Anyone eat over 2000 calories?

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  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    edited February 2015
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    I've also noticed a difference between those that have never lost a lot of weight and those that have. For example, I have never been heavy. When I want to lose weight it's 5-15 pounds, tops. When I got very active, I was able to increase my calories and still lose weight-easy.

    However , I constantly see people that have lost a ton of weight eating the same or less than me and not losing-even if they're active. They have been dieting for years in some cases. It will always be harder for someone that has lost a ton of weight. There's a lot going on in your body (hormones, genetics, fat cells) that can account for the difference. Take it slow and steady and it will come off

    Also on this why are there several threads of people who've been heavier who now have 6 packs but this doesn't seem to be the case for them. Those threads are supposed to be some big inspiration but if I do the same things but don't get the same result it's a little bit of a rip off. Why didn't being overweight ruin their metabolisms?
    They got six pack abs by eating at a deficit. Even if your metabolism is lower than you expect, it's not non-existant. You can still cut your calories and lose. Some of them went through cut and bulk cycles, which I would guess would help elevate the metabolism, but I think usmcmp cut until she was pretty lean without a bulk cycle. You could always just ask her. I know she had a success story somewhere if you can find it.

    Found it; she said she did TDEE-20%:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1
  • runner475
    runner475 Posts: 1,236 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    What kind of exercises are you food braggers doing to eat such massive amounts of calories? And the ones eating like horses and losing weight baffle me too. I took a break from dieting because I flat out stopped losing weight eating 2200 calories. So I eat 2700 for a few weeks. Of course I gained weight. Great. Let's waste more time losing. So two weeks ago I go back to 2200. Great 5lbs of water in a couple weeks. Let's follow the "it's just one day, enjoy your life" BS people preach. Goto a birthday party. Have some nachos and beer for the Superbowl. Great. I weigh more this morning then when I cut my calories two weeks ago. Really? Seriously? I'm 5'11" 233lbs and I lift 5-6 days a week. But the chick who's 5'2 105, she eats 100000000 calories and loses 2lbs a week? Really? I think some people flat out lie about their calorie counts.

    I sometime back read your post on "stopped losing" but lost track of it then.

    I wanted to ask in that post - When was the last time you did your blood work?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    I've also noticed a difference between those that have never lost a lot of weight and those that have. For example, I have never been heavy. When I want to lose weight it's 5-15 pounds, tops. When I got very active, I was able to increase my calories and still lose weight-easy.

    However , I constantly see people that have lost a ton of weight eating the same or less than me and not losing-even if they're active. They have been dieting for years in some cases. It will always be harder for someone that has lost a ton of weight. There's a lot going on in your body (hormones, genetics, fat cells) that can account for the difference. Take it slow and steady and it will come off

    Also on this why are there several threads of people who've been heavier who now have 6 packs but this doesn't seem to be the case for them. Those threads are supposed to be some big inspiration but if I do the same things but don't get the same result it's a little bit of a rip off. Why didn't being overweight ruin their metabolisms?
    They got six pack abs by eating at a deficit. Even if your metabolism is lower than you expect, it's not non-existant. You can still cut your calories and lose. Some of them went through cut and bulk cycles, which I would guess would help elevate the metabolism, but I think usmcmp cut until she was pretty lean without a bulk cycle. You could always just ask her. I know she had a success story somewhere if you can find it.

    Found it; she said she did TDEE-20%:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1

    Yeah, I get the TDEE-20% thing. That's what I'm saying. Why isn't her TDEE in the gutter like mine supposedly is if she dieted down? Wouldn't her metabolism have slowed down?


    Did you lose weight too quickly? My metabolism got faster as I dieted down and lifted heavy.
  • ramdettmer751
    ramdettmer751 Posts: 13 Member
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    I take in about 3000 calories a day for gaining :|
  • runner475
    runner475 Posts: 1,236 Member
    edited February 2015
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    runner475 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    What kind of exercises are you food braggers doing to eat such massive amounts of calories? And the ones eating like horses and losing weight baffle me too. I took a break from dieting because I flat out stopped losing weight eating 2200 calories. So I eat 2700 for a few weeks. Of course I gained weight. Great. Let's waste more time losing. So two weeks ago I go back to 2200. Great 5lbs of water in a couple weeks. Let's follow the "it's just one day, enjoy your life" BS people preach. Goto a birthday party. Have some nachos and beer for the Superbowl. Great. I weigh more this morning then when I cut my calories two weeks ago. Really? Seriously? I'm 5'11" 233lbs and I lift 5-6 days a week. But the chick who's 5'2 105, she eats 100000000 calories and loses 2lbs a week? Really? I think some people flat out lie about their calorie counts.

