I can't eat this much & lose weight

dulcy

So Louise....we need to eat more!!!!
Never thought I'd hear myself complain about that!! But these guys really know their stuff!!
I'm going shopping tomorrow to stock up on good stuff!!!:laugh:

TY x:flowerforyou:

LittleSpy

EAT TO LOSE. all these people here who are successful weight-losers cannot be wrong.

Indeed! We seriously have no reason to lie to you! :laugh:

That's what I had to keep telling myself when I started increasing my calories -- "Why would they lie? There's no reason. Just do it already." I was expecting a small gain for a couple weeks, but nope. I have yet to experience an actual gain that didn't just appear to be a normal daily fluctuation.

acakeforawife

One thing you should also keep in mind is that you won't feel as hungry once you're in the stages of the starvation mode. Your body is try to protect you, so it's using its calories verrrrrrry slowly. I used to eat 1200 calories and never feel hungry, and now I eat more like 1500 and still get hungry pretty often -- you just need to learn not to fear that, it's actually good and means your body is turning into a food-burning machine (as it's meant to be!) It may take awhile, and I wouldn't recommend increasing your calories all at once, but try upping your goal by about 50 calories a week.

Honestly, you can't sustain eating under 1000 calories for the rest of your life, but that's what you're training your body for. You're really shooting your future self in the foot by doing it this way. Just my opinion!

HealthyChanges2010

I totally feel the same way...in fact I'm feeling aggravated today!:explode: I kept my calories under 1200 for the first two weeks and lost 4 pounds. Well I started freaking out about what everyone is saying on here about starvation mode and everything so I upped my calories and I gained 3 pounds! My day to weigh is Friday so I'm going to actually wait until Friday (I have been weighing on wed with my friends but for MFP it's Friday) I feel like when I eat more I gain more. I work out a BUTTLOAD. I do double workouts a couple times a week. On my "rest" day it's the day that I actually go for a long run (5-10) miles with a friend in the morning.
It frustrates me a ton! I snack, I eat healthy. don't know what else to do at this point. They say my thyroid meds are right where they need to be....I'm not sure!

With so little to lose your losses won't be so quick as someone that is trying to lose 50 lbs or 100lbs. To keep the weight off for a healthy lifestyle and not simply repeatedly diet over and over again, eating enough cals for your body is vital for your organs, brain function, well the list goes on.

Could be SOOOOOO many reasons for the 3 lb weight gain, if every week you had a gain for months on end, then there might be an issue. Our bodies DO KNOW what they are doing, honest, they do!

1200 cals is the bare minimum they can be at to keep us healthy and functioning well. I hear so many on here say how 'full '
they are eating barely 1200 cals.

It's not healthy food that filled me up in the past, it's crap food that did that and that's what made me overweight as well, chips, chocolate, breads, you name it all the things we now eat in moderation or eat only as an occasional treat.

If we don't feed our bodies enough they will learn to eat less (not a good thing!) but that doesn't mean it's healthy for them, it may make us feel full when we add more but given time our bodies will adjust. I never stuff myself but I do get my cals in, pre-planning will work wonders. Eating healthy PB, nuts (preferably raw with no salt), fruits, avocado, great foods like that to nourish our body but they are healthy for our body.

They are foods we can eat for a lifetime, I would much rather eat healthy and make it a lifestyle change than lose quickly and feel healthy rather than go back to the old days of 'diet, repeat, 'diet' repeat over and over again.

HealthyChanges2010

Thank you everyone:flowerforyou:
I feel like I've had a good talking to, by my Mum!! Which is a good thing!:blushing:

I think I'm so scared of the weight not coming off that I've got my body used to not eating that much. I eat healthily, even when I eat too much, which is what's caused the weight gain. I've been on this site before, so know it works if you stick to it.
I very rarely eat processed foods, almost everything is from scratch.
I'd kind of forgotten about nuts! They're one of my favourite snacks, so I think I'll go back to those & try & bump up my calories in that way as well as maybe eating more fruit & raw veggies. Maybe if I aim for my 1200 a day & not worry about the exercise calories for now. I probably don't snack enough & maybe I could add fruit to my breakfast??

