OMG Everything I know is wrong!

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Replies

  • Sreneesa
    Sreneesa Posts: 1,170 Member

    Totally understand what you are saying and respect your post.

    Thank you, I appreciate that.

    I think, regardless of where we're coming from, we've all said just about everything we can to the OP. She's an adult and she'll do what she pleases. And I truly hope that she does find something that works.

    +1

    and

    :flowerforyou:
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member

    The whole situation needs clarification. I'm still confused as to why a registered dietitian would encourage 2100 calories for weight loss when her maintenance calories are supposedly 3100 as a very long distance runner, and I'm also seeing people throw around the 1300 value, which is further confusing.

    She said she eats 1500 calories a day but in a later post said she gains if she starts eating over 1300.

    tumblr_m9capqPBq71qh20x6o1_500.gif
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member

    The whole situation needs clarification. I'm still confused as to why a registered dietitian would encourage 2100 calories for weight loss when her maintenance calories are supposedly 3100 as a very long distance runner, and I'm also seeing people throw around the 1300 value, which is further confusing.

    She said she eats 1500 calories a day but in a later post said she gains if she starts eating over 1300.

    tumblr_m9capqPBq71qh20x6o1_500.gif

    LOL
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member

    exactly. she was telling people to see a professional so they can get plans tailored to them

    Take it from someone who has been lurking in this forum for years. People will see a number of calories and think it's a magic number.

    The whole situation needs clarification. I'm still confused as to why a registered dietitian would encourage 2100 calories for weight loss when her maintenance calories are supposedly 3100 as a very long distance runner, and I'm also seeing people throw around the 1300 value, which is further confusing.

    I would imagine several people are confused. There is the limited information the OP provided, coupled with the twisting of that information by the naysayers, along with a lot of unknowns. Which is why it's so odd that so many insist they know better than the board certified nutritionist, who had an hour long consultation in which she likely gathered the information needed to make an educated analysis.
    The OP herself said the information she gave the nutritionist was based on her own diary here on MFP. When that diary was still open and looked through, her counts appeared to be off. The nutritionist cannot give accurate advice based on inaccurate information. Also, I do question the value of the nutritionist's advice, since she is advising the OP to eat far more calories than she should based on he goals. We are not twisting the information, but questioning it.
  • I would listen to your nutritionalist and doctors and not take any advice from the people on here telling you that the nutritionalist is wrong! <3 Congrats on all your progress!!
  • jnpowers
    jnpowers Posts: 1 Member
    I love that you have started up this intense conversation on weight loss! It sounds like everyone has something different on what works for them. What I, as a Health Educator and Fitness Specialist, would suggest is to look at where your calories are coming from! Not necessarily how many that you are eating...which you do need to eat at least 1200-1500calories a day just to function (if you didn't exercise). I like how your nutritionist suggested 75% of carbs....and yet no one responded to that aspect. This has been quite a debate over the last several years on what athletes truly need- more protein or more carbs. No one has said anything about healthy fats! Your body needs energy--especially to run...so most people suggest carbs. But what if you could train your body to burn fat for energy?? I say this as a cardio person myself. I used to pride myself on burning as many calories as possible during any of my workouts: running, biking, zumba, etc.

    I have recently started to follow a whole health approach where I eat whole foods and try to avoid anything processed. I cook with olive oil, coconut oil, and add avocados to my smoothies. Since I have upped my fat % not only did I drop those pesky pounds i have been trying to for the last 6 years, I have also lost BODY FAT! I have increased my weight training routine and cut back on extended cardio sessions. My HDL (good cholesterol) has sky-rocketed to an unreal high for me (66), coming from a previous high of only 32! (for an interesting read try this book: The Primal Blueprint).

