SOMEONE HELP!

PrincesPerfect

Im in a rut. I dont know what is wrong with me. Everyone at work is on a diet and openly discussing it. About how much they eat, what they eat, what they want to lose, and how fast they will all do it by. Ive found that by listening to them, hearing what these girls eat, im astounded at how dramatically different i am. I eat less than half the calories these girls eat when im NOT dieting, as they are. A light bulb went off in my head, this cant be right. Are these girls really eating more than TWICE what i do, on their DIETS and they are losing weight so quickly? How is that so?

Ive espressed this to them, they have become close friends and i wouldnt normally share this information with anyone, But, they said they dont think i eat enough, and that is why my body is holding on to my fat for dear life in worries that it will not be fed. typically, i will eat just fruits and vegtables, maybe a thing or two more but stay beneath 1000 calories MAXIMUM. (I realize this is unhealthy, unrealistic lifestyle) however, even doing so, i stopped losing weight completely. HOW CAN THIS BE?, Taking this into consideration, i dieted "normally" for one week. to see if they might be right. I didnt lose weight, not even close, I gained 7 pounds.....

Someone help! have a ruined myself by dieting so strictly for so many years?! can it be un done? what diet should I start to contuine to lose weight?! Does anyone know whats wrong with meee?!

rfialkiewicz

It will take a few weeks for your body to kick back out of the "saving" mode. So yes, you will gain a few pounds, but if you stick to it, you will start to lose again.

Is that you in your avatar pic? You look beautiful!!

vkpmusic

Your body has gone into starvation mode. Women should not eat below 1200 calories a day. Period. You might get away with this for a day or two or even a week or two...but eventually your body believes it will never get more than 1000 calories and slows down to adjust. It will then add fat for EVERY calorie over that it gets. It's in survival mode. You need to go on here and tell it your lifestyle and stick to the 1200 or 1400 or whatever it says. You will probably gain back a little at first, but once your body figures out you are going to feed it on a regular basis, it will allow you to drop weight again.

Tasha1476

yeah, I agree. You will have to stick to the eating more diet a few weeks before your body is willing to stop clinging to every lb! In addition to eating more, maybe try eating very small meals but often in the day.. when your body starts to see a constant source of nutrients, it will adapt and chill out. You will see weight drop off in no time.

BN10tional

Dieting is only half of the equation...have you discussed how your friends are exercising as well?

angiereid

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.

bjberry

Eat the 1200 calories (low fat, low sodium, high fiber, and lots of water). Include some protien, since your muscles need to be fed during this weight loss. Walk a little each day, savor life, laugh with friends, but eat at least 1200 calories per day.

You can do this. :drinker: (water)

Teresa652

Today I'm at work and haven't packed enough calories to get me over 1200 and almost 400 calories under my calorie daily goal, I must have left the rest on the counter. Should I spurge and buy something from the vending machine even though there isn't much in the way of healthy?


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

vkpmusic

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.

I love Love LOVE the answer to #4! :laugh: And it's so true!

lotusfromthemud

double post

lotusfromthemud

OK, this will be long. Please read it if you are confused. Disclaimer: I am not a dietician or a doctor, just a successful loser and maintainer, who has consulted both doctors and dieticians.

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes. MFP is already figuring a deficit for you to lose weight. This deficit is based on what you need to eat based on your everyday activity, not counting exercise. In the end, it's all about "net calories" (you can view yours under reports)

Example: you need to eat 2,000 calories to maintain your current weight (random number)
MFP will tell you to eat 1,500 to lose one pound per week (500x7=3500=one pound loss).

Let's say you exercise, and burn 500 additional calories.
UH-OH, now you are at a 1,000 calorie a day deficit. You need 2,000 calories to maintian, are already restricted to 1500, so now your net calories are a 1,000 a day. This is starvation central. Your body, which is very good at keeping you alive, will store and save calories. You WILL stop losing weight. You WILL want to throw your scale out the window.

Eat your exercise calories. At least eat most of them.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

Answer:
Run, don't walk, to "tools" and use the BMR calculator. Please, please, please, eat at least your BMR calories every day. You might lose weight more slowly, but you will still lose, and you will not longer feel a sudden urge to fall over every time you do, well, anything.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

Answer: (warning: extremely opinionated answer ahead)
You don't. You can lose weight through diet alone. But, then you will be skinny and flabby. Is a model skinnier than me? OH, YES! Is she healthier than me? probably NOT. She couldn't survive the hour-long spin class that I take three times a week. Trust me. Her skin is a mess, she smokes, and she looks like crap in person.

I love Love LOVE the answer to #4! :laugh: And it's so true!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

Here's the link to my original post...lots of info and further discussion there.:flowerforyou:

PrincesPerfect

thanks so much for all your replys! i guess its just aggrivating getting over the "gaining weight" so my body can re-adjust thing. im a maniac and when i see the scale go up im right back at my old habbits but you are all right. im going to try to get my body back on track and not care so much about the scales oppinion! xoxo

PrincesPerfect

It will take a few weeks for your body to kick back out of the "saving" mode. So yes, you will gain a few pounds, but if you stick to it, you will start to lose again.

Is that you in your avatar pic? You look beautiful!!

lol, what do you mean avatar pic? my main picture is just regular old me! lol and thank you!