ottermotorcycle Member

Hi there and welcome to the weight room! I started using the weight machines as well, for the same reasons. I wanted to build muscle but I didn't know how to do things and I was too shy to ask for help. Pro tip: if you are not shy, no one will mind you asking for help. If you see someone doing deadlifts and want to try it,…

You need to be eating above maintenance, not below it. Since you're at a low weight, what you want to do right now is pack on muscle. It's okay if you're gaining a little fat as well, but eat .8g/lb body weight of protein and utilize a strength training program. Start with squats and pushups. Do whatever you can with your…

I feel you on this 150%. I too use my university gym and the weight area is SCARY. Here's the thing - the weight machines don't work you out as efficiently. I used them for an entire semester because I was afraid of going into the free weight section and I really didn't see that much progress. Since they provide support…

I find the trick is to make your indulgences as good as possible and enjoy them to the fullest. If I'm going to have a cookie, it's going to be a delicious fresh cookie just the way I like it and I'll eat it slowly. I feel more satisfied that way.

According to http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ your BMR is 2661. 1700 might be a little too low for you! What have you been doing to lose the weight you lost already? Slow weight loss is a good thing. I know it can be frustrating, but if you change it slowly, it is so much more likely to stay off. I don't know you or your…

If you know for a fact that you are logging accurately (re: you are weighing all your food, as you said) then I would start to slightly lower your deficit as you go, particularly if you find you are stalling. I know you're annoyed with this stubborn 10 pounds but if you really develop the habit of eating close to what…

I take a gummy multivitamin every day and that's it, but I've been thinking of taking a B-complex with Biotin to help my hair grow. Other than that I do eat some fortified foods, like special k cereal or carnation instant breakfast. I do have a tendency of being iron-deficient but I'm trying to change that through diet…

Doing midsection muscles to work all of the muscles in your abdominal area will tighten your midsection and improve your posture so you will most likely look like you have lost more fat in that area. Muscle also burns more calories than fat at rest, so doing any kind of strength training will increase your metabolism and…

I'm having a REALLY hard time giving up pasta. It is quite literally my FAVORITE food. Last night for example, though I did have the allowance for it, I ate an entire box of shells and white cheddar mac and cheese. I just know it wasn't a good choice, and I only reached HALF of my protein macro yesterday, but I was tipsy…

I just started doing the New Rules of Lifting for Women program. I bought the book and just devoured it, and I'm on week 1 of the program right now. I know it's going to be challenging and really help me build strength, so I do recommend it. A simple place to start is by doing just squats and pushups. You can do them at…

Minimize water retention so that you can see your abs form right before your eyes, and eat enough protein so that your muscles will be encouraged to grow.

That is a realistic and challenging goal. Work hard and live your dreams!! :flowerforyou:

I completely agree. Unless you are short, inactive, very overweight, and at LEAST 35, I do not think that 1200 is a suitable number. I think many women are using calculations that are wrong for them. And personally, I think those that are doing "just fine" on 1200 calories a day have sloppy logging habits, underestimate…

You just started in the past few weeks. Most likely, you initially lost water weight and your body is now adjusting to your new lifestyle. Keep at it, and don't get too used to losing so quickly, because it will slow down.

Whatever you want as long as you are still, ultimately, meeting your calorie deficit and thus weight loss goals. If you're operating at a 500-calorie deficit and you decide to have a "cheat" day once a week, you would have to have an EXTRA 3000 calories in order to "undo" your weight loss efforts. If you decide to go over…

Take your favorite cookie or brownie recipe and change it. Take out some of the sugar and some of the flour and replace it with protein powder! Maybe throw an extra few egg whites in as well, or swap some butter with cream cheese. Bonus points for switching the rest of the flour to almond meal, flax meal, ground oats,…

I normally go to the gym at night. My campus has a shiny new recreation center, which is open all day but about a mile walk from my dorm, and quad gyms which are small and old but less crowded and they open at 6. Normally I go between 8:30 and 9:30, but I've gone as late as 10:15 (it closes at 11.) It doesn't interfere…

Netting 500 calories below your BMR isn't going to be good for you. You're a young man and should be netting at least your BMR. My TDEE is similar to that and I am smaller and female (20yo female, 5'4", 62kg). I wouldn't recommend a girl my size eat 1336 calories, and certainly wouldn't recommend a taller, heavier male to…

If you have an accurate measure of your body fat percentage, then it's best to use a BMR calculator that takes that into account, as this will be the most accurate. One method is to figure out your lean body mass (by subtracting your body fat from your total weight) and multiply that by 13.8. (The Sterling-Pasmore equation…

I looooove hiking when it's warm out! I live in a foresty borough of a big city so I get access to parks and trails and stuff :)

MFP's calculators are not perfect for everyone. If you are too hungry on 1300 calories - and you are eating primarily whole, healthy foods with protein and fiber and getting enough water - then feel free to find a number that works for you as long as it is below your maintenance level. Slow weight loss never hurt anyone!…

is he okay. does he need help. i think he needs help. where did he get the idea he could tell you how your body is supposed to look?

The link in the first responder should be a comprehensive source of all the information you need. As for that last question, yes, it is normal. It takes energy to digest food, so eating more food will cause you to burn a few more calories!

Maybe you don't have to start counting again? Why don't you just count water - make sure you're getting enough spaced throughout the day - and make that healthy choice to skip fattening treats? If it's only 5 pounds you've got to lose, you may not have to go back to logging to do it :)

That's terrifying.

No one gets crucified for being lost :) I'm glad you're back. It seems to me that MFP is a much more reasonable way to track your intake, and it'll make all the difference if you're tracking your macros and sticking to whole foods.

Go over. Dietary fat is good for you and delicious. Anything you can make leaner, go ahead (dairy products, meat) but don't sweat it.

I have a protein powder shake with every workout and I recently grilled up a ton of chicken breast and froze it so that I can have high-protein snacks and meals in my dorm. I always keep protein bars around for snacks. I want to go pick up some eggs (need eggs! maybe a carton of egg whites just for MORE protein) and a…

But see yours follow your brow line and match your hair color, so they look fine like that! It's the ones that are over-arched or otherwise unrealistic that make me smh.

You should be fine lifting while sore. Get in some extra stretching time and make sure you're hydrated. Stop if you feel pain!