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Help!! CANNOT LOSE THE LAST TEN LBS!!

L_mills
L_mills Posts: 8 Member
edited December 17 in Social Groups
:mad:
Hey everyone! It's not easy for me to ask for help, so I really appreciate any advice and feedback! :) I have lost 20 lbs. & would like to lose 10 more to be at my goal weight of 140, however I am more frustrated than ever! Not only am I not losing anymore weight ( it hasn't gone down for about a month) but I also cannot get rid of my "love" handles. I have been working out more...I do tabata and Zumba classes 6 days a week, and have started taking 2 classes during the weekend to see if that would help...NOPE! I know I am supposed to eat 1200 calories a day, but if I burn 800 or so, do I need to eat all of that back? I lost the first 20 lbs. just by doing yoga a few days a week. Thank you in advance for any help!

Replies

  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    Yes, you need to eat the calories you burned. MFP is set up so you already eat less than you burn in a normal day. When you exercise, your body needs more than normal to fuel itself! You are essentially leaving yourself 400 calories a day to live off of. That's less than your brain needs alone. EAT!

    In addition, if you only need to lose 10 pounds, you need to eat much more than 1200. Go to your settings and change your goal to lose 0.5 pounds per week. The closer you are to your goal, the more you need to feed your body. You don't have as many fat stores to use as energy anymore.

    Try these 2 things, and if you ever need any other advice, try the main forums. You'll get more traffic there.
  • StarryOne
    StarryOne Posts: 50 Member
    If you have health insurance, I would recommend talking with a dietician through your health clinic. My visit with a dietician was so very helpful. She said eating back exercise calories was bunk, but suggested that I strive for 1400-1600 calories intake a day consistently, regardless of exercise. MFP tells me to eat 1600 daily with a goal to lose a pound a week, so her recommendations were not off by much. Granted, I had/have a lot more to lose that you, but I have been losing 1-2 pounds a week for the past 4 months. Not eating exercise calories is contrary to what a lot of people on mfp say, but It has worked for me and I feel better having guidance from a real professional rather than someone on a website.
  • cgrout78
    cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
    i would try eating more. I net about 1600 a day and am still losing.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
    If you have health insurance, I would recommend talking with a dietician through your health clinic. My visit with a dietician was so very helpful. She said eating back exercise calories was bunk, but suggested that I strive for 1400-1600 calories intake a day consistently, regardless of exercise. MFP tells me to eat 1600 daily with a goal to lose a pound a week, so her recommendations were not off by much. Granted, I had/have a lot more to lose that you, but I have been losing 1-2 pounds a week for the past 4 months. Not eating exercise calories is contrary to what a lot of people on mfp say, but It has worked for me and I feel better having guidance from a real professional rather than someone on a website.

    Did you explain to your dietitian exactly how MFP works? MFP has already calculated a calorie deficit into your goal, so when you exercise, you are making an even bigger calorie deficit which may be unsafe. That's why MFP asks you to eat those back, so you can maintain a healthy and consistent calorie deficit.

    If you only eat 1400 and then exercise burning 600, you only leave 900 for your body to live off of for the rest of the day's activities and metabolic functions.
  • StarryOne
    StarryOne Posts: 50 Member
    Yep- my dietitian was familiar with mfp and how things are calculated, but it really doesn't matter. If someone was writing their food intake in a paper journal or just logging in a spreadsheet, it is all the same. She recommended that someone of my size (252# when I started) who is working to lose weight should eat 1400-1600 calories per day unless exercising hours upon hours a day. She advised eating 1400-1600 calories daily and exercising at least 45 minutes 4-5 times a week, which is exactly what I have been doing and losing 1-2 pounds a week every single week. All said, this is what works for me and I value the advice I received. I would suggest everyone do what is right for him or her and to seriously consider talking to a professional about what is right for you!
  • L_mills
    L_mills Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks so much for the advice....I appreciate it all and have started eating more than 1200 cals! Hopefully I will finally see the scale start to move again!
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