So exactly when does all the bad stuff happen?

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  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    How many hours does OP exercise a day? I was curious because of the high burn estimates. I typically don't get anything near 500 unless I do a kickboxing or zumba class.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    You're 5'5" and 120 trying to lose 9-13 lbs (ticker v posts)? I guess my reading skills do lack! That does sound like 'bad stuff' is happening, sweetie. Loving to work out is one thing but when you're also eating at extreme deficits and aiming for below-normal BMI, it could be a bad thing.

    (Never thought I'd say this, but...) ^this

    (Right!) And ^this x2.

    Seriously. How your doctor didn't figure this out, I have no clue...but I think everyone else can figure out why you stopped having your period.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    Not necessarily. Not that I think 110 is a reasonable goal for someone 5'5" (at 5'1.5" I have trouble getting there myself), but she's 45. She could be going through menopause. At the risk of TMI, I stopped at 43 and so did most of the women on my mother's side of the family.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    This is a long thread and I'm not a fan of everyone who started out in it so I don't want to read all the responses that are likely to follow.

    Instead I went to your profile which states you weigh 120.

    For any height that's a pretty decent weight. It's not really high even for a short person.

    If you think you have been doing what everyone warns about and are fearing the aftermath why not call your weight loss portion DONE as 120 is an enviable goal for most heights. Then increase your eating little by little about 100 cals per week until you are at a level more in line with maintenance TDEE for your height.

    This way you can hopefully solve your problem before you get to it.

    A brief glimpse into your diary shows you have pretty high cal burns which might mean lots of cardio. IF you truly feel your body is not where you want it to be and you think losing an extra 10 lbs should do it, this is where sometimes people get better results with recomp, or just with adding weight as muscle. IF you are taller than 5'0" to 5'4" it is perfectly valid that you can look better at a higher weight once that weight is made out of muscle.

    It might be time to consider incorporating lifting and thinking about how muscle will further your fitness progress to where you are comfortable with how you look.

    See these pics for examples of what I mean by looking better weighing more

    http://www.mybodygallery.com/photos-35089-body-shape.htm?StartAt=15#.U8hRcONdVA0
    http://www.mybodygallery.com/photos-40546-body-shape.htm?StartAt=18#.U8hRjuNdVA0

    That website would help you see examples of many weights including the ones you are considering.

    ETA: I didn't find your height on your profile so just used 5'0 to show the differences in weighing more than 120 but looking better.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,081 Member
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    You're 5'5" and 120 trying to lose 9-13 lbs (ticker v posts)? I guess my reading skills do lack! That does sound like 'bad stuff' is happening, sweetie. Loving to work out is one thing but when you're also eating at extreme deficits and aiming for below-normal BMI, it could be a bad thing.

    (Never thought I'd say this, but...) ^this

    (Right!) And ^this x2.

    Seriously. How your doctor didn't figure this out, I have no clue...but I think everyone else can figure out why you stopped having your period.

    I am not going to comment on OP's nutritional or calorie intake here, enough has been said about that - but just before everybody gets on this bandwagon - I don't really think periods winding down at age 45 is neccesarily due to a calorie or nutritional deficiency - far more likely to be the advent of menopause - a normal life event happening to all women from around this age.
    Not a nutrition or calorie issue at all.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    So I am wondering when all the bad stuff that I keep hearing about e.g., ruined metabolism, muscle loss, starvation mode, etc. is supposed to happen?
    You mean like losing your period, for example?
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    You're 5'5" and 120 trying to lose 9-13 lbs (ticker v posts)? I guess my reading skills do lack! That does sound like 'bad stuff' is happening, sweetie. Loving to work out is one thing but when you're also eating at extreme deficits and aiming for below-normal BMI, it could be a bad thing.

    (Never thought I'd say this, but...) ^this

    (Right!) And ^this x2.

    Seriously. How your doctor didn't figure this out, I have no clue...but I think everyone else can figure out why you stopped having your period.

    I am not going to comment on OP's nutritional or calorie intake here, enough has been said about that - but just before everybody gets on this bandwagon - I don't really think periods winding down at age 45 is neccesarily due to a calorie or nutritional deficiency - far more likely to be the advent of menopause - a normal life event happening to all women from around this age.
    Not a nutrition or calorie issue at all.

