Hey! Need some advice please!
MrsTesterman1618
Posts: 16
So I've tried this calorie counting thing so many times and I always seem to fall on my face. I'm overweight but not because I over eat. It's because most days I eat nothing at all. Then when I do I'm a carb junkie or so my doctor tells me. I have cut out all carbs, starches, and gluten and I'm mostly focused on lean protein and some fruits (like apple's) and salads (don't go to applebees for low calorie anything I learned) So she put me on a 1200 calorie diet. Which is all well and good but everyday I am still falling short. I can control my "garbage disposal" days but eating things like veggies or chewing gum but no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to take in 1200 everyday and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get any weight off. Any tips?
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MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »So I've tried this calorie counting thing so many times and I always seem to fall on my face. I'm overweight but not because I over eat. It's because most days I eat nothing at all. Then when I do I'm a carb junkie or so my doctor tells me. I have cut out all carbs, starches, and gluten and I'm mostly focused on lean protein and some fruits (like apple's) and salads (don't go to applebees for low calorie anything I learned) So she put me on a 1200 calorie diet. Which is all well and good but everyday I am still falling short. No matter how hard I try I'm just can't seem to take in that many and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get any weight off. Any tips?
It doesn't work this way. Eating too many calories overall makes you overweight. You don't need to cut out anything and you don't want to over restrict yourself. If you are having a hard time getting to the 1200, try nuts, peat butter, avocados (nutrient dense foods)0 -
What she said is because of the way I eat my body has gone into "starvation mode" and so it all turns to fat. Are almonds and pistachios okay? I'm trying to eat things that will fuel my body and boost my metabolism.0
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And then when I exercise do I need to take in more calories to supplement the ones I burned?0
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Hmmm? SO how did you accumulate all the excess weight. Clearly before you ate about maintenance or there is a medical issue.0
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No such thing as starvation mode, it's a myth. Almonds and pistachios are okay but It's about calories in vs. calories out. Eat too many and you'll put on weight.0
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Remember doctors have very little training in nutrition. Mine argued with me that I was incorrect about my BMR and left the room to disprove me. Then he slunk back in to tell me I was right. It's CICO-science is not wrong. You can not "boost" your metabolism. You eat at a deficit and you will lose, its that simple. Nuts are absolutely okay, but remember those calories add up quickly. Weigh everything!0
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I'm not entirely sure and she didn't really answer that question. I had something happen a few years ago and I know that i kind of fell into a depression. And I went from 140 to 195 over just a period of a few months but I'm not even really sure how it happened. I didn't eat differently or anything. I was a lot less active I know she ran some labs to check my thyroid which came back fine.0
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »Remember doctors have very little training in nutrition. Mine argued with me that I was incorrect about my BMR and left the room to disprove me. Then he slunk back in to tell me I was right. It's CICO-science is not wrong. You can not "boost" your metabolism. You eat at a deficit and you will lose, its that simple. Nuts are absolutely okay, but remember those calories add up quickly. Weigh everything!
^This.0 -
The problem is that when you balance it all out, you overeat. Sure, you may have some days that you eat nothing at all. But you more than make up for it when you binge. The problem is you are in a starvation/binge cycle. Stop doing that. Eat a regular, healthy amount every day. If you exercise, make sure that exercise does not steal away so many calories you go back into starvation mode again, so eat those exercise calories back while maintaining your overall healthy calorie intake.
Don't believe for a second that just because you are converting carbs to fat is the reason you are fat. You are fat (and so was I) because when you ate you ate so much that the fat you created made you heavier. That is called overeating, but overeating on a starvation/binge cycle.
These tend to stem from psychological issues. Work on identifying the stressors that trigger these. Work on the mind. Maybe meditating or even medicating. Both worked wonders for me.
Hope this does not sound condescending, because I am simply trying to be honest and forward with advice that can help. I've been there myself.0 -
So if there isn't any such thing as starvation mode then it's really okay that I don't take on 1200 calories right? And that would mean that it was just the fact that when I ate I wasn't making calorie smart decisions?0
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MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »So if there isn't any such thing as starvation mode then it's really okay that I don't take on 1200 calories right? And that would mean that it was just the fact that when I ate I wasn't making calorie smart decisions?
You should be able to lose eating at 1200 calories.0 -
MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »So if there isn't any such thing as starvation mode then it's really okay that I don't take on 1200 calories right? And that would mean that it was just the fact that when I ate I wasn't making calorie smart decisions?
Starvation mode is a myth.
