Realistic??

sobhob
sobhob Posts: 10 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Since having my 2nd I'm having trouble losing the 88lbs I gained. Stats are 5'5", 38yrs old, 195lbs. Looking to lose 20lbs in 4 months (x-mas time) goal weight is 160 eventually. Is the 20lbs realistic? MFP says 1400 calories 1.5lbs a week. Does this sound right?

Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    I think at your current weight, it's doable, and a good goal to work towards even if you don't quite get there (life gets in the way sometimes!). Be sure to eat back at least half of any exercise cals you earn, lots of veggies to help fill out your plate, and you will do great :)

    Be aware though, as your weight drops, you will need to drop that weekly weight loss goal down to 1 lb, then probably 0.5 lb for the last bit, depending on your ultimate goal weight.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    Easily. I started two months ago, and by logging in my food, exercising and eating back my exercise calories I've lost 16 lbs. I weigh more than you so my MFP is set to 2 lbs. per week and my calories at 1280. I eat back most if not all my exercise calories so I'm eating on average about 1600 per day.
  • sobhob
    sobhob Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks! Perhaps I'm naive, but why do you want to eat back 1/2 of what you burn? Wouldn't you lose more if you don't?
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    I don't want to lose more than 2 lbs. a week. The maximum MFP will program is 2 lbs. per week. More than that is unhealthy. If I did not eat back the exercise calories, my net calories would be very low, like around 700-800 a day. My net calories average 1280 after I have eaten the exercise calories, with a deficit of 1000 a day, which is why I have been losing 2 lbs. per week.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    sobhob wrote: »
    Thanks! Perhaps I'm naive, but why do you want to eat back 1/2 of what you burn? Wouldn't you lose more if you don't?

    MFP is set up to not take account of the calories you burn through exercise. You need those extra calories to fuel your body properly when you're working out. Yes, you will lose more weight if you don't eat them, but you're going to be losing lean body mass (you will lose some regardless, but you want to minimise that as much as you can), and potentially causing other problems as well. Think of your exercise as being for fitness, rather than for weight loss. The recommendation to only eat half is because exercise burns from MFP, machines, etc, are often over-inflated. There's a bit of trial and error involved, but start with half, then reassess in a month or so. If you're losing at the rate you set MFP to, stick to 50%, if you're losing more, increase your calories, if you're losing less, decrease them :).
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    There's a whole thread on eating or not eating exercise calories, where lots of perspectives are explored. Some people don't eat back any, some eat back 1/2 and some (like me) eat back all.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,148 Member
    sobhob wrote: »
    Thanks! Perhaps I'm naive, but why do you want to eat back 1/2 of what you burn? Wouldn't you lose more if you don't?

    MFP builds your calorie deficit into your pre-exercise calorie goal. Therefore if you do exercise, you theoretically eat back those exercise calories to stay at your same target deficit & loss rate. Because many people worry about overestimating exercise calories, it's often recommended to start by eating back half, until you see the effect on your loss rate.

    Yes, you lose more if you don't eat back exercise, if you can stick to it . . . possibly more than you planned, and possibly unhealthily much. If you have a slow planned loss rate, plenty of weight to lose, and modest exercise, it can be OK not to eat the exercise calories. If you have a high planned loss rate, less weight to lose, and substantial exercise, it's a Bad Plan not to eat some back - it risks excess loss of lean tissue, fatigue, irritability, and more.
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
    edited September 2017
    sobhob wrote: »
    Since having my 2nd I'm having trouble losing the 88lbs I gained. Stats are 5'5", 38yrs old, 195lbs. Looking to lose 20lbs in 4 months (x-mas time) goal weight is 160 eventually. Is the 20lbs realistic? MFP says 1400 calories 1.5lbs a week. Does this sound right?

    Yes. This was me exactly. After 3 yrs , toddlers are 3 and 4, I too thought it time to get my body back. Started with MFP 40 days ago, at 196. I had a goal to try to lose 20lbs by Xmas. So far I have lost 13 lbs. I am 37 years old. I walk 5 x a week for an hour and a half ,pushing a double stroller, take my son to school in the morning, continue walking with my 3 yr old in stroller, then pick up my son in afternoon. I walk about 4 miles a day. I do a workout dvd by Jillian Michaels that is 25 minutes of strength training with 5lb dumbbells in each hand. It's called Beginner shred. I eat 1390 on days I have no exercise. I eat back my dvd exercises, but dont always count my walking in my diary , that is my safety net of leaving room for error or so. My diary is open. I lose about 2-3 lbs every week . I am a vegetarian,and my meal plans are pretty much the same things but im happy with my food choices. Also protein is my best friend, especially when I walk. And water.Ice water daily. Annnnd ,i started off taking ACV, it helped curb my appetite in the beginning. Ok. So yes ,very very doable.Goodluck!!
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
    Im also 5'5, with first goal weight to 160 or 150.
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