Am I the only one that finds it difficult to eat more?
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Fat.
Fat is not bad, won't make you fat by itself (too much anything does), and is needed actually needed by body.
Also, is that like 2 hrs intense exercise, or something like walking, or moderate?
If trouble eating enough to be reasonable - cut back on amount of exercise and make a shorter amount do a better job on body.
You may be thinking exercise is for weight loss - it's not.0 -
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gfjazz,
When I first started increasing what I ate I was only eating once a day, usually dinner. I started eating breakfast (usually 1/2 -1 cup of instant potatoes because that's a food I can keep down) After a week or two of doing that I added lunch (a package of cheese & peanut butter crackers). When I was able to handle that I changed my lunch to something larger (a sandwich of some kind for example). Small increases at a time (add mayo or salad dressing to a burger) and you won't even notice you're eating more until you notice you are logging more and more calories. I'm still working on it, but I finally have myself up to eating at least five times a day, most days. Just yesterday I moved my calorie intake up to 1900. I plan to sit at that level for several weeks and see how I feel. Then I may or may not increase again. I'm also starting to notice that I am getting hungry and am not having the problems eating like I was. It's been at very long slow road to get where I am.
And I also find it interesting that since I'm eating more I don't even want the candies and chips that I used to drool over.
You can do it! Don't punish yourself if you don't make it to your goal some days, yet celebrate the days that you make it. I've found it much easier to make the higher calorie goal since I was able to talk myself into doing this huge step. It was also the hardest step to take in the whole journey.
I'm not up to "eating back" exercise calories yet, so most of the time I don't keep track of exercise just yet, but I know that will happen in the future.
Good luck and keep us updated.
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Just want to clarify a point because I've seen it confused and combined. Usually after a long while and frustration with results.
MFP's method of non-exercise base calorie burn and deficit with exercise added when done, is different than the weekly average TDEE with deficit method where exercise was included.
So if you got a TDEE estimate that includes the currently done exercise (obviously it's a plan since not done yet) - you do NOT add back exercise calories per MFP method.
Just make a wall post of your workout with the info you want your friends to know about.
Logging a workout will mess up your daily eating goal.
As would syncing in a activity tracker that MFP corrects itself with.
If you are following MFP method of only eating more when you do more, therefore same deficit daily in literal sense - then yes you would log workouts and eat back those calories.
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Weight = 286
Up + 4.6 pounds
Goal this week was 1900 calories a day. I made the first two days, and haven't been hungry since. I'll attempt it again this week.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) = 1952
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) = 2343
Average calories = 1786
(TTOM)
Invalid weigh in day, but if I don't log today I won't remember to next week. LOL
Lots more movement going on this week, doubled my reps this week as well as walked a lot more! Now up to 2 sets of 10 curls with 2.2 lbs, 2 sets of 10 arm lifts with 2.2 lbs, and same with shoulder shrugs. Over did it with climbing stairs, but had to go up in the storage barn to get forearm crutches for my Dad. (His ankles have gotten so bad from EDS that he walks on his ankle bones even with bracing on) Eventually, I'm hoping to do some leg work other than walking, but that is so painful right now that I don't think it's going to happen very soon.
I have been practicing with my forearm crutches though, and am able to walk farther by using them!0 -
I love how you are pushing through!!! Keep it up hon.0
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Hello everyone!
I would've never though I'll post to a topic like this cause I used to be able to eat a horse in one sitting.
I've been cutting on 1900 kcals for 4 weeks, made some progress and today I decided to eat my maintenance calories which for today is 2300+. Ate 2320. (had a fitbit for a year and it's pretty accurate for me, walk a lot and lift heavy). Maaaan can I eat those cals? I did but I'm dying. I ate all my usual healthy foods, just one occassional donut. I never thought it would turn out like this. I'm not complaining though. This winter I'd like to do a bulk and I guess it's going to be hard :P Now I understand my body builder friend who eats 4000 kcals daily and says he's sick of eating. I was just laughing about him. I'll call him and tell him how much respect I have for him after today
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Weight = 284.6
Down 1.4 pounds
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) = 1973
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) = 2368
Average calories = 1877
Did better with getting the calories up there! Dropped one inch on the Calf, one inch on the thigh, half an inch on the hips, 1 1/2 inches on the abdomen, and half an inch on the forearm! Two weeks can really make a difference can't it!
