Afraid Of The Scale

cmeiron

What is your BMR, out of curiosity? I have a hard time believing it's close to 1200. Also, your TDEE?

Have you tried these tools?

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

(note: when entering the "goal weight" in the BMR tool, you should actually add your current weight.

Hanfordrose

I have a HUGE problem with structured/pre-planned diets. I feel too limited, too restricted. I'm a rule breaker by nature and I don't like the feeling of "being told" what I can eat or when I can eat it.


I am set up for 1200 calories per day which should make me lose 2 lbs a week. My personal goal (in my head) is 10 lbs a month. I have beaten both goals so far with no exercise or work out routine.

What I do:

I don't pre-plan my food diary. When I eat something, I add it. I eat when I want, and what I want (within reason). I'm not much of a breakfast person, so I don;t eat eat it every day. I am a night owl and eat a large portion of my calories in the evening.

When my calories are gone, I don't eat anymore. I find this helps me make better decisions, since a lot of the time I will look up the facts on whatever it is I'm in the mood for to see how many calories/sugars/fats/carbs it will use up. If I think it's worth it, I have it. If not, I choose something else.

I've been making much better choices, yet still treating myself to the things I love without any guilt whatsoever.

Maybe if you tried adding your food when you eat it, instead of pre-planning your days in advance, you would feel more in control, instead of feeling like the diet is controlling you? It is certainly working for me!!

I am not a rule breaker. My nature is to be honest and follow the rules. That's why I felt so guilty for cheating. Hiding what I eat is an old habit from my past that I cannot bring back, if I am going to succeed.

Like you, I am a night time person...and eater. I tend to eat more after 3PM than at any other time. The only reason that I must eat in the morning is the fact that I take certain medication which must be taken with some food. My doctor has me on several supplements and vitamins at the moment which are important right now.

(b) When my calories are gone, I don't eat anymore. (/b) That is the key, I am sure. It is your commitment to the set amount of calories each day.

I also look at the nutritional stats, such as carbs, fat, protein, sugar etc. I always seem just a bit high on the sugar, but it is coming down and protein is going up with my better choices.

Thanks for your good ideas, Sis.

Hanfordrose

I also agree with above statements. I also have a lot to lose. I tried 1200 cal but I was too hungry. I have upped it to 1400 cal and am losing still. Eat most of your exercise calories back too. More fiber to keep you full,drink your water,lean protein will keep you full longer. Stay away from the "white stuff" as much as possible. Healthier carbs. I set my diary to closed because I am hard enough on myself. Just a personal choice.I commend you for trying to get the weight off before surgery. It will make things so much easier. I am a nurse and see a lot of knee surgery patients. If you are already exercising now it will be so much easier when you get into physical therapy after your surgery.

I am also a retired RN. My doctors didn't recommend that I lost weight. The surgeon made it crystal clear that I would not get that surgery, unless I lost 70 pounds. He said that the knee replacements would fail within 5 years, if I maintained my 270 pounds...the weight at that time.

Hanfordrose

My theory is, if what you're doing isn't working long term, then do something else. I highly recommend using your BMR and TDEE to determine a healthy caloric intake, and then use those calories wisely. Ditch the "snack packs" and grab an apple. Or an orange. Or a huge green salad (which you can seriously do for under 100 calories before dressing). You crave what you eat. Eat junk (which let's face it is all that's in those 100 calorie packs) and you'll continue to crave junk. That's my opinion based on personal experience and watching others.

Take a look at my diary for yesterday and look at all the food I ate. And I didn't even make the most amazing choices last night. But I had leftover calories to eat so I pretty much ate what I wanted, within reason. And I'm eating at 1200-1400 calories per day generally (I only weigh 132 pounds so my intake need is lower than yours). I'm currently playing around with caloric intake right now so my diary is all over the place, not to mention I ate just about everything on the menu at a restaurant on Sunday! LOL But yesterday is a great example of how you can maximize your food intake on minimal calories. And never be hungry.

