Eating back calories

ladyhawk00

ladyhawk, we're way off subject. The issue is, you're misinterpreting what I am saying. NOT once have i said a VLCD is healthy. It's not healthy, we can both agree on that. What i am saying, we don't need as many calories as we think we do. That's all, Eating back your exercise calories has an adverse effect on weight loss. That's all I am saying.

Before someone jumps to the "eating more often speeds up metabolism." That is false. If you burn 2000 calories a day, and you eat 1500 calories a day, it doesn't matter if you eat them in the morning, or at night, or in 50 meals. You STILL burn 2000 calories a day and you're still consuming 1500. Doesn't matter how many times you chop up a carrot, it's still 1 whole carrot.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8399092

I am with you ladyhawk on the dangers of VLCD. I stated my point on that. I am estimating my BMR< but i'd say it's around 3200 calories. Today I ate under 1500 calories I believe. This is not starvation mode, I can lose weight on 500 calories a day, but that is very unhealthy.

There many health benefits associated with fasting(not eating). If it's done temporarily. A few studies concluded your metabolic rate doesn't drop within 72hrs. Notice I said nothing about exercise. I am not sure if that study was done with exercise or with out, that makes a big difference.

Long term fasting, yes it's dangerous, I wouldn't advise it. I wouldn't even advise fasting for 2 days. Maybe 1. To people who are reading this, all these studies with low calorie diets where under medical supervision, keep that in mind.

Is eating too many carbs dangerous? Yes, Is eating too much protein dangerous? Yes, is Eating too much fat dangerous? yes. Is eating too little of these macro nutrients dangerous? yes. Is too little exercise dangerous?, yes, is too much exercise dangerous? yes

Point is, too much or too little of anything is dangerous. I am sure you'd agree on that. You said some things, then you posted studies that completely oppose what you said to make a point. My point with that is, yes... studies can be misleading and misunderstood. What where these people eating on these diets? Where they trigger with certain people? How much did they exercise if they exercised at all? It doesn't say that stuff. It's best to listen to your own body and listen to what it's telling you. Despite what anyone says, including me, including you, including studies. Only one person knows their body best, and it's them. Things should be approached with a logical approach. Does it make sense to create a caloric deficit to lose weight? Yes. Does it make sense to not go to low with you calories? Yes. It's common sense.

We're not off track - I'm just trying to get you to stop making vague "soundbite" statements. You say you don't tell anyone that VLCDs are healthy - but you say "not eating" will result in better weight loss and then you post a study that says there won't be any decrease in metabolism while on a VLCD, which IMPLIES that just anyone can do it and there won't be any negative effects. I'm not at all saying anyone here can't think for themselves - but most people here have NO education in nutrition, health, or weight loss. Most people here desperately want to lose weight and be healthy. But most of the folks here (especially beginners) have no idea how to do that...and if someone says "800 cals is fine" many will try it, even if it is NOT safe or appropriate for them to do so. Many lack even basic knowledge of what healthy food is - so how can they be expected to even develop a complex, precise eating plan such as would be required for a VLCD (or fasting, for that matter), let alone deal with all of the other safeguards.

MFP promotes healthy, safe weight loss. Which also, by definition, means a moderate deficit. There are many reasons health experts, GPs, dietitians, fitness experts, and the vast majority of other health care professionals do NOT recommend losing more than 2-3 lbs per week -- especially for someone who does not have a specifically designed meal plan and is not being closely monitored by a physician. Most people here are on their own. So there is NO reason to encourage people to attempt strategies that are risky. Period.

Eating back (at least some) exercise cals ensures a moderate deficit. It is successful for most people, if they are accurate with intake and expenditure. The calculators here are accurate for about 85% of the population. Most of the people it would not be accurate for have major medical issues (such as thyroid or PCOS.) There are SLIGHT differences for each person, but no where near a big enough difference for the vast majority that it throws off the calculations. MFP is highly successful - and the main reason is that it gives people the tools and knowledge of how to lose weight and, more importantly, how to maintain that loss and stay healthy. Anyone can create a huge deficit and lose weight. But almost no one keeps weight off when it is done like that. MFP teaches people how to lose weight slowly, while learning new eating habits they can stick with FOREVER. Not just for a while. And losing weight doesn't do anyone much good if it's back (with extra) next year.

ladyhawk00

Just a note, for the folks who say eating them back causes them problems:

