Can You Lose Weight W/Out Eating Healthy??

garrisonwife

Hi! I wanted to post this question here instead of just on my wall because I want to hear A LOT of opinions. First, my stats:

Age: 32
Weight: 197-199 depending on the day
Height: 5'3"

Ok...so here's the deal. I have my calories set at 1500 per day. It is VERY hard for me to meet this goal because I am rarely hungry. I burn between 2200 and 2500 calories per day (TOTAL). Though it makes me incredibly nervous to "Eat More to Weigh Less", I am all for doing what is most healthy for me. HOWEVER...I do not eat the healthiest foods. You will rarely, if ever, see a veggie or fruit on my diary. I try to make my meals calorie dense in order to get to my goal every day. I DO try to watch the sugar and sodium levels, and I DO drink a TON of water. Here's my question. Is it possible to lose weight even if I'm not packing my day full of veggies and fruit?

I also try to get in as much activity as possible, but I have a bone disease which makes exercise pretty painful. But, I get in quite a bit of walking. I have a BodyMedia LINK armband, and I usually get an hour and a half of moderate exercise, and a half hour or more of vigorous activity...and I try to get 5000 steps in every day.

I know I'm kind of all over the place, but I'm not losing inches, I'm not losing very much weight at ALL...and I've been at this for over two months now. So...I just need some advice. Is my problem that I'm not eating the RIGHT things? Is my goal too high at 1500? Is it too low? I've tried to do all the right calculations for TDEE and BMR and all that good stuff, but I just feel like I haven't found my "zone" yet, if that makes sense.

Help, please! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

~MB~

MorgueBabe

You over 2000 calories a day but you do about an hour of moderate exercise? O_o Or maybe I read this wrong.


:-/

sozisraw

If you don't like your fruit n veg, juice them and have them as healthy snacks!

Jackson4590

You can lose weight as long as you are under your calorie count for the day.

garrisonwife

You over 2000 calories a day but you do about an hour of moderate exercise? O_o Or maybe I read this wrong.


:-/

I use my BodyMedia armband to tell me my stats for the day. Overall, I burn anywhere between 2200 and 2500 calories every 24 hours total. It also calculates my moderate and vigorous activity levels which both average out to about an hour each per day. Does that answer your question? I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Sorry!

Josalinn

Technically yes, you can loose weight by eating very unhealthy: "Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds" http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

However I do not recommend this, even the nutritionist doesn't recommend this.

Also going to point you to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

I'm not sure how you are getting your numbers so the above site might help. Are you at least taking a multi vitamin?

edit: posted while you posted

garrisonwife

You can lose weight as long as you are under your calorie count for the day.

That's what I was thinking, too. Which makes me wonder if my calorie counts are off.

garrisonwife

Technically yes, you can loose weight by eating very unhealthy: "Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds" http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

However I do not recommend this, even the nutritionist doesn't recommend this.

Also going to point you to http://www.fat2fitradio.com/

I'm not sure how you are getting your numbers so the above site might help. Are you at least taking a multi vitamin?

edit: posted while you posted

I get my numbers from my BodyMedia armband. I will check out the site for sure. Thank you. Yes, I actually take a pre-natal vitamin every day. :-)

grim_traveller

If you think your calorie counts are off, they are. Do you weigh, measure, and log everything? That's the only way you can be certain what your intake is. And any method of calorie burn is just a guess. So if you are not losing, you are eating at maintenance.

Quality of food has no effect on weight loss, but an enormous influence on health, as others above have mentioned.

ahmadfahmy

You can lose weight without eating clean (just count calories/macros) but you probably will develop a vitamin deficiency...

kristinL16

If you can't get to 1500 calories because you aren't hungry, how did you gain weight in the first place? Not being snarky there. Sincerely am curious as to why you think you became overweight in the first place if you didn't overeat. Some people will say the type of calories don't matter, others say it definitely does. I think it does, but more for some people than others.

That being said, are you sure you are calculating your calories accurately? Measuring your portions and serving sizes? Logging every bite?

garrisonwife

If you can't get to 1500 calories because you aren't hungry, how did you gain weight in the first place? Not being snarky there. Sincerely am curious as to why you think you became overweight in the first place if you didn't overeat. Some people will say the type of calories don't matter, others say it definitely does. I think it does, but more for some people than others.

That being said, are you sure you are calculating your calories accurately? Measuring your portions and serving sizes? Logging every bite?

Part of the reason is that the weight gain STARTED with massive steroids. I used to only eat dinner, and I'd eat something insanely horrible, like...my entire day's calories in one meal. Yes, I measure everything. I log every single thing. I wear my BodyMedia armband 24 hours a day. My husband, who is doing the same exact stuff I am (except he's wayyy more active at work, and he eats about 300 cals less than his 2200 something calorie goal per day) and he's lost 31 pounds in two months. I know guys lose weight easier and faster, but I haven't budged. I'm not even too worried about the number on the scale, but I at least thought I should have lost inches after two months of working at this. I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast since I'm hardly EVER hungry when I wake up. Then, it's usually a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, then chicken and potatoes or something similar for dinner. We weigh our food, we measure everything...I just don't know what my numbers are supposed to be, I guess.

