Needs urgent help, but no criticism or patronising!

lozzieemay
lozzieemay Posts: 89
in Health and Weight Loss
So christmas is pretty much over with, and I promised myself that tomorrow would be D day for getting back on track with a good diet & exercise regime to lose 6 stone, which I've gained within 12 months.

I've tried all types of diets out there - from the VLCD's such as Cambridge and slim & save, to slimming clubs such as weight watchers and slimming world, and then conventional calorie counting, with some weird faddy diets thrown in between.

I'm torn between what path to take on my journey to lose this 6 stone. The dramatic weight gain within such a short period of time is causing extreme problems and pains in my knees & back, for which I've been to the doctor and been referred to physiotherapy and told to lose this weight and the quicker the better.. they suggested slimming world, but I tried it before and couldn't adjust to the plan.

Anyway, in the past, and basically all of my adult life I've eaten very little through the week and then more on weekends - allowing treats and meals out & drinks with friends etc. This worked for me, not only for the social life benefits but because I dropped weight quickly and kept it off permitting I'd get back to the strict regime during the week..

Weekdays consisted of 900 calories or less, and I know some of you out there are already waiting to batter me for saying that & ready to give me the whole 'starvation mode' lecture, but WAIT - if calorie cycling is such a successful tool, and it's the average calories over the course of a week that's more important than daily calorie net - then wasn't my old way of life okay? Eating 900 5 days of the week, and approx 3000 the other two days totals 10,500 calories over the week, which averages out to 1500 a day.. and I'm guessing my weekends could've been over 3000 so maybe I averaged a higher net calorie total daily than 1500.

The only reason I ended up not sustaining the weight loss was because people put so much doubt in me, making out that my way of life diet wise was unhealthy & dangerous, so I lost faith in myself and binged excessively, then would try and start a new diet say Cambridge, find it too difficult and give up then binge again, then find a new diet etc etc etc.

Which is why 12 months later I'm now 15.7 stone and a size 18, rather than the 9.7 stone size 8 girl I was last christmas.

I know steady slow weight loss is deemed healthier, and more sustainable, which is why I figured out my BMR and TDEE and thought about eating 30% less than TDEE, only because I'm obese, which is 1700 calories daily and slowly easing myself back into exercise - admittedly the exercise part is daunting and will be tough because I'm so restricted mobility wise with my knees.

Anyway, guess what I'm trying to say in a roundabout way, is what's better? If either way I'll be averaging 1700 calories daily, is it better and more beneficial for me to eat a steady calorie allowance of 1700 daily, or to follow my old regime with strict weekdays and more lenient weekends?
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Replies

  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    I forgot to add - that my old diet regime got weight off pretty fast, and within 4 months of having my son in July 2011 I managed to lose the 4 stone I'd gained throughout the pregnancy and was 9.7 stone again. So this seems better for me considering weight loss is quicker and I want & more importantly need to lose this weight sharpish for my health..

    Must add, I'm only 22 years old and 5ft 3, so being this heavy isn't clever.
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    You don't gain it back because people don't have faith in you. You gain it back by eating too much. No one had faith in my weight loss, i got a lot of criticism. Don't go on ANY DIET. Count your calories as MFP set them out for you, and EAT ALL THEM. You don't have to eat all them everyday, but make sure by the end of the week you ate all of them, you can save them and such. But by the end of the week eat all them.

    I didn't say people didn't have faith in me, I didn't have faith in myself and then binge ate constantly. I know that to gain weight it's due to excessive calorie intake & eating more than your body burns, and I'm not denying that because I'm fully aware that I did eat too much.
  • gnr123
    gnr123 Posts: 173
    I sympathize with you as I know from personal experience how putting weight on so fast can effect you.

    What worked for me when I couldn't exercise due to injury was low carb/high protein..I lost the stone and half pretty quick..

    However as I am now able to exercise again, I use the gym to stay as I am and not gain weight..I would no longer say I watch what I eat but I still try to get make sure that I eat lots of protein and keep the carbs down..

    Have a look at the Dukan diet, it's not long term but to lose the weight quick and then ease your way back to 'normal' eating with the aid of the gym..

    Good luck.
  • mygrl4meee
    mygrl4meee Posts: 943 Member
    I do calorie cycling too. However not to the extremes you mentioned. I can't say if the way your doing it is healthy or not. So I won't comment on that. But is being able to eat tons twice a week worth being hungry for 5? And is it something you can do forvever? I think the key to losing weight is finding something you can do forever. If you can't then you won't maintain it.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I really don't think the week day calorie restriction is a good idea.

    I am a little older than you are, and I am 5'2" tall and I started out earlier this year at a little over 16st. My weight loss has been slower, and I am OK with that. It gives my skin a chance to tighten up so I won't have all kinds of skin flaps left over.

    If you insist on calorie cycling, why not do a higher calorie day every 2-3 days instead of waiting 5 days?
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    I sympathize with you as I know from personal experience how putting weight on so fast can effect you.

    What worked for me when I couldn't exercise due to injury was low carb/high protein..I lost the stone and half pretty quick..

