Lost a lot of weight, but is it legit...
ccolizzi
Posts: 12 Member
I am 40 year old male. This year I was/am determined to get healthier. Despite the snowy New England weather I started walking regularly, mostly for mental purposes as a release. I couldn't do much the first few weeks, but I'm sticking with it. I'm now power-walking (with good form) 3.5+ miles every morning. And feel great both mentally and physically. I started using MyFitnessPro to track my eating a month ago. I started on New Years Day at 265 lbs. (at my worst a couple years back I was right around 300 lbs.) It's now 10 weeks later and I weigh 225 lbs. I've never been this light or fit. I quit smoking and my depression is much better. So my lifestyle has changed. I'm aware of what I eat... my problem and the question is... am I actually just starving? And what to do about it. Because the numbers (calories) say, yes I most likely am. It sounds bad but on average I consume 1050 calories/day and NET 825 calories/day. That's real low I know. Some days are higher, some lower. Before I started trying, my diet was awful. If I was hungry I'd eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and loads of sugar, bagels and breads and soda. Now I only drink water (75 oz/day) and eat right, just not enough. I do like the idea of Protein Shakes but they're expensive. Money is another factor. Can't afford to buy steaks and chickens. I live on my own, work 2 jobs and barely get by. I feel like I've got good momentum for the first time in my life. I'm just hoping it's not ALL fake. At 6 feet, I'm pretty good with staying around 225 lbs. for now and getting more active. I also sort of unconsciously have been doing intermittent fasting. Because of my work schedule I basically wake up after 8 hours of sleep, eat breakfast, walk, eat lunch, work 8 hours straight, then eat before bed. All this considered, what is my best course of action?
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Replies
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You are taking some big risks by eating that little, especially not under a doctor's regular supervision. The body can last for some time on too few calories, but eventually it's going to run out of stores of nutrients, especially micronutrients, and that's when you start to feel the effects, usually months down the line, and it takes a long, long time to get back to normal. One of the worst case scenarios, and not uncommon in rapid weight loss due to very low calories, is gall bladder issues, usually leading to removal. For most, fatigue is a big issue, and fatigue is a big derailer when it comes to eating right and exercising. Some also start losing hair, and their skin and nails become brittle and break/crack easily, along with easier bruising. It doesn't sound like fun.
Try your best to include some calorie-dense foods in your diet. I know you probably feel fine now, but there's a high risk of it not lasting if you continue. Oil, cheese, eggs, peanut butter, oats - there are a bunch of more affordable options to get your calories in without going overboard.3 -
how are you measuring your intake? do you weigh your food with scales?2
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Don't weigh food, just go by serving size
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i recommend doing things the healthy way. Enter your stats in MFP and select a reasonable for your stage rate of loss. from your post it sounds like you know what you are doing is not safe or right.
get a food scale and weigh your food to get a better feel for how much you are actually eating.
then eat ALL THE CALORIES MFP recommends PLUS exercise calories.3 -
In my opinion you need to go with more calories and concentrate on getting enough protein. Your heart could suffer from not enough protein.
I started at at 242 early September and am down to 163.6 this morning. I track my calories but keep it at 1300-1700 every day. I also walk 3 miles or a little more most days and do a little weight training and push-ups every day. 64 years old and a little over 68" tall.4 -
Is this sustainable? Can you live the rest of your life like this? If not, you need to find that habits that you will keep. The walking is great, but eating so little cannot be continued forever. Congratulations on your success, but now you need to find a better balance and slow things down. And yes, the scale is great. It makes you much more accurate when it matters.3
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Hi ccolizzi, I've had a similar story to yours in 2017 and 2018.
You might make it to 100 days eating like this, but from previous experience, starting at 275lbs myself and being 6'1" when I reached 100 days something in me finally snapped and that was the last day I exercised or logged on to MFP and recorded food. I have allowed this to happen twice in the past, and both times I was fairly depressed and not myself at the 100 day mark. I lost about 50lbs both times, my net calories were close to yours as well. I know we are all different but when people tell you it will not work in the long term they are 100% correct. I wish I had listened in the past.
I have learned the hard way that the calorie goal that MFP sets you need to reach every day. You also need to eat back exercise calories, perhaps go with 75% of those back and see how you get on. You have done the hard part, now you need to up your calories and develop a new approach that will see you through 2019 and in to maintenance.
Maybe buy a wholemeal or seeded loaf of bread and some turkey and eggs and add in a turkey sandwich or two and some hard boiled eggs to your day. A great mix of protein, cards, fiber and fats for a few dollars extra a week. You can easily add another 700 cals per day and you will feel better for it.
