General Advice, please

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Rumik
Rumik Posts: 86 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I need some general advice, as I think there are some fundamentals about weight loss that I just don't know.

I'm male, 31, 5'4 and currently 162 pounds. My daily calorie target is 1200. Until this week I have been losing weight consistently at around 2lb per week doing 20 mins of walking/running on the treadmill and some weight training (pretty much just machines, no free weights) 2-3 times a week. This week I've decided to try 5 days a week, to improve the results. I haven't seen any weight loss so far this week, which is troubling because I usually see results every day. For some reason it didn't occur to me that I'd be burning calories while lifting weights, so I haven't been tracking them, so I'm now wondering if I've been eating enough calories. I find it hard some days to eat that much even without exercise, so if I'm burning 150 calories during my walk/run, and about 250 during my weight training (that's a very rough figure, I really have no idea), that's an extra 350 calories I need to eat in order to hit that target.

Really I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to maximise my weight loss, given the above info.

Thanks so much :)

Ryan
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Replies

  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Why is your calorie goal only 1200? This is really low

    You do not have much more to go so you should really aim for a deficit of 1/2 lb a week
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
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    Hi all,

    I need some general advice, as I think there are some fundamentals about weight loss that I just don't know.

    I'm male, 31, 5'4 and currently 162 pounds. My daily calorie target is 1200. Until this week I have been losing weight consistently at around 2lb per week doing 20 mins of walking/running on the treadmill and some weight training (pretty much just machines, no free weights) 2-3 times a week. This week I've decided to try 5 days a week, to improve the results. I haven't seen any weight loss so far this week, which is troubling because I usually see results every day. For some reason it didn't occur to me that I'd be burning calories while lifting weights, so I haven't been tracking them, so I'm now wondering if I've been eating enough calories. I find it hard some days to eat that much even without exercise, so if I'm burning 150 calories during my walk/run, and about 250 during my weight training (that's a very rough figure, I really have no idea), that's an extra 350 calories I need to eat in order to hit that target.

    Really I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to maximise my weight loss, given the above info.

    Thanks so much :)

    Ryan

    1. 1200 calories is too low. I dont care what MFP says your calorie # should be. If MFP says you should take 1200 calories when your WEIGHT training as well as cardio on top then its clearly flawed. If this is a number you made up, then its even more flawed (sorry to be blunt)
    2. USE free weights. Using machines are good and dandy for that specific muscle group, but if you really want to gain muscles, lose fat, and look good then you need to use free weights. Using free weights requires you to use not just the target muscle but the muscles around it (supporting muscles, for stability)
    4. KING and Queen of awesome muscle exercises, King Dreadlift and Queen squats. These two exercises work not only the target muscles but pretty much most of your body so its like using 5 machines in 1.
    Dreadlift (depending on style it can work the hamstrings or back. BUT it also works your glutes, your calves, your entire leg muscles, your forearms etc)
    Squats (mostly works your legs, but also works your calves, forearms, back etc)
    3. to be honest counting calorie lost in weight training is very difficult, so its best if you dont. There are so many variables (intensity, reps/sets weights used etc) that its just not worth thinking about it.
    4. You are not eating enough. simple as that. Reason you are not losing anymore is because your body is going "hey im starving here so im not going to lose any more weight/fat since I need all of this to remain alive"

    I personally eat 2500-2700 calories everyday with my workout routines. I am not losing weight, fair enough but I am still losing fat whilst gaining lean muscle. Have a look at my pics on my profile for an example. My stats are 5"11" and 142 pounds
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    Why is your calorie goal only 1200? This is really low

    You do not have much more to go so you should really aim for a deficit of 1/2 lb a week

    Well, firstly that's what MFP recommended, and because it's sometimes hard to eat that much. I have a 170 calorie bowl of cereal for breakfast, for lunch I either have a 170 calorie tuna steak (though often it's not enough so I grab a bag of 200 calorie crisps) or a 250 calorie pasta meal, and a balanced dinner, usually no more than 500 calories (though every month or so I'll have a pizza or spaghetti with 3 170 calorie sausage meatballs). If I have a bigger breakfast, or bigger lunch, I'm usually not hungry at dinner time.

