BEST weight loss advice!!!!! Simple & easy

kgeyser

The issue is that most people think that they can just use the same numbers the whole way through and it's going to work, without considering that the factors used to determine the deficit have changed.

For example, as you lose weight, your BMR lowers. You also burn fewer calories during exercise because there's less mass to move around, and your body has adapted to the routine and become more efficient. You also have to decrease your deficit as you lose weight, because you can only have so much of a deficit before you risk screwing up your metabolism.

So, you're saying that there's a little more to know than calories in/out. Got it!

Then we end up with a huge special snowflake argument because the person wants to say the formula is wrong instead of looking at the data to pinpoint the problem.

I understand for sure. This site is swarming with people with one post asking the same questions over and over again. And the world is filled with people who think that they are special snowflakes ("delicate flowers" as I refer to them) that laws, rules and equations don't apply to. Those aren't really people you can help anyway. Those people won't even look at this thread.

This thread was about making a point and the point wasn't to help anyone. I get it.

No, it's still calories in and out. When you input your weight changes in MFP, it does prompt you about changes to the numbers when you've lost a certain amount of weight. Whether people decide to follow that is up to them, but it is there.

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

As soon as this concept clicked with me I have had success. Even those times that I have gained weight, there is evidence in my diary as to why:)

Love it OP!!:)

Otterluv

The best analogy to describe the oversimplification of this OP is that it's like the laws of physics. You go to college, sit down in your freshman lecture, and are given these simple, immutable laws on the first day. They explain everything and nothing at the same time. If being given the law was enough, that would be the end of the physics courses...but instead you spend 2 or 3 semesters figuring out how these simple laws actually apply to everything.

Absolutely

ndj1979

Pretty strong words coming from someone who has a baby pig as a profile pic. LOL.

In most cases it might be that simple, but weight loss is not a black and white issue. It is different for every person.

at the end of the day it all boils down to calories in vs calories out. So, no it is not different for every person ..

Now, the amount of calories you need to lose, maintain, gain will be different….but the concept is the same for all of us ….

This is barring any medical condition ...

So what your saying is, If I only at 500 calories a day, I should see the scale go down.
you wanna make a wager on this?

yes, on a 500 calorie diet you will lose weight. It will be a lot of muscle and what not, but you will lose weight.

why do you think you would not lose weight eating 500 a day? Even seen pictures from concentration camps, how many calories per day do you think those people ate?

If what you are suggesting is true, then mass starvation would not be possible and everyone in Africa would be fat and happy …

so how much are we betting on this..10k?

are you saying on 5000 calories a day you will lose weight?

why do you think you would not lose weight eating 500 a day? Even seen pictures from concentration camps, how many calories per day do you think those people ate? Could not tell you, I am not a medic, nor was I there to keep track

so how much are we betting on this..10k? -- Really.. you have 10 grand laying around o.k.. I will bet your 10k vs me starting a post every day that says your the greatest. Deal

are you saying on 5000 calories a day you will lose weight? -- Interesting.. look at Hugh Jackman, when he did his last Wolverine movie . He ate 6000 calories of chicken meat. now compare him with other movies he has done.

I measure everything, I keep track of everything..
-- I started out at 1700 calories in and 500 calories out - Nothing
1500 calories in 500 out - No weight loss
1200 calories in 500 - 1000 KC out - no weight loss
1500 KC in - 1500 KC Out - no weight loss

how are you calculating your burns? Also, you have some incomplete days in your diary.

My guess is you are way overestimating your calorie burns.

As for hugh jackman, I am assuming that his training regimen for the wolverine movie was pretty intense and would warrant that kind of intake. I am also g king to assume that he was bulking for that movie because he is always ripped as hell in those movies.

So are you saying that you can net zero calories for six weeks and not lose a single pound?

kitticus15

I do agree with calories in calories out concept, but I also believe we do not know all there is to know about the body and weight gain/loss..

There has been talk in the research areas that each person does not take the same amount of calories from food, so if someone eats a 50 cal apple, one person may take all the calories where another person may only absorb half of them, they are trying to understand why this happens....


so maybe some have a harder time as they absorb more calories from food than others, before someone decides to say its utter nonsense, 30 years ago people were saying its ridiculous to say leptin and grehlin can control hunger...

Capt_Apollo

The best analogy to describe the oversimplification of this OP is that it's like the laws of physics. You go to college, sit down in your freshman lecture, and are given these simple, immutable laws on the first day. They explain everything and nothing at the same time. If being given the law was enough, that would be the end of the physics courses...but instead you spend 2 or 3 semesters figuring out how these simple laws actually apply to everything.

this

dxc92

Calories out > calories in ---> Weight loss

Calories out = calories in ---> Maintain weight

Calories out < Calories in ---> Weight gain


That's all. This should get rid of 99% of stupid posts of people complaining they are not losing weight even though they are at a deficit....

I absolute hate it when people say that.. because its not true.
One of the reasons its not true is because, Weight loss is not linear.
Two - People are not perfect nor do we live in a lab
Three - There is no way we can tell exactly how much calories we burn. although the HRM gives me a certain number of calories burned, It may not be a true number.
Four. -- too much salt, will keep the water, and prevent you from loosing weight
Five - Too much water, will prevent you from loosing weight.
Six - There are reports out there that says too little water will prevent you from loosing weight.

we don't live in a control environment, and although it works perfectly for you and for the next 10 people, I will guarantee you that for the next 100 people it wont work.

Thanks for that - I drink a VERY high amount of number throughout the day to hopefully get rid of water weight and I have been wandering recently why I have not been losing the weight as I always have a deficit and exercise regularly. This could be my problem!!

1princesswarrior

Ok, granted the OP could have been a little more diplomatic in his words. That said there is nothing false in his equations. Circumstances may change the variables but math is math. And as has been said at least 50 times, a lot of this is trial and error because nothing is perfect.

Now for medications. I have been on at least 20 different medications that "may cause weight gain". But I specifically remember my weight gain was from sitting on the couch eating large pizzas and whole bags of chips plus not moving. Before I quit making excuses for myself it was all to easy to blame the medications. I was taken off of them for different reasons and guess what. I still gained weight, in fact, I gained another 30 lbs. So then I came up with another excuse and then another and then another, etc. So I think more research needs to be done to find correlations between medications and weight gain.

There are also very few people (type II diabetes aside) that truly have medical problems inhibiting weight loss. Yet in the latest forums, that is the first thing people turn to instead of weighing and measuring food and trying to estimate a reasonable calorie burn. The later is the typical advice given by MFP veterans in a proactive voice repeatedly.

ndj1979

You started lifting heavy things while still eating at a deficit and stopped losing weight? Forever? Really?

Well gosh, it's only been about a month since I started, but even after a month one might start to wonder why the calories in/out thing has "stopped" working. That equation didn't mention anything about plateaus, did it?

So, maybe it isn't just as simple as the OPs equations. There are more ifs, ands, or buts (butts hurt apparently) to the equation.

I am not saying the basic equation is wrong. But there is more to know than just that.

Would you not agree?

THe OP never said that weight loss is linear, which we all know it is not. You will lose for a while, stall out, and then start to lose again. Typically, what happens is that people do not reset their calories based on their new weight level which causes plateau..but at the end of the day it boils down to being in a deficit for weight and fat loss...

ValerieMartini2Olives

PORTION CONTROL

Hmm, reminds me I was listening to prince just the other day...

Bahaha

MoreBean13

Calories out > calories in ---> Weight loss

Calories out = calories in ---> Maintain weight

Calories out < Calories in ---> Weight gain


That's all. This should get rid of 99% of stupid posts of people complaining they are not losing weight even though they are at a deficit....

I absolute hate it when people say that.. because its not true.
One of the reasons its not true is because, Weight loss is not linear.
Two - People are not perfect nor do we live in a lab
Three - There is no way we can tell exactly how much calories we burn. although the HRM gives me a certain number of calories burned, It may not be a true number.
Four. -- too much salt, will keep the water, and prevent you from loosing weight
Five - Too much water, will prevent you from loosing weight.
Six - There are reports out there that says too little water will prevent you from loosing weight.

we don't live in a control environment, and although it works perfectly for you and for the next 10 people, I will guarantee you that for the next 100 people it wont work.

Thanks for that - I drink a VERY high amount of number throughout the day to hopefully get rid of water weight and I have been wandering recently why I have not been losing the weight as I always have a deficit and exercise regularly. This could be my problem!!

Assuming number=water, this is not your problem. Drinking a lot of water does not stall weight loss. The prior poster was incorrect about this.

ndj1979

Calories out > calories in ---> Weight loss

Calories out = calories in ---> Maintain weight

Calories out < Calories in ---> Weight gain


That's all. This should get rid of 99% of stupid posts of people complaining they are not losing weight even though they are at a deficit....

I absolute hate it when people say that.. because its not true.
One of the reasons its not true is because, Weight loss is not linear.
Two - People are not perfect nor do we live in a lab
Three - There is no way we can tell exactly how much calories we burn. although the HRM gives me a certain number of calories burned, It may not be a true number.
Four. -- too much salt, will keep the water, and prevent you from loosing weight
Five - Too much water, will prevent you from loosing weight.
Six - There are reports out there that says too little water will prevent you from loosing weight.

we don't live in a control environment, and although it works perfectly for you and for the next 10 people, I will guarantee you that for the next 100 people it wont work.

Thanks for that - I drink a VERY high amount of number throughout the day to hopefully get rid of water weight and I have been wandering recently why I have not been losing the weight as I always have a deficit and exercise regularly. This could be my problem!!

Assuming number=water, this is not your problem. Drinking a lot of water does not stall weight loss. The prior poster was incorrect about this.

this is why people get snarky in forums…because people post inaccurate info that is then taken as fact by the new comers….

Please keep drinking water..it really is zero calories, and does help with bloat/water retention...

SezxyStef

Pretty strong words coming from someone who has a baby pig as a profile pic. LOL.

In most cases it might be that simple, but weight loss is not a black and white issue. It is different for every person.

at the end of the day it all boils down to calories in vs calories out. So, no it is not different for every person ..

Now, the amount of calories you need to lose, maintain, gain will be different….but the concept is the same for all of us ….

This is barring any medical condition ...

So what your saying is, If I only at 500 calories a day, I should see the scale go down.
you wanna make a wager on this?

yes, on a 500 calorie diet you will lose weight. It will be a lot of muscle and what not, but you will lose weight.

why do you think you would not lose weight eating 500 a day? Even seen pictures from concentration camps, how many calories per day do you think those people ate?

If what you are suggesting is true, then mass starvation would not be possible and everyone in Africa would be fat and happy …

so how much are we betting on this..10k?

are you saying on 5000 calories a day you will lose weight?

why do you think you would not lose weight eating 500 a day? Even seen pictures from concentration camps, how many calories per day do you think those people ate? Could not tell you, I am not a medic, nor was I there to keep track

so how much are we betting on this..10k? -- Really.. you have 10 grand laying around o.k.. I will bet your 10k vs me starting a post every day that says your the greatest. Deal

are you saying on 5000 calories a day you will lose weight? -- Interesting.. look at Hugh Jackman, when he did his last Wolverine movie . He ate 6000 calories of chicken meat. now compare him with other movies he has done.

I measure everything, I keep track of everything..
-- I started out at 1700 calories in and 500 calories out - Nothing
1500 calories in 500 out - No weight loss
1200 calories in 500 - 1000 KC out - no weight loss
1500 KC in - 1500 KC Out - no weight loss

how are you calculating your burns? Also, you have some incomplete days in your diary.

My guess is you are way overestimating your calorie burns.

As for hugh jackman, I am assuming that his training regimen for the wolverine movie was pretty intense and would warrant that kind of intake. I am also g king to assume that he was bulking for that movie because he is always ripped as hell in those movies.

So are you saying that you can net zero calories for six weeks and not lose a single pound?

over esitmating burns and under estimating portions...measuring cups don't cut it.

Digital food scale gives you much more accuracy on intake....and of course diary is closed....

I as a 41 year old woman can eat 1600 calories a day and lose almost a lb a week weight lifting...not saying everyone is the smae your numbers are fishy

seamonster1203

Lost a couple pounds? You are a fitness expert now. Takes 4 years of college to get a nutritionist degree.....but you've got it all squeezed into a childishly simple forum post. It only shows you know the very very very basics and nothing more.

PetulantOne

Actually, it's not as simple as that. I used to be a competitive skater and before a competition for about 2 weeks I'd almost double my training. HOWEVER, in that time frame, I'd gain about 2-3lbs, even though I was eating the exact same thing. I know I wasn't under estimating because my diet was VERY closely monitored, as in I followed a meal plan and never had anything outside of it.

It also has to do with what your body chooses to adsorb and keep. In those two weeks, my body would keep more of the protein that I was eating and so I put on weight. It was muscle weight so I didn't mind. When I'm really stressed, my weight will drop like crazy, not because I'm not eating but because my body just isn't absorbing any of it.

A better example would be someone who has a cup of coffee everyday. Skipping their morning brew will see themselves gaining about half a pound that day as they would be retaining more water than they usually are.

But the fact is, there are many things that contribute to weight, not just calories.

Fat loss has nothing to do with water retention.

ndj1979

Lost a couple pounds? You are a fitness expert now. Takes 4 years of college to get a nutritionist degree.....but you've got it all squeezed into a childishly simple forum post. It only shows you know the very very very basics and nothing more.

enlighten us then thou great and powerful fitness god….

what would you suggest as a sensible program for long term weight loss and success????

QuietBloom

Lost a couple pounds? You are a fitness expert now. Takes 4 years of college to get a nutritionist degree.....but you've got it all squeezed into a childishly simple forum post. It only shows you know the very very very basics and nothing more.

And who would you be addressing with this post?

Nutritionists are only as good as their knowledge base. I have noticed that they do not seem to keep up with the current research. I have seen some wildly inaccurate statements made on MFP by people claiming to be nutritionists. I have also seen some crazy stuff posted by people who claim to be under the care of a nutritionist.

ETA: I have also seen some excellent advise coming from nutritionists here. So really, you can't make blanket statements about what people know. Even MDs make crazy claims (see Dr. Oz).

seamonster1203

I was talking to the OP.

Most people lose weight when they switch from a very poor diet, to a poor diet, does not make you an expert. If it was that simple %60+ would not be obese. I agree though, there is some very bad advice on this forum. This is the only health/fitness forum where so many people recommend soda and junk food. kinda pathetic.

Achrya

I was talking to the OP.

Most people lose weight when they switch from a very poor diet, to a poor diet, does not make you an expert. If it was that simple %60+ would not be obese. I agree though, there is some very bad advice on this forum. This is the only health/fitness forum where so many people recommend soda and junk food. kinda pathetic.

Just because something is simple doesn't somehow mean that people will find it easy to adhere to. I'd go so far as to suggest that it's because it's so simple that most people fail. They refuse to acknowledge that it's that simple and instead over complicate things to a point that they're unable to follow through or stick to it long term.

Move more. Eat Less. Calories in<Calories out. So simple anyone with a pen, paper, and basic observational skills could do it.

Commander_Keen

SailorKnightW --
I am familiar with BMR and TDEE and I use IIFYM.com calculator..
If I eat less than my BMR and If I eat less than TDEE I should loose weight.
and I do not.