You've given me loads of great ideas & I really appreciate your input xx

Oh and my healthy weight range is 126 - 154lbs (although that doesn't take into account body frame/shape etc)

:drinker: :flowerforyou:

LittleSpy

I totally feel the same way...in fact I'm feeling aggravated today!:explode: I kept my calories under 1200 for the first two weeks and lost 4 pounds. Well I started freaking out about what everyone is saying on here about starvation mode and everything so I upped my calories and I gained 3 pounds! My day to weigh is Friday so I'm going to actually wait until Friday (I have been weighing on wed with my friends but for MFP it's Friday) I feel like when I eat more I gain more. I work out a BUTTLOAD. I do double workouts a couple times a week. On my "rest" day it's the day that I actually go for a long run (5-10) miles with a friend in the morning.

I can gain 3 pounds overnight -- there are a lot of reasons, but gaining 3 pounds of actual fat in a week sure isn't one of them.

1. Excess sodium in your diet causes water retention. Depending on the person, anything over 1500mg could be causing it (you shouldn't eat less than about 1000mg if you're exercising, though).
2. New exercise or exercise intensity causes water retention
3. Normal. Daily. Fluctuation. You can weigh one morning and be a little dehyrdated & then weigh the next morning (or the next week) and have eaten a sodium-riffic dinner & be retaining water. Maybe you haven't pooped for a couple days. All that adds weight that can easily mask fat loss.

You need to give ANY changes to your diet & exercise routine at least a MONTH before you write them off. Yes, a MONTH. Or longer. You can't just say something like "I increased my calories for 3 days & gained 5 pounds." To do so is very very very misleading.

When you increase you calories, yes, you can expect to gain a little weight initially. I personally haven't experienced this, but I've read others have. Gain weight for a week or and then start losing (and continue losing) again after that. Your body has to adjust.

auttyfrmca

I know, I know....it's sad that I can't get it through my head. and there is no way I could honestly say I plan on eating 1000 calories for the rest of my life!
I am really in this for the long haul....even if I want to get pregnant this summer my eating habits, I hope, will stay the same!

cmriverside

I know, I know....it's sad that I can't get it through my head. and there is no way I could honestly say I plan on eating 1000 calories for the rest of my life!
I am really in this for the long haul....even if I want to get pregnant this summer my eating habits, I hope, will stay the same!

Okay. I just looked at your profile.

1. You have 13 lbs to lose!!!!!!!. How did you arrive at that number? Is that the mid-range of your healthy recommended weight? If so, then your body is going to fight you tooth and nail to hang on to those 13 lbs. It is happy right where it is.

2. How have you set your goals??. They should be set at moderately active, lose 1/2 pound per week. That is ALL you will be able to lose this close to your ideal weight. Stop expecting miracles.

Just do it.

Eat the Myfitnesspal recommended calories AND your exercise calories. You are setting yourself up for failure otherwise.

You are too close to your goal weight to set up a 2 lb or even a 1 lb loss per week.

Did you read the links I posted on page one???? Read the entire thread on each of those, there are good discussions by educated people, some of whom make their livings as doctors, Certified trainers, Nutritionists and other successful weight loss people who are MAINTAINING their lifestyles long-term.

This forum is one of the best free advice forums anywhere (believe me, I've looked.) You have the tools. Use them.





__________________________________________________________________________________

lina1131

I cannot for the life of me imagine living on 1000 calories a day, not even 1200 a day. I eat around 1430 to 1500 on days I don't workout and I could probably still eat more if I wanted to. How are we suppose to nourish our bodies on only 1000 calories?

I have been eating at least the 1430 every single day since I have started, and yes, my weight loss is slow, but I have lost 32 pounds in 8 months and I have learned a lot about my body and what it needs/doesn't need, etc? I don't feel deprived. I feel healthy and good.