"I know many people will say "I can't eat my exercise calories, I gain weight when I do". Well I have news for you, that's not correct. I submit this, if you eat your exercise calories and gain weight 1 of 3 things happened:
1 you were previously in starvation mode, and you upped your calories, and had an immediate weight gain, that's normal, to be expected, and necessary to get your body on track. Give it a month, that will stop, and you, once again, will begin to lose, but this time, in a healthy manner.
2 you incorrectly calculated something, either your exercise calories, your calorie intake, or you put in to large of a goal. Go back and check all your numbers.
3 you haven't given it enough time to work. This site promotes HEALTHY weight loss people. Healthy weight loss doesn't happen in days or weeks, it takes months and years. Each change you make in how you eat needs a month or more to work, be patient, give it time. It will happen."
(Taken from Banks' post http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits )

And check this out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/117726-eating-exercise-cals-slowing-your-weight-loss-read-this
(seriously a MUST read)

registers

Just a note, for the folks who say eating them back causes them problems:

"I know many people will say "I can't eat my exercise calories, I gain weight when I do". Well I have news for you, that's not correct. I submit this, if you eat your exercise calories and gain weight 1 of 3 things happened:
1 you were previously in starvation mode, and you upped your calories, and had an immediate weight gain, that's normal, to be expected, and necessary to get your body on track. Give it a month, that will stop, and you, once again, will begin to lose, but this time, in a healthy manner.
2 you incorrectly calculated something, either your exercise calories, your calorie intake, or you put in to large of a goal. Go back and check all your numbers.
3 you haven't given it enough time to work. This site promotes HEALTHY weight loss people. Healthy weight loss doesn't happen in days or weeks, it takes months and years. Each change you make in how you eat needs a month or more to work, be patient, give it time. It will happen."
(Taken from Banks' post http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits )

And check this out:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/117726-eating-exercise-cals-slowing-your-weight-loss-read-this
(seriously a MUST read)

And I post BS??? okay. Here are the "EDUCATED" facts about it. Why people don't "REALLY" get results. Not eating back their calories. Directly from my blog.

I feel I am "constantly" repeating myself. The same questions pop up over and over again. The same debate over and over again. It's just ridiculous. My fingers are tired, i burned like over 10,000 calories typing. I must be in starvation mode by now. -rolls eyes-

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* Starvation mode - Starvation mode is a state in which the body is responding to prolonged periods of low caloric intake levels. During short periods of caloric abstinence, the human body will burn primarily free fatty acids from body fat stores

I got that definition online. It's very accurate. Take note it says "NOTHING" about exercise, and it also says "prolonged periods of low caloric intake levels." People who are "concerned" about starvation mode are the people who aren't eating their exercise calories, and who are on a low calorie diet.



if you're exercising, you have no concern about starvation mode.



Exercise has been shown to release growth hormone. Growth Hormone preserves muscle mass. The more intense the exercise the more growth hormone is released. If you don't exercise, you will lose muscle mass and your metabolic rate will slow down. Predators in the wild only hunt when they're hungry. They only eat when they get a kill. Does it make biological sense to get rid of muscle mass when you need muscle mass to survive? It's common sense.



Studies below:



below is a study that supports the theory that GH is released when exercising. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12797841



Another study where people ate 800 calories a day without loss of muscle mass or metabolic rate. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10204826



A study that concludes that not eating burns 5 times fat http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12051710

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Why starvation mode affects some and not others



* Glucagon - This is a hormone that is the opposite of insulin. It is released when insulin levels are low. Glucagon is a "releasing" hormone. It releases glucose from the muscle, or it releases fat from the body.





* Insulin - Is the opposite of glucagon, insulin stores glucose in the muscle or stores fat when the muscles are already full of glucose.





* Glucose - It's what gets stored in the muscle for energy. In lamens term it's just a form of sugar.


People who eat low calorie diet that are high in carbohydrates, this will keep your muscles full of glucose when you do exercise, you will release some, then you eat again then you're refilling your muscles with glucose. This is why some people will not lose weight in a low calorie diet. Some people can lose weight doing this, I know someone on this webpage who ate 1000calories a day mostly of carbs. He also lost a lot a weight, this made no sense to me. Then i was like "duh" I asked him, how much exercise did you do? He said "60-120min" of high intensity cardio. High intensity uses muscle fibers 2A and 2B which burn up sugar in the muscle, once it's gone, then you get a lot of energy from body fat.