    However as I am now able to exercise again, I use the gym to stay as I am and not gain weight..I would no longer say I watch what I eat but I still try to get make sure that I eat lots of protein and keep the carbs down..

    Have a look at the Dukan diet, it's not long term but to lose the weight quick and then ease your way back to 'normal' eating with the aid of the gym..

    Good luck.

    I looked into dukan before but found it quite confusing! Lol. When I count calories I'll probably keep carbs low anyway, as I always have! Thanks :)
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I used to do the weekday cycling, but I found that it promoted binging with my workout schedule, or that by day 3 I would start crapping out. The way I ended up cycling by setting my weekday gross goal at 1200 + half my exercise calories and then not logging on the weekends. It worked for about 8 months, but I've found that in the long run this was probably not the best idea for me. It wasn't a long term sustainable plan as I couldn't keep up with my weekday workout schedule.
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    I really don't think the week day calorie restriction is a good idea.

    I am a little older than you are, and I am 5'2" tall and I started out earlier this year at a little over 16st. My weight loss has been slower, and I am OK with that. It gives my skin a chance to tighten up so I won't have all kinds of skin flaps left over.

    If you insist on calorie cycling, why not do a higher calorie day every 2-3 days instead of waiting 5 days?

    It's not so much that I insist on calorie cycling, but I guess that's what I did before but unintentionally.. I'm not sure what calorie number to aim for? I thought my TDEE minus a 1000 cal deficit was best so I can at least lose 2lbs a week, but then others advise no more than a 20% cut from the TDEE.. So that ranges from 1460 calories to 1900 and I'm really not sure what number to hit!
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    I used to do the weekday cycling, but I found that it promoted binging with my workout schedule, or that by day 3 I would start crapping out. The way I ended up cycling by setting my weekday gross goal at 1200 + half my exercise calories and then not logging on the weekends. It worked for about 8 months, but I've found that in the long run this was probably not the best idea for me. It wasn't a long term sustainable plan as I couldn't keep up with my weekday workout schedule.

    I guess that's what worries me, that I won't sustain it again and I really need to find something I can sustain. So if that's keeping to a constant calorie allowance daily then that's fine, but I'm not sure how many calories to aim for?
  • gnr123
    gnr123 Posts: 173
    I sympathize with you as I know from personal experience how putting weight on so fast can effect you.

    What worked for me when I couldn't exercise due to injury was low carb/high protein..I lost the stone and half pretty quick..

    However as I am now able to exercise again, I use the gym to stay as I am and not gain weight..I would no longer say I watch what I eat but I still try to get make sure that I eat lots of protein and keep the carbs down..

    Have a look at the Dukan diet, it's not long term but to lose the weight quick and then ease your way back to 'normal' eating with the aid of the gym..

    Good luck.

    I looked into dukan before but found it quite confusing! Lol. When I count calories I'll probably keep carbs low anyway, as I always have! Thanks :)

    Ahh no worries, hope you find something that works for you.
  • whitneyps7
    whitneyps7 Posts: 409 Member
    are thoes pics old??? i think u look incrediable!!!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    IMHO 30% under tdee is too large a deficit. Start with 15% or 20% and see how you're progressing. If you are prone to binging you'll want to minimize your chances of failure by making sure you are eating enough to begin with.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    If you can manage 900 calories a day, why not push for 500? If you can manage that then something that many people are having great success doing and which is apparently healthy for you: Alternate Day Fasting, eat normally 5 days a week, 2 non-consecutive days eat 500 calories. Note it's 5 off, 2 on, no 1 off, 10 on or 3 off 20 on. 5 off, 2 on. Get too clever and your body will kick your *kitten*.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5:2_diet
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    are thoes pics old??? i think u look incrediable!!!

    If the op stats are accurate I'm going to assume the pics are from last year.
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    I calorie cycle, but with less disparity. I eat 1500-1600 during the week and ~2000 (maintenance) on the weekends, and it works well for me. I'm also really close to my goal weight and pretty active, so these numbers won't be quite the same for you. Just experiment a bit, but maybe try 25% below TDEE during the week and 10% below TDEE on the weekend. After you've lost a couple of stone, go from 25% to 20%. The closer you get to your goal weight, the closer you should be to eating at maintenance.
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member


    I didn't say people didn't have faith in me, I didn't have faith in myself and then binge ate constantly.

    If you have a history of binge eating, DO NOT cycle your calories. Going to low during the week will most likely add to your binge eating problem. A steady, healthy amount of calories all week long is what would be best for you IMO.
  • gwicks54
    gwicks54 Posts: 201 Member
    Use the fitness pal guidelines. Go in & set up based on your current weight &, how many pounds you want to lose each week, and your activity level. I chose to use sedentary & then enter my exercises to determine if I had calories I could eat. It will aoutomatically tell you how many calories you should have each day. I don't see anything wrong with saving calories from a meal or a day or two even if you prefer to eat more at certain times. It really is calories in & how much you energy you expend. I hope you have great success. Getting healthy may take more time than you would like but it is important to make changes you can live with forever.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    I don't think such a differential in weekday and weekend calories is good for you because you're not learning sustainable habits. I would see that as punishing myself during the week and then binging at the weekend. It is harder restricting intake when not working but it must be better to have a constant stream of energy giving foods throughout the week. Most cycling techniques fluctuate within hundreds rather than thousands and seem much safer. I'd be light headed and less likely to stay active on your regime. Good luck with whatever you decide to do though.
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    are thoes pics old??? i think u look incrediable!!!