That said, you shouldn't use this as an excuse to cut below 1000-1200 calories. Your body needs food to operate, just like a car needs gasoline. Food is fuel. If you eat below this range, you won't be getting the nutrients you need.
You may think you don't eat, or that you eat sporadically, but if you are gaining weight you are overeating at some point. My guess is that you are going periods without eating and then, to make up for it, bingeing in excess somewhere down the line.
Eat at a reasonable deficit. Be consistent. That's all you really need to do.0 -
grimmeanor wrote: »The problem is that when you balance it all out, you overeat. Sure, you may have some days that you eat nothing at all. But you more than make up for it when you binge. The problem is you are in a starvation/binge cycle. Stop doing that. Eat a regular, healthy amount every day. If you exercise, make sure that exercise does not steal away so many calories you go back into starvation mode again, so eat those exercise calories back while maintaining your overall healthy calorie intake.
Don't believe for a second that just because you are converting carbs to fat is the reason you are fat. You are fat (and so was I) because when you ate you ate so much that the fat you created made you heavier. That is called overeating, but overeating on a starvation/binge cycle.
These tend to stem from psychological issues. Work on identifying the stressors that trigger these. Work on the mind. Maybe meditating or even medicating. Both worked wonders for me.
Hope this does not sound condescending, because I am simply trying to be honest and forward with advice that can help. I've been there myself.
It doesn't sound condescending. I posted here so I could get helpful advice. Even if it is blunt and to the point and maybe not something I necessarily want to hear yet I NEED to know. I want to get the weight off and keep it off and that wont happen unless i know, right? I appreciate it
thank you!
So then I need to take in more calories then just 1200? I'm active in one way or another almost everyday.0 -
Good for you for being open to new ideas.
This would be a GREAT thread for you. Take a read. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest0 -
Fruit are carbs, and some fruit are very high in carbs btw.
I would totally recommend checking out IIFYM. This has changed my life! Weight loss is super slow, however, my body is recomping and I have never been so proud of how my body is becoming to look! Feel free to ask me any questions, I can try to help!0 -
Good for you for being open to new ideas.
This would be a GREAT thread for you. Take a read. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants#latest
Agree with this.
Start with a clean slate. Forget everything (vis a vis nutrition) that your doctor, your friends, facebook, Dr. Oz, etc. has told you. Come in with an open mind, and read the above linked post. It will walk you step by step on how to get started.0 -
Awesome! Thank you all for your feedback. I appreciate it so much!0
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MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »So I've tried this calorie counting thing so many times and I always seem to fall on my face. I'm overweight but not because I over eat. It's because most days I eat nothing at all. Then when I do I'm a carb junkie or so my doctor tells me. I have cut out all carbs, starches, and gluten and I'm mostly focused on lean protein and some fruits (like apple's) and salads (don't go to applebees for low calorie anything I learned) So she put me on a 1200 calorie diet. Which is all well and good but everyday I am still falling short. I can control my "garbage disposal" days but eating things like veggies or chewing gum but no matter how hard I try I just can't seem to take in 1200 everyday and I'm terrified that I'm not going to get any weight off. Any tips?
Tips?
Here's your number one tip: it starts and stops with honesty.
Quit lying to yourself.
Without this, you will fail. You will continue to fail.
Honesty.
You are overeating.
If you can't be honest and admit that, then you are done here.
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I eat a 1200 calorie diet and I eat extra on the days I exercise. I have had days where I struggle to eat 1200 calories. These are days where I do not plan my meals and end up at dinner with 700 calories to eat before bedtime. If I plan my meals and prep everything ahead of time I usually do really good.
Make sure you are getting enough protein and enough fat. Diets that are too low in fat will not help you lose weight. Try adding things like greek yogurt, hard boiled eggs, string cheese and nuts to your diet. Toss a few TBSP's of chopped nuts cheese to a salad or greek yogurt. Dip your apples in natural peanut butter. Have a square of really good dark chocolate for dessert.
Good luck!0 -
Just one comment, plan your means, block cook on the weekend so you know what you take for lunch and dimmer, batch cook soups from scratch and grilled chicken that can be warmed up. Assuming you'll cook everyday and calorie count will not work. And exercise, no one should loose weight on dieting alone, it's not healthy0
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To easily add more calories on the days you feel you can't possibly eat 1200 calories cut out anything labeled "low fat" or "low calorie". They add extra sugar to make up for the fat anyway. Add oil or butter to your veggies and other foods. Use mayonnaise on your sandwiches and add a slice of cheese. Use creamy salad dressings and add cheese or nuts to your salads. Eat your apples with peanut butter and your raw veggies with hummus.
