Weight Loss/Diet Plan

arunkumar · April 2012

I started my weight loss plan in January, which was to eat healthier and exercise more (duh!). Well it was hard to eat healthy all the time, but I exercised regularly. I only lost 6 pounds in 2 months when I wanted to lose a pound each week (my goal is to lose 22 pounds total). I then switched my plan and started eating really healthy, but not exercising regularly. I lost 4 more pounds in a month. Then I hit a standstill and didn't lose weight for the next 6 weeks because I wasn't strict about my diet or exercise. I've gotten back on my plan to eat healthy but I haven't exercised (other than occasionally walking) in a while. I have a treadmill at home and I've already prepaid for yoga classes, so I know i'm making excuses.

I have two questions. How do I motivate myself to exercise when my caloric intake is fairly low (about 1200 calories)? I don't always feel like I have extra energy and it's hard to find a lot of healthy foods that I actually want to eat.

I'm also worried about whether I'm losing fat or muscle if I'm not working out. Does anyone know which my body will get rid of first?

mekiakoo · April 2012

I've always heard that it's 80% what you eat and 20% exercise. I'm sure this phrase really depends on how you do things.

Maybe I am wrong, but I really think 1,200 calories a day is quite low. But then again, I don't really know much about this- I'm sure somebody here will be able to answer your question better. I believe you'll lose muscles before you even lose fat. But muscles weigh a lot more than fat. Do you feel more toned? If so- focus on that rather than your weight because it's all in the muscles.

Have you checked out Tuesday Accountabilty thread? Check it out on Tuesdays (you can also go back and find old threads)- there are a lot of ideas of how to stay motivated!

michelle11988 · April 2012

You need to probably eat more if you are only eating 1200 calories a day and working out. Bulking up with fruits and veggies that are high in fiber that will make you feel fuller than empty calories such as cookies. I would definitely eat healthy and do some yoga and cardio to get in shape and slim down.

bridetobe71412 · April 2012

If you enter in your data (height/weight) to MyFitnessPal, and enter in the amount you want to lose, it'll give you a vague idea of how many calories you should be eating per day. For each day that you exercise, you "earn" more calories. 1200 is the low-end of what you should be eating per day, assuming you're normal weight/height.

FWIW, I found MFP to be wholly inaccurate for my body weight/height, but for normal people it is usually accurate. (I'm super short and it didn't account for my body type AT ALL, so I ended up gaining about 3 pounds when I followed what it said. It's apparently much more accurate if you are a normal weight/height.)

butterflyjumper1 · April 2012

Don't trust MFP. I am on the opposite end of what bridetobe said - I am extremely tall, extremely big bones, and if I lifted weights regularly/heavily, I would look like a body builder. It EXTREMELY underestimated my calories (especially since I exercise every day).

6 pounds in 2 months sounds great to me! progress like that is healthy, gradual, and it sounds like you made a healthy lifestyle change rather than doing anything drastic. When weight comes off much faster than that...it is much more likely to come right back.

Keep doing what you are doing. Try to eat clean (avoid processed junk), stick with veggies, fruits, and lean proteins, eat a balanced and filling breakfast, and exercise every day. Do a mix of yoga, other cardio, and at least one day of weight training/week.

Don't get too caught up on your weight. I weigh A LOT. But I am right between a size 4 and a 6 in pants/skirt sizes (bigger on top because of massive swimmer shoulders). Your measurements and how your clothes are fitting matter more than your weight. So don't worry about muscle/fat and what is going to drop - just pay attention to how you are looking, how you are feeling, and how your clothes fit. It was hard for me to accept that my weight probably is right where it is going to be - so I just try to focus on how I look and how my clothes fit now.

bridetobe71412 · April 2012

Ditto butterfly. Focus on how your clothes fit and how you LOOK rather than the number on the scale.

