Can't lose weight
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buddangie
Posts: 14 Member
I am a 60 and disabled so can't do exercise I have cut my calories to 1,000 a day getting married in September can you please help me I am desperate shall I cut down more is it safe
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Replies
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Do you weigh all your food on a food scale
What are your stats?
1000 calories is not very much.0 -
1000 a day is not recommended! That's pretty low unless you are under the care of a doc. Can you give more info? Stats? Open diary?0
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If you're truly eating 1000 calories, no, it isn't safe to drop lower. In addition to Owlhouse's questions, how long have you been at this?0
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If you aren't losing weight then you aren't eating as many calories as your body is burning. It is almost always that simple. I agree that 1000 calories isn't very much. Unless you are very, very small, or your metabolism is abnormally slow (very rare), then the likely cause is that you are eating more calories than you think you are. Since you can't exercise, reducing your calories is the only answer but how you go about it is up to you. Either of these methods is going to give you results.
- You could try to be more accurate with your calorie counting to verify that you are really eating 1000 calories. If you find out you aren't, actually eat the amount of calories MFP is telling you to eat.
- You could simply eat less until you find the point where you start losing weight and accuracy be damned.
If you decide to go with option #1, get a food scale and use it. Weigh almost everything you eat, including pre-portioned foods (because portion sizes aren't always what the package states is a serving size!) and semi-solids like peanut butter and salad dressing, and measure liquids which can't be weighed. Log everything you eat and drink. I think you'll find that you were eating more calories than you thought you were.
If you decide on option #2 (which is less demanding on your part but will require a lot more patience, is much more prone to error) be sure to cut down little by little until you start losing weight.
In either event, if you aren't losing at 1000 calories, then you shouldn't be trying for a very fast weight loss, around .5 pound per week, maximum. Trying to lose it faster will only ensure that you're losing more lean muscle mass which will just make things more difficult for you in the long run. In fact, I'd highly suggest some sort of strength program which takes advantage of the things you can do. Every little bit of muscle you can retain is to your benefit.0 -
Hello Buddangie,
I am 61 and also live in arizona and I have lost 12 pounds on the FOOD LOVERS FAT LOSS PLAN. I highly recommend this plan because 1) it is healthy 2) based on scientific principles and 3) you can still have foods you love if eaten in the proper way.
The way the body works if it does not get enough food (calories) then it will start storing food as fat. This is in our DNA from early days when there wasn't enough food. 1000 is not enough so your body is storing everything as fat - it is a survival mechanism. This is a well-established principle in weight loss and any reputable sound diet plan will teach you this. In fact it is the exact opposite of what was preached for decades until people discovered this basic principle: you must eat, and eat often to lose weight! BUT you must eat the right combinations of foods to do that to keep your metabolism burning on high. Think of it like stoking a fire -- you put logs on every so often to keep it going.
Eating too little calories is dangerous because you can start to lose muscle tissue -- even in your heart! At our age that is particularly important. I highly recommend the Food Lovers Fat Loss Plan as it is really not a diet but a way of life that you can practice for the rest of your life and stay the weight you want.
Another way you can accelerate your weight loss is to exercise. It's as simple as walking at your target heart rate for 20 minutes a day. That's a good choice for people our age. You can build from there. Also you need to do some muscle strengthening exercises which builds lean muscle which burns fat faster.
Good luck and congrats on your upcoming marriage. You can do it!
Blueskygal in Arizona-3 -
Hello Buddangie,
I am 61 and also live in arizona and I have lost 12 pounds on the FOOD LOVERS FAT LOSS PLAN. I highly recommend this plan because 1) it is healthy 2) based on scientific principles and 3) you can still have foods you love if eaten in the proper way.
The way the body works if it does not get enough food (calories) then it will start storing food as fat. This is in our DNA from early days when there wasn't enough food. 1000 is not enough so your body is storing everything as fat - it is a survival mechanism. This is a well-established principle in weight loss and any reputable sound diet plan will teach you this. In fact it is the exact opposite of what was preached for decades until people discovered this basic principle: you must eat, and eat often to lose weight! BUT you must eat the right combinations of foods to do that to keep your metabolism burning on high. Think of it like stoking a fire -- you put logs on every so often to keep it going.
Eating too little calories is dangerous because you can start to lose muscle tissue -- even in your heart! At our age that is particularly important. I highly recommend the Food Lovers Fat Loss Plan as it is really not a diet but a way of life that you can practice for the rest of your life and stay the weight you want.
Another way you can accelerate your weight loss is to exercise. It's as simple as walking at your target heart rate for 20 minutes a day. That's a good choice for people our age. You can build from there. Also you need to do some muscle strengthening exercises which builds lean muscle which burns fat faster.
Good luck and congrats on your upcoming marriage. You can do it!
Blueskygal in Arizona
This is wrong. Your body doesn't store fat because you aren't eating enough. It's also possible, with her disability and age, that 1000 is an appropriate goal for her.0 -
Hello Buddangie,
I am 61 and also live in arizona and I have lost 12 pounds on the FOOD LOVERS FAT LOSS PLAN. I highly recommend this plan because 1) it is healthy 2) based on scientific principles and 3) you can still have foods you love if eaten in the proper way.
