Am I doing this all wrong?

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I am an 18 year old male and trying to go from 195lbs to about 170lbs. I have always been very impatient so I'm trying to get to my goal as fast as possible. The thing about this is I may be doing it wrong. I get some sort of exercise every day whether it be basketball, riding my bike, running, and a lot of others. I'm doing all of this and taking in very little calories. Maybe 650-700 a day. I am eating 3 times a day, just not food with a lot of calories. Is the a recipe for disaster and for me to just gain it all back in the end, or is this an okay way to do things. I have lost 3lbs in about 3 days.
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Replies

  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
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    It sounds like you're starving yourself...you actually should be consuming more calories which will help you lose weight..I know that seems strange, but it's true.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    It's a recipe for disaster. You need to eat more. At least 1200 calories a day. 18 year old? I would say even more because men can grow until they are 21 so it's likely you are still growing.
  • PanaMericann
    PanaMericann Posts: 47 Member
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    You're doing this wrong. You're pretty much starving yourself. I'm 18 (well 17 but...) and started at 181 (On MFP, 190 before). Eat the amount of calories it tell you to eat and exercise. You can't rush it. I lost 12 pounds in about a month. You have to weight train and do cardio. Remember don't rush and don't starve yourself, you kill your metabolism and you lose muscle rather than fat that way.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Your exercise and variety of it sounds great! Your diet sounds very very bad.
  • RES2333
    RES2333 Posts: 36
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    The 650-700 calories a day is too low. Let me say that one again...that is too low. You need to up those calories.

    Here is what is going to happen...you are active and trying to lose but you are restricting your caloric intake to a level that is so low that your body is going to react, but in a way you don't want it to. Your metabolism will slow down if you continue on that path. The body will go into "starvation mode". It thinks that now it is not receiving enough calories so it slows the metabolism down. That is opposite of what you want to achieve.

    I would say increase your calories to a healthy level and spread those out over five or six meals per day. Look to eat about every three hours. The three meals a day is not conducive to keep that metabolism going.

    Good job chaning things up with basketball, biking and running. You got the cardio in, may want to add weights to help too.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    Offtopic...sorry.

    Is that a pet raccoon in your photo?
  • bobemmer
    bobemmer Posts: 16 Member
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    you are not eating enough - your body is in survival mode and will not allow weight loss- i am guessing you need 1800-2400 calories per day - hope this helps - bob
  • hunteranderson13
    hunteranderson13 Posts: 9 Member
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    It's a lemur. We got to pet them at a zoo. :p
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    Oh, okay!! Thanks
  • hunteranderson13
    hunteranderson13 Posts: 9 Member
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    Very helpful. I always feel like the more I eat the worse off I am. Then that makes me want to give up and binge. I know that isn't the way to go. Definitely gonna work on it!
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Eat more starting today you are doing real harm to your body. Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate which I would guess is between 1800 and 2000 and eat that. Then do exercise an average of 300-500 per day to lose.
  • shannond1980
    shannond1980 Posts: 60 Member
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    Like everyone else said so far, up the calories and start adding strength training of some kind and you'll start seeing results faster.
  • crazy_mims
    crazy_mims Posts: 13 Member
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    I also agree. I think you should be eating more calories. But I know it is easiest said then done. because I tent to have the same problem ( I'm so scared that the more I put in my body the fatter I'll get). So ya, I totally get you. But actually it is only mental. Because don,t forget that by doing your normal daily activities you are still burning calories. If your body enters a starvation mode it will slow down your metabolism and you could hit a plateau with your weight loss or even maybe gain some weight. But I am having the same problem. so maybe we can help and motivate eachother. keep it up .
  • hunteranderson13
    hunteranderson13 Posts: 9 Member
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    MFP says my calorie limit is only 1510. Should I stick to that?
  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    MFP says my calorie limit is only 1510. Should I stick to that?

    Yes. And when you exercise you can eat more.
  • RES2333
    RES2333 Posts: 36
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    That is before exercise calories are burned. If you are doing your cardio and adding weights, you can increase it some.

    Definitely start with that as that is a healthier number than what you doing. But you are young and active and like someone else said above, you are still growing so can add more than that.

    Log your food and exercise daily and see what is working.
  • hunteranderson13
    hunteranderson13 Posts: 9 Member
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    Awesome! Thanks everyone. I know a lot of much needed information now.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    yeah cause going as fast as possible is ALWAYS the answer! woohoo for doing it all wrong and not getting the results you want from the work and time you aint putting in!

    high five!

    be smarter.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Am I doing this all wrong?
    Maybe 650-700 a day. I am eating 3 times a day, just not food with a lot of calories. Is the a recipe for disaster and for me to just gain it all back in the end, or is this an okay way to do things. I have lost 3lbs in about 3 days.

    yep. all wrong.
  • PittShkr
    PittShkr Posts: 1,000 Member
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    yeah cause going as fast as possible is ALWAYS the answer! woohoo for doing it all wrong and not getting the results you want from the work and time you aint putting in!

    high five!

    be smarter.



    What she said!