Losing very little weight and frustrated, I think I'm doing this wrong?

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  • dancindoc508
    dancindoc508 Posts: 41 Member
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    I advise you to use the TDEE calculator that other people have recommended. Just google scooby workshop. If you are 137 and overweight you are probably like me. I was 5'1 and 130-133 when I started. Using the calculator I labeled myself as moderately active (3-5 hrs a week) I ate about 1500-1600 cals/day and I've lost between 10-13 lbs (it changes depending on the scale I use;)) If I worked out less I ate less one a given day but I averaged about 1500-1600 cals because I hate feeling hungry. I love the way my clothes fit and the way that I feel. I weigh 118 lbs right now. Don't be discouraged just be consistent, you'll see the difference soon!
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    Machka9 wrote: »
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    1200 Calories for a professional dancer?

    In order to net 1200, when she dances she would add those exercise calories to that 1200. If she puts in a good couple hours at it, she might be able to eat 1600 cal (or maybe more, I'm not sure how much dancing burns), and still net 1200.

    a prof dancer burns a lot!!!!
    so that is why i ask

    is it just some competitions? or really a prof dancer who dances the whole day as training
    How much does she logs for a training session

    Yes good questions.

    At the moment, however, she is double dipping ... counting herself as very active + logging her dancing.

    Personally, I'd count myself as sedentary + logging the dancing. Then eat whatever calories MFP gives for that. It won't be 1200 cal, I can guarantee that!

    i do the same...sedentary ( because i am) exercise..(dancing or swimming) on top and eat back what i need.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    When i used to train and teach everyday i did TDEE But since my injury and not always be able to train i use the NEAT option of MFP
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    The numbers don't add up.. The weight should be falling off you eating only 1200 calories a day and doing all that exercise /dancing.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    indeed..something is wrong here.
    And my guess it is the guesstimate of the food intake

    On the other hand dont forget she is not heavenly overweight she lost 8 pounds so that is a little bit less than a pound a month
    Not bad for a dancer you want to keep your muscles as strong as possible. So slow weight loss. I wouldn't mind if i train that much. lol But that is me

    I train atm everyday again and my weight loss slowed down. I upped my calories a bit and will up it more.
    The stronger i can stay the better. I dont want to lose any more muscle mass than i have to.

    But repeat it again
    We have no idea how much she consumes because she doesn't weigh her food on a food scale.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Very true Trish :)

    @volcanogoddessan My only advice would be to get yourself a food scale, and honestly and accurately log everything you eat and drink here in your diary. Set yourself to lightly active and then log your exercise in your diary. Even better, get yourself a fitbit and let it work it all out for you, this will take away any guess work or inaccuracies where your exercise is concerned. It also has the added benefit of working out your TDEE for you.

    Getting back to the food scale... When I first started here I thought "there is no way I'm going to be one of those obsessive people who weigh everything that passes their lips pppffffttt"...

    But here I am 12mths later doing just that :lol: I have become a well oiled, efficient machine when it comes to weighing and logging my food. It seriously takes but minutes a day. I get up in the morning and the first thing I do is Prelog my day, I can then tweak things if need be.

    If you are going out to eat or having take away for lunch, then jump on the restaurants website to see if they have calorie counts for their meals. If not, there is usually something similar in the data base that you can use.

    A food scale is not a prerequisite for losing weight, unless you are actually NOT losing weight. When you're in a stall or a plateau then the number one reason is usually inaccurate logging/calories in.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,951 Member
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    BWBTrish wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    1200 Calories for a professional dancer?

    In order to net 1200, when she dances she would add those exercise calories to that 1200. If she puts in a good couple hours at it, she might be able to eat 1600 cal (or maybe more, I'm not sure how much dancing burns), and still net 1200.

    a prof dancer burns a lot!!!!
    so that is why i ask

    is it just some competitions? or really a prof dancer who dances the whole day as training
    How much does she logs for a training session

    Yes good questions.

    At the moment, however, she is double dipping ... counting herself as very active + logging her dancing.

    Personally, I'd count myself as sedentary + logging the dancing. Then eat whatever calories MFP gives for that. It won't be 1200 cal, I can guarantee that!

    i do the same...sedentary ( because i am) exercise..(dancing or swimming) on top and eat back what i need.

