This is why people gain weight, and why losing it is so hard.

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Replies

  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    1899? You could eat that in one average Red Robin meal.

    That said. I'm 5'6", 51 years old. Female. Menopausal. My TDEE before activity is similar. I manage to "get" another 500 or so in activity each day according to my fitbit.

    @Sabine_Stroehm

    That's me!!! What is your goal weight? I am currently at 141 pounds. Was at 220 January of 2013. I really want to get down to 135. I was telling my friend last night that I better find a man soon because I am never going to be able to stay this thin and I REALLY want to pig out!!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    1899? You could eat that in one average Red Robin meal.

    That said. I'm 5'6", 51 years old. Female. Menopausal. My TDEE before activity is similar. I manage to "get" another 500 or so in activity each day according to my fitbit.

    @Sabine_Stroehm

    That's me!!! What is your goal weight? I am currently at 141 pounds. Was at 220 January of 2013. I really want to get down to 135. I was telling my friend last night that I better find a man soon because I am never going to be able to stay this thin and I REALLY want to pig out!!

    I'm in maintenance (14+ years). My happiest weight is 130-135. I was 132 for many many years. I'm currently about 139? Dealing with menopausal hormonal chaos. Every day's an adventure! My real goal is to have a steady menopausal weight below 140, so I'm doing well so far.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
    Gena575 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    _piaffe wrote: »
    OP is projecting feelings on OP's own future self.

    It's like a parent talking to a child-free younger version of themselves in their early 20s.

    Younger single version says, "I could never have kids / having kids is so upsetting because I really love my partying lifestyle and I hate having to wake up at a certain time and it would REALLY cramp my style... no, you don't understand: I really, REALLY love going for brunch with my single friends, and going to concerts and going with the flow."

    The younger single self typically does not wake up with an infant or toddler to care for. Typically, single self first finds a partner and decides the partner is a keeper. They plan a future together and slowly or quickly build a life together. Eventually, they turn their mind to having a child. They try to get pregnant or adopt - this can take years. Years and tears. Eventually, they may get lucky and be in the process. Pregnancy is 9-10 looooong months of preparation and education (again, typically). Other processes are also long and fraught with challenge. So much can go awry.

    And eventually, if they are luckier still, you have a baby / child.

    The person at the end of this journey is no longer the young single version of themself that they once were. Sure, habits linger. There is longing and nostalgia. "The good old days" are missed. But you are a new version of you.

    OLD you would never in a zillion years want to, overnight, take on parenting - it would ruin their lifestyle instantly!

    But that lifestyle evolved into something different.



    You started out alright and then turned to the assumption that everyone wants to have a kid to illustrate your point that everyone turns out the same. I'm not like OP because I hadn't thought about how little I would have to eat after losing weight. But had I considered it, I would have felt like he does now. As a childfree man who knew as a teenager (because I thought about that) he didn't ever want to have kids; I haven't ever changed my mind. Your logic that everyone will do a 180 on what they want out of life makes me feel insulted.

    I've never wanted children but could still appreciate her analogy. The point is about current self and future self. Substitute whatever example you can relate to.

    Lol my analogy is 180* opposite hers. I always wanted kids. Life didn't work that way. And now, at 41 I get all sorts of anxiety at 1 day late on the period. Kids *now* would so jack up my life. 20 year old me envisioned a far different life than I ended up with. I'm glad 20 yr old me was so so wrong about what makes me happy.

    Lol I have 2 kids and love them dearly but I'm terrified of getting pregnant again so you are not alone there. I am 36 so I have a ways to go before that particular fear will go away.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,589 Member
    _piaffe wrote: »
    I was using "child" and "free" in a compound term sense to connote free of children / presently without child, in an analogy about weight. For the record, childless is also a very loaded term in my experience. I'm going to avoid both going forward! ETA: and also analogies on an Internet community board.

    Yeah, you're right that 'childless' tends to imply "wanting children but not having had any." I'm childfree in the sense of "don't have, don't want, quite content."

    However, we are also godparents to our nephews. God forbid anything happen to their parents, but if something did, I still don't think I'd be MISERABLE. I'd adjust to life raising children, and it's not unreasonable to imagine that future-accidental-parent-me might even decide that raising kids was something I enjoyed much more than current-me could ever have realized.

