Any Suggestions?

eagle_01
eagle_01 Posts: 94
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello MFP folk!

I've been dieting and exercising since Boxing day, and have only lost 7.3 pounds. I'm not looking to go on a 1200 calorie diet, as I'm aiming to be able to continue with regular swimming. The last time I did the 1200 calorie diet, I came out of a 65 minute swimming session feeling ready to black out, and felt shaky and ill for the rest of the day. My diary is set to public view, so please feel free to look back over the last few days and weeks (the I've eaten the Breakfast and AM Snack shown on my diary so far, it's not quite noon here in the UK).

At the moment my energy and stamina keeps going up, and I'm happy with that aspect of the exercise, but I'm not impressed by my weight loss. I have used a tape meaure too, which shows a a drop of 1.5 inches from my waist and 0.5 from my hips (also down a cup size on the bust). So, yes, I have lost, and I am grateful, but I'm starting to feel really annoyed and it struck me that maybe I can draw on everyone elses' experiences, and make some changes.

All suggestions gratefully received (except those suggesting an intake of 800 - 1200, sorry!)

Thank you
Kat

Replies

  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
    Hello MFP folk!

    I've been dieting and exercising since Boxing day, and have only lost 7.3 pounds. I'm not looking to go on a 1200 calorie diet, as I'm aiming to be able to continue with regular swimming. The last time I did the 1200 calorie diet, I came out of a 65 minute swimming session feeling ready to black out, and felt shaky and ill for the rest of the day. My diary is set to public view, so please feel free to look back over the last few days and weeks (the I've eaten the Breakfast and AM Snack shown on my diary so far, it's not quite noon here in the UK).

    At the moment my energy and stamina keeps going up, and I'm happy with that aspect of the exercise, but I'm not impressed by my weight loss. I have used a tape meaure too, which shows a a drop of 1.5 inches from my waist and 0.5 from my hips (also down a cup size on the bust). So, yes, I have lost, and I am grateful, but I'm starting to feel really annoyed and it struck me that maybe I can draw on everyone else's experiences, and make some changes.

    All suggestions gratefully received (except those suggesting an intake of 800 - 1200, sorry!)

    Thank you
    Kat
    Real weight loss is slow and gradual. Don't fall into the hype of the biggest loser and fitness marketing scams. In my 115lb weight loss it was never linear.
  • eagle_01
    eagle_01 Posts: 94
    Hello MFP folk!

    I've been dieting and exercising since Boxing day, and have only lost 7.3 pounds. I'm not looking to go on a 1200 calorie diet, as I'm aiming to be able to continue with regular swimming. The last time I did the 1200 calorie diet, I came out of a 65 minute swimming session feeling ready to black out, and felt shaky and ill for the rest of the day. My diary is set to public view, so please feel free to look back over the last few days and weeks (the I've eaten the Breakfast and AM Snack shown on my diary so far, it's not quite noon here in the UK).

    At the moment my energy and stamina keeps going up, and I'm happy with that aspect of the exercise, but I'm not impressed by my weight loss. I have used a tape meaure too, which shows a a drop of 1.5 inches from my waist and 0.5 from my hips (also down a cup size on the bust). So, yes, I have lost, and I am grateful, but I'm starting to feel really annoyed and it struck me that maybe I can draw on everyone else's experiences, and make some changes.

    All suggestions gratefully received (except those suggesting an intake of 800 - 1200, sorry!)

    Thank you
    Kat
    Real weight loss is slow and gradual. Don't fall into the hype of the biggest loser and fitness marketing scams. In my 115lb weight loss it was never linear.

    115lb is an amazing loss. How long did it take you to get where you are now?
  • eagle_01
    eagle_01 Posts: 94
    Well, I have a friend who's been training as a personal trainer. We don't usually talk 'shop', but I decided to ask him too. I sent him some printed screen shots of the MFP diary in a an e-mail. So for anyone else going through what I am, this is what I got back:

    "HI ya….

    that’s a really clever food diary… I like that…

    Your diet seems super - you are eating little and often and the right things.

    Best thing to do it to slightly reduce your calories which you have done… and not do what a lot of people do and cut it down so much they end up going into starvation mode. This is where your body stores everything as fat when you do eat as it thinks you are starving and therefore converts food as fat and not energy… very clever little things we are.

    However, that’s not the case with you as you are eating the right amount.

    it does take a bit of time for these things to happen- I always believe there is a 2-3 week delay on weight - so pig out and you will see the scales move in a few weeks -diet and exercise and you will see them move down in a few weeks - you just have to keep going whilst this process happens.

