Off season weight loss question
So I began my weight loss program using the LoseIt app on the droid. I started at 168# an am 5'9" with an approximate BF 12-13% depending on how accurate my scale is. Per the app, I am supposed to consume 2100 calories/day in order to lose .5 lbs/week. I have found that by tracking my intake, I am usually under the recommended daily caloric intake by an average of 200-400 calories/day (still taking approximately 2100-2400 cals/day). This is mainly because I have been eating healthier (okay my wife cooks healthy). Thus far I have lost approximatly 2-2.4 lbs depending on the day as opposed to the 4-4.5 lbs as suggested by my caloric intake. I have been careful and have maintained an approximate protein intake of 1.4-1.5 g/kg. I am definitely leaner as my pants already are a bit looser. My question for those who have been successful with weight loss is this:
1. Am I not losing the weight because I am taking too few calories? It's not as though I am below 1500 calories. I am having a hard time taking in extra calories to get to where I need. I am rarely hungry b/t my major meals of the day.
2. Is my decreased rate of weight loss d/t sodium (which is approx 3-3.7 g/day)?
3. Any other thoughts?
After I lost my first 2 lbs w/o really trying, I thought that this would be the easiest thing in the world. Unfortunately it does not appear to be as easy. My goal is to get to 150-154 lbs.
thx in advance.
Comments
Thanks. That's a great thought. It does have those figures but I never thought much about them. Always thought it was cool that my metabolic age is that of a teenager so I never really looked past that number.
In my experience,
Every time I get off the wagon for a while and get back on, I find the first 25% of the weight comes off quick...the other 75% takes work and time. Keep at it and you will get there!
i had it set to .5 lb per week but will increase it to 1 wk. I will stay the course and continue to watch what I take in.
thx.
Hi Kar. Congrats on the weight loss already and def Coach Rich is right, slow and steady wins the race. Lose It is a great program but you weight might still fluctuate so don't get discouraged. How many cals are you burning through exercise? Make sure you are accounting for that, too. Def try the 1 lb per week and see how it goes!
Regarding weighing, if you do it at the same time every day after you wake up (experts say a couple hours after...for practical reasons I use the scale right when I wake up) then hydration state shouldn't fluctuate as widely compared with if you are inconsistent about weighing timing relative to workouts, meals, etc, etc. Of course daily fluctuations are very normal (I am 138-140 but sometimes as low as 136 or as high as 144).
X2 regarding measuring and weighing food. I dropped 12 pounds this year, and I swear a large part of that was due to just realizing how small a tablespoon of peanut butter really is, and not eating M&M's right out of the bag.
Yes x 3 what Matt and Sarah said! And Matt, I am so glad that someone else sees fluctuations too. Sarah, I admit, I like your idea of eating M n Ms right out of the bag lol! Counting them and putting them in a bowl makes me sad
Lol 
Don't expect to lose the weight on schedule every week. If you start at X and are doing the LoseIt! plan to lose Y lbs/week, you may not see an exact loss of Y every week. I can get a weekly fluctuation of up to 5-7 lbs depending on when I weigh myself. For example, on Monday, I weighed myself in the evening, after dinner and drinking several glasses of water at 178 lbs (which seemed a little heavy for me). 2 days later, I weighed myself in the morning after just getting up at 173 lbs, and the day after that, I weighed myself in the morning right after a workout at 171. This morning, I was at 174 lbs after just getting up. Based on those wiegh-ins, I'd estimate I'm around 173-174 lbs. The important thing is the trend. As long as it's generally downward (if that's what you're aiming for), you're doing it right.
LoseIt! seems to estimate calories burned a little high, as noted by others. If I workout on a particular day (which is pretty much every day), I generally try to consume about 100-200 calories less than the target set by LoseIt to compensate for that after factoring in the "calories burned" for the exercise. So, if my Net Calories is set by LoseIt! to be 2100, I'll want to come in between 1900 and 2000 for the day. I think if you do that, you're close enough.
My tools and routine:
Adding 10% is a good idea. It is probably right omre often than not. If I eat at a restaurant I add 1-2 TB of butter and/or olive oil and additional salt IN ADDITION to whatver I have estimated I ate. It is very easy to undercount calories.
As for the burn, I use whatever Garmin tells me, which has as input my HR, age, height, weight, etc, etc. The burn estimates based solely on activity type and duration are much, much higher than what the Garmin estimates.
6:00 am? You like to sleep in, Slacker!!!!
I usually subtract 40-60 from KJ on the bike to get my calories burned. They are roughly equal, but I recall reading an article with some mathematical formula involving the work measured vs. calories burned, which suggested that for a fairly wide range of times spent riding, you could subtract 40-60 and be fairly close. (60 for longer rides, 40 for shorter).
Result is that the data is highly variable, and there simply is no way to know over the short term what the true calorie consumption is.
This is great stuff...as I have been doing much of the same.....(ie. have the goal set at .5, count cals...but don't weigh food so I know the serving size is a shwag...though my thing is to accept that I'm off and try to stay below the cal goal by 10%...I suppose thats the same as Rich "addding 10%"....I do need to weigh my foods at least for a while so I have some "common sense" feel for portion sizes....FRANKLY I"M AFRAID TO KNOW HOW MANY TABLESPOONS ARE IN THE 2 TABLESPOON SERVING OF PEANUT BUTTER I ACCOUNT FOR ON MY MORNING BAGEL....so have avoided this thus far.
I use Livestrong....but may start to use the garmin/training peaks calorie burn figures.
Cheers.
As others have said, most people fluctuate from one day to the next. Look at the general trend. Personally, if I eat a lot of salty things one day I can be up 2 - 5 pounds the next and can't get my rings off.