    What I'm trying to get at is the idea I *think* you were going for - that human beings can readjust and get used to an awful lot. And you find that you still experience joy and fear and frustration and contentment even if your situation changes dramatically. Which IMO applies to the original post.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    If childless is wanting but not having and childfree is not having and not wanting, what's the agnostic variant of just not having children with no particular implication of my intentions of ever getting them?
  • caterpillardreams
    caterpillardreams Posts: 476 Member
    The beginning is the hardest. But how long that is is dependent on everyone. I understand that feeling like "NO way I can eat that little" I can not eat as much as I used to, and its very weird now but its just too much and because I have worked had for years my body is beginning to adjust and like eating what I need not what I think I want, and what I feel like eating.

    Best Tip.
    Do not bring any junk home.
    Don't buy those chips at the end of the grocery trip by the cash register. (done it many times, and I realized, OMG I was not even thinking, it was just automatic)
    That's when I knew I had a bad understanding of how I ate and how looked at food.


    Its gonna take time.
    Find a healthy eating program, diet, list, make your own,
    Print it out
    Buy those foods.
    SImple, brown rice, sweet potatoes, chicken eggs, frozen veggies
    Get whats simple so it can be fast for you but not unhealthy fast, not DRIVE THRI FAST. but quick throw it in the
    microwave, cook for 5 mins on pan.
    Drink water, tea, , water, coffee, water, water

    with exercise
    A friend taught me just 25- 30 minutes a day. We all have that. majority of us. I have 3 kids, go to school full time and I make sure to do it.

    Question?
    How bad do you want it?

    Make that change NOW!!!!

    You can do it, but only you can. but it does help to look others and get help if needed.
  • jondspen
    jondspen Posts: 253 Member
    Well...it is hard if ure use to eating trible bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and a soda. Just that one mean will probably put you around 1500 calories, if not more.

    I still eat lots of burgers, but no mayo, sometimes no cheese, definitely no fries, and skip the soda for water or tea.

    Yes...it sucks getting use to it, but once you do, it's not that bad. Key is to find low calorie filling foods to incorporate.

    Also, once you start exercising and building large muscle groups, they will help increase your metabolism.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,589 Member
    If childless is wanting but not having and childfree is not having and not wanting, what's the agnostic variant of just not having children with no particular implication of my intentions of ever getting them?

    I would use 'nonparent' as a neutral term. 'Child-indifferent' if I wanted to be a smart aleck ;)
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    If childless is wanting but not having and childfree is not having and not wanting, what's the agnostic variant of just not having children with no particular implication of my intentions of ever getting them?

    That is still childless.
  • point is losing weight is a lifestyle change. you have to want to change your lifestyle to become a better you,quitting drugs,alcohol or smoking is also a lifestyle change. sure its hard at first, but if you concentrate on just losing the weight for now and trying to be a healthier better you, you will be much happier.sure you will still go through struggles along the way but once you see how your body changes and how much better you feel you wont want to go back to how you lived and ate before.

    That is what keeps me going and Ive been doing it 4 years now. I learned I had a genetic disorder(which is also a metabolic disorder) and I have to watch my fat,sat fat,sugar and sodium intake. that in itself is hard to do when Im so used to eating what I wanted, but making sure those foods fit into my calorie deficit in the past. now I have to change things up but thing are improving slowly.

    Its a "learn how to crawl before you walk" type of thing. one day you will be running(maybe not literally). but focus on the right now and not the when or if of the future. one day at a time.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    _piaffe wrote: »
    I had considered doing an Edit to add the starting premise - which I thought was obvious - ie that we were talking generally about a person who wanted a particular outcome, but is DEEPLY conflicted on the impact that outcome would have on current lifestyle.

    In my analogy, that outcome was a child. Of course, not everybody wants a child - that is a completely valid choice. OP is deeply conflicted because he WANTS to lose weight. Yet does not want to give up his lifestyle.

    I should have done the edit or not bothered posting. Sigh. And sorry for unintended offence!