    I sometime back read your post on "stopped losing" but lost track of it then.

    I wanted to ask in that post - When was the last time you did your blood work?

    I haven't been to the doctor in a long time. Year or longer. I don't really ever get sick enough to justify it. Most of the reason I used to go to the doctor was due to conditions resulting from being overweight (more so than now since I'm still overweight). Those things don't seem to be a factor in my life anymore so I haven't had to go.

    Now we are talking....

    If I were you I would take an appointment and get the blood work done. Get everything checked absolutely. Your TSH, HBa1c, Blood sugar, Triglycerides, Iron .... the whole nine yards.

    If you have insurance it's covered.

    You don't have to go to doctor only when you fall sick.
    If you are
    1) doing everything right
    2) weighing food
    3) exercising

    All of the above for the long time and not seeing results. It's about it you do that blood work.

  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 844 Member
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    I eat around 2000
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    I've also noticed a difference between those that have never lost a lot of weight and those that have. For example, I have never been heavy. When I want to lose weight it's 5-15 pounds, tops. When I got very active, I was able to increase my calories and still lose weight-easy.

    However , I constantly see people that have lost a ton of weight eating the same or less than me and not losing-even if they're active. They have been dieting for years in some cases. It will always be harder for someone that has lost a ton of weight. There's a lot going on in your body (hormones, genetics, fat cells) that can account for the difference. Take it slow and steady and it will come off

    Also on this why are there several threads of people who've been heavier who now have 6 packs but this doesn't seem to be the case for them. Those threads are supposed to be some big inspiration but if I do the same things but don't get the same result it's a little bit of a rip off. Why didn't being overweight ruin their metabolisms?
    They got six pack abs by eating at a deficit. Even if your metabolism is lower than you expect, it's not non-existant. You can still cut your calories and lose. Some of them went through cut and bulk cycles, which I would guess would help elevate the metabolism, but I think usmcmp cut until she was pretty lean without a bulk cycle. You could always just ask her. I know she had a success story somewhere if you can find it.

    Found it; she said she did TDEE-20%:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1

    Yeah, I get the TDEE-20% thing. That's what I'm saying. Why isn't her TDEE in the gutter like mine supposedly is if she dieted down? Wouldn't her metabolism have slowed down?


    Did you lose weight too quickly? My metabolism got faster as I dieted down and lifted heavy.

    It doesn't seem like it. It was over a period of several years. Basically, I went from 365 to 300 making little changes but not really seriously trying. When you're that heavy giving up regular soda for diet and cutting back on cookies makes you lose weight. That sort of thing. When I finally got serious I got to about where I am now over the course of 7 months, 300 to 225ish. Then it just stopped. So I just decided to try maintaining and living for a while. A few pounds crawled back on and last May I found myself at about 250. So it was back to counting calories. It worked fine until, you guessed it, 225 and nothing. I think at first I may have even been eating 2300 and dropped it to 2200. I was advised to take a break so I did. Reverse dieted up to 2700 and a couple weeks ago I dropped back to 2200. Some water came off and now after one weekend the water came back. I actually weigh MORE than when I started. Basically I lost nothing over the past couple week.

    Hmm, I have no idea where you should go from here, but do wish you luck figuring it out.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    I've also noticed a difference between those that have never lost a lot of weight and those that have. For example, I have never been heavy. When I want to lose weight it's 5-15 pounds, tops. When I got very active, I was able to increase my calories and still lose weight-easy.

