Help! Opinions please.... :)

[cjohnson728]

Mai, this means that you burned 2066 calories total today. 1401 of those were from just going about your day (whatever lifestyle you selected when you set up your account). 404 of those calories were burned while you slept, and 261 were burned from jogging.

How many calories you can eat depends on how quickly you want to lose. A pound is approximately 3500 calories. So, to lose a pound a week, eat 500 fewer calories per day than you burn (500 times 7 days a week = 3500). To lose two pounds a week, you would have to eat 1000 calories less per day than your activity log tells you you burned.

[lastri]

Ok, I get it. When I log in sleep. It bring the cals burn about 400 less. Ok, Thanks, Mai

[stamatiaa]

Another issue, if you're not preparing your own meals, is that even if you log everything, your calorie intake won’t be more then an estimate.

You're clearly putting in a lot of effort at the gym and by logging on fitday, can you try to make more of your meals at home or at least switch to simpler foods that don’t have all the added stuff that contribute to an inaccurate calorie read? If you commit to that for a few weeks, I’d expect you to start being more successful at losing the weight.

[pbarneveld]

Originally Posted by cazlar

Hi everyone! I wondered if you had any advice for me in losing a few pounds!

I'm a 22 year old female, 5'5, medium frame, and my weight tends to hover around 140lbs. I've been going to the gym 5-7 times a week, burning off around 750 calories each session (according to machines) with an hour of cardio followed by weights. I also do a keiser cycle class and body pump once a week with others thrown in occasionally. Using the 'fitday.com' calorie and activity tracker i am currently getting a calorie deficit of 1000kcals per day, (eating 1800, burning off 2800 for example). I feel like I am following all the fitness advice I can find online but don't seem to be losing much weight. I measure myself with a tape measure and weigh myself regularly and the losses im experiencing are not very impressive (I have been following this routine for a month now, where previously i went to the gym 4-5 times a week and didn't count calories, and would estimate that i've only lost around 2lbs in total, and 0-2cm in measurements). Occasionally I have a weekend off (visiting friends etc) where i dont go to the gym or watch what i eat for a couple of days and drink alcohol. Could this be what is setting my weightloss back? I only want to lose around 5-7 for the time being, do I need to lower my calorie intake further? Or am I just being too impatient?!
Thanks
Caroline

Hi Caroline!

Just a few suggestions / comments:

- Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so while you may be getting rid of that adipose tissue you are also building muscle, and that won't make a big difference on the scales.

- I agree with upping the protein. I estimate about 1 gram per kilo of body weight at least- 1 kilo is 2.2 lbs. You may even want to increase that if you are working out hard - protein is the building block for the body. All forms of fish are great sources of protein, and so are eggs. Eggs are packed full of goodness, despite the bad publicity they get from the cholesterol they carry, but we all need some cholesterol, and it's your overall diet and genetics that determine your cholesterol level.

- Have you tried interval training? It's a form of exercise where you do short bursts at full speed on any cardio workout, followed by short rest periods. Better than just plodding along, interval training gives your heart a good workout and rises your metabolism for the rest of the day, thus burning more calories! Interval training is great for getting rid of those stubborn last pounds towards your weight goal. Google it, I'm sure you'll find plenty of suggestions. With working out, quality is often better than quantity, and remember to allow your body enough rest days to allow it to recover (you don't want to run yourself into the ground). Also, try varying your workouts every week - it keeps you in better shape by keeping your muscles on their toes rather than lulled into a false sense of security.

- For weight training, also vary your workouts, that create more efficient muscles. If you want to increase muscle, do heavier weights and shorter sets, like three sets of four. To increase stamina, do lighter weights and longer sets, like three sets of twenty. I tend to stay in the middle, doing three sets of ten or twelve, to tone my muscles without overbulking. Free weights help build more equal strength on both sides of your body, and give your muscles a better rounded workout. Try to work large muscle groups, and work ALL muscle groups, eg. if you work the biceps you must work the triceps to maintain a healthy balance, and go through a full range of motion when weight lifting. Keep a note of your progress, and always try to push yourself. Don't be afraid that you will get all muscly - you're not a guy :-)

- I also agree with tracking those days off - you may have worked hard all week just to lose it all on those "days off". Remember that alcohol are empty calories. I'm not saying don't have fun or take a break: maybe just moderate food and alcohol intake, and keep your goal in mind.

- Finally, be patient. Sometimes it is harder to lose a couple of pounds than many. Have fun losing weight, but maintain your discipline. Remember that you are already within a healthy weight. Perhaps turning fat into muscle and changing your body's shape could be an alternative goal.

Good luck, and have fun being healthy and fit!
Pets

[cazlar]

Originally Posted by pbarneveld

Hi Caroline!

Just a few suggestions / comments:

- Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so while you may be getting rid of that adipose tissue you are also building muscle, and that won't make a big difference on the scales......
Pets

Hi Pets, thanks for the great advice! I have seen a bit more of a difference in my measurements recently, as the advice given above seems to be helping! Perhaps the tape is a better indicator for me than the scales! I am trying to up my protein but finding it hard to get it to the levels you have suggested, but I guess it's just trial and error! I do try to mix my workouts up and sometimes try with interval training, and do a spinning class once a week, but could probably do better if i did intervals every workout. On the weight machines i tend to do 2-4 sets of 12-15 reps on a variety of machines, and take a bodypump class (which is strength training class) once a week. I can tell my muscles are alot more toned but there's still the stubborn layer of fat on top that seems to want to stay there!! I think you're right with the patience thing, even if im not losing as fast as i think i should be, i still enjoy working out and eating healthily so might as well hang on in there . I haven't had a day off in a while but next time ill be sure to track what i eat/drink and try not to go too crazy.

To stamatiaa - yes i do cook and prepare all of my meals from scratch myself and track all the ingredients. when i eat lunch out i make sure to note down the nutritional info from the pack so that i can enter it on fit day.

What do you guys think about lowering carb intake? should i also be looking to limit myself to a certain amount of grams of fat per day? I never go above the standard recommendation of 70g a day and often eat much less, but what is the level you would suggest for weight loss?
Thanks