    No worries, no one was offended.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    I am glad you wrote the analogy, got me thinking, yes, thinking how we make sacrifices in life if we choose to.
  • brenn24179
    brenn24179 Posts: 2,144 Member
    edited September 2016
    I was thinking about when I was in my twenties, buying everything in sight, running up the credit cards and how I realized I could never go back to the habit of spending like that again once everything was paid off. Yep, as adults we realize we cant have what we want all the time, or as much as we want. So like someone said it is hard but suck it up buttercup. The consequences are just too hard. (being a spoiled brat) need discipline. Of course it is hard, I want all those electronics and all that junk food, etc.
  • mfp_nicole_2017
    mfp_nicole_2017 Posts: 10 Member
    I am 33, and started using the MFP app on my phone in march of 2015. I have counted calories, and lost over 110 lbs! I know that I was probably eating over 4,000 calories a day prior to using MFP and dieting. I am 5-8 and 158 lbs. I started at 270 lbs. I think it is hard to change your eating habits, but I know from my own experience if I eat say over 2,000 calories a day and don't exercise (besides my usual daily activity-i also have a job where I am on my feet all day)-I will not lose weight. Once I start eating say 2100-2200 or more calories I will start gaining for sure. Lately I hit a plateau. I was at 160 for almost 3 months. Then one day I went down to 155. The last time I weighed myself (like a week ago) I was around 158. My weight fluctuates, and so weighing myself weekly is a little bit better. I also weigh myself right away when I get up-before I eat or drink anything. Anyways, good luck to you. It is a hard journey and my struggle is to keep the weight off! I have to keep counting those calories! It is worth it to look great, feel great, and gain confidence!
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
    So I went off the rails a little yesterday (to the tune of 900 calories). I've been doing this about 2 months, I've had a few over days but I think yesterday was the worst. I used to eat that much and more pretty regularly but I felt SO sick last night when it was all said and done. My reflux (which has been mostly under control since I started) kicked in with a vengeance, I was bloated, I just felt awful.

    I'm trying to decide if my body was like "WHOA hey what are you doing there pally?" Or if I literally felt like this ALL THE TIME before and I was just used to it.

    Either way, it was kind of a rude awakening. And it also kind of helps. I know eating so indulgently doesn't feel good once the food is gone. And I can make lower calorie, delicious food that tastes good while I'm eating it AND makes me feel good/fuels my life adequately.

    So you can do it and it will get easier. You just have to decide it's worth it.
  • caimay199
    caimay199 Posts: 39 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    I dunno man. I'm 5'4F (23 years old), GW is 130. I calculate my maintenance calorie intake for being 135 lb (without exercise) to be 1700. Right now, I'm not really suffering under the calorie restriction. Some things I have to sacrifice (Like eating more than two pieces of pizza ; ; ), but it's not like I'm starving. I should be okay to follow a maintenance restriction once I get to it. Especially since I'm certain my stomach will have shrunk some. And this is taking into account that I'm not..necessarily eating clean at the moment. Last night I had a Lean Pocket and a cup of those Green Giant Steamers: Lightly Sauced Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli things. The other day I ate 4 pieces of pizza. I went a little over, but then I worked it off with some cardio.

    And I do plan to remain active. I probably won't be as active. It might end up only being 3 days a week, or when I eat a particularly big meal. At that point I'd probably just buy an elliptical for my home instead of a gym membership.

    That being said, I'm not a breakfast person. I never have been. When I eat breakfast, I don't feel any different. I stop being hungry momentarily, but then I'm hungry LONG before lunch starts. That lasts a bit, and then I'm hungry the last few hours of work, and the hour after when I get to the gym. Then I eat.

    However, I grew up in a very low income household, and I grew up hungry...so I'm kind of used to it. I never had breakfast, and I also never really brought lunch to school either (which is probably why I gained the wait in the first place. When I got a job of my own, I was eating so much more food than I would have eaten).

    Man, that pizza analogy hits me hard though, talkin about eating two pieces and four being "overboard". I can eat an entire pizza myself, and I don't mean on a dare or because someone said I couldn't. I mean like, I ate the last piece and reached for another one and said "well hell, I guess I ate it all". I hope my appetite shrinks like everyone says, but i feel like its gonna be really hard to maintain my goal weight when I get there.
    And again, this is why you're obese. (you're technically obese right, by medical standards?). You're seriously going to need a paradigm shift. Learning to cook is a good start. Learning, knowing, the calorie content of foods is a good start. You're probably one who would really benefit from using a scale to weigh foods (when you do eat at home).

    It's gotta be a life style or as you say: it will be very difficult to maintain. That lifestyle can include some pizza. But, given your height, goal weight, and sedentary lifestyle, not a lot of pizza.

