@Mothrasue wrote:
I'm 6', 32 years old, 220lb and trying to lose 40lb. I started the "extreme" 1000 calorie deficit Fitbit plan because I've been so wishy washy about losing weight the past two years that now I need to just commit. It will be easier for me to stick with it if I see results faster.
The thing is, the base calories for me seems to be about 1400-1500 if I didn't move at all, and it just keeps increasing as I walk more throughout the day. For instance, it's 8:30pm, I've done almost 10,000 steps, have eaten just over 1500 calories and it's saying I can eat 400 more! As soon as I take my dogs out for a walk tonight, it will probably say I can eat 700 more calories. That is mighty tempting, since night time is when I normally would overeat.
Should I ignore the constant increase in calories Fitbit is saying I "can" consume throughout the day and just stick with one particular number each day? 1900 calories seems extremely high for a woman trying to lose weight but I am 6' so maybe that's the difference? I'm walking daily (not strolling, but not running) but not doing any other more strenuous exercise on a regular basis. I'm eating mostly whole foods (cooking at home), being careful of carbs and trying to drink as much water as I can stand. Thanks for any input you guys can give!
Have you ever logged what you used to eat that got you in to trouble prior to starting a change in diet and eating?
If nothing to compare to, how would you know that 1900 sounds extremely high?
Because you've only ever heard of 1200 of probably, right? That's minimum for safety to get nutrients in for an average sedentary woman. You average height? You sedentary?
Guess what, with your weight loss plan, that means you are burning over 2900 calories daily, which is about right on for your height and weight and that amount of activity.
Don't think a bigger deficit is better, it's not, not in the long run including maintenance, and many times not in the short run.
Redefine healthy eating, you know where the final eating numbers are going to be about, so plan the day better. Low or no fat is not healthier, far from it, you need fat in diet, just in case that's a reason.
Also, 2 lbs weekly for only 40 lbs to lose is already unreasonable, unless you feel like losing more muscle mass as part of the weight that is lost, and making it harder to reach goal, and easier to fail maintenance, and harder to lose next time.
Don't lose muscle mass by taking too big a deficit. Your ability to add it back on will be very difficult, if you even feel like weight lifting later and eating in surplus to gain weight.
750 is reasonable for 40 lbs down to 20, then 1 lb weekly down to 10 lbs, then 1/2 lb weekly to finish it off.
Because your Fitbit is already underestimating your daily burn by some amount, it assigns all non-moving time as the same burn as sleeping, and that's obviously not true when awake, when standing, ect.
Follow the program. Just remember your eating level can actually effect your hormones controlling hunger.
You feeling full has nothing to do with your body being fully fed for it's level of activity.
You stress your body too much, it will fight your attempt and it can adapt, and it doesn't take much to do so either.
Your current eating level is actually already at that point shown to have negative effects in studies with the body slowing down how much it burns in total.
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