How long until I start to lose fat?
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brookeebuchanan
Posts: 12
I have been eating a 1200 calorie diet (or less, I didn't always eat back my exercise calories - glad I finally know better!) for the past year or so. I was able to lose some weight, but my body looked the same - still skinny-fat, still with all the same problem areas.
I've recently (since March) been slowly increasing my calories closer to my TDEE, after reading up on Eat More to Weigh Less. According to the calculator I used (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/), my BMR is 1477, TDEE 2290, and daily calorie recommendation to lose fat (20% reduction) would be 1832. I've used a few other calculators as well, and they all give me about the same answers. I'm 144 lbs., 5'5", 22 years old, moderate activity level (Pilates and HIIT 5-6 hours a week).
I've slowly been increasing my calories, and I'm now eating about 1781 (and I eat my exercise calories back).
Should I continue to increase to get up to the recommendation of 1832 calories? Is a 20% reduction too much? Should I aim for 15%?
When can I expect to begin to see fat loss?
I gained a tad bit of weight when I started upping my cals (give or take 5 pounds), but I'm not super concerned about that. I would like to ultimately get down to 132-134 pounds with 21-22% body fat. Right now I'm at 26-28%. My biggest priority is health obviously, but also finally looking toned and getting rid of the flab.
I've also been watching my macros more carefully. I'm definitely feeling much better - less deprived, more energy, getting my cycle of starving myself and then binging under control.
I'd just like some perspective on a realistic timeline of when I might begin to see some changes. Thank you for your insights!
I've recently (since March) been slowly increasing my calories closer to my TDEE, after reading up on Eat More to Weigh Less. According to the calculator I used (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/), my BMR is 1477, TDEE 2290, and daily calorie recommendation to lose fat (20% reduction) would be 1832. I've used a few other calculators as well, and they all give me about the same answers. I'm 144 lbs., 5'5", 22 years old, moderate activity level (Pilates and HIIT 5-6 hours a week).
I've slowly been increasing my calories, and I'm now eating about 1781 (and I eat my exercise calories back).
Should I continue to increase to get up to the recommendation of 1832 calories? Is a 20% reduction too much? Should I aim for 15%?
When can I expect to begin to see fat loss?
I gained a tad bit of weight when I started upping my cals (give or take 5 pounds), but I'm not super concerned about that. I would like to ultimately get down to 132-134 pounds with 21-22% body fat. Right now I'm at 26-28%. My biggest priority is health obviously, but also finally looking toned and getting rid of the flab.
I've also been watching my macros more carefully. I'm definitely feeling much better - less deprived, more energy, getting my cycle of starving myself and then binging under control.
I'd just like some perspective on a realistic timeline of when I might begin to see some changes. Thank you for your insights!
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Depends on your genetics and how stressed your body is, will it relax and allow a deficit to appear by going up to higher burning mode?
Eating that little for so long, I'd suggest a reset is in order - totally unstress system.
So weekly keep increasing calories by 100 daily, let it see there is enough coming in so it feels like burning what it can.
So your BF% isn't that bad, but if that is decent estimate, use the Scooby Most Accurate link to use that BF% and select Katch BMR.
Right now it's close to Mifflin BMR, so probably not much change.
Also, perhaps 20 lbs close to goal weight 15% deficit is better - when down to 10 lbs to go, switch to 10% deficit.
As you can probably imagine, 1 hr of pilates isn't going to burn nearly the same as 1 hr of HIIT - so what is your division of time on those 2 activities?
Because 1 hr pilates and 5 hrs HIIT is big weekly burn, 5 hrs pilates and 1 hr HIIT is not.
If equal time, TDEE is right about 2000.
And with 14% deficit eating level would be 1715.
I mean, no need eating more than you burn to gain weight, doesn't help metabolism recover faster.
But you do want to work your way up to maintenance for awhile.
Also, you would stop eating back exercise calories, since you already included it in your TDEE, which means it's already in your eating goal.
If you look at what you have been eating in total, not NET, are you actually closer to TDEE already?
As to the fat loss with your workout, almost totally depends on what the deficit ends up being when body is burning as high as it can compared to your eating level.
What is the HIIT workout exactly?
Because that is a fad term now, applied to much that is not HIIT. But if you like attempted running HIIT almost daily, wrong application of a good idea.
Do you have access to some dumbbells that would be heavy for upper body, because you aren't really going to improve the skinny fat problem until the body sees a need to improve itself.0 -
15-10% sounds reasonable to me, but I agree with heybales that taking some time to reset at TDEE might be good for you. Even if it's only to enjoy and explore eating more and really knowing how your body responds to hunger at that caloric intake.
It might be better to focus on some sort of weight training rather than weight loss, at your weight. I only say this because the body fat% won't drop in tandem with your weight. You will probably lose muscle along with the fat, resulting in the same "skinny-fat" appearance because there won't be enough pretty muscle under the skin.
Something super simple like http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/ in addition to your pilates, but I highly recommend barbell training if that's an option for you. You want to build muscle to change your bf% -- and who knows? maybe you'll like being a muscular 140lbs over a smaller 135lbs.
You and I have similar stats so feel free to add me! I'm 23, 5'5" 155 and I also have a TDEE ~22500