    Also, it's been working up to now. I've just changed my exercise routine to be 5 days a week instead of 3 (though I'm only on day 3) and am wondering if it's too much, and if I should just go back to 3 times a week.
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
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    1200 is definitely too low just because you are male let alone any other reason.
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
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    Why is your calorie goal only 1200? This is really low

    You do not have much more to go so you should really aim for a deficit of 1/2 lb a week

    Well, firstly that's what MFP recommended, and because it's sometimes hard to eat that much. I have a 170 calorie bowl of cereal for breakfast, for lunch I either have a 170 calorie tuna steak (though often it's not enough so I grab a bag of 200 calorie crisps) or a 250 calorie pasta meal, and a balanced dinner, usually no more than 500 calories (though every month or so I'll have a pizza or spaghetti with 3 170 calorie sausage meatballs). If I have a bigger breakfast, or bigger lunch, I'm usually not hungry at dinner time.

    Also, it's been working up to now. I've just changed my exercise routine to be 5 days a week instead of 3 (though I'm only on day 3) and am wondering if it's too much, and if I should just go back to 3 times a week.

    Read what I wrote above.
    A male cannot and i mean CANNOT go below 1500 calories EVER at ANY ONE TIME. It is a real number that is scientifically, professionally, socially, everythinglally proven to NEVER go below.

    What you are currently on is called a fad diet. Its a trendy diet where you go extremely low calories thinking, well its calories in vs calories out. So if i eat as little calories as possible then OBVIOUSLY i will lose weight. WRONG WRONG WRONG x INFINITY! DO NOT, and i repeat DO NOT listen to ANYONE that says you should eat less than 1500 calories, and to be honest if your working out 5 days a week that number should be way above 2200 calories at the bare minimum.
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    1200 is definitely too low just because you are male let alone any other reason.

    Doesn't my weight, age and height factor into that though?
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    A male cannot and i mean CANNOT go below 1500 calories EVER at ANY ONE TIME. It is a real number that is scientifically, professionally, socially, everythinglally proven to NEVER go below.

    Can you point me to where you read that? And when you say CANNOT, can you explain why? As I understand it there's no risk of my body going into starvation mode unless I'm actually starving, which I'm not - I'm full all day! So if you could explain, help me understand, I'd appreciate it.
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
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    A male cannot and i mean CANNOT go below 1500 calories EVER at ANY ONE TIME. It is a real number that is scientifically, professionally, socially, everythinglally proven to NEVER go below.

    Can you point me to where you read that? And when you say CANNOT, can you explain why? As I understand it there's no risk of my body going into starvation mode unless I'm actually starving, which I'm not - I'm full all day! So if you could explain, help me understand, I'd appreciate it.

    What you are feeling and what your BODY is feeling are two completely different things. The reason why your probably not feeling hungry is because your body is already in starvation mode and slowing your body so it can survive off so little your giving it.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/559046-mfp-warning-about-eating-under-bmr?error_user_id=20629895&error_username=willyzification&hl=bmr

    A little topic on eating below your BMR. AND READ what I wrote way above. Its the 3rd comment on this topic
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
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    Of course! But being male is reason enough for you to eat more. I'm 5'2 123 mfp says for me to eat 1200. I'm set at 1350 right now and losing. I'm female. I cant hardly believe mfp has you set at 1200.
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
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    LOL @ everythingally!
    A male cannot and i mean CANNOT go below 1500 calories EVER at ANY ONE TIME. It is a real number that is scientifically, professionally, socially, everythinglally proven to NEVER go below.