People who eat low calorie with high protein, will keep insulin levels low that will increase glucagon which releases bodyfat and sugar from the muscles. This is why people "can" lose weight on a low calorie diet.



In summary, its not "how many calories you eat" it's about the "TYPE" of calories you eat.







Should I eat back my exercise calories?



For weight loss, no. I already explained how eating will increase insulin, which can store fat. If you're an athlete yes you should. this will keep your glyocgen stores full so you can perform better.







My fitness pal says i am starvation mode what should i do?



I already talked about the starvation mode theory. What you DO need is protein. If you're getting enough protein for your muscles you will be fine. Like i said protein helps release bodyfat. The "average" protein requirement is about 7.5grams per "MUSCLE WEIGHT" or lean body mass. .5 for sedentary people, 1.0 for athletes.



Another thing to keep in mind would a 110lbs women who eats 1200 calories be in starvation mode? NO. So completely ignore the starvation mode on this website.







I am not losing any weight what do i do?



Lack of weight loss is due to the lack of your ability to release body fat. The culprit is insulin, once again. Too many calories, or too many carbs. Don't decrease your caloric intake, just lower your carbs, and consume more protein. If you lower your calories, this will in turn also reduce carbs by default. It will also "decrease" the amount of glucagon released. If you just lower your carbs and increase your protein and fats. You will "increase" your glucagon levels which will help release body fat.

registers

And PLEASE go read banks post about "guide to calorie deficits" Read the second to last post where i dis proven most of what he said.

erickirb

And PLEASE go read banks post about "guide to calorie deficits" Read the second to last post where i dis proven most of what he said.

Many studies have been done that disprove what you are saying as well. So I also say BS to your posts just as you are doing to others that disagree with you. There are thousands of MFPers that have had great results from eating exercise caloires, in fact it is what you must to to meet your daily caloric deficit target. And that is what MFP is all about with its calorie goal.

registers

And PLEASE go read banks post about "guide to calorie deficits" Read the second to last post where i dis proven most of what he said.

Many studies have been done that disprove what you are saying as well. So I also say BS to your posts just as you are doing to others that disagree with you. There are thousands of MFPers that have had great results from eating exercise caloires, in fact it is what you must to to meet your daily caloric deficit target. And that is what MFP is all about with its calorie goal.

The bodybugg i used, says how inaccurate the BMR calculators are. I am not sure what exactly you're talking about. I do agree studies can be "misinterpreted" by members who pass the info along. That's the importance of posting the actual study.

registers

And PLEASE go read banks post about "guide to calorie deficits" Read the second to last post where i dis proven most of what he said.

Many studies have been done that disprove what you are saying as well. So I also say BS to your posts just as you are doing to others that disagree with you. There are thousands of MFPers that have had great results from eating exercise caloires, in fact it is what you must to to meet your daily caloric deficit target. And that is what MFP is all about with its calorie goal.

The bodybugg i used, says how inaccurate the BMR calculators are. I am not sure what exactly you're talking about. I do agree studies can be "misinterpreted" by members who pass the info along. That's the importance of posting the actual study.

carmenstop1

I guess the real question is "do you want to lose weight the healthy way and keep it off?" If so, then you listen to Banks and Ladyhawk! If you want to be a yo-yo dieter, lose weight too fast, and then regain it all plus a little more besides....listen to asmcriminal! I tried the VLCD for many years, you lose weight (lots of weight fast) but then your body adjusts and being the effiecent machine it is, it starts to store calories because it thinks it is starving if you do not eat enough! Then suddenly you start gaining instead of losing! There is no easy way to lose weight, there is no magic pill or magic diet! It has to be a lifestyle change and you have to educate yourself. Read the posts by people who have done lots of research (real research...not wikepedia or yahoo!) and lived it!