    However , I constantly see people that have lost a ton of weight eating the same or less than me and not losing-even if they're active. They have been dieting for years in some cases. It will always be harder for someone that has lost a ton of weight. There's a lot going on in your body (hormones, genetics, fat cells) that can account for the difference. Take it slow and steady and it will come off

    Also on this why are there several threads of people who've been heavier who now have 6 packs but this doesn't seem to be the case for them. Those threads are supposed to be some big inspiration but if I do the same things but don't get the same result it's a little bit of a rip off. Why didn't being overweight ruin their metabolisms?

    I'm new to the "community" of MFP, although I've used it to track for over two years. So, I'm not familiar with the threads you are referring to. But everyone is different. Maybe they never cycled (gain/lose/gain/lose), maybe they workout a little more or eat a little less. Everyone is different, there are no hard and fast rules, just guidelines. Every piece of your food/exercise/weight history is going to effect your efforts at this moment, and there is no calculator for that.

    Those people should be inspiration that it can be done. Not that it can be done for you exactly as it was done for them. If I were you, I would do some research. Some real research from peer-reviewed articles on studies done in real schools by real experts. Not "research" you can find anywhere via google! Maybe you'll stumble upon some theories that resonate with you. But nothing will change the fact that it's hard. It is hard to lose weight and it takes time. Period.
  • 100andOnward
    100andOnward Posts: 145 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'm in the 2700 club, too. Some days, I eat as much as 3500.

    I'm 31, 5' 7", 258 right now, 23% body fat, and fairly active (jog ~3/day, martial arts, walking a lot [average 14,000 steps/day, including my jog at 6k steps], biking, lifting).

    Personally, I lose more consistently at a higher calorie intake. My performance suffers too much at the ~2000 range, and I'm tired or cranky all the time.
    Are you.. sure you're 23% BF? because that would mean about 200lbs lean mass. Unless you've been training for the last 10 years and bulking most of that time I just can't imagine someone that weight being 23% BF!

    I'm as sure as I can be without shelling out for DEXA or BodPod (though I am going to a BodPod in a couple months); so that number might be a little low. I average the amount from 3 different calculators with measurements, caliper measurements, and one of the handheld things.

    I've been training for about 8 years. I started at 345, got down to 277 (42%), started training heavier and more intense, got down to 250 (28%) four years ago. Since then, I've been eating more, ended up gaining a bunch of weight, and ended up at 303, which brought me here. My roughest estimates put me at about 33% at that time, but I didn't check too closely; I just went "AH CRUD I'M OVER 300" and began to focus on losing weight only. That was really when I began running and biking a lot.

    I'm really fortunate that I also learned about a hormone deficiency in that time and started getting treatment for it; that made a difference for me.
  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
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    kanga1980 wrote: »
    You need to slowly increase so your body metabolism adjusts. Yes, if I jumped straight from maintenance to 800 calories above, I would gain. People throw around a lot of science. Mine just happens to be the right science. :) lol

    What science? You haven't shown any science. Only broscience moronic stupidity. Show me any shred of actual scientific evidence that your drivel actually makes any sense.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited February 2015
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    slaite1 wrote: »
    I've also noticed a difference between those that have never lost a lot of weight and those that have. For example, I have never been heavy. When I want to lose weight it's 5-15 pounds, tops. When I got very active, I was able to increase my calories and still lose weight-easy.

    However , I constantly see people that have lost a ton of weight eating the same or less than me and not losing-even if they're active. They have been dieting for years in some cases. It will always be harder for someone that has lost a ton of weight. There's a lot going on in your body (hormones, genetics, fat cells) that can account for the difference. Take it slow and steady and it will come off

    Also on this why are there several threads of people who've been heavier who now have 6 packs but this doesn't seem to be the case for them. Those threads are supposed to be some big inspiration but if I do the same things but don't get the same result it's a little bit of a rip off. Why didn't being overweight ruin their metabolisms?
    They got six pack abs by eating at a deficit. Even if your metabolism is lower than you expect, it's not non-existant. You can still cut your calories and lose. Some of them went through cut and bulk cycles, which I would guess would help elevate the metabolism, but I think usmcmp cut until she was pretty lean without a bulk cycle. You could always just ask her. I know she had a success story somewhere if you can find it.

