Just After a Little Reassurance, I Suppose...

[ThinspiRaytion]

[FONT=arial, sans-serif]I am using the calorie tracker ap/website MyFitnessPal, which is very helpful, but I often feel like I'm going about this wrong.
Exercise: My job is all walking. Roughly 2MPH for four hours on Monday & Tuesday, and six hours on Friday & Saturday. Plus the forty minutes there and back each day. This "earns" a lot of extra calories, though I rarely eat back what I've burned off. On the days I don't work I walk for forty-five - sixty minutes at a much brisker pace (roughly 3MPH).
I don't think I'm fit enough to try running yet, but once I've lost a fair amount on my own, I want to find a beginner's yoga, or possibly zumba, class and get into daily runs also.
Food: I eat 1720 calories (usually 100-300 under) per day. All good, healthy things like fruits, vegetables, cereals, wholewheat, lean protein such as chicken and seafood, I've found that I am very fond of almond and soy milk too.
My BMR is roughly 1833 per day.
Obviously this approach is working for me, as I have lost 10lbs - though I couldn't tell you where from! - in the last four weeks but I worry this isn't a healthy way of going about things, counting calories and such.
Comments, thoughts? I just feel worried.[/FONT]

 

[Littlecupcake]

Why are you having this moment of doubt? From what I've read it sounds like you're doing great and I'd just say: keep going! In fact I've been using MFP too and also have these moment of doubts, which often lead me to reach for the naughty food . If you're still staying on track, despite your worries: good for you.

I follow a similar set up, good foods, fruit, veg, lean protein etc. and the odd treat to keep me sane, though my daily walking just involves to uni and back, and I'm now wondering if I'm being too ambitious (setting myself too few calories), hence why I fall off the bandwagon, instead of feeling satisfied and getting a good 10 pound off like you. Thanks for the food for thought there .

I'd also say try Zumba or another class NOW. You may worry you're not fit enough but you'd be amazed what your body can cope with! I also want to wait until I've slimmed down more until I try running, but classes and also swimming barely feel like exercise, you have too much fun with the music and moves! All is all you sound motivated, so why the worries?

 

[Mis-behave]

I agree you sound like your making good food choices, and 10lbs in 4 wks is great! Well done

Zumba is great! I used to go when I first started I was quite big and sweated loads! but took the class at my pace. After a while I noticed I sweated less and was getting smaller too also is great fun my advised start now and have fun!

When I exercise I don't (try not too) eat my exercise cals back , I also only count the extra exercise I do above my "normal" daily routine. e.g. Walking to pick up kid from school 6km round trip.. At a brisk pace. Rather than using the bus .. An exercise class, extra walking I choose to do.

 

[ThinspiRaytion]

Thank you for replying ladies. I think my concern is down to the blogging site I'm using to record all my weight loss thing, I follow other healthy eating blogs and see all these already slender girls losing 10lbs and looking like supermodels and I'm just here (now lost 18lbs) looking absolutely no different. One of the things that really settled my resolve to start was some motivational photo with the text "four weeks until you notice, eight weeks for the friends and twelve weeks for the rest of the world to see" - with regards to the change in your body as you lose weight... And I thought, that's so soon, wont it be lovely when not only I can point out the bits that get smaller but other people start seeing them too?
I don't think that time scale applies if you're starting well above your healthy weight range, and I didn't realise that before. I'm still a little discouraged that no one else has gasped, and gushed about how much weight I've lost yet, but I've begun to notice a few bits now so ... Just have to keep going