Will this work for me?

Greatful1981
Greatful1981 Posts: 22 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
I want to lean out some. I'm 37 years old lady. I work in an office mon to Friday.
I walk 25min at lunch time in work days.
I walk for 30min mon wed and fri
I lift weights that are heavy for me but can do 12 reps. Sessions are 30min with rest included tues and thurs.
Weekends are free exercise! Swim, bike rollerblade, cc ski, sledding etc.
I weigh and log all food. I don't drink any calories. Types of food are mostly produce and wholegrains for rice pasta and bread. Carbs are around 150g per day. Protein comes from mainly lean cuts of meat and deli meats or I rinse my ground beef...Greek yogurt and eggs. I don't restrict any foods. Just try to avoid chips chocolate and candy as much as I can. Not into cookies or cakes...
Eating out us from subway and tim hortons sandwiches. Steer clear from burger joints as much as I can. My healthy fats come from olive oil and nuts. Protein for my roughly 160lb body is between 60 and 80g a day.
Any advice for tweaks?

Replies

  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    You mention weighing and logging all food - but mentioned nothing of calories. Nothing I can find on profile, either.

    More info is needed.

    You mentioned 160lb, 37 y/o, female, but what is your height? What calories are you eating at? Do you eat back a portion of your exercise calories, all, or none?
  • Greatful1981
    Greatful1981 Posts: 22 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    You mention weighing and logging all food - but mentioned nothing of calories. Nothing I can find on profile, either.

    More info is needed.

    You mentioned 160lb, 37 y/o, female, but what is your height? What calories are you eating at? Do you eat back a portion of your exercise calories, all, or none?

    5'9
    Eating upto 1500cals a day.
    I dont log exercise and I dont eat extra for exercise.
  • Greatful1981
    Greatful1981 Posts: 22 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.
  • PixelPuff
    PixelPuff Posts: 902 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.
    Fitter is a term that is similar to, well, 'The Eye of the Beholder'. Fitter can be getting a lower BMI, it can be gaining weight purely through muscle (get ripped, yo), it can be staying the same weight with changing your bodyfat percentage to be lower, all kinds of stuff.

    Please elaborate.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    How long have you been doing this, and how fast have you been losing? Assuming your logging is accurate, 1500 kcal seems low at your stats and exercise routine if you want to maintain your muscle mass so you'll look "lean," and be "fitter and stronger." I would shoot for something more in the neighborhood of 1800 kcal. (Or are you eating exercise calories on top of the 1500 already?)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    PixelPuff wrote: »
    You mention weighing and logging all food - but mentioned nothing of calories. Nothing I can find on profile, either.

    More info is needed.

    You mentioned 160lb, 37 y/o, female, but what is your height? What calories are you eating at? Do you eat back a portion of your exercise calories, all, or none?

    5'9
    Eating upto 1500cals a day.
    I dont log exercise and I dont eat extra for exercise.

    Where did you get your calorie goal from? If it's from MFP, you're expected to eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories.

    Your plan will work if you're on top of your logging. I would personally change a few things (more protein, a structured lifting program and possibly a third day with that).
  • Greatful1981
    Greatful1981 Posts: 22 Member
    How long have you been doing this, and how fast have you been losing? Assuming your logging is accurate, 1500 kcal seems low at your stats and exercise routine if you want to maintain your muscle mass so you'll look "lean," and be "fitter and stronger." I would shoot for something more in the neighborhood of 1800 kcal. (Or are you eating exercise calories on top of the 1500 already?)

    Only 2 weeks. I dont and wont weight myself.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.

    Then you need to be developing that plan for maintenance now. Reaching your goal doesn’t mean you go back to the way you used to be. If you do that, you’ll lose the progress you made. Reaching your goal means you go into maintenance. You will likely not get as many calories as you’d hoped in maintenance. You will definitely not be able to eat as much as you used to eat. It’s best to figure out now how to eat what you want within your calorie goal.

    What you’re doing right now should not be a temporary plan. It should be practice for the rest of your life.
  • Greatful1981
    Greatful1981 Posts: 22 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.

    Then you need to be developing that plan for maintenance now. Reaching your goal doesn’t mean you go back to the way you used to be. If you do that, you’ll lose the progress you made. Reaching your goal means you go into maintenance. You will likely not get as many calories as you’d hoped in maintenance. You will definitely not be able to eat as much as you used to eat. It’s best to figure out now how to eat what you want within your calorie goal.

    What you’re doing right now should not be a temporary plan. It should be practice for the rest of your life.

    I understand....hmmm how can I work candy chips n chocolate in without getting starving and over calories?
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.
    How long have you been doing this, and how fast have you been losing? Assuming your logging is accurate, 1500 kcal seems low at your stats and exercise routine if you want to maintain your muscle mass so you'll look "lean," and be "fitter and stronger." I would shoot for something more in the neighborhood of 1800 kcal. (Or are you eating exercise calories on top of the 1500 already?)

    Only 2 weeks. I dont and wont weight myself.

