My 28 day experiment was a success!

tabi26

I would like to start by saying, I'm lazy. Lol. Yes I want to exercise, but most days I just want to sit around and do nothing....even more so now that we have over a foot of snow here! Haha! So 28 days ago, I realized I'm lazy, well I've always known, I just decided to stop being in denial! So I decided to just watch what I ate (sorta) and not worry about getting in any exercise, just too see what would happen.

Did I reach my goal weight? Nope! But I learned soooo much about myself and my relationship with food!!

When I started my little experiment, I wanted to keep things as easy as possible. So I did a little research about what works for others, and decided what I thought would work for me AND be sustainable for me.

So here's what I did:

First, I figured out my TDEE for days that I went to work (2100) and for days that I just sit around (1800). These sites also gave me my BMR (1450).

I then set my diary to 1700/day. A tad less than my sedentary TDEE, and coincidentally, about 15% less than my "work day TDEE" (I seriously didn't realize this for three weeks lol). My reasoning behind setting my daily goal at 1700 was then if I sat around and did nothing (most days lol) then I should at least not gain.

I then proceeded to eat! Haha! Some days I was under and some days I was over ( just last Sunday I was 1100 over haha). On my "bad" days I didn't give myself a guilt trip, I just accepted what was, and moved on. I also didn't exercise. Well no structured exercising anyway. On days that I worked I logged some "exercise" (using a HRM) and if I did anything out of the ordinary, I logged that too.

And here's the numbers:

Average total daily intake for the last 28 days: 1942
Average daily NET for the last 28 days: 1780
Total calories burned at work for the last 28 days: 3231
Total calories burned doing other stuff (playing games on kinect, shoveling snow, and farm related stuff): 1361
Total calories burned through "exercise": 4547

Starting weight: 149.7
Weight as of this morning: 144.1

A loss of 5.6 pounds!! In 28 days of basically doing nothing!! Wahoo!!!

This is a HUGE deal to me! I've done this weight loss thing time and time again. But every other time I restricted my calories to 1200 NET and worked out for about 2 hours a day, six days a week. And I lost weight! Then gained most of it back! This time I wanted to try something different, something I knew I could stick with, and I think I've FINALLY figured it out! Lol.

Yes, I think exercise is important, and I plan to add some for the next 28 days and see how that goes. I just really needed to do this to see that there are other ways besides being hungry all the time. The 1200 NET thing just didn't work for me. Sure I lost weight, and yes I felt great! But working out for 2 hours plus, six days a week was just not sustainable FOR ME. So when I stopped, I gained almost all of my weight back (in short order...only took six weeks to gain it all lol).

So for anyone out there who's "hungry" or working out like a mad man (and secretly knows you won't do it forever lol) there are other ways! You just need to experiment and find what works for you! And make sure that it's something you can live with!


Side note: 5.6 pounds is maybe not alot to some people, but I only had 20 to lose....I now only have about 14 to lose! Yay!

Its_Nat

Go you!!! I'm so with you.

I know I won't be working out for the rest of my life, so I've simply changed my eating patterns, and doing whatever exercise I actually enjoy ( which is a few weights, and walking one of my dogs).. that's it. I'm lazy too lol - but, it works for me. I eat back any exercise calories I use - and every week I'm logging a loss. And it's totally sustainable.

tnh2007

Great job!!! Thank you for the inspirational post. I also am trying a slow and sustainable change instead of working out like a crazy person and starving myself. (then binging and gaining...) I appreciate the reminders to be patient and not stress! Again, congratulations not only on the weight loss but on learning so much about yourself!

twonkieone

i am with you on this one!!! i had been the crazy exercise person --- for 3 years!!! and lost NO weight!! ugh! so - when i found this the only thing i changed was what i eat and trying to keep track. i found out i was supposed to be eating around 800 calories more a day then i had been. as soon as i started looking at my food i lost the 14 pounds -- only thing i changed was actually eating!!!! jackpot!

tbetts23

Looks like success to me I've been doing the same thing and it's been working so far.

tabi26

Great job ladies!!!

The hardest thing for me now is realizing and accepting that I can keep eating and still lose. I mean, the numbers prove it, but my brain is still having a hard time accepting it! Lol!

I may stall, and I may have to change things up to get to goal, but I now feel like I can do this!

I still eat pizza, I eat cookies almost everyday, I still have way too much whitener and sugar in my coffee....but so far it's working! Lol!

bear_28

Wow! Congratulations on your sucess!

I've recently gained weight because of a month-long vacation and I'm having trouble exercising as well. It's like my whole body is huffing and puffing with each routine to the point of exhaustion. I want to try this out too!

Was wondering if I can ask for help on this one? I'm 5'2", 27 yo and 125 lbs. I used the fitnessfrog calculator and these are the figures I got:

BMR = 1357
TDEE (sedentary) = 1628
TDEE (light exercise) = 1866
MFP has set me at 1330 to lose .5lb a week. My goal weight is 115lbs.

