My Battle

almquest1980
almquest1980 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, Fairly new to this and have never really calorie logged before. Fat, Overweight female. 5.8" 15st5 (217lbs) :( Office worker so on my butt all day. Not exercising yet as hurt my knee so waiting for that to heal although thought that I would be able to lose weight without exercising at first. How wrong was I! Ive totally reduced my calories and everything is weighed etc and I log everything including drinks. Was losing weight 2-3lb a week which I was happy with and now this week Ive put it on. I do lapse on the weekend occasionally but its only usually a steak or a desert and only one, I dont binge on the weekends. Any tips? I want to get down to 13st7 and I know its more re-education and shrinking my appetite which is why Ive been doing under 1000 calories . Ive lost 11lbs since 29th July. thanks


Jen x

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    be more realistic in your expectations... you've lost 11lbs in a month... i fail to see what the problem is, weight loss isnt linear

    also, eating less than 1000 cals might be fine for a few weeks given the amount you had to lose to start with, but is not a good idea to try long term unless you want bad skin, bad hair and no energy.
  • xina
    xina Posts: 1 Member
    Well done for starting and for the 11 lb - that's a great start!

    BUT (echoing TavistockToad) you need a realistic intake level that is sustainable (including allowing for a few treats) the recommended minimum of 1200 will result in loss over time - how long did it take to put the excess on? Me - I gained over years: if I lose it over months that will be good!

    Its not easy at a desk (mines in my house and I am there so many hours a day I get a square bum) but even with the knee issue try doing something - even some simple stretching and arm waving can help make you feel like you are improving things even if the calorie outtake is insignificant - just try not to stagnate.

    Keep up the good work of logging!
  • almquest1980
    almquest1980 Posts: 2
    Thanks all, I have updated Saturday now. the app was playing up on my phone and I forgot to update it. I actually get full up on what Im eating and I tend to eat the salad etc at work as there is a constant stream of cakes in the office and Ive found if Im full I wont waver towards them. I can increase my breakfast as I was having porridge before with water and honey but stopped that as felt I was eating too much. I have had a really bad relationship with food and Ive always struggled with my weight and I cant use the fact Ive got children as an excuse as my youngest is nearly 11 and my eldest 15! I am taking extra vitamins and calcium supplements as Im lactose intolerant so tend to avoid a lot of Dairy. x
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    You've lost 11 pounds in a month?? That's incredible, wow. Unfortunately, 800 calories a day for someone your size is not sustainable, so unless you want to really put it back on, I would reevaluate my goals.
    Good luck
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    You can lose weight without exercise, although it is important. If your profile is correct and you have 26 lbs. left to lose then 2-3 lbs. a week is a bit aggressive. You also want to consider eating more because you aren't going to meet your body’s required level of macronutrients and micronutrients on such a low amount of calories. The point isn't just to lose weight. It is to lose weight, achieve good health by meeting your macros, and properly fueling your workouts.
  • jeedsjds13
    jeedsjds13 Posts: 58 Member
    Have you considered aquafit for exercise while healing the knee? It's great cause the buoyancy reduces weight and impact on the joints . And the hot tub after is amazing! lol
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    At that calorie level, you are likely losing more muscle than you are fat. It takes 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat, but only 600 calories to lose a pound of muscle.

    At the beginning of almost every weight loss, there is a certain amount of water weight which is sloughed off. However, the path you are on is dangerous to your long-term health and will be ultimately self-defeating. Every bit of muscle you lose causes your daily calorie burn to drop a little bit: one of your primary goals in weight loss should be to preserve as much muscle mass as possible.

    Without additional exercise, the primary way that you're going to do that is by getting enough protein in your diet - which you are certainly not doing on your current diet. Set your MFP goals appropriately and make sure you are reaching that protein target *every single day*. I would also recommend adding a multivitamin to your daily routine as well to make sure you are at least covering your basic nutrition needs.

    Once you've covered 1) appropriate calorie goals, 2) sufficient protein, and 3) basic nutritional needs, then the biggest pieces are going to be drinking enough water (at least 64 ounces per day) and sufficient fiber to make sure that your digestive system is processing that food and eliminating waste efficiently. Once again, you can just use the MFP macro goal and make sure you're meeting it every day.

    This should give you a great start and lay a solid foundation for weight loss. When you're able to begin exercising, then it will just go that much faster and easier.
  • doctorregenerated
    doctorregenerated Posts: 188 Member
    I have absolutely no scientific research to back this up, only a theory.
    I know most people do not subscribe to "starvation mode." On the surface it should be as simple as calories in, calories out.
    But it is well known that in weight loss, we lose muscle as well as fat. We also know that muscle is responsible for helping us keep a good metabolism. The more lean muscle we have, the more fat burning we do.
    With that in mind, you want to keep those calories at your BMR so you don't burn [as much] muscle. This will ultimately slow your weight loss and when you do lose weight, it won't be just fat.

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