LisaKyle11

I guess the real question is "do you want to lose weight the healthy way and keep it off?" If so, then you listen to Banks and Ladyhawk! If you want to be a yo-yo dieter, lose weight too fast, and then regain it all plus a little more besides....listen to asmcriminal! I tried the VLCD for many years, you lose weight (lots of weight fast) but then your body adjusts and being the effiecent machine it is, it starts to store calories because it thinks it is starving if you do not eat enough! Then suddenly you start gaining instead of losing! There is no easy way to lose weight, there is no magic pill or magic diet! It has to be a lifestyle change and you have to educate yourself. Read the posts by people who have done lots of research (real research...not wikepedia or yahoo!) and lived it!

yep... i'm with Ladyhawk... and i am sure that a lot of us, on occasion, have overestimated the calories we burned and/or have eaten.

lennykat

I guess the real question is "do you want to lose weight the healthy way and keep it off?" If so, then you listen to Banks and Ladyhawk! If you want to be a yo-yo dieter, lose weight too fast, and then regain it all plus a little more besides....listen to asmcriminal! I tried the VLCD for many years, you lose weight (lots of weight fast) but then your body adjusts and being the effiecent machine it is, it starts to store calories because it thinks it is starving if you do not eat enough! Then suddenly you start gaining instead of losing! There is no easy way to lose weight, there is no magic pill or magic diet! It has to be a lifestyle change and you have to educate yourself. Read the posts by people who have done lots of research (real research...not wikepedia or yahoo!) and lived it!

Ditto this!!

I've starved and exercised and lost and gained. I'm done with it. The term "LIFESTYLE CHANGE" indicates the desire to not OBSESS over food and exercise but to make good choices without the stress. If that means that I have to eat my exercise calories back and lose weight a little slower-- so be it.

I have kids, vacation plans, friends who I have lunch with, date nights, trips to the movies-- I WILL NOT allow my "diet" to controll these aspects of my life.

Basically its like this: Food and diet will have to revolve around me not me around it. I've spent too many years and too many tears to lose it super fast doing stupid stuff. Going all day without eating so I feel like crap and snappy to the people I care about just so I can eat 2000+ in the evening is plain dumb and inconsiderate. I'm not going to torture my loved ones for my vanity. It's a "LIFESTYLE CHANGE".

registers

I guess the real question is "do you want to lose weight the healthy way and keep it off?" If so, then you listen to Banks and Ladyhawk! If you want to be a yo-yo dieter, lose weight too fast, and then regain it all plus a little more besides....listen to asmcriminal! I tried the VLCD for many years, you lose weight (lots of weight fast) but then your body adjusts and being the effiecent machine it is, it starts to store calories because it thinks it is starving if you do not eat enough! Then suddenly you start gaining instead of losing! There is no easy way to lose weight, there is no magic pill or magic diet! It has to be a lifestyle change and you have to educate yourself. Read the posts by people who have done lots of research (real research...not wikepedia or yahoo!) and lived it!

Carmen, once again you're misinterpreting what i am saying. When did i recommend a VLCD? I eat 4000 calories a day sometimes., i eat cookies sometimes, and peanut butter cups. Does this sound like deprivation? does this sound like starving??? What would most likely lead to yoyo dieting, is when you deprived yourself of certain foods, which is very much done on your typical diet. Does it sound like i am Deprived with 4000 calories on certain days? I lost 20lbs in 3 weeks, some of the people that recommend the standard diet, that has no basis in biochemistry are lucky if they lose that 20lbs in 3 months. I am not saying peanut butter cups are healthy, i am just showing the flexibility of my plan.

carmenstop1

Thought I would share this with MFP. Very interesting article and Tom Venuto is one of the most respected Fitness Professionals in the world - Enjoy.....

By Tom Venuto


Somewhere in your fitness travels (or random googling), you may have come across the topic of “metabolic damage” or its close relative, “starvation mode.” Perhaps both. If so, you probably felt a twinge of fear after hearing a description like this one:

star•va•tion mode - a series of metabolic, hormonal and behavioral responses to extreme or prolonged calorie deprivation, which is common during many popular weight loss diets. Since your body can’t recognize the difference between severe dieting and starving, it responds as if you were really starving: Protective mechanisms are activated to decrease your rate of further weight loss, including reduced energy, lower physical activity and increased appetite. Your metabolism also slows down more than you’d predict for the amount of body weight lost.

As you self-diagnose your symptoms, you really begin to worry: low energy… hungry all the time… can’t stop thinking about food... seems like you’re not losing fast enough for how little you’re eating… weight loss has gotten slower or even reached a plateau. And when returning to normal eating, you seem to gain back the weight faster and easier than you ever gained weight before!

At this point, your heart drops into the pit of your stomach and you’re convinced that you’re a metabolic damage victim. “What If I’m in starvation mode?” you ask yourself. “What if I’ve messed up my thyroid gland?” “What if I’m stuck with this fat forever because my metabolism is SHOT?”

