Contradictions EVERYWHERE
FormerFatSlob
Posts: 16
Okay, I have to start this post with a disclaimer. I am really cranky, really hungry and ready to go eat 20 Big Macs and wait for the hearse.
I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.
I believe it is more important to research each type of food and to decide if it is good for you to eat it or not. Here's my dilemma - for every food item, someone tells you that it is the worst thing you could possibly eat while trying to lose weight and someone else tells you that you should eat as much of the same food as you want. Bananas are a great example, but I found this with EVERY food I have tried to research in the past week. It is impossible to make any food decisions beyond kelp/seaweed and water.
I am also morbidly obese and can't afford the cost associated with doctor fees, bypass, WW, supplements, etc. For the past 4 days, I have managed to get by on 500-900 calories per day and have lost 8 pounds. When I say manage, I mean that I am pisssed off for most of the day, I go to bed and try to sleep by 8 PM and stay in bed til about 9 or 10 AM as the only time I am not hungry is when I am sleeping. I have 4 different family members telling me that they don't want me to die of a heart attack and then they all have different ideas about how I should lose weight. I lost about 75 pounds 15 years ago by cutting out fats and most fried foods and it worked for about 5 months. I still wanted fast food, junk food and high calorie food all the time - I got upset with people who say that their craving for "bad" food went away or that they got sick when they ate fast food - that never happened to be and never will.
As I write this, I realize that I am probably not ready to diet or make any lifestyle changes - if I was, I would probably not be so negative.
I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.
I believe it is more important to research each type of food and to decide if it is good for you to eat it or not. Here's my dilemma - for every food item, someone tells you that it is the worst thing you could possibly eat while trying to lose weight and someone else tells you that you should eat as much of the same food as you want. Bananas are a great example, but I found this with EVERY food I have tried to research in the past week. It is impossible to make any food decisions beyond kelp/seaweed and water.
I am also morbidly obese and can't afford the cost associated with doctor fees, bypass, WW, supplements, etc. For the past 4 days, I have managed to get by on 500-900 calories per day and have lost 8 pounds. When I say manage, I mean that I am pisssed off for most of the day, I go to bed and try to sleep by 8 PM and stay in bed til about 9 or 10 AM as the only time I am not hungry is when I am sleeping. I have 4 different family members telling me that they don't want me to die of a heart attack and then they all have different ideas about how I should lose weight. I lost about 75 pounds 15 years ago by cutting out fats and most fried foods and it worked for about 5 months. I still wanted fast food, junk food and high calorie food all the time - I got upset with people who say that their craving for "bad" food went away or that they got sick when they ate fast food - that never happened to be and never will.
As I write this, I realize that I am probably not ready to diet or make any lifestyle changes - if I was, I would probably not be so negative.
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Replies
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Why are you trying to go on 500-900 calories a day? That may be why you're so pissed off.0
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Just log in what you normally eat for a couple of days. Don't make special adjustments. That should be an eye opener for you.0
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You so cranky because you're not eating NEARLY enough.
I'd be a wretched ***** if I ate 500 cals a day.
There's really no need to cut anything out unless you're allergic (gluten, nuts, etc) to lose weight.
You can still eat pizza, fried chicken, etc.
In fact, I made calzones for dinner tonight and I found a healthy version for fried chicken.
There are ways to replicate your fave "bad" food in a healthy way so you're not cranky all day and staying in bed for 12+ hrs0 -
No one should be trying to live on 500-900 cals... no wonder you are pissy!!! I would be too!! I am over 300 and am losing on 1500 and am almost never hungry on it.... I do still eat out too, had an in and out burger day before yesterday!0
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Okay, I have to start this post with a disclaimer. I am really cranky, really hungry and ready to go eat 20 Big Macs and wait for the hearse.
I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.
I believe it is more important to research each type of food and to decide if it is good for you to eat it or not. Here's my dilemma - for every food item, someone tells you that it is the worst thing you could possibly eat while trying to lose weight and someone else tells you that you should eat as much of the same food as you want. Bananas are a great example, but I found this with EVERY food I have tried to research in the past week. It is impossible to make any food decisions beyond kelp/seaweed and water.
