ITT: Ask me anything about losing weight..

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  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Hi Sublog, I appreciate your offer and am taking you up on this offer.

    My start weight was 180. My current weight fluctuates around 112-114...I've been strength training more consistently (3x a week), and cardio about 5-6 days a week. My goal is to continue to burn fat but also to gain muscle cuz i am skinny fat. I'm not so concern about my weight at this point. I would very much appreciate it if you could/would take a look at my exercise (ijust started adding the specific exercises with weight training, but have consistently been doing the same workout) and food logs and tell me if I am on the right track? Or what I should change? Heavier weights, less repetition? Lighter weights more repetition? Too much/too little cardio? Eating too little? Too much? Too little protein? Not enough protein? I read a lot of postings, but am more confused as a rult. It seems every opinion has a counter opinion. I don't want to waste my efforts and do want to see some results. Thank you in advance. joyce

    If you're interested in making body composition changes, might want to limit your cardio and focus more on your strength training and a more moderate deficit. Eat about 1 gram of protein per lean body mass - in your case about 100g is safe. Also, not sure what kind of lifting split you are doing, but ensure it's a professionally designed routing and you're doing enough weight to get almost to failure around your 8th rep or so.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Hey there, Im looking for another opinion on my calories...Im 5ft 2 (just) and 30 years old. I weigh Currently about 178 lbs aiming to be around 140ish. I have lost 29 lbs since January. I work out 6 times a week a Mixture of cardio ( aerobics and running) and Weights. I have my Calories currently set at 1330. 1 lb loss a week. I have stalled out a little the last couple of weeks. I had a small loss last week after nothing for 2 weeks. But I'm thinking that I'm not eating enough. I try to eat back my exercise calories. Some days it doesn't happen and I net under 1200. I work in retail so I am on my feet at least 5 hours a day non stop. So sometime eating a snack at work consists of a protein shake or a piece of fruit. And I don't like to eat HUGE meals at night. What are your thoughts on my calories and loss. I ideally would like to lose 1-2 lbs a week. My diary is open if you would like to look. :)

    Thanks for reading.

    Go back to double checking your intake. If it's correct, you're likely just holding onto water weight, which is masking fat loss. Try increasing your potassium intake to see if it will get you to drop some water weight you've likely been storing.
  • Jwanguy
    Jwanguy Posts: 115 Member
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    I'm still a little confused on tighten up my core during workouts. To make sure Im doing it correctly I suck my belly button is that how it's done.
  • jsugihara86
    jsugihara86 Posts: 71 Member
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    Just a question, I hold lots my weight in my stomach area.
    any exercises to aid it to lose faster around there?


    ^^^ This !
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I've heard the Paleo diet is the best diet ever and when combined with Crossfit you will become f'n elite, any truth to this?

    Is this a trick question??:laugh:
  • mamapuddin17
    mamapuddin17 Posts: 108 Member
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    bump
  • Billywoo
    Billywoo Posts: 141 Member
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    Hey there. Thanks for doing this... My question is, Im losing weight everywhere except from my spare tire. Im doing a ton of core workouts. I don't want to bulk up my abs, just slim down all around. Any tips? Also, what do you think about this CLA everyone is telling me about?

    And I still don't know what, "Bump" means on here. lol
  • Teresa652
    Teresa652 Posts: 217 Member
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    Besides MFP did you use any other sites to help you in your weight lose?
  • abookreader2
    abookreader2 Posts: 49 Member
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    :) Congrats!! You look great!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I've been on MFP for over a year but I am struggling.
    My weightloss stalled last year and I put that down to loosing my mum, but six months on and I canno't get past loosing the same 5lbs over again.
    I have done more research and found I was under eating which I didn't realise.
    I have looked at many different websites to get my BMR and try and work out my TDEE and base my calories on those.
    I always aim to NET = 1400+ now. I haven't logged for two weeks I stepped away just to stop me stressing and hopefully give my body a chance to reset5 it's self. I am not falling asleep in the early evenings so I think I am doing something right.
    I am moving all day long on a normal week, sometimes I don't sit down at all at work and sometimes I can be sat at a pc for a few hours or even most of the day. I orgionally set my actiivty level to sedatary and logged any exercise seperatly.
    In feb I got myself a fitbit which I wear all the time and discovered I was moving way more than I thought. I am walking 5-7miles a day with taking daughter to school, going to work and then collecting her in the evenings. I bike 10 mins each way to her school from work so its a very short ride, but I always try and do it as fast as I can (traffic & lights permitting!)
    I so to parkrun (timed 5k ) every saturday that I am free which I walk in about 40 minutes - still have no inclination to run it, maybe one day...
    Sorry I am digressing.
    Do I set my activity level to active or very active as I get a huge increase on calories via the fitbit if I don't most of the websites look at how many times you exerise not the fact your active with work?