Eat more. It works!

dulcy

All change from today! So far I've managed to add 150 cal to my breakfast by having Wholemeal toast & peanut butter, instead of cereal, & I added a cup of grapes too.
I'm off to the shops to buy healthy snacking foods, like seeds & nuts etc.
Thanks to all you lovely people on here I'm in a new frame of mind!!!

I seem to have really hit a nerve with this topic. At first I was worried & then realised that there's a whole bunch of people who were thinking like me. Lets hope they get it now too & we can all start to take better care of ourselves xxxx

kwardklinck

If you're eating the dairy, fruits, veggies, protein, and carbs you're supposed to, you won't have any trouble going to or above 1200 cals a day. You need to shoot for nutritional value in the foods you eat. Yes, I'm eating a lot. Some days I get 1800 calories (I'm on maintenance now) depending on the exercise I do. I generally eat a snack (around 200 cals) before I run and then eat a meal about an hour after I run. I have never eaten so much on a diet before. That's the point. This is a whole lifestyle change. I'm exercising now and my body needs those calories to maintain my current weight. Yes you can eat what it says and lose weight. I did it. I always ate within 50 calories of what MFP told me to. I also met my goal. You have to let go of your preconceived notions of what a diet is and let this process work.

SHBoss1673

dulcy, I'm in complete agreement with everyone on here about making sure you eat enough. One thing I'll caution you about though, if you up your calories quickly (one other poster mentioned this too!) you may see an immediate small weight gain, That's fine, it's to be expected, for a few weeks your body won't be expecting, nor will it know what to do with, the extra calories; so it will store some as fat. There are two ways to handle this:
1) accept it, that fat will come off super fast once your body recognizes that this is a permanent change, maybe after 2 or 3 weeks or so (it varies).

2) slow the calorie increase down to about 50 to 100 calories a week. This way the body isn't seeing drastic increases all at once, and it will give your body time to adjust.


both ways require 2 to 4 weeks to kick into effect, but both work for you. It just depends on what your preference is.

dulcy

dulcy, I'm in complete agreement with everyone on here about making sure you eat enough. One thing I'll caution you about though, if you up your calories quickly (one other poster mentioned this too!) you may see an immediate small weight gain, That's fine, it's to be expected, for a few weeks your body won't be expecting, nor will it know what to do with, the extra calories; so it will store some as fat. There are two ways to handle this:
1) accept it, that fat will come off super fast once your body recognizes that this is a permanent change, maybe after 2 or 3 weeks or so (it varies).

2) slow the calorie increase down to about 50 to 100 calories a week. This way the body isn't seeing drastic increases all at once, and it will give your body time to adjust.


both ways require 2 to 4 weeks to kick into effect, but both work for you. It just depends on what your preference is.

I understand what you're saying SHBoss1673. I think my body must be very confused right now:embarassed: so I'm kind of not expecting too much in terms of actual weight loss to start with. I've just started back here at MFP, so have gone from eating whatever I felt like, to putting myself on a strict 'diet', which wasn't good for me either.
I've gone out today & stocked up on fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds & trail mix, and I'm going to aim for eating my 1200 cal a day, as some days I was eating about 800. I think for me it's been about getting past the fear factor & realising that my body knows what to do if I just put the right stuff in it!
I'm staying off the scales for a couple of weeks so that I don't get downhearted although getting my jeans on today was a lot easier than it has been for a while, so that's good enough for me

Thanks for your input x

kwardklinck

I started out at 1200 plus exercise calories and lost quite a bit (10 pounds in a month). Then my weight loss just stopped. I then increased my calories to between 1350 and 1400 and started losing again. I agree with the person who said just make small adjustments. They can sometimes cause big changes. I never thought I'd be able to eat as much as I do and maintain my weight.

loveslightwings

That's what I do. I drop my calories by 100 calories each week. I'm fairly good and I manage to stick with it but I have had some issues recently in that I havent changed my diet or exercise yet I'm still maintaining the weight. It's really really annoying! I lost 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks. Since then...I've just maintained

