Minor weight Loss/Nutrition/Exercise advice

In My Humble Opinion
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I’m looking for a few clarifications about weight loss and getting in shape. Mainly–what should the ratio of calories burned vs. calories ingested be for a healthy weight loss? I’ve been to a few fitness message boards, and some are cutting their daily intake down to 1200. :eek: (My understanding is anything below 1500 is unadvisable unless under a doctor’s direction.)

I am not overweight–my BMI is well within the healthy range–but I’m flabbier than I’d like to be. My weight creeped up a few pounds (as in 3), and I’d like to lose those three plus six more to reach a goal weight set…erm…two years ago. My goal weight is still well within the BMI healthy range and is actually still 5lbs heavier than I was in college (boooooooo).

I have no interest in any diet “plan.” I need to readjust my lifestyle, and that’s actually part of the problem…my lifestyle became so active that I had no time to exercise properly (I used to go to the gym 4-6x/week), and in my busy-ness I’d have long periods in the day where I’d not eat, and then eat less-than-healthy foods (PB & J is a weakness) because they were quick and convenient or just plain THERE. My increased activity (due to the purchase of a horse–I’m always grooming, riding, cleaning, walking, etc.) increased my appetite as well, so that kind of perpetuated the problematic cycle. Another icky byproduct of my lack of regular exercise was a much moodier back. The muscles strengthened by stairmaster apparently turned to mush, and that, coupled with the aggravation of being in the saddle, has caused it to go “out” three times in six months–when it hadn’t gone “out” at all in 2 years!

I’m exercising now (at the gym) every day–every day, with two exceptions in three weeks. I alternate stairmaster with weights, and when my back is iffy I walk or, like tonight, swim. Workouts are brief–20-25min–but regular.

I do not intend to cut calories per se as much as watch what I eat. I’ve joined FitDay.com to keep track of eating and activities, and what they say is the amount of calories I burn in a day just seems super high–approx. 2300, based on a 1400 basal rate plus 900 for my lifestyle (a teacher in summer–“Seated work, some movement”). I assume, then, that if I eat less than that, and increase activity, that I’ll lose weight. I’m eating approx. 1800 calories/day, btw. I don’t know if that’s healthy or not (note that my primary goal is health, not weight/shape).

So–is FitDay correct? Is it reasonable to think my basal calorie burning rate (which, they explain, is based on my age and BMI) is so high? (And if so why-the-frick don’t I weight 105lbs??)

And hey, anyone else using FitDay? :slight_smile:

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[hijack]Ruffian - I’ve been hoping to ask you how horse ownership has been for you since winter is over. How’s your baby? Do you have any new pics? [/hijack]

StG

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[perpetuating hijack]

Hey StGermain! :slight_smile: Horse ownership is GREAT. Exhausting, but great. I’ve never regretted going to the barn and spending time with her–she’s a wonderful diversion and de-stressor. And she’s come so far!

Ana is doing great. She nickers hello to me now, and has even shown some jealousy! When a friend (who owns Ana’s neighbor) had medical problems, I’d take her horse Dakota out for exercising and grooming. Ana was so stunned–that’s HER human with ANOTHER HORSE! She whinnied up a storm, pacing in circles, and overall very bothered that I was seeing someone else, heh heh! She doesn’t do this when anyone else takes out Dakota–just me!

In this thread from a week ago, I talked about going to our first show. For never having been shown, she was awesome. I had a blast!

As far as pics, yes and no…yes, I have new pics, but no, I can’t link to them! Our website is temporarily offline while we switch to a different web hosting company. If you’re REALLY curious, the ever-proud-and-eager mama here can email them to you. :slight_smile:

[/perpetuating hijack]

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I would suggest some weightlifting with your other exercises.

To lose weight healthily it is recommended to lose no more than about 1 pound a week. This keeps muscle loss and bone density loss at a minimum. How to do this is up to you- Burn an additional 250 calories every day, or cut 250 calories a day out. Your body does not know a difference- assuming you are already active.

It is VERY hard to get rid of fat as you get lower bodyfat percent. Getting rid of that last 2lbs that make a pudge can be 10 times harder than losing the first 30 pounds. This is why I suggest lifting weights. It increases your resting metabolism, and has other benifits as well. Much of the flabiness you may think you have could be saggy skin as well. Getting a bit of muscle mass can eliminate that sag, and firm up an area. It can also make a person look 10-20 years younger. :wink:

Don’t worry about “bulking up”, as per the most common myth alive. Getting big takes dedication, very hard work, years, great genetics, and often times steroids. NOBODY accidentally gets big. :smiley:

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What Epimetheus said. I would also suggest drinking a lot of water. Not only will it help flush the bad stuff out of your body, but it will help firm up your skin and help in muscle development.

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Instead of longer periods of lower intensity aerobic work, go for a series of alternating jogs and sprints–two minutes jogging and thirty seconds sprinting. This’ll increase your aerobic fitness very quickly, which will help you burn fat when you’re not exercising.

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ultrafilter, I’ve had consistent problems with running over the years, particularly this last one. I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma just last fall, and running–particularly sprinting–leaves me crackly, wheezy, and even a little faint (I do have an inhaler which helps, but doesn’t alleviate everything). What tipped me off that something was amiss was instead of being able to gradually run further and easier, it was getting harder and I was progressively cutting my jogs shorter. I opted for stairmaster because it isn’t so rough on my respiratory system, but still gets the heart rate up; this is what the doc agreed was best (although I’m due for a physical in August, so I’ll ask again then).

Epimetheus, I did say in the OP that I alternate weights with the stairmaster. I do so at about a 2/1 ratio, doing various routines on my chest, arms, and legs. BTW…I know that 1lb/week is a healthy weight loss…I actually have the goal of 0.5lbs/week. When I first started exercising a couple of years ago, I lost NOTHING for six weeks…then 3lbs seemingly all at once, then 3 more over a few months, and then it stagnated. Those are the 3 I regained and intend to lose, with a few more of their friends with them!

BTW, I had a horseback riding lesson today. No contest–that is the hardest work I do all week. I actually had to stop at one point just to breathe and let my muscles relax–I was panting! It may seem like the horse is doing all the work, but holy frick…when 1200lbs of horseflesh decides it does NOT want to canter, and you’re using 4 different limbs 4 different ways, all the while trying to maintain balance…OMG. I’m still exhausted. Speaking of, time to shower. I reek of various equine and human odors…yech! :o

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Jog and sprint on the stairmaster. No reason you can’t do that, as long as your asthma doesn’t bother you.

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ultrafilter, that is more or less what I do. I build up more for it–kind of a warm up–but I definitely have a sprint-like mode on that thing.

I’m still wondering about the basal calorie-burning rate FitDay estimates is mine. It just seems so high. Thinking about going over and asking about metabolic rates at GQ…

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I’m 5’10", probably about 190 pounds of lean mass, and my bmr is about 3600. So yours doesn’t seem high at all.

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Peanut butter is really not so evil as long as you pair it with a big huge glass of milk.

I actually lost 10 pounds by eating peanut butter on toast with milk every morning. New studies are linking increased calcium with enhanced weight loss, so drink up.

http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/article_id,7373