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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 12:40
Hi. I'm new I guess to the whole weight lose game. I've always been overweight and it didn't bother me much. And then my mom had triple bypass surgery at the age of 45. So here I am, 21 years old and weigh 258 at 5 foot 10 inches. I have done a lot of research and I just need another opinion on my game plan. Okay, here goes ::
Im just eating healthier and keeping track of my calories, eating around 1300 a day. Based upon what I've read, my body needs around 3100 to function, so a deficit there. I am also working out at the Y 6 days a week with cardio and alternating leg weight training on one day, arms, the next and the 3rd day is an off day. I have a heart montior programed with my stats and it says that I burn around 1200-1400 cals a day at the Y.
So, my question is, if I'm burning off what I eat (and that wasn't the original goal, trust me) am I okay? Someone said that I'm okay, someone else said just exercsie with 1200 cal diet and someone else said that I should take what my body needs 3100 add to it what I burn exercising (1200) and then subtract what I eat and that's my deficit. 3100 +1200 = 4300 - 1300 = 3000. But that doesn't seem healthy. Should I be eating so that my deficit is only 2000? I'm confused and looking for help from people who seem like they knowwhat they are talking about.
Thanks in advance for the help.
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 13:28
I think Michelle would be able to answer this question more directly, but I'll try and help you some. I don't know the exact science of how all that works, but what I was told to do is go to this site's calorie calculator (http://www.practicalweightloss.com/nutrition/caloriecalculators.html) and enter in your information. Based on your height, weight, age and activity level, it will tell you approximately how many calories you need per day to maintain your current weight. To lose a pound a week, subtract 500 from that.
Try that first and see what kind of numbers you come up with :)
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 13:34
is there is no activity level for someone like me. It gives you a choice of "light" activity, which is normal everyday activities and then it bumps up to "moderately" active, describing it as vigorous exercise 3-4 times a week. I'm NEITHER category. I don't work out vigorously 3-4 times a week, but I get more exercise than just normal everyday moving about.
They need a happy medium in there, perhaps calling it "moderate to light" activity.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 13:46
So my exercising should be figured in that count? I don't subtract it or add it to my starting numbers? I figured light activity and then the difference in the calories needed was off. Like it said that I only needed 500 more cal to support that activity, but I burn way more than that according to my heart monitor (1200-1400 on 30 mins of cardio and 45 mins of weight training, 10 mins of ab work). I just don't want to be doing this the wrong way.
Thanks for the help.
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 13:52
Okay, so the light activity says 2580, moderate 2976- and so on. When eating healthy, I am having a hard hard time eating more than 1500 calories a day. Eating turkey, fruits, veggies, making shakes and smoothies, I'm barely hitting the 1300 I'm doing now. So, I guess that I'm not eating nearly enough? So If I want to lose 2 pounds a week, then I need to be eating 2976-1000 = 1976? I am drinking a ton of water and taking a multi-vitamin. This would just be so much easier if there was one set answer and set of numbers. ARGH! How do I figure that calories that I burn while exercising?
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 14:10
Yes, put in your activity level. You sound like you're exercising good, so just add in whatever you think your level is :)
Like I said, I'm not sure how all that works, so hopefully Michelle or someone more experienced with that will read your post.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 14:12
First of all, are you male or female? Your sex also plays a part in how many calories you need, I'm pretty sure.
But even not knowing your sex, for your height and activity level, 1300 sounds WAAAY too low.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 14:13
If you're not eating the amount of calories that your body requires, you're depriving yourself of important nutrients. And especially if you work out regularly, you NEED those nutrients.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 14:23
I forgot to put in my gender. Sorry. Female.
And just to run down the rest of the stats, 258 pounds, 5 ft 10 inches, 21 years old. Taking a multi-vitamin, drinking the correct water amounts.
Trying to lose weight. Currently doing 30 mins of cardio, 6 days a week, doing weight training 4 days a week. Having a very hard time eating 1300 calories a day now that I'm counting them and being aware of what I am putting in my body. I eat when I'm hungry, when my body says that it needs food. And the question is, how should I figure out the workout calories? The automatic counters come up with different numbers and my heart rate montior says I'm burning 1200-1400 per workout.