NotLuigiTM

HI,
I'm going under my calories everyday simply because I know if I eat more than I am at the moment I will not lose the weight.:frown:
I'm eating 3 meals a day typically 2 weetabix for breakfast with skimmed milk, a low cal soup & banana for lunch & then for dinner something like chicken veggies & rice, or a small portion of a pasta dish. Whatever the rest of the family are having, just a smaller portion as we eat pretty healthily. If I need to snack I have an apple or a calorie counted bar such as special K under 100 cals. I probably have 2-3 cups of tea or coffee a day & the rest of the time drink water or sugar free squash.

I'm supposed to aim for 1200 cal a day, but I walk everyday so add that on for exercise, usaully around another 300 cal is added, but most days I'm still just under 1000 cals. If I eat more I'd be eating for the sake of it:noway:

I keep getting the starvation mode warning, but like I say if I eat more a) the weight won't come off & b) I'll be eating just for the sake of it, as I'm not hungry!!

Just in case you need to know I'm 5'7 tall and about 148lbs hoping to get down to around 130lbs

Any suggestions or advice?? xxx

UNDER CALORIES RECOMMENDED IS WRONG WRONG WRONG AND WILL PUT BODY IN SURVIVAL MODE

This method has worked for me and last week I lost 3 lbs. Total of 26 lost since November 16th, 2009. So I am living proof and this past week from Monday to Monday (I weigh in on Monday only) I ate 2 fresco beef tacos from taco bell and I had 1 suggested portion of Peppridge Farm Triple layer fudge cake and 1 serving of ice cream with it and still lost the 3 lbs. It is about eating your suggested number of calories so that you are eating enough. According to the Biggest Loser if you cut your calories too low your body will start to store food as fat. I eat about 1570 for my weight 216 and height 5 ft 6 in. Most times I am at the mark or just a few over or under. It is what my body needs to lose weight. Want to know more just ask me. If you look at the suggested number of calories from this site and eat that many or just a little more along with exercise you will do well. Do not do a FAD diet like weight watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach or Atkins etc. Do a lifestyle change that is really what you need to do. Learn how to eat all kinds of food. You will feel much more full and less likely to binge on the foods you do love. One thing that I can tell you is PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN and less Carbs yes but do not throw out all carbs. I also ate rice and Mac & Cheese. I used to think that those suggested serving sizes on the package or box were for kids but now I realize that eating that much will fill me out. Also use a lot of salad (Spinach more then lettuce) and green veggies and fruits in your meals too. Good Luck. I hope this helps. Too Few calories and you wont lose...Too Many and you wont lose...It is about eating just enough to lose!

Only a banana for breakfast is a bad idea. You need to eat more calories in the day and less as the day goes on. you should have protein protein protein. a much more filling meal is 9 grams of protein or more which will help you stay fuller longer. If you have a carb loaded meal, you will feel full but the fullness will wear off quite quickly and you will be hungry sooner. (Hence why Chinese makes you hungry after 2 hours). That whole thing about Low Fat and eating less does not work. You screw up your Metabolism if you do not eat enough cause then your body goes into survival mode. Good Luck.

NotLuigiTM

So, here's a little experience for you.
5 years ago I lost 40 pounds. Essentially by starving myself. I was eating 1400 calories a day (Of lower quality foods. I ate a lot of "low fat" and "diet" stuff... didn't know better) and was walking probably somewhere around 30-40 miles a week. I plateaued around 210 for a month. There was no way I could decrease what I was eating (since I was eating the wrong stuff) without being extremely hungry all the time. I gave up. And then gained about 60 pounds over the next 4 years.

Why couldn't I get past that plateau? I wasn't eating enough!

