Tired of all the "real dieters"

NZhellkat

I love food. I enjoy eating especially when I have baked or cooked it. The only difference is that I use healthier ingredients and smaller portions. I still eat cakes, well cupcakes actually. I still have fries and home made pizza. I plan my food a lot better and exercise more to offset high calorie days. I'm loving the journey I'm on back to the me I was before children. But oh so much wiser and happier for it. I have an open diary so that I am more accountable.

Effpcos

I'm on 1200 cal a day, not eating "bird food", BUT I'm also only 5ft tall, not normally hungry, not exercising til I drop, and can't be bothered depriving myself of anything.

1200 IS an appropriate amount for some people.

I do however agree that crash dieting is a big NO-NO. And that some people have unrealistic ideas of how weight loss works.

PiggySweet

I'm on 1200 cal a day, not eating "bird food", BUT I'm also only 5ft tall, not normally hungry, not exercising til I drop, and can't be bothered depriving myself of anything.

1200 IS an appropriate amount for some people.

I do however agree that crash dieting is a big NO-NO. And that some people have unrealistic ideas of how weight loss works.

what's your starting weight??? We're about the same height and i find 1200 to be fine for me.

PiggySweet

I agree. I just started MFP 5 weeks ago and have lost 17 lbs on 1800 cal/day. I have totally NOT deprived myself. I have eaten BBQ, Tex Mex, cookies, and lots of other "non-diet" foods. The biggest thing I realized about my diet after using MFP is what kinds of foods have lots of calories and how to limit portion size when I want some of those items. I also learned that when I over indulge, I need to exercise to counter-balance the calories. Lastly, I learned that MFP was teaching me a sustainable lifestyle and not how to diet.

how tall are you???

theactionfigure

I'm so tired of seeing people on MFP talking about how they are trying really hard to lose weight "HEALTHILY" or they are so tired of yoyo dieting but then you look at their diaries and you see:

A) they're eating 1200 (or fewer) calories and working out intensely

eating rabbit food everyday and then complaining that they can't fit in more than 1200 calories

C) haven't changed their eating habits at all. Still eating copious amounts of food with little to no redeeming qualities

D) they neglect physically activity and complain that they don't like their body after reaching goal (because they've likely lost or failed to maintain LBM throughout the process)

I want to be strong, fit, and healthy. To me this means that YES you can have dessert..fast food..starbucks..whatever your vice is but you have it with moderation. This means that you fuel your body properly and not attempt to starve the weight off.

Most importantly it means that YOU DO NOT "DIET" ...you learn how to make changes that will stick with you for a lifetime. You find activities you love, food that tastes great but isn't detrimental to your progress, and you incorporate treats occasionally. Food is not to be feared and progress is not to be rushed.

Very well spoken! I'll be the first to admit that my food choices aren't always the best either... but I do live a fitness lifestyle. I fully believe in moderation vs. deprivation. If what a person does to lose weight makes them miserable, doesn't that defeat the purpose of trying to be more 'fit' anyway? Aren't most people doing it to look better and feel better about themselves anyway? Even the ones who do it for TRUE health reasons, who need to lose weight, don't want to be miserable.

Great thread in my opinion. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm a believer in eating sensible portions, more often. Keep that metabolism churning! Best of luck to all in your fitness journey! And DON'T drink the 'Diet Kool-aid'.

Qskim

You know what I hate reading on MFP? Angry, condescending posts my know it all b!tches like you.

Yeh i agree thank god for guardians like these at the golden gates of MFP. Actually thought they were the "real dieters".

birdieaz

I agree. I just started MFP 5 weeks ago and have lost 17 lbs on 1800 cal/day. I have totally NOT deprived myself. I have eaten BBQ, Tex Mex, cookies, and lots of other "non-diet" foods. The biggest thing I realized about my diet after using MFP is what kinds of foods have lots of calories and how to limit portion size when I want some of those items. I also learned that when I over indulge, I need to exercise to counter-balance the calories. Lastly, I learned that MFP was teaching me a sustainable lifestyle and not how to diet.

how tall are you???

I ate just under 1900 calories today and I'm 5'2 (120lbs). Being short doesn't have to mean eating tiny amounts.

XtyAnn17

Bahahaha

erinkeely4

Yeahhhhh I totally agree.

Though to be fair, I do sometimes eat around 1200 when I'm in weight loss mode. But it's not far from my maintenance calorie goal since I'm really short.

