 |
|
| Moderated by: Moderator Team | ||
| Author | Post | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
journeyfan16 New Member 
|
I wasn't sure which topic to put this under...hopefully I chose the right one =D Ok, so I began eating healthy and exercising in January 2007. I was 160 lbs, now I'm down to about 123. I am 16 and 5'4 and really pretty toned. While I was eating healthy, I was so happy to see results that I got a little carried away. It also didn't help that I didn't understand much about calories and what having too little can do to your body, so for a while I was eating about 700-800 calories a day, plus exercising (some of the exercises have the potential to burn 1000 calories! so I was really in trouble!) Then I found that a female should be eating NO LESS than 1200 calories per day. While I understood that, I failed to realize that it was 1200 NET calories, so for the past couple months I have been eating 1200 calories and burning off a lot. I exercise 6 days a week, and I do cardio and weights (or toning with resistance bands, those blow up ball things, etc.). I have stopped losing weight, and while I know people just say a couple pounds don't make a difference, I would still like to lose about 5 more or so. I have heard from others that most likely, at the moment, my body is in starvation mode making losing weight near impossible. I know I need to get out of it, but it is so difficult! I don't know what to expect, or how to do it even. But is it true that if I get out of it, I will be able to lose a little more weight? Also, when getting out of it, is it impossible to avoid weight gain? I have heard people gain weight and have a hard time losing it...And, how long would it take for my metabolism to speed back up and adjust to more calories? And, I also have no idea how many calories to eat...I've tried many different calculators and they all give me very different answers. And I also need them to take in the fact that I am fairly muscular. I would feel better if I was fairly certain of an amount of calories I should be eating. I'm pretty worried about all of my hard work going to waste, but I don't know how fast to increase calorie intake, how much to increase by, and other stuff like that. I really don't want to misunderstand something again and screw myself up worse! This post is full of lots of stuff, and I probably should have split it into different topics and forums, but when I started writing it all just kinda came out! I would really appreciate any advice and hearing other peoples' personal experiences! |
|||||||
|
Nir Senior Administrator 
|
I failed to realise it was NET calories I think that's pretty meaningless, because the advice (as issued by ACSM) is that women eat no less than 1200 calories. It is not made with reference to any particular level of activity. Ok, you forgot to say if you are a boy or a girl. The following assumes you are a girl. Your unadjusted RMR is 1333. Given your BMI (21.1) I would strongly suggest you go no lower than 1333 calories - any additional calorie deficit you create should be with exercise, not eating less than that. Having said that, if you are currently eating a lot less (e.g. 800), increse your calories gradually. Each week should see your calories by 100-200 until you get there. |
|||||||
|
Ohm Senior Member 
|
With respect, have you considered why there is a healthy range of BMI for each height (18-25)? It is to allow leeway for frame size. If you have big hands and big feet, and are generally a big framed person then you will be healthy at the higher end of the healthy BMI range, closer to 25. If you have very thin wrists, small hands and small feet, you wil be healthy at the lower end, near to 18, if you are like most of the population you should be healthiest somewhere inthe middle, around 20-21 somewhere. Female Wrist Measurements Height Under 5ft 2 5ft 2 to 5t 5 Taller than5ft 5 Small less than 5.5" less than 6" less than 6.25" (140mm) (152mm) (159mm) Medium 5.5 to 5.75" 6 to 6.25" 6.25 to 6.5" (140-146mm) (152-159mm) (159-165mm) Large 5.75"+ 6.25"+ 6.5"+ (146mm+) (159mm+) (165mm+)
Male Wrist Measurements (at a height of 5ft 5 or more) 5.5" to 6.5" (140-165mm) - Small frame size 6.5" to 7.5"(165 -191mm) - Medium Frame size 7.5"+(191mm+) - Large frame size Last edited on 20 Oct 2007 02:56 pm by Ohm |
|||||||
|
NevD New Member
|
Congratulations on losing the 37 pounds. And, sorry that you're now stuck... It certainly is harder to lose pounds when you've lost most of what you need to already. The question is: how long have you been stuck? Rather than guess that you need to lose another 5 pounds, why not establish what your body fat % is? That would give you a much better picture of where you are (and whether you still need to lose). I'm not sure that the BMI thing is going to be a decent indicator, as you've lost a fair proportion of body weight already. I noticed just last week that one of the England national team's rugby players had a BMI of 33+. Sounds bad, but the guy was built like a wall of muscle, so on him it wasn't unhealthy. In spite of his 'high' BMI, his body fat is probably normal-to-low. As you've come this far, you owe it to yourself to get it right. Get a good idea of what your body fat is, and you'll know what to do next.  |
|||||||
|
Ohm Senior Member
|
nevd wrote: I noticed just last week that one of the England national team's rugby players had a BMI of 33+. Sounds bad, but the guy was built like a wall of muscle, so on him it wasn't unhealthy. In spite of his 'high' BMI, his body fat is probably normal-to-low. Actually, Nevd, there is another take on what you have said. Of course, if an individual is going to be heavy, it is far more healthy to be heavy with muscle rather than excess fat and flab, but it would be nonsensical to opine that a high BMI does not indicate extra burden upon the circulatory system - especially the heart. Remember, the major reason that a BMI of over 30 is considered unhealthy is that it is the level at which the circulatory system begins to struggle. The heart makes no distinction between fat or muscle when it comes to it's job, which is to pump blood around and ensure circultion of blood, osygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. At a BMI of 30 there is a marked increase in heart problems, coronary heart disease, arterial sclerosis (largely unrelated to body weight - more concerned with fat content of diet, but worth noting) and other problems associated with obesity (e.g. stroke and other CVAs). I am getting a bit past myself here. I really don't want to lecture - I'm not particularly qualified in this area - but the reason that we are advised not to be obese is that obesity has a lot of health related problems, especially heart and circulatory ones - and obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or over - so it is quite possible to have a BMI of that level and not have an excess of fatty tissue. Being "too big" need not necessarily mean that you are "too fat". But whatever the reason for your high BMI, a BMI of over 30 has concomitant health risks, not least the strain upon your heart. |
|||||||