Registered Dietitian in TX here to answer questions.
Replies
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I have lost 18kgs (40lbs) and looking to lose 9-15kg(20-30lb) more... I am quite liking the look of my body.. when I do lots of weights the scale doesn't move, but gives me the biggest inches lost.
To lose weight AND inches, Should I lower the weights or increase the cardio intensity?0 -
Hi Tony - people argue a lot about "eating back calories". If we are on the lowest 1200 calorie diet and burn off 500 through exercise, should we eat those back? Thanks.
I don't recommend that my clients "eat back" calories from exercise because I use them in my estimations when I write their calorie prescription.
In my opinion MFP can overestimate calories burned from exercise.
My practical advice is that if you're able to function without eating back the extra calories, you don't feel worn down, or deprived, having a larger caloric deficit will just help you lose weight faster. If you're eating back calories and still losing weight at the rate you're happy with, then keep on eating them. If you're not losing weight, it could be a good place to start.
Hope that helps.
Thank You. Eating back exercise calories has been a huge myth here on MFP.0 -
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I love carbs. Are they really as bad as some say? Cuz I can' t seem to give them up
Carbs are not bad. They tend to cause more water weight fluctuations which can really freak out people who are overly concerned with the number on the scale.
That being said, I recommend emphasis on getting adequate protein and fat because we have physiological needs for them that are greater than for carbs. Technically you can live without carbs but you definitely need protein and fat in your diet. If you have room for carbs, eat and enjoy them.
What should I set my ratio settings for the fat, protein and fat then?0 -
Hey there...really nice of you to do this!
I am 23, lacto-ovo vegetarian and I weigh 96 kilos. My start weight was 104 kilos. I lost about 4 kilos with MFP. My question is, according to MFP my BMR is 1700-ish. And I think my TDEE is 2000. MFP has set my macros at 1430 calories a day. Should I be netting my BMR or a 20-30% cut of my TDEE? As of now, I net anywhere between 1200-1500 a day.
My only form of exercise is walking as of now. I want to increase the intensity but I am waiting to reduce to about 85 kilos so that I don't put too much stress on my knees. What do you think?0 -
Thankyou so much for answering the question on eating back calories! I have been so confused and people on here have told me so much different stuff. I didnt think it was right to eat back all ur hard work of burning them off! MPf tells me too eat 1200 cal a day and i exercise burning on average 250 a day which i have left over at the end of the day and i dont feel deprived or lacking in focus.
Thanks so much for settlimg this for me as i will take ur advice as ypu are a duetician! Thanks again 0 -
Hi,
I hope you're still here to answer, I'll be very thankful if you do!
I'm a woman, age 39, 155 lbs, have IBS and sporadically great problems with bowels and bloating.
Are there foods (other than the obvious pre-fabricated stuff, raw veggies, wheat, too much dairy, too much fibre) that I should avoid? Are there foods that may help with this condition?
I've heard that keeping away from foods that I react to, might even worsen the situation if I should accidentally have some of these foods - just because my body isn't used to them anymore. Is there any truth to this?0 -
Hi Tony,
Thank you so much for answering our questions
My question is in relation to the dreaded 'Starvation Mode' (!) and I would really appreciate your opinions/advice on the matter.
Some background: I have a 20+ year history of anorexia nervosa. I was doing OK for a few years (although still quite controlled around food). This year I had a relapse and am trying to recover (physically) by myself. I am currently 94lbs (@ 5'3") and my last labs were OK (except for a drop in MCV). I exercise 5-7 times a week (walking/jogging). I am terrified of gaining too quickly as it will set me back further. I will gain quite quickly if I eat at MFP's suggested maintainence kcals. I eat very few carbs.
My question is: if I am in starvation mode, what would you advise to boost my metabolism? Should I add / avoid certain things? Will my metabolism ever go back to normal?!?
Thank you 0 -
Thank You for your time.
I know I've a problem with soy
I love it all, but have discerned it may only be fermented.
My querry to you would be twofold. .