The way the body works if it does not get enough food (calories) then it will start storing food as fat. This is in our DNA from early days when there wasn't enough food. 1000 is not enough so your body is storing everything as fat - it is a survival mechanism. This is a well-established principle in weight loss and any reputable sound diet plan will teach you this. In fact it is the exact opposite of what was preached for decades until people discovered this basic principle: you must eat, and eat often to lose weight! BUT you must eat the right combinations of foods to do that to keep your metabolism burning on high. Think of it like stoking a fire -- you put logs on every so often to keep it going.
Eating too little calories is dangerous because you can start to lose muscle tissue -- even in your heart! At our age that is particularly important. I highly recommend the Food Lovers Fat Loss Plan as it is really not a diet but a way of life that you can practice for the rest of your life and stay the weight you want.
Another way you can accelerate your weight loss is to exercise. It's as simple as walking at your target heart rate for 20 minutes a day. That's a good choice for people our age. You can build from there. Also you need to do some muscle strengthening exercises which builds lean muscle which burns fat faster.
Good luck and congrats on your upcoming marriage. You can do it!
Blueskygal in Arizona
No. This is not all factual. What are your sources?0 -
This last sentence contradicts item 2 in your list.Hello Buddangie,
I am 61 and also live in arizona and I have lost 12 pounds on the FOOD LOVERS FAT LOSS PLAN. I highly recommend this plan because 1) it is healthy 2) based on scientific principles and 3) you can still have foods you love if eaten in the proper way.
The way the body works if it does not get enough food (calories) then it will start storing food as fat.
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You are not eating enough. How are you disabled?0
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@caufit - Here's an interesting article on "starvation mode." http://authoritynutrition.com/starvation-mode/
The tl;dr of it is, "Starvation mode is real, but it’s not as powerful as some people think. It can make weight loss slow down over time, but it won’t cause someone to gain weight despite restricting calories."
I don't know if I agree with it 100%, but I appreciate the fact that, despite being a blog article, it backs up its arguments with actual journal articles and peer-reviewed studies. It also helps bridge the gap between the belief that "starvation mode" is a myth and some theories about "thermogenic adaptation." So - worth a read. Just keep a critical eye.
For the record, eating at a deficit is not going to eliminate heart tissue. I'm fairly sure you have to be absolutely emaciated (think African orphans) for that to actually happen.0 -
Weight loss does slow over time. That's not disputed. And under-eating for a long period of time causes muscle loss which does slow down metabolism over time (and another reason for not attempting really fast weight loss). You are quite correct that eating too little will never, ever (ever, ever, ever!) cause someone to stop losing weight entirely or even gain. That is quite simply not possible. If it were, no one would ever die of starvation, they'd just linger with their slower metabolism forever or until they died of old age.... Sounds ridiculous when you actually think it through logically, doesn't it?ManiacalLaugh wrote: »@caufit - Here's an interesting article on "starvation mode." http://authoritynutrition.com/starvation-mode/
The tl;dr of it is, "Starvation mode is real, but it’s not as powerful as some people think. It can make weight loss slow down over time, but it won’t cause someone to gain weight despite restricting calories."
I don't know if I agree with it 100%, but I appreciate the fact that, despite being a blog article, it backs up its arguments with actual journal articles and peer-reviewed studies. It also helps bridge the gap between the belief that "starvation mode" is a myth and some theories about "thermogenic adaptation." So - worth a read. Just keep a critical eye.
For the record, eating at a deficit is not going to eliminate heart tissue. I'm fairly sure you have to be absolutely emaciated (think African orphans) for that to actually happen.
I have to wonder that people actually buy into that whole theory but then they are probably so hungry that they aren't thinking straight.
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I am a 60 and disabled so can't do exercise I have cut my calories to 1,000 a day getting married in September can you please help me I am desperate shall I cut down more is it safe
Unlikely you are only eating 1000 calories if you are not losing weight. You are either eating more or are actually losing but you are not able to block out the noise from weight fluctuation.0 -
Weight loss does slow over time. That's not disputed. And under-eating for a long period of time causes muscle loss which does slow down metabolism over time (and another reason for not attempting really fast weight loss). You are quite correct that eating too little will never, ever (ever, ever, ever!) cause someone to stop losing weight entirely or even gain. That is quite simply not possible. If it were, no one would ever die of starvation, they'd just linger with their slower metabolism forever or until they died of old age.... Sounds ridiculous when you actually think it through logically, doesn't it?ManiacalLaugh wrote: »@caufit - Here's an interesting article on "starvation mode." http://authoritynutrition.com/starvation-mode/
The tl;dr of it is, "Starvation mode is real, but it’s not as powerful as some people think. It can make weight loss slow down over time, but it won’t cause someone to gain weight despite restricting calories."
I don't know if I agree with it 100%, but I appreciate the fact that, despite being a blog article, it backs up its arguments with actual journal articles and peer-reviewed studies. It also helps bridge the gap between the belief that "starvation mode" is a myth and some theories about "thermogenic adaptation." So - worth a read. Just keep a critical eye.