Okay, now that I’ve scared you half to death, you can take a deep sigh of relief. Not because there’s no truth to the problems I’ve just described, but because there are solutions.

The metabolic damage and starvation mode controversies

First, I want to confirm that both “starvation mode” and “metabolic damage” are real, although some bloggers and internet writers keep insisting they’re not. The reason for the confusion is understandable though, because these phenomena are misunderstood, and myths about them abound.

The big doozy is the (mythical) girl who (claims) she’s eating “only 300 calories a day and not losing weight.” Funny how you put her in a metabolic ward on 1000-1200 calories a day (measured and enforced) and she starts losing weight like crazy. That wasn’t starvation mode caused by a 300 calorie per day “slow metabolism.” The damaging admission you’ll never hear from our physics-defying girl is, “I suck at counting calories and I underreport how much I eat…. Oh yeah, I overestimate how many calories I burn too.” [end sarcasm]

Starvation mode and metabolic damage are also not scientific terms, which is another reason they are unduly dismissed. If you look up “adaptive thermogenesis” however, (the technical term for the metabolic decrease part of starvation mode), you’ll find plenty of evidence proving that it’s real. It affects some people more than others due to genetic and lifestyle factors and it’s not a stretch to suggest that metabolic damage hits women harder than men.

Details about the mechanisms and hormones involved are beyond the scope of this article and would put 90% of my readers to sleep anyway. What’s important for now is that you understand this: starvation dieting causes rapid weight loss, but also causes “bad stuff” to happen to your body that makes continued weight loss more difficult and weight regain more likely. It’s a very complex process, involving numerous feedback loops and body systems.

The lasting effects of starvation dieting

Research dating back to the 1980’s and 1990’s found that diet-induced decreases in metabolism can extend to the period AFTER the diet is over. This gives us yet another reason why keeping the weight off is so hard.

Diane Elliot, an MD and professor of medicine at Oregon University published her research in 1989 about the lasting effects of very low calorie diets. She wrote:

"Resting metabolic rate of our obese subjects remained depressed after massive weight loss despite increased caloric consumption to a level that allowed body weight stabilization."

In 1997, Abdul Dulloo and his colleagues at the University of Geneva completed a similar study which examined the effects of semi starvation after the calorie restriction had ended. He said:

"The reduction in thermogenesis during semistarvation persists after 12 weeks of restricted refeeding, with its size being inversely proportional to the degree of fat recovery."

In 1999, Arne Astrup published a meta analysis with data from all the studies which had investigated changes in metabolism after weight loss. They found that formerly obese subjects had a 3-5% lower resting metabolic rate than control subjects who had never been obese.

These and other studies suggest that metabolic consequences of crash dieting and rapid weight loss persist after the diet is over. The degree of metabolic drop can vary from the almost insignificant to the very serious, but the drop is real. This is “metabolic damage.” I would define it not only as the bad stuff that happens during the diet, but also as the lag time between when a severe diet ends and when your hormones, metabolic rate and appetite-regulating mechanisms get back to normal.

Pursuing weight loss the wrong way (“dumb dieting”) makes the bad stuff worse and aftereffects linger longer. Pursuing fat loss and body composition improvement the smart way minimizes the bad stuff and prevents outright metabolic damage. The Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program is based – from A to Z – on doing fat loss the smart way.

7 Smart strategies for fat burning and metabolic health

Below, you’ll see 7 of the best fat burning strategies which keep your hormones happy and your metabolism burning hot.