    So we'll just ignore the part where her doc said the cause was most likely due to malnutrition?
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,081 Member
    Options
    You're 5'5" and 120 trying to lose 9-13 lbs (ticker v posts)? I guess my reading skills do lack! That does sound like 'bad stuff' is happening, sweetie. Loving to work out is one thing but when you're also eating at extreme deficits and aiming for below-normal BMI, it could be a bad thing.

    (Never thought I'd say this, but...) ^this

    (Right!) And ^this x2.

    Seriously. How your doctor didn't figure this out, I have no clue...but I think everyone else can figure out why you stopped having your period.

    I am not going to comment on OP's nutritional or calorie intake here, enough has been said about that - but just before everybody gets on this bandwagon - I don't really think periods winding down at age 45 is neccesarily due to a calorie or nutritional deficiency - far more likely to be the advent of menopause - a normal life event happening to all women from around this age.
    Not a nutrition or calorie issue at all.

    So we'll just ignore the part where her doc said the cause was most likely due to malnutrition?

    That's not quite how I read it - her doctor said it ( it being the problems in general ,not just the periods stopping) could be a combination of her nutrition and her age. She also said her blood tests came back normal - hormone levels dropping to the point of effecting periods IS within the range of normal for her age.

    Given she has lost at a steady rate and is probably eating more than she thinks, then yes, I think the likely cause for her periods winding down is the advent of menopause, not a nutritional issue.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Options
    You're 5'5" and 120 trying to lose 9-13 lbs (ticker v posts)? I guess my reading skills do lack! That does sound like 'bad stuff' is happening, sweetie. Loving to work out is one thing but when you're also eating at extreme deficits and aiming for below-normal BMI, it could be a bad thing.

    (Never thought I'd say this, but...) ^this

    (Right!) And ^this x2.

    Seriously. How your doctor didn't figure this out, I have no clue...but I think everyone else can figure out why you stopped having your period.

    I am not going to comment on OP's nutritional or calorie intake here, enough has been said about that - but just before everybody gets on this bandwagon - I don't really think periods winding down at age 45 is neccesarily due to a calorie or nutritional deficiency - far more likely to be the advent of menopause - a normal life event happening to all women from around this age.
    Not a nutrition or calorie issue at all.

    So we'll just ignore the part where her doc said the cause was most likely due to malnutrition?

    That's not quite how I read it - her doctor said it ( it being the problems in general ,not just the periods stopping) could be a combination of her nutrition and her age. She also said her blood tests came back normal - hormone levels dropping to the point of effecting periods IS within the range of normal for her age.

    Given she has lost at a steady rate and is probably eating more than she thinks, then yes, I think the likely cause for her periods winding down is the advent of menopause, not a nutritional issue.

    Yes. Thank you
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    How many hours does OP exercise a day? I was curious because of the high burn estimates. I typically don't get anything near 500 unless I do a kickboxing or zumba class.

    I work out a lot. Usually a quick "wake me up" 20 minutes on the elliptical w/push ups, sit ups, squats. I have a fitness center where I work that is free for employees (lucky) so I head there during lunch and grab an hour on the ARC or tread mill for running and do some weights every other day. Every night I either dance for an hour or I do MMA. Two nights a week at my boxing club we have a one hour calisthenics class followed by one hour of boxing so I get huge burns on those days. Saturday and Sunday I only do a morning class each day but try to get in a light walk with my dogs as well. I try to take one rest day a week and find myself with some light elliptical on those days.
  • anneruppert
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    I don't know about the original poster but I typically eat around 1000 calories a day because of my hypothyroidism. I am working out and burning 513 calories a day. But aside from an issue like mine that cause weight gain with a lack of appetite, I would be worried about not eating enough if I was that person.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    Fitbit and MFP
    It does no double count as long as you're recording your activities (except for running/walking/jogging) and indicating the start time and duration.

    'To directly address your question, when you do end up manually logging any exercise on the MyFitnessPal side, you will choose a start time and a duration. We then send that data to Fitbit who removes that time period from their data and replaces it with ours.

