What regiment are you on that has lost you weight?

dsjohndrow

The MFP program already has a deficit built in.. Truthfully, a pound or 2 a week is good progress.

jsapninz

BUT, I have only lost minimal amounts of weight over one month. I guess, over the entire one month eight lbs is not that bad...

8 lbs in one month is FABULOUS.
Healthy weight loss is 1-2 lbs a week, depending on how much you have to lose. Alot of people lose more than that once they first start a diet program because of water weight, etc, but 2 lbs a week consistently is GREAT.

cloud2011

About a year ago I started with just changing one or two things. I started making fruit smoothies. I like fruit, but this is a better way for me to have fruit daily.

I was amazed at how full I felt, but the calories were so low (to me anyway).

Also, I often eat a filling breakfast and then make sure I have good snacks throughout the day. By good, I mean snacks I look forward to such as 1/4 c. of almonds with 1 Tbsp. of chocolate chips.

For breakfast, I will sometimes have an English muffin (100 calorie) with 1 poached egg or egg white, sometimes with a 1/2 piece of cheese. WIth that, a smoothie. My two favorites are raspberry (1/2 c. frozen raspberries, 1/2 c. nonfat plain yogurt, and 1/2 c. Trop 50 apple juice, or use Mott's Tots apple juice. Blueberry: 1 c. of wild frozen blueberries, 1 banana, and 1/2 c. pineapple or grape juice.

On some mornings, I would double the raspberry smoothie and just have smoothies for breakfast. But I would be hungry again earlier than if I had the homemade McMuffin.

Oh, and a couple of books have helped me: The 400 Calorie Fix, which has recipes for 400 calorie servings of foods, which are quite good. And, Volumetrics, which also has photos of various meals and stresses how you can actually eat great volume of food once you choose the right stuff.

So instead of feeling deprived, I now eat tastier food, and enjoy it more. I also make a few soups from the 400 calorie book and have them available throughout the week, or freeze them.

ckmama

I am supposed to eat 1800 calories per day, so I try and eat less and go way under the 1800, generally 1200 per day.
BUT, I have only lost minimal amounts of weight over one month. I guess, over the entire one month eight lbs is not that bad, keeping in the scheme of things, but I want to know what has worked for you all out there, and maybe I can incorporate what you have had success with, to my lifestyle.
Thank you.
Stephen

I guess how much were you expecting to lose every month? 8 pounds in 10 months would be 80 lbs. The slower you lose weight the easier it is to maintain it.

Losing weight isn't the hard part of this game it is just the beginning. Maintenance over a 3, 5, 10, and 20 year period is what is so hard.

mustgetmuscles1

Eegads man eat your calories. lol Your body needs a certain amount of calories to function and to support whatever activity you choose to do. It will get these calories whether you eat them or not. When you dont eat enough it goes to your body for them. If that amount is small enough it will mostly come from fat storage. If it is too large it will come from other places like muscles and organs. Im sure we can all agree that is not good. Even if it looks great on the scale.

Your reckless diet lost you 8 lbs in a month which is way above average but where did it come from? Your body is eating itself not just burning fat.

meshashesha2012

8 pounds isn't minimal. it's pretty good, don't be fooled by those things like biggest loser where they have people losing 8 pounds in a week. you have to ask yourself what's more important, losing the weight and keeping it off or losing it and gaining it all back again because you were only focused on the short term?



also 1800 sounds low. are you also eating back your exercise calories?

DinkyDini

8lbs in a month is good! I know how it can be frustrating though. Honestly if you consume 1200 calories for a short time, as long as you get enough protein and you eat several times a day, the starvation mode thing is a myth. It takes time to truly go into starvation mode, however, if you don't eat enough calories, chances are you aren't getting enough nutrients.

I personally am supposed to eat 1200 cal a day but I range between 1000-1200 most days, and I rarely eat my exercise calories back. I do with some, but not as a rule. I will say, that lots of water helps immensely! If you aren't well hydrated, you don't burn fat. And stay away from processed foods as often as possible!

