Had to post out of sheer irritation.

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mamaparks87
mamaparks87 Posts: 54 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so I have a friend that I have already posted on once before that I am concerned about. Today we are talking on the phone and after our conversation I wanted to come post here to make sure that I did have my facts straight.
Basically she revealed to me that she eats on an average "no cheat" (her words) day about 800 calories and burns 1000 doing c25k (this sounds high to me but I didn't say anything because maybe she does). On a cheat day she says she takes in about 1200 cals. Her logic being that you have to burn as many cals as you take in in order to lose weight. This is where the conversation turned heated. I always though the aforementioned statement was taking into account the fact that our bodies are constantly burning calories. She insists that if you eat 1200 calories you have to exercise 1200 calories away- same as if you eat 2500- apparently you need to exercise 2500 cals away. This is supposedly what her doctor and friend who is training for the olympics told her.
So today she had 3 peanut m&m's for breakfast, 220 cals worth of corn in butter sauce for lunch and whatever she has for dinner will not exceed 800 cals for her entire day. Then she will go and exercise off 800-1000 cals to make it even. I told her what I had been reading on this site about needing to eat more and how I eat 1700 per day and make sure not to go below a certain number and all. Her response to me was well there is no way anyone can lose weight doing that and you can't believe what you read online.
I may be wrong which is why I wanted to post here and see. I am just concerned for her. She is currently about 140lbs and 5'9. I saw her yesterday and she looks bad to me. Not what you would expect to see a healthy person look like.
I really just want to know if I am right in my thinking or is she. Do I really need to be in the gym for 6 hours exercising off my 1700 cals. Obviously because I am the one with the weight problem she isn't going to listen to me so as far as that is concerned we are at a stalemate, I just want to have my facts straight.
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Replies

  • cohophysh
    cohophysh Posts: 288
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    she is nuts, and I bet she didn't interpret what the doctor said correctly.
  • prplangl4
    prplangl4 Posts: 488 Member
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    NO!:noway: you are right and she is flat out wrong and UNHEALTHY! Whatever doc she's talking to is off his/her rocker!!! Your body needs so many cals a day simply to function properly... read this for all your answers and share with your friend! :brokenheart:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/567092--read-this-figuring-out-your-calorie-goals
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Your friend's wrong. But she's not going to listen to you anytime soon. Not until she's ill, probably.

    Keep doing what you're doing. Keep healthily and gradually losing those pounds.

    I would avoid discussing weight loss or food with her, really, unless she brings it up.
  • icandoit203
    icandoit203 Posts: 170 Member
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    Good question I had that thought too, I always thought you burn more than you eat but you still have to eat once you exercise. 800 cals a day isn't that to low!! I'll be waiting on this answer.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Your friend is seriously misguided.

    Our bodies are *constantly* burning calories. Exercise just makes us burn more calories. Most people can eat 1200-1500 cal/day and still lose weight, even with little to no exercise, because many people will burn more than that just from day-to-day living.

    By restricting her calories so severely and exercising off what she does eat, she's literally leaving herself no fuel to operate on. It is dangerous and cannot be sustainable, at least not without her body turning on her. ANY doctor would tell her that.
  • TheFunBun
    TheFunBun Posts: 793 Member
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    ...Poor thing. That sucks. 800 calories and post workout hunger? I bet she's got zero energy.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
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    she is nuts, and I bet she didn't interpret what the doctor said correctly.

    ^This.

    Beg her to call her doctor IMMEDIATELY. Although she is ignorant, It is not something to be angry at her at. What she is doing is very dangerous.
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
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    She probably could get away with doing that if she were eating better foods like vegetables and other things with lots of nutrients in them. A few candies for breakfast...no. She will probably find that her skin, hair, teeth, nails, whites of her eyes etc are going to take one hell of a beating from being nutrient deprived.
  • c8linmarie
    c8linmarie Posts: 358 Member
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    Let's just say...



    You'll be visiting her in some type of hospital...



    VERY SOON.
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Your friend's wrong. But she's not going to listen to you anytime soon. Not until she's ill, probably.

