NOT LOSING WEIGHT

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  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    Okay I don't want to be mean here but if you are serious about losing weight you need to relearn how to eat. On the days you eat healthy you get less than 300 calories. On the days you get close or go way over your goals you eat tons of sweets and pizza and fast food stuff. Most of us are on this site to get healthy. Weight loss is a byproduct of a healthy lifestyle. Please search others food diary's and read all of the threads on healty eating to start rethinking your eating. I would suggest that you plan out your days of food. then you know what you get to eat and you plan it to be good for you. I understand that you are upset but you really need to learn to eat right before you will see any sustainable weightloss.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
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    Basic math may tell us that if you eat below your BMR you'll lose and the more below you eat the more you lose.

    But common sense tells us that a can of tuna and a bag of microwave popcorn is NOT providing you all the nutrition your bodies needs. Not even focusing on calories. You need fruits, veggies, dairy...

    I admit I cannot eat back all of my exercise calories some days because I put in some really hard workouts sometimes. So some days, yes, I come in below my recommended calories if you consider what I burned off. Each person is different so there's no magic number.

    But every person needs vitamins and nutrients. Which you aren't getting if you barely eat. Or if you only eat garbage calorie dense food with nothing but carbs and fat in it.

    There is a middle ground. It's about finding that middle ground and what works for you.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Its more then likely water weight. Do you feel OK on 700? If so keep it up. Only Americans have this " low calorie=starvation mode" mentality. Basic high school math and science says if you're eating below your BMR you will lose. Combine exercise, you lose more. Your body can only hold on to so much.

    Good idea, encouraging someone who ate -202 calories to stretch it even more. :huh:
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Basic math may tell us that if you eat below your BMR you'll lose and the more below you eat the more you lose.

    But common sense tells us that a can of tuna and a bag of microwave popcorn is NOT providing you all the nutrition your bodies needs. Not even focusing on calories. You need fruits, veggies, dairy...

    I admit I cannot eat back all of my exercise calories some days because I put in some really hard workouts sometimes. So some days, yes, I come in below my recommended calories if you consider what I burned off. Each person is different so there's no magic number.

    But every person needs vitamins and nutrients. Which you aren't getting if you barely eat. Or if you only eat garbage calorie dense food with nothing but carbs and fat in it.

    There is a middle ground. It's about finding that middle ground and what works for you.

    Amen.
  • misslizz6958
    misslizz6958 Posts: 124 Member
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    202 is low i didn't see she was doing that. I love how your critical of the one day I didn't eat 5 pounds of veggies.
  • misslizz6958
    misslizz6958 Posts: 124 Member
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    Also I'm getting all my vitamins and nutrients. I just had my blood tested and my levels were great
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    Its more then likely water weight. Do you feel OK on 700? If so keep it up. Only Americans have this " low calorie=starvation mode" mentality. Basic high school math and science says if you're eating below your BMR you will lose. Combine exercise, you lose more. Your body can only hold on to so much.

    You know, I get pretty tired of hearing about "starvation mode" too but that is because I think it gets misunderstood. A lot of people think that "starvation mode" means that no weight will be lost. This isn't the case. Obviously if you starve a person, they will lose weight. As you said, it is basic math. Did the people in concentration camps lose weight? Clearly. Should that be our goal? Um, no.

    My understanding of "starvation mode" is when the body is down to it's last 10-15 lbs of body fat and fears that it might not be getting the nutrition it needs. So, instead of releasing those last pounds of fat, it uses muscle for energy, stops growing hair, slows down the heart, decreases cognitive function and a lot of other scary things that most people really don't want.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    I just don't think that someone should be encouraged to keep up an unrealstically low-calorie diet.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
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    And that is great for you. But for someone seeking advice that might not be able to go to a doctor for regular testing, that kind of advice can start them down a path of being unhealthy.

    I'm really not trying to mean, just to make a point that what should really be focused on is being healthy, not losing weight. Yes, I am trying to lose weight. But I am also attempting to watch my sodium levels and work more fruit and vegetables into my diet. Because no matter how thin you are, your health will still fall apart on you if you do not feed your body the proper nourishment.