Do you think this would encompass all fermented? ... like my kraut?
I love my black soy beans & milk, but have reactions to a soy powder ( fermented tamari)& sadly Tofu
What test would you recommend?
Bleasings to you.
:flowerforyou:0 -
Thanks for answering our questions...
I am 5 ft 160 pound 40% body fat eating 1200 calories a day..I recently started doing strength training(very basic)
I do not wish to bulk up- my question is- till what weight can i go upto so that i tone but not bulk up and also loose weight
Thanks for your response in advance...0 -
Hi Tony, Thanks for taking the time to do this! There's a ton of information out there on nutrition, and it's nice to know what a person's credentials are when asking for their ideas / advice / opinions.
Here's my personal info
46 year old female, 5’8”
Presently 220 lbs (*Sigh*) but had been overweight all my life until I decided to change things when I hit 40 and tipped the scales at almost 300 lbs.
I followed the Weight Watchers plan and lost 100 lbs and maintained at 195 for 18 months. I had wanted to loose that last 10 lbs - so I started running. I ran my first 1/2 marathon in 2010 - and felt great! The training schedule I used including 5 days a week of running, including those dreaded long runs on the weekend. I also have a personal trainer and I was hitting the gym to do strength training 3-4 times a week including a session with him.
After that first 1/2, I continued with the running, but in the last year or so I've found that my energy levels seem to decline as the week goes on. I will have energy and motivation on Monday, by Wednesday it's waning but I still can push myself to go out and do something. Now, however, by Friday I have 0 motivation to do anything healthy and usually end up bingeing Friday evening. MY PT session is on the weekend, so I drag myself there for that, but other than that I can’t seem to push myself to get to the gym more than one other time. I can pull myself out of the binge over the weekend and the cycle seems to start again on Monday. Now the weight is coming back on (binge eating will do that - I know) and I can't seem to find how to keep the motivation and energy at a point where my mind isn't sabatoging me with the lack of energy/motivation.
I'm thinking there's obviously something missing in my nutrition plan in that I can't keep my energy levels relatively consistent (even tho my calories seem to be fairly consistent during the weekdays - - until Friday hits). I've added a daily regime of Cod Liver oil (1 tsp) and avocado (2 Tbsp) ino my diet in an effort to get those good fats which does seem to help a little. My customized MPF plan has me shooting for about 2000 cals per day, with a 40/30/30 split - trying to keep the protein up so that the lean muscle that I've gained over the past years doesn't just fade away . . .
Any suggestions on what you've found to keep energy levels at a consistent level?
There's a lot of things that can affect your energy levels. I'll touch on a few...
1. Stress-
2. Sleep
3. Training- are you overtraining?
4. Recovery time- are you recovering from your training sessions?
5. Diet- obviously affects your energy. Some people even find that they have a meal frequency that works best for them and their energy levels. If you're running a ton, you may want to increase your carbohydrate levels.
You are obviously a highly motivated and determined individual. It's hard for me to pinpoint exactly what's going on with you. Why not taper off your training for a week and see if you can't be more compliant with your diet? That could be a good clue to the puzzle.
Just found your post and must say it sounds a lot like overtraining to me - not good. But fairly easy to fix, which IS good! : )
(My boyfriend is a professional athletics trainer, so by default I read and discuss with him loads of research on the subject, especially since I've started to move my own lazy butt more. Science tells you this:
Training and upping your muscles depends on a cycle of effort and relaxation. Results come from your body adapting to a challenge, so to speak - it has to cope with an effort it can deal with but which remains an effort.
So, first you exhaust your body - and then YOU GIVE IT A REST. The body regenerates, but it doesn't only "become comfy" at your original level again but builds up a reserve to be prepared for next time (much like what it does with fat when people cut calories too aggressively, resulting in yoyo).
Once your body is a happy camper again you do a new workout - if this happens regularly, your "muscle reserves" build up nicely and continuously. But the relaxation period is just as important as the training period, because this is when your body is working on building the reserves, so to speak.