You are absolutely right. I have been increasing my healthy foods, including apples and big salads daily. I am using up my current supply of 100 calorie snacks, but not planning on buying a bunch more. I like them, when I crave some sugar or salt; but I have steadily eliminating them. When I first started on my food plan, I bought a whole bunch of them to try out the different flavors. Now. I am eating them a couple each day. I may have to give some away.

Hanfordrose

I think you've taken the biggest step here: you recognize the problem and you're trying to deal with it.

I usually say something here about motivation but you seem to already have that in place. You need to lose a certain amount of weight by a specific time to have the surgery you need so the rest of your plans can fall into place. I think the thing you need to really ask yourself is "why you are attempting to sabotage that by cheating?" The only person you are hurting is you by lying to yourself and your diary. That may sound a bit harsh but I think that's the reality you need to hear right now.

Since you're forced to be mostly sedentary you don't have the luxury of burning off many calories by exercise, so you have less wiggle room than most. That means you have to be even more strict with the amount of cheating you can get away with. Have you tried working with weights for your arms and upper body? Adding a little extra muscle can only help you.

Good luck!

Thank you for these words, Sis.

I definitely have the motivation. I am sick of being a lump in a chair...of missing out on the best part of my life. I want to be back on my feet again. I want to be able to go where I want, when I want, and without someone else having to help me. I'd like to be able to drive again. We bought a new van last year, and I have yet to drive it. My hubbie rides his new bike almost every day. I want a bike too...maybe a 3 wheeler, 'cause I would be scared of falling...but at least some kind of bike.

'Sabotage'...or simply 'justify' eating sweets at night? That what I was wondering too. I seem to have stronger craving for sweets at night. That's when I seem to be consuming the most salt and sugar.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Do you feel that closing your diary would allow you to be more honest?

My food diary is my 'pledge' each day. I am making a commitment to stay with my food plan. Closing the diary would be like hiding in the closet to binge. It is the openness of that diary that will help me to be honest. I don't want to hide my eating any more. I have done it in the past. That how I got to a top weight of 280 pounds by hiding my eating.

I know you don't want to hear these responses, but here are my thoughts:

1. Ditch the scale. Take measurements instead. If the scale is a source of stress then use another measure for your progress.

My doctor and surgeon aren't measuring me. They are making their decisions based on my weight. If I don't weight 200 pounds or less, I won't get my new knees. It is that simple.

I know that I am losing inches. My pants are lose. I have to hook my bra up another notch. Even my hubbie says that breast are 'less fluffy'.

2. Eat more. At least 1200 calories, and then only that little if you are carefully planning your nutrition. Preferably your BMR. I suspect you're sneaking food because your calorie intake is way too little.

I have been eating 1200 calories for about a week and a half; but now, I am concerned that the additional 200 calories each day are causing me to either stop losing weight or gain weight, which would be awful.

3. If you're going to continue to eat so little, see a nutritionist and/or doctor for monitoring.

I have been under close observation with labs by my doctor, but I think that I will ask for an appointment with his nutritionist as well. I declined that referral at my last appointment in January.

Thanks for your thoughts, Angel.

It's good that you're being monitored. I'd suggest then trying to add fats and protein as much as possible for satiety. I asked about the diary because I found in the beginning that knowing people were going to look at my diary made me dishonest. Now it's fine, but then it was helpful to have it closed.

Hanfordrose

Question #1:

Should I eat all my calories?

Yes...and I think that I should just set my goal at 1200 per day...at least, until I talk to my doctor and/or the nutritionist.

Question #2:
I'm eating 1200 calories, I feel like crap and I'm not losing weight. What gives?

I feel pretty good physically, but I felt crappy about eating those extra calories that I didn't record. That problem is solved with this post.

Question #3:
I'm doing "everything right" and the scale won't move.

It's been moving, but not always as fast as I want. That is just my impatience.

Answer #1: The scale is the devil. Step away from the scale. Buy a tape measure, notice how your clothes are (probably) fitting better. Muscle is more dense than fat, and takes up less space on your body. More muscle on your body will make the scale freeze or (gasp) move upward.

