Please help - Confused

appleg1rl
appleg1rl Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, y'all! My name's Ashley. I've been on MFP for a couple years but recently restarted my weight loss journey just a month ago. So far, I'm down 6.2 lbs!

I'm really concerned about my weight loss, though. Four of those six pounds were lost in the first week. As I understand it, most people lose the most during their first month. A little over a year and a half ago I lost 25lbs in just over a month doing almost exactly what I do now. If losing a pound a week is all I'm meant to lose, that's fine. Definitely better than nothing. But I'm wondering if there's something wrong with me/my diet/exercise.

I've calculated my BMR to be about 2000. In order to lose a pound a week, I cut that to 1500 a day (well really 1400 something is what MFP has it set at). I actually try to keep it more like the high 1300s, though. I exercise 6-7 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day doing jogging/walking/zumba/strength exercises (like planks/crunches). I eat back at least 85% of my exercise calories. Except for last last Wednesday & Sunday (not yesterday), I eat what I consider to be very healthy food. Even Wednesday/Sunday I healthy? Just a little too much. :p I drink a lot of water. I was sleeping very poorly a couple of those weeks. Maybe that contributed?

My stats are 252.8, 5'8", 19. Maybe you can look at my diary and help me out. I just want to see if what I'm doing is healthy. I'm going to see a registers dietitian later this month.

Please help a sister out! Thanks, y'all! :)

Replies

  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    Heya

    It is perfectly healthy that you lost 4 pounds in the first week and then slowed down. The first week of weight loss will always be the highest for the following reasons:

    Your glycogen levels will not be as high

    Your sodium intake has likely dropped and in turn you have lost a lot of water weight on the first week.

    Of those 4 pounds, 3 were probably water weight and only 1 was fat. You are doing absolutely fantastic, you have a great deficit and have set yourself a healthy goal.

    Your doing crazy amounts of cardio which is not necessary for weight loss, but if you enjoy it then by all means go for it! just dont want you to get tired of doing 6-7 days a week and give up completely.

    You have actually got the best and most logical approach to weight loss I have ever seen from a women! good job and good luck
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    I agree with ^^ open up your diary :)

    You have lost 6+lbs - well done :) 1 -2lbs /week is a great average and just think how with each passing month and more pounds coming off how good you'll feel about yourself. Stick with it, you can do this, it is a slow process with no quick fixes but the results will happen.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Just to clarify. If your BMR is 2000 you should be eating ABOVE that. According to http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ your TDEE after exercise is around 3000 a 20% cut from that means that in total you should be aiming for around 2400 calories per day
  • appleg1rl
    appleg1rl Posts: 28 Member
    Thanks so much for the replies! I really appreciate it. Like I said, I just want to be healthy. If that's at one or less than one pound a week, it's okay.

    I don't really always enjoy the exercise, but I feel good about myself if I do it. I feel accomplished. And I like good so being able to eat an extra few hundred calories is great for me. Hahahah.

    Also, I have my diary set for public. Hope you can see it.

    :)
  • appleg1rl
    appleg1rl Posts: 28 Member
    But from what I understand, I need to be eating less than my BMR to lose weight. Can you explain TDEE? Sorry. It all confuses me!
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    Check this site. Here you can calculate your TDEE!

    http://thefitgirls.com/tdee-calculator.aspx

    As far as I know you don't have to eat less then your BMR and most def. not too little, because that will stall your weight loss sooner or later! I eat about 300 calories more then my BMR.
  • appleg1rl
    appleg1rl Posts: 28 Member
    Thanks for the link! I will check it out.
  • princesstoadstool82
    princesstoadstool82 Posts: 371 Member
    google eat more 2 weigh less :)

    BMR is your basal metabloic rate.. if you did nothing this would be what your bady uses to stay alive and function :)

    TDEE is Total daily energy expenditure... its what you body would use doing normal every day things plus your excersise, depending what you pop into the online calculators... eatting 15% lower then this amount should lead to fat loss :)

    definatly recommend looking at eat more 2 weigh less :D
    good luck xo
  • princesstoadstool82
    princesstoadstool82 Posts: 371 Member
    http://eatmore2weighless.com/


    jeezzz so many typos ah well you get it :)
  • Wilhellmina
    Wilhellmina Posts: 757 Member
    At the site it said 3500 calories a week off for every lb you want to loose. I wouldn't go much lower then that and like said before in the beginning it always goes faster.

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