    Can you point me to where you read that? And when you say CANNOT, can you explain why? As I understand it there's no risk of my body going into starvation mode unless I'm actually starving, which I'm not - I'm full all day! So if you could explain, help me understand, I'd appreciate it.
  • bailamulata
    bailamulata Posts: 50
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    My son and husband are also working out... weight machine, treadmill, arc trainer, and some free weights... they went to GNC for a recommendation on a protein shake to add to their daily meals and the sales person... also a personal trainer... recommended some fish oil vitamins along with a post work out protein shake. He told them that after working out it is very important to take something within the 1-2 hours to help in recovery... so they are drinking a recovery shake after going to the gym. My hubby had the gastric bypass surgery done about 4 years ago... so fitting extra food is hard for him... but this recovery protein shake is actually helping him add to his protein intake along with some calories. Wish you the best of luck :flowerforyou:
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
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    Here, this is a REAL calculator that uses proper calcualtions to figure out how much you should eat.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    I already did the calculation for you, with your height of 5"4" and age 31, 162 pounds you should be eating 2203 calroies for maintenance and fat loss calories to 1763. BUT that is for working out 3 days, If you workout 5 days then it comes higher. maintenance becomes 2343 calories and fat loss 1875 calories.
  • EllieMo
    EllieMo Posts: 131 Member
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    Likely to be some water retention due to the increased need for muscle repair arising from the increased number of workouts per week. Give your body a bit of time to catch up with itself before you may any drastic decisions.
  • EllieMo
    EllieMo Posts: 131 Member
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    1200 is definitely too low just because you are male let alone any other reason.

    Given his height and weight I don't think this level of calories as a net balance is a problem
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Hi all,

    I need some general advice, as I think there are some fundamentals about weight loss that I just don't know.

    I'm male, 31, 5'4 and currently 162 pounds. My daily calorie target is 1200. Until this week I have been losing weight consistently at around 2lb per week doing 20 mins of walking/running on the treadmill and some weight training (pretty much just machines, no free weights) 2-3 times a week. This week I've decided to try 5 days a week, to improve the results. I haven't seen any weight loss so far this week, which is troubling because I usually see results every day. For some reason it didn't occur to me that I'd be burning calories while lifting weights, so I haven't been tracking them, so I'm now wondering if I've been eating enough calories. I find it hard some days to eat that much even without exercise, so if I'm burning 150 calories during my walk/run, and about 250 during my weight training (that's a very rough figure, I really have no idea), that's an extra 350 calories I need to eat in order to hit that target.

    Really I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on how to maximise my weight loss, given the above info.

    Thanks so much :)

    Ryan

    I'm 4ft 11, and am eating more than you!

    Put your info in here - what does it tell you is your daily calorie expenditure?
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    Thank you for all the advice :)

    I'm hesitant to increase my daily calorie target because in my experience going much higher than that just causes me to put weight back on. I've seen this happen again and again - in fact the last 2 weekends have seen me eating 200-300 calories more than my target because I've been at the inlaws, or out to dinner with visiting friends, and have been unable to accurately track what I've been eating. And I've put on 1-2 pounds each weekend, which I then lost again during the following week. If I'm just not supposed to be eating so few calories, why do I gain weight when I go above that target?
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    Put your info in here - what does it tell you is your daily calorie expenditure?

    Put my info in where? My MFP Goals section? Given my heights, weight, age, weight goal and number of workouts per week, it says 1200.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Put your info in here - what does it tell you is your daily calorie expenditure?

    Put my info in where? My MFP Goals section? Given my heights, weight, age, weight goal and number of workouts per week, it says 1200.

    Sorry - missed off the link - must be breakfast time!

    http://www.skinbodyfitness.com/bmr_bmi_bfp.htm

    If you don't have measurements do this one

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Thank you for all the advice :)

    I'm hesitant to increase my daily calorie target because in my experience going much higher than that just causes me to put weight back on. I've seen this happen again and again - in fact the last 2 weekends have seen me eating 200-300 calories more than my target because I've been at the inlaws, or out to dinner with visiting friends, and have been unable to accurately track what I've been eating. And I've put on 1-2 pounds each weekend, which I then lost again during the following week. If I'm just not supposed to be eating so few calories, why do I gain weight when I go above that target?

    you cannot put on 2lbs of fat eating 200calories more.

    It takes 3500 extra calories to put on 1lb, so you would have had to eat back your deficit , plus another 7000 calories to put on 2lbs.

    It was just water weight from your glycogen being replenished. - http://www.justinowings.com/understanding-bodyweight-and-glycogen-de/

    Have you been taking your measurements, and tracking yor body fat % and lean mass?
  • Rumik
    Rumik Posts: 86 Member
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    Have you been taking your measurements, and tracking yor body fat % and lean mass?

    No, not really sure how to do that?

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