Am I doing this right to lose weight?

Loobyloo36
Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I am hopnig someone on here can help me please...

I am 5 feet 7" and weight 157 pounds. I have worked out that my BMI is 1430. I exercise approx 5 times a week so have used the 3-5 times a week calculator of 1.55 to multiply my BMI to find out what my calorie intake should be to maintain weight. This is 2216 calories per day. To lose weight I need to remove 500 calories per day so my intake should be 1716 - with me so far?

I do a Saturday morning boot camp and the guy that runs it is a personal trainer. He said to eat 1200 calories on the days that you do not exercise and eat 1720 on the days that you do.

Well in total in my first week I have eaten 10,000 calories and burnt 3504 calories through one class of boot camp, 30 min run, 5 mile run and 2 classes of Zumba.

When I mentioned to my PT guy that 1200 calories left me starving he suggested eating 1565 a day every day regardless of exercise. I was going to give this a go in my second week fo this diet.

So can someone explain to me why I have stood on the scales this morning and have lost about a quarter of a pound :-(

Am I not eating enough to lose weight or am I eating too much?

I realise I am only in my first week, but I don't want to stick to the plan with no results otherwise I will just give up!

Thanks

Replies

  • fthoodbaby
    fthoodbaby Posts: 52 Member
    Are you drinking enough water? Are your calories consumed mostly from healthy food? Those two things cause issues for me. Also, is the bootcamp a new workout? Could it be added muscle is causing the scales not to drop? Are you taking your measurements? You may be losing inches but not weight.
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    Hi thanks for your reply.

    I am drinking around 5-6 tall glasses a day, I struggle to drink so much water so I hope that is enough. If I exercise I tend to drink more.

    I certainly don't feel as flabby as I did 4 weeks ago, but that might be doing 3 classes of Zumba a week and I can certainly feel/see the difference around my stomach from these classes :-)

    As for healthy food, mainly wholmeal foods, etc., but I do have the tendancy to eat snack bars i.e. special k bars, Boots Shapers etc., but would this make alot of difference given I am not going above the limits that this website sets me?

    If I don't have something sweet I tend to crave chocolate or sweets etc.,

    Should I cut out the cereal bars and eat something else? I was having nuts on the odd occassion but even though they are good for you they ramped up the carbs/fat etc., on the plan.

    Thanks for your help.
  • dresdenkali
    dresdenkali Posts: 43
    The math's confound me, but I follow a common sense diet. Basically, I work out my BMR with out adding in exercise calories. Basically, my goal is to consume less than that, but not less than 1200 per day. My BMR is 2027 for my current weight and age, so with exercise I try and end each day with 1200 to 1500 calories.

    But based on the 1430 number, that puts you at needing 10010 calories during a week. So consuming that adding in 3504 per week, mathematically you should lose about 1lbs per week on average.

    Now even with good math and a perfect week, I will at times only lose a half a pound or less. Then on another week, I may hit 3lbs.

    So try and take that into account. Also, you have to look at the changes to your body, even on weak weight loss weeks, I still usually see inch's drop from waist or chest.

    After a little more thought, something that can impact is what you consume during the week. While staying lower on calories is a good goal, things consumed can impact how you lose.
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
    First off, I think you are confusing the 2 acronyms: BMI = Body Mass Index and for someone 5'7" @157 yours would be around 24.7 and BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate which estimates how many calories one would burn if "just lying in bed" and for your given height and weight it MFP shows yours to be 1355 calories. If you will go to goals here on MFP and put in your height and weight information, and indicate your activity level and what your weight loss goals are (.5 - 2 pounds per week), MFP will calculate what your calorie intake should be; then as you exercise and enter that information it will tell you how many more calories you should eat that day. I have used the MFP tools since January and successfully lost the weight I had set to lose and encourage you to take advantage of it's tools to help you calculate and keep track of your calorie allotments.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    Eating 1700 a day sounds good enough.
    Why you haven't lost more should be just because you haven't been on it for long..
    IMO you should get on scale about once or twice a month if the numbers get to you because losing weight is a slow process.
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    Thankd dresdenkali, so are you saying that if i eat 1430 a day and NO MORE and exercise 3-5 times a week burning the approx 3500 calories I should lose weight?

    My body wouldnt go into startvation mode or anything would it?

    Thanks for your help
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    First off, I think you are confusing the 2 acronyms: BMI = Body Mass Index and for someone 5'7" @157 yours would be around 24.7 and BMR is Basal Metabolic Rate which estimates how many calories one would burn if "just lying in bed" and for your given height and weight it MFP shows yours to be 1355 calories. If you will go to goals here on MFP and put in your height and weight information, and indicate your activity level and what your weight loss goals are (.5 - 2 pounds per week), MFP will calculate what your calorie intake should be; then as you exercise and enter that information it will tell you how many more calories you should eat that day. I have used the MFP tools since January and successfully lost the weight I had set to lose and encourage you to take advantage of it's tools to help you calculate and keep track of your calorie allotments.

    Sorry yes BMR DOH!

    I did use the site on here, how did you get me on 1355 I wonder because when I used the one on here it gave me 1430.

    I have used this site for one week and I guess when I did Weight Watchers and lost a stone, in the first week I lost 5lb so perhaps because I only lost half a pound this week I feel like I am doing something wrong.

