Weight loss: getting it right...?

[goldfinch]

I am barely 5' 1" and I don't think I could survive on 900 calories, either.

I can't survive on it on long term, my metabolic rate is higher than that. But I can have a range of calories I consume over time and the average will be much higher.

Goldfinch, have you had a chance to discuss this with a dietitian? Obviously you are reaching your weight loss goals, but you want to make certain you aren't setting yourself up for any long-term issues with consuming too few calories for your activities. Everyone is different of course, but I would be starving if I only had 1,200 calories on a day when I had rode 10 miles, let along longer. Consuming too few calories can lead to your body burning muscle and you don't want that.

For me, after loosing 55 pounds in a little over a year, my weight loss has slowed to an agonizing speed - which means I have to focus even more on the content of my calories as well as the number of them.

Because of my background I am fairly well educated on the issues and am fine with the 1200 calorie day and even with some 900 calorie days. I pay close attention to nutrition and stay away from filler foods. Keep in mind that I am small framed and very short. I am older. My energy outputs even at the same heart rate is not going to be close to the output of a young fit person.

Weight loss slows as you lose weight because you have less body mass to support.

All I know is that when I was starting my weight loss journey, I burned more calories in the same activities than I do now after having lost 55 pounds - at least according to my heart rate monitor. Glad to hear that 900 calorie days are rare, I've burned more than that in a single bike ride

When figuring out how many calories you burn how much you weigh is a factor. The heart rate monitors that factor in weight, height, age and sex are likely the most accurate. But heart rate monitors have a reputation for overestimating calories burned. There are factors that vary for individuals that they have to estimate based on the information given. They you get estimates layered on estimates, with increasing inaccuracy.

I think monitors are more useful for determining relative effort. One day you burn "a lot" another day "not so much."

I don't use monitors at all. I just try to get in a half hour to an hour of exercise a day and stay off my rear for several hours. Given that my energy is fine and I am not losing weight too fast, I think that I am hitting targets close enough. Research shows that exercise is not a big factor in weight loss. Unfortunately, exercise makes people hungry so they tend to eat a bit more. But exercise should be done for its own fitness benefits and to maintain muscle mass.