Need to get in shape...

[InLuv101]

Hello all!

I''ve finally decided that I need to get my butt in shape!! I''m 26, 5''7", 173lbs. I''m a curvy size 10 and I don''t consider myself fat at all. My height really does hide my weight well. Unfortunately 30 of those 173lbs were put on in the last 5 years so I do remember what it was like to be 140lbs. I''d like to get back there so I feel better about myself, so my clothes fit better and so I''m just healthier overall and less jiggly

I''m a student (11 hrs this semester) and I work full time. I''ve found it hard to make time to go to the gym. I just started the 30 day shred on Monday and I''m sore, but I love it! Exercising from home will work for me right now until the semester is over. Has anyone done/had success using the 30 day shred? I''ve also been making changes in the eating dept. (more fresh fruit and vegetables and lean protien)

Here is my main question:
I''ve started using livestrong.com (great site btw) to track my calorie consumption and exercise regimen. After entering my info. the site says that I need to eat about 1,360 cal per day to meet my weight loss goals. After entering in my meals and exercising, I''ve only been netting about 800-900 cals at the end of the day. Is this too little? I''m not starving myself. I eat healthy snacks (usually fresh fruit) through the day and I never let myself get to the point of feeling super hungry throughout the day. Should I ignore that and try to get closer to the 1360 or just go with how my body feels?

Thanks in advance for the advice and for letting me share. I hope we can all reach our fitness/weight loss goals together!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 3/25/2009 10:36:50 AM
Author:InLuv101
Hello all!

I've finally decided that I need to get my butt in shape!! I'm 26, 5'7', 173lbs. I'm a curvy size 10 and I don't consider myself fat at all. My height really does hide my weight well. Unfortunately 30 of those 173lbs were put on in the last 5 years so I do remember what it was like to be 140lbs. I'd like to get back there so I feel better about myself, so my clothes fit better and so I'm just healthier overall and less jiggly

I'm a student (11 hrs this semester) and I work full time. I've found it hard to make time to go to the gym. I just started the 30 day shred on Monday and I'm sore, but I love it! Exercising from home will work for me right now until the semester is over. Has anyone done/had success using the 30 day shred? I've also been making changes in the eating dept. (more fresh fruit and vegetables and lean protien)

Here is my main question:
I've started using livestrong.com (great site btw) to track my calorie consumption and exercise regimen. After entering my info. the site says that I need to eat about 1,360 cal per day to meet my weight loss goals. After entering in my meals and exercising, I've only been netting about 800-900 cals at the end of the day. Is this too little? I'm not starving myself. I eat healthy snacks (usually fresh fruit) through the day and I never let myself get to the point of feeling super hungry throughout the day. Should I ignore that and try to get closer to the 1360 or just go with how my body feels?

Thanks in advance for the advice and for letting me share. I hope we can all reach our fitness/weight loss goals together!

Hi, eat the 1360 calories and don't dip below. The reason being is that you are starving yourself and the moment you eat a high cal meal or have a high cal day your body will hold on to it and you won't loss because it thinks oh she might starve me again so I need to hold on to these calories for later; it mess with your metabolism. Please eat the 1300 cals; you will lose. You don't want quick weight loss; you want slow and steady. Aim for 1 to 2 lb a week; they say the people that lose slow and steady are likely to keep it off. Plus you need to eat enough to fuel your thinking for school; I notice if I don't eat enough I can't think well. I have done 30 day shred and it is a great intervals workout; they start out for beginners and work your way up and you work up a sweat! eta: great job on the workout plan; you will lose!!! Keep up the good work but do eat the 1300 cals.

 

[InLuv101]

Thanks Skippy! I will plan my meals a little better to add the extra calories in there. I''m sure it won''t be too hard

I was just wondering if I should eat and eat to get to that 1300 even if I don''t FEEL hungry, ya know? But 1360 it is! I want to do this the healthy way

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I found Live Strong/thedailyplate.com to be a great resource, but I thought their caloric numbers for activities and your daily activity level were really generous.

Last year I had about the same specs as you and I was eating the same number of calories as you and working out 4 days/week (1-1.5 hours of cardio/weights each day). I stuck to the amount of calories and tracked my workout, but I didn''t eat any more than the daily budgeted caloric amount and I lost plenty of weight without going into starvation mode.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I don't know if that made sense.

LS says you should eat 1360 calories/day to lose 10-2 lbs/week. This is probably at "moderate-average" activity level, right? The point I'm trying to make is that this activity level is already factored into your daily number and includes things like walking to the bus/train and walking up and down stairs. Depending on the level, it could even include minor cardio.

Most people don't realize this and so they record ALL of the activity they've done for the day, including what might have been accounted for in the daily average. So in a sense, they're getting double caloric credit for the activity. If you then eat back all of the calories the site says you've burned during the day, you could in theory OVEReat.

To lose you should decrease your caloric intake (food) and increase your caloric output(exercise). It should be a combination of the two, not driven all by one or the other (for example eating 500 less calories a day and burning 500 calories a day, vs. cutting out or burning 1000 calories/day).

Is that a little more clear?

Bottom line, on an average, day-to-day basis, record your activity but don't eat back the calories it says you've burned (regardless of if it says you're going under the 1300 based on your exercise for the day). If you have a particularly hard work out or you're hungry then eat more. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, it will tell you what you need. Just don't use the caloric credit from exercise as an excuse to over eat as it's often just a ball-park number anyway.

And good luck!!

 

[InLuv101]

Date: 3/25/2009 1:16:57 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I don''t know if that made sense.

LS says you should eat 1360 calories/day to lose 10-2 lbs/week. This is probably at ''moderate-average'' activity level, right? The point I''m trying to make is that this activity level is already factored into your daily number and includes things like walking to the bus/train and walking up and down stairs. Depending on the level, it could even include minor cardio.

Most people don''t realize this and so they record ALL of the activity they''ve done for the day, including what might have been accounted for in the daily average. So in a sense, they''re getting double caloric credit for the activity. If you then eat back all of the calories the site says you''ve burned during the day, you could in theory OVEReat.

To lose you should decrease your caloric intake (food) and increase your caloric output(exercise). It should be a combination of the two, not driven all by one or the other (for example eating 500 less calories a day and burning 500 calories a day, vs. cutting out or burning 1000 calories/day).

Is that a little more clear?

Bottom line, on an average, day-to-day basis, record your activity but don''t eat back the calories it says you''ve burned (regardless of if it says you''re going under the 1300 based on your exercise for the day). If you have a particularly hard work out or you''re hungry then eat more. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, it will tell you what you need. Just don''t use the caloric credit from exercise as an excuse to over eat as it''s often just a ball-park number anyway.

And good luck!!

Thanks Hudson! I totally get what you are saying about the double credit for burning calories. I chose ''lightly active'' (seated and standing activities, e.g. computer use) and don''t record things like taking the stairs at work/school instead of the elevator or cleaning as exercise. Your reply helped me though!

Thanks for your input and your sharing a little of your experience. I appreciate it!