Eat more! You need a caloric deficit for weight loss, but there are different ways to do it. You can eat less. You can exercise more. You can do a little bit of both. In addition, how specifically you eat less and exercise more makes all the difference. The smart way is to avoid crash diets and pursue slower but steady fat loss with an eye on body composition. Start with a conservative deficit of only 20% below your maintenance level. Use a larger deficit only if you’re seriously overweight. Increase the deficit incrementally when you need to, ideally not going above 30% under maintenance. When you add in resistance training, cardio training and an active lifestyle, your calorie expenditure (metabolism) goes way up, and that’s how you can legitimately eat more and keep getting leaner.
Eat natural. The long term use of refined, artificial foods will eventually take its toll on your health. When hormonal health declines, body composition outcomes are worse during weight loss and risk of metabolic damage may increase. Furthermore, most natural, unprocessed foods, especially vegetables and lean proteins, are lower in caloric density and can lead to spontaneous decreases in caloric intake compared to the standard American diet (S.A.D.) For optimal body composition results and metabolic and hormonal health, it’s not just about calorie quantity, but also calorie quality. Don’t focus on one to the neglect of the other.
Eat often and regularly: I recommend eating like a physique athlete. Spread your total daily calories into 4-6 small meals per day, if feasible, and be sure to include a source of lean protein with every meal. Consistency is also of great importance: studies have shown that haphazard eating patterns are at least partially responsible for metabolic disarray including decreased thermic effect of feeding and dysregulation of blood sugar and insulin.
Use carb cycling. The Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle Method puts you in the optimal healthy calorie deficit, but periodically, you increase your calories to keep your metabolism and appetite regulating hormones up at the normal level. Instead of the carb-phobic diets that millions of people still follow (which can actually suppress hormones like thyroid and leptin), carb cycling with a high carb refeed every 4th day or so, allows you to eat more carbs and you still keep losing fat. The benefits are physical and psychological and best part is, you’re never completely deprived.
Take Diet breaks: Avoid prolonged periods in aggressive caloric deficits. If you have a lot of fat to lose and it’s going to take more than 3 months to hit your long term fat loss goal, don’t do it all in one stretch. Take a week at maintenance calories after 12 weeks of restricted dieting. This – raising your calories - is the most counter-intuitive of all the metabolism-rebuilding strategies but it’s one of the most important.
Do Cardio. Don’t Over-Do It. If you’re overweight, you can sometimes get away with very low calorie diets without adverse consequences if you’re not doing tons of cardio on top of it. Endurance athletes get away with high volume training because they provide ample amounts of food to fuel it (man, those guys can EAT!) Dieters and physique competitors on the other hand, often semi-starve themselves while doing huge amounts of cardio at the same time. Exercise research says that extreme amounts of cardio during a diet can actually cause the same type of adaptive metabolic downshift as eating too little food. Fitness and figure competitors have been known to do 2 or even 3 hours of cardio a day before competitions. This kind of overtraining can be counter-productive when you look at the metabolic damage and “cardio dependency” potential. And remember, if you’re not diligent, you can out-eat almost any amount of exercise. If you’re doing upwards of an hour of cardio a day and not seeing significant fat loss, you’d better take a close look at your diet first before you rush to add more cardio.
Weight training: In the physique world, weight training is a foregone conclusion. But in the everyday world of Suzy soccer mom, weight loss = “diet,” not weight loss = “lift weights.” For many non-athlete women, “lift weights to lose weight” doesn’t even compute. But weight training is so important for metabolic health and better body composition, that if you were forced to choose one or the other – cardio or weights – the weightlifting would be a NO BRAINER decision. If you have a concern about metabolic damage and you’re not weight training yet, there’s nothing else to discuss. Start pumping iron, then get back to me.
What if you have long history of starvation dieting and yo yo weight cycling?

Ok, so these 7 strategies are great for avoiding metabolic damage and minimizing the metabolic adaptations that happen while dieting. But what if you’re a chronic dieter and you fear that you’ve already messed up your metabolism?

Take another sigh of relief. With the exception of a pessimistic report we see here and there about metabolic damage being irreparable, the majority of the research says the effects are temporary. In severe cases, it may take a little longer to get back to normal and continue on to achieve your long term goals, but it's never hopeless.

One case I recall was a former jazz and ballet dancer. At 5' 5", she was previously 110 lbs and had increased to about 145 or so. She didn't want to reach her previous 110, but find a happy medium of about 125 -130 lbs. I figured with at most 20 lbs to cut, this would be a simple and predictable process, but she had a challenging time dropping fat even on a surprisingly low caloric intake. I didn't know why at first – but I knew she wasn’t cheating and she was tracking food intake meticulously.

I later found out that she had been anorexic and bulimic for many years. This had lasting repercussions, and although she did reach her goal, it took about twice as long as we anticipated.

Easing into more calories and more carbs with a transitional period

If you think you’re in the same boat: (A) it seems like you’re not eating that much, but you’re not losing fat and or (B) you’ve finally reached your goal but you’re terrified of regaining if you raise your calories, you should use the same 7 strategies to get your metabolism back in gear. You simply need to add a “transition period” to build your calories back up slowly. If you’re worried about suddenly increasing your calories, you’re not paranoid – you’re prudent.

