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Need some advice or tips for weight loss

Hello FitBit Fam,

 

I was wondering if I could get any tips or advice on weight loss. I am female 5'1 current weight is 120, %26.4 body fat and BMI 23.6. I am kind of struggling a little bit with trying to lose weight. I know I am not fat but I would just like to drop about another 8 pounds to go back to old weight. I went through some rough times putting my body into starvation mode causing me to gain weight. I try my best to calorie count everyday and eat under 1200 calories a day I burn around 1700-2000 calories roughly a day. I gym at least 4-5 days a week with weight lifting as well and eating pretty clean I try to stay away from carbs bad carbs and just eating lots of greens and proteins. I will treat myself once in awhile to a cheat meal. Can someone help me or tell me why I haven't seen the scale drop ?

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One of the first things I did when I got my fitbit and logged my food as I ate it, or even before I ate it, was to determine how much I could eat and stay the same weight.  I have a very low metabolic rate, if I eat  700-750 Calories per day, I stay the same weight, I need to eat an average of 600 Cals or less per day to lose weight.  My grandmothers both put weight on easily and my mother hardly ever ate, about 1 meal every 3 days, so I think I must have inherited a survivor's metabolism - great if I get shipwrecked somewhere!  I record every mouthful.  If I don't, it is too easy to just have a mouthful or two of  something and not count the calories and then I start to put weight on again.

 

1.  Find your metabolic level (Calorie stop point)  for me, 700

2. Count food and drink in detail, as you eat it - even diet drinks count

3. Keep below your metabolic calorie stop point.  for me 600 or less

4. Keep moving, keeping active helps to keep your muscles firm and working well

5. If you feel hungry, drink a glass or two of water, your body sees hunger and thirst in similar ways, so sometimes you think you are hungry, but you are really thirsty instead.  Wait 15 minutes after drinking before deciding whether you are hungry.

6. If you are not hungry, don't eat anything - not so easy if someone else is pressuring you to eat.

 

Feel  free to add me as friend, my weight goal and other stats are not set at private.

Retired disabled, Charge5, Android, Win 10
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@tvan- what type of tracker are you using?  Non-HR trackers can underestimate calories burned and HR trackers can overestimate.  Also, they are an average and we all differ.  Usually the less we have to lose the smaller the deficit you should do.  Assuming that you're 30 (I just had to pick a number) and putting information into this site:  http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/

 

Starting 120, ending 110.  It gives me 1324 as your BMR.  This is usually the number you shouldn't eat below (at least not long term).  This gets tricky on the days you might only be burning 1700 calories.  If your tracker is off by 10% then you might only be burning 1545 calories.  You also mention a cheat meal.  Is this a couple of hundred calories extra or is it a don't worry about it day when you could easily have an extra 1000 calories.

 

All of these factors become really important.  You might consider tracking everything (even the cheats) for a couple of weeks, based on your last couple of weeks totals.  Let's say over 7 days you've averaged 1850 calories a day.  Now, let's assume that it's 10% off.  Let's call that 1680 actual each day.  See if a week's worth of food plus your cheat is bringing you too close to that 1680 calorie number.  Sadly, you don't have a lot of room to play with your overall calories.  However, I do know some people base their eating on a weekly total.  Half a pound a week would mean you have 10,000 calories to play with.

Anne | Rural Ontario, Canada

Ionic (gifted), Alta HR (gifted), Charge 2, Flex 2, Charge HR, One, Blaze (retired), Trendweight.com,

Down 150 pounds from my top weight (and still going), sharing my experiences here to try and help others.

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@Sithmaith1- have you been a chronic dieter all of your life?  Calorie levels of 600 a day are considered extremely low calorie (ie. not recommended). I'm not disbelieving what you say, but if your metabolism is truly that low it is rare.

Anne | Rural Ontario, Canada

Ionic (gifted), Alta HR (gifted), Charge 2, Flex 2, Charge HR, One, Blaze (retired), Trendweight.com,

Down 150 pounds from my top weight (and still going), sharing my experiences here to try and help others.

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I have the blaze right now and when I do have a cheat meal it's only an extra couple hundred calories. I don't want to ruin my whole days of clean eating.. yea it's getting a little frustrating. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. 

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@tvan, I moved this thread to the Manage Weight Discussion Forum.  It should generate a lot more discussion here.