    If you have lost and then stopped, it could be that you need to do more…. sounds obvious I know but this is what happens…

    You burn calories (fat) by raising your heart rate… and how you do this is totally up to you ;o)

    However, when you raise your heart rate you get fitter.. your heart gets stronger and has to work less to keep you going… therefore your heart rate drops.. so say 90 lengths used to make you heart rate go to 80% of its max which is fat burning. When you have made yourself fitter it may only go to 50% of its max when doing the same 90 lengths because it doesn’t have to work so hard. So unfortunately, you have to shock it again.

    You can do this by doing something different - something you are not used to. that'll take your heart rate up again and start the fat burning process.

    However, nutrition is THE most important thing….

    hope that helps ….."
  • EllieMo
    EllieMo Posts: 131 Member
    I've lost 8lb since 1 Jan so I'm in the same boat, but I'm not stressing over it - at least I'm losing :)

    Some good advice from your personal trainer friend
  • eagle_01
    eagle_01 Posts: 94
    Thanks elliemo, i do just have to be patient...usually am, but today i started wondering if i was on the right track and i guess i'm doing ok.
  • mmarcy11
    mmarcy11 Posts: 38 Member
    hmm I was looking at your diary and it looks like most days you have a net calorie of about 1,000. I'm new to this site but I've been told not to let my net calories go below 1,200 each day. It has been working for me so far, Ive been losing about 2 pounds a week since I've upped my calories when I exercise. But on the otherhand your trainer says you are not going into starvation mode, so not sure about that part.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    Your exercise cals are enormous! Are you working out for long periods of time at high intensity? I can spend a sweaty hour at the gym and only hit 600 cals. And I'm a 250lb guy.

    If you're not, you may be overestimating your exercise cals. Getting a more accurate read on those might increase your loss rate a little. But 7.3lbs so far really isn't bad at all.
  • qwe3nz
    qwe3nz Posts: 29
    YOU REALLY SHOULD TRACK YOUR BODY FAT% RATHER THAN YOUR WEIGHT LOSS AS ITS MORE ACCURATE IN TELLING YOU HOW MUCH FAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY LOST. AS IT ONLY TRACKS FAT FOLDS. WEIGHT ON THE OTHER HAND ACCOUNTS FOR EVERYTHING FAT, MUSCLE, BONES, BLOOD, WASTE ETC ETC
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    DOES POSTING ALL IN CAPS HELP YOU TO TRACK BODY FAT %?
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    Your exercise cals are enormous! Are you working out for long periods of time at high intensity? I can spend a sweaty hour at the gym and only hit 600 cals. And I'm a 250lb guy.

    If you're not, you may be overestimating your exercise cals. Getting a more accurate read on those might increase your loss rate a little. But 7.3lbs so far really isn't bad at all.
    I agree, the calorie burns seem large, maybe overestimating. I also agree, you are losing a pound per week, and that's good, so I'd keep doing what you are doing as long as you keep losing at that rate.
  • eagle_01
    eagle_01 Posts: 94
    Your exercise cals are enormous! Are you working out for long periods of time at high intensity? I can spend a sweaty hour at the gym and only hit 600 cals. And I'm a 250lb guy.

    If you're not, you may be overestimating your exercise cals. Getting a more accurate read on those might increase your loss rate a little. But 7.3lbs so far really isn't bad at all.
    I agree, the calorie burns seem large, maybe overestimating. I also agree, you are losing a pound per week, and that's good, so I'd keep doing what you are doing as long as you keep losing at that rate

    When i started i did wonder as everyone else seems so low! bug a few mfp friends have taken to swimming you once or twice a week, and when they do their cals used are similar. i swim 65 - 90 minutes when i can, both mfp and sites online to calculate the call used from exercise show swimming as a major calorie burn. 65 mins is just over 1000 and 90 mins is just under 1500. i swim about ten lengths at 1 length a minute and then as many as i can going as fast as i can. so 78 lengths in an hour and 108 lengths in an hour and a half. no matter there i calculate this the brb comes out massive.



    when i don't swim an hour on my xbox only burns about 400 can
  • eagle_01
    eagle_01 Posts: 94
    hmm I was looking at your diary and it looks like most days you have a net calorie of about 1,000. I'm new to this site but I've been told not to let my net calories go below 1,200 each day. It has been working for me so far, Ive been losing about 2 pounds a week since I've upped my calories when I exercise. But on the otherhand your trainer says you are not going into starvation mode, so not sure about that part.

    i hadn't heard this, have to admit that with the exception of the to hrs immediately after swimming, i don't feel very hungry. i find it a struggle to eat about 2000, though have forced myself into that range because of the bmr calculator on fat to fit radio, which suggested that at sedentary i eat 1810 at moderate exercise just above 2000 and just under 2300 for 3-5 days of exercise. i felt like i was going to be ill aiming for 2300 so now eat about 1900-2000. hvr, what you said does make sense.

    Maybe while i'm dieting i should lower my swim to 30mins, so the deficit isn't so high...food for thought.
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