    If everyone could afford to go to a doctor and dietician and get personal recommendations, that would be great. Then there wouldn't be so many "1200 calorie" arguments on here. But not everyone can.

    The best thing that everyone can do is try to eat a well-rounded diet from the food pyramid.

    I've done the whole low calorie thing. I ate very little if at all. I lost a TON of weight. I also had no body strength, was often a little disoriented and occasionally almost passed out at work.

    I also gained it all back and then some when I could no longer sustain it. (A.K.A. when my friends did an impromptu intervention on me about what I was doing to myself.) And FYI my metabolism was a wreck from then on.

    I feel like I eat more now than I ever did before. But its good food. I also feel better than I ever have. Even when I was 30 pounds down from my current weight and ate a pack of gummi bears all day.
  • misslizz6958
    misslizz6958 Posts: 124 Member
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    The day I had only tuna and popcorn ( I moved that day BTW) 700 just isnt that low. There is a good number of doctor guided diets between 500-800 calories.

    Yes you're right about the last 10% which is my goal to get to then I will start 1000-1200 calories a day plus some exercise. I would do more if I didn't have a baby that keeps me on my toes most of the day.

    A very calorie restricted diet isn't safe for everyone. But don't crucify me for having it or calling bull**** on everyone for knocking her diet when you don't know her.
  • rjadams
    rjadams Posts: 4,060 Member
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    The day I had only tuna and popcorn ( I moved that day BTW) 700 just isnt that low. There is a good number of doctor guided diets between 500-800 calories.

    Yes you're right about the last 10% which is my goal to get to then I will start 100-1200 calories a day plus some exercise. I would do more if I didn't have a baby that keeps me on my toes most of the day.

    A very calorie restricted diet isn't safe for everyone. But don't crucify me for having it or calling bull**** on everyone for knocking her diet when you don't know her.

    Just curious if you bothered to look at her food diary and not just one days worth before you offered advice? Not knocking her at all just offering some advice based on what has been learned by many. And she asked for the advice. so telling her to keep doing what isn't working for her doesn't really seem helpful.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    But don't crucify me for having it or calling bull**** on everyone for knocking her diet when you don't know her.

    That's fine...but she asked us for advice, and we're just giving it to her, just like you are. No one is crucifying you.
  • cbnorris
    cbnorris Posts: 204 Member
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    It's like you spend a couple of days with really low calorie numbers and then the next day you go overload on sweets. Spread out your calories more evenly. Try to get to at least 1200 each day. I know many people say to eay your exercise calories too, and perhaps you should, but I think most importantly you should eat a well balanced diet and concentrate on eating enough first, and then perhaps trying to incorporate that into your diet. I bet the reason you are going overboard on sweet some days is because you are starving. Try using sweets as a reward. LIke if you eat sensibly for x amount of days in a row, you wil have a particular item you love. Then don't go overboard. Have enough to satsify the craving until your next treat.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Re: Starvation

    Actually, "starvation" level is considered eating 50% or less of what your body burns (maintenance). Maintenance cannot ever be less than BMR (unless, of course, you are comatose which IS BMR) and BMR is usually based upon a mathmatical calculation using age, height and weight (unless you have been tested to the contrary). The mathematical formula for BMR says that if you are 4'2", 80 pounds and 21yrs old, your BMR is STILL 1139.3. Almost 1200. So if this imaginary, tiny, very young person were comatose, and they were fed 569.5 calories a day, they would be considered to be starving. I'd be willing to guess that everyone here is bigger/larger than my fake female, AND more active....therefore, they NEED MORE FOOD!

    So please people. Eat. It does a body good. You will need that body for many, many years...take care of it.:brokenheart:





    BMR calculator used - http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
  • melgibson
    melgibson Posts: 702 Member
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    Do you feel OK on 700? If so keep it up. Only Americans have this " low calorie=starvation mode" mentality. Basic high school math and science says if you're eating below your BMR you will lose. Combine exercise, you lose more. Your body can only hold on to so much.