    If the op stats are accurate I'm going to assume the pics are from last year.

    Yeah my photos are taken last year, but thanks :)
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    I used to do the weekday cycling, but I found that it promoted binging with my workout schedule, or that by day 3 I would start crapping out. The way I ended up cycling by setting my weekday gross goal at 1200 + half my exercise calories and then not logging on the weekends. It worked for about 8 months, but I've found that in the long run this was probably not the best idea for me. It wasn't a long term sustainable plan as I couldn't keep up with my weekday workout schedule.

    I guess that's what worries me, that I won't sustain it again and I really need to find something I can sustain. So if that's keeping to a constant calorie allowance daily then that's fine, but I'm not sure how many calories to aim for?

    I already told you above hwo to determine your calorie limit.

    I've heard from many people that the MFP numbers aren't accurate, which is why I'm sceptical about using them.
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    Thanks to everyone for your responses and helpful words. I'll listen to you all and won't calorie cycle so drastically! I'll stick to a steady constant calorie allowance for now, maybe between 20-30% under my TDEE and let you all know how I get on :)
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    Also, this is a helpful calculator for figuring out how many cals to safely eat.
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    If you can manage 900 calories a day, why not push for 500? If you can manage that then something that many people are having great success doing and which is apparently healthy for you: Alternate Day Fasting, eat normally 5 days a week, 2 non-consecutive days eat 500 calories. Note it's 5 off, 2 on, no 1 off, 10 on or 3 off 20 on. 5 off, 2 on. Get too clever and your body will kick your *kitten*.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/9480451/The-52-diet-can-it-help-you-lose-weight-and-live-longer.html
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5:2_diet

    You're way of basis, eat NORMALLY, not 900 calories. 900 isn't NORMAL. NORMAL = TDEE.
    You have it backwards 5:2 is eat normally 5 days out of 7, fast 2 days a week, not consecutive days.

    I think you've misunderstood my post.

    I meant that if she is thinking of eating 900 then she could manage 500. And it's 5 days off diet, 2 days on diet.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    That's my thinking. It's only another 400 away. :D
  • whitneyps7
    whitneyps7 Posts: 409 Member
    are thoes pics old??? i think u look incrediable!!!

    If the op stats are accurate I'm going to assume the pics are from last year.

    Yeah my photos are taken last year, but thanks :)

    welcome!!!!i wish i had your body!!!!! my pic is from my friends wedding in may i think so mine isnt 100% current lol .
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    This plan works just the way it is. Log all you eat everything. Don't go over. Move a little. It isn't easy. But it is simple.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    That's my thinking. It's only another 400 away. :D

    I recommend this method too, or calorie cycling. LIke TDEE one day, 50% of TDEE the next. Really helped bust through a plateau. It's like you get a diet break every other day with the cycling method.

    Sounds good to me. :D
  • RockandRoseRebel
    RockandRoseRebel Posts: 35 Member
    Also, this is a helpful calculator for figuring out how many cals to safely eat.
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
    ^YES! I love Fat2Fit! And if you know your body far percentage, their BMR tool is even more accurate (they use Harris-Benedict if you don't know your body fat percentage and Katch-McArdle if you do). Also they have a fantastic goal weigh calculator where you put in your current weight, current body fat percentage, and goal body fat percentage and they tell you how much you should weigh, if you lose only fat and maintain all of your muscle.
  • lozzieemay
    lozzieemay Posts: 89
    If I'm eating 1700 calories daily, which is 30% below my TDEE.. then that means I have a deficit of 764 calories per day, which totals 5348 over the course of a week.. well that's about a pound and a half if 3500 calories is a pound..

    So by doing it this way, I'm only gonna lose 1-1.5lbs a week projected weight loss, am I right? But if I lowered my calories to 1464 then that'd be a calorie deficit of 1000 cals daily, which would equal 2lbs a week...
  • angelina2585
    angelina2585 Posts: 273 Member
    Take a read of this thread
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
    and have a play with the spreadsheet.

    Alternatively, check out the Eat More To Weigh Less group
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less
    and take time to read the stickies posted at the top.

    Even if it takes you a few more days to read it all and work out the number for you, it doesn't matter. A few more days won't hurt.

    I'm in the 'don't drop more that 20%' camp. I also believe in setting your daily caloric goal and sticking to that number for a few weeks to give your body time to adjust to it. 6 weeks at CUT followed by 1 week at TDEE. This stops your body accepting your CUT number as your TDEE number. That's what I understand anyway :)

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