ok, i've lost about 5 lbs since the new year. i have been pretty much trying to restrict calories to about 1500 cal/day. I rarely keep it to that-- my average calories (using fitday) have been creeping down from 1900 to now about 1600-1700. I get too hungry and tired if I eat less (although I admit that I have gotten "used" to eating less and now 1700 fills me up).

I am about 5'4" and am a regular exercise. it keeps me sane-- i especially love running and group classes at the gym. i am now considering scaling back my cardio by about 15 min per day (from 45 to 30) or by having more rest days so that I can concentrate on eating less to hit that 1500 cal mark.

I lost weight 5 years ago in college by exercising and changing my diet. I was probably eating about 1400 those days. I'm having a problem finding the magic combo these days.

Does this sound like a crazy experiment? I am just concerned that I am using my runs to justify overeating (even though i don't think 1700 is overeating!!!).

We are all an experiement of one really so experiment away and find what works for you. But here are my 2 cents ...

Your fitday seems to be really good and you concentrate mainly on eating unprocessed foods which is excellent, but your protein intake seems to be low. Maybe eating protein at every meal 5-6 times/day would help and you wouldn't feel tired because 1700 cals is a good amount of food.

Are you weight training too? Muscles would help burn more calories at rest and speed up your metabolism...

Hope this helps a bit and keep us posted... I'm sure someone else will come along with some great advise...

I agree with Ilene. Weight training makes all the difference in the world. Check out the post of mine from a previous thread. It outlines my success with strength training.

Cardio vs. Strength Training Discussion

I just recently started strength training again after 5 long weeks without. I was recovering from abdominal surgery. But I have done it 2 times this week so far and besides being a bit stiff, it feels so good to be doing it again.

Good luck.

I exercise everyday too...it makes me feel stronger, and healthier, and just great. BUT to be honest, the times I notice the most weight loss are times when I'm really watching what I eat. I think diet plays a much bigger role than exercise in weight loss (I even learned that in my biological aspects of nutrition class). SOO if you're still geting in 30min of exercise and eating less, I think that's fine!

First of all I wouldn't scale back the cardio at all. 15 minutes is less than the government recommend for healthy weight MAINTENANCE and you want to loose.

I think the best way is to add weight training, and introduce more protein. Cool fact about Protien - 30% of the calories in the protein are used to digest it, so if you factor that in, your "net" calories will decrease, you won't feel hungry (because protein is so filling) and you'll minimise muscle loss.

I would suggest playing around with your macronutrient ratios and see what works - although I wouldn't cut carbs lower than 40% consistently and you should get at least 15% fat from good fats. Apart from that, try something new!

Good luck!

thanks for all of your replies!

2frustrated-- i meant i would decrease cardio BY 15 min-- i currently usually run 4.5-5 miles, so i would scale it back to 3-3.5 miles and try to get through the day with eating less. i LOVE your pro-weights quotes by the way.

yes, i definitely need to get back into the habit of regular weights workouts. would full body 2x per week + kickboxing work? in kickboxing we do a jillion squats and pushups and some abs, so my muscles are VERY sore afterwards-- that counts as weights, right?

i seem to have no problem getting in enough cardio. i should then instead focus my efforts on eating clean and within moderation and getting in those weight workouts.

oh-- i forgot about the protein... i eat about 45-50 carb, 25-30 fat, and 20-30 protein. that is usually somewhere between 70 and 100 grams depending on how much i ate that day. i thought that was more than enough protein! i AM hypoglycemic, so i do eat mini-meals that have protein (cheese or PB if nothing else is available).

Ooooh you kickbox eh? Me too!

I'd say up the protein just a leetle bit, drop the fat a leetle bit. If you'd like to drop your calories a leetle bit, that might help.

You could try calorie cycling eg 1500 one day, 1900 the next, to average out at 1700.

It's a PITA being stuck on a plateau, and sometimes patience helps. Maybe you could add more exercise and keep the calories the same? Then you'd create a bigger calorie deficit...

Reverse your carb and protein ratios, I find when I eat more protein than carbs I lose better...It can be hard to do at times so I have protein powder if necessary...