    I agree...
    I am very short and I have to say that if I ate 1200 cals same as most others can loose weight on I will gain - and gain fast, and that is a fact - I simply dont need that many. And you may be the same.
    If you feel light headed and weak then your not getting enough but if you feel good then keep at it.
    My body functions much better on less food, more food makes me tired and that makes me eat more, then your hooked on food!!!
    I really believe we don't need to eat as much as we do. Just make sure it's healthy foods and well balanced.

    I think you need to do your BMR test and see what it says you need at rest then work out how active you are, add that number to your resting calories, that will make your total cal intake to function, then eat excerise cals. so any exercise done on top is replenished. This should work with a good healthy diet.

    And don't loose hope. There is an answer and we will find it for you :o)

    Feel free to add me and I'll do all I can to help you :smile:

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods
  • hbuffing
    hbuffing Posts: 23
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    Ok thanks to those of you who offered advice as how to lose weight! I really did not want to be yelled at though by those who were critically telling me all of my eating flaws cause no one is perfect. I think that this debate on here got to heated and everyone needs to remain calm. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE. I TRULEY APPRECIATE IT!!!
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
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    Ok thanks to those of you who offered advice as how to lose weight! I really did not want to be yelled at though by those who were critically telling me all of my eating flaws cause no one is perfect. I think that this debate on here got to heated and everyone needs to remain calm. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE. I TRULEY APPRECIATE IT!!!

    People are only "yelling" because they're scared for your health. You need to eat to lose... a healthy body is more efficient than a weak body. At 19 years old, you could really screw up your metabolism by eating so little... trust me. I didn't reach my top weight by not caring what I ate... I dieted my way to 286 lbs. I did the low calorie diets... went days without eating at times... and when I finally did eat, my body held onto everything I ate. I eat more NOW than I have ever eaten before in my life and since I restarted this in February - I've lost 25 lbs. I eat between 1500 -2300 calories a day depending on my exercise. Honestly - doing this RIGHT is the ONLY way to lose weight and keep it off successfully.
    Read through some of the posts on here about calories and you'll see that there is a lot of medical (and scientific) fact behind what we're saying.

    As for the person who mentioned it all being mathematical... that would be true if it weren't for the science involved as well.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Ok thanks to those of you who offered advice as how to lose weight! I really did not want to be yelled at though by those who were critically telling me all of my eating flaws cause no one is perfect. I think that this debate on here got to heated and everyone needs to remain calm. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE. I TRULEY APPRECIATE IT!!!

    I am sorry if you saw it as me (or others) "yelling" at you. It didn't come from a place of criticism, it came from a place of caring about how you treat yourself. You asked for advice, and we gave it. :flowerforyou:
  • shanna618
    shanna618 Posts: 21
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    A few years ago I had my heart broken in february and barely ate anything for 2 months due to depression. I lost a lot of weight...20 lbs......BUT!!!!!!!!!!! And this is a HUGE BUT..... that summer I started eating normally again and by the end of september i had gained back the 20 lbs....to my normal weight.....PLUS another 20!!!!!! DO NOT starve yourself...it's not worth it in the long run!
  • misslizz6958
    misslizz6958 Posts: 124 Member
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    People are only "yelling" because they're scared for your health. You need to eat to lose... a healthy body is more efficient than a weak body. At 19 years old, you could really screw up your metabolism by eating so little... trust me. I didn't reach my top weight by not caring what I ate... I dieted my way to 286 lbs. I did the low calorie diets... went days without eating at times... and when I finally did eat, my body held onto everything I ate. I eat more NOW than I have ever eaten before in my life and since I restarted this in February - I've lost 25 lbs. I eat between 1500 -2300 calories a day depending on my exercise. Honestly - doing this RIGHT is the ONLY way to lose weight and keep it off successfully.
    Read through some of the posts on here about calories and you'll see that there is a lot of medical (and scientific) fact behind what we're saying.

    As for the person who mentioned it all being mathematical... that would be true if it weren't for the science involved as well.

    I said math and science.

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