Newbie - Calory intake versus exercise

[misk]

Hello,

I have been on lite n easy's 1500 calorie diet for 8 weeks. The first 4 weeks I just ate without exercise, getting used to the lower calories. Four weeks ago I started my exercise, with a nightly walk for an hour, around 3k's, five nights a week. The last two week I've been walking 30mins on the treadmill each morning and 30mins at night mon-fri, then an hour kayaking on Sat and 30-45min bike ride on Sunday.

I gave up soft drinks/diet drinks and coffee and have been drinking only water and white tea/green tea with breakfast/lunch/dinner.

One area i would say i'm lacking is weight-training so ithis week i've also added a tiny bit of that with 3kg weights, bicep curls x10 and lifting above the head x10 three times each, and that burns

Wondering if anyone has any tips for me that might help with weight loss. I'm happy, i've been losing around .5 - 1kg each week, just wondering if I'm eating enough verus dieting enough. I'm now currently 70kg, 158cm tall, 27yrs and female.

[admin]

Welcome.

Sounds like you have it all under control . Just make sure you are getting enough calcium and protein in you daily intake. Congrats for giving up soft drinks! That is a hard one for people., but your insides will be thanking you.

Look forward to reading your posts.

Keep up the good work.

Sharrelle

[Blitz]

I agree with Sharrelle. You seem to be doing it sensibly.

For effective results I have found varying the intensity of my regular exercise very useful. Think in terms of a medium work rate one day, a real hard effort the next day and followed by a lighter day the next. You don't want your body getting use to a set rigid daily routine...it will just do it on cruise control. You want to mix it up.

You may want to start turning that hour walk at night into a jog. Ease into it slowly. I usedthe distance between lamp posts as yard sticks. Jog one length, walk three lengths. When that got comfortable I would jog/walk alternate lengths. Then progressively increase the jogs and decrease the walks. When it becames all jog, then it is time to make the jog into a run (increase speed). Because you complete the distance quicker you then want to increase the distance as well.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Maintaining it for life!

[misk]

Thanks admin and blitz! Nice to have someone validate that i'm on the right track. This week i've bumped the treamill up to wake 2min, jog 1 min with it set to a weight loss program that slowly builds the incline upland i'm definitely feeling the difference in the workout of my calves area.

My biggest concern is whether 1500calories is enough with treadmill 5hrs a wk and 30min bike and 1hr kayaking? All the websites say i should be eating more...

[Blitz]

Yeah...but that's for normal people - you're in the weight loss business. You want to create a deficit. But always listen to your body. If you are not eating enough you will hit a wall and you'll know it will be time either to ease the exercise or increase your calorie intake. If you're smart you'll feel it coming and avoid the wall altogether.

Alan Bourushek's Diet Manual For Successful Weight Control is a book that has some interesting things to say on this subject. It's a simple, direct and sensible book that I can recommend. In it he writes:

Theoretically, a loss of 1 kilogram of fatty tissue per week requires a deficit of almost 8,000 calories per week or around 1,000 calories per day.
For example, an overweight person consuming 2,500 calories per day could theoretically lose 1 kg fat per week by either reducing food intake to 1,500 calories per day, or increasing daily exercise output by 1,000 calories.
In practise, the actual weight loss will vary with fluid fluctuations, activity level and individual differences in metabolic rate.
Addionally, as weight is lost, the body attempts to slow down the rate of weight loss, by lowering the metabolic rate.
An easier approach is to simply halve your present energy intake. For most people, the range will be:
Women
Sedentary 800-1200 cals
Active 1000-1500 cals
Men
Sedentary 1000-1500 cals
Active 1200-1800 cals

So you see, for a person losing weight you are on track.

I myself have never counted calories. My wife who use to be anorexic as a teenage can look at a piece of celery and give you it's calories to the decimal point. I vaguely know which foods are high or low but couldn't put a number to them. My eating is based on portion control and making healthier choices without getting bogged down in the detail.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Keeping it off for life!