If you overtrain, you force your body into exhausting itself again when it hasn't fully recovered from the last time yet, thereby pushing it into ever more exhaustion. Consequences: muscle loss, soreness, tiredness, dip in motivation... sounds familiar?
So you should start slowly at 1-2 times a week and then up it to 3-4 times a week (beginners for 30-60 minutes). Stop there. Seriously. (Unless you're a professional athlete, they slowly habituate their bodies to quicker recuperation over the course of YEARS and can achieve nice results with daily training. If you're not one of them, relax a bit in between sessions.)
What you can do to increase your activity levels is to do MORE INTENSE training rather than more. So, take me as an example because I don't know how fast you're running your half-marathon etc.:
- I started rollerskating and did 6 miles in 30 minutes. Two days REST.
- Next time I skated to the next village - 6 miles in 30 minutes. Had a coffee and chat with my sis on the phone for 15 minutes, then skated back. So I doubled the training with a 15 minute pause.
- Then yesterday I skated to the same village and only stopped for a couple of minutes there to enjoy the feeling and stretch my legs. Result: 12 miles in 60 minutes flat (which I hadn't dared hope, I was quite exhausted after my first tour there)
- Today is rest day. Tomorrow I will either try the same trip in 55 minutes or a 15 mile trip to another town regardless of the time it takes me or 75 minutes and see where I end up, whichever I feel like most and what fits my time schedule.
So I would suggest to try and run every other day either every few sessions for a longer period of time or to make always a bit more mileage in a set amount of time - whichever suits you, and you can also go back and forth between both options. It's very important for your body to be set different challenges, so it can't get used to it - because then it optimises its processes for that challenge and all your efforts lead to maintenance of weight, figure and fitness...
Good luck, I hope this helps,
Chrys
P.S.: It's so amazing that you lost so much weight and can actually run for 15 miles! I wish I could, you can be so proud of how far you've come!!!0 -
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Hi Tony,
I suffer from really bad bouts of IBS which makes it difficult to eat veggies, beans, fibre etc... I am really battling to lose weight. I am 5'7 and weigh 172pounds. I am on 1550 calories a day and try to exercise 3 x a week. Could the IBS be hampering the weight loss a bit or not? I am 39 years old.0 -
wow you eat a lot of food! What is your work out program to stay thin and still eat the way you do? I would love to eat as much as you do and be where you are! I I always look at successful peoples diaries to see if I can learn from them on how to eat and the types of programs they are following. Were you heavy at one point and lost weight ? Love to know. Thanks!0
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Hi, Im 5ft7, 304lbs, female,
Can i have some opinions on my calorie intake please, I just want to make sure what my calories are supose to be, I exercise 3 times a week, mainly walking, 1-2 hours a time moderate 3mph?,
I am supose to be around 2100 to lose according to this website, but im eating way below that, I am not hungry at all cos the foods im chosing are keeping me fuller for much longer,
I believe im getting all my nutriants,fibre,calcium,protein,vitamins etc..I am drinking water just keep forgetting to add it to my diary
My portion sizes are a lot smaller as as some are aware i have a lapband, due to a leakage i put the weight back on,
Anyway i need a new band & im helping the procedure by losing some weight & getting used to smaller portion sizes
Im drinking wine & eating chocolate on my calories (not every day)0 -
Hi Tony! First of all, thank you for doing this. It's always a relief to have someone who really knows there stuff answer questions.
To start off, I'm 22 and weight 215 lbs. (Down about 5 from where I started 2 weeks ago). I started the Insanity workout plan and I really am enjoying it and can feel my endurance getting better and my stamina. MFP tells me that my estimated calorie intake per day should be about 1230. With that background, I have a few different questions for you.
1) Do you think that I should be working out more, or is Insanity enough to see a healthy amount of weight-loss over time?
2) All of my friends/family are concerned about the amount of calories MFP has suggested, saying that it is way too little and I'm going to starve myself, what is your opinion on this?