    Found it; she said she did TDEE-20%:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/971636/my-story-of-sweet-revenge-pics/p1

    Yeah, I get the TDEE-20% thing. That's what I'm saying. Why isn't her TDEE in the gutter like mine supposedly is if she dieted down? Wouldn't her metabolism have slowed down?


    Did you lose weight too quickly? My metabolism got faster as I dieted down and lifted heavy.

    It doesn't seem like it. It was over a period of several years. Basically, I went from 365 to 300 making little changes but not really seriously trying. When you're that heavy giving up regular soda for diet and cutting back on cookies makes you lose weight. That sort of thing. When I finally got serious I got to about where I am now over the course of 7 months, 300 to 225ish. Then it just stopped. So I just decided to try maintaining and living for a while. A few pounds crawled back on and last May I found myself at about 250. So it was back to counting calories. It worked fine until, you guessed it, 225 and nothing. I think at first I may have even been eating 2300 and dropped it to 2200. I was advised to take a break so I did. Reverse dieted up to 2700 and a couple weeks ago I dropped back to 2200. Some water came off and now after one weekend the water came back. I actually weigh MORE than when I started. Basically I lost nothing over the past couple week.

    If you're gaining and losing a bunch of water, it's going to mask fat loss. Are you keeping track of your weight with an app that uses rolling averages? If you use one of those and weigh in every day, you'll be able to track the trend. The trend is what is important, and what you should use to make any diet/exercise adjustments, not an individual day's weigh-in. Picking out a point here and a point there is not going to give you a reliable picture if you are prone to the large fluctuations you've described.

    Oh, and yeah, on long run days I could eat more than 2000 cals. Haven't done a long run for a while though - I've been sick and have to work back to my former distances.

    FWIW, I lost weight slowly on 1800 cals when I was lifting and trying to bulk - by the end of my bulk I was up to 2100 cals to gain < 1lb per month. At the time, I was 5' 3", 120-ish lbs, 39 yrs., female. I was not doing cardio, really, but I did take the dog for hour long walks. I had a desk job.

    I can see some of the ladies on here who have a lot more muscle mass than I did, are younger than I was, and have a more active job than I did losing on 2000 cals.
  • fredgiblet
    fredgiblet Posts: 241 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    What kind of exercises are you food braggers doing to eat such massive amounts of calories? And the ones eating like horses and losing weight baffle me too. I took a break from dieting because I flat out stopped losing weight eating 2200 calories. So I eat 2700 for a few weeks. Of course I gained weight. Great. Let's waste more time losing. So two weeks ago I go back to 2200. Great 5lbs of water in a couple weeks. Let's follow the "it's just one day, enjoy your life" BS people preach. Goto a birthday party. Have some nachos and beer for the Superbowl. Great. I weigh more this morning then when I cut my calories two weeks ago. Really? Seriously? I'm 5'11" 233lbs and I lift 5-6 days a week. But the chick who's 5'2 105, she eats 100000000 calories and loses 2lbs a week? Really? I think some people flat out lie about their calorie counts.

    I work in a warehouse. Of course I previously worked at a call center where I sat on my *kitten* all day and lost weight at 2100 calories.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
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    On 2000, I lose and rather quickly too.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    I eat 3600 in the warmer months to maintain. Around 2600 in the winter months.

    DAMN. Maybe that's why I'm losing slower now, although I'm mobving more than I did in the summer when I veg out watching TV shows lol.
    BFDeal wrote: »
    breefoshee wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    ana3067 wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    What kind of exercises are you food braggers doing to eat such massive amounts of calories? And the ones eating like horses and losing weight baffle me too. I took a break from dieting because I flat out stopped losing weight eating 2200 calories. So I eat 2700 for a few weeks. Of course I gained weight. Great. Let's waste more time losing. So two weeks ago I go back to 2200. Great 5lbs of water in a couple weeks. Let's follow the "it's just one day, enjoy your life" BS people preach. Goto a birthday party. Have some nachos and beer for the Superbowl. Great. I weigh more this morning then when I cut my calories two weeks ago. Really? Seriously? I'm 5'11" 233lbs and I lift 5-6 days a week. But the chick who's 5'2 105, she eats 100000000 calories and loses 2lbs a week? Really? I think some people flat out lie about their calorie counts.