But be proud of yourself, 8lbs is a good, healthy weight loss!

steveman99

Ok, the diversity of replies have me scratching my head. On the one hand, it has been suggested that I eat all my calories, up to the 1800 per day allowed. However, on the other hand, some of you have suggested that keep it going the way I have been going since day one, a month ago.
I haven't been starved doing this 1200 calorie per day method, not at all.
Last year I was on the HCG diet, and I was dropping weight like a lead weight. The HCG diet has you eating no more than 500 calories per day. And the extra calories needed to supplement your body comes from the fat reserves in the body. I had to stop that, I was actually then going into starvation mode, and was very weak; it took its toll on me!
Thanks for all your suggestions, and we have a various group of nice people out here, just trying to encourage all fellow dieters on. That's fantastic!!!
Stephen

mustgetmuscles1

Ok, the diversity of replies have me scratching my head. On the one hand, it has been suggested that I eat all my calories, up to the 1800 per day allowed. However, on the other hand, some of you have suggested that keep it going the way I have been going since day one, a month ago.
I haven't been starved doing this 1200 calorie per day method, not at all.
Last year I was on the HCG diet, and I was dropping weight like a lead weight. The HCG diet has you eating no more than 500 calories per day. And the extra calories needed to supplement your body comes from the fat reserves in the body. I had to stop that, I was actually then going into starvation mode, and was very weak; it took its toll on me!
Thanks for all your suggestions, and we have a various group of nice people out here, just trying to encourage all fellow dieters on. That's fantastic!!!
Stephen

" the extra calories needed to supplement your body comes from the fat reserves in the body". That is just not true. I really hope you have not damage your body doing this kind of extreme dieting. Bones, joints, organs, brain function, hormones, muscles all were being destroyed on a diet like that. You were literally eating yourself to death. That is why you got weak.

Oh well I gave my opinion. Good luck and be healthy.

jsapninz

Ok, the diversity of replies have me scratching my head. On the one hand, it has been suggested that I eat all my calories, up to the 1800 per day allowed. However, on the other hand, some of you have suggested that keep it going the way I have been going since day one, a month ago.
I haven't been starved doing this 1200 calorie per day method, not at all.
Last year I was on the HCG diet, and I was dropping weight like a lead weight. The HCG diet has you eating no more than 500 calories per day. And the extra calories needed to supplement your body comes from the fat reserves in the body. I had to stop that, I was actually then going into starvation mode, and was very weak; it took its toll on me!
Thanks for all your suggestions, and we have a various group of nice people out here, just trying to encourage all fellow dieters on. That's fantastic!!!
Stephen

Your NET calories is what is important to lose weight, not your INTAKE. Your NET cals = your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) - your defecit + plus exercise.

For example: your TDEE* is 1800
You want to lose 1 lb a week, your NET has to be 1300, or a 500 cal defecit from your TDEE. You can create this defecit with exercise OR eating:
Intake 1300 - no exercise = 1300 net
Intake 1800 - 500 exercise = 1300 net
Intake 1500 - 200 exercise = 1300 net

You have to make sure you are INTAKING enough for your body, so the less you have to lose, the less you can rely on your eating alone creating the defecit and the more you have to incorporate exercise to get to your net but still be intaking enough. Yeah, your body CAN burn energy from its fat; but your body NEEDS more things than energy to live well, things like vitamins, iron, calcium, etc. MFP's intake minimum is 1,200, this isn't necessarily a hard and fast rule for some of us smaller women, but should certainly be considered due to your sex and weight. And honestly if you aren't giving your body enough protein cals it is going to eat your muscles along with your fat, and few people want that!

*TDEE is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) x your activity level (for example BMRx 1.2 for sedentary)

MFP should set your goal at your NET. Follow that and log/eat back your exercise cals, but make sure you are accurate in your burns like with using a Heart Rate Monitor.

