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I've heard that if a person eats too few calories a day the body will go into survival mode and start storing extra fat.
I have heard that the key to losing weight is moderation though. (small meals throughout the day)
Well, I'm trying to exercise at least 4 times a week. (30 minutes on the elliptical, crunches and light lifting) I'm 25 y/o, female, about 5'8/9 and probably weigh around 135?? although, I don't know for sure because I refuse to weigh myself and I close my eyes when I go to the doctor telling the nurse I don't want to know. (why obssess over a stupid number?)
I'm not looking to lose any amount of weight (seeing as I couldn't even tell you how much I weigh) but I would like to be smaller and more firm.
Do I need to worry about eating too little? Generally I have a granola bar for breakfast and then throughout the workday I eat a turkey sandwhich (no mayo) on wheat, pretzels, a string cheese (reduced fat) and an apple. For dinner I either have a Lean Cuisine or I bake chicken breasts (plain) and put it on top of a salad with low fat dressing, and dried cranberries.
So far...not seeing much of a transformation. Maybe I'm not working out hard enough, or not eating enough...hmm...perhaps a distorted body image (hopefully not!)?
Exercise helps ramp up the calorie burn. A combination of regular exercise of the right kind and nutrituous diet is the best way to maintain a good weight. I wouldn't worry about gaining weight from eating too little if you're getting plenty of exercise. In fact, it's probably best not to eat too little if you're exercising frequently. How much you need to eat will vary between individuals, but I wouldn't suggest intentionally starving yourself if you exercise a lot. You need fuel for all that activity.
Based on the information you've provided about your current exercise regimen, I'd suggest including some workouts with somewhat heavier weights. How heavy is heavy is an individual issue. You don't need to become a body builder if that's not your thing, but if even a couple of times a month you were to mix in workouts where you do between eight and twelve reps of each lift, over time you'd have some increase in muscle mass, which helps with maintenance of proper weight, as muscle burns more than fat.
I've heard that if a person eats too few calories a day the body will go into survival mode and start storing extra fat.
I have heard that the key to losing weight is moderation though. (small meals throughout the day)
Well, I'm trying to exercise at least 4 times a week. (30 minutes on the elliptical, crunches and light lifting) I'm 25 y/o about 5'8/9 and probably weigh around 135?? although, I don't know for sure because I refuse to weigh myself and I close my eyes when I go to the doctor telling the nurse I don't want to know. (why obssess over a stupid number?)
I'm not looking to lose any amount of weight (seeing as I couldn't even tell you how much I weigh) but I would like to be smaller and more firm.
Do I need to worry about eating too little? Generally I have a granola bar for breakfast and then throughout the workday I eat a turkey sandwhich (no mayo) on wheat, pretzels, a string cheese (reduced fat) and an apple. For dinner I either have a Lean Cuisine or I bake chicken breasts (plain) and put it on top of a salad with low fat dressing, and dried cranberries.
So far...not seeing much of a transformation. Maybe I'm not working out hard enough, or not eating enough...hmm...perhaps a distorted body image (hopefully not!)?
Any suggestions?
You are NOT eating enough! I lost a ton of weight by exercising regularly (and at high intensity) PLUS eating more than I had ever eaten. My friends who were on the weight loss journey with me ate less, exercised less, and lost FAR less weight.
When I would go to work, I had a HUGE cooler with breakfast, lunch, and two snacks. I would then eat dinner and I always had something for dessert. I did weight watchers and always stayed at the high end of the points range. I have kept the weight off (plus lost a little more) for 8 years. Also, I made sure that the food I ate had a lot fiber (the breakfast muffin I would eat had 10 grams of fiber) and drank a lot of water.
I agree, you aren't eating enough. You'd be better off to east a little more, and eat larger meals for breakfast and lunch, and smaller ones for dinner. Eating throughout the day like you are doing now is the way to go though, so you don't get hungry. You should calculate up what you need in the way of calories each day (there are many online converters to do this), and compare it to what you are eating. If you want to lose a little fat, eat a few hundred less calories a day then you need (like 300-500), and you should slowly lose it.