    Well only because you asked so nicely :D I am marathon training right now so my miles have increased. My typical non training mode is from 600-800 per day calorie burn most days of the week. On long run days I can burn upwards of 2000 calories so obviously I need to eat more, other days are a bit less. I vary between running, the Arc trainer at the gym, my spin bike here at home and my treadmill also here at home. I lift weights and do HIIT for strength/cardio. I have a desk job but I work from home so I try to remind myself to get up and move every hour or so. When I had lost about half the weight I actually increased my calorie intake and lost more but that wasn't just about quantity, but also about quality. I'm 5'2 and weigh 128 pounds but most people guess I am around 110 due to my muscle mass. I think in part that helps quite a bit as far as burning calories is concerned. I really do hope the posts here help!
    Yeah, I understand when it's an explanation like this. I'm talking about the "I lift a few times a week and never do cardio but I eat 2,500 calories a day to lose weight" gals. OK, so I literally weigh 100lbs more than these chicks but I don't lose an ounce eating 2200? It flat out makes no sense. Like I said, people are lying about their intake or their activity levels to make this look easier than it is.

    Not to poke the bear, but maybe you're underestimating your intake?

    I have a food scale at work and two at home (one for meats, one for other stuff). I used to weigh 365lbs and have been dieting a long time off and on but I have never managed to get under 225ish. I'm really familiar with the concept of weighing and measuring. The only fudges I'll have are those "it's just one day" things people swear you can have. I'll go to dinner at a sushi place on Saturday night *gasp*. Really? ONE meal a week of rice and friggin' fish is what's stopping me? And yes, it's only been two weeks this time since I've dropped my calories but I was dieting for like 5 straight months before it just stopped working again.

    Yes, you can have those days. I had like 3-4 of them in December. And a couple in January. I just lost very slowly because of it.

    Your caloric needs change as you lose weight. You can also stop seeing results on the scale for weeks at a time.

    You are being impatient. And your diary does not lend one to believe you weigh your food.
    Besides yesterday and Saturday how does it not "lend one to believe?"
    Example from my diary, notice the, dur, weights. I even round up on most things. See alot of 1.1 or 2.1? That's me rounding up!!!!!!:
    publix ground sirlion - hamburger meat, 8 oz
    Southern Home - Hamburger Buns, 2 bun
    Specialty Selected - Aldi - Alehouse Cheddar, 1.6 ounce
    Avocado, Haas - Usda (Grams), 59 g
    Usda - Onions, 20 g(s)
    Vegetable - Tomato (Usda), 130 Grams

    1 bun = not weighed.
    Generic - Cap'n Crunch Chocolately Crunch, 1.5750000000000002 cup
    Tostitos - Multigrain Scoops! Tortilla Chips, 0.25 container (10 oz (28g/about 12 chips ea.)
    Kraft Natural Cheese - Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar, 0.5 container (2 cups ea.)
    Skinny Cow - Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream Sandwich, 1 sandwich
    Great Value (Walmart) Large Curd Cottage Cheese - Cottage Cheese, 1.05 cup
    Newman's Own - Peach Salsa, Medium, 4.2 tbsp (32g)
    Great Value (Walmart) Large Curd Cottage Cheese - Cottage Cheese, 1.05 cup
    Great Value - Medium Picante Salsa, 4.2 tbsp
    Great Value (Walmart) Large Curd Cottage Cheese - Cottage Cheese, 0.925 cup
    Nabisco - Double Stuffed Oreos, 1 cookies
    Carr's Kitchen - Quaker Oats - Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter, 1 1/2 Cup
    Great Value - Medium Picante Salsa, 4.2 tbsp

    etc etc. These do not look weighed. Just use a weighted entry or create your own if it doesn't exist.

    Do NOT round up. Put in the ACTUAL WEIGHT of what you ate.