    Once you have linked your account with an App Gallery partner that measures your full day's calorie use, it's important that you log your food and exercise only with MyFitnessPal. We will sync your food and exercise diary information to the partner site for you. Logging food or exercise yourself on the partner website is unnecessary, and may lead to incorrect Net Calorie Goal adjustments.

    Please note that if you are wearing a step-based tracker such as Fitbit, we recommend that you not manually log any exercise to your MyFitnessPal Exercise Diary that these devices excel at tracking: this includes walking, jogging, running, climbing stairs or hills, or daily home or office activity. These will be more accurately recorded by the device and will then transfer to MyFitnessPal as part of your Calorie Adjustment

    We recommend that you manually log to MyFitnessPal any exercise that your step-based tracker's system will have trouble detecting accurately, such as rowing, cycling, and of course activities like swimming during which you cannot wear the device."
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
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    So I am wondering when all the bad stuff that I keep hearing about e.g., ruined metabolism, muscle loss, starvation mode, etc. is supposed to happen? I have been going strong for a year and three months, still solid with a fairly substantial deficit and/or negative net at the end of the day about 90% of the time. I have not experienced any of the scary stuff people like to talk about. Honestly, I just continue to feel better and stronger with more energy and endurance...

    Anyone else experience this? Anyone experience a "Real" crash and burn? Could it be that everyone is just different and some can tolerate and/or even thrive on extreme low calorie and hard work and others can't? I would love to understand this because many folks took great pains in 'warning' me of the dangers. Well, I am in deep waters and there are no dangers as far as the eye can see. Is there a magical time-frame like two years in? I know that a body can take a lot of abuse for a long time before breaking down, but how long exactly? Could it also be true that a body will actually learn to adapt to it's new environment when given no other choice?

    I am not being sarcastic here, I really would like to hear some stories and opinions on all of this. And I don't mean opinions or nastiness toward me and please no lectures and no opinions on my own health and nutrition plan.

    Just personal experience, personal perspective based on what we have heard, read, etc.
    There is so much conflicting information!
    I'd love to hear some real life experiences.

    Thanks!

    Glad its going well for you. I also did okay at 1200 NET (i considered this a large deficit) for a time.

    Don't want to rain on your parade but, hopefully you are paying attention to the things you can't see like muscle and bone density loss. As females, we're losing bone mass every year from around age 35 - a huge deficit can speed up this process.

    so, well done on your weight loss so far - just be aware that its better to lose mostly fat and not do damage to your whole body composition.

    ETA: granted i only looked at a few days but - you're not hitting your fat goals. Try to get enough fat so you don't impede hormone production (also joint health, brain function etc.).
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Options
    So I am wondering when all the bad stuff that I keep hearing about e.g., ruined metabolism, muscle loss, starvation mode, etc. is supposed to happen? I have been going strong for a year and three months, still solid with a fairly substantial deficit and/or negative net at the end of the day about 90% of the time. I have not experienced any of the scary stuff people like to talk about. Honestly, I just continue to feel better and stronger with more energy and endurance...

    Anyone else experience this? Anyone experience a "Real" crash and burn? Could it be that everyone is just different and some can tolerate and/or even thrive on extreme low calorie and hard work and others can't? I would love to understand this because many folks took great pains in 'warning' me of the dangers. Well, I am in deep waters and there are no dangers as far as the eye can see. Is there a magical time-frame like two years in? I know that a body can take a lot of abuse for a long time before breaking down, but how long exactly? Could it also be true that a body will actually learn to adapt to it's new environment when given no other choice?

    I am not being sarcastic here, I really would like to hear some stories and opinions on all of this. And I don't mean opinions or nastiness toward me and please no lectures and no opinions on my own health and nutrition plan.

    Just personal experience, personal perspective based on what we have heard, read, etc.
    There is so much conflicting information!
    I'd love to hear some real life experiences.

    Thanks!

    Glad its going well for you. I also did okay at 1200 NET (i considered this a large deficit) for a time.

    Don't want to rain on your parade but, hopefully you are paying attention to the things you can't see like muscle and bone density loss. As females, we're losing bone mass every year from around age 35 - a huge deficit can speed up this process.

    so, well done on your weight loss so far - just be aware that its better to lose mostly fat and not do damage to your whole body composition.