I am also morbidly obese and can't afford the cost associated with doctor fees, bypass, WW, supplements, etc. For the past 4 days, I have managed to get by on 500-900 calories per day and have lost 8 pounds. When I say manage, I mean that I am pisssed off for most of the day, I go to bed and try to sleep by 8 PM and stay in bed til about 9 or 10 AM as the only time I am not hungry is when I am sleeping. I have 4 different family members telling me that they don't want me to die of a heart attack and then they all have different ideas about how I should lose weight. I lost about 75 pounds 15 years ago by cutting out fats and most fried foods and it worked for about 5 months. I still wanted fast food, junk food and high calorie food all the time - I got upset with people who say that their craving for "bad" food went away or that they got sick when they ate fast food - that never happened to be and never will.
As I write this, I realize that I am probably not ready to diet or make any lifestyle changes - if I was, I would probably not be so negative.
So, I would have sympathy for you, but it probably won't do any good, so I am just going to give you a swift kick in the backside here. Quit groveling over what you can or cannot eat, if you're going to do this, do it, if not, then don't. If you all you ever make are excuses, all you ever will have are excuses. I measure everything that goes into my mouth, it's not hard, and it really doesn't consume that much time. Honestly, how much time do you waste in front of a tv? A computer? Probably hours! If you can sit in front of a TV or computer, you can take a little time and measure your food. If you want this bad enough, you will do it.
I use to be like you, that's why I am responding the way I am. Quit whining, shape up, and do what you need to do to get yourself healthier.0 -
I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.
Your belief system governs what you can and cannot do...0 -
Why are you trying to go on 500-900 calories a day? That may be why you're so pissed off.
I know I get really pissy when I go below 1600.
If you are morbidly obese, a 2000 calorie, even 3000 could provide meaningful results. Going down to 800 is something a person who has gastric bypass does.0 -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
I recommend reading this. It has a lot of GREAT points.
I just found out my body fat is 43.3% :noway:
I also used the calculators to find out that my TDEE is 2122/day and my BMR is a little under 1400/day.
I have been trying to eat 1200/cal day to lose and it's not coming off like I'd like. So... using the calculations given I found I should be eating around 1600 cal/day, but.... naturally, I am afraid to go from 1200 to 1600 and play the WAIT AND SEE game. So, I changed my settings and bumped myself up to 1400/day. Time will tell. Nervous? YES. But, I am tired of being tired and lacking energy and hoping this helps.
Good luck to you! You can do it!!0 -
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAT! Man, you have to eat. Weight loss shouldn't be miserable! If it is, you're doing it wrong.0
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Breathe! If you are morbidly obese then you can cut your calories to 1600 and still lose weight. You do not have to go to such an extreme. As you lose weight you will need to cut more calories, but at the beginning it's not necessary. Don't make it this hard now, you are still in the honeymoon stage. You should start with cutting back. Try to eat less junk (fast food, candies, chips, etc) and eat more fruits and vegetables. Then start to cut back on pre-prepared foods (they have way more sodium and excess junk in them). Then when you start to feel confident and you have taken off some weight, you might not feel so overwhelmed jumping in on the "what's healthy, what's not" controversy.
Cut yourself a break. Start by crawling before you start running. You can do this but it doesn't have to be in one day.0 -
Why are you not eating? I'd be a horrid person if I ate that low. You have to make small changes one at a time until they become habits. I started with adding water, lots of it and logging everything I ate. You can't tackle it all like that, you'll fail. You can look at my diary (it's public) and you can see that I eat real food and I've done pretty good so far.0
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I would murder people if i had less than 1300 a day. I am currently over 100kgs and am losing weight at 1780 a day plus eating back most of my exercise calories. (12 lb in 31 days)0
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How could you NOT be negative only eating 500-900 calories. That is absolutely the WRONG way, and is not sustainable nor healthy. You need to find a reasonable number of calories to target. And I am sorry, but if you are morbidly obese, you should measure the foods you eat until you become better at portion control. I'm going to post a link that should help you determine a good number of calories to target. But you need to eat more. You will feel better, and it will make a huge difference.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-120 -
There is no need to cut down to 500-900 calories! That is not sustainable! What are you going to do when you lose all you want and have to eat normal again? Gain the weight back. Again.
