New to Site, need to lose 65lbs

I am the traditional yo-yo dieter and can't stand the way I look right now. Over the past two years have gone through a lot, divorce, new home, mother passed away, new job and new husband and also gained 65lbs during all this. On the 1 year anniversary of my mothers passing (St. Patricks Day), i quit smoking, started exercising and tried being more conscious about what was going in my mouth. Well this past weekend I was in Laughlin and they had really big mirrors that showed more than the chest up and oh my gosh I can't believe I look like that. So now that I am home and the Flu that got me there is gone, I need to get more serious. I am currently doing Turbo Jam's Turbo Sculpt every other day and then HHA's hip, buns and thighs on the opposite day. And also add either the Hip Hop Abs Cardio or Turbo Jam's Cardio so I am doing 2 programs daily. Try to keep calories to no more than 1500. I hope this plan works!! Once I start feeling like I can handle it would love to try T25, but don't really want to spend the money on it, I believe what i am doing should work??

Replies

  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
    So far, your intention sounds great. You just have to stick with it. For me, that meant, not thinking in terms of weeks or months but, instead, taking it day by day. I would get overwhelmed any other way. Its makes my goals seem too big. I would give up. But now, just getting through the day means that I can just focus on NOW. This poem is my inspiration:

    Melinda Mae by Shel Silverstein
    Have you heard of tiny Melinda Mae,
    Who ate a monstrous whale?
    She thought she could,
    She said she would,
    So she started in right at the tail.
    And everyone said,"You're much too small,"
    But that didn't bother Melinda at all,
    She took little bites and she chewed very slow,
    Just like a good girl should...
    ...and in eighty-nine years she ate that whale
    Because she said she would!

    I'm Melinda Mae and my weight is, rightly so, the whale. And I will eat it. One bite at a time. Not all at once.

    This is my advice to you. :-)
  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
    Oh! And make sure you eat at least your BMR. If your BMR is 1500, then ok. But if its 1800....honey, EAT THAT. And try to hit your deficit goals/net calorie goals.
  • bellarose1207
    bellarose1207 Posts: 26 Member
    BMR is 1700, so I am not eating enough??
  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
    Most likely not. Your weight loss will be more efficient, your nutrients will be better and your muscles and body functions will remain healthy if you eat enough to cover your BMR. Remember, that's how much you burn in a coma, basically. Now, also remember that any BMR calculator will give you an ESTIMATE. Start eating at that number, make sure you hit your daily deficit goals/net calorie goals and you SHOULD lose at a healthy, sustainable, rate. You may have to adjust. Maybe yours is actually 1650 or 1490 or 1870 or some other odd number. Its unlikely that its 1700 SPOT ON. But again, we can usually just work with estimates.

    For example: My BMR is about 1600 or so. I'm guessing give or take a bit. So I eat no less than 1600 (some days its a little less, some days A LOT more, lol) and I try to burn at least 400 calories in my work out. So if my body naturally burns 1600, then add in the 400, that equals 2050 burned that I'm pretty assured of. This doesn't take into account laughing, walking around the office, home, dancing in my seat at a red light, reaching for a stapler, lifting anything, you get the picture. All of that burns calories. I got a Fitbit to give me an estimate of calories burned through the day. I usually get to 2600 to 3000 in total So: 1700 calories eaten - 400 exercise calories burned = 1300 NET CALORIES.

    Or: 1700 calories eaten - 2600 calories burned in a day = a 900 calories deficit. Which is i admit, a lot. Means I get to eat a little more! yay! I started at 200 lbs at 5'2 so my food/exercise plan is a bit aggressive. I have 50 more lbs to lose. All of this would be different for you. But the math is basically the same for everyone. calories in VS calories out. Eat as cleanly as you can. Have a cheat day or meal, your preference. Eat whole foods when possible, not prepackaged or frozen or processed foods. Restrain your sodium unless its for health reasons. And eat AT LEAST your BMR. :-) A FitBit One or a heart rate monitor will help too. A friend of mine talked to her doctor about starting a fitness plan to lose weight and her insurance company paid for her heart rate monitor. Just a suggestion there. Good luck! I hope I didn't confuse you too much! It was counter-intuitive for me at first too. Eat more to lose weight? Huh?