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Is this a good idea?

2

Replies

  • Posts: 185 Member
    You've been given some great advice here! Keep up the walking, it's heart healthy. Your need for speed is not realistic nor healthy. Have some patience and keep us up on your progress! Good luck!
  • Posts: 5,187 Member
    It's aggressive because losing more than 2 pounds a week isn't healthy. Eating 1200 calories a day and walking as exercise are good and it will work. But weight loss is not going to be fast. And you should net 1200 calories a day, so if you are eating 1200 calories and doing no exercise you will lose weight, but if you are exercising then you need to eat more or you will be netting lower than 1200 calories a day and that is dangerous to your health. Walking everyday isn't too aggressive. It is really good and I think an enjoyable way to spend time with the baby. But make sure you are eating enough. You didn't gain the weight quickly and you aren't going to be able to lose it quickly. If you want to lose it in a healthy, sustainable way then putting your stats in mfp and following the calorie recommendation they and eating back at least half of your exercise calories is the way to do it.
  • Posts: 220 Member
    There is extensive research that meal replacement shakes do the job. But not a long term solution. When you drop the poundage, you can return to moderation.

    What would anyone have learned by doing something like this? If it's not a "long term" solution, why do it?

    And what does extensive research mean?
  • Posts: 51 Member
    Psychgrrl wrote: »

    Please be patient and give yourself some grace. It's a marathon, not a sprint. The weight didn't come on overnight, and it won't leave that way, either. The idea is to develop sustainable habits you can maintain when you're done. You want to be able to preserve as much lean body mass (since you're not doing a lot of activities which may increase it) and at that calorie level, it could be tough to do so.

    Just my two cents. :blush:

    Ok
  • Posts: 51 Member
    Replace two meals a day with replacement shakes or smoothies. Add steamed veggies to daily meal.

    Ok
  • Posts: 915 Member
    I have 4 kids and my youngest is 1 too! I've lost 85 lbs since he was born and I'm currently about 125 lbs so it can be done. And I've been eating way more than 1200 calories a day even though I'm shorter than you. I'm eating 1700 a day now and still lose slowly if I stick to that.

    Like others said, set your goal to lose 1 pound a week, 1.5 lbs a week max if you have to. Log your calories accurately and use a food scale so you know you're eating the correct amount. Log your exercise and eat back 50% of those calories. I love walking but I personally prefer more of a calorie burn in a shorter amount of time! Having 4 kids I just don't have time. So I do fitness blender videos in my basement during nap time. They're free on YouTube and an awesome workout!! You could check those out if you can't go to the gym.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    The workouts aren't too aggressive but the calorie restriction can be. Keep walking. Log those calories and eat 50-75% of them back.

    Ok I will
  • Posts: 51 Member

    No. There's no need to not eat actual food.

    I like.smoothies lol
  • Posts: 51 Member

    Walking is fine, it's good exercise. Weight is lost in the kitchen, so as long as you are accurate with weighing your food and loging correctly you can lose weight doing no exercise at all.

    Ok I like the walking
  • Posts: 51 Member
    You've been given some great advice here! Keep up the walking, it's heart healthy. Your need for speed is not realistic nor healthy. Have some patience and keep us up on your progress! Good luck!

    Lol ok I will b try 2 wait.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    It's aggressive because losing more than 2 pounds a week isn't healthy. Eating 1200 calories a day and walking as exercise are good and it will work. But weight loss is not going to be fast. And you should net 1200 calories a day, so if you are eating 1200 calories and doing no exercise you will lose weight, but if you are exercising then you need to eat more or you will be netting lower than 1200 calories a day and that is dangerous to your health. Walking everyday isn't too aggressive. It is really good and I think an enjoyable way to spend time with the baby. But make sure you are eating enough. You didn't gain the weight quickly and you aren't going to be able to lose it quickly. If you want to lose it in a healthy, sustainable way then putting your stats in mfp and following the calorie recommendation they and eating back at least half of your exercise calories is the way to do it.

    I am not hungry after I eat the lunch but I guess I will try 2 fit something in 2 do some calories
  • Posts: 51 Member
    There is extensive research that meal replacement shakes do the job. But not a long term solution. When you drop the poundage, you can return to moderation.
    There is extensive research that meal replacement shakes do the job. But not a long term solution. When you drop the poundage, you can return to moderation.
    There is extensive research that meal replacement shakes do the job. But not a long term solution. When you drop the poundage, you can return to moderation.

    I know that but I do like smoothies
  • Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited April 2016
    tenshi614 wrote: »

    See I havnt started the logging on walking till 2day but I just started this Tuesday, this routien, so I was hoping that it will work, but also I actually don't eat anything else in the day after the 1,200 calories without logging the walking, so I should b losing more faster I think, I will see I guess after a week. I didn't even think bout logging the walking so I dot even eat the 1,200 calories after all if I don't ever log the walking lol.

    Fast weight loss makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass. For a "toned" look you will want to keep the muscle mass you already have.

    1200 before exercise is MFP's default minimum (1 size fits all)......so 1200 + 50% of your exercise calories would be healthier.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    I have 4 kids and my youngest is 1 too! I've lost 85 lbs since he was born and I'm currently about 125 lbs so it can be done. And I've been eating way more than 1200 calories a day even though I'm shorter than you. I'm eating 1700 a day now and still lose slowly if I stick to that.

    Like others said, set your goal to lose 1 pound a week, 1.5 lbs a week max if you have to. Log your calories accurately and use a food scale so you know you're eating the correct amount. Log your exercise and eat back 50% of those calories. I love walking but I personally prefer more of a calorie burn in a shorter amount of time! Having 4 kids I just don't have time. So I do fitness blender videos in my basement during nap time. They're free on YouTube and an awesome workout!! You could check those out if you can't go to the gym.

    Ok I walk the 45 mins to the lake cuz I like walking the lake, that takes an hr around the lake and the 45 mins back home walking.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »

    Fast weight loss makes it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass. For a "toned" look you will want to keep the muscle mass you already have.

    1200 before exercise is MFP's default minimum (1 size fits all)......so 1200 + 50% of your exercise calories would be healthier.

    Ok I see.
  • Posts: 8,399 Member
    There is extensive research that meal replacement shakes do the job. But not a long term solution. When you drop the poundage, you can return to moderation.

    Please cite this extensive research. Proof please, because I don't believe it. CICO is what works--not the shakes.
  • Posts: 14,517 Member

    "Return to moderation" makes no sense.

    If we ate in moderation to begin with...........we wouldn't be here. There is no returning to moderation. It's learning moderation. Shakes have nothing to do with portion control. Instead shakes are about not having the hassle of measuring portions.
  • Posts: 1,390 Member
    Just remember to log your food accurately! Food scale is a must. You wouldn't believe how much I was going over in the first month just guessing at sizes or servings. it doesn't matter much at first if you have a lot to lose, but unless you're weighing everything, I guarantee you're eating more than 1200 right now.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    edited April 2016
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Just remember to log your food accurately! Food scale is a must. You wouldn't believe how much I was going over in the first month just guessing at sizes or servings. it doesn't matter much at first if you have a lot to lose, but unless you're weighing everything, I guarantee you're eating more than 1200 right now.

    I use the Barcode scanner and have measured most of the food with measuring cups
  • Posts: 2,430 Member
    tenshi614 wrote: »

    I use the Barcode scanner and have measured most of the food with measuring cups

    Measuring cups aren't accurate.
  • Posts: 51 Member

    Measuring cups aren't accurate.

    Oh, that's all I have.
  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    Don't do sit-ups
  • Posts: 4,796 Member
    tenshi614 wrote: »

    I like.smoothies lol

    There's no reason not to include smoothies within your calorie goals if you like them, but I wouldn't suggest replacing two meals per day with them. I've done that in the past and yes I did lose weight, but as soon as I stopped using them (because they were expensive!) I started to put weight back on. That's because the program didn't teach me anything about portion control, and my "eating normally" was just too much food.

    What the previous poster said about "just return to moderation" after losing weight might be easier said than done, if you haven't learned moderation during the course of your loss. And using meal replacements really isn't going to teach you that.

    I do understand your impatience and desire for fast weight loss, but it really would be better for you to learn portion control (via weighing your food) and good eating habits that you can sustain for a lifetime, rather than risk yoyo-ing.

    Sadly, as others have said, we don't really have any control over where the weight comes off! But this thread might be helpful to you: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Good luck! :smile:

  • Posts: 4,796 Member
    tenshi614 wrote: »

    Oh, that's all I have.

    Get yourself a food scale as soon as you can - they're not hugely expensive, I got a stylish little one from Wal-Mart for less than $20. Measuring cups and spoons are fine for liquids but not for solids (and even cups vary - my metal set holds a different amount to my plastic set).

    If you're scanning barcodes, double-check the MFP entry against the packaging since they are entered by users and may not be accurate. Also, weigh the food anyway because very often even a single-serving pack contains more than it says - sometimes 50% over! Another very good reason for getting a food scale. It really is worth the money.
  • Posts: 51 Member
    SueSueDio wrote: »

    There's no reason not to include smoothies within your calorie goals if you like them, but I wouldn't suggest replacing two meals per day with them. I've done that in the past and yes I did lose weight, but as soon as I stopped using them (because they were expensive!) I started to put weight back on. That's because the program didn't teach me anything about portion control, and my "eating normally" was just too much food.

    What the previous poster said about "just return to moderation" after losing weight might be easier said than done, if you haven't learned moderation during the course of your loss. And using meal replacements really isn't going to teach you that.

    I do understand your impatience and desire for fast weight loss, but it really would be better for you to learn portion control (via weighing your food) and good eating habits that you can sustain for a lifetime, rather than risk yoyo-ing.

    Sadly, as others have said, we don't really have any control over where the weight comes off! But this thread might be helpful to you: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p1

    Good luck! :smile:

    Ok ty I will look into it
  • Posts: 51 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Don't do sit-ups

    What's wrong with them?
  • Posts: 51 Member
    SueSueDio wrote: »

    Get yourself a food scale as soon as you can - they're not hugely expensive, I got a stylish little one from Wal-Mart for less than $20. Measuring cups and spoons are fine for liquids but not for solids (and even cups vary - my metal set holds a different amount to my plastic set).

    If you're scanning barcodes, double-check the MFP entry against the packaging since they are entered by users and may not be accurate. Also, weigh the food anyway because very often even a single-serving pack contains more than it says - sometimes 50% over! Another very good reason for getting a food scale. It really is worth the money.

    Ok I will try when we get paid.
  • Posts: 116 Member
    Make sure you have some backup/alternative exercises. What are you going to do if you have a sick kid? With four kids they could pass an illness around for a couple weeks. What if it is raining or there is a chance of rain? Its one thing to go out and exercise in bad weather when it is just you, it is another when you are dragging a child along with you. Also there will be times when you can't dedicate three hours to exercising and it might be better to get in a short workout instead of your usual long one.

    Since you are new here, don't worry about replying to everyone's posts. Sometimes just leave the computer and let the debate spin for a while. Usually the bad ideas are squashed and a consensus emerges. It is better to say "OK" to what eventually emerges than to everything that is thrown against the wall.
  • Posts: 34,616 Member
    I'm around your size (5'5", SW 183) but much older (60) and ate at 1200 net for a while. (When I say "net", I mean I was eating back all my exercise calories in addition to the 1200.) I lost weight, but for me it was too big a deficit. I got fatigued.

    I lost most of my weight at 1400-1500 net (more like 1600-1800 calories eaten most days), and felt a lot better. I started last April (2015). I hit 155 in mid-July, 140 in mid-September, and 125 in late December.

    I was intentionally slowing my weight loss by increasing my calorie goal as I got closer to weight goal, as one post above correctly recommends; and I indulged somewhat over the holidays, besides. In general, though, I was very consistent about hitting my calorie goal, with only a few days during the whole period when I went significantly over.

    Lowest weight, 116.8, was early this month. That's a little too low for my body configuration; I'm currently closer to 120, which is better. I'm working on maintaining, and have been working since January on finding the right calorie level to do that.

    Your details may differ, but at 1200 (if you stick to it meticulously), you would lose. You may be able to lose consistently at a higher calorie level, as I did, but experience will tell you whether your calorie goal is working, and whether you can sustain it happily (I couldn't sustain 1200).

    That said, I endorse others' advice about losing slowly and healthily. I tried to do that throughout, but actually had some (surprising) difficulty in slowing down my loss as much as I was trying to do. The food scale will be extremely helpful, and it's also less fussy/easier than measuring everything in cups.

    Hope that helps.
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