    When I learned how to cook, everything changed. Chicken fajitas, Thai red prawn curry, chilli, salmon and quinoa fishcakes - try eating pizza after that. It tastes gross.
  • duddysdad
    duddysdad Posts: 403 Member
    My goal weight TDEE is 2200 calories. It's not really that much if I want to be able to eat like I did before, just less. I still have to make good decisions and eat mainly healthy foods with the occasional treat.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    duddysdad wrote: »
    My goal weight TDEE is 2200 calories. It's not really that much if I want to be able to eat like I did before, just less. I still have to make good decisions and eat mainly healthy foods with the occasional treat.

    Right. But isn't that what everyone should be striving for?
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    So here's were the experiment comes into play. I thought, you know what, I've never just booked out a normal "non deiting" day, lets see how many calories that is. So I went into MFP and loaded up what I would eat on a normal day. Over 4500 calories!!! HOLY S**T!!!! No wonder people get so fat so quickly without even realizing whats happening!

    I had a similar "come to begeesus" moment when ai realized what an "average" non-logging day looked like for me--around 3,000 calories.

    One thing that helped me put that number into perspective was the RDA guidelines that say that an "average" woman should consume 1600 - 2000 calories, so that 3K number both (a) brought into sharp focus how crazy out of control I was; and (b) got me thinking about what non-eating changes I would have to make in order to be satisfied in the long term of ~1800 calories a day.

    Some of those changes (with which I experimented while on my weight loss journey) included:
    • eating a LOT more high-fiber veggies like cabbage, onions, and squash--which provide a satisfyingly large amount of food for much lower calores
    • learning to love SOUP! I want to feel full, and the bulk of a water- or veggie-based (as opposed to cream-based) soup fills me up without adding lots of calories
    • being aware of the difference between hunger and thirst. Sometimes, a big ole glass of water is what I REALLY need. . . I just got into the habit of eating rather than drinking when I felt "that way."
    • Practicing portion control, getting better at estimating portion size (and confirming my estimates with a scale) and STOPPING when I had eaten a "reasonable" portion-- not when I had an Alice-Sized portion (which was NOT reasonable.)
    • focusing on some of the non-eating psychological/ emotional/ headgame things that lead to more eating-- like "I deserve a treat" mentality, or "I really need this beer to relax" mentality, or "I have to eat this or X will be sad" mentality.

    By incorporating some of these changes as I worked on my weight loss, I was ready for them when I reached maintenance.

    I've been maintaining successfully since February on 1800 calories--but I DO eat most of my exercise calories (between 300- 600 calories) when I work out.

    Good luck to you!


    This is awesome, non-judge mental advice!!!

    OP, I feel for you. My tdee is much lower than I would like also, and there is only a limited time in my day to exercise to raise it, without taking time from my family, etc. So my realization is also that I will have to always want more food if I want to stay slim. Be aware, though, that there is a difference between being hungry and wanting more. And just because you want more doesn't mean you should have it! (Talking to self here too!!).


    It is HARD! And I hope having some of us agree will be affirming to you and help you to keep pushing on through. Find what works for you and do it. Don't let comments sway you!

    @rosebarnalice has good advice !
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    caimay199 wrote: »
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    I dunno man. I'm 5'4F (23 years old), GW is 130. I calculate my maintenance calorie intake for being 135 lb (without exercise) to be 1700. Right now, I'm not really suffering under the calorie restriction. Some things I have to sacrifice (Like eating more than two pieces of pizza ; ; ), but it's not like I'm starving. I should be okay to follow a maintenance restriction once I get to it. Especially since I'm certain my stomach will have shrunk some. And this is taking into account that I'm not..necessarily eating clean at the moment. Last night I had a Lean Pocket and a cup of those Green Giant Steamers: Lightly Sauced Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli things. The other day I ate 4 pieces of pizza. I went a little over, but then I worked it off with some cardio.

    And I do plan to remain active. I probably won't be as active. It might end up only being 3 days a week, or when I eat a particularly big meal. At that point I'd probably just buy an elliptical for my home instead of a gym membership.

    That being said, I'm not a breakfast person. I never have been. When I eat breakfast, I don't feel any different. I stop being hungry momentarily, but then I'm hungry LONG before lunch starts. That lasts a bit, and then I'm hungry the last few hours of work, and the hour after when I get to the gym. Then I eat.

