Should I just see a dietitian already? I need straight answers and no one's giving them to me!
5'5", almost 15 years old, ~145 lbs, run 22 mins at 7mph and walk 22 mins at 4 mph every day, plus gym class and whatever else I do.
I've tried to get straight answers on this site but no one's really telling me exactly what I should do. I'd love to be down to 125-130 by fall, that's where I was last fall...I've lost about 15 lbs so far but I've stopped seeing noticeable weight loss. I really just want to know exactly what I need to do to reach my goal as quickly as would be healthy.
If I don't get a good answer, should I go to a dietitian? Do they know what they're talking about?
Use this calculator and - the discretionary cals from the recommended maintenance cals for a deficit. http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/healthyeatingcalculat or/eatingCal.html
When I punch in your stats quickly I get:
2671 (to maintain with about an hour of activity a day), 410 (discretionary), so I'd say 2261 intake for loss
or
3208 (to maintain with above an hour of activity a day), 650 (discretionary), 2558 intake for loss
As a growing teen you may not get to your range that you were last year (or at least fast) cause of the whole you are growing thing (so be sure to understand you may grow a couple more inches too). And not to burst you bubble I don't think many doctors would want to recommend too much weight loss for a growing teen already in a healthy BMI range and it may be the same for dietitians, it may a liability thing. They may just say, eat healthy/clean and exercise.
And as for weight loss slowing down, welcome to the unfair world of weight loss, it sucks and its frustrating but it is how it goes. Weight is easier to lose at first and it gradually gets more difficult or just take longer. I went from losing 30lbs in 3 months, 15lbs in 4 months and frustrated as heck on a 1 month plateau! and I am only 10lbs away from my goal (but at this rate I think it will take 4-5+ months to lose the last 10lbs : /).
Does zig-zagging calories help.?
I personally, grew 1 more inch 16 to 17.
Due to your age I'd not recommend under 1600 and I'd say in a 1600-1700 range for min cals and average with light activity I'd say 1800ish but also since you shorter your BMR is lower so it may be more difficult (take longer) for you in losing the last bit of weight but not impossible. But definitely keep your deficits around 500 or less since you are in a healthy BMI range.
No teen should be really be gaining on 2500 calories if they are active. If inactive (according to the first site I gave you) 1920 is maintain and discretionary is 265, meaning 1655 but really for teens gaining your deficit through&n bsp;exercise should be the way to go not doing nothing and eating a bunch less, unless you are injured/disabled I suppose. But if you feel with your activity that you do not burn the same amount of cals as the calculator shows then, set your account to sedentary ;and log activities and aim for 1600-1700 as min intake (even if you zig zag) and max -500 deficits (if you don't zig zag).
I like the zig-zag, I did it from Jan to now (now I have less zig zag range cause I have smaller deficits for my weight lifting), and lost 15lbs doing it about 4-5lbs a month at first, then 3lbs last month and this month nothing/plateau. I'll show you my sample just keep in mind I am adult so the range intakes are much smaller. This site does a zig zag for you too, just remember the recommended intakes are more for adults though they allow teens to punch in their stats: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calc ulator.htm
Original Post by hollowness:
Deficits are calories either burned from activity or from eating under maintenance or both, that equal 'net cals'.
Before I'll explain net cal/deficits quick (values from the cc site):
My BMR is 1440 (which is recommended as min intake but I do admit I may have a day or two I go about -100 under it but for cycling/zig zag I eat more than BMR or even maintenance on a few days too)
My daily burn is 1729
If I eat my BMR I have a deficit of -289
If I walk my dog 3x15mins I get an additional -168 totaling my deficit at-457
If I walk my dog 3x15mins (-168) and 60min ride on the stationary (-460)-628 totals my deficit at -917
(1440-1729 = -289 + (-628) = -917) example
but if I workout I actually really eat more than my BMR the example about is just the idea of BMR - daily burn = value1 + activity = value2
Examples of how I cycle/zig zag:
High/Medium deficit days:
(1650-1729 = -79 + (-628) = -707) example of a high intake, high activity day
(1300-1729 = -429 + (-168) = -597) example of a low intake, low activity day
(1500-1729 = -229 + (-230) = -459) example of med intake, med activity (30min on stationary bike)
Low/Medium deficit days:
(1650-1729 = -79 + (-168) = -247) example of a high intake, low activity day
(1450-1729 = -279 + (-168) = -447) example of a medium intake, low activity day
Little/Low deficit days (maintenance days about once a week):
(1800-1729 = 71 + (-168) = -97) example of maintain intake, low activity day
(1800-1729 = 71 + (-398) = -327) example of maintain intake, medium activity day (30mins stationary and 3x15min dog walks)
(1600-1729 = -129 + (-56) = -185) example of med intake,little/low activity day (1x15min dog walk)
My weeks vary for example last week: a medium deficit week, low and high intake days and with a maintenance day, total 2565 (under a 1lb/over 0.5 loss):
day 1: -373 (cal intake of 1478)
day 2: -536 (cal intake of 1282)
day 3: -471 (cal intake of 1343)
day 4: -501 (cal intake of 1357)
day 5: -132 (cal intake of 1885)
day 6: -525 (cal intake of 1470)
day 7: -27 (cal intake of 1923)
Example a few weeks ago: a medium deficits week, medium/low intakes and no maintenance days week total 3485 (about 1lbs loss):
day 1: -460 (cal intake of 1448)
day 2: -424 (cal intake of 1618)
day 3: -515 (cal intake of 1307)
day 4: -536 (cal intake of 1389)
day 5: -664 (cal intake of 1266)
day 6: -438 (cal intake of 1455)
day 7: -448 (cal intake of 1492)
Sorry, for the how long, I just thought I'd cover the full extent of how I do it, and if needed again can refer back to it :)
Hey megan,
First of all you will have to do some carb counting.If you are eating too many carbs or drinking diet pop which has aspertane in it you wont lose the weight.Cut some carb back.Change your workout routain daily.If you dont then your body will get use to the same thing and you wont change as quickly as you want to . Do some weight training one day with calist, zumba another (dance), kickboxing and a hiit class another. YOu can get all these from youtube as well. They are all free.Im a instructor so if your interested in some help let me know..