For the record, eating at a deficit is not going to eliminate heart tissue. I'm fairly sure you have to be absolutely emaciated (think African orphans) for that to actually happen. I have to wonder that people actually buy into that whole theory but then they are probably so hungry that they aren't thinking straight.
Oh, absolutely. And while I do find myself agreeing with certain thoughts about thermogenic adaptation, I don't actually believe starvation mode is a thing. I think it started out as an excuse some people made for why they weren't losing as much as they thought they should.
I try to remain a little diplomatic when posting about it, though - because the belief is so pervasive. Even my mother still uses the term with me even though I've explained why it's not logical and defies physics.
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ManiacalLaugh wrote: »
Weight loss does slow over time. That's not disputed. And under-eating for a long period of time causes muscle loss which does slow down metabolism over time (and another reason for not attempting really fast weight loss). You are quite correct that eating too little will never, ever (ever, ever, ever!) cause someone to stop losing weight entirely or even gain. That is quite simply not possible. If it were, no one would ever die of starvation, they'd just linger with their slower metabolism forever or until they died of old age.... Sounds ridiculous when you actually think it through logically, doesn't it?ManiacalLaugh wrote: »@caufit - Here's an interesting article on "starvation mode." http://authoritynutrition.com/starvation-mode/
The tl;dr of it is, "Starvation mode is real, but it’s not as powerful as some people think. It can make weight loss slow down over time, but it won’t cause someone to gain weight despite restricting calories."
I don't know if I agree with it 100%, but I appreciate the fact that, despite being a blog article, it backs up its arguments with actual journal articles and peer-reviewed studies. It also helps bridge the gap between the belief that "starvation mode" is a myth and some theories about "thermogenic adaptation." So - worth a read. Just keep a critical eye.
For the record, eating at a deficit is not going to eliminate heart tissue. I'm fairly sure you have to be absolutely emaciated (think African orphans) for that to actually happen. I have to wonder that people actually buy into that whole theory but then they are probably so hungry that they aren't thinking straight.
Oh, absolutely. And while I do find myself agreeing with certain thoughts about thermogenic adaptation, I don't actually believe starvation mode is a thing. I think it started out as an excuse some people made for why they weren't losing as much as they thought they should.
I try to remain a little diplomatic when posting about it, though - because the belief is so pervasive. Even my mother still uses the term with me even though I've explained why it's not logical and defies physics.
Not to derail the thread but starvation mode is actually a "thing", it's just not the thing people here are saying it is. Starvation mode is another term for ketosis and its what happens when our bodies switch from burning glycogen for energy to burning fat. When we aren't eating enough carbs over time, our bodies can't create enough glycogen to fuel themselves. So, quite normally and naturally, we switch over to burning fat for energy instead. I'm sure I've oversimplified it but that's it in a nutshell. It's actually the whole basis of diet plans like Atkins.0 -
How are you calculating your intake?0
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Talk to your doctor - That's all I would suggest at this point. You need medical advice.0
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Not to derail the thread but starvation mode is actually a "thing", it's just not the thing people here are saying it is. Starvation mode is another term for ketosis and its what happens when our bodies switch from burning glycogen for energy to burning fat. When we aren't eating enough carbs over time, our bodies can't create enough glycogen to fuel themselves. So, quite normally and naturally, we switch over to burning fat for energy instead. I'm sure I've oversimplified it but that's it in a nutshell. It's actually the whole basis of diet plans like Atkins.
Oh boy. Myths repeated and twisted. "starvation mode refers to the slowing of metabolism that occurs with starvation or semi starvation and was eloquently detailed in the classic Minnesota Starvation Experiment by lead investigator Ancel Keyes.
Keys, A., Brožek, J., Henschel, A., Mickelsen, O., & Taylor, H. L., The Biology of Human Starvation (2 volumes), University of Minnesota Press, 1950.
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Not to derail the thread but starvation mode is actually a "thing", it's just not the thing people here are saying it is. Starvation mode is another term for ketosis and its what happens when our bodies switch from burning glycogen for energy to burning fat. When we aren't eating enough carbs over time, our bodies can't create enough glycogen to fuel themselves. So, quite normally and naturally, we switch over to burning fat for energy instead. I'm sure I've oversimplified it but that's it in a nutshell. It's actually the whole basis of diet plans like Atkins.
Oh boy. Myths repeated and twisted. "starvation mode refers to the slowing of metabolism that occurs with starvation or semi starvation and was eloquently detailed in the classic Minnesota Starvation Experiment by lead investigator Ancel Keyes.
Keys, A., Brožek, J., Henschel, A., Mickelsen, O., & Taylor, H. L., The Biology of Human Starvation (2 volumes), University of Minnesota Press, 1950.
Took the words right out of my mouth.0 -
You do not have to exercise to lose weight. Here is the beautiful secret. Eat at the correct calorie deficit and you will lose. 1000 is too low. Either figure out your TDEE ( use an on line calculator) or eat what MFP recommends.0
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