I also agree on using some heavier weights. You don't have to kill yourself with weights, but I personally like to exercise with enough resistance that I can do 10 reps at a time, no more. If I can easily do more, I increase the weight. You'll get firmer and put on a little more muscle this way. You really don't need to do a lot of strength training, if you aren't looking to get huge, 30 minutes 3 to 4 times a week should do you fine. I'm a fan of free weights myself over machines, although machines are easier to use. There are a lot of books out there on exercises to do to work certain muscles, and I'm sure resources on the web too.
Eating too little is very unhealthy. The body's metabolism begins to rapidly slow down once you are eating at around 1,000 below your maintenance calories. If you are wanting to lose some weight, you should eat at around 20-30% below your BMR (your body's caloric requirements to stay the same weight with the same lifestyle).
Your body's starvation mode is to degrade muscle mass into energy and fuel for the body. That is definitely what you do NOT want, at all.
You are by no means overweight. If you are wanting to tone up, eating at your maintenance calories or slightly below it will probably be the best advice. This will provide you with more energy for your workouts versus what you are doing now.
Remember, the name of the game with working out is progression. You should strive to intensify you workouts each week, either by increasing weight, increasing repetitions, increasing sets, decreasing rest times between workout, etc. A good rule of thumb is to change around what exercises you are doing every 4-6 weeks so your body can't get used to it and plateau
I wish I had a FREE personal trainer / nutritionist to get my booty in shape!!! LOL I walk, ride horses and still I don't gain weight but I've not lost either. My clothes fit better and I know I've gained some muscle but I just wish I could progress and not spend a fortune on gym memberships, trainers and nutritionists.
I need someone to come to my house and boot came my arse into shape!!! LOL
Wishful thinking....
Undereating or cutting cals makes any flesh more flabby. Even lean and inshape flesh. They glycogen in the muscle helps it look firm and smooth. Not to mention you are getting better nutritional support from a higher calories intake (if you are eating well)
You have to know how much you weigh in order to know how much to eat.
Count you calories as you are now and add 200 per week(or every 2-3 weeks if your metab is slower) until you reach at least 1500-1800 for your daily intake. You may gain 5 pounds of water weight (the glycogen) but no real fat.
I've heard that if a person eats too few calories a day the body will go into survival mode and start storing extra fat.
I have heard that the key to losing weight is moderation though. (small meals throughout the day)
.....snip....
Do I need to worry about eating too little? Generally I have a granola bar for breakfast and then throughout the workday I eat a turkey sandwhich (no mayo) on wheat, pretzels, a string cheese (reduced fat) and an apple. For dinner I either have a Lean Cuisine or I bake chicken breasts (plain) and put it on top of a salad with low fat dressing, and dried cranberries.
YEs, you have to worry about eating too little. Undernourishing your body, even if you don't store a ton of fat, is not good. Log your daily food intake into fitday.com and see where you come out. Post the results here. It sounds to me like you're undereating.
Quote:
Well, I'm trying to exercise at least 4 times a week. (30 minutes on the elliptical, crunches and light lifting) I'm 25 y/o, female, about 5'8/9 and probably weigh around 135??
...snip...
I'm not looking to lose any amount of weight (seeing as I couldn't even tell you how much I weigh) but I would like to be smaller and more firm.
If you want to be more firm, ditch the "light lifting". Lift heavy. Switch your cardio to after you lift (do warm up for 5 mins, though).
Quote:
So far...not seeing much of a transformation. Maybe I'm not working out hard enough, or not eating enough...hmm...perhaps a distorted body image (hopefully not!)?
Any suggestions?
Definitely not working out hard enough. Light weights do next to nothing. Intensity matters- raise your intensity and you'll start seeing results.
Location: THEN: Paso Robles, Ca * NOW: Albuquerque, NM
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I can definitely speak from personal experience. When I did cardio/weights 3-4 times a week and didn't eat enough (less than 1600 cal), I never lost weight. And I gained weight. If I can keep to consistently eating 1600 cal/day, I lose weight. It's hard to wrap the brain around because we think food = weight.
Lots of great posts and really helpful advice...thanks guys!
I up'd the calories recently and man...I FEEL sooo much better! I never realized how much I was dragging because I wasn't giving myself enough energy to burn; and consequently, with the new energy, I've been able to intensify my toning exercises as well.
This new routine is working much better for me.
Thanks again!
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