Open to all suggestions

lincolnhan
lincolnhan Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

I have opened my diary up for people to look and make suggestions. Basically am a fitbit user and sometimes do and sometimes don't eat back my calories earner through fitbit tracking.

I am in a completely sedentary job - as in, when I get home from work I often have only done 2-2500 steps in 7 hours! If I was left to my own devices, my daily step count would be around 4-5000. Anything above that step count is deliberate exercise so I have set myself as sedentary and use fitbit to calculate my over-sedentary activity.

Last week I started the Couch to 5k app and so have done every other day a jog/walk run combo (have one 4 sessions of this now).

My head is spinning from all my research here on the boards! I am trying to eat so that I can factor in what I like, rather than going all down the 'eat clean' route and giving up as it's not enjoyable...I mostly manage this within reason.

I weigh whenever I can or eat pre-packaged foods which is portioned and this is most of the time but sometimes, like when you are out and don't have scales, I estimate but try and make good judgements based on other things I have eaten. I would say about 80% of my foods are wholly accurate in terms of weight/cals.

I have lost 27lb since Christmas but in the last 2 weeks, since I added in the couch to 5k I have lost 0.5lb! I have a further35lb to go until my BMI says I am normal!

Having looked on the boards I'm getting mixed ideas about eating back exercise cals/eating too little (read a post on starvation mode not existing) etc!!!

HELP!!!

By the way, I don't log my fluid on here as I do on my fitbit app but I haven't been below 2 liters a day since 1st June.

Replies

  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    Two weeks is not a stall, keep at it!!

    Your diary is not open. Try here, all the way at the bottom:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Congratulations on your weight lost. Now, forget about starvation mode. It doesn’t apply to not eating or eating a little food over a short period of time. It is normal for the body to retain water when you start exercising or add new exercises which will reduce the weight loss rate. I am going through it now because I switched to working out on the elliptical again. This is nothing to worry about and will pass soon enough.

    Unless you have a medical reason to eat or not eat certain foods then your food choices are entirely up to you. Do your best to meet your macros (carbs, fat, protein). Be careful with the amount of exercise calories burned because many of those gadgets and machines are on the high end. It is best to record the most conservative number. Eat back a portion of those calories.
  • galprincess
    galprincess Posts: 683 Member
    You have only just started making more changes that would explain the 0.5lb loss but deffo not a stall or plateau keep at it, when i started it took a month to lose 1lb well done on your changes you are making and realistic goals
  • lincolnhan
    lincolnhan Posts: 3 Member
    Oops - open now :-)
  • 12bfree
    12bfree Posts: 67 Member
    I am currently on a 1500-calorie deficit plan. I use a Fitbit and I also document calories burned from the treadmill. However, I only do it to evaluate trends. I don’t think it is wise to “eat back” exercise calories. The biggest challenge is the accuracy and it’s too easy to “eat back” and exceed daily-allotted calories.

    Because I measure trends, I noticed when my net-calories fell below 975, I felt sluggish the following day. So, on occasion I will add almonds or other items to my evening smoothie to keep my net-calories above 975.

    “Starvation mode” is a myth. However, if people want to use that as an excuse to eat more, I’m not here to argue about it.

    With regards to plateaus, I’m not 100% sure they exist either. It could be a sign to reevaluate daily caloric needs or exercise. More often than not, I suspect accuracy in documentation.

    A good food weight scale is mandatory equipment on a calorie deficit program. I very rarely use a measuring cup. Weighing food is much more accurate.

    Like you I eat pre-packaged foods. I also eat food bars. As a matter of fact I can’t think of any “banned” foods in my diet at the moment. I simply try to keep it nutritionally balanced. At the end of the day, I adjust the ingredients in my smoothie to hit my numbers.

    The only way to fail is to quit. So, keep up the good work you have begun.
    Good luck on your journey.

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