Do I need to re-adjust my calories?

mil_arce
mil_arce Posts: 11 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My husband and I joined MFP together about 3 weeks ago. He's doing absolutely fantastic staying within his daily calorie allowance and lost about 5 pounds already.
I'm also pretty good about staying within my 1200 calories (very few days did I go over but at most it was 125 calories over) but my scale is very much a yo-yo. I know I shouldn't weigh myself daily but I do and some days I lose 2 pounds and I'm doing a happy dance thinking that this is working and the next day my weight is back up.
I'm 5'3 and currently weigh 120, I'd like to get down to 110. I worked with a nutritionist last year and got down to my desired weight of 110 but I couldn't maintain it over the holidays and vacation. (damn you Italy and your delicious Gelato)
I looked at my macros today and I noticed that I'm usually hitting my protien and carb goals but I'm not always hitting my fat and usually come up shy 10%-12%. Could that be causing my weight fluctuations? Should I maybe increase my calories?
My husband and I are big walkers and usually go for 5-6 miles walks after dinner nightly but with the temperature dropping now we joined a gym and I'm interested in starting some weight training to lean out a bit and hopefully build enough muscle to open my own jar of pickles!

All advice welcome!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Weight fluctuates. Is there an overall downward trend in your weight over 4-6 weeks?

    Do you weigh all your food with scales?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    You're already at a healthy bmi, so any further loss is going to be REALLLY slow. Thing long term on the loss, but doing some weight training is a great idea!
  • mil_arce
    mil_arce Posts: 11 Member
    TavistockToad, some days I'm 118 and others I'm back to 120. And yes, I weigh out protien before cooking it.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,488 Member
    Don't forget you have TOM; your husband doesn't. Hormones affect your daily weight, but as it is generally water weight it is not affecting your overall fat loss.

    Trend weight is an app that a lot of people find useful. It tracks your long term weight trend so you can see the downward shift better.

    As @TavistockToad mentioned a digital scale would help with food accuracy as would liquid measuring cups and spoons.

    Because you have so little to lose a loss of .5lbs a week is what you should expect, and what you have MFP cals set too. It could be even slower than that.

    Don't get discouraged if your partner is losing faster. He is bigger and weight loss will be faster for him at the beginning. Don't compare, you will never be happy. You lose your weight in your time.

    Cheers, h.
  • mil_arce
    mil_arce Posts: 11 Member
    I have a very slim frame so I just feel much more comfortable at 110 then I do at 120. I used to be a very heavy smoker and I was actually underweight for a while. After I quit smoking my weight went up to 110 and was pretty steady for 2 years so I just want to get back there
  • Marianna93637
    Marianna93637 Posts: 230 Member
    edited January 2016
    Losing 10 lbs only is going to be a slow process, it could take you 2-3 months, maybe even more.
    You should only weigh yourself once a week, at the same time, in the same clothes (or no clothes at all). Weighing your yourself daily is setting yourself up for disappointments. You could eat something saltier today, your body retains more water, tomorrow morning it shows you gained a lb. You can have your period next week and for a few days you might be 2 lbs over.
    Just stick to once a week.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,488 Member
    @mil_arce at 5'3 and a small bone structure 110 is fine. I am 2 inches shorter and small boned and 100-105 is my comfy weight.
    Doing some weights at the gym will really help with your body composition. If you don't know where to start head over to the fitness and exercise forum and read up on the different beginner programmes being discussed.

    Cheers, h.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    with that little to lose you should set it at .5 lb/ week if not already and understand it will be a very slow process
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