introduction/ motivation and a little confusion

skepcottagestudio
skepcottagestudio Posts: 4 Member
edited November 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Hi I'm 55 yrs old 5'7 and currently 156 lbs. My goal weight is 148 but I'll be happy with 150. I've been working on this on my own and had come down from 167, partly due to a bad cold flu that left me with no appetite for several days and partly due to a bit of stress that has happily resolving itself. I decided to take advantage of this unusual set of circumstances and when I got better, I started changing what foods I ate and started to exercise more. My motivation is mostly general health and energy. I have been trying to drop 10-14 pounds for several years with no success. I thought that with menopause, came weight gain and slow metabolism. I was a bit depressed about it but could not lose the weight. I had a conversation with my Dr and she suggested I just focus on losing 9 pounds. I did that and joined MFP about week ago and have now lost 2 pounds and am much more active. I think summer is an easier time to start a weight loss/fitness plan because of the nice weather and abundance of delicious fresh fruit and veggies is delightful to consume. Today though I think something is off. Could the computer program make a mistake? According to it, I am supposed to consume 3,000+ plus calories? Ian because I exercised a lot today, I earned something like1,000 + calories?? Confused and am probably reading this thing wrong. I thought the RDA was 2,000 cals daily? and 1,500 for me to reach my weight goal within 5 weeks in a sane, safe way? Anyone out there help me out?
Kelle

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    Yes, the system can get bugs too, but troubleshoot first. If your basic calorie goal is 1500, and you've added 1000 calories of exercise, where do the remaining 500+ calories come from? You should see it as a note in your diary.

    It's hard to believe you've burnt 1000 calories in exercise - numbers are often inflated.

    You can't lose 9 pounds in 5 weeks at your weight.

    Don't use average values for RDA. You already got your own persnal calorie target.

    With age, comes ingrained habits, and they can include a more sedentary lifestyle and more food. Your metabolism is fine.
  • skepcottagestudio
    skepcottagestudio Posts: 4 Member
    Hi There, thanks for your response. I'll check my diary, that's a good idea. That day I was out on my bike for about 3 hours and I did yoga in the morning and a big clean out of my studio, running up and down stairs in the early afternoon, so I think I did burn quite a few calories that particular day. Don't think I can lose 9 pounds in 5 weeks? Shall we have a friendly challenge?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    Oh, ok, many hours of activity/exercise can account for that burn. Just remember to keep normal activity (like housework) out of the equation - it's already accounted for in your calorie allowance.

    I wouldn't recommend trying to lose 9 pounds in 5 weeks, not because I don't think you can, but because you can't, because you don't have sufficient body fat for it. Trying for hopeless things tend to make you feel bad, and you need to feel strong and compentent when your task is difficult and necessary. Losing weight to hit a good weight is difficult and necessary. Don't make it harder.
  • mazurkiepolish
    mazurkiepolish Posts: 363 Member
    Why do you want to do it so fast? You would be burning almost 2 pounds a week. It would be a lot of restriction and after a while it wouldn’t even be enjoyable.
  • skepcottagestudio
    skepcottagestudio Posts: 4 Member
    Hello folks, I am not trying to 'loose it so fast' - in fact I don't have a set timeline goal but according to the information on MFP, 5 weeks is a reasonable amount of time to lose 9 pounds. 5 weeks is what comes up at the bottom of the MFP page at the end of every entry it says; If every day was like today you would weigh_ in 5 weeks. Also, I am VERY MUCH enjoying the increased level of activity and the complete change in the types of food I am eating is satisfying and also enjoyable. PS I also don't feel that this small goal is hopeless and I don't feel bad and it is not proving to be hard, I feel strong and up to the challenge. NOT hopeless. NOT negative.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    edited August 2018
    But that message is just a silly gadget. It presupposes 1) that you have the necessary fat stores to lose at the rate you picked, and 2) that you really eat exactly like that every day for five weeks, and even if you feel fine now, undereating, overexercising and deprivation gets old really fast.

    A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. So that's the deficit you need to create, in order to lose a pound. A pound per week means a daily deficit of 500 calories.

    MFP unfortunately lets you pick too aggressive weightloss rates. But fortunately it also stops at 1200 (for women; 1500 for men), for health and safety. This conflict (which isn't explained on that page as it should be, you have to go to the forums and ask), makes weightloss impossible for many people.

    I ran your stats in "Update Your Diet Profile", and "you" get 1400 calories to lose 1 pound per week. According to the formula "250 calories deficit per day to lose 0.5 pounds per week", picking 1.5 pounds would give you 1150 calories. That is below the line. This means 1.5 pounds per week is out of the question for you. And it means that 2 pounds per week is even more out of the question for you. Trying to lose 9 pounds in 5 weeks, will therefore just lead to 1) hunger, tears and frustration and 2) rebound eating and subsequent weight gain.

    Does this make sense?
  • Millicent3015
    Millicent3015 Posts: 374 Member
    skepcottagestudio wrote: »
    Hello folks, I am not trying to 'loose it so fast' - in fact I don't have a set timeline goal but according to the information on MFP, 5 weeks is a reasonable amount of time to lose 9 pounds. 5 weeks is what comes up at the bottom of the MFP page at the end of every entry it says; If every day was like today you would weigh_ in 5 weeks. Also, I am VERY MUCH enjoying the increased level of activity and the complete change in the types of food I am eating is satisfying and also enjoyable. PS I also don't feel that this small goal is hopeless and I don't feel bad and it is not proving to be hard, I feel strong and up to the challenge. NOT hopeless. NOT negative.

    You don't have a set timeline goal but you've suddenly decided to lose 9lb in five weeks because MFP said so, to the point you issued a challenge to someone who's just giving you some advice to try and help you? And you don't see an issue with this?

    Weight loss isn't a competition, and you don't have to follow any recommendations generated by an algorithm on an app. Lose weight at a rate that benefits you, that helps you to make long term behavioural changes so you can maintain good health for the rest of your life.
  • skepcottagestudio
    skepcottagestudio Posts: 4 Member
    Greetings all, Yes Komodeveran what you are saying makes sense, but I have to say I am loving the activity after several years of feeling stuck and terribly inactive. I am moving again and the increased exercise I'm doing is well balanced with the joy of movement out in nature in summer weather. I have been riding to and from work on my bike for over a year so it is not extreme for me. Yoga has been a tremendous aid in increasing my flexibility and my joints are supple again. I used to be a naturally very active person and that only changed in recent years so at the moment I will continue with MFP but I will also heed your considered advice and am not undereating. I really don't care if I lose 1.5 or even 2 pounds per week, as long as I work towards my goal. The point is I was stuck and MFP despite its shortcomings has helped me in a positive beneficial way. I only wrote in this discussion board because I thought I was reading the app wrong and wanted some advice on that. I really appreciate the time you took to run the numbers, sounds like you know a lot about the subject. I am pretty easy going about this really and had a completely delightful foodie weekend last weekend that was fabulous, so I feel like I am approaching this reasonably. I don't have enough self-control to be obsessive! Thanks for your help.

    Millicent- wow, I am feeling the lash of condescension all the way over here...Whew, powerful stuff but not in any way helpful to me.

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,889 Member
    Good to hear - being more active is a wonderful thing! And as long as you won't be disappointed if you don't lose 1.5-2 pounds per week, and don't eat too little to try, I'm happy for you. MFP has a lot of flaws, but I love it - it helped me fix my relationship with food, improved my self image, gave me more confidence, removed a lot of superstition and confusion and anxiety - so I could finally maintain weight, too, not just lose and regain.
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