3) As a general rule, I eat one big meal a day (400-600 calories), and spread the rest of my remaining calories out throughout the day while I'm hungry/after work outs. Is this safe/okay?
Thank you again for all your help!
Kayla0 -
Hey Tony,
My goal is lose 12 and reduce my bodyfat. I exercise 5 days a week for at least 1 hour and MFP says my calorie intake should be 1700. Is that too low?
Herb0 -
I have lost 18kgs (40lbs) and looking to lose 9-15kg(20-30lb) more... I am quite liking the look of my body.. when I do lots of weights the scale doesn't move, but gives me the biggest inches lost.
To lose weight AND inches, Should I lower the weights or increase the cardio intensity?
Keep your weight lifting where it is, and don't be afraid to to even lift heavier. You will achieve the weight and inches lost with your diet. Right now, I would just give it a few more weeks and see if you don't drop some weight too. If you're at a plateau, try a slight (10% or so) calorie cut.0 -
Hey there...really nice of you to do this!
I am 23, lacto-ovo vegetarian and I weigh 96 kilos. My start weight was 104 kilos. I lost about 4 kilos with MFP. My question is, according to MFP my BMR is 1700-ish. And I think my TDEE is 2000. MFP has set my macros at 1430 calories a day. Should I be netting my BMR or a 20-30% cut of my TDEE? As of now, I net anywhere between 1200-1500 a day.
My only form of exercise is walking as of now. I want to increase the intensity but I am waiting to reduce to about 85 kilos so that I don't put too much stress on my knees. What do you think?
If you are still losing weight at your current regiment, I wouldn't change anything as long as you are happy. Make adjustments once you plateau. You should definitely keep walking...everywhere! Maintaining an active lifestyle is one of the best things you can do to help your weight loss in combination with using MFP. If you hit a plateau, try a slight calorie cut.0 -
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Hi Tony,
Thank you so much for answering our questions
My question is in relation to the dreaded 'Starvation Mode' (!) and I would really appreciate your opinions/advice on the matter.
Some background: I have a 20+ year history of anorexia nervosa. I was doing OK for a few years (although still quite controlled around food). This year I had a relapse and am trying to recover (physically) by myself. I am currently 94lbs (@ 5'3") and my last labs were OK (except for a drop in MCV). I exercise 5-7 times a week (walking/jogging). I am terrified of gaining too quickly as it will set me back further. I will gain quite quickly if I eat at MFP's suggested maintainence kcals. I eat very few carbs.
My question is: if I am in starvation mode, what would you advise to boost my metabolism? Should I add / avoid certain things? Will my metabolism ever go back to normal?!?
Thank you
Eating disorders can be one of the hardest things to get over. Lots of people struggle with it to some degree their entire lives. Focus on getting some help, maybe join a support group or see a dietitian that specializes in ED. But to answer your question, if you are starving- you need to eat more food.0 -
I want to lose the fat in my thighs, but gain muscle mass at the same time. I am currently trying to stay around the MFP recommended limits for everything except protein, which i try to take in about 100grams a day (i weigh 105 lbs.) Should i take in more of anything else besides protein to gain muscle mass? ( i lift heavy 6 days a week and do cardio for at least 20 minutes every day).0
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Hi Tony,
I've been here for 5 weeks now and have lost 10lbs so early progress is good. So far all I'm doing is watching the calories and not worrying too much about the macros, though I do keep an eye on saturated fats and fibre.
I'm 46, 5-3 tall and am at 182lbs with another 41 to lose to take me to the very top of my BMI range. My health is good, though I do have problem knees and feet which i'm hoping weight loss will help with. The only exercise I can guarantee is 2 x 15 minute walks each weekday, though I do more than that wherever possible.
Would you recommend that I actually start paying attention to the macros, or making any changes to them? Is there a good/typical carb/protein/fat ratio for general weight loss?
Grateful for any advice.0 -
Thank You for your time.
I know I've a problem with soy
I love it all, but have discerned it may only be fermented.
