to like pull up bars. There is no room in here for that. Are there alternate ways to do certain exercises?

Categories