    My advice would be to get a pair of well-fitting pants with no stretch in them when you did to the point where you want to maintain, because if you increase treats and exercise less, and don't weigh yourself, it will be easy for the fat to creep back on and it could be a while before you notice it.

    For now, two weeks isn't much time to notice results if you're not weighing (i.e., from mirror, clothes, or tape measure). You're going to have to be patient.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.
    You will be fitter and stronger at a good weight too. 1500 calories will make you lose weight.

    Obsessing over food contributes to stress. I would stop rinsing the ground beef(!) and stop dividing foods into good and bad, healthy and unhealthy, and instead aim to eat balanced and varied, using the macro split as a guideline, not a law book.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,140 Member
    edited August 2018
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.

    Then you need to be developing that plan for maintenance now. Reaching your goal doesn’t mean you go back to the way you used to be. If you do that, you’ll lose the progress you made. Reaching your goal means you go into maintenance. You will likely not get as many calories as you’d hoped in maintenance. You will definitely not be able to eat as much as you used to eat. It’s best to figure out now how to eat what you want within your calorie goal.

    What you’re doing right now should not be a temporary plan. It should be practice for the rest of your life.

    I understand....hmmm how can I work candy chips n chocolate in without getting starving and over calories?

    Eating some of your exercise calories (the way MFP intends you to) is the simple solution to that one.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,451 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.

    Then you need to be developing that plan for maintenance now. Reaching your goal doesn’t mean you go back to the way you used to be. If you do that, you’ll lose the progress you made. Reaching your goal means you go into maintenance. You will likely not get as many calories as you’d hoped in maintenance. You will definitely not be able to eat as much as you used to eat. It’s best to figure out now how to eat what you want within your calorie goal.

    What you’re doing right now should not be a temporary plan. It should be practice for the rest of your life.

    I understand....hmmm how can I work candy chips n chocolate in without getting starving and over calories?

    Well for me, chips and chocolate are treats. Not something I eat every day. If I ate them every day it would be a problem for me both calorie-wise and for hitting my nutrition.

    And yeah, eat the exercise calories.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    you could eat an excess of broccoli and if it puts you over maintenance, gain weight.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    If you want to lose weight, the only thing that matters is being in a calorie deficit. None of the things you listed will cause you to lose weight unless you are consistently eating fewer calories than you burn.

    You don't have to avoid any foods you want to eat. You don't have to do more exercise than you want to do. Just put your stats into MFP, get your calorie goal, and don't exceed that goal. That's all you have to do.

    I don't just want to lose weight though. I want to be fitter and stronger and less stress. So my exercise will def help with this. And I believe if my is mostly healthy food then I will reach goal easier.

    Depends on what you mean by "easier." Many people who deny themselves the foods they want to eat, or do exercise that they don't want to do, do not reach their goals because they do not want to continue that behavior long term. Weight loss is training for maintenance. It is a time to develop the habits you're going to use for the rest of your life. Do you want to go the rest of your life without chips, chocolate, candy, burger joints, and drinks with calories?

    Personally, I chose to figure out how to fit the foods I liked into my diet. I lost 100 pounds and went from struggling to run for a full minute to being a half marathoner. I ate a varied diet that included chocolate every day, and now in maintenance I still eat chocolate every day, because I didn't want to go the rest of my life without chocolate. It would not have been easier for me if I had eaten only "healthy" foods. In fact, I likely wouldn't have reached my goals.

    You asked if this plan would work for you. Are you going to eat this way for the rest of your life? Are you going to continue at least this level of exercise as long as you're able? If so, then maybe it will work for you. If not, then it likely won't.

    Nope! I'd like to be more laid back on things once goal received. More treats and less exercise.

    Then you need to be developing that plan for maintenance now. Reaching your goal doesn’t mean you go back to the way you used to be. If you do that, you’ll lose the progress you made. Reaching your goal means you go into maintenance. You will likely not get as many calories as you’d hoped in maintenance. You will definitely not be able to eat as much as you used to eat. It’s best to figure out now how to eat what you want within your calorie goal.

    What you’re doing right now should not be a temporary plan. It should be practice for the rest of your life.

    I understand....hmmm how can I work candy chips n chocolate in without getting starving and over calories?

    Eating some of your exercise calories (the way MFP intends you to) is the simple solution to that one.

    This. Your MFP calorie goal alone puts you at a deficit. If you don’t eat back at least a portion of your exercise calories, you risk undereating and not giving your body enough fuel for your workouts.

    I’m not saying you have to go eat a candy bar every day :). What I’m saying is that if you want candy, you can likely fit in a small thing like a square of dark chocolate (50-75 calories) rather than denying yourself. Have one or two cookies instead of a handful of cookies. If you want chips, measure out the portion of chips you plan to eat and put away the rest. When I eat chips, I also eat them as part of a meal so I feel full. If you want to go out for a burger, maybe do that on a day when you did more exercise than usual. If you pre-log your day’s meals, it gets easier to see where you can fit in little treats. These things help you continue to eat foods you like, rather temporarily giving up all your favorite foods and then going back to how you like to eat.
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