I'm not eating enough am I?
I read in a previous post that someone recommended to someone else to drink a slim fast to get the nutrients. good idea?
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Author: BFL Michelle
Date: 10-05-04 14:25
OK, I'll try.
3500 calories = 1 pound. To lose weight you have to creat a calorie deficit. You can do this several ways.
Calorie Restriction only
Exercise only (very hard)
Calorie Restriction AND Exercise (best most healthiest way to lose weight)
Using the calculator at www.practicalweightloss.com subtract 500 from whatever number it gives you for your age, height, current weight and activity level. This will cause a 1 pound lose per week.
This will be your daily calorie intake. I did round mine down. I think in the beginning it gave me 1486 and I rounded down to 1400. But go ahead and get close to what it gives you. As you lose weight you will have to keep reducing your daily calorie intake. I then reduced mine to 1350 and then 1300. I used the same calculator during all of my weight loss efforts and I have now used that same calculator to determine what my maintenance calories are and so far so good.
Depending on you and what your maintenance calories are, you possibly can reduce your daily intake even further to lose more weight faster, like maybe 2 pounds per week. Just remember that in order to keep the weight off and to take it off in a healthy way, you should be making changes to your lifestyle that you can live with. If you know for a fact that you could never surive long term on just 1200 calories, then don't even attempt that.
Hope that helps.
139/104/104 - 5'1
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 14:32
Thanks, that does make since.
Does it matter how many calories I burn at the gym?
For example the sedentary cal says 2480 and the very active (which is where I guess I fall into now) says 3373, a difference of 893. But it says that I burn 1200-1400 per workout. Should I figure that in too? or just let it be a little extra bonus loss?
Okay, check me here, 3373 - 1000 (2 pounds per week) = 2373 per day.
How can I eat that much??
I'm nowhere near that, and having a hard time eating what I am.
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 14:46
Makes you crazy, doesn't it? All the numbers and figuring. A person could go mad trying to figure out exact equasions, but really, don't obsess over it too much or it just becomes a chore. Just find yourself a nice balance, a balance that works for YOU. Sometimes it takes weeks or even months to get into a pattern, but with whatever you're doing and you get to where you're losing 1-2 pounds a week (it's not recommended to lose anymore than 2-3) then you know you're where you want to be :)
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 14:51
I guess I'm number obsessive because I want to see it on paper. I want to keep track of it and know that I'm doing stuff to get results. I guess I'm also trying to keep myself accountable for everything that I eat and exercising.
Any advice on how to eat more calories?
I'm sure that's not a question you get a lot, I bet it's more like how do I get them down, but how can I get them up? Like mentioned before, Slim Fast shake in addition to what I'm eating to get nutrients?
I dieted a few months ago, just dieting, and ate around 1200 a day and lost 13 pounds in 3 weeks. I don't know if that helps trying to figure my body out.
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Author: BFL Michelle
Date: 10-05-04 14:52
Personally I always just relied on the calorie calculator and just made sure I was exercising to the level I put in. Don is our expert on the heart monitor thing. If your just going by what the machine says you are burning, they are usually high.
139/104/104 - 5'1
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Author: BFL Michelle
Date: 10-05-04 14:55
Add in a few mid-meals. Here's an example of a typical day for me:
8:00am protein shake
10:00am cottage cheese and yogurt
12:00pm canned chicken, whole wheat Ritz
3:00 piece of fruit
5:30pm small hand full of mixed nuts
6:30pm chicken breast, brown rice, vegtable
I'm getting about 1300 per day sometimes just a little less.
Check out:
www.bodyforlife.com
www.eatingforlife.com
These two site may help you too. I'm bascially following the Body for Life plan.
139/104/104 - 5'1
Post Edited (10-05-04 14:57)
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 15:00
I'm going off the heart monitor. I figure it knows more.