The scale is NOT the devil; but there are days, when I think that Satan has his foot on the scale. :laugh: When I stood up on my scale last week, my hubbie was standing behind me to make sure that I did lose my balance. He put his foot on the scale, and I got an ugly surprise. Then, he laughed; and I knew where the extra 20 pounds were located...in his foot.

Answer #2: You're not being honest. In order for this to work, you must record every morsel of food that goes in your body. Also, if you ride a stationary bike for 30 minutes and barely break a sweat and can still chatter on your cell phone (OK, that's my personal gym pet peeve) then you're probably not working "vigorously". Don't overestimate your exercise calories. (this was a big mistake I made in the past.)

That was the issue today...being honest. As for the exercise, I don't count 30 minutes of Sit and Fit with one pound weights. That would be pointless.

Answer #3: Your body might be re-adjusting. How you feel is the most important mark of progress. It's very easy to fixate on numbers, but feeling better really should be its own reward.

Very true.

Question #4:
So, if I'm eating my exercise calories, what's the point of exercise?

No...I can't see that my small amount of effort would justify more calories. Your walk to the car in the morning would probably burn more calories than my 30 minutes of Sit and Fit.

Does that help? Please say it does.

Yes. Thank you. :happy:

Hanfordrose

If you are undernourishing yourself that much, there's a good chance you won't qualify for the surgery anyway. You are going to end up with no muscle and brittle bones at this rate. I'm sorry that it is unlikely you will meet your goals as quickly as you hope, but if you keep going at it like this, you are going to end up with MORE health issues. Treat your body right, and get the surgery AFTER you move. Your recovery will be a LOT smoother that way.

I am being carefully monitored by my doctor. There is no chance that I am going to get UNhealthier with this weight loss. He does regular blood work on me and has me on everything from multivitamins to magnesium...2000U of D...potassium and more.

As for waiting on the surgery until after the move...no way. I won't have the same doctor or surgeon, when I move. I would have to start all over again to just find a good doctor and surgeon who would and could do this surgery. I will be moving from the best possible medical facility to whatever is available in a desert community. Our move will take us to a location that has far less to offer in the way of medical treatment...let alone orthopedic specialists. My current doctors would be hours away.

This knee surgery should have a rapid recovery from what I have been told by friends who had this same procedure done. There recovery was very quick...only a couple of weeks. I am hoping to improve my ability to function in our new location by having the surgery first. My husband has already stated that God brought us here, so that I could get new knees. Then...and only then...can we move on to our new work.

SueInAz

I think you've taken the biggest step here: you recognize the problem and you're trying to deal with it.

I usually say something here about motivation but you seem to already have that in place. You need to lose a certain amount of weight by a specific time to have the surgery you need so the rest of your plans can fall into place. I think the thing you need to really ask yourself is "why you are attempting to sabotage that by cheating?" The only person you are hurting is you by lying to yourself and your diary. That may sound a bit harsh but I think that's the reality you need to hear right now.

Since you're forced to be mostly sedentary you don't have the luxury of burning off many calories by exercise, so you have less wiggle room than most. That means you have to be even more strict with the amount of cheating you can get away with. Have you tried working with weights for your arms and upper body? Adding a little extra muscle can only help you.

Good luck!

Thank you for these words, Sis.

I definitely have the motivation. I am sick of being a lump in a chair...of missing out on the best part of my life. I want to be back on my feet again. I want to be able to go where I want, when I want, and without someone else having to help me. I'd like to be able to drive again. We bought a new van last year, and I have yet to drive it. My hubbie rides his new bike almost every day. I want a bike too...maybe a 3 wheeler, 'cause I would be scared of falling...but at least some kind of bike.

'Sabotage'...or simply 'justify' eating sweets at night? That what I was wondering too. I seem to have stronger craving for sweets at night. That's when I seem to be consuming the most salt and sugar.

Nighttime is my problem time too. I have my diary sectioned out by time of day, rather than meal names, because I've realized that most of my "problem" eating is between 8pm and bedtime. That's when I'm most likely to mindlessly eat junk, especially while watching TV or doing homework. I'll do really good all day and then eat 300 calories when I only have 100 left. :sad: For me, lately, this is mostly because I was really more on maintenance than trying to lose weight but it's put me back to the point where I need to lose a few pounds again. Once more onto the wagon!

