Help me make the numbers positive so that my numbers are negative!

I am new, read this and you will be able to tell. That is exactly why I am typing this.

I am 162.

I am eating 1,200 cals a day, or less.

I burn 1,810 cals a day.

That is a -610 cals a day.

7 days a week is 4,270 cals a week.

3,500 cals = 1 lb.

4,270 cals divided by 3,500 cals=1.22 lbs lost per week.

I give up food, nearly in it's entirety compared to the the way I have eaten my whole life, and all I get in return is 1.22 lbs per week! And, I swear if I have one bad day. POOF, it magically wipes out the deficit.

I know you need to take in less and burn more. I know you should also work out. But someone give me some numbers that are positive! I have an Engineering mind and need someone to show me some positive factual numbers and give me some positive advice. I need to get started, but am having a hard time!!

~Becca

First of all, don't eat less than 1200 calories a day.  You should probably even be eating more than that, but 1200 is the bare minimum.  Second, there's nothing wrong with 1.22 lbs a week!  Why are you upset about that?  This is a pound of fat :  http://www.starling-fitness.com/wp-content/1l bfat.jpg  Looks like a lot to me!  Third, if you have one bad day, I doubt you'll go over by 4270 calories and wipe out the deficit.  You have to be more positive and believe that you can do it.  If you make a healthy change, and eat lots of healthy foods, you'll stop craving junk and you won't have as many bad days, if any. 

Uhm.  Those are positive numbers. 

Except for the eating 1200 a day thing, that seems a little low if you're exercising at all, but with a daily burn of ~1800, I suppose you're not.

You didn't gain the weight over night, you won't lose it over night.

The maximum line lies, for most people, between 1-2lbs per week, some nutritionists suggest no more than 1% of your body weight per week.  You're already losing close to that maximum (1.6lbs/week), so don't push it, k? Trying to do it too fast does many things (make you prone to the binge/restrict cycle, shock your body into starvation mode so you lose muscle more than fat if you even lose at all, that kind of thing...), and when you weigh out the pros and cons, it's stupid.

You're losing at a healthy rate.  Doing it this way will make you more likely to not have problems with loose skin, not "fall off the wagon", not be miserable/starving/exhausted all the time, and actually keep the weight off once you lose it.

Also, "one bad day" shouldn't wipe out a 4,270 cal deficit, that's rather ridiculous. ;)  If you're having a binging problem you're probably either a) dealing with psychiological issues and should see a psychiatrist, b) not eating enough to keep your body happy and should up your cals and exercise, or c) not eating wholesome, nutritious food, and need to not eat crap.

Cheer up.  1.22lbs/week is great. c:

I weigh 165, and will clearly say i am most likely no different than anyone else. 

Yes Eat less exercise more.

I have taking a weigh training course. ( Which works if you stick with it )  The most important thing i can tell you is if you workout and work off the calories you say.  First thing after you work out you should do is eat.  Eat protein for that is what you loose quickly when you burn calories.  You also need to realize that if you work off that many calories, you are still burning calories for 2 or so hours later.  So, you are most likely burning a lot more calories per day than you think.  Please make sure to mix it up when you work out so your body does not get use to the same thing every day.  It won't do you as much good as doing something different even other day.  I swim one day then weights later.  The next day i do the treadmill, or elliptical, and then weights.  Its a good mix.  Now i just need to ... like you....stick to it.

Good luck

To be totally honest, I don't think that the burnmeter is acurate on this site. And you will probably loose a lot more than 1.22lbs per week if you're only eating 1,200 calories a day. I started at 146lbs and I ate 1,000-1,2000 calories a day and only worked out 30 minutes, 3 times a week, and I lost 30lbs in 4 months. So, you should loose even more rapidly if you weight 162. Good luck. :]
-Adrea

Hey!!!! I am an engineering major!  I weigh about 158 (down from 170, i know its not The World, but considering that 170 is the highest that I've ever been, and 140 is about the lowest I want to go, its a pretty big progress!)

Anyway, I'd love to chat with you! Engineers (esp. female ones) are few and far between.

I eat about 2000 calories a day, but I exercise like a mad-woman (I'm on the university swim team, so 20 hours a week = practice)

Message me!

So....... Drum Roll please.......

Today is Wednesday. I had to get up early as I am part of a Leadership group and we have a meeting today. I didn't at all need a bad number this morning.

On the scale, looking straight ahead, one last breath, and glance down....

159!!

3 lbs. This week. I never thought that I would be so excited about 3 lbs. But it is so much better than 1.22 lbs it's almost unbelievable!

It is my goal to continue to work on changing my relationship with food for another week. Get myself through T-day and then start an exercise regimen. I will need to be realistic in that also. Maybe allowing my self to do it 3x per week to start.

Thank you all so much for the positives. Better go or I will be late for the Leadership meeting, that wouldn't be cute at all!

Thanks again,

Rebecca

Original Post by soon_to_be_skin_e:

So....... Drum Roll please.......

Today is Wednesday. I had to get up early as I am part of a Leadership group and we have a meeting today. I didn't at all need a bad number this morning.

On the scale, looking straight ahead, one last breath, and glance down....

159!!

3 lbs. This week. I never thought that I would be so excited about 3 lbs. But it is so much better than 1.22 lbs it's almost unbelievable!

It is my goal to continue to work on changing my relationship with food for another week. Get myself through T-day and then start an exercise regimen. I will need to be realistic in that also. Maybe allowing my self to do it 3x per week to start.

Thank you all so much for the positives. Better go or I will be late for the Leadership meeting, that wouldn't be cute at all!

Thanks again,

Rebecca

Great job! :D  3lbs is an awesome accomplishment, especially when you first start.

When you do start your exercise regime, remember to up your cals (especially since you're already losing at a very fast rate), and that more often than not, the body retains a couple pounds of water weight when you first start working out regularly.

Do try for at least 12-1300 until then.

Congrats again. :D