    Having stalled for so long, I am trying to organise more time to do other exercise - I have p90x sitting on a shelf, but I don't have the space and the player needed to run/ do it - its my target for later in the year.
    I power walk whenever I can get the time around full time job and two small children, I have always tried to make my journey to fitness fit in with my family as I feel I am more likely to keep it up if it doesn't conflict and time is the main thing I (like many are short on- I get 30 minutes to eat lunch so I can leave work early to collect oldest daughter and then get back in tiime to collect youngest - )
    I know the source of my calories are not the greatest but I am trying to find an approximate start point on the calories as I can work on improving the sources once I have got the numbers right.

    my stats

    SW:232
    CW 185-193
    height 5' 4"
    body fat approx 36%

    Thank you very much for your time and trying to help those of us that are a little lost

    Calories are calories. As long as you can achieve micro and macro nutritional sufficiency, the types of food you eat are largely irrelevant for weight loss purposes.

    It's SO easy to underestimate your intake. It's so easy to have one or two meals wipe out an entire week's worth of deficit. Just eat consistently for 3 weeks. If you're not losing weight your 1. Eating more calories than you think, 2. Your metabolism is slower than you think, or 3. You're actually losing fat, but you are holding onto water weight, which is masking weight loss.

    Aside from double checking your intake and ensuring you're logging everything right, and of course getting with your dr. to ensure your thyroid levels are in the proper range. Not much else I can provide.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Can you give an example of a diet for fat loss?

    A diet for fat loss is one you can follow indefinitely. Find foods you like to eat. Diets need not be bland or boring to be successful.
  • adriana_hackney
    adriana_hackney Posts: 232 Member
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    You are awesome for doing this btw!!!

    Here's my question: I am overweight, and I want to lose that weight, but I also want to build muscle (and definitely not lose what I already have)

    Here's my routine:
    Mon: 30 min elliptical/upper body (with 3, 5, and 10 lb dumbbells)
    Tues: 30 min elliptical/Lower body/abs
    Weds: 30 min elliptical/upper body/abs
    Thurs: 30 min elliptical/lower body
    Fri: 30 min elliptical/upper body
    Sat: 30 min elliptical/lower body/ abs
    Sun: rest
    (the abs totally get mixed up every week...it really just depends how beat I am)

    Is this ok?? I keep hearing that this is not effective and that i'm gonna lose muscle.

    Can't wait to hear you thoughts.

    -Adriana
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    I'm currently on the fence about starting a slow bulk or continuing to cut.
    I'm at 11-12% body fat, down from 27ish, at 139-140lbs.
    Sooooooo close!
    Is it more beneficial to add lean mass now, or to cut fat?
    I'm coming up quick on 38 and want to look great this summer.

    Thanx!
    Dan

    PS, I IF 16/8 daily and practice the big 5 3 times a week.
    Creatine and BCAAs daily.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Sublog, you may regret this thread - so many questions?
    So you didn't eat back exercise calories and lost consistently. Did you IF throughout your weight loss?
    If you have about 40 pounds to lose do you think 2 pounds per week do-able and okay?