After becoming accustomed and somewhat adapted to a lower caloric intake, avoid abruptly jumping up to your predicted maintenance level. Instead, increase calories slowly 100-200 at a time and hold them there for one week. Measure the results after each one week phase, and then repeat until you reach your appropriate deficit or maintenance level. This will give your body and your mind time to adjust.

Here’s another safe way to ease into a higher food intake. This is ideal if you’ve been on a low calorie, low carb diet and you want to ease out of it. Add carbs, but start by adding them only in the post workout meal. During the post-training window of opportunity, not only will the carbs NOT get stored as fat, (they’ll get sucked right up into muscle glycogen), this strategy can dramatically improve your body composition and workout recovery.

If you still feel discouraged despite now having these strategies at your fingertips, then take one last sigh of relief. The good news is, even in extreme cases, these nutrition and training principles work! It just takes a little longer. My dancer client? She kept going. With patience and hard work, she placed top 5 in a national fitness competition – and as you can imagine, her routine was killer, just like her body! By the way, her program included serious heavy training with free weights and she ate a lot more (clean) food than she had ever eaten before…

carmenstop1

I don't think I am misinterpreting what you are saying....you are telling people that starvation mode is a myth and that it is safe for them to eat less than 1200 calories and not eat exercise calories back! I can go back and find 4-5 threads where I have seen you post this! I am telling you that is crap! It will work short term, and then it will backfire! Yes you have lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks, congratulations! But I am going to tell you that my brother went on a low calorie diet, he lost 70 pounds in 3 months and in the last year has gained 90 back! If it is working for you, that is wonderful! Talk to me in a year and we will see where you are then, if you are still thin and fit and doing the exact same thing, then you can give advice to people, until then, please use this site for what is was designed for....advice for people who want to do this in a healthy and safe way!!!!

registers

you are telling people that starvation mode is a myth and that it is safe for them to eat less than 1200 calories and not eat exercise calories back!

It's unsafe for 4'10" woman who weighs 110lbs to eat 1200? Think about this, why is that number so fixed in the health and fitness community? Does it apply to everyone? This is a perfect example of BS in the community of health and fitness. Where is starvation mode in the study where people ate 800 calories a day without losing muscle mass and losing body fat? Once again I am not saying that is a healthy diet. How come people suffer from starvation mode and not others? I described why from a biological perspective in a earlier post. What does this study "really" say? It says it's not really about the numbers there are many affects besides the numbers that count.

I completely agree, that eating low calories and being hungry can lead to binge eating, I am completely for that. The reason why i post some of the topics i do, and say what I say. Is so people stop following believing anything they see/hear blindly with out questioning it. Eating back your exercise calories. ANYONE educated in health and fitness will agree that you need a caloric deficit. Eating offsets this deficit. So per the subject on hand. If you want to lose more weight, don't eat back your calories.

People then get in to "oh you need to eat your calories" blah blah blah. Think about this. Most Americans are over weight. What is the most common advice that doesn't revolve about eating more? "breakfast is the most important meal of the day.(eat). You need to eat 6 times a day (eat), you need to eat enough calories so you don't go in to "starvation mode"(eat)
Who makes money off this? the food companies, who made up that thing about eating 6 times a day? the nutrition shake companies, who made up the "breakfast is the most important part of the day" breakfast companies. Most people are completely brained washed.


For any beginner in weight loss, i'd recommend, create a caloric deifit by 500 calories, exercise everyday to burn 500 calories. Base your diet around protein, healthy protein, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most people would completely agree with this. I have been around the healthy and fitness community since i was 13. I was in to bodybuilding about 11yr ago. I completed the NASM (national academy of sprots medicine personal trainer course). I am not pulling random facts out of a magazine. like most people on this site do. I speak from education and experience. Once again people should think for themselves what makes sense. Imagine 10yrs ago before the food companies got involved if you told someone "i am going to eat 10 times a day to lose weight" they would literally laugh at you. Like i said most people are brain washed by the media.
I can sum up my entire message in one sentence. "Think for yourself and do what is COMMON SENSE."

registers

Here is a guide to protein and carbohydrates, I talk about the science of them, and how they affect our body. Once you know how they really work, people who believed silly stuff would realize how silly it really is.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/asmcriminal/view/macro-nutrients-guide-and-how-i-lost-20lbs-in-3-weeks-108725

stormieweather

Lord have mercy :noway: