Wanting to finally make my goal weight, but doubting my strategy
Hey guys, I am new to the 3fatchicks forum, although I have been reading some of the threads for a while. That alone has given me so much helpful advice, so thank you all!
I realize there are so many posts about counting calories and even weight loss for shorter girls (I am 5.2), but I suppose I am just wanting to check with you all and make sure that I am doing what is most helpful and healthful for me. Here is some information:
Age: 22 female
Weight: currently 118.8, down from 140 (using weightwatchers for the first 20 and calorie counting for the last 5/6 Lbs)
Activity: I love to excercise not only for the physical benefits, but also for the emotional benefits as a stress reliever. I run 3 miles 3-4 times per week at a 6.5 pace. During run days, I strength train lightly (mainly focus on my glutes and thighs). On days when I do not run, I do the eliptical at level 6 or walk 4.3 mph at a 10 incline. On these days, I focus more on weight lifting and do more glutes and legs, but also incorporate arms. Each time I do weights, I do 3 sets of 16 repititions, both for arms and legs.
Food Lifestyle: For a while I did the points system, but then that just became too much of an issue being at school and home and having to coincide my eating with my family's pantry or the caf at school. So, then I switched to calorie counting, and I actually think it is working better for me. Psychologically, I prefer to think in higher numbers ( calories) than lower numbers (points); it makes me think I have more food to eat.
For about a month or two I really made the mistake of eating too few calories. Along with this, I was eating foods that were low in calories. So, in effect, I was eating alot of food that were low in calories, thus making me think I was eating alot, but in actuality I wasn't eating enough calories. Most days I would eat 850-980 calories. I know this was a mistake, and it hit me when I wasn't losing weight that this was why. Along with my low calories, I was excercising like I mentioned above, thus the weight plateau.
So, now, I have increased my calories to about 1130 per day along with the same excercise program. I have only been doing this for about 3 days and I have already lost almost 1 lb. This seems to be working. Today, however, I seem to be just a little bit hungrier. I am conflicted between this being because I am eating more food, my body's metabolism is higher and thus needs a few more calories, or because I am ovulating and am craving more food.
I have read and heard that one should not eat less than 1200 calories per day. I also know that you all (at least the seasoned members) are tired of hearing that question and don't really know what else to say except "try it." But, I am just wanting to clarify that I am under 1200 currently and it seems to be working. But, I also want to avoid another plateau, so if you can give me some insight that would be awesome!
Typically, the foods I eat are:
lots of veggies (broccoli, green beans, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc)
grilled chicken (1/2 times per week)
canned chicken (often)
canned tuna (rarely)
baked fish (2 times per month)
egg whites (almost every day)
nature's own sugar free whole wheat bread (4/5 times per week)
oatmeal (every day)
lots of fruit (apples, peaches, blueberries, bananas)
almonds (almost daily)
WW Latte bar (if I need something sweet)
Dark chocolate (for cravings)
Fiber One Cereal (1 per week)
pickles (for a filler food when I am still hungry)
I have used Livestrong to keep track of my calories for about 5 months or so. Here are my stats for today:
carbs 54% proteins 33% fats 12% (this is basically around what it is every day. Sometimes my protein will be higher than my carb percentage)
According to livestrong, 1120 calories is what I eat to lose 1.5 lbs per week. It also says that 1300 is maintaining. I find this contradictory to what I have read you all say that your lose/maintain calorie goals are. Mine seem quite low in comparison. Any thoughts?
Thank you all for your help, forgive this long post! I just wanted to give you all the facts so I could get some helpful answers! Glad to be on here and talk with you soon,
Under1Rule
I'm not sure what your question is in all of that. But you're practically at your goal weight. What you're wanting to lose now are vanity pounds. Your body doesn't see any need to shed those pounds, so you're going to have to be extra diligent about what you're doing to lose the last 3-4 lbs and hit goal.
Since you're so close anyways, why not switch over to eat the maintenance level of calories for 115 lbs? It may take a bit longer, but those last couple of pounds will come off and you'll need to transition to maintenance at some point.
Finally, if you're truly hungry, then eat. If you eat a few more calories today when you're hungrier or more active you're not going to undo all of your progress so far!
Thanks peanutt and bargoo. According to livestrong, my maintenance iis 1300, but that seems a bit low. Should I follow this or do you have any suggestions about what my maintenance should be?
Taking your activity level into account, I'd say your maintenance calories would be closer to 1800. The 1300 calories a day is what you'd get if you were laid up in a coma....enough to support the vital functions of your body and maintain your weight. The 1800 calories per day will provide enough fuel for all that plus fuelling your workouts and other daily activity.
Peanutt, according to this calculator, my maintenance is 1800 (you were right!). So, if I use the whole 500 calories less than maintenance to lose weight method, then I need to be eating around 1300 to lose weight. Would you say this is correct?
Also, I am not sure what to pick for activity level. When not excercising, I am sitting and reading, or lightly moving about the house, cleaning occasionally and cooking. But, when I do excercise it is hard core and 6 days a week. What should I pick for me activity level?
It will probably take some trial and error to figure out exactly what will work for maintenance. Keep good logs and reevaluate every few weeks I'd say. Bit that's coming from someone who is not in maintenance yet!
Looks like you are getting some great advice. Have you ever thought about calorie cycling? I do it, and it works out perfectly for the days that I am a little bit hungrier. Yesterday is a perfect example, I was HUNGRY all day, so I ate up to my limit of 1800 cals. The day before I was satisfied closer to the low end of my cal range, so I only ate 1270 cals.
I have thought about calorie cycling...I guess I just have not done it yet because I am a little afraid to! I am struggling to get out of my mindset of over 1000 calories being alot of food. Today I seem to be more hungry, so maybe I will eat to 1200 and see how that goes.
I have thought about calorie cycling...I guess I just have not done it yet because I am a little afraid to! I am struggling to get out of my mindset of over 1000 calories being alot of food. Today I seem to be more hungry, so maybe I will eat to 1200 and see how that goes.
I lost a lot of weight quickly calorie cycling and made it to my goal. I did not plateau! I was nervous too on the "high" days when I first started but the weight melted off. I almost felt a little guilty how fast it came off. Those high days kicked my metabolism into high gear!
Okay, so I ate 1200 calories yesterday of good, wholesome foods. This morning I lost 2 ounces. The past five weigh-ins have been: 118/118.8/118.8/118.6/118.4.
As you can see, I was stagnant for days 2 and 3. Then, day 4 I lost two ounces on an 1100 calorie diet, and I lost two ounces again on day five, but on a 1200 calorie diet. Do you think this is just bodily fluids or is this what your scale typically looks like each day, with ounces lost?
IMO, it looks like normal, daily fluctuations. During my weight loss, I weighed every day, but only recorded and tracked my weight once a week. The key is looking for a trend over time - sometimes over the course of weeks.
You're already in a normal weight range for your height (and a lovely height it is! ) so the weight is going to come off pretty slowly for the most part.
Have you checked out the Featherweights forum on the boards? It's a place for those who have only a few pounds to lose, and the posters there are really helpful and encouraging. A lot of Feathers find it much more helpful to focus on non-weight-related goals (inches, fitness, cardio, strength) because at weights in the "normal range" it can get very frustrating waiting for the numbers to go down.
I don't say this to discourage you, but to encourage you. There are people who have been through what you're going through!
Wanting to finally make my goal weight, but doubting my strategy
) so the weight is going to come off pretty slowly for the most part. 