My querry to you would be twofold. .
Do you think this would encompass all fermented? ... like my kraut?
I love my black soy beans & milk, but have reactions to a soy powder ( fermented tamari)& sadly Tofu
What test would you recommend?
Bleasings to you.
:flowerforyou:
If you have any issues with specific foods, I recommend you keep notes under the "food notes" part under the food journal in the MFP. This way you can start making links between your food choices and the way you feel. Food tolerances are a very individual thing and journaling your food intake along with how you are feeling is the best way to pinpoint that kind of stuff.
If you want to get tested for food intolerance or allergy, check into elimination LEAP dieting and see if there is a RD in your area the specializes in that area. It's not my expertise, so I refer out for stuff like that.0 -
Thanks for answering our questions...
I am 5 ft 160 pound 40% body fat eating 1200 calories a day..I recently started doing strength training(very basic)
I do not wish to bulk up- my question is- till what weight can i go upto so that i tone but not bulk up and also loose weight
Thanks for your response in advance...
Muscles only do 3 things. They shrink, they grow, or they stay the same size. There is no such thing as "toning" with weight lifting. You're either progressing in your weights or your not. You will only "bulk up" if you eat the extra calories to do so. And even then, it takes a looooooong time to build lots of muscle. You're not going to develop a super athletic physique by accident.
Here's my practical advice: keep lifting. Once you are able to lift a given weight 12-15 times with good form, increase the weight and work your way back up to 12-15 reps.0 -
Hi Tony,
I suffer from really bad bouts of IBS which makes it difficult to eat veggies, beans, fibre etc... I am really battling to lose weight. I am 5'7 and weigh 172pounds. I am on 1550 calories a day and try to exercise 3 x a week. Could the IBS be hampering the weight loss a bit or not? I am 39 years old.
Due the the inflammation from IBS and the irregularity on bowel movements that usually accompany IBS, your true fat loss will be masked by fluctuations on the scale due to water weight and constipation weight, etc etc. So you're going to have to take the # on the scale with a grain of salt.
Try to be consistent with how you weigh yourself. Try weighing yourself in the morning and be consistent. If you haven't lost weight in a month, try a slight reduction in your calories.
I just saw a client this morning with the same issues. Just keep following your good nutrition and exercise habits and stay true to the program. You will see results.0 -
wow you eat a lot of food! What is your work out program to stay thin and still eat the way you do? I would love to eat as much as you do and be where you are! I I always look at successful peoples diaries to see if I can learn from them on how to eat and the types of programs they are following. Were you heavy at one point and lost weight ? Love to know. Thanks!
I'm currently on a weight-gain program. Trying to gain 1 pound per week.
I follow a upper/lower weight lifting split and lift heavy weights 4-5 times per week. I don't do any running or cardio but I do live a very active lifestyle. Being a personal trainer, I'm always demonstrating exercises. I also enjoy going for walks and playing lots of golf.
I was never heavy, I actually used to be underweight.0 -
Hi, Im 5ft7, 304lbs, female,
Can i have some opinions on my calorie intake please, I just want to make sure what my calories are supose to be, I exercise 3 times a week, mainly walking, 1-2 hours a time moderate 3mph?,
I am supose to be around 2100 to lose according to this website, but im eating way below that, I am not hungry at all cos the foods im chosing are keeping me fuller for much longer,
I believe im getting all my nutriants,fibre,calcium,protein,vitamins etc..I am drinking water just keep forgetting to add it to my diary
My portion sizes are a lot smaller as as some are aware i have a lapband, due to a leakage i put the weight back on,
Anyway i need a new band & im helping the procedure by losing some weight & getting used to smaller portion sizes
Im drinking wine & eating chocolate on my calories (not every day)
The deficit you choose to set should be based on your ability for long term compliance and what works for you. If you can eat less and maintain that, you are doing just fine. It sounds like your micronutrients are in balance. So in other words, if you are eating less, losing weight, and doing fine, keep at it.0
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