ETA: Sorry, started this, got interrupted, finally sent it and I'm now waayyy behind the conversation.
Eating under 1200 on a regular basis is not a good idea because while starvation mode is basically a myth (at least as people here talk about it) you can slow down your metabolism if you chronically under-eat. What that entails is you getting tired more easily, feeling sluggish and generally unwell.0 -
OP, I think you may have misunderstood what your doctor actually said. I think he or she was saying that you have a cycle of binging on carbs after severe caloric restriction. You should watch Secret Eaters, there are quite a few people that claim the same thing, i.e they aren't eating enough so they are gaining weight, but when they are closely observed that are actually WAY understating their intake.
Log everything and eat in a reasonable deficit and see what happens.0 -
Tips?
Here's your number one tip: it starts and stops with honesty.
Quit lying to yourself.
Without this, you will fail. You will continue to fail.
Honesty.
You are overeating.
If you can't be honest and admit that, then you are done here.
[/quote]
I guess what I should have said was not that because I overeat on a daily basis instead of saying "not that I overeat "
I'm sorry if this post sounded to you or to others like I'm excusing myself of blame for my weight. That absolutely was not my intention. I do have an issue with not eating hardly anything for days the turning around and pigging out usually on crud food. I guess it just didn't start seriously affecting my weight until a few years ago. When I had gone to the doctor and described my normal eating habits she seemed more concerned with the no eating days then the "garbage disposal eat whatever is quick easy and tasty" days. She had said word for word "When you don't eat hardly anything for days your body goes into starvation mode, so when you have the days where you eat and pig out everything starts storing as fat because your body thinks you are starving" She didn't go over to much of a diet plan with me she just told me 1200 calories a day no more pop raw fruits are good like apple's and oranges and veggies are a free bee white meat is okay and 2 portions of red meat a week. She stressed that I had to consume at least 1200 calories a day or my body would go into starvation mode and I wouldn't lose the weight. Which seemed simple enough.
I'm managing my overeating days well. I've found that chewing gum helps if im still hungry after a better meal choice, because it keeps my mouth busy. It's the not really wanting to eat or having time to eat days I'm struggling with. I'm not falling hundreds of calories below but still enough below that it worries me.
I know that my weight is my fault because of my eating habits. I know that i had to make a change and I've started those changes I just want to make sure I do it right and something that will last again I'm sorry if it sounded like I was excusing myself 0 -
MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »Tips?
Here's your number one tip: it starts and stops with honesty.
Quit lying to yourself.
Without this, you will fail. You will continue to fail.
Honesty.
You are overeating.
If you can't be honest and admit that, then you are done here.
I guess what I should have said was not that because I overeat on a daily basis instead of saying "not that I overeat "
I'm sorry if this post sounded to you or to others like I'm excusing myself of blame for my weight. That absolutely was not my intention. I do have an issue with not eating hardly anything for days the turning around and pigging out usually on crud food. I guess it just didn't start seriously affecting my weight until a few years ago. When I had gone to the doctor and described my normal eating habits she seemed more concerned with the no eating days then the "garbage disposal eat whatever is quick easy and tasty" days. She had said word for word "When you don't eat hardly anything for days your body goes into starvation mode, so when you have the days where you eat and pig out everything starts storing as fat because your body thinks you are starving" She didn't go over to much of a diet plan with me she just told me 1200 calories a day no more pop raw fruits are good like apple's and oranges and veggies are a free bee white meat is okay and 2 portions of red meat a week. She stressed that I had to consume at least 1200 calories a day or my body would go into starvation mode and I wouldn't lose the weight. Which seemed simple enough.
I'm managing my overeating days well. I've found that chewing gum helps if im still hungry after a better meal choice, because it keeps my mouth busy. It's the not really wanting to eat or having time to eat days I'm struggling with. I'm not falling hundreds of calories below but still enough below that it worries me.
I know that my weight is my fault because of my eating habits. I know that i had to make a change and I've started those changes I just want to make sure I do it right and something that will last again I'm sorry if it sounded like I was excusing myself[/quote]
sexypants links has all the info you need then. Also stop having your doctor who is not a specialist in nutrition telling you how to eat.
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lots of good advice here. I'll second, third and forth the notion that starvation mode is a myth. I told myself the same thing but it turned out I was eating more than I thought I was and definitely needed to cut back on the calories.
