Am I being healthy?

thebeautifulpeacock
thebeautifulpeacock Posts: 5 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
So over the summer I moved back home and ended up gaining a lot of weight. I haven't had access to a scale that works, but I look much chubbier and would estimate a gain of about 10 or 12 lbs. I'm back at school and trying to get back into my fitness and eating regime. I am 19, female.

Measurements: Thighs - 22.4" Belly - 32" Waist - 37.5" Bust - 35"

I plan all my meals the week of (budgeting sake), and the night before I plan even further. For example, my meal plan for today (which I made last night) looks something like this:

Breakfast: 2 slices whole wheat Villagio bread - 170 calories
1 tablespoon Skippy crunchy PB -100 calories
1 banana - 105 calories
1 cup skim milk- 90 calories

Snack: Blueberries - 40 calories
Raspberries - 50 calories

Lunch: 1/2 baked spaghetti squash with butter - 135 calories
Salad with French Dressing - 80 calories

Snack: carrots - 50 calories
Broccoli - 10 calories
2 tablespoons hummus - 80 calories

Dinner: Chicken breast (baked) - 180 calories
Broccoli - 20 calories
Baked potato - 110 calories (with butter - 160)
Spinach - 10 calories

Optional snack: pear -45 calories

Total: 1325

For exercise, I run for 20-30 minutes every morning, and I go to the gym 4-5 times a week for more than an hour, doing strength and cardio training. I also walk/bike everywhere.
I feel like I'm eating too little calories. I'm not sure. My goal is to lose 30 lbs by the end of the school year (April), so no huge rush, but I would be happy to see results sooner.
Anyone have tips?

Replies

  • So I have been in your shoes before as that I recently graduated from college and have had those bad semesters. It's also hard going home over summer since you can't exactly tell your parents who cook "I can't eat that" So it's easy to fall off your routine. Another issue I'm also fighting right now is for so long i tried to only eat 1,200 calories, and on days that I worked out that wasn't hard. But then on weekends I would feel so deprived that when I went out to eat with friends I would order a large hamburger and french fries and eat it all because "I ate good all week so I could reward myself." Well that got the best of me. I worked in a gym throughout college and would strength train about 4-6 hrs a week and roughly 6 hrs of cardio a week. What I'm seeing now since I've graduated and now I'm doing Crossfit, it that I was never eating enough during the week which caused me to cave in and binge on the weekends. I have been using IIFYM (If If Fits Your Macros * http://iifym.com/what-is-iifym/ * ) for the past 2 weeks and it's working great for me. Basically you use the nutrition calculator * http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ * and enter your info and it tells you how many calories, protein, fats, and carbs to eat everyday. I have a desk job but workout at least 4 times a week, so I put my exercise level at 3 times a week to balance sitting all day. I realized that I was under eating by at least 400 calories a day and once I started eating mainly protein I feel very lean and never bloated like i did before. These are my numbers:
    Adjusted Macros:
    Female, 23 years old, 5’8”, 161lbs
    Mifflin-St Jeor, exercise 4 times/week (totaling roughly 2,000 cal)
    BMR: 1535 TDE: 2178
    Fat Loss, 20%: Calories/day: 1,742
    Plan IIFYM: Protein:1.00 gram per lb. of body weight; Fat:.35 grams per lb. of body weight; Carbohydrates are calculated based on the calories you have remaining after calories from protein and fat have been subtracted from your TDEE.

    Grams per day:
    CARBS 125g
    PROTEIN 161g (grams = body weight in lbs)
    FAT 56g
    FIBER 32-40
    CALORIES ~1650

    So basically you eat a lot of protein, get a food scale, weigh everything you eat out, meet your protein and fat numbers then you can fill the rest in with carbs.

    **** HERE'S the WINNER****
    so if you meet your protein and fat numbers and still have like 300 cal left after dinner like I usually do since I was used to only eating 1,200 a day. You can fill those 300 cal with say 2 cookies, or a cupcake, or a scoop of ice cream. And you can still lose weight cause you are still only eating 1,650 calories. I know it seems against all you've ever been taught about eating healthy but having that little indulgence to meet my calories *after I have met my protein count* is what keeps me from bingeing on the weekends! I'll make things like protein pancakes, or protein shakes that seem like ice cream. The possibilities are endless.

    You don't have to take my advice, it's just what i have seen works for me to not feel deprived. I've lost 5 lbs in these 2 weeks and felt lean every morning I've woken up (I chose to not eat bread or pasta just because I've ingrained it in my head that they are 'bad') but it looks like you don't really either so that's good (this is what really helps me to not feel bloated and have that 'ughhhh i ate toooo much feeling)

    If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm not an expert since I'm just starting IIFYM. But I do know a lot about working out since I worked in Student REC weight room for 3 years and will do my best to help. :)
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    You need more protein and less carbs. If you don't get enough protein, you lose muscle along with fat.
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