    ETA: granted i only looked at a few days but - you're not hitting your fat goals. Try to get enough fat so you don't impede hormone production (also joint health, brain function etc.).

    Thanks for your feedback I appreciate it.
    I struggle with fat intake that is for sure. I grew up during the whole "Low fat everything" movement so its kind of hard to break that habit. A lot of the items I eat are low fat with the exception of oils and nuts and sometimes snacks. I am not a fan of fat... in my mouth or on my body. But I know it's really important for overall health and function. Breaking bad habits one habit at a time I guess. :)
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    This is a long thread and I'm not a fan of everyone who started out in it so I don't want to read all the responses that are likely to follow.

    Instead I went to your profile which states you weigh 120.

    For any height that's a pretty decent weight. It's not really high even for a short person.

    If you think you have been doing what everyone warns about and are fearing the aftermath why not call your weight loss portion DONE as 120 is an enviable goal for most heights. Then increase your eating little by little about 100 cals per week until you are at a level more in line with maintenance TDEE for your height.

    This way you can hopefully solve your problem before you get to it.

    A brief glimpse into your diary shows you have pretty high cal burns which might mean lots of cardio. IF you truly feel your body is not where you want it to be and you think losing an extra 10 lbs should do it, this is where sometimes people get better results with recomp, or just with adding weight as muscle. IF you are taller than 5'0" to 5'4" it is perfectly valid that you can look better at a higher weight once that weight is made out of muscle.

    It might be time to consider incorporating lifting and thinking about how muscle will further your fitness progress to where you are comfortable with how you look.

    See these pics for examples of what I mean by looking better weighing more

    http://www.mybodygallery.com/photos-35089-body-shape.htm?StartAt=15#.U8hRcONdVA0
    http://www.mybodygallery.com/photos-40546-body-shape.htm?StartAt=18#.U8hRjuNdVA0

    That website would help you see examples of many weights including the ones you are considering.

    ETA: I didn't find your height on your profile so just used 5'0 to show the differences in weighing more than 120 but looking better.

    Thanks! Great links btw
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,070 Member
    Options
    thats totally understandable. low-fat was bandied around for far too long (and by DOCTORS too).

    I am trying to get my mum out of this mindset atm (she's a LOT older than you(56) btw). I warn about the bone density as she recently had a dexa which showed the onset of osteoperosis - which imo, is in no small part, due to her 'fat is evil' attitude.

    If it makes you feel better, get your fat from 'healthy' sources like, nuts, olives, avacados, flaxseeds, oily fish etc. But try to hit that goal.

    I always sound like a broken record but, have you considered weight training? You can bring cals up gradually, like someone else suggested, till you're at maintainence (maybe even a small surplus!) and work on body composition. Studies have even shown improvements in bone density from going this route. thats why i'm dragging my mum out to the weight room twice a week (and working on three).

    again, i have nothing against the whole 1200 thing, i did it myself, but I don't think its a great idea long-term.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    How many hours does OP exercise a day? I was curious because of the high burn estimates. I typically don't get anything near 500 unless I do a kickboxing or zumba class.

    I work out a lot. Usually a quick "wake me up" 20 minutes on the elliptical w/push ups, sit ups, squats. I have a fitness center where I work that is free for employees (lucky) so I head there during lunch and grab an hour on the ARC or tread mill for running and do some weights every other day. Every night I either dance for an hour or I do MMA. Two nights a week at my boxing club we have a one hour calisthenics class followed by one hour of boxing so I get huge burns on those days. Saturday and Sunday I only do a morning class each day but try to get in a light walk with my dogs as well. I try to take one rest day a week and find myself with some light elliptical on those days.

    If I get an hour a day plus a 30 minute walk, that's a good day for me. Most days, I don't have time for more than an hour. I'd say for you, fitness isn't just for health, but a major part of your life, the way some are committed to playing a musical instrument. I know I wouldn't be able to survive on so few calories at that level.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    thats totally understandable. low-fat was bandied around for far too long (and by DOCTORS too).