[misk]

Well two and a half weeks have gone by and I haven't lost a kilo. I'm at a loss. Two weeks ago I lost a nice 2 kilos then a few days later put back on 500grams, then back down 200grams and since then haven't moved. I've been sticking with between what my fitness pal suggested - 1200 calories - and lite n easy suggested - 1500- and eating between the two. I also started eating back some of the calories I've been exercising off, generally only eating back 100 calories. Exercise wise i've still been doing 30mins treadmill morning and 30 mins at night and as well just a bit of my light weights, 3kgs 4sets a day. One or two days i'll switch treadmill with a bike ride for an hour.

Any ideas or help guys?

[Blitz]

You are probably building lots of muscle which weighs more than the fat you are replacing. The pay off for you will be delayed but when it comes in you will feel like you've won the lottery.

If that is not the case then you need to look at your intake. Sometimes bad practices creep in and without realising it our calorie intake is loads higher than we thought. You may want to keep a food diary and see if this is the case. I know that there was a month I was working real hard and getting very little for it, that this proved to be the case. My snacks were way out of control. I cut back on the snackage and slowed my exercise a little to get my calorie craving under control.

Don't discount varying your training intensity. Routine sameness can led to the body leveling off.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Keeping it off for life!

[misk]

Thanks so much for the help Blitz

My typical food day is:
B/Fast: Two multigrain toast, two eggs, slice of cheese and apple
Lunch: Wrap, chicken piece, tomato.
Snacks: Fruit Cup, air popped corn, l'n'e fruit cake
Dinner: L'n'e frozen dinner, usually around 350-400cals
Desert snack (if calories are low): Skinny cow ice-cream (100 cals)

Still managed to stick to only water, green tea/white tea, this last week i've begun drinking some almond milk with a table spoon of lite choc flavouring, because my calories have been low and calcium intake was pretty low.

I'm on lite 'n' easy, so my diet is tracked for me, in a way, but also I'm using the myfitnesspal app and counting it all up there. I had a naughty day last wkend, finger foods get me every time, but i logged it and the next day worked out harder and ate much less to compensate for some of it. Otherwise i've been having a skinny cow ice cream as a desert - 100cals - but that's still within my calorie intake.

Can I ask, what would be building muscle? Walking/jogging on the treadmill, i didn't think that would do much, or weights, again very small weights....The whole building of muscle confuses me, i can't quite understand at what point of effort muscle starts building.

Will definately take your advice and see if i can find a new type of exercise to add in - maybe some skipping or a bit more bike riding rather than treadmill?

[Blitz]

Remember the ache in your arms and legs the next day? What you did the day before is the activity that did it...that is what's building muscle. As you exert yourself more, your body regulates itself to provide for your needs. If you are inactive it will reserve your extra energy as fat. When you are active it makes muscle to achieve the desired workload. This increases energy consumption (and you use up energy reserves).

I wish I can give you more solid advice but I don't have enough data to help you. I don't know your weight, height nor what you do exercise wise. For example, when I go to the pool for a hour I really work it. There are people who I see at the pool often who do the hour as well. They move slowly and seem to waste their time. When I started I was fatter than them, today I'm skinner and they have remained the same. Guess what I'm saying is that there is exercise and then there is exercise.

All I do know is that if you do the basics right, you will lose weight. If you can give me more information maybe the missing element may be discovered.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Keeping it off for life!

[misk]

My stats are female, 27yrs, 68kg, 158cm. Scales are saying 37% fat.

When i go on the treadmill i do 1min walk @5, 1min jog @7.5 for 30 mins. I then repeat that again after work.

My lil weights i do 2sets of 10 in the morning th.n again after work.

Riding kills me so i ride an average of only 11-12k/h but my legs are like jelly and i'm panting.

Would you have an idea of what heavier weight i should get to build more muscle - 5kg or heavier?

[Blitz]

"Riding kills me so i ride an average of only 11-12k/h but my legs are like jelly and i'm panting."

That's the one that's effective. Build on that one. Get more muscles on those legs and you will see results. The good news is the more muscle you get, the less jelly they will feel (in more ways than one).

I wouldn't be in a hurry to get heavier weights. That might "break" rather than make you. Try more sets. Also try doing the sets slower. You will find that will be more effective.

Careful with the belief that your scales are giving you a fat reading. Scales measure fluidity and density. Fat is more fluid than muscle but water is the most fluid.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Keeping it off for life!