    You also were eating above your 2200 goal. even just eating 50 calories more every day = 350 calories more that week = even less of a deficit. And you eat out regularly, meaning sodium and inaccurate calories = less scale weight loss.
    1. OK, so I'm not going to worry about the 5 calorie difference up or down with buns. I used to weigh those but it's just flat out not worth it.
    2. Yeah, like I said. Past two days I had a birthday and the Superbowl. I chalked it up to I count sooooooo much why not just let it go. It was an estimate.
    3. Same for the cheese. Estimate.
    4. Again, a couple of difference in grams of the skinny cow sandwich aren't going to break the bank. This is why I estimate high on other stuff to make up for the few generic package items I do eat that I don't weigh.
    5. For all the cottage cheeses and cereals I'm not sure what you see wrong here. Here's my process for both. Sit the bowl on the scale. Turn it on. Scale reads zero. Spoon in the cottage cheese (or pour for the cereal) attempting to get as close to whatever two times the serving size in grams is. Sometimes it's even. If not then I use math. Let's say I have 230 grams of cottage cheese. The serving size is 113g. 230/113 is 2.0354ish (I can carry this out to 90 digits if we realllllly need to be exact). Sooooo I round up. 2.1 servings it is. Which is like 1.05 cups I guess according to MFP, which just expresses it in cups. Same for the salsa. Tare the scale, drop the food, do the math. Round up. The lower cottage cheese number, the .925 is resulted from, you guessed it, a portion of less than 2 servings. This happens at the end of every tub of cottage cheese for me (I eat this twice a day so I've noticed a pattern).
    6. Again, not weighing one Orea. 1g difference is not that significant a calorie difference and should be negated by, again, rounding up other stuff.


    I don't really understanding why you're being so condescending... you're the one whining about not losing weight eating at the calorie amount you want to eat... others are just offering up some advice as to why you may not be losing weight.

    It gets harder when you lose and you have to be more strict then you were in the beginning. I lost 50lbs and spent 2 years killing myself and getting no where simply because I was eating more than I thought I was and I wasn't weighing my food accurately and I was overestimating my performance.
    So it's not condescending to imply someone doesn't know how to weigh their food when they say they do but it's condescending to explain one's method of weighing their food? Huh? She pointed out what looked wrong. I was explaining my methods. Nothing more.
    Half of your entries are in volume. So it is obvious to assume it is not being weighed. We are not mind readers.
    BFDeal wrote: »
    Thanks for all the answers about your routines. I'm seeing a trend. I'm guessing the "I don't do cardio, I hate cardio, you don't need cardio" people are probably really doing cardio :\

    I very much dislike cardio. I do very little of it - at most 10-15 minutes after lifting, then another possible 30 minute solo session once a week. So on average, ~1 hour of cardio. Yet I was still eating how I do now when I did ZERO cardio outside of my 5 minute warm up. So no, it's not necessary for people to be able to eat a higher calorie goal.
    BFDeal wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    Thanks for all the answers about your routines. I'm seeing a trend. I'm guessing the "I don't do cardio, I hate cardio, you don't need cardio" people are probably really doing cardio :\

    Or their reference point for eating "a lot" is different than yours (unless they give actual numbers).
    I think we all see these people on the threads. I exaggerate but you see it all the time. 5'5" girls who lift 3x a week, "hate cardio," and eat 2500 calories to lose. OK. So I do the same thing and no results AND I weigh 100lbs more? Most do give numbers. It's a badge of honor. Say how much you eat and how little cardio you do.
    And when lifting 3x a week, she may be lifting for 2 hours each time. OR she may have a VERY ACTIVE job. Plus with extra muscle mass she may be able to eat more.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Pretty sure cardio will NOT lead to muscle lose if done in conjunction with lifting (and adequate protein intake) even for lean individuals.

    Reverse dieting (where you slowly increase you intake) is generally a good idea but it doesn't allow one to eat 800 calories over maintenance and maintain. If that happens then you maintenance is actually increasing, which is awesome but I still find 800 calories hard to believe. I'd like to read some good articles on the subject if anyone has them.

    And no. You don't have to eat "clean", whatever that means.

    It would mean that the maintenance level really IS that high, or that it's so little above maintenance that it doesn't cause any obvious weight gain.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    ana3067 wrote: »
    I'm in the 2700 club, too. Some days, I eat as much as 3500.

    I'm 31, 5' 7", 258 right now, 23% body fat, and fairly active (jog ~3/day, martial arts, walking a lot [average 14,000 steps/day, including my jog at 6k steps], biking, lifting).