Original Post by tinaandjohn5:
Hey megan,
First of all you will have to do some carb counting.If you are eating too many carbs or drinking diet pop which has aspertane in it you wont lose the weight.Cut some carb back.Change your workout routain daily.If you dont then your body will get use to the same thing and you wont change as quickly as you want to . Do some weight training one day with calist, zumba another (dance), kickboxing and a hiit class another. YOu can get all these from youtube as well. They are all free.Im a instructor so if your interested in some help let me know..
Most of this was bogus. Anyone who pays you to instruct them is getting snookered.
carbs=bunk. I eat carbs day and night and I've lost 50lbs.
aspartame=bunk. It's gross, and I don't drink soda, but it's not why people gain weight. The big macs and large fries that accompany the soda are why people gain weight.
schizophrenic workouts=wtf. you don't need to change your workouts every day. That's insane. How could you measure your progress if you never did the same workout twice. Variety is good, but constant change is just unnecesary
workouts= you can do whatever you want to do, but none of those things you listed are inherently necessary. You can lose weight w/o weight training, calisthenics, zumba, kickboxing or HIIT-this one is especially unnecessarily, unless you are a seasoned athlete looking to improve at your sport.
People lost weight long before zumba
Megan-if you want to lose weight, get your calories in check. I would say start with 2000, and see how it goes. Get active, find something you like, stick with it, and have some fun.
Hey smashley, You know everyone is so different and i agree but obviously you dont read on what works for alot of people.Yes stay active and watch calorie but people do this everyday and still dont get the results they need. Some people like me are on a very limited diet and watch everything but just cause your calorie counting doesnt mean you will lose the weight. It not all about calories. GEt some education before you debunk others....
@tinaandjohn5
Uh, actually, it's largely about calories in vs. calories out. Obviously there are different variables involved here for different people, but it's pretty largely accepted that you need to burn more than you take in to achieve weight loss. I suggest you get some education before giving any sort of ridiculous advice.
OP,
Even if you are done growing taller, your organs and brain are still doing a massive amount of growing. You're going to gain weight from that. It's not fat. Promise. Your body's going to spend the next 5 years constantly changing shape. You're going to hate clothes shopping. It's a fact of life and all of us women have to deal with it.
Your hips are going to widen in some god-damned attempt to make us all ready to have children (grumbles about not wanting children and wanting less-wide hips).
You may think you have a nice rack now, but it keeps growing till you're 21 or 22.
And did I mention that your organs are continuing to grow?
I'm as thin at 145 as a 26 year old as I was at 130 as a 17 year old. I still fit in the prom dresses to prove it!
Your profile picture shows a beautiful slender girl. Please continue to eat healthy. But also remember to tell yourself that you're beautiful every morning and work on building a self image that can survive falling down a mountain and gaining 30 lbs (been there, done that, still liked myself after but missed my old clothing).
The most beautiful thing someone else will see is someone who has a lot of self confidence. If you can't believe in yourself, who else can. And until you really do believe it, just keep faking it. One day it'll become a reality. And nobody else will know that you were faking the whole time (again, from experience)
just cause your calorie counting doesnt mean you will lose the weight. It not all about calories. GEt some education before you debunk others....
Obviously counting calories isn't everything. You have to adjust your diet so you eat less than you burn for counting calories to work. What good does it do you if you count calories and still overeat? If you understood thermodynamics, then you would know why counting calories works. "Read a book."
Thank you guys! It's just that I don't even care what I weigh at ALL, it's how I look & feel, how I fit into my clothes...I don't know if I would've naturally gained weight between summer and now or whatever, but all of my friends look the same even if they do gain weight, so that means they must be gaining it in organs or something. it just seems like they maintain their weight SO easily, when it seems like they're eating junk and not exercising! I don't know..
I was 130 last summer and I was soooo comfortable there, so around there would be awesome. I fit into last years shorts, they're just SUUUPER tight, so I'd eyeball around 10 pounds off would put me where I need to be.
So I'm thinking I'll try calorie cycling? I've heard really good things about it...
and then if it doesn't work just see a dietitian? I want this stupid last ten lbs off of me.
