okay, like lisa up there, i am a little (alright more than a little) confused about the whole deficit thing. can someone help?!
i want to lose 2 pounds a week and i eat 1200 cals a day. please help! i know i may be dumb, but i just can't figure this out, lol!!!
gabrielbeth

Morning,

WARNING - I might be holding a pity party in the next couple of paragraphs, read at your own risk!

Weekend was blah. I rebelled against my calorie counting due to the scales telling me I had gained a little weight last week. Sometimes, you just get sick of it, you know? Tired of the counting, the eating good and working out. Or in my case getting up at 4.45 am (4.15am for when I do spinning!!!!) to go to the gym every morning before work, eating clean and SEEING THE SCALES GO UP! Sometimes I could just :tantrum:.

So. I rebelled over the weekend, didn't eat awfully just didn't eat as clean as I usually do. There was cheese. There were cookies. I'm over it.

This morning though I've been good so far. Oatmeal for breakfast, carrots and tomatoes for snack, lunch I have veg and pasta soup.

Ddran, I do spinning once a week. So far I like it. Some advice though: get yourself a gel cushioned seat for the bike, your butt will like you in the morning for it! I got mine at Target for the princely sum of $9.99. I'm also getting me a heart rate monitor. The bikes we use don't have one built in like some elliptical and treadmill machines do and our instructor who takes the class gauges how hard we are working by our heart rate. Just something else to think about.

Gabrielbeth, Susan made a good post a few posts above yours giving the theoretical formula for losing weight. To recap - if you use up 3500 calories you will burn 1lb of fat. Therefore to burn 2lbs of fat you need to use up 7000 calories. Like Susan says though, other factors such as water retention, hormones, heat, alignment of the sun, black cats crossing your path (alright not the last two, haha) can affect this. Eating 1200 calories per day sounds low enough to me (I am currently aiming to eat 1200 a day), however, are you counting your calories? Do you use fitday? Are you moving (exercising) each day to burn more calories?

yes, i workout every morning, except on sat and sundays. and yes, i go on fit day EVERYDAY and count my cals, etc... so, if i need 7000 cals burned up a week to lose 2 lbs, i need to work off 1400 cals a day? is that how it works? if it is, that is obsurd! i can't do that!!!
if i am not right, i guess i am just the stupidest person on the planet cause i just don't get it. i actually NEED someone to tell me what to do. i feel lost if i am wrong. i know susan did have a good post, but i didn't understand it. i just don't understand!!!
gabrielbeth

Lynn do you find that spinning helps your Hips and thighs? I always lose in arms and waist but Im having a hard time getting my thighs and butt in shape.I think tae bo is pretty good and see a little results in my hips but big improvement in my waist and arms.

Good luck with the spinning ladies.

Dee whenever I lose weight it is always every where on my body except my stomach where I need it....seems to just hold on there until the very end!!

Phyllis

I've been in a weight loss plateau for 2 months so I couldn't tell you if spinning has helped or not. You cannot spot target areas, though in my opinion, spinning should help strenghtn your legs, butt and thighs because those are the parts you use whilst spinning. I chose to take spinning as an alternative method in which to get my cardio. I say strengthen rather than tone because when you build muscle you get that toned look as a result.

Ddran I hope that answers your question.

Gabrielbeth, you are doing it right.

If you are exercising every day and having a calorie deficit then you should be losing weight. Calories in vs calories out.

Does that make sense?

If you are questioning how to use fitday I had a post all written out and pasted to notepad, so let me know!

Thanx Phyllis and Lynn. That answer my question.

thanks!!!

Hello everyone, no deficit yesterday (boohoo huh) but working on cutting calories today to make up for it. Currently sitting at -743 for the month.

gabrielbeth? Cut and paste that post but highlight the parts that don't make sense. We'll see if we can clarify them.
But as for being stupid or whatever you said you were ... YOU ARE NOT!!! ... you understood that you would have to get rid of 1400 cals per day ... that is absurd and no you shouldn't even try that. You're much too small to expect to lose 2 lbs a week.

ok, cut out 700 a day, but how? how do i cut out that much a day? my workout instructor said i could lose 8 pounds in the next 4 weeks, that's burning 1400 cals a day, something i cannot physically do. but to lose 1 lb a week is cutting 700. i don't know how i can cut that much, i am already only eating 1200 a day. any suggestions?
alright - let me see if i have this right. i ate 1208 cals today. i worked out and burned 365 cals. so to get the deficit, i take the cals i ate and subtract the cals i burned. so that gives me 843 cals, is this right? but since i should have burned 700 today, my deficit should be 500 (1200 minus 700). is this right? i am just confusing myself more and more. maybe i should just give up on this whole deficit thing, lol!
gabrielbeth

oh I see ... you did use some calories just by existing, probably around 1400. So that plus the 365 you burned is your actual usage (or thereabouts). So if you ate 1200 and used 1765 ... you deficit is about 565.

And you are correct. You dont need to know your deficit. Just eat less than you use and be patient. Ooooo that patience thing!!!!

Well, interesting/busy weekend for me out of town with the relatives. Not enough sleep and I ate too much. I'm sure this week will be better, counting the weekend as a 0 and moving on!

alright, now i really have it. susan made the most sense to me. finally! i feel like i had my "oprah lightbulb moment"!!! :P
thanks for being patient with me!!!
gabrielbeth

I did finally have a deficit yesterday! About 1000 cals!
Sunday was so bad I didn't enter anything into fitday. I think yesterday I was frightened that I was falling off the wagon :) I hardly ever skip fitday even if it's horrid looking.

deficit yesterday was 727..I was so tired after work that I came home and went to bed so no exercise for me..hope to get in some today.

Deficit 950.

I am hanging at 189/190 mark. Was 189 again today so I am going to up my walking to see if I can FINALLY stay under the 190's.....I'm getting there.

Good deficits ladies....keep trying.

Phyllis

830 deficit yesterday. Did awesome eating wise and got a workout in as well. And as a mini goal being accomplished I have posted in nutridiary my food eaten ALL month long. Even when it was bad and even when I was out of town. YAY!

susan - You know I have to push myself to log my food each and everytime my eating is bad. Congrats on your deficit yesterday!

Phyllis - Good deficit, you will get there I know it. Good luck with the walking.

Phyllis - I have been following your success .congrats on getting to 189.
I havent weighed my self yet due to AF.I did spinning yesterday and although my backside is sore because of the seats.Im proud that I completed the whole 60 minute class.(Yeah):p My workout towel was drenched.

Let me join the finally-a-deficit club. 287 yesterday. Not the best but it is a number, i ate vegetables, and I worked out. Just need to repeat the equation today. The temptation has been consumed so hopefully that will help. Take care ladies!

morning everyone

had to work 12 hours yesterday so no exercise again but I did have a deficit of 282

Count me in for a 280 deficit yesterday. Went out to eat so even though the number is low it could have been waaaaay worse. Going out of town till Sun, talk to you all on Monday hopefully with a huge deficit!

ddran - spinning class can be a beast. It really feels good when you get through it, congrats.

Miles - Hey at least you are in the negative...that is something after all.

donna - well I would say 12 hours working gets you a 'get out of exercise for free' card. Sounds like we did about the same deficit wise.

Dee good job at spinning class....those seats are hard.

Have not done fit day for a couple of days. My computer is still in the shop and I hate typing on this laptop....but I am grateful for the laptop otherwise I would be having computer withdrawal..lol

Going out to dinner tonight, I'll be good.

Phyllis

Hey ladies. Almost a complete repeat of yesterday, deficit of 307. Doing a little better but still need to get in more exercise. Did my lower body weights/stretches and can feel it today. Tonight I am due for upper body and hopefully I will have the inertia to get some cardio done at some point. Take care ladies!

Congrats to

Philospher- you should be proud .The scale is going down and that is an achievement.

Phyllis- Thank you for the encouragement. My Backside is still hurting from those seats.I might invest in one of those gel seats. Dont feel about about missing fitday for a day. I fell off for almost a month.:^:

Stephie_ Thanks. It is a beast, but the funny thing is I keep coming back for more:smug: ). I thought it would be so hard but I actually find Tae bo bootcamp is more intense.


Blues_ keep up the good work.Soreness is a good sign


Well I love spin class and I have done it 3 times this week along with tae bo.I hope that can push my goal to be a size 12 by my B- Day(in December).

Hi everyone,

I had a 800 calorie deficit. I try to aim for 1000 deficit everyday but really haven't been coming close. Tomorrow is my weigh in day but I'm not hopeful. I did work out for 35 minutes cardio and 15 minutes weights.

deficit yesterday of 465...I really need to hop on the exercise wagon again..I have fallen off..lol

dee- your doing a great job with the spinning and tae bo..

philosopher--just hang in there..you'll reach it before you know it..

valerie-hope your weigh-in today went good....you are doing a great job...a little deficit is better thatn none at all..

I am officially stuck! I was just going over fitday and I have been going up and down the same 3 pounds for 2 months now! For over two months I have not had any net loss!

I eat between 1600 and 2000 calories a day with an average around 1700. I work out everyday. I know I probably need to drop my calories more but don't know how to do it.

Valerie? Are you lifting weights?

I'll have a look at your fitday in just a few minutes here. I'm a bit behind with my reading but I'll come back.

Susan yes I am lifting 2 to 3 times a week.

Still don't have my computer back, hopefully by tomorrow and then I will start fitday again.....trying to be good in the meantime.

Have a good week everyone...

Phyllis

Well, not the best weekend for me but not the worst. Last Thursday was a bad day with about a 0 deficit, then a combined deficit of 742 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I guess at least it is a deficit! Did not get in hardly any exercise, but DID eat my veggies so I guess I am half there. Going to get some oatmeal to start out my day and hopefully things will get better this week.

Valerie ... I'm sorry. I got called in to work for a few hours. I will have a look at your fitday. I will!

Ok I had a look. Oh and I'm glad you lift weights. It feels good, yes? Since you've lost an amazing amount of weight already, you need to be congratulated. Congratulations!:hug:
Have you lost all of that eating your prepackaged reduced calorie foods?
Maybe it's time to have a look at more natural sources for your nutrition. Can you find a few places where you can substitute in a lean protein with a vegetable or fruit instead?

I wish I'd paid more attention to your percentages of protein, carbs and fats. Maybe I'll have another look at that.

I know I had a deficit yesterday but don't know how to quantify it. I'm at a loss with fitday and 'packing' activities. There's no selection for restacking empty boxes that fall over :)

Maybe for a few weeks I'll be an old fashioned calorie counter. I know I'm moving more ... I just have to watch my food.