Forums >Health and Nutrition>Net calories and weightloss question
Ok. Here is a bit of history. I had my 3rd baby 18 months ago. I gained 48# with her and was overweight to begin with. Lost 30 on my own with eating better and breastfeeding. Was stuck, did WW lost 35. the last 3 weeks I switched over to My Fitness Pal because I'm stuck again and realized I was eating a lot of extra calories with fruit which the new WW counts as free. I'm still breastfeeding around 3 times a day and at night a couple times (but we are working on weaning) I'm 5'3 and 158. Goal is 130-135. I've been looking at TDee and things like that. A US navy one that uses body fat said I need 1056 calories to lose weight. There is no way I can maintain that. I know I need to do a lot of toning. And I'm running 5 days a week. Around 20-25 miles/week. Any suggestions? I eat lots of veggies, lean meats, fruits, whole grains. Also do yoga a few days a week. MFP has me at 1200 calories per day to lose 2 # week. I also weigh food and don't guess on the serving sizes.
Village people
I wouldn't be in a hurry to wean if you don't want to, but I lost weight when I weaned my kids. After my pregnancies, I have had six kids, I seemed to lose my weight in chunks. i am not big in the scales, so maybe it was more continuous.
Does the Weight Watcher system take into account breastfeeding? One does. 1200 sounds low. That is what MFP gave me and I weigh about 120lbs and I am not breasfeeding.
You will get there. It sounds like you are doing the right things. I noticed a big drop when I shook things up. I did a rowing challenge and lost pounds, but I think it was just the change in activity.
Good luck.
Hip Redux
What is the ratio of protein/carbs/fat? Sometimes it's not just the calories but also the breakdown - for some, upping the protein and lowering the carbs can make a big difference (I'm not talking Atkins here... but many folks get into a carboholic pattern that defeats their weight loss goals).
All that said - breastfeeding is very calorie intensive and I know nothing about what your body needs for that!
WW did have options for breastfeeding for fully and also when your little one is eating foods. I changed MFP to lose 1/week and it gave me 1400 calories. I had talked about needing to use a gel on a 6 mile run when I know they are not generally needed. In another thread. I just don't want my running to suffer. And I mostly just want to night wean. It's been about 2 years it feels like since I've slept well
What is the ratio of protein/carbs/fat? Sometimes it's not just the calories but also the breakdown - for some, upping the protein and lowering the carbs can make a big difference (I'm not talking Atkins here... but many folks get into a carboholic pattern that defeats their weight loss goals). All that said - breastfeeding is very calorie intensive and I know nothing about what your body needs for that!
55% carbs /30 fat /15 protein. And I've been consistently to low on protein and a bit on carbs. Fat has been right on. I have wondered if I need more protein but have had a hard time getting it in. Not sure if I need to add powder? But I'd rather eat real food. I do use greek yogurt, cottage cheese.
It's a common issue with women to not get enough protein, for whatever reason. You have some room to move up in fats, too, IMO, if you keep them of the healthy variety, especially with the energy demand of breastfeeding and running. So you could do something like nuts, jerky, PB on celery, hard boiled eggs, tuna on cucumbers, sliced avocado etc. Those are my go-to snacks.
Powders are ok - but if you drink your calories, you are likely to be hungry still. At least, that's my issue with them, they don't really "fill" me up.
It's a common issue with women to not get enough protein, for whatever reason. You have some room to move up in fats, too, IMO, if you keep them of the healthy variety, especially with the energy demand of breastfeeding and running. So you could do something like nuts, jerky, PB on celery, hard boiled eggs, tuna on cucumbers, sliced avocado etc. Those are my go-to snacks. Powders are ok - but if you drink your calories, you are likely to be hungry still. At least, that's my issue with them, they don't really "fill" me up.
Those are the kind of snacks I like too. Love avocados! I will try adding more of those higher protein foods. I'm the same way in that I would much rather eat my calories than drink them. I think I'm going to increase calories to 1400/day and maybe I will feel more energy and hopefully eventually see a loss!
Faster Than Your Couch!
You are doing very well, don't get discouraged. Your weight loss is just amazing!
2 lbs/week is a very ambitious goal. You have to consider that the less you weigh, the harder it is to get rid of additional weight, because your body not only tries to adjust to the reduced amount of calories by slowing down the metabolism, but also uses less energy by carrying around less weight. In addition, your ratio of lean body mass to body fat has improved, and you probably have already lost most of the "excess" fat that is easy to loose, and now you have to loose fat which is not so easy to get rid of.
I am no expert at all, but considering that you are running and breastfeeding, you should loose some weight on a 1400 calorie plan. It might be going slow, but long term, it probably will work better than a quick loss which leaves you feeling deprived and makes you want to eat way more again.
