Okay, this maybe a little lengthy..... I have been making a concerned effort to lose weight since October 6, 2008 as a result of a bet that my younger son made saying I could not lose weight by the time I got married. I did that.... and since that time I have been not so dedicated (as much as I was) and I have been stalled. I am now losing a little weight and more inches since I started a fitness bootcamp. When I was trying to win the bet, I was losing 2+ pounds a week, which is what I needed to lose. Now, I am trying to slow it down just a little to 1 pound a week. There are a couple reasons for this. I am a tall girl and my weight loss is showing well on me...... to the point that a few people have said I need to quit losing b/c I will look "sick". I would like to get to the point that I am no longer "overweight" as described by the medical charts..... and for my BMI to be in the normal range. If I lose 1 pound a week until the end of the year, I will make it.

At bootcamp they have me on a 1200 calorie a day diet...... I do the bootcamp class (45 minutes of cardio/strength), and then walk 5 miles a day.

My question is.... should I be eating more like 1500 calories a day or should I keep it at 1200? I am finding that 1200 through the week is "okay" sometimes I am a little hungry..... but on the weekend I lose all sense that God gave me and eat like there is no tomorrow..... so, if I keep it at 1500 calories a day, maybe the weekend binges will cease a little?

I welcome advise from the maintainers who have been in this last 20 pound battle! (Well, it is actually 19 )

I would appreciate any help! Thanks for listening, sorry it was sooo long.

That may well be the case. My eating choices don't always catch up to me scale- or craving-wise for a few days or a week. You have to experiment and see!

Regardless of total or average calories, I think it's always worth it to address binge eating first.

I wouldn't listen to that whole "don't lose too much weight/too fast cuz then you'll look sick." IMO that's people being jealous.

I would up your calories to 1500 if I were you- you are working out a lot and binging will definitely ruin your progress

My opinion? Your calories during the week are too low, given your current size and your activity level. It's no wonder you "break" on the weekends! I'd say, try 1500 as your average target--that is, some days will come in higher and some lower, but if you average them, they come close to 1500.

I stay away from bootcamps myself because I consider them too extreme. That's just me, though! Lots of folks like the hard workouts.

Jay

You might aslo be interested in the featherweights forum, it is designed for those who are trying to lose those last stubborn pounds .
I think you have done great , so far. I also believe 1200 calories a day sounds too low, I am shorter than you and I lost on 1400-1500 calories a day. And remember those who make comments about our weight loss or our appearance do not have a clue about what they are saying. Try to ignore them.

Thank you so much for all of the good advise. I think I am going to try the 1500 calories a day and see how it works out. I appreciate the help!

This is what I do. I range between about 1300 and 1700 during the week and I average about 1500 per day. This lets me eat more when I work out harder and it keeps me from feeling too deprived. It's also incorporating some simple calorie cycling which I (personally) feel like I lose better with.

I agree that 1200 a day given your activity level and current weight is too low. It's not surprise that you go nuts on the weekends -- you're really hungry!!