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You're doing everything right. No more advice can be given as far as I know. You need a personal trainer and a nutritionist if you want to look like some model or something. Losing weight means nothing when you're below normal bmi. All I can say is that when you're near normal bmi, another 10lb will not improve anything but probably make you thinner and thinner doesnt mean healthier or better looking. Having a better physique on the other hand is something else and that can be acquired by a trainer and nutritionist. And it is not easy to have the physique of an athlete or model. Everything is hard work, dedication and takes time.
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@A_Lurker  Yes, I know.  I even had a metabolic specialist tell me I was lying when I told him I had stuck rigidly to his diet.  He said that putting on weight on 1 litre of milk per day was impossible.  It isn't.  I did NOT cheat on the diet and I walked out of his office after suggesting that he should start listening to his patients. 

 

I use my fitbit mainly to keep moving as I have a muscle problem and it is tempting to just not move and avoid pain, but that would not be a good thing for either my mobility or my mental health.  I am stubborn and I will keep mobile for as long as I can.

Retired disabled, Charge5, Android, Win 10
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Hi.  More and more research is showing how effective interval training is for weight loss, and all other health markers.  In fact, it has shown specifically to help keep metabolism from slowing too much as you lose weight.

My own experience is a data point of one and not scientific evidence, but I'd like to note that I noticed a big difference when I started doing 20 minutes of running intervals (25, if you include warm up and cool down) as compared to running for much longer in a moderate, steady state.  I used to gain weight during marathon training, all those long slow miles.  20 Minutes of intervals was more effective than an hour moderate.

And the intervals don't have to be crazy intense. Competitive runners and body builders have a whole different definition and purpose for intervals, and they'll tell you that you'll have to do these crazy, all out blasts.   You don't. Just go hard for a bit to get your heart rate to get up into the peak zone for a moment. Walk or rest, and repeat.  

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Let me add one more thing. I find that a big "cheat" meal can actually be helpful once or twice a week. As long as I go back to lower calories immediately the next day.  Theory being that it tells your body "good times," and your body isn't tempted to go into starvation mode.

 

When I have these cheat meals, I might show a gain for the next day or two, but by the third day, the gain is gone and it even takes some weight along with it.

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Hello,

 

I have incorporated interval sprinting in my gym sessions, I use to hate running but have been forcing myself. I think that will help speed up the process as well. I am going to aim to do at least 25 minutes. Do you have a certain way you do your running and how many times do you run a week? 

 

Thanks!

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Hi Andy,

 

Appreciate your advice, I guess a few years back I went through the same thing skinny about 107 pounds jumped all the way up to my heaviest I ever been was 126 and some how I mange to get myself back down to my comfortable weight. If definitely took time and dedication. But this time I would like more definition in my arms and overall body and drop body fat. I guess the scale is kind of just messing around with my head. As I don't feel fat or gross as i did a few years back cause as I am eating fairly clean and feel less bloated overall. I am currently cutting out carbs and fruits at the moment but sometimes I am very deprive of carbs. And then it goes back to having that cheat meal of the extra hundred calories of like a bagel for like a snack or something. And trying to make sure that it is staying under that 1200 calories goal of the day. 

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@tvan

Why are you cutting out fruits? I always thought that people meant cutting out bread and pasta when they say cutting out carbs, not cutting out fruits, so I am curious.

Karolien | The Netherlands

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@tvan , I run every other day. Used to be more, but it's about all my knees can handle these days.  I vary between indoor on the treadmill, outdoor, longer intervals like half miles, and shorter faster ones. I never approach an all-out sprint; in my fifties now, I just go fast enough to get my HR up into the middle-to-upper 150's.

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@tvan, Yeah, fruit is good for you. I'd try to find a way to keep that in your diet. The militant anti-carb people can be overbearing, I know - but you need carbs.  I think the huge "carbs are bad" pushback came along because  people, Americans, at least, eat a lot of bad sugar and bad carbs. People go too far, in my opinion.  As for me, you can take away my bread and pasta from my cold, dead hands. But I greatly reduced the portion size and frequency.  

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@tvanFruit and vegetables are our friends. Stay away from processed foods and carbs. Your body needs a certain amount of carbs, fats and protein to be healthy. If you deprive your self, your body will go into starvation mode.

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Here's what has worked for me as I have just reached my goal of losing 70 pounds as of today (took 2 years and 4 months)! Everybody eats, works, thinks, and exercises differently, so what I did to rid 70 pounds of fat may not be for you. 

 

I cut out all products containing Corn Syrup, Nitrites, and Nitrates. You gotta read labels! I reduced my intake of products containing sugar. No milk (no ice cream). No soy. No sodas (diet is as bad as regular). No potatoes, and almost no bread. I greatly reduced my wheat and other starch intake. No products with the word 'diet' or 'low calorie' as a main feature on the packaging. I buy certified organic foods whenever possible. 