    Keep doing what you're doing. Keep healthily and gradually losing those pounds.

    I would avoid discussing weight loss or food with her, really, unless she brings it up.
    [/quote

    Couldn't have said it better.]
  • dolldreams
    dolldreams Posts: 245 Member
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    She's going to mess up, trust me she won't be able to sustain it. Ask her "what happened?" when she does.

    This too. There's very little chance she'll be able to eat similar to that for the rest of her life. When she tries to go into maintenance mode, it will be hell trying to figure out how to eat properly.
  • ErinBeth7
    ErinBeth7 Posts: 1,625 Member
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    So, she eats 800 cals a day, then burns off 800 cals and thinks that is how you lose weight? So what number of calories does she think her body is using for energy. The answer is 0. This is insane.
  • debrapeterson
    debrapeterson Posts: 84 Member
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    I bet she is really tired and starving herself to death. Not a good plan to me.
  • cprice05
    cprice05 Posts: 82 Member
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    NO!:noway: you are right and she is flat out wrong and UNHEALTHY! Whatever doc she's talking to is off his/her rocker!!! Your body needs so many cals a day simply to function properly... read this for all your answers and share with your friend! :brokenheart:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/567092--read-this-figuring-out-your-calorie-goals

    Nice link! Looks like everyone has said what I intended to after reading the OP. However, I also believe that 1000 cals burned on C25K is a bit on the high side. It takes me at least 8-9 miles in a run to get that high. Yes, I know everyone's body is different but I don't see anyone burning 1000 calories in 3.1 miles. Maybe she is actually taking in more calories than she thinks as well (which would be a positive).
  • sandrinamsilva
    sandrinamsilva Posts: 651 Member
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    I got hungry for her just reading all this. Your friend seems to be doing something very dangerous. Just keep doing what your doing.
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    :noway: Noooooooooooooo That's like leading down the path to an eating disorder!!! Your body needs calories to LIVE, as in bodily functions... To keep the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, everything working! She must have misunderstood the Doc :l Unless she goes to her Dr. appts in an alley way somewhere and the M.D has a very .... uh classy pipe on him 0_<
  • moejo3
    moejo3 Posts: 224 Member
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    NO!:noway: you are right and she is flat out wrong and UNHEALTHY! Whatever doc she's talking to is off his/her rocker!!! Your body needs so many cals a day simply to function properly... read this for all your answers and share with your friend! :brokenheart:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/567092--read-this-figuring-out-your-calorie-goals

    Nice link! Looks like everyone has said what I intended to after reading the OP. However, I also believe that 1000 cals burned on C25K is a bit on the high side. It takes me at least 8-9 miles in a run to get that high. Yes, I know everyone's body is different but I don't see anyone burning 1000 calories in 3.1 miles. Maybe she is actually taking in more calories than she thinks as well (which would be a positive).

    This is concerning...at 5'9" and 140 pounds she is not overweight. I can understand wanting to be more toned / leaner. It almost sounds like a bit of a disorder..I hate to say that as I do not know her but, I would definitely try to be positive in the importance of good sources of calories for her. M&M's for breakfast really isn't going to cut it. Keep an eye on your friend you may be the only one paying attention. Good luck
  • bjwbmw
    bjwbmw Posts: 55
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    She has unhealthy habits. she cannot sustain that lifestyle. And peanut m&ms for breakfast. Stupid.

    You may need to make a decision about what kind of friends you want to surround yourself with. She is unhealthy and her mind is not functioning well - no wonder since there is no nutrition.
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
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    Your friend is VERY VERY wrong . In fact, frighteningly wrong. Dangerously wrong. PLEASE do not follow her guidance
  • Dargealing
    Dargealing Posts: 58 Member
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    people on average without exercising burn over 1,000 calories a day. just living. I stick with the 1200 a day. What she is doing is dangerous! In the long run it iwll back fire on her. Her body will consume the muscle tissue and will hang on to every calorie it can. She is going to mess with her metabloism . If a trainer or dr. is telling her she should do this, He or she should be fired. She is only harming herself.

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