Do not cut out ALL fats or ALL fast food or ALL of anything. Eat reasonably and healthfully. You're here, so you have the tools. You should absolutely believe that people can lost and maintain by counting and recording everything that they put in their mouths. It is was most of the successful people here do. I've lost 60ish lbs and have maintained for a year now. Just give the program here a chance, eat within your calorie goal mfp sets for you, exercise a bit, and see what happens.
Losing 8 lbs in 4 days is not listing fat. It's losing water weight. Do not go that route. There is no reason you need to be hungry and angry and tired all the time. I lost all my weight eating about 1600 calories a day.
Please do not stick with your 500 calorie plan. You're slowly killing yourself, just as surely as you are by being overweight and stuffing your face with those big macs you want.0 -
That is too low of a caloric intake for you-- if you aren't feeling well then you need more food. And while you absolutely CAN cut out the junk foods, you don't have to but do decrease how much you'll have. Make smarter choices for now and go for smaller steps right now. Later you can make bigger changes.0
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Here's the first step to getting anywhere.
Don't worry about WHAT you eat, worry more about how much you eat.
Now, obviously, it IS important to eat healthy, and that is something to work for. Mostly that just means, cut out the pop sugar and grease. I am obese as well and when I got started on this, I had more intention of losing weight, before getting healthy. And you CAN eat nothing but chocolate all day and still lose weight, as long as you don't go over your calories. Once you get portion control in order, it's a lot easier to eat healthier.
And I agree with you, there are too many contradictions. But I think the most important thing to remember when eating healthy are- Cut down the red meat, pop, sugar and grease.
And remember, if it isn't Baked, Boiled, broiled or raw. Don't eat it. (Or don't eat too much, because you can't deprive yourself sometimes.)
And please up your calories O.O A person who is at a healthy weight needs at least 1,200, someone who weighs more (like us) need more
And I think uping your calories will give you more energy to sleep a decent amount of time too
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If you're a firm believer that you can not measure everything that goes into your mouth, may I recommend "Eat to LIve." You're supposed to eat 1 pound of raw veggies, 1 pound cooked veggies, 3-4 servings of fruits, and 1 fat a day. Most people don't manage to eat all that food. Also, no salt, no starchy veggies (if you're very overweight), no dairy, no meat, etc. However, you might not find THAT sustainable either.
So, you really have to think about it as forming new habits. You just have to pick the habit that you want to form.
You will likely not go wrong with fruits/veggies period. But starchy vegetables and fruits are more calorie dense. It's really hard to over eat lettuce or spinach, but you could over eat bananas and potatos theoretically. Bananas are like.. 100-150 calories a pop, but they're not bad for you.
500-900 is too low, and that is unsustainable and unhealthy. Hence why you're so miserable. You lost the weight once, and you can do it again, but part of it is finding new favorites.