    I love the fact that you have gone to a nutritionist and I would highly encourage you to talk about WHOLE foods....and not just calories. We all need to focus on what KIND of calories we are eating, and not focus so much on how many calories we are consuming. :happy:

    Great conversation!!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I have been on MFP for over 3 years and initially lost 77 pounds FAST! But I have been stuck for 2 years of gaining and losing the same 10-15! I thought I had a health issue so I saw my Dr. she ran every test in the book and said I was healthy but decided to send me to a nutritionist because of my symptoms. I met with the sports nutritionist and man oh man was I wrong about what I thought my body needed! She looked at my MFP food and exercise diaries and then told me I was eating the calories of a 90 year old grandma and no wonder I can't lose weight. With the running Mileage I do a week alone I should be eating 3100 calories a day and 75 percent carbs! Not to mention the other exercise! I was floored I am still having a hard time believing her but an 8 year degree in sports nutrition can't be wrong. She explained that I am no longer the 270+ pound girl that started, I am a marathon runner and an athlete now and if i dont eat like one my body will fight back. I will be using MFP to help me up my calories and get my carbs in but I think I am finally ready to transition to the athlete I am! I just wanted to post this just in case there is anyone else that is facing the same problem of not losing.

    The sports nutritionist may be unaware of the problem of adaptive thermogenesis that challenges the formerly obese (especially women). Basically, what it explains is the situation of two women of exactly the same height and weight with exactly the same activity level having entirely different weight-loss experiences. The reason why is that one of them was never obese and loses weight easily. The other is formerly obese and has to fight VERY hard to even maintain what she has already lost and must deal with a body which refuses to lose any more body fat. Not fair--but there it is.
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member

    That's like saying that many brain surgeons refer to themselves as nurses aides.

    More like saying many surgeons refer to themselves as doctors.
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member

    exactly. she was telling people to see a professional so they can get plans tailored to them

    Take it from someone who has been lurking in this forum for years. People will see a number of calories and think it's a magic number.

    The whole situation needs clarification. I'm still confused as to why a registered dietitian would encourage 2100 calories for weight loss when her maintenance calories are supposedly 3100 as a very long distance runner, and I'm also seeing people throw around the 1300 value, which is further confusing.

    I would imagine several people are confused. There is the limited information the OP provided, coupled with the twisting of that information by the naysayers, along with a lot of unknowns. Which is why it's so odd that so many insist they know better than the board certified nutritionist, who had an hour long consultation in which she likely gathered the information needed to make an educated analysis.

    Yes, but this furore seems to have started over this post...
    It doesn't really make sense for her to say you can't lose weight because you aren't eating enough calories. If you aren't eating enough calories you should be having trouble with losing too much weight, including lean muscle. You should weigh everything you eat and calculate how many calories you need using your TDEE, and then eat below that to lose weight. If you aren't losing weight it's because you are calculating your intake incorrectly and not eating at a deficit.

    Which, rightfully, questions the accuracy of that hour-long consultation with a board-certified nutritionist if it is based on incorrect information - which others who had the benefit of seeing her diary and exercise diary agreed was the case.

    Nobody appeared to twist anything.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    ). I like how your nutritionist suggested 75% of carbs....and yet no one responded to that aspect.
    I've seen it mentioned.
    I suspected that the 75% carbs was based on the 3100 calories for maitenance, when protein needs will likely be lower. Still seems high to me.

    I have recently started to follow a whole health approach where I eat whole foods too - and try to avoid anything that's half a food.
    For instance I have eaten three whole potatoes today, a whole 900ml tub of icecream, two whole low fat yoghurts and a whole turkey breast roll.
    My body fat has been going down and I find I need to often eat even more calories than I've planned to stop myself losing weight too quickly. I summaise it's from this 'whole foods' principal that it's working!
    :D
  • KnM0107
    KnM0107 Posts: 355 Member
    Here is what I got out of the OP:

    If you are struggling in your weightloss efforts or you aren't getting the results you thought you would, it might be a good idea to talk to a professional. That way they can help you develop a plan based on your own situation and stats.

    I didn't read into it more than that.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member

    I have recently started to follow a whole health approach where I eat whole foods too - and try to avoid anything that's half a food.
    For instance I have eaten three whole potatoes today, a whole 900ml tub of icecream, two whole low fat yoghurts and a whole turkey breast roll.
    Hahahaha. I was seriously wondering where you were going with "half a food".
  • ca551dy
    ca551dy Posts: 18
    Holy crap, people...do you talk to total strangers in person the way you do on here? I thought healthy eating, exercising and losing weight made people happier. These forums seem full of miserable people, I don't get it. You DON'T know everything. Truly. You don't.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I love that you have started up this intense conversation on weight loss! It sounds like everyone has something different on what works for them. What I, as a Health Educator and Fitness Specialist, would suggest is to look at where your calories are coming from! Not necessarily how many that you are eating...which you do need to eat at least 1200-1500calories a day just to function (if you didn't exercise). I like how your nutritionist suggested 75% of carbs....and yet no one responded to that aspect. This has been quite a debate over the last several years on what athletes truly need- more protein or more carbs. No one has said anything about healthy fats! Your body needs energy--especially to run...so most people suggest carbs. But what if you could train your body to burn fat for energy?? I say this as a cardio person myself. I used to pride myself on burning as many calories as possible during any of my workouts: running, biking, zumba, etc.

    I have recently started to follow a whole health approach where I eat whole foods and try to avoid anything processed. I cook with olive oil, coconut oil, and add avocados to my smoothies. Since I have upped my fat % not only did I drop those pesky pounds i have been trying to for the last 6 years, I have also lost BODY FAT! I have increased my weight training routine and cut back on extended cardio sessions. My HDL (good cholesterol) has sky-rocketed to an unreal high for me (66), coming from a previous high of only 32! (for an interesting read try this book: The Primal Blueprint).

    I love the fact that you have gone to a nutritionist and I would highly encourage you to talk about WHOLE foods....and not just calories. We all need to focus on what KIND of calories we are eating, and not focus so much on how many calories we are consuming. :happy:

    Great conversation!!

    News flash - you found a way to create a calorie deficit that is working for you and helping you drop body fat %. It has nothing to do with the kinds of foods.

    No offense to the OP but I do not think her fitness level qualifies her as an "athlete" just saying...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Holy crap, people...do you talk to total strangers in person the way you do on here? I thought healthy eating, exercising and losing weight made people happier. These forums seem full of miserable people, I don't get it. You DON'T know everything. Truly. You don't.

    I know that if you eat less then you burn that you will lose weight, but apparently this does not apply to OP ...
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    There's two reasons why eating more prompts more fat loss (although fat loss does not stall in a deficit no matter the intake it can seem that way as the loss is so painfully slow it does not show up on the scale in the short term.)

    1. Cals in has an impact on cals out. More cals in means you can end up doing more, particularly unconsciously both exercise but particularly non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) meaning a greater deficit overall.

    2. "Secret" unconsious eating or inaccurate logging is particularly prevalent with low calorie intakes. There are a number of studies which show that people, even when they are trained by professionals in calorie counting routinely underestimate their intake by up to 50%. Very low intakes prompt feeling of deprivation and it seems the body and brain conspire to compel the dieter to simply eat more and in most instances they are not even aware of the raised intake. It's not that they are lying when they say they believe they are not eating that much.

    When the dieter begins to eat more their feelings of deprivation lessen and so their logging and awareness of what they are eating becomes more accurate as their psychological distress has lessened. Result? Greater deficit overall...
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Holy crap, people...do you talk to total strangers in person the way you do on here? I thought healthy eating, exercising and losing weight made people happier. These forums seem full of miserable people, I don't get it. You DON'T know everything. Truly. You don't.

    If a total stranger who was clearly overweight told me that she was highly active, running marathons, eating ~1300 calories/day, and not losing weight, I probably would just smile, nod, and walk away. Just like the guy who yells about wanting to talk to the FBI and the President every day.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Holy crap, people...do you talk to total strangers in person the way you do on here? I thought healthy eating, exercising and losing weight made people happier. These forums seem full of miserable people, I don't get it. You DON'T know everything. Truly. You don't.
    Would you talk to a stranger like the way you just did?

    Do you know everything?

    If not, do you know if the people who are claiming THEY do know SOME things are wrong?
  • Iwishyouwell
    Iwishyouwell Posts: 1,888 Member
    I have been on MFP for over 3 years and initially lost 77 pounds FAST! But I have been stuck for 2 years of gaining and losing the same 10-15! I thought I had a health issue so I saw my Dr. she ran every test in the book and said I was healthy but decided to send me to a nutritionist because of my symptoms. I met with the sports nutritionist and man oh man was I wrong about what I thought my body needed! She looked at my MFP food and exercise diaries and then told me I was eating the calories of a 90 year old grandma and no wonder I can't lose weight. With the running Mileage I do a week alone I should be eating 3100 calories a day and 75 percent carbs! Not to mention the other exercise! I was floored I am still having a hard time believing her but an 8 year degree in sports nutrition can't be wrong. She explained that I am no longer the 270+ pound girl that started, I am a marathon runner and an athlete now and if i dont eat like one my body will fight back. I will be using MFP to help me up my calories and get my carbs in but I think I am finally ready to transition to the athlete I am! I just wanted to post this just in case there is anyone else that is facing the same problem of not losing.

    The sports nutritionist may be unaware of the problem of adaptive thermogenesis that challenges the formerly obese (especially women). Basically, what it explains is the situation of two women of exactly the same height and weight with exactly the same activity level having entirely different weight-loss experiences. The reason why is that one of them was never obese and loses weight easily. The other is formerly obese and has to fight VERY hard to even maintain what she has already lost and must deal with a body which refuses to lose any more body fat. Not fair--but there it is.

    Adaptive thermogenesis is physiological process that attempts to keep your body at what it perceives is the ideal level. AT, theoretically, would ensure that the newly small body is so efficient in caloric usage that the formerly obese person will require less energy to maintain a similar weight that the always-thin person did.

    This process would ensure that the former-fat-thin person would have to consume less calories, lets say 20%, then the always-thin one, despite what standards expenditure formulas suggest.

    However AT does not mean that somebody has to "deal with a body which refuses to lose any more body fat". AT doesn't stop you from losing, or maintaining weight loss, it makes it more difficult for you to do so while eating the same things as somebody at your similar weight does.

    Even with AT, a person could maintain their weight if they were willing to eat less than somebody else, of similar size, who has always been thin, would.

    Also what is largely left out of this equation is the effects added muscle mass can have in offsetting AT. That's been included in none of the studies. You could raise your basic caloric expenditure by a considerable amount if you took the same formerly-fat-thin person and build an additional 15 LBS of lean muscle tissue on them, allowing them to eat just as much, if not more, as the true-thin and still maintain.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    If anyone wants to watch an interesting viewpoint on this subject this will be of note:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peQYgB-BKhg&amp;feature=c4-overview&amp;list=UUCwh9AxAEesK-t39swKptOQ
  • ca551dy
    ca551dy Posts: 18
    Of course I would. I'm expressing disbelief at the tone people are taking. You know that talking to someone in person the way some of these people are would cause someone to simply walk away rather than listen. If you wanted them to listen to you, you would speak to them in a helpful, conversational way....it still applies here. No one is going to take you seriously or even WANT to take your word for something if you're being condescending and rude about it.

    Of course I don't know everything, which is why I don't hammer my opinion about something that's not black and white into someone's head. Different things work for different people, so I like sharing ideas rather than causing something like....well...THIS.

    I know the people claiming they "know" know what worked for them. I know that because that is the experience they had, they are going to believe in it more. But it doesn't make the experiences of others wrong, stupid, crazy, unfounded, etc.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    :huh:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Of course I would. I'm expressing disbelief at the tone people are taking. You know that talking to someone in person the way some of these people are would cause someone to simply walk away rather than listen. If you wanted them to listen to you, you would speak to them in a helpful, conversational way....it still applies here. No one is going to take you seriously or even WANT to take your word for something if you're being condescending and rude about it.

    Of course I don't know everything, which is why I don't hammer my opinion about something that's not black and white into someone's head. Different things work for different people, so I like sharing ideas rather than causing something like....well...THIS.

    I know the people claiming they "know" know what worked for them. I know that because that is the experience they had, they are going to believe in it more. But it doesn't make the experiences of others wrong, stupid, crazy, unfounded, etc.

    Then address it to the OP as well her snark started on page 2 with
    But i'm glad your degree in sports nutrition has made you an expert......

    and yes if a stranger or coworker or anyone said what the OP said I would say exactly what I said in my first post in a civil tone and if they argued back and got snarky with me...yah you bet I would be snarky back...then after they continued to argue with multiple people saying the same thing I would bring out the sarcasm...not so much the gifs those are are to do irl.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    There's two reasons why eating more prompts more fat loss (although fat loss does not stall in a deficit no matter the intake it can seem that way as the loss is so painfully slow it does not show up on the scale in the short term.)

    1. Cals in has an impact on cals out. More cals in means you can end up doing more, particularly unconsciously both exercise but particularly non exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) meaning a greater deficit overall.

    2. "Secret" unconsious eating or inaccurate logging is particularly prevalent with low calorie intakes. There are a number of studies which show that people, even when they are trained by professionals in calorie counting routinely underestimate their intake by up to 50%. Very low intakes prompt feeling of deprivation and it seems the body and brain conspire to compel the dieter to simply eat more and in most instances they are not even aware of the raised intake. It's not that they are lying when they say they believe they are not eating that much.

    When the dieter begins to eat more their feelings of deprivation lessen and so their logging and awareness of what they are eating becomes more accurate as their psychological distress has lessened. Result? Greater deficit overall...

    Thank you so much for posting this! These two principles apply to 90% of the arguments that arise on MFP, yet nobody ever seems to bring them up. They seem to be pretty much common sense to me. When people claim that they lose more weight by upping their calories, they are actually probably eating less calories than before. When a person is in a huge deficit, it becomes quite easy to ignore that extra tsp of sugar or tbsp of fat free mayo. Those calories add up. When they up their calories, for fear of gaining weight, people tend to be a little more diligent about their logging. That's my assumption anyway. Not to mention the extra energy...
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    Shocked-Troy-Walks-Into-Fire-With-Pizza-Community.gif
  • ca551dy
    ca551dy Posts: 18
    Wasn't directing it at any one person. I guess I just think MFP should be a happier place, that's all. I get there are 1,000 opinions, as there are 1,000 ways to lose weight. It just seems like people are so quick to be rude when they aren't agreed with, or when they are doing the disagreeing.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    Doesn't anybody use a body fat scale to see how they are doing percentage-wise? I use my own body fat scale but then when I get it done professionally every other week (on a Tanita body composition analyzer) I can see how my scale rates (it actually is not bad). So, I know out of 11 lbs. I lost, 10 lbs. was fat.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Shocked-Troy-Walks-Into-Fire-With-Pizza-Community.gif
    Oooh, the darkest timeline!
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    Of course I don't know everything, which is why I don't hammer my opinion about something that's not black and white into someone's head. Different things work for different people, so I like sharing ideas rather than causing something like....well...THIS.

    The thing is, weight loss is very black and white. Special snowflake syndrome is rife here, but in reality it applies to a minuscule amount of people.

    BMRs and calorie formulae do apply to you. Calories in vs. calories out applies to you, too.
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    I get there are 1,000 ways to lose weight.

    Can you cite peer reviewed studies on this?