Weight Loss Problems
Getting healthy and losing weight is great, but it can also have its moments.
BEFORE ASKING A QUESTION, please check out the FAQ page: Frequently Asked Questions
READ THIS BEFORE SUBMITTING: Most Popular Submissions
Looking for a specific WLP?: Posts only
Not sure what your UGW should be?: How to determine how much you should weigh
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Or my personal: sweetlydispositioned
Note: I do not condone any unhealthy eating habits. Please consult a doctor before beginning any form of diet and exercise.
Answer:
I would honestly suggest just googling “BMR calculator” or “basal metabolic rate calculator” and trying 3 or 4 of them and just taking a number in the middle of the ones they all give you (because more than likely you’ll get different suggestions). Just make sure you follow all of the directions and the formulas, because the first number it gives you isn’t necessarily how many calories you should eat. I wish I could give you all a straight answer of “this is how many calories you should eat” or “this is how you calculate how many calories you should eat” but it’s honestly a really hard thing to pinpoint. The BMR system is very old and often considered outdated, so some don’t find it to be the best way of measuring caloric intake.
The best advice I can give is DO NOT have less than 1200 net calories a day, meaning even if you burn off 400 calories in your workout, you still need to eat at least 1600 (1200 + 400). The best thing I can say is to really listen to your body and vary your caloric intake until you find your own “sweet spot.” I personally eat anywhere from 1500-2000 calories a day, all depending on how intense/long of a workout I had. I try to keep my caloric intake around 1500, but it’s good to mix it up to keep your body from plateauing. You should also remember that as you get more active, your BMR increases. So if you started out eating 1400 calories a day, after a few months you’ll need to up it to probably 1600 or more calories (because your metabolism has sped up and you’re burning calories more efficiently and rapidly). I know some fitblrs out there have done extensive research on how to calculate how many calories you should eat, so you may come across something on your dash (I know curevcreation has posted something before on it) that might be more helpful. Or if you’re really intent on figuring out how many calories you should eat a day, go see a nutritionist and they can more accurately calculate it for you. All in all, listen to your body. Eat when you’re hungry, not bored or craving. Eat whole and fresh foods and drink plenty of water, and you may not even need to calculate calories to lose weight. Every body is different.
*Please note, again, that I do not claim to be a nutritionist or doctor, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. Before embarking on your own weight loss journey, you should consult a doctor to determine your best approach and weight loss goals. I only know the advice I give you all through my own experiences, my University education, and google.
#FAQ
Answer:
The way weight loss works is calories in vs. calories out. So if your natural BMR is say 1600, you can eat 1600 calories, be completely sedentary, and maintain your weight. Now 1 pound is equal to 3500 calories, so you’d have to burn an extra 500 calories a day to lose 1 pound a week. People often forget the littlest things add up to contribute to that 500 calorie burn. Walking to the fridge, the bathroom, standing up, etc. all counts. Every person and body is different in how they burn calories, so it’s hard to say if that extra 100 calorie burn is enough to get the 3500 deficit a week. IMPORTANT: you do not get the deficit simply by cutting calories. You need to eat the proper amount of calories your BMR requires (I’ve posted how to calculate that in my FAQ), and even then BMR is very outdated so some people find it better to adjust the number they get by a couple hundred. In my opinion, almost daily exercise (6 days a week) is better than just 3 days a week, because you need to get your heart pumping and working with cardiovascular exercise every day. It’s also easier to stay on track and stay motivated when it becomes a daily habit. And if you’re saying the workouts only burn 100 calories based off the machines, those machines are usually pretty off! They calculate based off the average 155 pound person, but they don’t know your personal weight or BMR, so more than likely you’re burning more than 100 calories in those little workouts. Daily exercise, even as little as 20 minutes, is better than no exercise.