[misk]

Bike ridings been impossible this wkend because it's been boiling hot here, but will definately try and bump up some more riding Will stick to the 3kg weights for now, thanks for the advice!!

This week i've decided to try and add some more workout activities onto my treadmill-ing and weights, so my workouts will look like:

Mon/Tues
- jumping jacks, 3mins to warm up
- sit ups
- squats
- Treadmill 30 mins morn/night

Weds
- Day off other than 30min dog walk

Thurs/Fri
- jumping jacks, 3mins to warm up
- lunges
- knee push-ups
- Treadmill 30 mins morn/night

Sat
- Treadmill 30 mins morn/night

Sun
- Treadmill 30 mins morn/night
- Bike Ride 1 hour
- Sits Ups

We'll see how I go with sticking to that So the scales measure body weight, fat %, muscle %, hydration, BMI - are you saying it's not all that accurate Blitz? I'm going to try weighing each day and recording each of the per-centages to see what it's like, can't hurt I spose. Figure it might help keep me motivated if the regular scales don't seem to be moving anywhere.

[Blitz]

Many experts advise you not to weigh yourself daily. The reason they say that is because daily reading don't give an accurate picture. You may have a reading that shows that you have gained. That could do in your head especially if you have thrown everything in but the kitchen sink for a good result. What you haven't accounted for are the variables. The gain may, for example, be caused by muscle being made which is a good thing long term.

Now having said that about the experts, I must put up my hand to the fact that I have always weighed myself since day one of my weight loss and continue to do so. The only times I haven't recorded my weight was 5 days when I went to Sydney (the scales were to heavy to take with me), the day after I reached goal and 7 days recovering from my hernia operation. Every day is recorded in my weight loss book along with little notes of my progress.

Over that time I have learnt to take a relaxed view of each daily number. I have learnt that weight can came off when I expected to post a gain and other times I have gained when I was sure I would lose. I've learnt that different forms of exercise will show up on the scales at different times. Swimming for example, usually shows up a day later than a workout on the exercise bike does. Bowel and bladder variations will affect the readings as also ill heath. Your general body cycles can make the daily readings inconsistant (more so for women). Even the scales can give you variant readings.

Don't get me wrong. I like to keep on top of the numbers. Making sure the horse doesn't bolt out of the paddock. It does motivate me and keeps me focused but I do all this understanding the limits of this approach. If you don't, it will do your head in and you will fall into a discouraged heap. Go ahead do it...just be aware of the dangers.

Your workout plan looks very sensible and I wish you all success with it.

Regards
Kim
Was: 153.7kg
Lost: 87kg
Now: Keeping it off for life!

[misk]

Well....The scales FINALLY moved this weekend!! Down a kilo, only took three and a bit weeks Not sure what did it, having a rest from exercise, more exercise, bumping up my food intake, no idea, but i'll take it!!

Recieved my heart rate monitor and it is gold! Turns out my treadmill over-estimates burnt calories by 15calories every 30mins then over-estimates by 25 for the next 30. Love having a more accurate reading AND worked out that yeah bike-riding is the one to go with, my heart rate stays 'in the zone' from the first minute in all the way to the end - no wonder it was killing me more than the treadmill

I have one week left till I go on a two week cruise, so i'll be slogging myself this week in hopes of a last minute kilo loss (fingers crossed) so i look good in the holiday snaps

Either way I am feeling good! Blitz those scales don't stress me too much, just helps keep me motivated to either control my 'naughty' eating or enjoy some more veg and drink more water if the numbers are up.

[Blitz]

That's how I use my scales too. Keeps the mind on the game. Just be aware of the pitfalls.

You should see some good numbers now after your plateau. Don't throw them all away on the cruise! Now is the time to develop some strategies for your cruise. How many laps can you do around the ship? Ready for some gym work in the ship's gym? Are they running any fitness classes? Are swimming and other activities on offer? How are you going to deal with that fine ship's food and drink? You can still have fun but you have to figure how to work a healthy lifestyle into it.

Didn't I tell you the bike riding was the one? If it hurts; it must be good for you!

I'm confidently looking towards some great results from you in the near future.

All the best
Kim