    I've been doing IF for a little over a year. It's not magic, it still comes down to calories in vs calories out. I do like IF because it allows me to eat larger meals and feel full later in the day. 1-2 lbs per week is a good range. Just try to get some sort of resistance workout in and eat a diet high in protein for muscle sparing purposes.
  • Mustangsally33
    Mustangsally33 Posts: 63
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    What is more accurate ; the calories burned on the Machine or the Calores MFP says you burn in a workout ? They are both differant ! I have been on here logging and workout for 2 months , I can now run a 5K , first my calories were too low at 1200 s, I bumped them up to 1500 cause I am just not losing any weight . I am seeing inches come off but in 2 months of working out 4-5 days a week and logging I have lost 3 lbs ! What am I doing wrong ?
  • kate_sunflower
    kate_sunflower Posts: 152 Member
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    What's your thought on the Standard Keto Diet? And ketosis in general? Did you ever do anything like that? After too many times failing with the restrictions on Atkins I'm trying to find a low carb WOE that won't lead me to failure and ultimately self sabotage.

    Congrats on your successes! You are an inspiration!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I'm currently on the fence about starting a slow bulk or continuing to cut.
    I'm at 11-12% body fat, down from 27ish, at 139-140lbs.
    Sooooooo close!
    Is it more beneficial to add lean mass now, or to cut fat?
    I'm coming up quick on 38 and want to look great this summer.

    Thanx!
    Dan

    PS, I IF 16/8 daily and practice the big 5 3 times a week.
    Creatine and BCAAs daily.

    11-12% is a perfect spot to start your bulk. I started mine about the same %, and I am glad that I did. Just put a cap on your body fat % before you start your next cut. I placed a 15% cap on mine. Of course, its kinda of late to do it and get ripped for the summer, but that will be something you'll need to figure out.
  • mdsjmom98
    mdsjmom98 Posts: 333 Member
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    I'm looking to tone the underside of my arms. I've got the dangly flab, but only on my non-dominant arm. My right arm is fairly toned. Any advice to focus more on one than the other, and something that will work well?? Thanks!!
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    I have read alot about increasing calories. As per BMR and TDEE and everything. I have done the maths and everything on it. However, heres the problem for me. See I, as per my BMR+20% daily activity = 2100 calories. Which I eat typically. Its my freaking exercise calories.

    I do boxing, which causes me on a slow day atleast 1k calories. Typically I burn 2k-2.5k calories in a day. Which means that I get to eat 4.5k Calories...Even if MFP is overestimating by 50%, thats still 3.25k+ calories I gotta eat.

    At this point, should I try and eat all those calories or should I just eat till I'm full and stuffed with good foods? I eat clean but eat lots of meats and rice and stuff so I'm not just living on fruits and veggies mind you. I'm eating good solid food, its just too many freaking calories to eat without scarfing down a whopper >.<

    You didn't mention your goals? Are you stuck? Losing weight?
  • tracym17
    tracym17 Posts: 68 Member
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    thank you for doing this. I am a bit puzzled by my calorie burn and I just wondered if you had any thoughts. I apologise if this gets a bit rambling or if I am just a bit thick.

    I have a low heart rate. I am 46 years old, 5 ft and 133 pounds and, from what I have read, my resting hr should be around 70 and active hr between 120 and 180. I got a HRM at the start of this year and was a bit surprised to find that my resting hr is 45-50, active hr in the low hundreds (very rarely gets over 110). I mentioned it to my doctor and he assures me there is no cause for concern, I am otherwise healthy and my heart is in good shape so, although not within what is considered the 'normal' range, he believes my numbers are my 'norm' and nothing to worry about. so that's okay. but getting to the calorie burn, I was also surprised at how few calories I seem to burn for the effort I feel I am putting in. I know the figures on mfp and by my (computerised) gym workout are only estimates, but they are way more than the numbers on my hrm. I thought this might be connected with the low heart rate, I dont know, but again not worrying just started logging the lower numbers and adjusted my eating habits accordingly.

    but here's the bit I find puzzling. I am doing c25k and in the early weeks, during the run/walk intervals, my hrm showed that I burned around 230-270 cals. I am now at week 7 and have no more walking intervals. Today in a 25 min run, I felt that I really pushed myself. I could feel my heart going, I worked up a sweat and thought I kept up a good pace. I even managed a few speed bursts. but throughout the 25 mins, my heart rate never got over 65 and I only burned 54 cals. In the 5 min cool down walk, my heart rate rose to 98 and I burned 35 cals. I dont get how it seems that, the harder I push the fewer cals I burn.

    Do you have any insight? Thanks for taking the time to read and sorry again if this is nonsense.

    btw. congratulations on your weight lose.

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