TheStephil

I wish I had a solution for you *hugs* I know you are working your buns off. Hopefully some intelligent people will provide some solutions, you can also try posting in the Eat, Train, Progress board (gotta read their rules for posting though before hand)

Also, in response to why you became overweight in the first place, soda was a huge factor too. Lots of extra calories.

I'm so proud of all the work you have done and while I know its frustrating, you will get there. Loves you

TheStephil

bump

megan3321

yep you can I nowhere near eat healthy I eat junk and still lose weight. as long as you don't go over your calorie limits you should be fine

kristinL16

I would guess that your body media is wrong, then. Although I know that if I don't eat very healthy I retain a lot of water and may even gain while still being under my cals. Like I said, I do believe that for some people the quality of cals makes a difference. Maybe you are sensitive to some of the foods you are eating or your macros are off. Switch things up once in awhile and also add in some more nutritious foods and see what happens.

04ward

If you can't get to 1500 calories because you aren't hungry, how did you gain weight in the first place? Not being snarky there. Sincerely am curious as to why you think you became overweight in the first place if you didn't overeat. Some people will say the type of calories don't matter, others say it definitely does. I think it does, but more for some people than others.

That being said, are you sure you are calculating your calories accurately? Measuring your portions and serving sizes? Logging every bite?

Part of the reason is that the weight gain STARTED with massive steroids. I used to only eat dinner, and I'd eat something insanely horrible, like...my entire day's calories in one meal. Yes, I measure everything. I log every single thing. I wear my BodyMedia armband 24 hours a day. My husband, who is doing the same exact stuff I am (except he's wayyy more active at work, and he eats about 300 cals less than his 2200 something calorie goal per day) and he's lost 31 pounds in two months. I know guys lose weight easier and faster, but I haven't budged. I'm not even too worried about the number on the scale, but I at least thought I should have lost inches after two months of working at this. I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast since I'm hardly EVER hungry when I wake up. Then, it's usually a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, then chicken and potatoes or something similar for dinner. We weigh our food, we measure everything...I just don't know what my numbers are supposed to be, I guess.

First to the comment "How did you gain if you didn't eat", Well, that's also where I am! I never ate breakfast and would have a salad about 2:00 then maybe have a hand full of chips or crackers later in the day and that would be it. I would maybe drink 1 glass of water or tea and a pepsi. I did this for years and would never be hungry. The body fat kept building because it was protecting itself from the low intake of food. It happens!

I am 5'6" and weight 192, the heaviest I've ever been with a 41% BFP from years of not eating correctly. I started MFP 60 days ago and I lost some inches but have yet to lose pounds. I was down to 189 the 3rd week but then bounce up to 192 & down to 190 so I've quit worrying about what the scales says. I have my MFP set at 1500 but I use a Fitbit so I usually end up getting about 1600-1800 cal on exercise days. I just keep telling myself it's going to take time to see the weight come off. I also question if I'm eating enough or too much but from all the charts and from what the MFP and FITBIT site say, I am eating what I should and so if I have to be patient, keep counting calories, and keep exercising. I've read too many success stories to think that I'm the only one in in the world that can't lose following this plan! It HAS to work.

DaniH826

Part of the reason is that the weight gain STARTED with massive steroids. I used to only eat dinner, and I'd eat something insanely horrible, like...my entire day's calories in one meal. Yes, I measure everything. I log every single thing. I wear my BodyMedia armband 24 hours a day. My husband, who is doing the same exact stuff I am (except he's wayyy more active at work, and he eats about 300 cals less than his 2200 something calorie goal per day) and he's lost 31 pounds in two months. I know guys lose weight easier and faster, but I haven't budged. I'm not even too worried about the number on the scale, but I at least thought I should have lost inches after two months of working at this. I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast since I'm hardly EVER hungry when I wake up. Then, it's usually a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, then chicken and potatoes or something similar for dinner. We weigh our food, we measure everything...I just don't know what my numbers are supposed to be, I guess.

How long ago were you on steroids? How long have you been off them? Medications can do a real number on weight loss/gain, as can hormones.

Your body's refusal to budge may actually be all medically based. Go discuss it with your doctor would be my suggestion. Medically-induced weight gain can take a long time to regulate itself after a person stops taking the med that started it all, depending on the medication and what all it did to your system.

For a regular person, if your TDEE is about 2200-2500 calories, you should be eating roughly someplace between 1760 and 2000 calories at a 20% cut. 1500 would then be a bit low for you, obviously.

But yea, bottom line, go see your doc and see if y'all can come up with a realistic plan that will help you get that weight back off. Don't make yourself crazy with all this exercising, weighing and OCD calorie-counting, and don't under-nourish your body because you're getting all frantic about the scale and whatnot. Feed your body what it actually needs to help with the regulation back to some sort of normal state so you can actually go by "normal numbers" and they will work for you. I'd suggest you make friends with solid nutrition. It's of course possible to lose weight eating a crummy diet, but in your case with your medical background, I'd advise against it, not for weight loss reasons, but for nutritional reasons because you're going to want to give your body the best ammo possible.

And for cripe's sake don't compare yourself to your husband, especially if he doesn't share your medical background. Maybe instead, talk to other people that have been on the same steroids and see how they managed to get things back under control.

Good luck!

andysmom

I just read a good post about metabolism
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/44278-repairing-your-broken-furnace-metabolism?hl=furnace&page=10#posts-14668696

This is what I am trying and I think it works pretty well.

Good luck and hang in there.