[djstorey]

Ok, I've been using fitday for some time and did realize that the suggested calories for my "lifestyle" seemed excessive. I read a few threads that suggested setting lifestlye to sedentary which I did, and it does seem more accurate that way. However, when you all figure your deficit, are you adding in exercise time to fitday and THEN figuring your deficit or are you just going with the basic numbers with no exercise?

According to my deficits, (which includes exercise) I should be losing more than I actually am. However, I have been doing a lot more weight training the past couple of months so I'm not sure if it's just muscle weight or if I need to adjust my calories. My clothes do fit better since adding in the weight training and it's not like I'm NOT losing weight, it's just slower than I have expected.

My calories are set between 1500 - 1800. I am usually around 1600 except on Sundays when I actually cook breakfast and dinner for the family, then I usually hit around 1700-1800. I do tae bo or turbo jam for about an hour a day 5-6 days a week and sometimes I even get in a morning walk for a couple of miles, so I know I burn quite a bit of calories.

Any opinions? I sure would appreciate it! I feel like I need to adjust something but not quite sure what

Thanks,
Joyce

[srmb60]

We get deficit from the whole shebang ... basal + lifestyle + exercise.
I love fitday.com even the fiddling to get it about right
Give me some numbers to work with. How much have you lost in the last 4 weeks?

[djstorey]

Ok, ran a report and my average calories over the last 4 weeks comes to 1662 per day & I've lost 3.6 pounds. According to fitday, I burn 400 calories per day min when I only do aerobics, and up to 600 max for "kick boxing" (fitday doesn't have tae bo) According to other websites when I do tae bo, I burn more calories, somewhere around 800 per workout. I really don't know what is more accurate.

What do you think? Does this seem right to you? I just can't believe how my weight loss has slowed so much. (less than a pound a week)

Thanks for your help!

[srmb60]

Let me see .... a pound a week is about a 500 cal deficit per day. If you're eating 1662, theoretically then you're using 2162 which doesn't sound like much. Kick boxing is vigorous and hard work. Hmmm ...
On the other hand a pound a week is nothing to sniff at.
What about water and salt?
You've lost a LOT! Maybe you're having a wee lull. Have you changed anything lately?

[djstorey]

The only thing I've really changed is my exercise. I was doing regular aerobics, step aerobics, walking and some weight training. Just recently I've started doing tae bo and sometimes turbo jam. Both include strength training. I still add in the other stuff 1 or 2 times a week.

Food wise I have not changed anything. My calories are a little higher than they were when I was losing weight really quickly but I thought it was too quick so I upped them by about 100 calories per day. I was actually starting to wonder if I'm burning a lot more than I'm used to with the new exercise routine and maybe not eating enough. But then again, I'm 80 pounds lighter and I know that as you lose, you need less calories to maintain!

Confusing stuff!

Like you said though, 1 pound a week is still a good thing, I just really thought it should be more and couldn't figure it out! Maybe I'll just have to be patient and see what happens in a couple more weeks.

Appreciate your help!

Joyce

[srmb60]

It might be worth your while to do some reading in the "Ladies Who Lift" and "Maintainers" threads.
There are a few notions about water weight associated with weight training and maintaining weight after being overweight that you might find interesting.
Mel is a tiny, fit and very active person. The exercise expenditures in fitday.com simply do not work for her. I'm not sure why but if it can happen to one ....
You are getting smaller and that's what it's all about, right? But it'll do no harm for you to better understand the physiological changes that take place in fit, newly fit and formerly heavier bodies.

Which is a pretty fancy way of saying ... let's ask someone who has an answer

[purplepansy912]

which fit day are you using? the free account or the paid cd?

[djstorey]

CURVY VIXEN, I am using the home version so I can't link you to it. Just out of curiosity, you are about the same weight I am, how many calories do you eat? Am I in the same ballbark as you?

I think my biggest fear right now is that with the calories I eat, and all the working out that I do, as I get smaller, my calories need to be less to keep losing. I can't imagine having them go too low! The idea of having to maintain on 1200 or something is not a good thought.

Anyways, here is an example of a normal day:

Breakfast: 1 1/2 c cereal Usually shredded wheat & bran, 3/4 cup non fat milk and some kind of fruit such as strawberries, blueberries or peaches

Snack: might be fruit, or 4 triscuit crackers with 1/2 oz cheese or yogurt or sometimes 1 granola bar. Sometimes if I'm really hungry I might have 2 of those snacks

Lunch: small healthy choice meal or lean cuisine or my favorite; 1/2 tortilla, 1/2 oz, cheese, 2 oz turkey or ham with salsa and spinach leaves.

Snack: same as snack above, but choose something I didn't have in morning

Dinner: If I'm not cooking I'll have one of the larger size healthy choice meals or lean cuisine. If I am cooking, it will be a "normal" family type dinner but I tend to cook low fat and I break out measuring cups to make sure that whatever I eat fits within the calories I have left for the day. I also am good about making sure about half my plate is filled with salad or vegies.

Can't say I'm good everyday but at least 90-95 percent this is normal.

Thanks for all the help!