Is my weight loss so far okay?

MynesForevaaa
MynesForevaaa Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone, (F17)

For reference--I'm new to this platform, to counting calories, and to consistent weekly exercise in general. So far it's been a week and my routine consists of working out 3x a week and eating approx 1,450 (--sometimes I'll eat like 100 cal less tho) which is how much I should eat according to an online calculator. However, I did not consider my BMR when calculating how much I should intake each day, Is it that important?

This week I've lost 3 pounds and I'm worried that my routine and eating habits aren't exactly healthy. I'd appreciate any comments and advice. Thank youu

Replies

  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2023
    MynesForevaaa wrote: »
    HHowever, I did not consider my BMR when calculating how much I should intake each day, Is it that important?
    No. BMR is a scientific concept that is difficult and expensive to measure and is therefore very rarely measured except in laboratory settings and even then, it is not particularly reliable. The vast majority of people who talk about their BMR, are not talking about that at all, they are merely talking about a number provided by one of several online calculators that are used to provide an estimate (= guess) of what it could be. What this gives you, is a potential starting point for your energy intake. Many people swear by it, others aren't even remotely interested and do just fine losing weight.

    The point of fat (weight) loss is that you need an energy deficit that is doable for you. Since you lost 3 pounds this week, it looks as if you are doing just fine. 3 pounds is a bit much, but whether it is reasonable or not depends mainly on how much you weigh. Also, most people experience fast weight loss in the first few days to a week of starting their diet, usually for no other reason than that they are consuming less food than before while they are still excreting the previously larger amounts of old digested food. After a few days or a week the balance between intake and excretion will return and you will be able to start to see how much weight you are actually losing.

  • shstang64
    shstang64 Posts: 3 Member
    I started again this week, so hopefully we can keep each other on track. I used to do WW but when Covid hit, they closed our branch and will not open it again so I am trying this.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    shstang64 wrote: »
    I started again this week, so hopefully we can keep each other on track. I used to do WW but when Covid hit, they closed our branch and will not open it again so I am trying this.
    Good luck to you. Just do it. You will see that you don't need WW. They just complicate matters by claiming to simplify it with their points system. Let's be honest: calories are a way to measure energy. That is the only thing we MUST get right to lose weight: ingesting less energy than we need to keep everything going. IF we manage that, we WILL lose fat weight. It is impossible not to. That doesn't mean that other considerations are not important for health, but weight loss is about reducing our fat stores. IF we manage to get that right, THEN we can start thinking about the rest WHILE we are losing weight. It is totally possible and even common to gain weight eating only healthful stuff. We MUST eat at an energy deficit and that takes a bit/lot of willpower. It is that simple, even if it is far from always easy.

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