Replies
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Not gaining any muscle on 1200 cals a day - it is actually very difficult, and takes a calorie surplus and heavy, consistent weight lifting for a woman to gain significant muscle. Congrats on your losses so far, and the numbers look to be totally normal. Don't be surprised if in the next few weigh-ins, you show the losses…
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You are not going to "blow your leg muscles" and thicken them by doing squats, or any other weighted exercise. It takes a LOT of time, focus on both diet and exercise, for a woman to gain muscle, let alone get bulky or bulging. If you want to lose fat, eat at a small calorie deficit and exercise, whatever exercise you…
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Could be a size issue too - I made the mistake of buying a size that seemed comfortable in the dressing room, but once I hit the pavement, they slipped down. A size smaller might have seemed too snug when I first tried them on, but they stayed up when I took them for a run. :smile:
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I run much slower in summer, and I try to be out the door at dawn, before that fireball comes up over the Sierras (I'm in California's central valley, aka on the sun! :tongue: ). I've just come to terms with the fact that my pace will be slower and my distance less during the hot months. The only thing I really like about…
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I wouldn't call 3 weeks a plateau. And I agree that 1200 is low - you've increased exercise, do you eat your exercise cals back? If not, start. And consider your weight loss goal, as others have said. If you're set to lose 2lbs a week, change it to 1lb at the most. And overall, just be patient. It takes time for the body…
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I would say chuck this weigh-in for the reason in bold. Trying to figure any weight loss during your period is pointless (and really, it's only .2lb, so minuscule anyway!). Wait until your cycle is over and then weigh again. Grab a measuring tape too, and start tracking your measurements about once a month.
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Depends - MFP gives you a goal that does not include exercise, and if the book does figure exercise, the numbers probably come out pretty close. MFP gives you more cals to eat when you log exercise - you're supposed to eat those cals back. But also the 2lbs a week thing, as others have said. If you don't have heaps to…
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A cucumber would only be a satisfying for me if I was dipping it in some hummus or tzatziki or something. Popcorn is great - I pop it in a paper bag in the microwave, then add melted butter or coconut oil - super tasty. Fruit? I love whatever is in season. And I'm so very happy that peaches are coming in now - I love them…
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Don't know exactly what it is, but see the word products and it's a red flag for me. Is it something I can or want to do for the rest of my life? If not, then it's a temporary thing and temporary changes get ya temporary results. Real food, reasonable calorie deficit, reasonable exercise & goals, take rest days, get good…
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I drink my coffee black every morning. I grew up drinking it that way, so that helps, but I am definitely picky about what's in my cup. My favorite is Peet's Major Dickason's blend (their most popular I think), and I get the whole bean and grind it myself in a good quality burr grinder. I grind enough to last me 3 days or…
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Another vote for fat. A post like this comes up often here - people start trying to lose weight and eat healthy and go all low- or no-fat everything. No bueno for more reasons that just the constipation, but that's another topic. Plenty of water and fiber/fruits/veggies as others have said, but check your fat as well. You…
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1800-2000 a day, and that's with exercise (I use the TDEE method). Lately I've not been exercising for various reason, so eating a bit less - but your levels seem way too low. That is often the problem with going for lowest cals - when you stall or need to change things up, you've got nowhere to go but dangerously lower.
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Keep in mind that the daily goal MFP gives you has you at a calorie deficit even without exercise. Meaning you can eat to goal daily and you'll lose weight. And if you log exercise, eating at least some of those back is ideal because you're still in deficit. My goal is to eat as many cals as I can while still losing -…
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If the sugar is coming from fruits and vegetables rather than added sugar in drinks or candy, don't worry about it. MFP counts all sugars - you can go over goal just having a couple of pieces of fruit a day. :smile: I don't even track sugar anymore, still reached my loss goals and have kept it off. Assuming you don't have…
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Get used to it - weight fluctuations are totally normal and will happen again and again. Don't let it get to you. Changes in diet and exercise can cause it, hormones, salt, many things can cause the scale to show a gain. Take your measurements along the way for a truer gauge of progress. Eat well, exercise, drink water,…
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Why on earth are you eating so little? You're asking your body to do way more with way less. No bueno. Goal should be to eat as MANY cals as you can while still losing - aka, a small calorie deficit, not a huge one. You're setting yourself up to crash and burn and enter the vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting, and regaining…
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I'll second that. Great site, loaded with free workouts. Use their handy search feature to narrow your search by time, equipment, upper/lower body, abs, etc. Good stuff.
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I've heard the magnesium/chocolate connection too. I love me some good dark chocolate, and paired up with some raw almonds - delish. Doesn't take much, a small portion of the two makes a satisfying snack for me.
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Your net cals should be at or near your goal. Net is what your body is left with after subtracting what you burned from what you ate. And you're right, 200 isn't nearly enough. However, 1500 burned cals seems awfully high - what sort of workout did you do, and how did you track the cals burned?
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Depends on the person. I don't obsess, but I do pay attention to it. I started with a Zip a couple of years ago, and loved the information it gave me. I like gadgets and I liked the info it gave me, and was pretty eye opening to see how little I moved some days! I eventually got a One, which did a little more, and enjoyed…
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I'm 48, 5' 8", and started at 165lbs - had my best success eating 1800-2000 cals a day (and that includes exercise cals). Fat and inches came off MUCH better and more consistently when I started eating that much, which is a small cut from my TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). I aim to eat as MANY cals as I can while…
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Fitness Blender rocks. Free workouts, over 400 of them, great variety. They also have programs for a small fee. I use their actual website for their search engine, and for the personal calendar - I can plan out my week and load my workouts into the calendar, then all I have to do is click and press play for that day's…
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If you got a flat tire, would you get out and slash your three good tires? Nope, log it and move on, as the others have said. No reason to beat yourself up over it. Are you never going to eat kettle corn ever again? Never go to events like that? Gotta learn to roll with these things and work them into your goals if you're…
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Home for me. I just get up, put my workout clothes on and press play on my laptop. Nobody in my way, no one using the equipment - I don't even have to brush my teeth. :lol: Took me awhile to collect the weights I have, and at the moment I don't have the space for full barbells, but I get by.
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It got me started. I completed the program, and then hopped around, doing which ever workout I felt like doing during the following weeks, and increased the amount of weight I was using as I got stronger. But even with three different workouts on the DVD, it gets boring doing the same thing, so it was a good start, but I…
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MWF are strength days, alternating body focus upper & lower, or some weeks I do total body workouts but with less weight. I usually do some form of cardio mixed in, like HIIT in between sets (I use FitnessBlender.com for workouts, and they have a ton of free online workouts) or at least walking my dogs, but some days it's…
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I was about to ask the very same questions! Definitely could be a fueling problem - if you're under eating, your body isn't going to have more energy if you're suddenly asking it to do much more activity on not enough fuel. You don't want to overeat and gain, but you don't want to under eat either - got to find the…
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Can't spot reduce, fat comes off where it wants to, generally the first place you put it on is the last it comes off. Weighted squats, deadlifts, lunges, all good. If you're just doing body weight, consider adding weight, and increasing it as you get stronger.
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The other half of my Freebirds carnitas burrito from yesterday. :smiley:
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I remember thinking there was no way I was going to be able to do week 5, day 3 - run for 20 minutes?? But I went for it, and I DID it, and I felt like Wonder Woman. :smiley: You never know what you can do until you try! Glad you did - way to go!