This time, I started out eating 1200 calories. Lost almost all of that 60 pounds I had just gained in about 4.5 months. Then, BAM, mega-plateau at the exact same weight as last time. This time, thanks to the sticky posts on MFP, I knew what to do. So I started increasing my calories and slowly but surely the weight started coming off again. I'm still struggling to find the right calorie intake. I'll increase it & then a week or two later drop a crazy amount of weight and then plateau again so I increase my calories again and then a couple weeks later drop a ton of weight and then plateau again for a couple weeks & increase again. I've gone through the cycle 3 times now. I've gone from eating 1200 calories a day regardless of exercise to 1330 calories a day plus about 50-75% of my exercise calories (which usually equals 1500-1900 calories a day depending on what exercise I do). Guess what-- I just dropped weight again this week for the first time in 3 weeks 2 days after having 4 "off" days in a row when I ate about 2200 calories each day!! :noway: So, it looks like I'm *still* not eating enough.

No wonder I'm the lightest I've ever been as an adult. I don't think I would have ever figured out I needed to eat *more* to continue losing weight.

YOU ARE DOING IT JUST RIGHT!!! KEEP IT UP!!!

auttyfrmca

UNDER CALORIES RECOMMENDED IS WRONG WRONG WRONG AND WILL PUT BODY IN SURVIVAL MODE

This method has worked for me and last week I lost 3 lbs. Total of 26 lost since November 16th, 2009. So I am living proof and this past week from Monday to Monday (I weigh in on Monday only) I ate 2 fresco beef tacos from taco bell and I had 1 suggested portion of Peppridge Farm Triple layer fudge cake and 1 serving of ice cream with it and still lost the 3 lbs. It is about eating your suggested number of calories so that you are eating enough. According to the Biggest Loser if you cut your calories too low your body will start to store food as fat. I eat about 1570 for my weight 216 and height 5 ft 6 in. Most times I am at the mark or just a few over or under. It is what my body needs to lose weight. Want to know more just ask me. If you look at the suggested number of calories from this site and eat that many or just a little more along with exercise you will do well. Do not do a FAD diet like weight watchers, Jenny Craig, South Beach or Atkins etc. Do a lifestyle change that is really what you need to do. Learn how to eat all kinds of food. You will feel much more full and less likely to binge on the foods you do love. One thing that I can tell you is PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN and less Carbs yes but do not throw out all carbs. I also ate rice and Mac & Cheese. I used to think that those suggested serving sizes on the package or box were for kids but now I realize that eating that much will fill me out. Also use a lot of salad (Spinach more then lettuce) and green veggies and fruits in your meals too. Good Luck. I hope this helps. Too Few calories and you wont lose...Too Many and you wont lose...It is about eating just enough to lose!

Only a banana for breakfast is a bad idea. You need to eat more calories in the day and less as the day goes on. you should have protein protein protein. a much more filling meal is 9 grams of protein or more which will help you stay fuller longer. If you have a carb loaded meal, you will feel full but the fullness will wear off quite quickly and you will be hungry sooner. (Hence why Chinese makes you hungry after 2 hours). That whole thing about Low Fat and eating less does not work. You screw up your Metabolism if you do not eat enough cause then your body goes into survival mode. Good Luck.
[/quote]


Weight watchers isn't considered a fad diet. It's considered a lifestyle change because you are supposed to learn how to control your portions and eat healthy foods if you follow the plan. There is a maintainence that you gives you the "points" and knowledge to keep the weight off.
The other diets you have to eat their food and from my understanding it's harder to maintain.

cmriverside

Weight watchers isn't considered a fad diet. It's considered a lifestyle change because you are supposed to learn how to control your portions and eat healthy foods if you follow the plan. There is a maintainence that you gives you the "points" and knowledge to keep the weight off.
The other diets you have to eat their food and from my understanding it's harder to maintain.

Weight Watchers works for some people. If you can get to regular meetings.If you like listening to other people complain. If you feel like PAYING $15-20 a week to have someone weigh you.

I prefer the ease, convenience, and 24-7 availability of Myfitness pal and my cyber-friends. No shower necessary, no driving. And I can find much better ways to spend that $60-80 dollars a month.