200+ to lose and totally utterly confused!

msshiraz

Millions of people have lost weight successfully and so why should I have to re-invent the wheel? Why should I have to delay my weight loss while I piddle about with this regime and that regime when surely to goodness there MUST be Truth somewhere on in someone.

I'm feeling really depressed with it all and I literally do not know what I am supposed to be eating today, let alone tomorrow and this year.

How can I find the truth in amongst all the arguing?

Can MFPers even agree on how many calories I should be consuming?

I appreciate your dilemna and it certainly can be overwhelming- so many do have different opinions. Unfortunately what works for one may not work for another. No one here can tell you your magic solution. You have to find that, and its good you are trying different things. But you are also trying too many things at once. If you want to do Atkins, follow the program faithfully, including no fasting. If you want to count calories, and eat back your calories, that may work. If you want to work out to the extreme, that is up to you. But you combine all these and add in fasting, I am not at all surprised you are both very frustrated as well as plateaud on your weight loss. At this point, if it were me, I'd talk to my dr about whats going. Find a clear path for you, and stick with it long enough to see if its working for you.

It took me years to discover what I need to do- I don't always do it right, but I keep going. #1- I always log in here on MFP every day- I hold myself accountable for my choices. I limit processed foods, eating as best I can, things not in a box, can, or a jar. I eat fresh fruits regularly- but only before or after a workout, because that is when I need carbs. The rest of the time, I limit my carb intake. I am not on Atkins, or any other diet- I am on what works for me.
Keep learning about your body's needs. Listen to it, it will tell you what is working and what is not. I'd say right now your body is telling you whatever is going on right now is not working.

Feel free to add me as a friend- support is key to successful weight loss

blunderwhere

Everyone will have an opinion and there is more than one way to correctly lose weight, so to speak. You must find the correct and healthy path that works for you. People here have offered a wealth of good ideas and advice. Take what you need. You needn't accept anyone's word as gospel.

By way of background, my starting weight was approximately what yours is. What is working for me is focusing on the eating. I will need to incorporate formal exercise eventually, but in my case, and it sounds like you may have similar issues, I have advanced hip arthritis and the pain associated with this condition prevents certain, but not all, exercise. This will not always be the case, and it does not prevent me from moving more than I have in the past.

As for my eating, I try my best to keep it practical. Truth is, for me, if it is not practical, simple, and user friendly, I will not succeed. Know yourself. Set yourself up to succeed.

Because I originally carried around the equivalent of a 200 lb person with me 24/7 (imagine actually throwing a 200 lb person over your shoulder) I factored in the extra energy necessary to do this and added it into my calorie requirements. The fact is, it requires more energy, or calories, for me to walk 100 feet than it does for a person who is on 30 lbs overweight to do the same activity. We instinctively know this because we know that the heavier we get, the less we can do because it's harder to do things when you are carrying the equivalent of a 200 lb person with you all the time than if you put that person down.

Our bodies need nutrition and fuel regardless of how much we have to lose. Decreasing our calories too much for our work load will only cause our metabolisms to slow down making us feel sluggish and precipitating cravings that are very difficult to resist. I do not need any help with low energy or cravings, so I calculate my BMR and set my calorie requirements high. I do not always...usually do not...eat the maximum allowed, but I can if I want or need to do so. This means, for me, that most days, I am successful in meeting or coming in under my goals for the day. This, naturally, makes me feel good, and yes, I do lose weight.

I do not consider myself to be "on a diet." I am merely doing my best to eat just under the caloric requirement for whatever weight I am at at the time. Because I am not "white knuckling" it by "dieting," but rather, am learning new ways to eat normally and reasonably, I hope and believe that I am in the process of developing long-term habits and conduct that will continue when I reach my goal weight range. When I reach this range, I will already be eating as I should continue to eat and nothing will change. The prospect of dieting at 1200 calories a day then "going on maintenance" after reaching my goal...for me...is patently absurd and does not give me ample opportunity, mentally or physically, to feel what it is like to eat healthy and normally and to practice those skills all the while losing weight. I want normalcy. I will never have it because I am not a normal eater, but I strive for as much normalcy as I can find in making my changes.

Do not worry. You absolutely WILL lose weight eating approximately 2000, or more calories per day, and you will not feel miserable, deprived, or have unreasonable cravings. You will wake up feeling successful and feel good about doing this the next day and the next day after that. Best of luck to you on your journey. We will do this. It hurts too much to be this heavy and I find that when I am eating what I want when I want it, I never feel satisfied, I am always preoccupied with what I am going to eat next, and good food does not taste good. If I am going to be preoccupied with food and what I am going to eat next anyway, I might as well have the benefit of food tasting good and feeling satisfied when I eat healthy nutritious food, plus I get to lose weight in the bargain.

P.S. Write it down...no matter what. Even if you have gone over your daily requirements. Often you will find that it is not as bad as you thought, or maybe it was really a lot of food, but the unknown is much worse on us psychologically than the actual truth.

366to266

Thanks to everyone for your posts.

Big thanks also to those who wrote words of praise and encouragement and support.

I see that some posters didn't read the bit in which I explained that I log all my foods faithfully on fatsecret, and why I'm not going to see any doctors. I don't blame you -- there are a LOT of replies on this thread :-)

So, it does indeed turn out that everyone has their own take on this and there is no concensus at all! I don't know who to believe or who to listen to :-(

After spending another whole day reading about this subject I am going to start tomorrow with my own diet devised by listening to my body and what it has naturally wanted these last few weeks without being pushed.

