Bad start to the day

Julani34

I just started this week and it's been going well. This morning however, I had my usual breakfast of oats and peanut butter but I'm still hungry. And now I'm also shaky. I feel weak. But I don't want to use more calories before 9 in the morning. Do you guys have any energising tips for keeping up during your weight loss lows? I run after 4 kids 6&under and I really need to not feel like this.

Nony_Mouse

First, eat something. What's more important, sticking to your calorie goal, or not passing out? Doesn't have to be high cal, but I would go for some carbs. A piece of fruit will likely do the trick.

Second, what is your calorie goal, and what are your stats (age, height, weight)? It may just be a one off, but it may also be that you are under-eating, and your body is telling you so.

sijomial

Have you set an aggressive weight loss goal?

Feeling "shaky and week" isn't necessary to lose weight. Suggest you eat at maintenance level today and reassess your approach.

My tips would be don't make the process harder than it has to be, think long term not short term.

Julani34

I am under eating at 1200 calories a day in order to lose 1 kg a week. But I'm forcing myself cause I also know myself well enough to know that if it doesn't happen fast enough I'll lose all motivation and go the other way. I reckon I could get there fast and maintenance should be easy. I just don't understand, I was fine yesterday and the 2 days before.

I'm 85 kgs and I want to lose 20kgs by new year. I'm going to be a bridesmaid in the world's most unflattering dress and however shallow this sounds I don't want to be the balloon in a line up of triathletes, I'm not exaggerating. The photo's will be around for the rest of eternity.

Julani34

I hate having to lose weight so much. I don't fit into anything. I want pizza. And i just want this over with already.

Nony_Mouse

Right. Your deficit is too aggressive. You don't have enough weight to lose to sustain that. I get that you want the weight gone yesterday, everyone does. But it didn't go on overnight, and it's not going to come off overnight either.

Sure, you could white knuckle it and get there faster, but you will lose a substantial amount of lean body mass along with the fat, potentially suffer other side effects such as hair falling out and brittle nails, dull skin... (yes, I am deliberately focusing on the appearance things, but there will be a whole host of not so great things happening on the inside too). You're also far more likely to fall off the bandwagon if your deficit is too aggressive than if it's not. Trust me, what you are doing is a recipe for failure.

As to maintenance being easy, not if you don't learn healthy, sustainable eating habits along the way. You will just end up back where you are, if not worse.

Yes, the wedding photos will be around for eternity, but it's your friend's day, not yours. Wouldn't you rather look happy, healthy and radiant for her than sallow, dull and grumpy for the sake of a few kilos?

Drop your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5kg per week, do some exercise and eat at least half those calories back, then you can have the pizza and lose weight.

Nony_Mouse

Honestly, this only has to be a miserable, painful experience if you make it one.

skymningen

@Nony_Mouse is so right. You gain nothing if you are weak and shaken in your bridesmaids dress. Looking good is much more than just losing weight, especially than "losing weight fast". If your skin does wobble because it can not keep up with your weight loss and your body is out of proportion because you lost all the muscle then you will not look better than you would with 10 or 15 kg more. Try to get healthy, try to get your eyes shining and your skin glowing and definitely lose some weight on that way. But stay away from making yourself miserable and unhealthy for months. It will show.

kommodevaran

Julani34 wrote: »

I am under eating at 1200 calories a day in order to lose 1 kg a week. I'm 85 kgs and I want to lose 20kgs by new year.

You don't have the necessary amount of fat to sustain 1 kg loss per week. 1% of your body weight is realistic.

But I'm forcing myself cause I also know myself well enough to know that if it doesn't happen fast enough I'll lose all motivation and go the other way. I reckon I could get there fast and maintenance should be easy. And i just want this over with already.

You lose motivation because you are undereating and starving yourself. You need patience. Weight loss can only happen so fast (1% per week). The more you force yourself, the harder maintenance will be. You will not maintain with that attitude. You're outlining how yoyo-dieting begins.

I just don't understand, I was fine yesterday and the 2 days before.

Eating a bit less for a few days is no big deal. Systematic undereating is a big deal. Undereating takes some time to catch up. We can do unpleasant things for a while, but then we can't.

Julani34 wrote: »

I hate having to lose weight so much. I don't fit into anything. I want pizza.

It's no wonder you hate losing weight, because you're doing it wrong. If you add some patience, you will fit into ordinary clothes later. Not now, but later. You can eat pizza, but not all the time, and not in unlimited amounts.

Julani34

You are all right of course. Low blood sugar is making me crazy and grumpy. Patience has never been a virtue I possess. Its usually all or nothing and that's not sustainable. Will reconsider my goal. Thanks guys.

sijomial

Julani34 wrote: »

I am under eating at 1200 calories a day in order to lose 1 kg a week. But I'm forcing myself cause I also know myself well enough to know that if it doesn't happen fast enough I'll lose all motivation and go the other way. I reckon I could get there fast and maintenance should be easy. I just don't understand, I was fine yesterday and the 2 days before.