Edit: 1200 net I mean. NET!!!! Which means at least 1450 in food because I work out every day.

bwcrouch

AMEN SISTER! THANK YOU FOR SAYING EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING!

People on here seem to pride themselves on eating as few of calories as possible, while exercising 3 hours a day and somehow that makes them the real deal....How long is that going to be sustainable?! How long until you're yoyo dieting again?? I hate the word "diet"...I do not diet. I choose to live a healthy lifestyle, meaning that this is not temporary for me and I'm not going to make myself miserable for the rest of my life fighting hunger and cravings. FOOD = FUEL, not the enemy. It is completely possible to live healthy, generally eating healthy and taking care of your body while STILL enjoying the foods you love.

I hope these "real dieters" that you speak of realize that they are just setting themselves up for a lifetime battle against food....and a healthy, sustainable lifestyle does NOT have to be that way!

You look fabulous in your pic by the way

AWWW thanks. you're a sweetheart. I can't believe that people 2x my size are eating 2/3 as much and claiming to be stuffed--It's completely antithetical to what I would view as a sustainable, healthy, and lifelong approach to weight management. Maybe these people really can eat 1200 calories forever, but I honestly doubt it. At some point I think MOST people snap and that's when the weight comes piling back on. I just wish people could be a bit more patient..take one meal at a time, one workout at a time, one day at a time until they reach goal and then continue doing the things that got them to the finish line.

My 2 cents: I look forward to the day when I am on maintenance and can tolerate eating desert and maintenance level of calories on a regular basis. Until then, I am eating the amount of healthy foods that satisfy me - not make me full. Eating till I was full is what got me here in the first place. I am working with a trainer to take this weight off in as healthy a manner as possible. I am supposed to not go over 1500 calories a day. Frankly, it works best for me to eat alot of whole foods that don't pack as much punch in the calorie department but they do, however, satisfy me nicely to the point that I am often not hungry at all on 1200 or less calories a day. That and drinking alot of water keeping myself hydrated so I am not confusing thirst with hunger. Sometimes, the day after a hard workout I will feel some hunger which I address immediately with protein - generally low sodium tuna fish. This approach has netted me a 30+ lb loss since the beginning of June (even with many dietary faux pas). So, some day when I am at my goal weight I will transition from one of those "real dieters". But since I have been carrying this weight for a decade or better, I will continue to be a "real dieter".

The question I have is, have you ever had more than 4 lbs to lose??? If not, you really have no right to pass judgement and you lack the understanding of where the rest of us are coming from and the zeal that we possess to someday be in your shoes.

PiggySweet

I agree. I just started MFP 5 weeks ago and have lost 17 lbs on 1800 cal/day. I have totally NOT deprived myself. I have eaten BBQ, Tex Mex, cookies, and lots of other "non-diet" foods. The biggest thing I realized about my diet after using MFP is what kinds of foods have lots of calories and how to limit portion size when I want some of those items. I also learned that when I over indulge, I need to exercise to counter-balance the calories. Lastly, I learned that MFP was teaching me a sustainable lifestyle and not how to diet.

how tall are you???

I ate just under 1900 calories today and I'm 5'2 (120lbs). Being short doesn't have to mean eating tiny amounts.

yes, with exercise i eat around 1700 a day, but it still equals out to 1200 when you subtract the calories i earned from working out. i LOVE to eat. it's part of the reason i'm here.

Go1096

I am grateful for the information that I learned from asking people here. I was netting 1200 or less with exercise and was hungry all the time with headaches. I have upped my cals. It's just a matter of changing my perception. I was craving something I thought was a no-no and felt like I couldn't have it. Til someone said if you want it eat it! I was like huh? Ok! It's a trial and error for me.
But I am learning, and I do enjoy a treat here and there. But I am more conscious of it now and know what I have to do if I go over.

McMehu

all these judgmental forum posts really make me annoyed.

if you dont like how someone is doing something so much than stop reading their journals.

I come on here for my goals and I frankly will eat as much as I am hungry for and when I am drinking 8-10 glasses of water AND eating healthy/ watching my sodium which is a big deal for me I often just hit 1000-1300.

If people don't like my food diary then they can stop reading it..

I don't mind constructive criticism but I hate when people are rude or tell me how I HAVE to eat the RIGHT way. If I tried to please everyone Who knows what I would end up eating because I have had people want me to eat more, less, protein, no meat, more meat, eat back exercise.. dont..etc.