There are a lot of tricks to help you avoid eating at that time of night, especially if it's to combat boredom eating. You can use that time to do something with your hands. Learn to knit or cross-stitch, do crossword puzzles or work with hand weights. Brush your teeth early and keep a glass of water by your side. If you really want to snack, find something low calorie that takes a long time to eat. One of my favorites is cold cereal like Cheerios or Kix or veggies like baby carrots or sugar snap peas. I'll measure out a specific serving size to fit my calorie allotment then eat it one piece at a time. No more than one. It takes a long time to eat 100 calories of Cheerios that way!

Hanfordrose

I cannot imagine that you have a reccomendation of 1200 at 240+ pounds. I can't go below 1400 on a no-exercise day without feeling incredibly terrible.

If you are talking about the MFP recommendation, it is for 1200. I customized it to 1000, when I signed on to MFP in December. My doctor encouraged me to go from a food plan of nothing but 3 liquid meal replacement shakes and 1 meal bar to regular low calorie food as well. He let me start on a very restricted food plan, because I was being consulted for possible gastric surgery. When I couldn't get the band procedure, I rejected the more severe gastric bypass. I said that I would lose the weight 'the old fashioned way'. My doctor agreed with me and only asked that I add regular food and continue to be monitored by him.

His nutritionist was informed and suggested 1200 calories...with the usual sheet of paper. You know...the list of healthy foods.

I have been doing a modified food plan...half the meal supplements and the rest regular food with those 100 calorie snacks to fill up the calorie count. That has got to change.

Hanfordrose

Do you feel that closing your diary would allow you to be more honest?

I know you don't want to hear these responses, but here are my thoughts:

1. Ditch the scale. Take measurements instead. If the scale is a source of stress then use another measure for your progress.

2. Eat more. At least 1200 calories, and then only that little if you are carefully planning your nutrition. Preferably your BMR. I suspect you're sneaking food because your calorie intake is way too little.

3. If you're going to continue to eat so little, see a nutritionist and/or doctor for monitoring.

I agree with this response. I'm also going to be another person who says "eat more". Have you seen a dietitian or doctor who told you that 1000 was right for you? If you're continually feeling hungry, eat a little more and log it! Eating more than 1000 doesn't have to be a bad thing.

1. No...the scale will stay. I just have to tough it out, when it doesn't tell me what I want.
2. Yes...I am moving my goal to 1200, starting today.
3. Yes...I will asked for the referral to my doctor's nutritionist.

Thanks, Sis.

Hanfordrose

You mention you are confined to a wheelchair. I don't know if you are able to move your legs at all but there are seated aerobic DVD's out there (I used to use them and if you put the effort in - its a good burn - but totally seated non-weight bearing). I know you don't go to the gym but some gyms have an upper body cardio machine that again could help you increase exercise (kind of like a bike for your arms). Even just going to meet with a personal trainer a couple times a month would be good because they could help you develop a solid upper body workout.

Good luck... you can do just try to change your approach.

Already doing 30 minutes of Sit and Fit with small hand weights, 3 to 5 times per week. I am on orders to NOT use my knees or ankles in any exercises at this time. The surgeon is concerned that I will do additional damage. The ends of the leg bones are fractured, and there is NO cartilage or bursa left. I have chronic tendonitis in both knees. I have 3 fractures to one ankle which resulted from falls. The other ankle is badly bruised from repeated sprains, falls and a previous leg infection. Not a pretty picture. So, I am on orders to 'stay put in your chair' and 'do nothing that might cause more damage'. Standing up and taking a few painful steps (using my walker) in our small apartment is about all I can safely do at this time.

Even getting on the scale requires me to have a 'catcher'. I shower carefully.

Hanfordrose

What is your BMR, out of curiosity? I have a hard time believing it's close to 1200. Also, your TDEE?

Have you tried these tools?

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

(note: when entering the "goal weight" in the BMR tool, you should actually add your current weight.