    Yep ... exactly what I do. Except mine is walking/hiking or cycling. :)

  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    My sisters and better halfs are on their way to here...Arriving the 20th and one of them is a very active hiker..
    Now i love my walking too, but she want to go hiking with me...in Red Rock...we have a heat wave...116F today
    oh boy

    But i am sooo looking forward to it. :)
  • mrssabre113
    mrssabre113 Posts: 24 Member
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    It is possible to lose without a scale! I have lost almost 16lbs in 70 days, 5 feet 135lbs down from 156. You have to be very very honest about the portion sizes. Put your settings to sedentary and to lose 1lb per week. Only enter you workouts, dancing, jogging, swiming, walking etc and be very honest about how long worked out. Don't log you work or cleaning, that is normal daily activity. Only eat back a portion of your burned calories. Pick healthy small meals and snacks and in the morning plan what you are going to eat for that day (that what you won't find yourself eating high calories foods). 1200 calories a day is possible if you plan your meals.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    but 1200 is not healthy for a competitive dancer!!!
    Its too low and you lose muscle!
  • mrssabre113
    mrssabre113 Posts: 24 Member
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    BWBTrish wrote: »
    but 1200 is not healthy for a competitive dancer!!!
    Its too low and you lose muscle!

    That is why I said eat back a portion of what you burn from working out. If she's burning 500 calories per hour of dance for example, she could very well eat back 300-400 of that and still be in under her calories. That gives her room for a decent sandwich after a one hour dance class.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,951 Member
    edited August 2015
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    mrssabre113 wrote: »
    BWBTrish wrote: »
    but 1200 is not healthy for a competitive dancer!!!
    Its too low and you lose muscle!

    That is why I said eat back a portion of what you burn from working out. If she's burning 500 calories per hour of dance for example, she could very well eat back 300-400 of that and still be in under her calories. That gives her room for a decent sandwich after a one hour dance class.

    Right ... she wouldn't be eating just 1200 cal. Netting 1200, yes. But eating 1200, no.

  • mrssabre113
    mrssabre113 Posts: 24 Member
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    Right ... she wouldn't be eating just 1200 cal.

    [/quote]

    Again that's why I said eat back a portion of her burned calories. But 1200 for her size, pretty dang close to my stats and what I eat, is fine.

    If she takes a 3 hour class, burns 500 per hour, for a total of 1500 calories burned. Add 1000 of those burned calories to her 1200, she can eat 2200 that day. That should be plenty to fuel her dance. I used to dance and I know how much you burn and how much a dancer eats.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    Scales and counting and formulas are just tools to facilitate, not cause, weight loss. You were eating a certain way, were hungry, but losing approx 1lb/month. You grew frustrated and gained it back. Your only choices are to do what you were and accept the rate of loss and hunger, eat less and accept greater hunger or eat more and accept slower loss. Only you can make that decision.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    One caveat to my last post is that you don't mention what types of food you are eating. That won't effect weight loss, but it might effect satiety.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    mrssabre113 wrote: »
    Right ... she wouldn't be eating just 1200 cal.

    Again that's why I said eat back a portion of her burned calories. But 1200 for her size, pretty dang close to my stats and what I eat, is fine.

    If she takes a 3 hour class, burns 500 per hour, for a total of 1500 calories burned. Add 1000 of those burned calories to her 1200, she can eat 2200 that day. That should be plenty to fuel her dance. I used to dance and I know how much you burn and how much a dancer eats. [/quote]

    She will be netting to low!!



  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
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    The whole funny part about this discussion is...
    When she eat at maintenance level.....and train as much as she does...she loses weight!
  • mrssabre113
    mrssabre113 Posts: 24 Member
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    If she still feels like 2200 is still not enough, she can add 200 more and make 2400. 1200 is still under, so she could eat all of her burned calories and lose realisticly. I looked about her logs, I don't see any food and she's logging cleaning as working out. So I'm confused.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I dunno - not being able to log one meal on a food scale doesn't mean the process can't work. If you're eating breakfast and dinner at home, plus grabbing some snacks to take with you, I'm sure a lot of your food can be weighed. You're not eating 1200 calories, I don't think, and the scale can help you figure out where you're essentially wasting calories.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1

    If you really don't want to use a food scale, maybe use the search feature and find some other tips. But you're avoiding a potentially really simple solution, here

    So what if your friends don't have to do it? Eyes on your own lane, git er done :)
  • GeddesFit
    GeddesFit Posts: 75 Member
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    Find a BMR calculator online and find out what that is. You need to eat fewer calories then your BMR to lose weight. Shorter people have lower BMR's which means all weight loss usually takes place through activity and exercise. So for example if your BMR is 1300 and you are eating 1200 calories a day you only have a deficit of 100 and if you're only exercising 200 calories off you've got 300 calories burned per day which means it will take almost 2 weeks to lose 1 pound.

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