First, I want to butt in and say congrats on your weight loss and on being so dedicated to your H&F. You ARE working hard and you are getting stronger & fitter.
Second, I have to echo what most have said-- it seems like you are not eating enough. You could up the protein/good fat some, and I know I'm the dairy girl and all... But I don't see any calcium in this particular menu. I think Greek yogurt or skim milk would be good additions, but if you aren't up for dairy you could always choose soy or something else with added calcium. Good luck! And try not to stress so much about 7 lbs. It may be your body's new happy weight, and you'll have to embrace a few extra curves.
EDIT: I think you may also need more carbs, especially on hard cardio days. As Breezy said, maybe look at bumping up cals just on some days?
Remember that BMR is just the amount of calories your body needs to do the basic body functions and is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day. Your body burns the BMR amount of calories simply keeping you alive via pumping your blood, breathing, cell repair, etc.
Your TDEE is your total calories burned including the amount to keep you alive, the amount you burn through daily living (showering, housework, errands, kids, walking to your car) plus the amount you burn during exercise. In order to get your body to burn any excess fat, but retain the muscle (important in order to keep burning fat), you need to take a small cut from TDEE.
Since you are close to goal, target a 10% cut. Be honest about your activity levels (which for you is 7+ hours a week) and calculate TDEE with that calculator I linked. Take a 10% cut and eat that amount every day (don't use MFP logic and eat back calories with this method).
If you aren't feeling hungry it's because you have likely suppressed your hunger cues because you aren't eating enough.
Also you are doing a lot of cardio (Insanity has minor strength, but really is HIIT cardio). If you truly want to change the shape of your body, you will need to add strength training. I highly recommend NROL for Abs - it made a huge difference on the pregnancy pouch and core strength for me. Building muscle will help you drop the fat faster...and you may not see a change in the scale at all.
First, I want to butt in and say congrats on your weight loss and on being so dedicated to your H&F. You ARE working hard and you are getting stronger & fitter.
Second, I have to echo what most have said-- it seems like you are not eating enough. You could up the protein/good fat some, and I know I'm the dairy girl and all... But I don't see any calcium in this particular menu. I think Greek yogurt or skim milk would be good additions, but if you aren't up for dairy you could always choose soy or something else with added calcium. Good luck! And try not to stress so much about 7 lbs. It may be your body's new happy weight, and you'll have to embrace a few extra curves.
EDIT: I think you may also need more carbs, especially on hard cardio days. As Breezy said, maybe look at bumping up cals just on some days?
Ugh it ate my post! Lets try this again...
Thank you! I cut out dairy for the most. For awhile I was drinking soy milk but I take Synthroid so I stopped. I do use almond milk when I make smoothies and stuff. But it's not very often I admit.
Remember that BMR is just the amount of calories your body needs to do the basic body functions and is what you would burn if you laid in bed all day. Your body burns the BMR amount of calories simply keeping you alive via pumping your blood, breathing, cell repair, etc.
Your TDEE is your total calories burned including the amount to keep you alive, the amount you burn through daily living (showering, housework, errands, kids, walking to your car) plus the amount you burn during exercise. In order to get your body to burn any excess fat, but retain the muscle (important in order to keep burning fat), you need to take a small cut from TDEE.
Since you are close to goal, target a 10% cut. Be honest about your activity levels (which for you is 7+ hours a week) and calculate TDEE with that calculator I linked. Take a 10% cut and eat that amount every day (don't use MFP logic and eat back calories with this method).
If you aren't feeling hungry it's because you have likely suppressed your hunger cues because you aren't eating enough.
Also you are doing a lot of cardio (Insanity has minor strength, but really is HIIT cardio). If you truly want to change the shape of your body, you will need to add strength training. I highly recommend NROL for Abs - it made a huge difference on the pregnancy pouch and core strength for me. Building muscle will help you drop the fat faster...and you may not see a change in the scale at all.
This is very helpful! Thank you! Honestly I think I am done with MFP. Both times I have used it to track calories I've worked my way into a plateau. I realize that could have hit a plateau anyways but still... I'm going to try the link you gave me and the NROL for Abs, stick with that for a bit and see what happens.
Post by victoria21 on Jun 12, 2013 12:29:01 GMT -5
I just wanted to throw out my experience since it seems pretty similar to yours.
I lost 30 pounds post baby, and got down to my happy/easy to maintain weight. I looked good, but I knew I would be happier if I lost about 10 more pounds. In the past, it took a lot of effort to lose and maintain those last 10, so I rarely kept it off.
I was eating a lot like you but I added extra fat as my extra calories. I didn't count calories though, just ate lowish carb/clean eating. If I had a day that I felt like I needed more carbs, I just went with it and ate rice, potatoes, or even chocolate. I often saw a drop in weight after these days, though too many high carb days in a row led to weight gain. You could google carb cycling if you want a more exact approach.
I stopped eating after 6:30/dinner. Like nothing but tea and water. It took a month to get used to and now it feels weird eating late (though I do eat late if I go out with friends or DH).
I got 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Some how I got lucky and for a year my girls started to sleep in until 7. I honestly think the sleep was key to losing the vanity pounds.
I stopped working out so much. I did NROLFW 3xs a week and took walks. Some weeks I did nothing .
It took me about nine months to lose 10 pounds, but I have maintained it for over a year and it is my new "happy" weight. I can maintain it really easily and never be hungry.
Congratulations on your weight loss and all the hard work you have put in to your new lifestyle That's fabulous!
I'll echo everyone else and say to eat more - especially more fun. It's easier to get the extra calories in that you need. Eating a lot more fat also just makes me feel happy and I have noticed a big difference in my skin, hair and nails. There are so many healthy and delicious fat sources out there - avocados, eggs, coconut, oils, meats, etc. Remember that dietary fat is not the same as body fat.
Also...as someone who has really struggled with this, i just want to throw out the thought that you are making a LIFESTYLE change, and need to find a happy balance. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life counting out individual almonds and weighing everything you eat and stressing out about ten pounds? Or are a few extra pounds worth it to let yourself relax? Remember that being "healthy" isn't just about nutrition and fitness, but your mental health as well. We all need a break sometimes.
'Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body. But rather, to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, screaming 'Woohoo! What a ride!' So every day is a holiday and every meal a feast."