I'm really about calories...

vintageprop
vintageprop Posts: 62 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Subject correction: I'm really confused about calories.

Hi everyone! no matter how much I read about calories I'm still not sure how many I should be eating. I would appreciate any and all suggestions!

Here's my info: 5"7, 22 years old, 118 pounds
I do about an hour of bicycling 5 days a week and about an hour of moderate intensity pilates for 50 mins about 5 days a week also. I try to add half an hour walking every other day and longer on the weekends.
I want to lose and tone the excess fat on my butt and thighs. I have seen an improvement during the first few weeks which I ate about 1200 calories but the progress has stopped.
I think I should eat more calories right? I don't want to be in starvation mode.
Is 1400 good? As I said, I just want to tone and lose a few pounds. I don't do weight training. yet.

Thanks everyone in advance I really appreciate your input!

Replies

  • vintageprop
    vintageprop Posts: 62 Member
    Subject correction: I'm really confused about calories.

    Hi everyone! no matter how much I read about calories I'm still not sure how many I should be eating. I would appreciate any and all suggestions!

    Here's my info: 5"7, 22 years old, 118 pounds
    I do about an hour of bicycling 5 days a week and about an hour of moderate intensity pilates for 50 mins about 5 days a week also. I try to add half an hour walking every other day and longer on the weekends.
    I want to lose and tone the excess fat on my butt and thighs. I have seen an improvement during the first few weeks which I ate about 1200 calories but the progress has stopped.
    I think I should eat more calories right? I don't want to be in starvation mode.
    Is 1400 good? As I said, I just want to tone and lose a few pounds. I don't do weight training. yet.

    Thanks everyone in advance I really appreciate your input!
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Make sure you are getting the right mix of carb/ protein/ fat. If the carbs are too high and protein too low, the scale might not move very quickly.
  • vanessadawn
    vanessadawn Posts: 249
    If you want to tone up I would suggest adding more weight training. concentrating on lower body machines, lunges, donkey kicks, squats etc. It doesn't sound like you need to lose that much weight, so yeah I would concentrate on toning up.
  • greeneggsam
    greeneggsam Posts: 121
    At 5'7" and 118 lbs, you are on the verge of underweight, so it isn't healthy to be trying to lose more.

    If you want to tone, do exercises like the other posters say, but where you lose weight is up to your body, not something you can control, so losing more weight may not shrink your bottom half.
  • 2bfitornot2b
    2bfitornot2b Posts: 7
    i agree, you are on the verge of being underweight and from the sounds of it burning alot of calories through cardio workouts.

    In order to tone and firm up it's best to do muscle building/weight training and then increase your calorie intake in order to increase muscle. It seems that it's not an excess of fat that you have that is causing the flabbiness - but a lack of muscle and muscle tone. And remember that as you trade muscle for flabbiness - muscle weighs more.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
    At 5'7" and 118 lbs, you are on the verge of underweight, so it isn't healthy to be trying to lose more.

    If you want to tone, do exercises like the other posters say, but where you lose weight is up to your body, not something you can control, so losing more weight may not shrink your bottom half.

    I agree. If you're looking to tone up you should be eating meantenance calories and doing muscle building exercises. Eating at a deficit is not what you want.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Sorry, I did not see the 118 lbs. Yeah, not much weight for 5'7". Concentrate on putting on some muscle.
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
    I'm 5'7 & when I weighed 118 lbs in high school I was 1) sick & 2) looking pretty gross. Concentrate on building some muscle & you'll be amazed at how great your body will look! Muscle tone is awesome! Good luck!
  • vintageprop
    vintageprop Posts: 62 Member
    thanks for the replies!
    What kind of weight training should I do then? I don't want to bulk up or anything, I just want my butt smaller and to lose inches from my thighs.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    thanks for the replies!
    What kind of weight training should I do then? I don't want to bulk up or anything, I just want my butt smaller and to lose inches from my thighs.

    Ladies nened to realize that it's impossible to "Bulk Up". We don't have the muscle anatomy to do that. We'll never look like Arnold unless we're using some sort of supplemet like Steroids, Andro, HGH, etc.

    You need to focus on high reps and low weights and that will help tone up the area. It's hard to tell you what exercises to do since I'm not there to watch your form and make sure that you are doing it right. Look online for some videos possibly, join a weight lifting class at the gym or if you can afford it get one or two visits with a trainer! :bigsmile:

    You are TOTALLY verging on being underweight. I'm 5'7 and when I'm 130 pounds I look pretty skinny so I can't imagine what I would look like at 118.
  • evolve33
    evolve33 Posts: 61 Member
    i feel yor pain sweetie:ohwell:
    before having my daughter i was the same height and weight as you ( man i miss those days:sad: !) i liked my body but had a few areas that i just couldn't get looking toned, mainly my upper arms. that is just my genetics, but i did start lifting weights 4 times a week and doing push ups, and after a month or so saw a big improvement.
    i used to kick box and we did squats, lunges and planks to tone the butt and thigh excersises. a plank is when you assume the push up position with your body straight and hold as long as you can.
    good luck!
  • evolve33
    evolve33 Posts: 61 Member
    oh yeah - if and when you start doing strength training make sure you ease into it and take a day off in between or you will get really sore and not give your muscles time to repair. also eat your protien it helps recovery :smile:
  • 2bfitornot2b
    2bfitornot2b Posts: 7
    that's great advice - you will be extremely sore at first, especially if you are lifting heavier weights....but it gets better! and eating your protein often and lots of water helps. Definetly make sure you have a day off between lifting days.

    all the above mentioned exercised (lunges, squats, planks) are great for you buns. another one i really feel is deadlifts. I guarantee with those exercises you will feel it! Even those these are great for lower body - you might consider doing entire body weight training to keep everything toned. Muscle burns way more calories than fat does and takes up a 1/3 less volume. So you're body will be burning more cals at rest with every ounce of muscle you build plus be smaller and tighter!

    Good luck and enjoy the results!
  • vintageprop
    vintageprop Posts: 62 Member
    that's great advice - you will be extremely sore at first, especially if you are lifting heavier weights....but it gets better! and eating your protein often and lots of water helps. Definetly make sure you have a day off between lifting days.

    all the above mentioned exercised (lunges, squats, planks) are great for you buns. another one i really feel is deadlifts. I guarantee with those exercises you will feel it! Even those these are great for lower body - you might consider doing entire body weight training to keep everything toned. Muscle burns way more calories than fat does and takes up a 1/3 less volume. So you're body will be burning more cals at rest with every ounce of muscle you build plus be smaller and tighter!

    Good luck and enjoy the results!

    thank you for your input, i will try that :)
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    Ugh...deadlifts are the devil!!! They kill my butt and thighs. Just super careful with your form on those! :bigsmile:
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