On nutrients: Generally, you need only 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per kg of your ideal body weight. With running and breast feeding, I guess it could be a bit more. BUT, I have read about recent reserach, and it seems that people who have to loose a lot of weight and want to keep it off long term do best on a fairly high-protein diet, even for just maintaining the weight after the loss. On the other hand, way too much protein may lead to osteoporosis, so eating significantly more than 2 grams per kg of body mass may do you no good. Grains contain a lot of protein, too, not just dairy products, meat and fish.
Looking at your nutrient ratio, I would try to replace some of the fat with protein, so that the ratio is about 50% carbs, 25% fat, 25% protein. If you increase the calories above 1400 cal/day, do so by increasing carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains). On just 1400 calories per day, it is not easy to stick to the low amount of fat, though.
I would not use protein powder, but rather stick to normal food (also in order to get used to eating just food, not highly processed artificial supplements). You could replace a piece of fruit by a small cup of yoghurt, or a self-made smoothie (just frozen fruit and yoghurt or buttermilk). Or, like Oski suggested, tuna, nuts, etc.
I have lost weight very slowly, like 1-2 lbs per month, but consistently, and I keep it off. So be patient, this slow loss may be disappointing after a quick initial loss, but it is more likely to be permanent.
Things will also get better once you've weaned your baby and get more nighttime sleep!
Run for fun.
SMART Approach
With my formulas, you should not be below 1500 calories if want be active and nutritionally sound. I know you are burning off more than that each day. If you go too much below that, you will mess up your metabolism. I have no problem if you want to eat 1000 calories every 3-4 days for just one day. You should be able to lose weight at 1500 calories but you need to be patient. You want good weight loss and not just scale weight which can vary daily. Keep doing what you are doing eating good food but trying to get protein at each meal. Protein elevates metabolism during digestion much more than carbs/fats. Take advantage of thermic effect of food.
3 suggestions.
1. Do intervals. In addition to running (or during your runs), go on a cardio machine, warm up 5-7 min and then do 5 X 30 sec at an extremely hard effort or all out and then recover 30-60 sec.
2. Incorporate some total body wt training using multi joint movements with and be sure to include either lunges or some type of squat. Even 20 min 3 X per week will have significant benefits for metabolism and the look of your body much more than Yoga will (BTW, I have nothing against Yoga). Wt. training changes "the look" of your body in a positive way.
3. Drink a decent amount of water but don't saturate yourself. KEY - drink ice water. Your body will burn more calories drinking ICE water than normal room temp.
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Chief Unicorn Officer
Are you measuring your serving sizes accurately? I know personally, I have to be really meticulous about that. Are you lifting weights? I know you said you need to do more "toning" but there is no such thing as toning--there is only building muscle and losing fat. If you focus on building muscle, too, you will burn more calories at rest. good luck, and good job so far!
Mile 5:49 - 5K 19:58 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
You need a minimum of 1800 calories/day with breastfeeding. Your body will hold on to the fat with everything it has to keep supplying your child proper nutrition and I would say if you are not eating enough, it will not help you lose weight. Your child's brain also needs fat, so you should be eating more than 1200 cal/day, that is not enough fat for your child's brain growth. I have 5 super smart kids who never had an oz of formula in their life.
I breastfed all my kids for 1 year or over. II cannot lose past a certain point when I breastfeed. Some people lose tons of weight breastfeeding and some of us unfortunate people, keep it on. I would work on changing up my fitness routine, like taking a Turbo class or weight lifting. Maybe focus on toning your upper body right now and getting enough calories for your child is the most important thing.
When I need to lose weight (Like right now) I count calories. If I were you I would use a base of @ 1,800 calories a day. Use 90 calories per mile.
I like to exercise to lose the weight ~ So even if you ate 1,500 per day. Between running and walking + cross hit 30 miles per week =
Base = 1,800 x 7 = 12,600
Exercise = 90x30 = 2,700
eating = 1,500 x 7 = 10,500
deficeit = 4800 / week = 1.4 pounds
If you want to lose more, so not eat less ... exercise more.
Other rules I follow ~ If I really care about weight loss, alcohol has no place in my life. It inhibits the fat burning process. I also need to drink a fair amount of h20 each day. For me it is a minimum of 120 ounces ~ for you maybe 60? Next is sleep.
Other than no alcohol - It is a fairly simple equation for me. Calories consumed - (Base + excercise) = weight gain or loss. If you plateau for awhile that is OK ~ so for 2-3 weeks you do not lose weight, as long as you are doing the right things you will eventually.
Long dead ... But my stench lingers !
Really?? When I need to lose weight (like right now) I count calories, with a base of 1700, with net 105 per mile. I weigh 169. That gets me about a pound / week, when I am diligent.
At 153, I'd be surprised if 1800 would result in much loss.
Really?? When I need to lose weight (like right now) I count calories, with a base of 1700, with net 105 per mile. I weigh 169. That gets me about a pound / week, when I am diligent. At 153, I'd be surprised if 1800 would result in much loss.
Maybe you missed the part where the OP said she was still breastfeeding. I've heard that can account for up to 600 calories a day by itself.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Ah, yes, I am ignorant of this. NM.