Losing weight too fast - advice please??

kimwig

Personally (and this is only my opinion of course) I think eating additional nuts or sugar-rich fruits simply to intake additional calories is hugely counter-productive to your efforts. I think the reason this site (and many other diet programs) suggest consuming 1200 calories is not so much for biological reasons but psychological reasons - to prevent people from going on such a restricted food intake that they give up after a week through boredom. Keeping people at 1200 calories means (on average) that they reduce their food intake enough to actually lose a good amount of weight but eat enough not to get totally frustrated with their new diet. Half the battle of losing weight is will power. A lot of people start talking about 'starvation mode' when on diets but this is a fallacy. If calorie intake is restricted hugely (so 200 or so calories per day) for an extended period (at least a week) then the metabolism will shift to run the body on a much lower energy level. However, the other side effects of this would be incredibly noticeable - violent headaches, stomach cramps, nauseousness, huge fatigue. They wouldn't have any energy to move very far (this is how the body reduces its energy/calorie requirement). I doubt many people in the developed world have ever even approached starvation mode.

I should clarify that many people are not saying that you should NET 1200 calories... they (or at least me) are saying that you should CONSUME 1200 calories. You can net whatever you want. But if you don't consume at least 1200 calories a day, I cannot see how you can get the protein and nutrients you need to stay healthy.

You are creating a division in your point that is in regards to those who state that you must net 1200 calories. There is a big difference between that camp of thought and the rest of us who are simply stating that 1200 calories is required to get nutrients.

As well, you should try to get your nutrients via your foods whenever possible and only supplement with vitamins when your diet is lopsided due to allergies or other restrictions beyond your control.

I agree that people need to be smart as to where they get their calories from, as there are "bad" calories (ie from fatty foods).

Eating nutrient rich food, low in fat, refined sugars and salt is the way to go. I though have no problem in a vitamin / mineral supplement and a fish oil capsule on a daily basis (just in case).

I know that I want to get the best "value" for each calorie I consume.

willowglimmer

WOW!! I go out for a good night out (alcohol calories burned through dancing!!) and you have given me much food for thought (pun intended!!)

This is a lifestyle change and I'm actually enjoying and tasting food more now than I did before I decided to lose weight. Sometimes I can't believe how much I've eaten yet stayed within my limits. I can actually say I am enjoying the changes I am making.

Input from other people is really helpful and without you I would probably fret myself silly and start eating to compensate!!

Thank you all :-D

kimwig

WOW!! I go out for a good night out (alcohol calories burned through dancing!!) and you have given me much food for thought (pun intended!!)

This is a lifestyle change and I'm actually enjoying and tasting food more now than I did before I decided to lose weight. Sometimes I can't believe how much I've eaten yet stayed within my limits. I can actually say I am enjoying the changes I am making.

Input from other people is really helpful and without you I would probably fret myself silly and start eating to compensate!!

Thank you all :-D

Glad it is helping.

One thing to be careful of (and I sound like a real kill-joy), alcohol gets converted to fat (its just our biology - the body does not have an enzyme pathway to convert it to sugar for immediate use). But the dancing will at least be burning other calories!

I found that alcohol was such a "bad" calorie I just stopped drinking it (and I used to LOVE red wine). I found it made such a difference to my weight loss and how I felt (and it stopped me making bad food choices after a few too many).

whittrusty

Did you just start losing weight? If so, it might just be water weight. Your body won't let you lose weight too quickly. If it thinks it's starving, you'll start holding on to every calorie you eat, thus preventing you from losing weight. I would stay with your same pattern and see how it goes over the next week or two.

willowglimmer

I'm not really a drinker as a rule, had five vodka soda and limes with a soda and lime in-between each (I like to be able to laugh at others as they get totally bladdered!!) but had fun dirty dancing with my husband and NO kebab at the end of the night.

I started dieting again in October so not really new to it now, did just finish my period last week so maybe it was hormonal??

I'm not worried now after all these replies, I figure everybody is different so therefore anything goes when it comes to weight loss :-)

guardup

Glad it is helping.

One thing to be careful of (and I sound like a real kill-joy), alcohol gets converted to fat (its just our biology - the body does not have an enzyme pathway to convert it to sugar for immediate use). But the dancing will at least be burning other calories!

I found that alcohol was such a "bad" calorie I just stopped drinking it (and I used to LOVE red wine). I found it made such a difference to my weight loss and how I felt (and it stopped me making bad food choices after a few too many).

I actually just started making myself consume red wine. I'm not worried about the alcohol sugar... it burns like anything else. My bigger concern is getting the antioxidants. There have been so many studies to show that red wine and green tea are HUGE in slowing mental decline as you get older.

I'll take the extra calorie hit in exchange for the mental benefits.