Conscious Eating and RMR

PaperDahlia

I've been reading up today, on RMR, which is the Resting Metabolic Rate.
Really I was quite surprized by the fact that while going on a 1200 calorie diet might work for people to lose weight quickly (can't tell you how many people have tried to sell that one in conversation in my day to day)--you're actually hurting your body more than helping it.

Your body needs a certain amount of calories in order to maintain it's basic functions, like breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc. If you don't eat enough calories to match your RMR, then you can feel any number of a slurry of symptoms, not limited to, extreme fatigue, weakened immune system/chronic illness, weight gain, among other things. Basically the body goes in to crisis mode. I guess you could say then, that people who are anorexic or bulimic eventually give the body no choice but to abandon it's plan to fight back, and give in.

Well, I have to stand up and say that in high school, the 1200 calories a day is exactly what I did to lose weight. and now i'm realizing it was not the way to go .. (realize i'm 31, so in my sophomore year, the internet was not yet a household item on a mass level.. so information like this was not readily found). I probably did much more harm than good-- and it angers me that my dr was the one patting me on the back the most about my weight loss. she never asked me how i did it. she just wanted to compare everything to the outdated BMI charts of the WWII era.

I have to agree with a lot of the comments i've seen on this board.
It's about taking the time and initiative to do something GOOD for yourself. not rushing it.
even if you stall or plateau, eventually your body will begin to lose weight again.
so to people who are getting frustrated--- hang in there!!

this brings me to my next topic. CONSCIOUS EATING.
I was watching that I Can Make You Thin series w/ Paul McKenna on TLC.
I feel he had a lot of really great points to make, that maybe some people overlook or are unaware of.

one of his top weight loss principles is-- if you're hungry, EAT!
i think this all ties back into the RMR/ basic daily calories.
if we really learn to listen to our body-- to learn to overcome the emotional or habitual ways we unconsciously eat, then we're on a path to success.

If you've never heard of it, give it a try.
basically to consciously eat, you want to put yourself sitting at a table for each meal.
preferably in a pleasant, quiet space. no music or tv allowed.

Take a bite with your fork.
put the fork down.
chew the food at least 12-20 times before swallowing.
pick up your fork,
begin again.

i can't tell you how valuable this tool is.
for me personally, i was no longer sitting down in front of the tv when i got home, and eating ravenously to fill this void caused by stress of my work day.

now i take the time to enjoy each bite. to savor it. to really taste it.
even oreos are not off limits.
only now, maybe i eat just one, instead of 12!

has anyone else employed these principles?
how have they suceeded for you?
or how do you think you could have utilized them differently?

Thanks for your opinions and input

PaperDahlia

I've been reading up today, on RMR, which is the Resting Metabolic Rate.
Really I was quite surprized by the fact that while going on a 1200 calorie diet might work for people to lose weight quickly (can't tell you how many people have tried to sell that one in conversation in my day to day)--you're actually hurting your body more than helping it.

Your body needs a certain amount of calories in order to maintain it's basic functions, like breathing, heartbeat, digestion, etc. If you don't eat enough calories to match your RMR, then you can feel any number of a slurry of symptoms, not limited to, extreme fatigue, weakened immune system/chronic illness, weight gain, among other things. Basically the body goes in to crisis mode. I guess you could say then, that people who are anorexic or bulimic eventually give the body no choice but to abandon it's plan to fight back, and give in.

Well, I have to stand up and say that in high school, the 1200 calories a day is exactly what I did to lose weight. and now i'm realizing it was not the way to go .. (realize i'm 31, so in my sophomore year, the internet was not yet a household item on a mass level.. so information like this was not readily found). I probably did much more harm than good-- and it angers me that my dr was the one patting me on the back the most about my weight loss. she never asked me how i did it. she just wanted to compare everything to the outdated BMI charts of the WWII era.

I have to agree with a lot of the comments i've seen on this board.
It's about taking the time and initiative to do something GOOD for yourself. not rushing it.
even if you stall or plateau, eventually your body will begin to lose weight again.
so to people who are getting frustrated--- hang in there!!

this brings me to my next topic. CONSCIOUS EATING.
I was watching that I Can Make You Thin series w/ Paul McKenna on TLC.
I feel he had a lot of really great points to make, that maybe some people overlook or are unaware of.

one of his top weight loss principles is-- if you're hungry, EAT!
i think this all ties back into the RMR/ basic daily calories.
if we really learn to listen to our body-- to learn to overcome the emotional or habitual ways we unconsciously eat, then we're on a path to success.

If you've never heard of it, give it a try.
basically to consciously eat, you want to put yourself sitting at a table for each meal.
preferably in a pleasant, quiet space. no music or tv allowed.

Take a bite with your fork.
put the fork down.
chew the food at least 12-20 times before swallowing.
pick up your fork,
begin again.

i can't tell you how valuable this tool is.
for me personally, i was no longer sitting down in front of the tv when i got home, and eating ravenously to fill this void caused by stress of my work day.

now i take the time to enjoy each bite. to savor it. to really taste it.
even oreos are not off limits.
only now, maybe i eat just one, instead of 12!

has anyone else employed these principles?
how have they suceeded for you?
or how do you think you could have utilized them differently?

Thanks for your opinions and input

yoginimary

Agree - and try to eat mindfully - harder than it sounds.

The "I can make you thin" was inspired by Mindless Eating by Wansink, if you want to check it out.