My new rules are not to eat under 1200 calories, ever, to aim for about 1700 calories and allow myself to have up to 2,000.

I will keep fasting on workout days because I'm enjoying it and it's easy: I just skip breakfast. Non-pool days I will only fast for abut 12 hours then eat breakfast.

After today's disastrous experiment I've decided to ditch the plan of eating higher carb. Instead, I am going even lower carb, maybe even fat-fast for a coupla days then between 10 and 20 carbs, made up of lettuce and other sundry garnishes.

Then I will get into ketosis and start to burn this 200lb of useless fat that I am carrying around.

So, my own diet which is influenced by zero-carb, paleo, Atkins and keto.

Thanks everyone :-)

SkimFlatWhite68

With all the issues you've listed, I do not think you should rely on advice from strangers on the internet. I would go to a doctor who specializes in nutrition and can work around your constraints, and ask lots of questions during your visit. Good luck!

Hi Helena, I agree with this. I didn't know you had so many serious health concerns.

I don't know how the health system works in the UK, but I would go and see your doctor and get a referral to see a dietitian for your body health, and one for a therapist for your mental health. You'll need to work on body and mind to get you to a good place.

If you are dead against seeing a doctor, my suggestion would be, with whatever eating plan you choose, try eating lean protein every 3 hours with a meal or snack to keep your muscles happy, i'm sure you don't want to lose muscle along with your body fat. I understand that you aren't moving around much, but start with a little bit of activity and resistance exercise every day and improve small baby steps at a time. Using your own body weight or a bottle filled with water would be enough, you don't need to go out and buy anything.

But again, I really think that given your conditions you should seek professional advice.

Blessings and good luck.

cordianet

Thanks to everyone for your posts.

Big thanks also to those who wrote words of praise and encouragement and support.

I see that some posters didn't read the bit in which I explained that I log all my foods faithfully on fatsecret, and why I'm not going to see any doctors. I don't blame you -- there are a LOT of replies on this thread :-)

So, it does indeed turn out that everyone has their own take on this and there is no concensus at all! I don't know who to believe or who to listen to :-(

After spending another whole day reading about this subject I am going to start tomorrow with my own diet devised by listening to my body and what it has naturally wanted these last few weeks without being pushed.

My new rules are not to eat under 1200 calories, ever, to aim for about 1700 calories and allow myself to have up to 2,000.

I will keep fasting on workout days because I'm enjoying it and it's easy: I just skip breakfast. Non-pool days I will only fast for abut 12 hours then eat breakfast.

After today's disastrous experiment I've decided to ditch the plan of eating higher carb. Instead, I am going even lower carb, maybe even fat-fast for a coupla days then between 10 and 20 carbs, made up of lettuce and other sundry garnishes.

Then I will get into ketosis and start to burn this 200lb of useless fat that I am carrying around.

So, my own diet which is influenced by zero-carb, paleo, Atkins and keto.

Thanks everyone :-)

I sincerely hope it works for you, but a lifetime of failure on my part and a lot of research I've done on the subject has led me to believe ALL "diets" fail. Even if you lose the weight, you never learn how to eat right and will most likely gain the weight back. A much more sensible plan would be to simply eat what you enjoy, just less of it. Over time, try to work on adding in more healthy changes, such as going from eating 2 veggie servings a day to 3 servings a day, or drinking one less soda a week. Eventually these small, simple changes will add up to sustainable changes that you can live with for life.

Just my .02...

kazzsjourney

It does get very confusing doesnt it? I too can only tell you what I did. I started at 380 pounds and have lost 180 pounds...I did this by eating 1800 calories with calorie cycling till i got down to about 210 pounds and then i lowered my cals 100-150 cals at a time. Currently I still calorie cycle and eat 1450 calories. As to exercise...do what you can...I started just stepping up on and down on a step...only like 10 at a time initially but did it a few times a day....i only increased exercise when i felt ready. Feel free to add me if you want extra support)

msshiraz

I am glad you are listening to your body. In the end no one but you is accountable to you except you. Keep US posted!!!!!

Bootjockey

I have my own opinions, and it's based on my own observations after having lost 200+ pounds.

If you're interested in chatting, feel free to FRIEND me.

-BootJockey

If you're tired of starting over...
STOP GIVING UP!!!

-Do It Now!

366to266

simply eat what you enjoy, just less of it.

Some people cannot do that. Which is why we got fat in the first place.

What I enjoy: cakes, pastries, chocolate, wheaty, sugary things, ice cream, etc. But these are TRIGGER foods for me and people like me. I cannot have them in the house, I cannot ever even have ONE. I cannot buy a packet of cookies and eat one a day for a week. Eating one would set off a craving and I would completely lose control and eat the entire box. Then go out and buy another.

I've tried this approach time and again. That is why I have been dieting on and off for 30+ years -- by trying to eat "in moderation", by having "a little of everything", by having no banned foods, by believing that little of what I fancy does me good, by allowing myself to have a daily "treat".

The worst thing of all is continuing to see "carbage" as a "treat" at all! What little success I have had so far (I've actually lost 25 lb)* is by going cold turkey on sugar and wheat, and by retraining my mind to see those foods not as lovely treats but as poisons to my system (which, in reality, they ARE).

* I started at 371, lost 5lb last year, then went off diet. Started dieting again in October when I was 366. Hence my username and ticker stats.