    I am trying to get my mum out of this mindset atm (she's a LOT older than you(56) btw). I warn about the bone density as she recently had a dexa which showed the onset of osteoperosis - which imo, is in no small part, due to her 'fat is evil' attitude.

    If it makes you feel better, get your fat from 'healthy' sources like, nuts, olives, avacados, flaxseeds, oily fish etc. But try to hit that goal.

    I always sound like a broken record but, have you considered weight training? You can bring cals up gradually, like someone else suggested, till you're at maintainence (maybe even a small surplus!) and work on body composition. Studies have even shown improvements in bone density from going this route. thats why i'm dragging my mum out to the weight room twice a week (and working on three).

    again, i have nothing against the whole 1200 thing, i did it myself, but I don't think its a great idea long-term.

    Yeah my mom was the same way with low fat items. Having grown up that way it's sure hard to change your mind set. But I do try to incorporate some... and am working at getting better. I do (for now), take a calcium supplement as well as omega. I do eat fish, especially salmon so. It's not an overnight change as we all know.

    Actually, I am having my first personal training session this afternoon! I am excited about it. I'll be able to learn about proper weight training for my specific goals. The trainer is also a nutritionist so I'll be able to run some things by her and get some sound advice.

    Thanks!
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Options
    How many hours does OP exercise a day? I was curious because of the high burn estimates. I typically don't get anything near 500 unless I do a kickboxing or zumba class.

    I work out a lot. Usually a quick "wake me up" 20 minutes on the elliptical w/push ups, sit ups, squats. I have a fitness center where I work that is free for employees (lucky) so I head there during lunch and grab an hour on the ARC or tread mill for running and do some weights every other day. Every night I either dance for an hour or I do MMA. Two nights a week at my boxing club we have a one hour calisthenics class followed by one hour of boxing so I get huge burns on those days. Saturday and Sunday I only do a morning class each day but try to get in a light walk with my dogs as well. I try to take one rest day a week and find myself with some light elliptical on those days.

    If I get an hour a day plus a 30 minute walk, that's a good day for me. Most days, I don't have time for more than an hour. I'd say for you, fitness isn't just for health, but a major part of your life, the way some are committed to playing a musical instrument. I know I wouldn't be able to survive on so few calories at that level.

    Yes... it is an absolutely huge part of my life and a priority. It makes me feel strong and healthy and accomplished (in a way). I love that I continually achieve goals and am able to do things I never imagined I could! I wish I could do it full time and have considered getting certified many times and teaching part time. I am taking the basic zumba certification class this Fall and plan to start teaching a few classes here and there :smile: The problem is I have an excellent career and can't give it all up to start over. But it's certainly something I want to do on the side.

    I was always the kid who hated gym, hated sports, never wanted to participate, couldn't really do anything physical, always picked last blah, blah, blah... it wasn't until my early 40s that I realized I could do (or at least try) anything physical! My very first class was a 45 minute sculpting class. I grabbed a pair of 3 pound hand weights and was exhausted and hurting within minutes of the workout! I was sore for the next three days. These days I head into the gym and squat a heavy bar double my own body weight... no problem. I recognize the fact that I probably over-train and I never really get that 'sore satisfaction' feeling any more no matter how hard I push myself. It takes me a good 40 minutes to break a sweat and I have to really truly push myself to spike my heart rate. I work as hard, or harder than everyone else but people think its easy for me because I don't sweat much lol! I do an hour solid of boot camp w/ little to no breaks (just quick sips of water), and consider that my warm up for the next hour of MMA. The more I do, the more I 'can' do. Which I guess is goes back to the original post... how far can I take it? If you don't push yourself, you can't find your limits and if you can't find your limits you can't push past them, break through plateau's and all of that. Maybe I am just mental... :smile:
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    But how far you can "take it" physically needs to be supported nutritionally. I guess that's the concern with some of the posters, that you are engaging in intense physical activity but not fueling your body sufficiently. That's when the "bad stuff" happens. I'm sure when you're working with a trainer, he or she will advise you about caloric intake and macros, especially protein, to support your workout levels. All I can say form my own perspective is that I work out modestly every day, and I am not meeting or barely meeting my protein macros on most days because it's difficult to do and I'm "netting" 1100-1200 a day.