Please don't undo the work you have done to get to this point, it is time for you to make some changes though!!13 -
"I lost about 50lbs both times"
Good insight. Thank you. I know what I have to do. Just need to find a healthy way to increase calories. Did you gain the 50 lbs back right away? After 10 weeks wondering what to expect as I add calories.0 -
I am 40 year old male. This year I was/am determined to get healthier. Despite the snowy New England weather I started walking regularly, mostly for mental purposes as a release. I couldn't do much the first few weeks, but I'm sticking with it. I'm now power-walking (with good form) 3.5+ miles every morning. And feel great both mentally and physically. I started using MyFitnessPro to track my eating a month ago. I started on New Years Day at 265 lbs. (at my worst a couple years back I was right around 300 lbs.) It's now 10 weeks later and I weigh 225 lbs. I've never been this light or fit. I quit smoking and my depression is much better. So my lifestyle has changed. I'm aware of what I eat... my problem and the question is... am I actually just starving? And what to do about it. Because the numbers (calories) say, yes I most likely am. It sounds bad but on average I consume 1050 calories/day and NET 825 calories/day. That's real low I know. Some days are higher, some lower. Before I started trying, my diet was awful. If I was hungry I'd eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and loads of sugar, bagels and breads and soda. Now I only drink water (75 oz/day) and eat right, just not enough. I do like the idea of Protein Shakes but they're expensive. Money is another factor. Can't afford to buy steaks and chickens. I live on my own, work 2 jobs and barely get by. I feel like I've got good momentum for the first time in my life. I'm just hoping it's not ALL fake. At 6 feet, I'm pretty good with staying around 225 lbs. for now and getting more active. I also sort of unconsciously have been doing intermittent fasting. Because of my work schedule I basically wake up after 8 hours of sleep, eat breakfast, walk, eat lunch, work 8 hours straight, then eat before bed. All this considered, what is my best course of action?
In addition to the way-too-low calorie intake, you will likely need to revamp your overall diet.
I know it's easy to say...when money is tight the most affordable foods tend to be carbs. But, saying that it's possible to eat more protein and veggie on a budget, but it does take focus and effort. (Which again, is easy to say if you're not working two jobs, but eating unhealthy is more expensive long term).
* Protein shakes are expensive - not so much if you make your own, such as smoothies.
* Maximize meat - a $7 rotisserie chicken can easily make 3+ meals if used thriftily (roast chicken, chicken salad, chicken soup, rice with chicken, for example)
* Vegetable based protein - rice and beans, for instance.
* Try to cook more from scratch. Pre-prepared usually is more expensive per dish and/or full of fat and high calories. Here's a great .pfd on how to eat well on $4/day: https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf2 -
pauldalton54 wrote: »In my opinion you need to go with more calories and concentrate on getting enough protein. Your heart could suffer from not enough protein.
I started at at 242 early September and am down to 163.6 this morning. I track my calories but keep it at 1300-1700 every day. I also walk 3 miles or a little more most days and do a little weight training and push-ups every day. 64 years old and a little over 68" tall.
WOW YOU LOST 78.4 pounds in what is it 6 months? Thats quite the thing you did!0 -
Finding it very difficult to eat 1500 calories every day 😒1
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Finding it very difficult to eat 1500 calories every day 😒
You didn’t get to the point of needing to lose weight without being able to eat more than 1500 calories. And I hate to break it to you but 1500 calories may not even be ebough for you. That’s the bare minimum for men. Not appropriate for every person to go that low to lose.
The mistake people often make is they think it was their previous diet, in the types of foods, that made them overweight. They decide to lose and do a major overhaul cutting all the things they used to eat in favor of “healthy” but lower calorie foods, which often can be quite filling compared to previous habits. It wasn’t the types of foods you ate before that made you overweight, it was how much you ate of them. It’s great you’ve done a reboot and are eating lots of nutrient dense foods - but you can still have some of the foods you were eating before, especially if you’re short on calories.
People who go from one extreme to the other often find that unsustainable.
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Finding it very difficult to eat 1500 calories every day 😒
Agree with the above, this is likely a mental block given you didn't get to your current weight being "unable" to eat 1500 calories. it's likely fear of not losing/losing less fast.
But while you work on the mental aspect, here is a list of calorie dense foods. you don't need to eat MORE to hit your goal if you don't want more food. Just pick foods that are higher in caloric density (more calories per bite). Nuts get you up there fast (as does peanut butter). if you are eating LOW FAT anything then just replace that with full fat (or higher fat at least: stuff like milk, yogurt, snacks...)
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
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