Weight Loss

I have been trying to lose about 7 pounds or so for awhile and have decided to try to commit to calorie count for one month to see if it helps. I have been doing it since Sunday. I have had the following deficits: Sun - 939 Mon - 1000 Tues - 400 Wed - 700

I know I shouldn't have the deficit over 1000, but now I am even wondering if I am doing this right! It is so annoying!

I put my level at moderate and it says that I burn around 2,000 calories a day. But I have also been entering the exercise I do..should I not??? I am just confused because first I think that burning 2,000 calories a day just doing normal stuff seems a bit high. Second, it seems like a lot of people aren't entering working out? Then, it seems ridiculous because if you go to logging your activities, you can log stupid things like getting dressed in the morning. Why is this so confusing??????

I just want to do this right because I am getting so frustrated with losing weight and I dont want to do this wrong.

I weight 137....am 5'3 and am 28 years old. Please help me! Thanks in advance.

I think it works best to set your activity level at sedentary and then log your major exercise activities.  For example, each day I log my workouts and my walk to work.  I don't log getting dressed or sitting at the computer, those things don't make enough of a difference in my overall calorie burn.

Hope this helps a little.

I agree with betsyanne and I've had good results doing it this way, plus I use an HRM to help me get a better reading on my specific exercise burn. I can see a specific deficit this way, and I am pretty sure I'm burning more because I'm not totally sedentary. BUT I aim for a 500 cal deficit and am clearly burning a bit more, bc I'm losing more than 1 lb a week right now. It's like having a cushion with extra clas burned. You can't have a "measured deficit" too high, though, because you could then consistenly be burning over 1000 cal deficit and that's not gonna work either.

 

Either enter your activity level as moderate and leave out the exercise or set yourself as sedentary and add the exercise.  'Moderate' assumes that you're doing at least half an hour of something pretty strenuous every day.

Just like mkculs, I also use a Heart Rate Monitor.  It is a great help to know the exact amount of calories you are burning.  Before I got it, I thought i was burning way more than I actually am (I was using the tools on this site to figure out my burn). 

Don't get frustrated. It takes some time to learn how your body works and what's best for it.  Make sure that you include weight training in circuit fashion in your exercise routine so that you stimulate your metabolism.  Your metabolism will play a key factor in your weight loss journey.

Make sure you are eating at least 1200 calories per day or your metabolism may slow down (e.g. if you are burning 2000 per day and had a 1000 calories deficit, sounds like you only took in 1000 calories that day).