I'm new and need help/motivation

BrookeAngela92
BrookeAngela92 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
So to start off; Hello! My name is Brooke (: I'm a 19 year old college student who stays at home and attends a community college in South Carolina. My current heigh is 5'7", and my weight was 161 as of March 9th, but now I weigh 156 as of today (I weigh in every Friday).
I'm kind of disappointed in myself because my weight goal is to weigh 140 lbs by June 1st, and i've only lost 5 lbs in three weeks! After week 1 I was at 159, so I lost 2 lbs, the second week I weighed the same at 159, and this week, or today, I weigh 156. I might be asking a lot for my weight to come off fast, but i've been very strict on my diet. I go to the gym 6 out of the 7 days a week, and since i've joined MFP it says my calorie intake should be 1470. Well, with my food I always have about 100-200 calories left over, and then I run the elliptical for an hour every time I go to the gym so that adds about 600 calories to my intake. Plus my BMR, I should have a very high caloric deficit.
Am I doing something wrong? Or am I just asking too much and my weight loss is normal? I have always dieted, or said I was going to, but it never worked out. This is the first time I have actually stuck to dieting, so i'm proud of myself with that (:

Thank you!!

Replies

  • najh4
    najh4 Posts: 28
    Your doing a good job, I spoke with my doctor and he said that the last 20-25lbs of the weight are just more difficult to come off... I have about that to loose as well. Keep your head up and keep truckin along. I am confident you will find success :)

    The only thing I can maybe suggest is mixing up your workouts... eliptical is good, but your body gets used to it and it wont help you. Throw in kick boxing, weights, Zumba, laps at the pool. And maybe have an extra rest day... overworking out will kick ya in the butt as well as overeating.
  • Lukazetta
    Lukazetta Posts: 427 Member
    Keep doing what you're doing but I recommend eating above your BMR, doing cardio and a bit of weight lifting.

    Also you may want to look up your TDEE based on how many days you exercise. For fat loss, I recommend eating 15-25% below your TDEE.

    As for your diet, you may want to set your macros to 30% protein/30% fat for fat loss.

    Good luck and keep up the progress!
  • BrookeAngela92
    BrookeAngela92 Posts: 4
    I've never even heard of TDEE, but I just measured it. It says I burn 2678 calories in a day. So -20% would mean I would eat about 2,143 calories a day. Now, pardon my stupidity, but how would eating more calories with my exercise increase my weight loss?
  • Lukazetta
    Lukazetta Posts: 427 Member
    I've never even heard of TDEE, but I just measured it. It says I burn 2678 calories in a day. So -20% would mean I would eat about 2,143 calories a day. Now, pardon my stupidity, but how would eating more calories with my exercise increase my weight loss?

    Most people who eat at or below BMR will lose weight for a short time.
    20-50% of most weight lost on a Very Low Calorie Diet is from Lean Mass.
    This is the opposite of true dieting.
    Most people who diet want to have better looking bodies and live a healthy life.
    They want to reduce fat mass and raise lean mass.
    Eating at BMR or lower actually maintains fat mass while dropping lean mass.

    If the body does not get enough energy from calories in, it will seek ways to slow itself down.
    Leptin levels drop, cortisol levels rise.
    Anabolism stops and catabolism begins.
    The body switches gears hormonally and tries to maintain fat, a non active tissue that stores energy, by burning lean mass, an active tissue that uses calories.
    So in essence fat mass starts to stay the same while lean mass drops.
    You can see how this can extend your dietary lifestyle right?

    Eating at or below BMR with intentions to eat back calories from working out is a convoluted way of thinking.
    We should be eating the proper amount of nutrients first, then creating a deficit with our workouts!
    That way if you miss a workout, you still have the proper nutrients in your system.
    Youll actually have more energy eating right and sleeping right than if you jumped into a VLCD.
    This has been proven!

    FROM: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/538381-in-place-of-a-road-map
  • Lukazetta
    Lukazetta Posts: 427 Member
    But to truly benefit from losing body fat % (not muscle mass), you have to do some weight lifting while eating in a caloric deficit (20% under TDEE).

    For routines: I recommend Stronglift/bodybuilding.com for women/circuit training for women - look them up on youtube if you need to.

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