Just let them do their thing. If you want to help do it gently and if you just wanna pick on them on a forum just unfriend them and save everyone the trouble.

birdieaz

yes, with exercise i eat around 1700 a day, but it still equals out to 1200 when you subtract the calories i earned from working out. i LOVE to eat. it's part of the reason i'm here.

I upped my net 100 cal at a time, it took about a month for my body to settle in but it's made a huge difference in how I feel.
Maybe try upping yours a bit at a time. The problem with low nets is your body gets used to that and then when you lose more weight, you end up eating less and less.

PiggySweet

yes, with exercise i eat around 1700 a day, but it still equals out to 1200 when you subtract the calories i earned from working out. i LOVE to eat. it's part of the reason i'm here.

I upped my net 100 cal at a time, it took about a month for my body to settle in but it's made a huge difference in how I feel.
Maybe try upping yours a bit at a time. The problem with low nets is your body gets used to that and then when you lose more weight, you end up eating less and less.

since i lose about the same when i net between 1300 and 1200 maybe i'll give it a shot. My bmi goal of 20 may be too low when i actually hit my goal. i may decide to just stay at 120. Even so i have alot to lose still.

Ciabatta

I guess I'm a little confused. I read all the comments to the post... but I guess I'm learning how to take care of myself, so I have some questions. I am currently at my most heaviest weight. I've always ate terrible foods, but I guess it finally caught up with me. I want to stop it, learn how to do it right, and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. But I do need to lose the weight, not maintain what I am now. When I started earlier today, it told me my intake should be 1200 cal.

I guess my main question is... is 1200 calories really too low? After reading this thread my head is spinning >.<

ellyinflight

Haha this is ridiculous and very judgemental. What's with all of this magical "don't go below 1200 cal" nonsense? Nutrition is what matters, and there are certainly ways to have a low calorie diet that has all the nutrition you need. I've been under the strict care of a dietician (one of the best in my country if not the best) for several years now, and you know what? She doesn't even mention calories. For a long while when I started working with her, I was eating very little. Like, really, tiny amounts, it can't have been over 900 calories a day. All she cared about was checking that the food I was eating had the right nutrition, and making sure I wasn't losing weight too fast. As time went on, I dropped a few kilos, got more comfortable with myself and started to relax into eating larger amounts. I lost 45 lbs and never gained it back. Kinda blows your theory out of the water, doesn't it?

I'm on 1200 calories a day right now, because I'm short and unfit and want to push past a stubborn plateau that I've been on for the last three years. I know damn well that I can do that and then ease into a maintenance lifestyle. I've done it before. So *blows raspberry* :P

Cherp18

Reading this thread as I eat my nightly ice cream hehe

Ditto but with Frozen Yogurt & Banana! Enjoy!

subcult

I guess I'm a little confused. I read all the comments to the post... but I guess I'm learning how to take care of myself, so I have some questions. I am currently at my most heaviest weight. I've always ate terrible foods, but I guess it finally caught up with me. I want to stop it, learn how to do it right, and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. But I do need to lose the weight, not maintain what I am now. When I started earlier today, it told me my intake should be 1200 cal.

I guess my main question is... is 1200 calories really too low? After reading this thread my head is spinning >.<

I'm doing what others have suggested and upping my calories about 100 every two weeks. I'm at a point that even though I have about 20 pounds to go I don't mind slowing down or gaining a few pounds. I'd.rather eat more and gain some muscle instead of being 150 and having to to gain muscle I wasted.

theactionfigure

I guess I'm a little confused. I read all the comments to the post... but I guess I'm learning how to take care of myself, so I have some questions. I am currently at my most heaviest weight. I've always ate terrible foods, but I guess it finally caught up with me. I want to stop it, learn how to do it right, and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. But I do need to lose the weight, not maintain what I am now. When I started earlier today, it told me my intake should be 1200 cal.

I guess my main question is... is 1200 calories really too low? After reading this thread my head is spinning >.<

Just my two cents here:
Without knowing your current diet or situation, the best advice I can give is to try to avoid processed foods, eat healthier foods, practice moderation in portions, eat more often, don't eat until you feel full, eat slower, drink a lot of water throughout the day, stay active, and make sure you log EVERYTHING you eat. This will keep you accountable and start to give you that 'top of the mind' awareness of what you put into your body. This is NOT a diet, but a lifestyle change. If you don't like where you're at, change what you've been doing to get there. Different choices = Different results. You GOT this!