If only I had known...

ms_tris

Let me preface this by saying, I only wish someone had said this to me at some point in my life of struggling with weight loss. I am not judging anyone and I know everyone is on his/her own journey. If I help even one person, then I am happy.

I have willpower of steel. I know how to "be on a diet." My first diet was when I was 14 years old. I decided, based on what I read, (this was around 1991) that fat was evil. I immediately cut out almost all fat. I was basically existing on green apples and wheat thins. I lost weight. 60+ pounds in 7 months or so. During my junior and senior year in high school, I threw up 5-6 times a day to maintain the weight I lost so quickly on my severe plan. I was young. There wasn't as much access to all the information we have today. It was not a good decision, in retrospect. To this day I have loose, saggy skin on my upper arms, upper thighs, and butt as a result of cutting out all fat and dropping weight so quickly. I spent the next 20 years in the same cycle: starve down on ridiculously low calories, then "celebrate" back up and start over. Would I pig out to gain the weight back? Not really. I would gain weight on an amount of calories that many people could eat without fear of weight gain, simply because my body was used to living on nothing.

The point of this topic: I wish that someone would have told me 20 years ago, 15 years ago, 10 years ago or even 5 years ago,

"Eat as many calories as you can while still being able to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week."

For every person who is dieting down on 800, 900, 1000, 1100 calories, it is true that you can lose weight quickly like this. But, you can have similar losses eating much more. Your body is tricky. Eat a tiny amount, it will adapt. It will get more efficient on the tiny amount. Then you reach your goal, decide you are awesome, start being "normal" again, and the weight starts coming back on. If you go into the weight loss process and just choose to eat a little more and lose a little less quickly on a higher (more sustainable) amount of calories, you are at least stacking the "keep the weight off" deck a little more in your favor. I am finally trying this approach and having success. I lose the same 1-1.5lbs a week eating 1500-1700 calories a day as I was losing in 2008 on 1000-1100 a day. I'm a much happier person now. :0) I also feel like when I reach my goal weight and eat "normal," the 1800-2000 calories a day will be perfect for me to maintain, not gain. I may even be able to eat more! That makes me happy!

Best of luck to everyone. Be patient, be consistent, be kind to yourself.

tristi

kelly_e_montana

Good post! I agree that making a smaller transition from now to maintenance is going to be a key factor in not re-gaining this time.

WinnerVictorious

yep!

life is supposed to be enjoyed.

i don't understand how anyone can enjoy life if they are constantly hungry and irritable from lack of food.

everyone can lose weight and get fit without starving themselves. it's such an unnecessary torture that people put themselves through. :noway:

Crankstr

YES

jofjltncb6

YES

^this



ETA: For OP - :flowerforyou:

AnvilHead

Great post! If given the choice of losing weight and starving yourself or still losing weight and being able to eat more, why not choose the latter???

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Excellent. I concur :drinker:

jw1463

I completely agree!!! It makes so much sense, too. You should be proud of all the work you're doing. You look stunning, and I'm proud to know such a strong, wonderful woman

s50s

Well said!!

Contrarian

This is wonderful.

Crankstr

i wish you had posted it on a Monday morning...we all need to bump this monday!

beachlover317

I am 54 and have a very similar story. Years of starving myself and then rebounding when I became awesome. I am eating and losing at 1700-1800 cals a day now.

Thanks and I really hope the women who are eating below 1200 cals will read this and understand. :flowerforyou:

SoViLicious

Well said,

Fr3shStrt

"Eat as many calories as you can while still being able to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week."

Makes so much sense, it is almost hard to accept... that it could be so easy.

Thanks for this!

PikaKnight

Thank you for posting! :flowerforyou:

MiloBloom83

YES

OMG! Your post got the queen of "No" to say yes. When I get to a computer, I'm going to have to read your post. It has to be fantastic or crank wouldn't have pposted a link in her newsfeed.

Just read it. OP, you are awesome. This should be read by every resolutionist noob on this site. It will save a lot of my friends from getting strikes when they are reported for being "mean" and "bullying" those people who post the "Eating 900 calories and still can't lose" posts. Slow down people. Do it right. You didn't get fat in a month. You shouldn't tryto get thin in a month either.

AnvilHead

YES

When Crankstr deviates from her normal "NO", you just know it's gotta be good! :bigsmile:

NomNomMom

Great post! I'm sure this will help quite a few people -- your post helped me by just reinforcing my recent decision to bump up my calories about 2 weeks ago from the MFP recommended 1200 calories. Thanks to Dan's post on "In Place of a Road Map 2.0 (Revised) 7/2/12" I think I finally saw the truth to this after so many other posters were saying the same thing & getting great results.
Again, "Thank You." I look forward to this journey of a much healthier & happier life! :flowerforyou:

bemott

Amen!

MB_Positif

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing

Celeigh12

I agree wholeheartedly. I used to torture myself with 1200 calorie diets. Now I happily eat 1700 and lose at about the same rate, plus my hair stopped falling out. Sheesh, you'd think I would have seen that as a sign that I was doing something my body didn't care for...