As far as eating more, the numbers say that I need to eat almost twice that. How can I do that but keep it healthy?
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Author: Don
Date: 10-05-04 15:00
I was obsessive also and kept very detailed records. Instead of trying to get a range for yourself, why not get exact measurements (or closer measurements). Go to www.caloriesperhour.com and put in your stats, then all of the activities you do in a day. For your exercise, leave however much time you exercise and use the calories off your monitor. Your heart rate monitor is the most accurate measurement you have right now. If you can not account for a 24 hour day, put in the excess time as "resting".
Remember, as you lose weight the calories per activity will go down. So a workout that burns 1,200 calories at your current weight may only burn 800 at your target weight. So keep checking the activity levels. I used my Friday weigh in weight for all of the next week's activities. That way I was being conservative. Also, I rounded up on the calories in and down on the calories burned. As Michelle told you 3,500 deficit equals one pound. Mine was pretty close every week.
I put all of the daily input and output on an excel spreadsheet and kept very detailed records of all calories. I was able to track my weight and monitor my deficit every day.
One thing I wish I would have done is measurements with a tape measure. You might want to do that because when you hit a plateau (which you probably will) you can see your progress in other ways. Also, you will lose more weight in the first few weeks, then it will gradually slow down. I posted a graph of my daily weigh-ins in an older post. If you want, I can post it again.
Good luck, stick around and post often.
If you are obsessed (and I believe you need), this is a good way. Good luck and keep up the good work. You're doing all of the right things.
Don
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body, but rather to skid-in-sideways,
totally worn out, shouting... "holy **** what a ride!"
232/166/166
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Author: Don
Date: 10-05-04 15:05
If you entered your weight, height, age and sex into your heart rate monitor it is the most accurate device for calories burned. To that, you have to add all of the calories you burn doing other things. My favorite calorie burning activity is sleeping! Yes, just sitting still and breathing burns calories.
Remember as you lose weight to adjust the setting on your monitor. I have mine set for 5 pounds lighter and one inch shorter so that the reading is coservative.
Don
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body, but rather to skid-in-sideways,
totally worn out, shouting... "holy **** what a ride!"
232/166/166
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Author: Don
Date: 10-05-04 15:09
If your monitor is saying you're burning 1,200 - 1,400 per workout and you are eating only 1,300, I think you should eat more. I would guess that you are running around a 2,500 deficit with that plan and you're gonna need more nutrition than 1,300 calories can give you. Of course, that is just my opinion. I think adding another 1,000 would keep you from getting too hungry and keep you on plan.
Also, eat five or six times per day. That helps keep the hunger down.
Don
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body, but rather to skid-in-sideways,
totally worn out, shouting... "holy **** what a ride!"
232/166/166
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 15:14
thanks for the advice!
I'm going to do that to get a more accurate idea about the calories that I need.
And I am so glad that everyone here seems so willing to help another person with their goals.
I will check in with any results and I've been reading thru a lot of the other posts.
This seems like a great support system and full of people who know what they are talking about.
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Author: sg
Date: 10-05-04 15:19
it's hard to burn off 1200-1400 calories in only 30 minutes of cardio. Weight training doesn't burn many calories either since it's more of an anaerobic exercise. I'm wary of electrical-calorie-counting devices. You're calculating the right way, but I think you may be using the wrong numbers.
I used to run everyday and I went online to figure out how many calories I was burning during my 3 mile run at x mph -- the calories varied from 200 to 400 per time/mile/etc. I didn't know what to do with that kind of margin of error so I just threw it everything higher than the minimum. I still ran but went with the lowest researched number when I calculated it into my daily caloric expenditure. better to underestimate than go over and wonder why the scale isn't moving.