I used to exercise 5 times a week but since I came back, narrowed it down to 3x (20-40mins).

So what I have to do to lose weight:
a) (if I don't exercise) is to eat below 1628 but above 1357? I don't have to follow the TDEE less 20%,which would give me 1302 =which is below my BMR?
b) if I exercise, I eat all the calories back?

or
c) do I eat below the 1866 but don't eat my exercise calories?

I'm sorry if I'm slow in picking up this concept. I'm really confused with this. I would really appreciate some help. Thanks for sharing!. :flowerforyou:

tinagn

Wow go you!!!!!
I recently just found out that I've been eating about 500 less than I was supposed to.....oops
Started upping my calorie intake 2 days ago, I have about 15 pounds to lose! Wish me luck

ajax03

Thanks for the info! Started MFP almost 2 years ago with over 60 pounds to lose. Lost about 30 pounds and have maintained that lost for the last year. Like you, this second run at hitting my goal, I've been scratching my head to figure out how I can do it without being at the gym everyday (as was almost the case my first go'round). Things have changed for me in the last year (i.e. job, kids' schedules, etc.) so I need greater flexibility than having to hit the gym 1.5 hrs. + 4 times a week. Will crunch my numbers and adjust my setting accordingly. Thanks again!

vguynes

Congratulations on your success! Thanks for sharing. :flowerforyou:

ilovescarymovies

I have lost 11 pounds in 1 month by not going over on my calories and drinking lots of water. I walk for 15 minutes twice a week and eat some of my exercise calories back.

RubyWare

Thanks for sharing! I upped my calories about 3 weeks agao and haven't lost weight as of yet but definitely did not put any back on. Just today I decided to drop my calories again but after reading this I may put that off for another few weeks and see how it goes.

jenj1313

Nice job! It's great to hear from someone who found a "different", but reasonable and sustainable, way!

Danielle817

Congrats!! You sound JUST LIKE me! I've been doing the same thing as you for a week and lost 3lbs! I couldn't lose anything while exercising so I am just going to watch my diet and see how that goes!

Kamalka

I am very happy for your experience. I also noticed that 1700 cal was a good long time diet (I therefore put my goals to it if I don't exercise): it does not allow ice creams, sodas,... and is just what it takes to cut hunger with healthy meals. The key is to find foods you can eat all the time and find the ones that cut your hunger (for me carrots do the trick, for some it is apples)

I like to get extras (about 2000 calls) so I opt for sports...I simply love running, swimming and weight-lifting. My concept is therefore inverses: I make sport to eat whatever I want and need. I like to burn 1000-1500 for the feeling I get after it but people consider it is bad for muscles to run 5 half martathon in a week. It took me time and experiments to realize that it is not true with me(about 3 years). I end up with a personal program that most coaches would avoid...but it is mine and I love it

slowturtle1

Congratulations on your success! You have perfectly articulated the process I myself have gone through, which I love because I have trouble explaining it to others in the way that you have. When I have tried to explain what I've done to lose the weight I have lost, people give me the deer-in-the-headlights look. I think a lot of people make it harder than it has to be. Not that it's easy any way you go, but you've given a great example of how we don't have to kill ourselves to accomplish our weight loss goals. Like you said, exercise is great, but some people are just not going to maintain exercise in their daily lives. I have grown to love certain types of exercise and so now they are part of my weekly routine, but when I first started MFP I had to find a way to make this process something I could live with even if I didn't exercise. Like you, I had lost weight plenty of times in the past, but never knew how to maintain it. Today I feel like I've finally found something that can be a way of life for me and so I don't freak out if I over-indulge some days and I don't freak out if I can't exercise some days. Like you, I now have a system that works for me all the time, whether I'm trying to lose or maintain. Thanks so much for sharing your story and good luck on the rest of your journey! :flowerforyou:

fit4life_73

This is an awesome post. I was told that weight loss is about 90% what you eat. This was a little hard to accept from someone who ate right and runs marathons. This post is confirmation of what I really need to focus on. :flowerforyou:

eliz5210

You've figured it out! It's really all about calories in and calories out! The more we take in we gain and the more we burn we lose. Portion control is really the key that works for me too. I don't exercise much either and when I track I always lose!

120weeks

I LOVE this. I so agree with you. I feel like I have hit the eating jackpot! Keep going! You are doing awesome!

knelson422

That is really awesome. I think that eating right portions and foods and getting enough rest are THE key to losing weight. I have exercised my whole life and always been over weight. Now I am really focusing on the food I eat and getting enough rest, still exercising - but that is not my emphasis anymore. And not just calorie counting, I mean a serious effort to have nutrient rich food and cut way down on sugar. It is working, I lost 9 pounds since Oct 8th, by eating 6 small meals a day that are good and nutrient solid, and I am NOT starving. Eating right is the key, not just eating under 1400 calories. Way to go on what you learned about yourself. That is fantastic. Keep up the good work. consistency is the key!!

GypsysBloodRose26

That is wonderful! Way to rock the weightloss!