 

I do not restrict any types of meats or vegetables. So, bacon, eggs, sausage, steaks, etc. are all on my ok list. Meats with fat are not bad. Salads with balsamic vinegar or steamed veggies with a little butter with dinner. I eat lots of raw veggies for snacks, carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumber, etc. I also will have almonds, pistachios, or cashews for snacks. 

 

I ALWAYS have a breakfast! I drink a protein shake with blended with frozen fruit every morning, no exceptions. I eat 4-6 times a day (small meals or snacks) and never after 8PM. My lunch is typically larger than my dinner. I haven't counted calories in a long time, but I would say I am taking in about ~1,800 to ~2,200 a day. I am a techie, so I was into calculating calorie intake for my first couple months.

 

I try to drink lots of water daily. I don't like drinking water, cold tap or filtered water. So, I solved that by getting a SodaStream system to make my own 'Perrier' sparkling water. Sometimes I add a lemon or orange slice.

 

The first two months were when I had to focus the most and be diligent about reducing portion sizes. Combining that with eating slower, having more meals a day, and my stomach shrinking a bit, after that I no longer felt like I was denying myself food. I was not hungry after meals any longer, in fact I could reduce portion sizes again because I felt full before I had finished the plate.

 

I take a lot of daily supplements. The ones that I think are applicable, are a pro-biotic (live multi-culture), omega-3 Krill oil, garcinia cambogia (find high quality, there's lots of junk out there). 

 

I really think my weight loss is more about what I don't eat any more, and when I eat (never after 8PM), than anything else. I don't ever feel like I have starved myself. If I get an hunger urge, I have a small snack and sparkling water.

 

Note that I haven't mentioned exercise yet. So for the majority of the 2+ years since I started I did not have an exercise regimen. I walked and biked, occasionally. I relocated to be with my new wife, so there was a lot of box lifting for a couple months last year.

 

Find what works for you and stick with it, for the long term. Fast weight loss is not permanent weight loss. Your body needs to see the new lower weight as normal. If you loose it too fast, your more likely to put it back on.

 

It is not about 'diets' and dieting. It needs to be a lifestyle change, and that takes time to become 'normal' again. Don't sweat the plateaus and small setbacks, that's normal. Just focus on the good food habits you've setup and try to do a little more each day (activities, walking, etc.), add the exercise when you need it (plateaus). If you can make exercise a regular thing, all the better, you'll probably get to your goal faster than I did. 

 

With all this said, I am no expert. This is just what worked for me. I got a lot of encouragement from family and friends (a big help to keep me focused). So I want to encourage you to keep at it. All my best to you.

 

Andy

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I am currently doing the Pure Change cleanse.. I saw the scale drop the first 4 days in my cleanse from 123 to 118 but after it just jumped back up to 120. But I just found the cleanse to be just the same as clean eating but giving more of a structure to eat every 2.5 hours and keeping it strictly to just greens and protein right now. I do miss fruits.. and I love fruits so waiting for my cleanse to finish so I can have my fruits back.. But I definitely cut back on the bad carbs.. like bread,process food but I don't eat junk or process food either.   

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@SunsetRunner- I agree, carbs are not bad.  Even processed ones in moderation.  I eat mostly clean - fruits, veggies, mostly lean meats (although I just bought a 25lb mixed organic pork selection from a local farm - so I'm including bacon and sausage for a while).  I include grains (farro, barley, rice at times) and pasta occasionally (homemade).  Sometimes I'll do mashed potatoes as a comfort food.  Okay, I guess I don't really avoid any kind of carb.  At the end of the day, assuming my eating has been reasonably in control I take in 300-400 calories of stuff most people would consider pure junk (although sometimes it's dried fruit and nuts).

 

This is generally less than 15% of my calories for the day.  And you know by not eliminating anything keeps me from craving everything.  I mentioned it in another thread, I really don't consider myself on a diet.  I just found a way of eating that works for me and I lose weight on it.

 

@MediaMan- I don't mind cold (or even room temp) water, but I do love my SodaStream as well.   I still have some of the My Water Flavor Essences, although I see now they are only on the outlet (hopefully coming back).  I also buy packets of True Lemon and add a couple. 

Anne | Rural Ontario, Canada

Ionic (gifted), Alta HR (gifted), Charge 2, Flex 2, Charge HR, One, Blaze (retired), Trendweight.com,

Down 150 pounds from my top weight (and still going), sharing my experiences here to try and help others.

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@tvan: FWIW, here is what I did to lose 4-5 kg in 6 weeks, starting from a similar BMI (22.3).

Dominique | Finland

Ionic, Aria, Flyer, TrendWeight | Windows 7, OS X 10.13.5 | Motorola Moto G6 (Android 9), iPad Air (iOS 12.4.4)

Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.

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