Still doing 2 reps of 10 lifts with 2.2 lbs. of each curls with 2.2 lbs, 2 sets of 10 arm lifts with 2.2 lbs. Not doing the shoulder shrugs as they caused too much pain while doing them. Thinking about adding some weight this week. I have to find the box with the weights in first.
It's starting to get a little easier to eat more, I'm still afraid I will hit a spot where I will go the other way and start over eating and not be able to stop.
Now if only my body would allow me to do everything I want to do! I did go over to my brother's last night, we must have stood in the yard talking for at least two hours. Boy are my back and legs telling me off today. I'm already looking at how much I'm eating and wondering how I managed to eat so little and still survive. My dishes have been washed every day the last two weeks, except for yesterday because we were gone all day. I've swept floors, washed windows, and started working on cleaning a house that I haven't cleaned in a very, very long time. For a very long time I was only doing just enough to get by.0 -
Sounds like good sense of accomplishment when finished.
On shoulder shrugs, or you just going straight up and down, or attempting to go in some sort of circles?
Any laying on floor to do bench press with the weights?0 -
Awesome! Those inches are something else huh? I love it. I'm not losing overall body weight as fast, but the inches are flying off. I'm so glad we found this concept!!0
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heybales, I was doing straight up and down, I didn't even think to try anything else. So far all my lifting is with Gold's Gym ankle weights (http://thumbs.ebaystatic.com/images/g/VLIAAOSwa-dWmWUZ/s-l225.jpg) while standing. I have to work with what I have, and that seems to be working for now. I wrap it around my wrist or hold in my hand depending on which lift I am doing at the time. I am going to add some other arm lifts too, I'm researching them today.
I did add the two pound weight to it today, and didn't have any additional pain (so far). So I am going to keep the 4.25 lbs for a few weeks! I have been told not to go over 25 pounds at any time due to the EDS, but once I reach that I can still up with reps, just not allowed to up weights after that because of the faulty collagen.0 -
Don't do rolls - pretty useless anyway and injury prone. Just wanted to make sure as many people think a shoulder role is supposed to be part of it.
Only suggestion is that you do the compound movements to engage the bigger muscles - the smaller automatically get a workout then.
Like bench from the floor gets chest and triceps.
Bent over row gets back and biceps.
Overhead press gets shoulders and triceps.
Upright row gets shoulders, traps, and biceps.
Point to muscle (get main body ones, since every push or pull works tri's/bi's) and look over exercises for dumbbells or body weight you could do.
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WtFemale.html
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Thanks for the link I'm sure it's going to be a BIG help! Also thanks for the advice, most doctors in my area have never even heard of the syndrome I have so they have no idea how to deal with it. I've had to do most of my learning on my own and from people who have been through it. I will definitely be trying out different things and finding what doesn't cause pain and roll with it.0
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Im sorry you are struggling with things. I know its not easy increasing calories, especially when everyone out there seems to think you need to eat less and move more. Its simply not the case. increasing cals is tough. Our human nature is to fight it because we have been programmed to believe that dieting means we have to suffer, and eat nothing but carrot sticks and drink cucumber water. I PROMISE you, it gets easier.
For a lot of members, ripping the bandaid and jumping high in cals worked. For a large majority, we had to go at it slowly. I was a slow increaser. I started around 1400 cals and slowly increased to 2400.. then to 2800, and now Im currently consistent at 3000. Its taken me a very, very long time to allow my mindset to shift and accept that this is in fact the only way to get myself out of the diet cycle. I like to think of it as my hill to climb, before I get to the top. I think about what my life will look like in a few years, when my metabolism is burning higher than ever, and I am eating extremely well, and NOT having to think about whether eating a piece of cake will send me into a tailspin and have me running for a treadmill.
This process is NOT easy. Ive been at it four years, and Im still working my way to TDEE. I refused to believe for a few years that my burn was as high as the calculators and my fitbit were telling me. Had I listened and trusted the process earlier, I might be two years closer to my end result. But looking back, I needed the extra time for my mind and my heart to fully understand the process, to fully believe that the diet industry is completely wrong
Resetting means having to let go and allow your body to regain what it has lost from years of restrictive dieting. It needs to build back the muscles it lost, the tissues, the fibres that it was depleted. It needs to heal and trust you completely again, trust that you arent going to starve it all over again, and for a lot of bodies, that trust takes a long time.
