Another weight loss problem... HELP PLEASE...

As a relative newbie any advice would be appreciated.
Currently weighing in at a hefty 102kg and standing 187cm my target is to get less than 80kg with no real time scale - just as soon as is realistically possible.
I do strenuous cardio workouts (bike, stepper & rower) 3 or 4 times a week at least 1hr per visit and do very brisk walking 3 or 4 times a week for at least 45mins each time.
I also keep my weighed calorie count between 1200-1300 to allow for miscalculation (200-300 less than what MFP recommend).
Despite all this I'm losing between 0.25 and 0.5kg a week.
With all the hard work which I'm really enjoying - I was hoping for a little faster reward. Is there something I should be doing differently or extra at the gym?

Replies

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    That's how fast fat is typically burned. It's a slow process.
    By the way 1300 is too few calories.
    And do full-body strength training 2-3 times per week to keep your metabolism high. :+1:
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
    Try this calculator, as long as you keep that steady rate of exercise it should be a good set point if you pick '3-5 hours of strenuous exercise per week';

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    It says you should aim for 2653 calories/day in order to lose 31 kg in a year.

    I think you're way undereating - HOWEVER if that were really the case then you would be losing more quickly. How are you calculating your food calories and your exercise calories?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Just in general, 1200-1300 calories for a MAN is way too low. Minimum should be 1500 calories.

    Perhaps if you open your diary you will get more individual feedback.

    Also, how long have you been logging? How long have you been exercising?
  • angel_29476
    angel_29476 Posts: 6 Member
    can you provide more info about your nutrition? what a typical day looks like? are you trying your macronutrients to be near your recommended percentages or grams? i agree with the people that said that 1300 cals for a man are too low, you will starve yourself. open a calculator to find out your BMR and learn more about what your macros should be and program your daily nutrition accordingly.
    what i recommend (and is working for me) is 4-5 meals per day, each meal containing protein, some carbs and a little fat, a lot of weight training and less cardio(if you build your muscles you will eat more because they burn more calories) and keep your nutrition as clean as possible.
    i'd be happy to provide more suggestions if you would like to provide more info about what you are eating.
  • PaulMcGee2015
    PaulMcGee2015 Posts: 17 Member
    Wow... Thank you so much for the almost instant comments. Right I think I've shared my diary.
    As far as the calorie counting is concerned I do a lot of scanning of bar codes and weighing as well as importing slimming world recipes from the web which my wife is doing.
    As far as exercise calories go u just put in what the exercise machine or mapmywalk tells me - I appreciate not wholly accurate but I've nothing else to go on.
    Cherimoose - what do you mean regarding full body strength training? Is this weight training? If so won't that just increase body weight?
    Think I've covered all the questions.
  • angel_29476
    angel_29476 Posts: 6 Member
    edited June 2015
    http://www.calculator.net/weight-loss-calculator.html these calculators might help you so you can adjust your macros better. too much processed food if you allow the comment on your nutrition, i would try to eat more clean and more fresh if i were you(i aplogise if you think i'm being rude). your body processes clean food more easily and you will see that the kilos will be shed faster. also yes muscles weigh more but they burn more too and when they become firmer they take up less space so the body gets more toned and defined. the only thing cardio does is make you burn calories, not a permanent result, it is just for the day. building muscle makes body firm, i have lost 20 kilos and my body has not shagged a bit, it is like i always was that weight. i swear by weight lifting. crossfit works great too. anything that involves weights.
  • PaulMcGee2015
    PaulMcGee2015 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks angel_29476 - I'll have a look at the calculator and see what I can deduce. Also will have a look at my gym routine and try and involve more weight training, on that note what would be better lighter weights more reps or more weight less reps? Is there any websites that suggest good gym routines that you know of?
    No offence taken about food choice, call it constructive criticism. :-)
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited June 2015
    Wow... Thank you so much for the almost instant comments. Right I think I've shared my diary.
    As far as the calorie counting is concerned I do a lot of scanning of bar codes and weighing as well as importing slimming world recipes from the web which my wife is doing.

    Remember to weigh all the food in the recipes and adjust them accordingly each time you make the recipe. It's likely to be different each time.
    As far as exercise calories go u just put in what the exercise machine or mapmywalk tells me - I appreciate not wholly accurate but I've nothing else to go on.

    Most people here divide that by 2, so if the exercise machine or MFP says you burned 400, overwrite it with 200.
    Cherimoose - what do you mean regarding full body strength training? Is this weight training? If so won't that just increase body weight?

    Likely means progressive heavy weight lifting (such as a program like Stronglift 5x5 which is free online - note, men tend to do better with lower reps, more weight, but work up to it). It won't add to your bodyweight. Basically, (assuming your goal is likely to reduce your body fat%), when we eat at a caloric deficit, our bodies will actually lose body fat and lean body mass (such as water and muscle). Doing a progressive lifting program prevents your body from losing the muscle (it doesn't want to lose what it's using).