And not all doctors know much about nutrition. They really do not. They are brilliant people but most of what they know is how to diagnose and prescribe.
Eating consistently and nutritiously will help you feel fuller, longer and may provide better nutrients and make you feel better but if weight loss is your goal, you really just have to monitor your calories closely and go on a modest deficit.0 -
riffraff2112 wrote: »lots of good advice here. I'll second, third and forth the notion that starvation mode is a myth. I told myself the same thing but it turned out I was eating more than I thought I was and definitely needed to cut back on the calories.
And not all doctors know much about nutrition. They really do not. They are brilliant people but most of what they know is how to diagnose and prescribe.
Eating consistently and nutritiously will help you feel fuller, longer and may provide better nutrients and make you feel better but if weight loss is your goal, you really just have to monitor your calories closely and go on a modest deficit.
When I actually started taking the time to look at the calories of what I was eating in depth. I realized that it didn't even matter that I had only had 2 large meals and a few snacks on my binge days because the calories I consumed in that one day alone were so through the roof. So the "starvation mode" thing made sense because yes I hadn't eaten for 3 or 4 days but here I am taking in a whole week worth of calories in 1 day and if it's just storing then of course my weight would be remain the same. And now looking at it with the idea of "starvation mode" being a myth it's still stands the same. So I've done really well making better decisions but even still I was reminded the other night that I have to be careful. My family wanted to go out and eat the other night at a Mexican place and I had convinced them to pick somewhere I could at least get a salad. So they picked applebees and I had ordered the grilled chicken ceasar salad thinking that it was a much better decision. Well I went to put in the calories and their grilled chicken salad has 800. I couldn't believe it and I thought to myself how many times have I done that? Just wow. So I've been monitoring better instead of just assuming that it was better for me I feel like I'm investigating everything I eat on binge days now.
I've gotten some good advice here so I can consume more calories on the other days which I'm greatful for. I had thought about going to see maybe a dietitian to possibly make a meal plan so that it's mapped out in black and white for me.
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Yeah, with all of the stuff they add to their salads the calories can be pretty over the top. All of the restaurants like Applebee's are like that, though. I have a tendency to find something on their "XX calorie menu" and try to cut down the calories even further. A 6 ounce sirloin with double steamed veggies is a pretty good option at most restaurants of that class.MrsTesterman1618 wrote: »So they picked applebees and I had ordered the grilled chicken ceasar salad thinking that it was a much better decision. Well I went to put in the calories and their grilled chicken salad has 800. I couldn't believe it and I thought to myself how many times have I done that? Just wow.
I've gotten some good advice here so I can consume more calories on the other days which I'm greatful for. I had thought about going to see maybe a dietitian to possibly make a meal plan so that it's mapped out in black and white for me.
Seeing a dietician is not a bad idea, really. You could probably look around on the internet and find something that fits your needs without needing to pay a dietician to help you out, though. If you have friends here on MFP you could also look at their diaries and see what they're eating that would fit your needs and tastes.
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Weight loss is very simple, especially when you're starting out. Calories in vs calories out. You're over eating in some way or another because if you are taking in less than 1200 a day you would be losing. Make sure you track everything, including beverages. It's very easy to eat 1200 a day even with healthy, lower calorie food. I suggest finding healthy foods you love and sticking to those. When you get bored, find some new ones. The average 150 lb woman used around 1600-1700 Cals per day just to exist, that doesn't count activity. So as you are bigger, use 1800 Cals per day as a base rate and minus 250 Cals per day. So start out by eating 1550 per day. When you notice the weight loss slowing down, minus another 100 per day and continue. Never eat below 1200! Your body needs fuel to work properly. Last, add in weight training 2 or 3 times per week. Muscle uses more calories throughout the day which will up your metabolic rate. Hopefully this helps! Everything I've suggested I've actually done myself and I've lost 40 lbs over the last 2 years. It's slow but it's stayed off and it's a lifestyle I can stick to. Good luck :-)0
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I just decided that I'll kind of shop around for restaurants that would have a friendlier menu for me and decide what it is I'll order before I get there next time. That way I don't have another oops moment lol.
If I found something like that on the Internet do you think they'd kind of have a shopping plan to go with it?
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You mean for a menu plan? Loads of menu plans will have shopping lists Alternately, it's not hard to make the list, and it keeps you cognizant of what you're eating. If you make a plan for the week once, then you just have to make a few more and you can draw from what you already know 0
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