#FAQ
Answer:
I get a TON of submissions that are very similar, have already been submitted, or are not worded well enough for me to understand what they’re saying, so those I don’t turn into posts or will take the first submission I see of its kind and delete the rest. I also take the submissions I get and try to word them in a way that can be relatable to the general follower population. I make some myself when ideas pop into my head, but the majority are inspired by people’s submissions. I also NEVER post things that are related to starving yourself/unhealthy ways of losing weight/ED triggers, because I make it a point to make this a HEALTHY lifestyle/weight loss blog. If anything submitted seems unhealthy or can be interpreted to be unhealthy, then I just don’t post it, or I word it differently. For example, I don’t post submissions like “when your parents ask you when the last time you ate was and you can’t remember” or “when your stomach continually growls in class.” I keep all posts and answers oriented around leading a healthy lifestyle and losing weight the right way. I would never give anyone advice/the idea to go about this the unhealthy way.
Don’t like it, don’t follow. I try to do the best I can. Sorry!
#FAQI wanted to address this in one post because I have received A LOT of questions asking the same thing, and instead of flooding your dashes with the same response, I’m just going to make one general post for you all to refer to. So PLEASE, if you want to simply ask me “Am I a healthy weight?” then use THIS CHART that I use to answer your asks. If you already asked a question like this un-anonymously, I’ll send you a direct message response as soon as I can (I currently have 500+ asks/submissions so you’ll have to bear with me). I would love to answer all of your questions, but realistically I can’t. So I am providing you guys with this in the hopes of you being able to determine what your healthy weight should be on your own. If you’re still concerned, message me unanonymously with specific questions and I will reply to you through a direct message. If you ask anonymously, I’ll just delete it.
How to read the healthy weight chart:
This chart is the same general chart doctors and medical practitioners use when they assess if you’re at a healthy weight. The chart lists weight ranges for small, medium, and large frames. To determine your frame, you need to grab a tape measurer and measure your wrist in inches. Wrap the tape measure around your wrist and use the following guide to determine your frame in regards to your height:
Women:
If you’re under 5’2”:
- Small frame = wrist size less than 5.5”
- Medium frame = wrist size 5.5” to 5.75”
- Large frame = wrist size over 5.75”
If you’re between 5’2” and 5’5”:
- Small frame = wrist size less than 6”
- Medium frame = wrist size 6” to 6.25”
- Large frame = wrist size over 6.25”
If you’re over 5’5”:
- Small frame = wrist size less than 6.25”
- Medium frame = wrist size 6.25” to 6.5”
- Large frame = wrist size over 6.5”
Men:
- Small = wrist size 5.5” to 6.5”
- Medium = wrist size 6.5” to 7.5”
- Large = wrist size over 7.5”
**Please note that you should take these charts with a grain of salt. Every body is different and not everyone fits into these standards. These weights are based off of BMI standards, which are not 100% correct and applicable to everyone (they are also very outdated). I believe that using this chart is better than going by BMI because it accounts for frame size. However, the best determination is to just eat well and exercise and let your body figure itself out. A better number to aim for is to lower your body fat percentage, which you can do through cardiovascular exercise and building muscle. You can go to the doctors and have them assess your body fat percentage, which should be in the 20-30% range for women and 10-20% range for men. Your focus should be on overall health, and fitness, not a certain number on the scale.
(Source: weightlossproblems)
So I’ve been seeing A LOT of submissions that are the same, and many of them are already on here. It’s been hard for me to remember if certain submissions have been posted already, so I want to compile one master list of the most popular and frequent submissions, so you don’t think I’ve neglected or skipped yours. Even if it’s not worded exactly the same way, most of the submissions I get are already on here in some form. So please refer to this before making a submission! Thank you.
Not losing anymore weight/plateauing
Not having enough money to buy new clothes
Being too small for your old size/too big for a new size/not fitting into jeans
People giving you bad weight loss advice
Working at a restaurant/fast food place/etc
Family doesn’t cook/eats out/orders fast food
Favorite outfit/your clothes are too big
Half naked people on your dash/people think you look at porn
When people comment on food you’re eating when you’re having a cheat day
People try to shove food down your throat because they think you’re too skinny
Answer:
I’ve talked about restrictive eating and the “ABC” diet before in my FAQ. No, I do not condone eating disorders or unhealthy eating habits to lose weight. I have had multiple friends in my life battle with eating disorders, and I know how difficult it makes life. I make it explicitly clear on this site that I do not support unhealthy ways and I want all of my followers to understand that they can achieve weight loss the healthy weight. If I can do it, you all can do it. I do not want anyone to have to go through what people with EDs go through on a daily basis. That is why I always suggest a follower gets help if I detect that they may have disordered eating habits. Health is the number one priority, not achieving a certain weight or size.