HCG is a freaking....:explode: don't get me started. Glad you are off of it.

all4derby

Ok, the diversity of replies have me scratching my head. On the one hand, it has been suggested that I eat all my calories, up to the 1800 per day allowed. However, on the other hand, some of you have suggested that keep it going the way I have been going since day one, a month ago.
I haven't been starved doing this 1200 calorie per day method, not at all.
Last year I was on the HCG diet, and I was dropping weight like a lead weight. The HCG diet has you eating no more than 500 calories per day. And the extra calories needed to supplement your body comes from the fat reserves in the body. I had to stop that, I was actually then going into starvation mode, and was very weak; it took its toll on me!
Thanks for all your suggestions, and we have a various group of nice people out here, just trying to encourage all fellow dieters on. That's fantastic!!!
Stephen

I would be willing to bed my last dollar that you would have lost much more than 8lbs in a month if you were actually eating the calories recommended. I've starved my way to failure on every "diet" I've tried and now its like I'm not even trying and the weight is coming off - 21 lbs in about 6 weeks.

jsapninz

I would be willing to bed my last dollar that you would have lost much more than 8lbs in a month if you were actually eating the calories recommended. I've starved my way to failure on every "diet" I've tried and now its like I'm not even trying and the weight is coming off - 21 lbs in about 6 weeks.

21 lbs in 6 weeks is 3.5 lbs a week. This rate is not sustainable long term, and perhaps is even unhealthy. I know you have alot to lose but don't go pointing fingers about not being healthy. 2 lbs a week is FANTASTIC for those who don't have alot to lose.

It is NOT a RACE.

steveman99

You're my age. AND a hockey fan, too. Only I'm a Leaf fan, being from Toronto, and now living in WV, where hockey is "What is that?"
How did you manage to lose all that weight?
Thanks.
Stephen

seansquared

At 270lbs I ate 1900/day, then 1800/day, and now 1700/day and am down to 210lbs and falling.

You need to eat more, not less.

Elizabeth_C34

Move as much as you can (find ways to be more active) and eat less than maintenance but not too little. I don't lose well when I eat too little, and I'm usually not able to get through my workouts very easily either.

My #1 rule is, "Never ever ever quit, no matter how far you get set back."

taso42

500 calorie deficit per day. strength training 3x/week. cardio 2-3x/week.

Amy911Gray

I ate a lot of negative calorie foods and lost consistently about 2-3 lbs per week. I ate all the time. Then I slacked, and have reached a plateau of gaining and losing the same 2 pounds over and over again.

Here's some information. Right or wrong, it surely did the trick for me!

The negative calorie food will have maximum benefits when eaten without any empty calorie foods (junk food). There are several foods such as vegetables and fruits that have negative calorie effect. Some of the negative calorie foods that can be eaten in generous quantities are: Asparagus, Beets, Carrot, Zucchini, Papaya, Strawberry, Raspberry, etc. Look at the list below.

Free List of Negative calorie Foods
Negative Calorie Vegetables
Asparagus
Beet Root
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery Chicory
Hot Chili
Cucumber
Garden cress
Garlic
Green Beans
Lettuce
Onion
Radish
Spinach
Turnip
Zucchini

Negative Calorie Fruits
Apple
Blueberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberry
Grapefruit Honeydew
Lemon/Lime
Mango
Orange
Papaya
Peach Pineapple
Raspberry
Strawberry
Tomato
Tangerine
Turnip
Watermelon

Sarauk2sf

Why would you eat less than 1800 when that is the amount you are 'supposed to eat'.?

cruiser3004

I started off at 1590 calroies per day (as recommeded by MFP for 2lbs per week loss), and have adjusted the calories each week after weigh-in (currently at 1440)

I work our 5-6 times per week alternating cardio & strength and generally burn 700-1000 calories per workout (HRM cals) & Generally eat back all my excercise calories.

This has enabled me to lose 26lbs in 11 weeks so far.

Sarauk2sf

500 calorie deficit per day. strength training 3x/week. cardio 2-3x/week.

^^this (usually without the cardio though:ohwell: )