Does this sound like a reasonable goal? (calories)

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emmylootwo
emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
edited May 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. Sorry for the second thread posted today. Just one more question. I wrote this update on my MFP "wall," but I don't have very many friends from whom I can get feedback. Am I on the right track?

"So... Things have not been doing well these past few days. Couple binges, a little bit of overeating, weird days where I don't want to eat at all. But today is that "Magic Monday." You know the one. The one where your diet is supposed to start? (lol, my dad just said this to me the other day and I'm holding it to him.) It's a do-over for me. I no longer care if I lose my $25 in this dietbet.com thing. It was NOT for me and just created a ton of stress. I'm going to follow MFP's recommendations for -2lbs a week. I am going to eat back 25% of my exercise cals (this because I have lost my old HRM with the chest strap and I do worry that my metabolism may be a bit "damaged" from the first time I lost weight AKA I think I've lost muscle since then and am not burning as many calories as I should according to Scooby's calculator). I am going to hide my scale and not get on it for at least a month. And I may try this "calorie banking"/ weekly deficit thing so that I might be able to indulge some days without feeling like I'm "cheating." (http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10258821/calorie-savings-account-good-idea-or-hair-brained-scheme/p3) I'm so tired of being this weight, but what the hell is my hurry? I keep this old restricting/bingeing cycle up and my weight will never move! So there. It's in writing now. I will try to update once a week. :)"

I am 336 ish pounds (fluctuations, you know). I am 5 foot 8 inches tall. I am 22 years old, female, and MFP recommends 1910 calories to lose 2 lbs a week with a sedentary lifestyle. Like I said, I believe I've lost muscle from my history with malnutrition and bulimia, so it is difficult for me to do intense exercise now that I've gained this weight back. I normally walk on my treadmill at 2.5 mph for about an hour three times a week. I can't do the intensity so length is all I've got at the moment. I am looking to start strength training again. I have quite a few dumbbells that have been collecting dust for the past three years.

Thanks in advance.
You guys are much kinder than I remember when I was in high school. :P


(edit: Oh! And yes, I have a food scale, and I do weigh everything that I eat at home. Sometimes I just have to go by the closest calorie counts I have when eating out, and for things like starbucks, I typically log the nutrition info on starbucks' website but then ask for things like nonfat milk and "easy on the coffee syrup or whatever" to help combat discrepancies that happen from barista to barista, if that makes sense. :) )

Replies

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Looks like you are on the right path with a sound plan in place. 1910 base calories sounds like a good start. Your hour of walking and at your weight and speed would burn a guaranteed 300 calories an hour, so don't be afraid to eat more than 25% of this particular workout back. May I suggest gradually increasing your incline instead of speed as you lose weight and get fitter? It's kinder to your joints while still great for both fitness and calorie burn. As an example, with your current stats and at your current speed you would be able to get 50 extra calories burned if you increase your incline by just 1%, the same walk at 6% would have you doubling the calories burned by walking without an incline. Don't rush it though, increase at your own pace.

    Your plans to start strength training are also great, just make sure to also gradually increase the weights you are handling. You may even be able to add back some of the muscle you lost! Not everyone has this luxury while losing weight, so look at the bright side of things.

    Since you are like me, with a varying appetite, a weekly deficit is a great idea. Don't stress about not being able to eat all of your calories when you don't have the appetite, just bank the leftover calories for days when you feel your allowance is not enough.

    Don't place too much emphasis on the scale either. As long as you are logging every single thing you eat accurately you are guaranteed to lose weight even if the scale doesn't show it sometimes.

    I started out almost where you are now and have lost a lot of weight successfully by following the calorie allowance and keeping it simple. You also sound like me, like stressing about food does you more harm than good. At your current weight even the simplest modifications to your regular foods will allow you to lose weight comfortably. What do you usually eat (before dieting)? Are there any particular items that contribute the bulk to your calories?


  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    I'd eat 2200 calories a day and don't eat any of your exercise calories back.
    You need to start strength training and work on doing higher intensity intervals as opposed to long drawn out cardio.
    Also, learn to drink your coffee black. It's going to be a more difficult to lose weight as you get smaller. You don't want to waste precious calories on beverages.
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
    edited May 2016
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    beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »
    I'd eat 2200 calories a day and don't eat any of your exercise calories back.
    You need to start strength training and work on doing higher intensity intervals as opposed to long drawn out cardio.
    Also, learn to drink your coffee black. It's going to be a more difficult to lose weight as you get smaller. You don't want to waste precious calories on beverages.

    Thanks for the feedback. However, I'm not understanding how eating 2200 calories w/o exercise calories is much different than eating 1900 calories w/ exercise calories. And, yes, I am working on doing higher intensity cardio and some strength training, but again, I'm currently at 330+ pounds and my mobility, flexibility, endurance, etc. is not what it used to be when I was 150 pounds. I am doing what I can on the treadmill, temporarily trading off intensity with length of the work out while I get a little more in shape. I also don't see the problem in drinking a latte a couple times a week? I don't like black coffee, so I'm not going to drink black coffee. (ED therapy finally coming in handy here; I am not scared of things like this anymore.)
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited May 2016
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    beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »
    I'd eat 2200 calories a day and don't eat any of your exercise calories back.
    You need to start strength training and work on doing higher intensity intervals as opposed to long drawn out cardio.

    Higher intensity isn't good advice in context of the OP, steady state cardio is perfect to build an endurance base before stepping up intensity...

    Like I said, I believe I've lost muscle from my history with malnutrition and bulimia, so it is difficult for me to do intense exercise now that I've gained this weight back. I normally walk on my treadmill at 2.5 mph for about an hour three times a week. I can't do the intensity so length is all I've got at the moment

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    beautifulwarrior18 wrote: »
    I'd eat 2200 calories a day and don't eat any of your exercise calories back.
    You need to start strength training and work on doing higher intensity intervals as opposed to long drawn out cardio.

    Higher intensity isn't good advice in context of the OP, steady state cardio is perfect to build an endurance base before stepping up intensity...

    Like I said, I believe I've lost muscle from my history with malnutrition and bulimia, so it is difficult for me to do intense exercise now that I've gained this weight back. I normally walk on my treadmill at 2.5 mph for about an hour three times a week. I can't do the intensity so length is all I've got at the moment

    I agree. From my own personal experience, when I first started I actually started walking at about the same pace and could not do a 10 full minutes without gasping for air. I am now comfortably running 5k's (shuffling actually, but it's still a huge improvement). In that sense OP is already doing more than I could ever do when I first started.

    Exercise needs to be both gradual and manageable to avoid injury and burnout. There is nothing special about higher intensity intervals and there is nothing bad about steady state. This falls into the category of majoring in minors or for people who want to maximize their input shaving off a couple of minutes from their racing time. These recommendations are too specific and unnecessary for someone who is mainly focusing on weight loss.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    Nothing much to add to what amusedmonkey and sijomial have so nicely put.

    Just keep going one day at a time. You can definitely do it with the current plan you have set up for yourself because it's not setting yourself up to fail!

    Best of luck on your journey!
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
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    Thanks guys. I appreciate it.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
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    Op, does your treadmill go up to an incline? You can do slow and steady but at an incline and burn more calories.
    When I was pregnant 20 weeks and passed, I couldn't run but id do 2.5 mph at a 5 or 6% incline to help get my heart rate up.
    And I, too, was also bad at the restrict/binge cycle and in a rush to lose as fast as possible. When the slow and steady finally clicked in my head is when I was able to maintain a weight loss.
    Congrats for making positive changes! Feel free to friend me if you want more support and encouragement :-)
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Sounds like you've got a healthy solid plan worked out!
    Remember that nutrition matters, too. Keep your proteins, fats, and carbs balanced to stave off hunger and fuel those long walks.
    And don't listen to what beautifulwarrior said- you're doing all the right things. Start slow and build on a solid base, and you'll succeed!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    Yes I think that sounds about right!
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Slow and steady will win the race and help keep joint pain at bay. I'd consider really getting some good footwear and athletic socks, depending on your budget. I know getting fitted for insoles (like at Road Runner) can be expensive, but if they help keep you supported and keep pain and discomfort at bay, they could be worth it. I ahve super squishy socks (it's like i have pillows on the ball of my feet and my heel) and wearing them with the shoes is important to make sure there's room for them.

    Getting injured or feeling pain can derail your fitness progress. Going slow and using the incline on the treadmill is a great idea. You can alternate between the hills at a slower rate and a slightly fast pace on a flat incline. I use songs to time that stuff--makes the workout fly by for me!

    Good luck! It sounds like you've got a solid plan! :smile:
  • zacksnana
    zacksnana Posts: 3,230 Member
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    I have a latte every day. Sugar free syrup = 0 cals and skim milk = 90 cals. You don't have to have only a few times per week. Enjoy daily if you want! :)
  • emmylootwo
    emmylootwo Posts: 172 Member
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    Alright. So I took some advice here and gave a shorter, but more intense workout a try by upping my incline. I did the following:

    2min "warmup" at 2.0mph, 0% incline
    2min at 2.5mph, 0% incline
    5min at 2.5mph, 7% incline
    3min at 2.5mph, 0% incline
    3min at 2.5mph, 7% incline
    3min at ", 0% incline
    3min at ", 7% incline
    3min at ", 0% incline
    3min at ", 7% incline
    3min at ", 0% incline

    Total: 30 minutes

    Then I used a combination of MFPs calories and this website here which gives options for incline (http://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/) to estimate that my workout burned 302 calories for a 5'8' woman, 336lbs. (I did shave off some calories because I know these calculators are notorious for overestimating. I plan to get a new HRM chest strap this week!!)

    I think I did okay, and since this was a shorter workout, I might up my exercise from 3x a week to 5x.

    Thanks again everyone. :) You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Plus, I've picked up some more friends!
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited May 2016
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    You did great! May I suggest a different calculator? The calculator above overestimates by a lot.

    Use this one: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html

    and make sure to set the calories to "Net" instead of "Gross" and you will get an accurate estimate.

    Your workout above burned slightly under 250 calories.

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