Posts by tixlypixly

Your attitude and bubbliness is just so great! I can tell you're really excitied about yourself and your decision to make things happen for you.

As a guide it's meant to be no less than 1200 calories intake a day for women.

Your deficit should be no more than 1000 cal a day (any more than this can prevent weight loss)

Try to aim at a 500 cal deficit for steady and safe weightloss of 0.5lb - 1lb a week.

Apparently doing this means that the weight you lose is more likely to stay off and you're less likely to feel deprived and over eat by accident.

So take the calories you'ev eaten or intend to eat in a day.

Take away your BMR

Take away any extra exercise

This will give you your deficit.

An example of a healthy one...

Eat: 1700kcal

BMR -1800kcal

Gym - 500kcal

Deficit = 600

Bare in mind that everything varies from person to person and you can't be 100% precise about how many calories you burn and eat. So at times a bit of tweaking will be necessary I'm guessing. That's my plan and intentions anyway.

I've been here a week too. I've been doing a lot of reading!!

Good luck!

I've just started and I'm trying to hit that 500 cals deficit.

I'm 5'1" and 134lbs, I'm 24. It also says that my daily burn at sedentry is about 1800kcals.

I wanted to check this out so went on some other website for details on how many calories we burn sitting, sleeping, getting ready etc. I added up the different amount of cals per hour and it did work out at about 1800 - 1900.

I've got a heart rate monitor. I'm tempted to wear it non stop during a very sedentry day and see the cals add up.

I usually count anything extra - doing shopping, walking into town, gym sessions as extra.

I've been finding that on the days I visit the gym I need to eat much more than 1500kcal. It explains alot why I've passed out and gone funny in the gym before. Clearly not been eating enough!

Good luck with your counting.

Hi madamq - sound like some odd nasty game she's playing with you with the pants scenario. How awful.

But I think mother's like making their daughters try on hideous clothes / clothes that make them look or feel fat / clothes that they would like to wear but can't.

I distinctivley remember being forced to try on clothes that would match all of these.

Mothers are like beings from another dimension at times.

And then they can be really nice.

Any then they're not.

It's a constant mystery.

I'm new to this but I think you're right. Some days you can't count. But if you try your best to count most days then I don't think that progress will be too badly affected. I think it would be a bit obsessive to count every last little thing.

If I know I'll be going out for dinner I'll just make sure to eat very sensibly during the day so that I can enjoy the meal (no doubt absolutely packed with calories as they always are in restaurants!) that way I won't feel as guilty. You can't do much else can you?

If you still want to run outside in public (even a gym is quite public) why not try a different work out outfit? I'd NEVER wear shorts. I'm just say in the ideal weight BMI category / borderline overweight but I carry my fat round the hips and bum. So there's no way in hell you'd catch me in shorts even though I'm a size 12 (UK) and I know people of bigger clothes sizes wear shorts, hotpants, miniskirts etc.

I prefer yoga pants. Sort of tracksuit bottoms made from stretchy cotton in a wide leg style. They skim the hips and if you get a light weight material they still keep you cool. Not as cool as shorts though. Why not try cropped tracksuit bottoms?

Wear what makes you feel comfy. People at my gym wear teeny tiny tops and skin tight pants and let everything hang out. I guess they're comfortable with their bods on show like that. Everyone's different.

I don't go swimming much because I've not been able to find a swim suit I feel ok in. That's a shame isn't it. I will though when I find one!

Find some comfy clothes and enjoy your runs! I bet the dog misses them

Best of luck.

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. It's been really helpful.

Some of you have asked about the exact specs on my calorie intake / food diary.

Yesterday was a typical tuesday, I tried to eat sensibly according to my understanding on nutrition 'pre-caloriecount' education.

I ate: 1417 kcal

I went for a walk and went to the gym: 1200 kcal (used a Heart Rate Monitor)

According to the burn meter here on CC I burn 1700 kcal in a day.

I work that out to be a deficit of: minus 1483 kcal

--- that's not good is it? shouldn't it be around 500kcal? Are my calculations wrong? Am i slowly starving myself??

BUT I've got some super fancy scales that measure everything and they reckon my 'base calorie requirement' is 1400kcal a day. Even if that was so the deficit would still be high at 1183kcal. Still not ideal is it?

More specs on me: I'm 5 ft 1, 134lbs, female, 24yrs old. My BMI reads at 25.1 or 24.9 (some sources differ) I know I'm on the edge of over weight. I think my optimal weight is between 116lbs and 122lbs - I'd like to reach somewhere near that!).

In a typical week I go to the gym for 3 to 4 hours burning on an average 500kcal an hour. I usually have a walk into town on my lunch maybe 3 times a week (300 kcal a time). Those are the main obvious exercises I do. I drive to work. Unless I go shopping on a weekend - that would be strolling about for half a day. I don't do that every weekend though.

So what do you think?

Original Post by salemwatts:

do you know what i know how you feel. i run everyday for 30-40 mins doing 8 1/2 to 9 min miles (burning 300-400+ cals per day) and i count every calorie i eat everyday and always have a deficit of about 500 cal ( i eat about 1300-1500 a day ) and i have been stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks now and dont know what more i can do. i have an active job as a nursery teacher and ride my bike around often as well as running around after the kids and doing sit ups everyday too and to be honest i cant do anymore yet im not losing and im stuck at 137lbs when my goal is 119lbs by august. what am i to do kick start again when like you im doing all i can to be fit and healthy already?

Hi Salem, it's good to know you're in the same boat as me. We nearly have identical goals too. I suppose all the clues are pointing to taking on more calories but from good stuff. Trying to think of it as fuel for the exercise. Was at the gym doing spinning tonight and I was so so hungry! Its so frustrating working so hard and nothing happening. Boo.

Definitely taking more fruit to work tomorrow.

Original Post by trhawley:

Original Post by tixlypixly:

I see. I'll have to start counting then. It just seems odd that I'm doing all this exercise and nothing is moving. I don't gain or lose weight. That must mean that if I didn't bother going to the gym that I'd put on weight.

 

Feels like a tough spot I've got myself into.

 You don't lose weight from exercising, you lose weight from having a calorie deficit which exercise helps you to have.  But at least now you know that your are blowing all your hard work during the week by not keeping track of calories on the weekends.

Thanks trhawley. I guess thats what the problem is. I'm putting loads of effort into the gym and not enough attention on nutrition. Just trying not to eat much - which probably isn't helping when I'm feeling nackered all the time.

Do you know of any good things to eat before and after exercise? I exercise straight after work but I can squeeze in a few mins to eat cereal or something quick before I leave to go to the gym. Or should I have enough energy from lunch? When I leave the gym I'm really hungry but don't want to blow all my hard work. Any good ideas?

I see. I'll have to start counting then. It just seems odd that I'm doing all this exercise and nothing is moving. I don't gain or lose weight. That must mean that if I didn't bother going to the gym that I'd put on weight.

Feels like a tough spot I've got myself into.

I find that aerobics with twisting movements in the choreography really work your lower back and 'love handles'

Walking is also really good overall fat-burning exercise.

Hope this helps!