If you're faring well on 1300 calories (i.e. don't feel like you could break any moment and binge) then go for it. Jumping from 3000+ calories a day to 1300 may leave you feeling hungry though.. as long as you can keep your willpower it should be ok. If you want to add a few hundred calories to that number, that's ok too. That's the whole principle behind why slow weightloss works. You don't deprive yourself as much and its easier to go through the day knowing you still have room for several hundred more calories rather than 100. Then again, you could be amongst the other group of people who need to stay away from food except during designated mealtimes.. a little snack here and a little snack there makes you want more which then snowballs into a binge. (I fit into the latter category). Whatever your eating plan, I'd suggest you eat a variety of foods. fitday.com is great for finding out approximations of nutritional values of lots of foods.
Like others here, I believe weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise. so don't be discouraged or confused by computers estimating how many calories you've burned. In the end, what matters most is the calories you're eating (or not eating). you can burn 1200 calories a day just by existing (heart beats, breathing, blinking, the muscles that hold you upright) - the exercise is a bonus... a HUGE bonus.. you feel healthier and I really believe it gives the illusion of thinness when the scale might indicate otherwise. When I was running regularly I looked like I weighed less than 155. exercise reshapes and sculpts your body. and it boosts your immunity and it makes you sleep better and it makes your skin glow and it makes your mood better and it makes you feel solidarity with other people who are also working out .. and it gives you a reason to not eat (and not binge) a few hours before/after the workout and the list goes on.
good luck and congratulations
sg
190/155/130
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Author: LeeV
Date: 10-05-04 15:38
Yes, I think a Slimfast or some other type of nutrition shake would be a good way to add some nutrient-packed calories to your diet. But first try and figure out how many calories you need. 1300 may be too low, then again it might be just right. Everyone is different. I think I could easily go down to 1300 (I'm at 1500 right now) with no problems, in fact some days that's about all I hit. But I don't do intense workouts either. I exercise some, but I don't move enough to burn off extra calories I take in. So far 1500 calories has been about right for me because I AM losing weight consistently, but I'm not losing it too fast. When my weight loss slows and I get stuck on more and more plateaus, then I'll probably start taking my calories down a little at a time until I start losing consistently again.
220/175/130
Began New Lifestyle June 18, 2004
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-05-04 15:52
wow. Putting in my exercise routine into the caloriesperhour website, hit it exactly! 1346 in 1 hr 35 mins. The cardio, weightlifting, stretching, AB work, it's all there. Wow. The heart rate monitor is right on track. that's an aweseom website. That one gets bookmarked!
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Author: Otta-no-better
Date: 10-05-04 19:09
I don't like those machines' calorie calculators' either. Do they count the same for someone who's 5'2" and 110 lbs as they do someone who is 6'3" and 300 lbs? My friends' elliptical machine says she can go almost eight miles in about ten minutes. Pardon?
I think it's a fair assumption that alot of folks already over estimate their exercise and under estimate their calorie consumption. Those machines are not helping.
Susan lost 40 lbs in 17 months
At goal, under 124 lbs since Sept. 10/04
Eat your protein, muscle is key
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Author: Don
Date: 10-06-04 08:22
All the more reason to use a heart rate monitor. You have to enter in your age, weight, height and sex into the monitor. It uses that information to calculate a much more accurate calorie burned estimate. As for the calculators on the internet, I had fairly good results from the caloriesperhour site.
I do agree that the machines in the gym are inaccurate. One article I read said that they estimate on the high side by as much as 20 percent. If you don't enter in your stats and you are not near the "normal" for the machine, it will give you bad data.
Don
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body, but rather to skid-in-sideways,
totally worn out, shouting... "holy **** what a ride!"
232/166/166
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Author: BaileyBoo
Date: 10-06-04 09:44
Eventhough I am new to this, Don's site Calories per hour matched up my heart rate montitor pretty much exactly.
And I agree that the machine's arent very accurate. My sister and I biked for 30 mins the other day, she got no where near 55 rpm and I was over 80 rpm the whole time and we finished at exactly the same distance, exactly 9 miles. I may be off on my interpretation of rpm, but I would have thought that I would go farther.
I had found another calorie counter, but that one was about 300 less than the watch and with caloriesperhour you can say how long and it will add it all together. It's my new friend. Thanks Don for the website!
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