    You wouldn't actually gain any muscle while eating at a deficit. The human body needs excess calories (so think eating OVER maintenance calories) to gain muscle. It's kind of like balancing mass... Your body can't create something from nothing, it needs a surplus to grow extra cells. The other reason we do this is to hopefully prevent "skinny-fat" appearance. Your body has quite a bit of muscle from carrying a higher weight. No point losing that! Not if you're wanting to look athletic/lean once losing your fat. OH another note - while your muscle mass may not grow, it doesn't mean you won't get stronger. You will - because your nervous system in your muscles becomes more efficient. So you'll still be able to gain strength.

    I wish I'd known this when I started losing weight. Could have saved myself some time! That being said... the food aspect was stressful enough for me to learn so maybe it was better for my mental health.

    If you're interested, give these a read! Especially the Sexy Pants one.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10000507/while-were-waiting-for-pinned-topics-to-come-back-all-those-useful-links-we-post-and-repost#latest

    ETA: You can also look into the Eat, Train, Progress group if you decide to do weight lifting such as the Stronglift 5x5 program. There are very helpful people in there.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    edited June 2015
    Based on your diary, I would recheck your accuracy. While you are weighing your foods (Which is great, btw!), I found a couple dubious entries that seem 'off' to me.

    Give this a read:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/

    Also based on your diary, you began logging June 1st, so it's only been 12 days. I'm assuming you started exercising around the same time, which means your muscles are probably retaining water for muscle repair.

    IMO, give it more time and work on your accuracy.
  • angel_29476
    angel_29476 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks angel_29476 - I'll have a look at the calculator and see what I can deduce. Also will have a look at my gym routine and try and involve more weight training, on that note what would be better lighter weights more reps or more weight less reps? Is there any websites that suggest good gym routines that you know of?
    No offence taken about food choice, call it constructive criticism. :-)

    i guess at start your trainer will give you a beginner program like for about a month you will work on your whole body muscles and when you 'warm' them properly you will enter the next phase where you will work on each main muscle group individually along with a smaller muscle group.
    you will start with lighter weights and like 12-15 reps and after a while you will progressively add more weight because your muscles will get stronger and stronger.
    add more quality food if you want to create lean muscle and lose fat.
    losing fat and building muscle is the goal, not just shed kilos(because you could reduce your weight, but it could only be water and we dont want that-we try to murder our fat here!)
    :smile:
  • PaulMcGee2015
    PaulMcGee2015 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks all - battery about to die. I'm going to have to digest all this on a bigger screen than my phone. My eyes are about to fall out my head.
    I'll repost if (more likely when) I have another question.
    Thanks once again. :)
  • Cocoa1020
    Cocoa1020 Posts: 197 Member
    edited June 2015
    As a relative newbie any advice would be appreciated.
    Currently weighing in at a hefty 102kg and standing 187cm my target is to get less than 80kg with no real time scale - just as soon as is realistically possible.
    I do strenuous cardio workouts (bike, stepper & rower) 3 or 4 times a week at least 1hr per visit and do very brisk walking 3 or 4 times a week for at least 45mins each time.
    I also keep my weighed calorie count between 1200-1300 to allow for miscalculation (200-300 less than what MFP recommend).
    Despite all this I'm losing between 0.25 and 0.5kg a week.
    With all the hard work which I'm really enjoying - I was hoping for a little faster reward. Is there something I should be doing differently or extra at the gym?

    I struggled with this for months. i started going to the gym in october with barely any results. Now i'm starting to lose a bit a little faster. its a very slow process. try doing some strength training, it will help build muscle which helps burn more calories.

    another thing i heard was that if you eat too little your body goes into starvation mode and holds on to the fat.

    *EDIT*after doing a bunch of calculations (i use the pounds lol) you are similiar to my weight and are losing about the same amount I am weekly. its a healthy amount to lose a week, it will be easier to keep it off in the end :)
  • neaneacc
    neaneacc Posts: 224 Member
    Remember weight loss is a journey not a sprint. Be patient and you will be rewarded!

    1) I strongly recommend focusing on lifting weights to help you to maintain muscle while losing fat
    2) Use HIIT style cardio (high intensity interval training) - you can get a lot of work done in short amount of time by forcing yourself to go all out for a shorter period of time-- At first it feels a bit like torture, but you will quickly notice how your body will adapt to tolerate more each time.
    3) Make sure you eat enough protein...unfortunately MFP guesses a bit low per the current research. It appears that about even science can't quite agree about how much is enough. However, I strive to hit between 120-140 grams a day given that I can see that this is working for me. You may need to try adding more and watching how it affects your weight and make adjustments accordingly.
    4) Make sure you are getting enough water as it is important for almost all bodily functions (even digestion)
    5) Get enough sleep to allow your body to repair itself.
    6) Use plenty of lotion to help your skin to help "repair" itself during this process. I know it seems silly, but ain't nobody got time to look like a deflated balloon because your skin hasn't caught up to your weight loss.

    I hope that any and all of this is helpful!