    Personally, I lose more consistently at a higher calorie intake. My performance suffers too much at the ~2000 range, and I'm tired or cranky all the time.
    Are you.. sure you're 23% BF? because that would mean about 200lbs lean mass. Unless you've been training for the last 10 years and bulking most of that time I just can't imagine someone that weight being 23% BF!

    I'm as sure as I can be without shelling out for DEXA or BodPod (though I am going to a BodPod in a couple months); so that number might be a little low. I average the amount from 3 different calculators with measurements, caliper measurements, and one of the handheld things.

    I've been training for about 8 years. I started at 345, got down to 277 (42%), started training heavier and more intense, got down to 250 (28%) four years ago. Since then, I've been eating more, ended up gaining a bunch of weight, and ended up at 303, which brought me here. My roughest estimates put me at about 33% at that time, but I didn't check too closely; I just went "AH CRUD I'M OVER 300" and began to focus on losing weight only. That was really when I began running and biking a lot.

    I'm really fortunate that I also learned about a hormone deficiency in that time and started getting treatment for it; that made a difference for me.
    Are you a male or a woman? Just because the BF% numbers are SUPER different for each gender, which is why I brought it up! But congrats on leaning down! I'm ~25% myself, goal is to get around 18%. I would do more cardio to increase my TDEE, but a) I don't really like cardio enough to bother doing that rihgt now, and b) I am in school so I have to put that ahead of fitness and weight loss.

  • chouflour
    chouflour Posts: 193 Member
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    BFDeal wrote: »
    BFDeal wrote: »
    What kind of exercises are you food braggers doing to eat such massive amounts of calories? And the ones eating like horses and losing weight baffle me too. I took a break from dieting because I flat out stopped losing weight eating 2200 calories. So I eat 2700 for a few weeks. Of course I gained weight. Great. Let's waste more time losing. So two weeks ago I go back to 2200. Great 5lbs of water in a couple weeks. Let's follow the "it's just one day, enjoy your life" BS people preach. Goto a birthday party. Have some nachos and beer for the Superbowl. Great. I weigh more this morning then when I cut my calories two weeks ago. Really? Seriously? I'm 5'11" 233lbs and I lift 5-6 days a week. But the chick who's 5'2 105, she eats 100000000 calories and loses 2lbs a week? Really? I think some people flat out lie about their calorie counts.

    Well only because you asked so nicely :D I am marathon training right now so my miles have increased. My typical non training mode is from 600-800 per day calorie burn most days of the week. On long run days I can burn upwards of 2000 calories so obviously I need to eat more, other days are a bit less. I vary between running, the Arc trainer at the gym, my spin bike here at home and my treadmill also here at home. I lift weights and do HIIT for strength/cardio. I have a desk job but I work from home so I try to remind myself to get up and move every hour or so. When I had lost about half the weight I actually increased my calorie intake and lost more but that wasn't just about quantity, but also about quality. I'm 5'2 and weigh 128 pounds but most people guess I am around 110 due to my muscle mass. I think in part that helps quite a bit as far as burning calories is concerned. I really do hope the posts here help!
    Yeah, I understand when it's an explanation like this. I'm talking about the "I lift a few times a week and never do cardio but I eat 2,500 calories a day to lose weight" gals. OK, so I literally weigh 100lbs more than these chicks but I don't lose an ounce eating 2200? It flat out makes no sense. Like I said, people are lying about their intake or their activity levels to make this look easier than it is.

    Sloppy accounting works both ways. I see a lot of people talking about rounding up "I put a tablespoon of half and half in my coffee, and I call that 100 calories" "I add 200 calories a day to make up for all the tastes and condiments I eat" "I log everything I put on my plate, even if I don't eat it."

    I suspect, as with most cases of privilege - the diet privileged don't ever think about the things that make weight loss work for them. The habits, expectations and advantages are so ingrained in their lives that it doesn't stand out.

    For example, I don't exercise. But, I average 9K steps on weekdays. On weekends I might bump that up to 13-20K steps, or I might add in 1-3 hours of bicycling for errands or fun. I take a swim class. I go to physical therapy and spend an hour doing whatever I'm told. It burns calories, but it also fades into the background of my life.