Calories up or down

[Sidewalksue]

I am 50 and trying to lose the weight I have put on in lockdown.

When I have lost weight in the past I used to start with WW and then take over myself once I’d got started.

This time I have done it myself. I am 5ft3 and 85 kilos. After a good start I dropped 4kg and stopped, I have not lost anything for weeks.

I’ve gone from being sedentary to doing a lot of exercise. Power walks, exercise bike, DVDs, weights and I’m now going to the gym twice a week minimum. Something most days
I have toned and shrunk and I know I am building muscle, however I have a lot of weight lose.

My calories are set at 1500 from TTDE. I can see in the past I have also been on this and lost weight but then when I was 68kg (and sfill losing) I was on 1900 and doing lots of exercise/running.

So do I go up or down? This is so confusing. I’d like to start running again but I feel too heavy. I don’t know why this isn’t so easy.

And I have also gone from eating whatever I want. Probably over 2000 calories.

I am leaning to increasing as I am worried if I keep dropping I won’t have energy for the things I’m doing. I really needed to eat before the gym yesterday and I didn’t.

I looked at my average calorie burns and I know it’s only a guide but seems high compared to my food

What worked 10 or 20 years ago does't matter, you are metabolically different now.

Ignore the calories used by exercise, they don't really count. What counts is the food you eat. If you are not losing, you are eating too many calories.
Where do get that number about burning 2363 calories per day with exercise. This is massive and I doubt you spend 5 hours + on an exercise bike at a good speed..

Also consider that most TDEE calculators are crap, as they use your current weight. If someone is really overweight, they should use the adjusted weight TDEE. For your height, your maintenance is 1445, so you have to go lower.

It’s just my Fitbit. I haven’t actually been eating all my calories so that’s kinda what I am on now anyway. Yesterday I had 1100.

Eat nearer your calorie goal. If it's 1500 and you are only eating 1100 then that's not stainable.
Fitbits/ Garmin's / other trackers aren't accurate with how many calories you have burned. They give you an idea and a way to track progress and trends.

I’ll never not be shocked that I can go from overeating and sedentary, to dieting and very active and lose zip.

whenever I’m not losing I look at these things:

• Am I eating to calorie goal (500 below TDEE)
• Am I drinking at least 2lts water/clear fluids a day
• Amnu getting enough sleep
• Am I unusually stressed
• Am I dehydrated/retaining water due to high heat, extra salt in diet, more exercise than usual so muscles healing which causes retention
• smi I due on my period

All of these affect what the scales say. Water is usually my problem and drinking more is a quick and easy fix. Sleep is harder to come by because there are only so many hours in a day and I can’t do anything about hormone fluctuations except wait it out and accept that week before my period I won’t lose weight.

How can you burn so many calories through exercise? I used to go on the X trainer on the hardest setting for 40 minutes and that only burns about 500 calories? Cycling burns less than x trainer. You'd have to be doing several hours of hardcore working out, cycling up hill, running fast etc.

Maybe you are doing that but I just can't imagine a regular person having the time?!

It’s just what my Fitbit says I burn over the day. Not just exercise. I often power walk for over an hour a day which says it burns 500

During a very heated phone call with my sister, may Fitbit told me I walked 11.000 steps. Ignore your Fitbit.
Focus on lowering your net calories.

Eat at maintenance and stop starving your body. If you are that active your body is probably trying to preserve weight.
The absolute best book to read is How to Eat and still lose weight by Dr Andrew Jenkinson.

I would say that @WhiteAndBlack is correct.

You can't exercise out a bad diet. Weight loss is 80 per cent of what you're eating

I wouldn’t drop your calories - you’re already in a very good deficit and you need energy to fuel your workouts. Instead I’d look at what you’re eating. Are you focussed on getting 30g of protein at breakfast and prioritising protein and fibre? From what I can remember WW/SW diets are carbs galore so that may be what you’re used to while dieting? If you’re eating lots of carbs your body will burn those for energy - not fat. Also 1500 cals is not much when you’re this active and used to over 2000 - prioritising protein and fibre will mean you can eat more food within your allowance. Apologies if I’m telling you things you already know/are doing and good luck - you’re doing brilliantly.

Yesterday I ate more and today I lost! I’m starting the gym and I do need more energy for that.

Not every change on the scale is a change in body fat. Body water fluctuates constantly throughout the day and day by day.

You need to pick a goal. Do you want to lose weight or do you want a high level of exercise?
It will be very hard to be in a net calories deficit while maintaining a high level of workout. Your body and brain will be screaming for fuel for it, making it tough to focus on the diet at the same time. You can still exercise and train of course, we all should, but overdoing it might be sabotaging you.

Well I need to lose weight. I have stones to lose. I went to the gym yesterday morning and I was starving the rest of the day.
I think the gym might stop me exercising so much as it will only be certain days of the week rather than every day. I’m so tired today from it I won’t be doing anything.