I know it feels like you are stuffed, like you cant possibly eat anything more at 1700 cals, but I assure you, you can. Once your body starts to understand you are feeding it more, it will eventually kick the metabolism up and start to burn more of your energy, which in turn, signals to your brain, it needs more food, and starts the hunger signals. The hurdle is getting over the "full" feeling:) I used to set a timer for 1.5 hours and regardless of what my signals were telling me, I ate something. If it was a snack time, then I ate something around 150-200 cals.. if it were a meal, then I worked at easting at least 300-500 cals. As someone already said, energy dense foods make a big difference in helping you increase your cals up.
Some things that can help..
- Get rid of all DIET products. No low fat/no fat products in the house. Full fat cheeses, milk, dairy products if they arent an issue for you.
- Nuts/Seeds are your friends. They carry a lot of calories, and GOOD fats for your body. Your body needs fat!!
- Oil. If you cook, swap cooking sprays for oils. add a bit of oil to your pan for extra calorie boosts. Again, you need fat!
- Protein. If you enjoy protein shakes or bars, use them. Your body needs protein to help you build muscle. If you are used to eating only an ounce or two of meat, increase your meals by another ounce or two. Build up slowly.
- Spreads/Dips/Creams If you like dips with your veggies, cream in your coffee.. all of the things we were programmed to omit from our diets to help us lose weight.. bring those back in again.
- Be kind to yourself. Know that this is a long process. This is for life. This is to help you get to a point you never have to worry about calorie counting, never have to sweat eating dessert, never have to feel like you cant eat something. This is all about giving you a healthy outlook on eating and life again, and its not easy.
we are all here. We are all going through it. Know that you are not alone.
Feel free to add me as a friend and if you need to chat, im here.
Excellent post that should be bumped!2 -
Ann, how are things going these days?0
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Tereza, it's getting easier, in fact I have days that I have to really buckle down and not let myself over eat! For the next couple of weeks I plan at staying at 1900-2000 calories a day. I have noticed that if I go over the 2000 calories on any given day, I don't feel like eating the next day or two, but I still force myself to get at least 1500 calories on those days.
I'm to the point that I just don't know what to do with all the energy I have! Pain is keeping me from doing everything I want to do. But I do manage to wash dishes every day and cook meals too. I used to wash dishes once sometimes twice a week, and I would have to sit down several times while washing them. This week alone I have swept and mopped my kitchen and bathroom. Vacuumed my hallway and cleaned the cat boxes. (We have three cats so we have two cat boxes) I am still freezing though. So apparently I'm not up to where I need to be calorie wise yet.
I had trigger point injections on Tuesday last week and I have never had them hurt so bad in my life and the last few days have been agony, but I just can't sit still. I'll have an update on weight and calories tomorrow.
I am off my diabetic medication as of last November, and one of my blood pressure medications as of last month!0 -
Ann, sorry to hear you are still having so much trouble and pain. But looks like your health and energy levels are improving. It can be a long process the healing journey, but it is so worth it. It takes time, but as long as you are moving towards recovery you are in the right way. You go, girl!0
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I am a work in progress
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Weight = 282
Down 2.6 pounds
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) = 1877
Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) = 2347
Average calories = 1943
Changed from Scoooby calculator to haybales spreadsheet. Went from lifting 2.25 pounds to 4.25 pounds 3-4 times per week. I have so much energy I'm having trouble using it all up! My house is the cleanest it has been in years. I have been taken off one of my blood pressure meds due to low blood pressure readings, 85/58! My body hates me, I hurt more and more every day, but I have too much energy to sit in one place anymore. And do yo see those average calories? I'm almost to those calculated daily calories! When I get there, you know I'm going to have questions, but until then I'm going to enjoy the eating. (I never thought I would ever say that sentence in my lifetime.) 1 -
Ann, again, I'm sorry about all the pain going one, but It's nice to see you so mouch more positive and actually enjoyng things. That in itself is a huge NSV (non scale victory)! And to see you not needing to take so much meds is excellent news! Yay for lower blood pressure!
Check out the Eat More 2 Weigh Less site (www.eatmore2weighless.com) for lots of info that will definitely support you in your journey. Being able to eat and enjoy things while feeling well is incredible.
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