My BMR was 47, when I started. It was 43 as of yesterday. I am 68 years old, female, 64 inches tall and weighed 246.2 last Wednesday with my cloths on. I was 245 in my nightgown this morning. Note: Activity level - Sedentary. I believe that I am supposed to deduct 30%, because of my extremely high BMR.

I will let you do the math. I would be interested to see...what do you get as my TDEE? :happy:

cmeiron

What is your BMR, out of curiosity? I have a hard time believing it's close to 1200. Also, your TDEE?

Have you tried these tools?

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

(note: when entering the "goal weight" in the BMR tool, you should actually add your current weight.

My BMR was 47, when I started. It was 43 as of yesterday. I am 68 years old, female, 64 inches tall and weighed 246.2 last Wednesday with my cloths on. I was 245 in my nightgown this morning. Note: Activity level - Sedentary. I believe that I am supposed to deduct 30%, because of my extremely high BMR.

I will let you do the math. I would be interested to see...what do you get as my TDEE? :happy:

There is absolutely no way your BMR is 47. Physically impossible. I think you misunderstand what that is - it's Basal Metabolic Rate (the bare minimum you need to consume to support basic bodily functions).

I calculate a BMR of about 1700 calories. This is what you should be eating at a minimum.

Let's assume that number is accurate. Your TDEE would therefore be (if sedentary) approximately 2047.

30% of 2047 is 614. 2047-614 is 1433.

This value is below your BMR, which is not ideal, but you're being monitored (right?) You could therefore EASILY eat AT LEAST 1433 calories/day and still see significant losses, without compromising nutrition and energy.

So yeah - everyone else who suggested you eat more?

Yeah, do that. Eat more.

that_Va_chick

I would check the numbers. I weigh started off weighing 256 only work out 1x a week and I am suppose to eat 1350 cal.

Hanfordrose

There is absolutely no way your BMR is 47. Physically impossible. I think you misunderstand what that is - it's Basal Metabolic Rate (the bare minimum you need to consume to support basic bodily functions).

I calculate a BMR of about 1700 calories. This is what you should be eating at a minimum.

Let's assume that number is accurate. Your TDEE would therefore be (if sedentary) approximately 2047.

30% of 2047 is 614. 2047-614 is 1433.

This value is below your BMR, which is not ideal, but you're being monitored (right?) You could therefore EASILY eat AT LEAST 1433 calories/day and still see significant losses, without compromising nutrition and energy.

So yeah - everyone else who suggested you eat more?

Yeah, do that. Eat more.

I asked my hubbie to confirm what the surgeon said in November. He said that the doctor told me that my BMR was (not is)..."45 or 46".

Since that time, my regular physician said that I had lost enough weight to drop that number. Using a link that I got off another MFP post yesterday, I calculated my BMR at 43. I came up with 1800 calories, but I also deducted 30% which was the amount suggested for someone who is mobidly obese. That is me...unfortunately. The final number was 1200.

Until I can talk with my doctor next week, I am going to increase my daily goal to 1200 calories. At least, that will be honest.

Thanks for taking the time to doing those calculations.

shaleyn

I'm thinking you have BMI and BMR confused. BMI = Body Mass Index. BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate.

Hanfordrose

To all of you wonderful MFP brothers and sisters who have taken the time to respond.

I really appreciate your advice, your concern and the fact that you took time for me today. I have at least one nice surprise for me and for you.

I took some time off to clean up and get dressed. Then...I did it. I said a little prayer and got back on that scale. My true weight today in clothes is 245.8 pounds. That isn't a huge loss for this past week...only 0.4 pounds; but it is a loss...and I am grateful for that loss and for my friends on MFP.

cmeiron

I'm thinking you have BMI and BMR confused. BMI = Body Mass Index. BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate.

Yes. This.

These are two extremely different measures.

Hanfordrose

I'm thinking you have BMI and BMR confused. BMI = Body Mass Index. BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate.

There you go, Sis!!! I should know better. The surgeon was referring to my BMI !!! Duh! :laugh: