Loved the article. Thanks. :)

i bookmarked it too, thank you!!

I'm taking a second look at my own portion sized, too. I think I eat 100+ calories more in cooked veggies and things that come in tablespoons (peanut butter) every day I eat them. Time to start measuring precisely :)

'welcome all :)

Unfortunately as featherweights, 'guesstimates' just aren't good enough for most of us. It's easy to get away with an extra 100-300 calories at 250lbs and still lose, but not at 120, 130, etc.

does eating strictly 1100-1400 calories a day and exercising off 250-600 sound alright??

Hi Kooo,

This may not be my place, but just wanted to share a friendly reminder that your height/weight places you at the lower end of the healthy BMI range right now, which is great news! It could be the reason your body is resisting losing more weight- you're in a healthy place BMI-wise already :)

Rather than pushing your body to move into the underweight category (which is where 115 would put you), it may be trying to tell you to review whether or not trying to lose weight is best for your health.

I'm not telling you one way or another what is right for you, but I also noticed you're 16, which is an age when many of us chicks feel pressure to be thinner than what is healthy. I know when I was your age it was definitely a struggle to be bth healthy and confident in my own body at the same time.

Perhaps talking with a doctor, atheltic trainer, or other qualified professional for this tricky question would help you figure out the healthiest way to get to your body goals. Hugs, and good luck!

This would not be maintainable in the long term and would come at the expense of your health and muscle mass. Do you know the term "skinny fat"? I didn't realize you were 16. This, plus skipping meals etc, not a good sign :( You really don't want to go down that path. indiblue has some good suggestions.

I completely agree with this. I think you need to talk to a doctor or trainer or nutritionist about your diet and exercise goals. Maybe focus on eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising to create a fit and toned body rather than trying to achieve a weight that is so low?

alright, i think i'll up my goal to 120 pounds, i do realize now that 115 is too low...and being an athlete, i guess skinny fat would be a terrible idea!

so re-evaluating...i exercise 6-7 times a week, so would 1400~1500 cals a day sound better?

can i chime in? i dfont think upping your exercise and dropping your cals (when you are already at a low weight AND missing periods) is a smart idea.
I think youll find youre body gets more stressed out, and more stress = no fat loss. However, if you do want to lose fat, you are definitely going to have to drop yor cals, and accurately track them (with digital sclae). Being at a low weight, your body is going to fight it, and from the sounds of it, it already is... our menstrual cycles are vital stats for women...... if its wonky, soemthings wrong... and "athletes" dont starve themselves.
I say get the weight off by eating low cals ( and NOT exercising, except maybe walking, and doing maintence llifting to preserve muscle mass).
Then again being 16, i have no idea what type of damage yould *could* be doing none of us here are doctors, but many of us have disorded eating condidtions, body dysmorphic tendencies, and obssessive dieting/training conditions.

Good luck

LOVED that article! What a nice reminder about measuring and portion sizes. Which brings me to my question ...

Do any of you use calorie calculators like the Daily Plate? If so, do you use the "sedentary" or "lightly active" settings? For example, I am a student so I spend a lot of time sitting in class or reading, but I also walk to and from the bus, and constantly up and down the stairs to lockers, class, library, etc. I use the "lightly active" setting, and then track my exercise calories on top of that.

What about you all? I have searched online and was unable to find a good explanation of the difference between lightly active and sedentary. Plus, characterizing my life as sedentary seems so depressing :)

PS: I didn't mean to hijack the post, kooo - I just thought the question might be relevant to the topic of tracking calories + energy expenditure :)

At 16 you should be eating more than 1100 calories a day. 1400-1500 or even 1500-1800 calories plus 1hr exercise per day seems like a good plan. You should lose weight doing that, not super fast though.

I don’t see anything wrong with being 115lb at your height. Since you’re 16 you could be as low as 103lb and still be within the normal-healthy range according to this calculator.

http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm

Not that you should be 103, I’m just saying 115 is not considered underweight at your age. Most BMI calculators don’t factor in a person’s age.

Krazy, I noticed you are my height and we started at the same weight. It says you are now maintaining. Do you mind telling me how much you weigh and what you did to lose the weight? What are your measurements? How long did it take for the weight to come off?

Sorry for all the questions; but whenever i find someone with my stats I get realllyyy curious! lol

@letsgorunning that's totally fine! i don't mind at all :)

i think i'll stick to around 1500 calories a day and exercising 7 days a week--i just want to be losing at least a pound a week or so, since my maintenance cals are around 2300.