    However, I grew up in a very low income household, and I grew up hungry...so I'm kind of used to it. I never had breakfast, and I also never really brought lunch to school either (which is probably why I gained the wait in the first place. When I got a job of my own, I was eating so much more food than I would have eaten).

    Man, that pizza analogy hits me hard though, talkin about eating two pieces and four being "overboard". I can eat an entire pizza myself, and I don't mean on a dare or because someone said I couldn't. I mean like, I ate the last piece and reached for another one and said "well hell, I guess I ate it all". I hope my appetite shrinks like everyone says, but i feel like its gonna be really hard to maintain my goal weight when I get there.
    And again, this is why you're obese. (you're technically obese right, by medical standards?). You're seriously going to need a paradigm shift. Learning to cook is a good start. Learning, knowing, the calorie content of foods is a good start. You're probably one who would really benefit from using a scale to weigh foods (when you do eat at home).

    It's gotta be a life style or as you say: it will be very difficult to maintain. That lifestyle can include some pizza. But, given your height, goal weight, and sedentary lifestyle, not a lot of pizza.

    When I learned how to cook, everything changed. Chicken fajitas, Thai red prawn curry, chilli, salmon and quinoa fishcakes - try eating pizza after that. It tastes gross.

    EVERYTHING changed for me. I still like pizza, but not fast food pizza!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Ok, I know that the OP wasn't looking for advice, but I'd also recommend that the OP look into mindful eating. There are all sorts of books and websites, but here's one to get you started:

    http://amihungry.com/what-is-mindful-eating/
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    edited September 2016
    I also think you have to question (you as in the general sense) the what ifs and self doubts. Are they a road block?

    I used to worry about perfection at goal..loose skin and maintenance for example like you, but I realised that that kind of thinking was stalling any attempt to be healthier - not quite an excuse but the fear would stagnate me.

    You change so much as you lose, particularly large amounts I feel. Simply because you have to undo a lot to redo and for a long time. So you can't ATM imagine the psychological changes that will happen that mean it won't be as difficult as you imagine. You get better at choices, at activity as you go along. It becomes a new normal.

    I stopped worrying about certain aspects at the end...just head down, do the best you can and see where you arrive at.

    A lot of it is a head game.
  • currentlyactive1
    currentlyactive1 Posts: 1 Member
    edited September 2016
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    ryry_ wrote: »
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    I have always counted calories daily, but I've read that some people say weekly is the way to go. Do any of you guys kinda not really worry about daily and concentrate on weekly? Eating heavy one day and light on another day to make up for it?

    This is exactly what I do. I will probably eat 3500 calories today but balance it out over the week. And I'm in a deficit.

    I tried something very similar to that once, but it didn't work out because I was still in a deficit. There were days where I would eat less than 500 calories some days in order to eat what I wanted other days. It came out to about 7K surplus for the week overall. So it is worth repeating this point: something that works for you might not work for those of us who have bigger appetites. For some of us, this plan doesn't help eliminate both hunger and weight, which is really the problem OP expects to encounter (and a problem I'm already encountering as I get closer and closer to goal).

    Here is how that works for someone like me: I'm hungry all the time anyway, whether eating 500 or 1,500 or 2,500 calories... so no difference on most days. On some days, though, I can eat as much as I want and am not hungry. So then it is a matter of figuring out how often to have a day where I can eat as much as I want and still lose weight, and how much I can eat on other days. So figure 10K calories is what it takes to satisfy me in a day. If I do that once every 10 days, I can still keep an average deficit of 250 calories per day (1/2 lb. per week loss on average) as long as I eat 500 calories the other 9 days. For 9 days, I'm hungry no matter what, but at least once every 10 days, I am not hungry because I can finally eat. Of course this is a terrible idea and I'm not suggesting it. I just want to illustrate why those last few lbs. are so hard to lose for those of us with big appetites and a decreased RMR. Your weekly average idea is a daunting suggestion that is probably great for those with mediocre appetites, but not so great for others.

    as a type 1 diabetic you are killing yourself...you will have issues with your limbs, kidneys and eyesight if you don't get control of yourself...I know as I have a brother who has been a diabetic since he was six.

    You remind of the other diabetic I knew who didn't want to exercise but the food they needed to keep healthy was a lot...and they got chubby so they stopped eating most of it...they nearly killed themselves and have lost limbs...and partially blind now...

    smh...you know you have a condition and don't do what you need to do to stay healthy...wow just wow.

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