Calories needed to lose weight

indiebeats
indiebeats Posts: 18
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
So I've been trying to lose weight for a while, I've gone down a couple shirt sizes but nothing's gone from the scales which is really frustrating.

I normally burn 500 calories a day, eat a minimum of 1200-1600 after workout and it's more fresh food than before but still nothing is working.

getting a little frustrated so any advice would be much appreciated :)

Replies

  • freezerburn2012
    freezerburn2012 Posts: 273 Member
    Unless your BMI is really high, the numbers on the scale don't matter as much as the inches you are losing.

    Congrats on the shrinking shirt size!
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    According to the Wii Fit (which I don't trust as it measures me heavier than my scales) I'm just under 30 on the BMI scale. Would really like to get it down into the 'ideal' category but nothing seems to be working so at a loss really.

    But yes, shirt size shrinkage is at least a good sign!
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
    Unless your BMI is really high, the numbers on the scale don't matter as much as the inches you are losing.

    Congrats on the shrinking shirt size!

    ::hijack::

    I absolutely love your bandana...
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 567 Member
    YAY!! Bye bye inches! :) The scale tells me otherwise as well. It's a jealous B#Tch. :)
  • coraliethomas
    coraliethomas Posts: 336 Member
    Yeah, you might be building some muscle up while you are losing fat.. so, even if pound for pound you are replacing muscle with fat remember, muscle takes up FAR less space than fat does :)

    Also make sure you are drinking enough water during workouts, I wasnt a while back and my body retained every drop and that played with the numbers on the scale too!

    Good luck! And well done on the inches lost!
  • Sarahmeridith
    Sarahmeridith Posts: 298 Member
    Are you only eating 1200-1600 and burning 500? if so you are not eating enough, I know for me if have to eat anough or I completly stop seeing the scale go down. Good luck!
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    thanks guys! i've only lost a couple inches but I went from a size 18 t-shirt to 14 so that's something at least, and lost two bra sizes (hooray!!)

    I'm not sure about the muscle though because i still look quite chubby/flabby so can muscle be built without much being shown on the outside?
  • lutkica01
    lutkica01 Posts: 65
    make sure you are eating the calories your burn through exercise back. it will make a difference.
  • hollyrunner
    hollyrunner Posts: 31 Member
    I've been on MFP for 75 days and have only lost 2 pounds on the scale....also during that time I've lost 4.5 inches from my waist and 4.5 inches from my hips. If it hadn't been for the inches lost I probably would have given up; so don't give up...get a tape measure and start keeping track of the inches. Use all the tools you can to track your progress. Good luck!! :flowerforyou:
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    so do you have to eat back calories? i thought you were supposed to burn the calories and then not eat them back?
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
    VERY BASIC CONCEPT: You have to create a deficite of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. So think in terms of basic math. If you consume 1500 calories a day, After 1 week you will consume 10,500 calories. You need to burn at least 10,500 calories to stay the same weight you are plus to lose weight you need to burn an additional 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat. If you consume 1500 calories of food, add exercise calories of 300 per day, the 300 calories becomes your deficite. If you have a daily deficite of 300 calories per day it will take you {3500 / 300 = 11.67 days to lose a pound} SO... in order to lose weight we need to create a larger daily deficite. If you have a daily deficite of 700 calories you will lose {3500 / 700 = 5 days to lose a pound}

    If you really want to KNOW what your daily deficite is you may want to invest in a good Heart Rate Monitor w/ calories burned info or consider BodyMedia or BodyBugg.

    It's easy in concept...but it also smacks of the reality many of us face. In a world of instant gratification and pretty much every kind of food within driving distance, in order to be successful you have to have endourance heere. 11 days will feel like a very long time to see a change on the scale.
  • iqnas
    iqnas Posts: 445 Member
    You're building muscles! Don't worry about the scale so much! It's the inches that count.
  • indiebeats
    indiebeats Posts: 18
    I've read a lot about calorie deficit etc which is why i try for 500 cals or more burn a day. My main conundrum though is do i eat back these calories (healthily) or not? I don't normally but then I end up with a low daily calorie count so I don't know if my bodies going into starvation mode even though I eat 3 good meals a day.

    Basically:

    1200 calories a day
    minus 500 calories for exercise

    700 in total. And i know this is VERY low so I'm a bit lost :(
  • lisastrom
    lisastrom Posts: 108 Member
    Congrats on the inches lost. You say that you've been eating 1200-1600 a day. What is your goal setting? 1 lb./wk., 2 lbs./wk.? At 1200 if you're just starting out on your weight loss that's a bit low. MFP suggests 1 lb/wk setting so I bet your base would be closer to 1300 or so. Check into that. So many people seem to think that no matter what they weigh, they should only eat 1200 calories base but this is actually when you get closer to goal.

    That's been my experience so perhaps it'll help you as well.
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
    From everything I have read I do believe 700 calories (after deficite) is too low and your body will think it's in starvation mode. I am no expert and have found the Livestrong.com site to be pretty useful.
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