Also, I only suggest MFP because of other people's use of it and their rave reviews. Of course it won't work for everyone (like me, and like butterfly) but in general, it gives you an idea of numbers of calories in different meals (which you may not be correctly estimating), portion sizes, etc. A lot of people think they are "eating healthy" but then they are eating portions that are literally 3x the size they should be. Just something to keep in mind since, as PP said, it's 80% food, 20% working out.

bells24412 · April 2012

This is why I joined WW last year. Although i have only lost 15lbs in a year I still feel good and I can eat whatever I want and I don't have to deprive myself. The thing that helped me was what i just mentioned that I can eat whatever I wanted; if I didn't I don't think this whole weight loss would even happen. I never have any motivation about going to the gym, but I know it is good for me since i have a sleeping problem it puts me to sleep that's what motivates me. 1200 cals seems really low to me, but like PP's mention it is about portion control and exercise. Good luck.

dawnleanna1 · April 2012

1200 calories is on the low end like pp said, and if you are working out regularily you will need to eat more to give your body some fuel. Stick with small (healthy) meals and eat 5-6 of them per day. Adding cardio is one of the best ways to boost your diet and really lose some weight. Weight training is great too, and will keep you looking toned once you lose weight.

Melissa.hylton · April 2012

I started to diet prior to having my second child. Instead of looking at calories I basically looked at portions. I ate what I wanted but in minimal. I used the rule of the fist. Your portion should be the size of your fist no bigger no smaller. I also walk 40 minutes every other day. I picked this diet plan back up 2 weeks ago after seeing the scale hit 180lbs, im 5'8". In the last 2 weeks I have lost 6 lbs. I dont feel hungry either, fruits and veggies are unlimited throughout the day for snacks.

arunkumar · April 2012

Thanks again for your suggestions! I have been better about portion control and eating fresh food instead of processed foods but I have to remember to be consistent. I do need to exercise and build muscle if I want to be toned. I'm not toned at all right now. I used to lift weights while watching the Biggest Loser (if I can watch someone work out, I should get of the couch and do it too right?) so I need to do that again, and more often than once a week.

I guess 1,200 calories doesn't seem that bad to me. I'm only 5'1 and I have a small frame. I think though that if I'm going to work out, maybe eating around 1,500 calories would be better.

I have dropped one pant size so far! I just have to remember to look for changes in my body like some of you suggested. I really let myself go for the last three years while I was in graduate school so it's a long road to getting my body back!

bridetobe71412 · April 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_weight-lossdiet-plan?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:2d8bbc68-a042-4318-a560-9438093bec9aPost:84ddcc20-e492-47b6-a202-5740734379fd">Re: Weight Loss/Diet Plan</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks again for your suggestions! I have been better about portion control and eating fresh food instead of processed foods but I have to remember to be consistent. I do need to exercise and build muscle if I want to be toned. I'm not toned at all right now. I used to lift weights while watching the Biggest Loser (if I can watch someone work out, I should get of the couch and do it too right?) so I need to do that again, and more often than once a week. I guess 1,200 calories doesn't seem that bad to me.<strong> I'm only 5'1 and I have a small frame. I think though that if I'm going to work out, maybe eating around 1,500 calories would be better.</strong> I have dropped one pant size so far! I just have to remember to look for changes in my body like some of you suggested. I really let myself go for the last three years while I was in graduate school so it's a long road to getting my body back!
Posted by arunkumar[/QUOTE]

I'm only 5' tall and not really sure what my frame is like - I suppose it's somewhat small? I actually don't even know. I honestly don't have the best body image so I could be wrong.

Anyway, point being - 1200 isn't THAT little for someone as small as us. If you are eating 1200 and losing weight and don't feel famished, then it's probably ok for you. If I were to eat 1500 a day, I would gain a lot of weight - that's what happened when I went to MFP and put in my height/weight. I gained 3 lbs which for me is a lot.

butterflyjumper1 · April 2012

yes, if you are 5'1'' and little, that is a LOT different than if someone like me were eating 1200 cals (5 10 and BIG!) My BM who is an ex-gymnast has lots of allergies/gluten issues and she tracks what she eats for more medicinal reasons than just losing weight - she is 5 2 and small but extremely muscular, and she works out a lot, and I believe she eats around 1400 cals a day just to maintain. Basically, I think what bridetobe and I are saying, is calorie intake absolutely varies from body to body, so the 1200 for you could potentially be about right! I would agree with you that if you exercise really really vigorously, you should probably add a few hundred calories, but it sounds like you are doing things right. good luck!

Weight Loss/Diet Plan

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