Holiday detox

BlackPantherChick123

I decided that I'm not going to fast. It's a stupid idea because I don't want to gain weight by having my body in starvation mode. So the question is, how many calories should I aim for the day after the holidays to lose the holiday weight? 1200-1500? What's the best calorie intake because I'm hitting the gym later and can't wait. Thank you.

janjunie

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I decided that I'm not going to fast. It's a stupid idea because I don't want to gain weight by having my body in starvation mode. So the question is, how many calories should I aim for the day after the holidays to lose the holiday weight? 1200-1500? What's the best calorie intake because I'm hitting the gym later and can't wait. Thank you.

You've been on the forum long enough to know that starvation mode is a myth.

The amount of calories you should aim for depends on your goals, 1/2 lb per week, 1 lbs per week...etc. Nothing changes after holidays. What was your calories allowance before? If it was working for you before then do it again.

FYI fasting is not stupid and works for many people.

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I decided that I'm not going to fast. It's a stupid idea because I don't want to gain weight by having my body in starvation mode. So the question is, how many calories should I aim for the day after the holidays to lose the holiday weight? 1200-1500? What's the best calorie intake because I'm hitting the gym later and can't wait. Thank you.

Fasting doesn't mean a vlcd, it means not eating for most of the day and getting your alloted calories in a short time frame, 16/8 being on of the most common.

Starvation mode in this context doesn't exist.

What calories has MFP set you and for what weight loss goal per week?

You don't have to wait for the gym, have a nice walk out somewhere enjoying the fresh air.

BlackPantherChick123

For fast weight loss it gave me at least 1200. I learned the hard way from when I fasted in the pass. I'm very active, exercising on my treadmill for about 2 hours and then walking 3-5 laps around my neighborhood (1 lap is a mile). I just know that when I fasted, it slowed my metabolism and I gained weight and I don't want to go there again. So I guess 1200? I just know I started eating clean today.

Wetcoaster

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

For fast weight loss it gave me at least 1200. I learned the hard way from when I fasted in the pass. I'm very active, exercising on my treadmill for about 2 hours and then walking 3-5 laps around my neighborhood (1 lap is a mile). I just know that when I fasted, it slowed my metabolism and I gained weight and I don't want to go there again. So I guess 1200? I just know I started eating clean today.

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

4. Myth: Fasting tricks the body into "starvation mode".


Truth

Efficient adaptation to famine was important for survival during rough times in our evolution. Lowering metabolic rate during starvation allowed us to live longer, increasing the possibility that we might come across something to eat. Starvation literally means starvation. It doesn't mean skipping a meal not eating for 24 hours. Or not eating for three days even. The belief that meal skipping or short-term fasting causes "starvation mode" is so completely ridiculous and absurd that it makes me want to jump out the window.

Looking at the numerous studies I've read, the earliest evidence for lowered metabolic rate in response to fasting occurred after 60 hours (-8% in resting metabolic rate). Other studies show metabolic rate is not impacted until 72-96 hours have passed (George Cahill has contributed a lot on this topic).

Seemingly paradoxical, metabolic rate is actually increased in short-term fasting. For some concrete numbers, studies have shown an increase of 3.6% - 10% after 36-48 hours (Mansell PI, et al, and Zauner C, et al). This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. Epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline/noradrenaline) sharpens the mind and makes us want to move around. Desirable traits that encouraged us to seek for food, or for the hunter to kill his prey, increasing survival. At some point, after several days of no eating, this benefit would confer no benefit to survival and probably would have done more harm than good; instead, an adaptation that favored conservation of energy turned out to be advantageous. Thus metabolic rate is increased in short-term fasting (up to 60 hours).

Again, I have choosen extreme examples to show how absurd the myth of "starvation mode" is - especially when you consider that the exact opposite is true in the context of how the term is thrown around.

RodaRose

Clean is a vague term. What do you mean by "clean eating?"

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

For fast weight loss it gave me at least 1200. I learned the hard way from when I fasted in the pass. I'm very active, exercising on my treadmill for about 2 hours and then walking 3-5 laps around my neighborhood (1 lap is a mile). I just know that when I fasted, it slowed my metabolism and I gained weight and I don't want to go there again. So I guess 1200? I just know I started eating clean today.

Your believing the google/media rubbish. When you eat has little to no effect on weight/weight loss/motabilism. Either has eating clean.
It is all about the amount of calories you consume vs burn over a week/length of time. 3500 calories less than you burn will result in a 1lb loss.

You gained weight because you ate over what you burnt or you reacted to water weight or hormone weight and blamed the fast.

There is no magic to losing weight, eat less than you burn. Even if you eat it as ice cream or white rice and bread (Named purely as these are the foods demonised as unclean most often)

misskarne

You don't need to "holiday detox" and I don't understand why you're talking about fasting and so on. So you might have gained a couple of pounds over Christmas. It's CHRISTMAS. Isn't that kind of the point? I gained, too. How much of it is water and how much is fat is not certain, but I'll just shrug my shoulders and get back on the bandwagon. I wouldn't trade that lovely few days spent with all my family around me just for two kilos.

BlackPantherChick123

So just go back to my normal diet and exercise is the key?

Cherimoose

Earlier this month you said you were anorexic and need to gain weight. Which is it?

Asher_Ethan

Go back to eating at a reasonable deficit and you will be fine. I promise no detox is needed.

MelaniaTrump

@ Cherimoose. This person has an eating disorder. Well done for catching this. This place seems to have many of them.

misskarne

Thanks for the pickup, cherimoose. I knew the screen name was familiar but I couldn't remember.

BlackPanther, you need to see a therapist, NOW.

BlackPantherChick123

brianpperkins

Once again the most logical reply to you is ...

http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1575987-eating-disorder-resources

SLLRunner

BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »

I decided that I'm not going to fast. It's a stupid idea because I don't want to gain weight by having my body in starvation mode. So the question is, how many calories should I aim for the day after the holidays to lose the holiday weight? 1200-1500? What's the best calorie intake because I'm hitting the gym later and can't wait. Thank you.

Starvation mode is a myth.

An increased number on the scale will be a lot of water gain from overeating. In order to gain one pound, you had to eat 3,500 totals over your TDEE. Do you think you did that?

Personally, I just logged my food for the holidays (yes, I overate) and now I've moved on.

SLLRunner

Cherimoose wrote: »

Earlier this month you said you were anorexic and need to gain weight. Which is it?

That is a good catch.

@BlackPantherChick123, please find professional help.

cafeaulait7

You might notice a few lbs, but it's really not going to be fat. It's because the food literally weighs more until it's digested and out of there, lol, and because your muscles get filled with glycogen (not a bad thing).

You don't have to do anything but eat at a reasonable calorie goal either for maintenance or slow weight gain (like to put on muscle with lifting, remember?). If you gained any weight, it'll be temporary. It takes an extra 3500 calories for 1 lb. It doesn't include the 1800-2000 or whatever you should be eating to maintain your weight. With the amount of exercise you like, you really don't have to worry so much about what are basically fluctuations. I know your recent history is causing you to be very afraid of that, but that's where the therapy comes in.

Realistically, people usually have a 5 lb or so range that they consider their weight. It's not supposed to always go down!

I know folks told you that gaining muscle always took gaining fat, too, but they didn't mention recomp. If you'd just eat the recommended amount of calories for your stats (height, weight, age) and activity level and then started lifting weights progressively, you would not get fat! It will take a while to see any changes, but you won't get fat.