I also urge all of my followers to help their friends/followers/family members to seek help if they know someone with an ED or are showing signs of developing one. Have them call the hotline, 1-800-931-2237, or talk to an adult and ask them to help you in reaching out to your friend. Trust me, you could save their life.
#FAQ
This is a great question. Everyone should understand that even after they lose the weight/get fit, confidence isn’t just going to present itself on a shiny platter to you. I view confidence and self-esteem like willpower; it’s a muscle that needs to be exercised and strengthened. Everyone builds it up differently, so I can try my best to explain to you how I, personally, have built up my confidence and self-esteem over the last 21 years, at both my highest and current weight.
One of the easiest ways to start building up your confidence is to start saying positive mantras to yourself in the mirror every morning. Start out with something you truly like about yourself (for example, your eyes) and say in the mirror “Self, you have gorgeous eyes. Today you’re going to remember that and flaunt them.” You could also remind yourself of a positive aspect you have that’s not physical, like how you truly are a good friend. And every morning, when you wake up and get ready, remind yourself of something new, something you probably often forget. And even if you don’t believe the stuff you’re saying at first, over time, you will start to believe them. If you dislike your stomach, take a good look at yourself in the mirror, and tell yourself that you love your stomach, with all of its imperfections. That stomach is a part of you, and you are a beautiful person, so your stomach is beautiful too. We usually get so wrapped up in everything that’s wrong with our bodies, that we often forget the things we love about ourselves, or should love about ourselves.
In general, I found that focusing on who I am as a person, and realizing that my body does not define me, was how I gained confidence. You are a good and beautiful person, and your looks do not determine that. Your friends like to be around you because of who you are, not how you look. Your family loves you because of the person inside of you, regardless of how much you weigh. It’s so easy to feel down about ourselves when we place such a high amount of value on how we look, so to stop feeling depressed about our looks we need to totally adjust what we place value on. You don’t pick your friends based off how they look do you? No. So why should you pick yourself apart based off how you look? You shouldn’t. Our bodies are what carry us through the amazing lives we lead, so we need to start taking care of them and loving them no matter what they look like. You are not defined by your body. Say that to yourself every morning in the mirror as well.
Building up your self-esteem and confidence takes time, but through getting healthy and fit, you’ll start realizing how kick ass you are, and it will make it that much easier to be confident. When you set fitness goals for yourself, and you reach them, it makes you feel so empowered, which often leads to confidence. When you see that you literally can do anything you set your mind to, you start to realize just how awesome you are, and you don’t forget it. So just keep working at it. Keep building your self-esteem up, and you’ll get there someday. Smile, cause you’re all beautiful, just the way you are :)
Answer:
Running exerts more energy because you are using your whole body to move/propel you, whereas an elliptical you are more stationary. I know most ellipticals say they burn more calories, but realistically, running is the best way to burn calories (because burning calories means exerting energy, which running does more of). Ellipticals are good if you have knee problems and the impact of running is too much sometimes, so you can alternate between running a few miles, then doing the elliptical a few miles. If you want to get a “fat burn” on a treadmill, you just have to do “High Intensity Intervals,” which means alternating between sprinting for a minute or two, then jogging for a minute or two. For “cardio”, just run as many miles as you can at a steady pace. Running is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise after all. For “muscle gain/strength gain,” change up the incline on the treadmill. Running up hills will help you to build leg muscle. You can get just as much out of a treadmill, if not more, than an elliptical :)
#FAQ
Answer:
This website is an exercise finder, where you can click on a body part and find exercises to help you tone that specific area. It comes from a woman’s site, so it is targeted towards women but I’m sure men can do some of the exercises as well.
#FAQ