i am concerned

kelli_panzera

LOL @ Banks...what would you do if you didn't have a day when you read a post and just shook your head? I've been a follower for exactly one year this week. I've read so much, and though Banks really is the voice of reason, I must admit that I was a bit rebellious in the beginning and skipped the exercise calories, causing the plateau. Regardless of how much I exercised, I just wasn't eating enough, and I wasn't losing weight. I gave up and came back to the site at the beginning of January this year. So instead of feeling like I am starving, I eat. Instead of my body hurting every day after my workouts, I feel refreshed. I am at such a wonderful point and age in my life where I can appreciate that I am FINALLY doing this the right way and seeing results! Just because you can make your body survive on less that 1200 calories per day doesn't make you special, LOL. Well, maybe it does, but not in the way I mean :bigsmile:

iRun4wine

I've been on MFP for almost 3 years now, for over a year now it's been mostly in an advisory roll (I've been at maintenance for well over a year, but I still enjoy the conversations, and I occationally track my calories just to make sure I'm not losing my touch).

I have made a vow to myself that if I can go 48 hours on here and not see someone post a question about eating their exercise calories, I consider my job done and I will close my account, I think I'm going to be here for a long time. :ohwell:

Close your account? :noway:

No way! We want ya to stick around... no matter what!

taz1978

Hear hear - this is NOT the site for people who want to starve themselves to lose weight. :devil: I've been there - i've been a member of those sites where you are encouraged to eat as little as possible and exercise as much as you can.

And Yes it worked for me i was thin but i couldnt maintain it.. I looked good but i was unhealthy. I paniced when i ate, going out to eat was a nightmare as i felt i wasnt in control. I felt weak and dizzy but kept doing it as i believed it was the only way. My attitude to food was upside down. It became something that controlled me and not the fuel i needed to live :sad: .

I couldnt maintain starving myself at 1,000 cals a day or less (believe me on some sites 1,000 cals is pure gluttony!) i have put the weight back on, so I am here to do it the right way and listen to advice from people who have done it slowly and healthly.

I really dont want to get pulled into that trap of starving myself again, so i wish people wouldnt encourage it here. I'm against doing it that way and dont want to hear how its successful etc - I know its only SHORT-TERM!! And i'm here for the long haul

Iceprincessk25

I'm a perfect example of this when I started on MFP many moons ago (i've been back and forth a couple times ) I set it at 1200 cals a day cuz I wanted to lose the 2 pounds a week......even though I only had 10 pounds to lose....get it done in a month right??? Not so much.......it took 3 months to lose 5 pounds! Then I switched up my calories to 1 pound a week and I lost 2 pounds right away.

Just have to believe it will work.....patience!

jbuffan218

Well now that I know Banks will leave us once we become educated I will make sure to ask repetitive questions every 48 hrs.:flowerforyou:
Personally I dont know how you ( Banks) keep a civil tone, even I get frustrated when I see the same questions re: eating exercise calories and people thinking they can fudge their own plan ( if they could do that then why are they fat?) I admit the first week I was here I did ask about the exercise calories and even now have a very hard time following the rules in that aspect.

I wonder if Mike and Al could make the stickys required reading BEFORE you are allowed to join??? Just a thought.

Banks, dont leave us. What would we do without ya ?

sonjavon

First - Banks - don't you DARE go anywhere!

Second... I AM obese. I am 5'2 1/2 and currently weight 272 pounds. When I started this journey I weighed 286. I'm 35 years old. Unhealthy? You betcha!

I didn't get to weight 272 pound by "not caring"... I dieted my way here. I've done Weight Watchers many times in my life... the first time I was in 5th grade (and no... I wasn't fat... my dad was just afraid I would be). I've restricted calories and I've tried every diet pill/magic bullet out there.

MFP calls for me to eat 1900 calories a day... before exercise! Do you know how much food is in 1900 calories? Particularly if you're eating lots of fruits and veggies? It's insane... I'm never hungry because I'm ALWAYS eating! I actually have energy to want to play - whether it be playing with my son or working out.

No - it's not going to come off overnight -but I do know that if I eat right and exercise - it will come off much faster than it went on. I've lived all of my adult life heavy... but I will never again be as heavy as I was the first day I started this plan.

For people who want to keep tweaking the system and trying to find a short cut... I guess my opinion is this... "If you continue to do what you've always done... you'll get what you've always gotten"... unhealthy results.

questionablemethods

I didn't get to weight 272 pound by "not caring"... I dieted my way here.

...

"If you continue to do what you've always done... you'll get what you've always gotten"... unhealthy results.

So true. Thank you for sharing your story!

pkgirrl

Hmm..

I have read banks posts, and never seen a doctor to specifically discuss my weight loss plans. With that in mind, I disagree to some extent, based on what I have been doing for awhile and what is working for me.

I generally eat 1200 a day, but if I feel too hungry I'll allow myself to go over 100 or so. I always eat exercise calories when I strength train (usually a banana smoothie with skim milk and fat free protein powder) but seldom on days when I just do cardio, and I let Friday be a cheat day, I usually eat about 2500cal of whatever I want. I take vitamins, eat extremely clean, nutrient dense foods, every day except Friday, and I've never had any issues with plateaus. (it says Ive only lost 30lbs, but that since joining MFP, more like 40 total) I never have issues with energy, or recovery. I don't really see the necessity in eating cardio cals, because Jillian Michaels even says if you want to lose 3-5lbs a week, cardio is just bonus points.

I don't know haha, I know a lot of you will disagree, and maybe its just because I'm young so my body is taking longer to get angry about it, but this seems to be working well for me

lotusfromthemud

Hmm..

I have read banks posts, and never seen a doctor to specifically discuss my weight loss plans. With that in mind, I disagree to some extent, based on what I have been doing for awhile and what is working for me.

I generally eat 1200 a day, but if I feel too hungry I'll allow myself to go over 100 or so. I always eat exercise calories when I strength train (usually a banana smoothie with skim milk and fat free protein powder) but seldom on days when I just do cardio, and I let Friday be a cheat day, I usually eat about 2500cal of whatever I want. I take vitamins, eat extremely clean, nutrient dense foods, every day except Friday, and I've never had any issues with plateaus. (it says Ive only lost 30lbs, but that since joining MFP, more like 40 total) I never have issues with energy, or recovery. I don't really see the necessity in eating cardio cals, because Jillian Michaels even says if you want to lose 3-5lbs a week, cardio is just bonus points.

I don't know haha, I know a lot of you will disagree, and maybe its just because I'm young so my body is taking longer to get angry about it, but this seems to be working well for me

Including your cheat day calories, you're probably averaging out over the course of a week. And, I hate to say it, but being young does give you a lot of leeway into things. As you get closer to your goal, you may discover that what was working isn't anymore.

Also, I personally think that a lot of the nutrition advice Jillian Michaels gives is not very good. Just my opinion, but she advises very low calorie diets, and I don't think they're good for anybody who isn't: 1. extremely overweight and 2. under a doctor's supervision. shouldn't be at an extreme deficit.

pkgirrl

Haha fair enough. I'm within 7lbs of my goal weight ( which is 135lbs, 5'8) so we shall see. Yeah I guess I never really thought of that, with my cheat days. Sweet =p

pkgirrl

PS I have, indeed, been converted to the eat you exercise cals, (eventually, lol,) camp.

SHBoss1673

Hmm..

I have read banks posts, and never seen a doctor to specifically discuss my weight loss plans. With that in mind, I disagree to some extent, based on what I have been doing for awhile and what is working for me.

I generally eat 1200 a day, but if I feel too hungry I'll allow myself to go over 100 or so. I always eat exercise calories when I strength train (usually a banana smoothie with skim milk and fat free protein powder) but seldom on days when I just do cardio, and I let Friday be a cheat day, I usually eat about 2500cal of whatever I want. I take vitamins, eat extremely clean, nutrient dense foods, every day except Friday, and I've never had any issues with plateaus. (it says Ive only lost 30lbs, but that since joining MFP, more like 40 total) I never have issues with energy, or recovery. I don't really see the necessity in eating cardio cals, because Jillian Michaels even says if you want to lose 3-5lbs a week, cardio is just bonus points.

I don't know haha, I know a lot of you will disagree, and maybe its just because I'm young so my body is taking longer to get angry about it, but this seems to be working well for me

Including your cheat day calories, you're probably averaging out over the course of a week. And, I hate to say it, but being young does give you a lot of leeway into things. As you get closer to your goal, you may discover that what was working isn't anymore.

Also, I personally think that a lot of the nutrition advice Jillian Michaels gives is not very good. Just my opinion, but she advises very low calorie diets, and I don't think they're good for anybody who isn't: 1. extremely overweight and 2. under a doctor's supervision. shouldn't be at an extreme deficit.

All great points V, the only thing I would add to them is my own thoughts on Jillian, she's not what I would consider the best source of information, there are contradictions all over her programs (between TBL, and her "suppliment" lines, and what she says on her radio show, she's kind of all over the map. I don't know what she says on her site, because I refuse to sign up for it, but I'd be interested if anyone else does).

Remember, exercise calories are a concept, other's may call them different things, or get there by different means, but the idea of making sure you stay within a reasonable deficit is the same. that's all you are doing kim, getting to a reasonable deficit by different means, although I will say that how you do it probably won't work nearly as well for most of us, as the young, in shape, body is far more resistant to degradation and far more receptive to muscle building than an older, overweight body.

kbarn009

I agree with you on the cheat day! I did weight watchers and lost 90 lbs and I had one of those one day a week, usually sat nights. I did it within reason but they also now on that diet allow 35 extra points on the weekend of over the week and that is about an extra 2000 calories.