I'm 85 kgs and I want to lose 20kgs by new year. I'm going to be a bridesmaid in the world's most unflattering dress and however shallow this sounds I don't want to be the balloon in a line up of triathletes, I'm not exaggerating. The photo's will be around for the rest of eternity.

It's happened now because you have run through your body's store of glycogen due to your excessive deficit.
Just like your car is running fine right up to the point it runs out of fuel.

Maintenance won't be easier switching from a huge deficit, it will be harder.

There's also a good chance that even if you do manage to lose 20kg quickly you will be disappointed with how you look - a smaller version of the current you. To use your terminology - a deflated balloon.

aneary1980

If you are running after 4 children you are probably burning loads of cals through exercise so your deficit it way too much.

bribucks

Do you do any exercise? I'm surprised no one has suggested lifting yet. If you start lifting (in addition to eating at a deficit) you won't gain much muscle, however it will help prevent the loss of lean mass. Aka keeping you firmer, not a "deflated balloon." Plus on days you exercise, you will be able to eat back more calories.

(However because exercise calories are notoriously difficult to estimate accurately, only eat back 50-75% of exercise calories).

thunderchild007

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

Honestly, this only has to be a miserable, painful experience if you make it one.

^^this^^

threec

How many calories do you burn in a day? Instead of eating 1200 or under because that's what MFP says to eat why not figure that out and eat at a deficit of 750?

kshama2001

Julani34 wrote: »

You are all right of course. Low blood sugar is making me crazy and grumpy. Patience has never been a virtue I possess. Its usually all or nothing and that's not sustainable. Will reconsider my goal. Thanks guys.

Glad to hear this! I'm going to post the risks of rapid weight loss anyway. Also, you might want to try a breakfast with more protein - PB is a great source of fat, but not so much for protein.

What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?

Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:

• Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
• Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
• Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
• Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:

• Headaches
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities
• Hair loss
• Muscle loss

Lois_1989

brianneangell08 wrote: »

Do you do any exercise? I'm surprised no one has suggested lifting yet. If you start lifting (in addition to eating at a deficit) you won't gain much muscle, however it will help prevent the loss of lean mass. Aka keeping you firmer, not a "deflated balloon." Plus on days you exercise, you will be able to eat back more calories.

(However because exercise calories are notoriously difficult to estimate accurately, only eat back 50-75% of exercise calories).

?? Because lifting weights won't stop her passing out from under eating?

Spiderpug

kshama2001 wrote: »

Julani34 wrote: »

You are all right of course. Low blood sugar is making me crazy and grumpy. Patience has never been a virtue I possess. Its usually all or nothing and that's not sustainable. Will reconsider my goal. Thanks guys.

Glad to hear this! I'm going to post the risks of rapid weight loss anyway. Also, you might want to try a breakfast with more protein - PB is a great source of fat, but not so much for protein.

What Are the Risks of Rapid Weight Loss?

Rapid weight loss creates physical demands on the body. Possible serious risks include:

• Gallstones, which occur in 12% to 25% of people losing large amounts of weight over several months
• Dehydration, which can be avoided by drinking plenty of fluids
• Malnutrition, usually from not eating enough protein for weeks at a time
• Electrolyte imbalances, which rarely can be life threatening

Other side effects of rapid weight loss include:

• Headaches
• Irritability
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Constipation
• Menstrual irregularities
• Hair loss
• Muscle loss

After several bouts of serious abdominal pain, I had my gall bladder removed and I had lost 4 stones in 6 months, don't obsess about a final number, take it steady and it will add up

Julani34

I rarely exercise formally but i hardly sit at all during the day & I go for walks with the kids every day and play ball and carry them around so I'm not completely sedentary .

What if I increased my calories but start doing weight lifting exercises (what is taebo, cardio? ). Will it make a difference in terms of inches rather than actual weight? Cause honestly I would settle at this point for just being able to fit into my clothes. I have nothing to wear. All women say it but I have truly reached that point where I no longer fit into anything I own and I do not want to waste money buying clothes I don't intend wearing for long. Can anyone recommend a dvd workout or YouTube channel that might help me get started? I've only ever done cardio and not often enough to even mention. And leaving the house to go to gym is not an option as I live very far out of town on a farm.

MsMaeFlowers

Fitness blender has a ton of videos for different goals. Eat more calories, fit the pizza in, and actually enjoy your life. It's worth it in the long run.

srk369

Just a note to be aware, don't be concerned if you up your calories a bit and also increase your exercise and see your weight increase or stay the same. Both of those things could increase your water weight and are completely normal and don't mean fat loss isn't happening. Good luck!!