    This site is great for keeping track of your foods and it scares me to realise I was never eating enough calories!
  • dresdenkali
    dresdenkali Posts: 43
    Thankd dresdenkali, so are you saying that if i eat 1430 a day and NO MORE and exercise 3-5 times a week burning the approx 3500 calories I should lose weight?

    My body wouldnt go into startvation mode or anything would it?

    Thanks for your help

    I stress mathematically, because our body's tend to behave irrationally. But, if the given number of 1430 cal per day is correct, then yes you should lose weight. As a 32 year old male, I know that I have not gone into starvation mode by staying between 1200 and 1500 per day.

    To get a firm answer, you need to speak with a Doctor. Outside of that, you need to pay attention to your body. If you start feeling really run down, you may need to evaluate everything again.

    Now, about the point in hunger, I try and eat something at least every 2 hour's. I try and stick to fruits, rice cakes and Special K bars for snacks.
  • alantin
    alantin Posts: 621 Member
    I have used this site for one week and I guess when I did Weight Watchers and lost a stone, in the first week I lost 5lb so perhaps because I only lost half a pound this week I feel like I am doing something wrong.

    This site is great for keeping track of your foods and it scares me to realise I was never eating enough calories!

    I'm guessing you had more to lose back then and even so most of that first week loss was water. BMI of 24.7 puts you at high end of the healthy BMI range which means that you don't have much excess. I'm there too and I haven't seen the scale go down in weeks even though I'm doing everything right. I do see changes in the mirror though and that's really what I'm looking for. The scale will follow. Getting rid of the fat gets harder the closer to a healthy weight range and your goal you get simply because there isn't so much of it around anymore and it's harder to access.
  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
    You are actually doing just fine. Rome wasn't built in a week, and you won't lose five pounds in a week, if you're doing it right. Myfitnesspal isn't about fad diets, but a tool to help you change your bad eating habits. You had some weight loss of 1/4 of a pound. That sounds pretty good in my book because many people that start a new workout routine put on a few pounds at first. Stay on your mission, and continue to think positive.
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    I have used this site for one week and I guess when I did Weight Watchers and lost a stone, in the first week I lost 5lb so perhaps because I only lost half a pound this week I feel like I am doing something wrong.

    This site is great for keeping track of your foods and it scares me to realise I was never eating enough calories!

    I'm guessing you had more to lose back then and even so most of that first week loss was water. BMI of 24.7 puts you at high end of the healthy BMI range which means that you don't have much excess. I'm there too and I haven't seen the scale go down in weeks even though I'm doing everything right. I do see changes in the mirror though and that's really what I'm looking for. The scale will follow. Getting rid of the fat gets harder the closer to a healthy weight range and your goal you get simply because there isn't so much of it around anymore and it's harder to access.

    When I did WW a few years ago I was 11st 5lb BUT I felt 11st 5lb! Now, I am about 5lb lighter, but I don't feel as fat or as wobbly and I guess the extra weight is muscle etc.,

    I want to get back into the 10 stone range and I am only 1lb away, but I have been this far away for weeks though now I am making the effort to do something about it.

    I can see the changes in the mirror too so well done you for keeping it up, I guess when I don't see results quickly I tend to give up and I know I shouldnt do that, I think when I see results it makes me more determined to keep going.

    My weight goes on my hips and that's what I want to shift, I know I cannot pinpoint where the fat goes from but if I can get rid of that then I would be happy
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    You are actually doing just fine. Rome wasn't built in a week, and you won't lose five pounds in a week, if you're doing it right. Myfitnesspal isn't about fad diets, but a tool to help you change your bad eating habits. You had some weight loss of 1/4 of a pound. That sounds pretty good in my book because many people that start a new workout routine put on a few pounds at first. Stay on your mission, and continue to think positive.

    Thanks for your note. I guess I expected more than half a pound in my first week. Perhaps I am just impatient.

    I guess I could have put on some weight in muscle but still lost a little and its just balanced out.

    I will keep going and see what happens, thanks for your help
  • jimmydeanbakker
    jimmydeanbakker Posts: 333
    Judging setbacks and gains through the eyes of a scale is walking down the hallway of madness. The human body retains water and waste, the scales cannot judge that. A person's weight changes like the weather, so use another method to measure your setbacks and gains because depending on your last bathroom break or cardio workout, your scale weight will fluctuate.
  • Loobyloo36
    Loobyloo36 Posts: 17
    Well since this forum, I kinda gave up :(!

    I had to get birthdays and Christmas out the way so that I could start again.

    I have now changed my eating/exercise again.

    I now eat 1400 calories a day, I do Zumba three days a week, Circuits one day a week and a 3 mile run (just before a Zumba class).

    On both Monday and Tuesday I burn around 1,000 to 1,200 calories as I go to the gym before Zumba, on a Wed I do Fit Ball and burn approx 200-250 during this class and then another 700 for Zumba. Circuits is around the same, I always have the weekends off exercise and sometimes do a 4th Zumba class on a Friday.

    I haven't got on the scales, but my clothes fit better, the inches are start to shrink, even though I have only been doing this for 3 weeks I can feel/see the difference, even people have noticed it.

    I know its going to take time and I know it will annoy me if I cannot see results, but I am determined to do this now and get back to my goal weight of 10 stone!

    I just hope that with all the exercise and eating 1400 calories a day (some days I do eat approx 1600 depending on how hungry I feel), that I am eating too little and doing too much exercise.

    Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks
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