But, you know what, heres the tough love: either you want to be healthy or you don't. So, what if you ALWAYS have cravings? Learn to indulge them once in a while in a healthy manner (100% possible, you can lose weight only eating junk if you don't eat that much of it), ignore them, or fall off the wagon again. Only you can take care of you.0 -
I'm not an expert by any means but living on 500-900 calories isn't sustainable, practical or healthy. I can tell you what works for me. I don't get caught up in "good" or "bad" foods. There is no off limit foods for me and there are no "magic" foods. If I tell myself I can't have something, I will obsess about it. Knowing I can have whatever I want within my calories makes me ok with it. Most of the time it allows me to eat good healthy unprocessed food because I don't feel deprived. I know if I want
that I can have it and fit it ino my day. It is practical for me. It is sustainable for me because I am not oing to get to goal and go nuts eating foods I haven't allowed myself to have. It is healthy for me. I am still morbidly obese even after a 45 pound loss but my BMI is going down and I am getting there. It is one step at a time. Check your MFP tools for a healthy calorie range, that's what I follow. Don't give up and don't let all the information on the web get you down. Losing weight is less calories in than out.0 -
Breathe! If you are morbidly obese then you can cut your calories to 1600 and still lose weight. You do not have to go to such an extreme. As you lose weight you will need to cut more calories, but at the beginning it's not necessary. Don't make it this hard now, you are still in the honeymoon stage. You should start with cutting back. Try to eat less junk (fast food, candies, chips, etc) and eat more fruits and vegetables. Then start to cut back on pre-prepared foods (they have way more sodium and excess junk in them). Then when you start to feel confident and you have taken off some weight, you might not feel so overwhelmed jumping in on the "what's healthy, what's not" controversy.
Cut yourself a break. Start by crawling before you start running. You can do this but it doesn't have to be in one day.
Great advice in this post and other posts! You are not eating enough! I don't do hunger ever! I cut back on my portions, count my calories and make wise choices but if I want a treat, I eat a very small piece because I know that if I deprive myself, it isn't sustainable. Being French, you don't eat to live, you live to eat as eating is a great pleasure in French people's lives. You just have to really watch portions and the quality of what you are eating. The advice above is a great way of getting there. Now go eat something healthy before you do some harm to someone.
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500-900 cals is not sustainable. Up your cals so you are not so hungry. You are getting too bogged down in good food v bad food at the moment. You can gradually change foods as you go if you feel something is not as healthy as you would like.
Set up your goals on MFP for a weight loss of a pound per week and see what calorie allowance MFP gives you then log everything you normally eat for a week or so. You can then see where you can make changes or low cal substitutions to get your cals down to the MFP advised level.
You don't have to starve, you don't have to give up all your favorite foods you just have to adjust them to fit in with your calorie and nutrition goals.
As long as you are eating at a deficit you will lose weight. Throw in some excercise and you will get fitter and stronger as well.
Read the forums, check out peoples diaries, look at the success stories. This is not impossible this is very very doable.
Start with the basics. Small steps to change your eating habits.
Good luck :flowerforyou:0 -
Its OK to feel negative at times its hard doing this as time goes on it gets bearable and than easier and eventually a long time from now youll enjoy eating healthy. 500-900 calories a day is way to little. making a life style change takes a lot of work. some people who are well meaning just dont know how to keep their mouths shut. when you joined up did you find out how many calories your supposed to eat in a day? stick to that. when it comes to finding out what is healthy for you it will take time to find the foods that are good for you and that will fill you up. the craving for fast food never goes away but it doesnt mean you cant have it at all anymore it means that as your starting out mabey you cant have it now but in 3 months as you learn more about your body and as your jouney progresses a one night out is not such a bad idea. telling yourself you cant have it at all from now on is one way to make sure that you will fail completely. I am just resarting after 2.4 years of false starts and failings. I realize that if i start talking to my self how this time is no different than all the other times and that im just not ready yet ill never be.
im also morbidly obese add me as a friend and when your feeling down just send a message and ill respond and vise versa.
you can do this just relax take it not one day at a time. but hour by hour. until it becomes easier than take it by half days, whole days, and than weeks and months.
you can do it.0 -
I agree that small changes are the way to go. Log what you would normally eat, then see if you can clean it up a bit. Did you eat a meal at a restaurant? How many calories was that vs. how many calories would it be if you had cooked it yourself? Did you eat junk food for a snack? How many calories would it be if you swapped that junk food for some veggies and hummus, an apple, or some nuts?
1200 calories is generally recommended as the lowest daily caloric goal for anyone on this site. Below that can be unhealthy. But if your starting weight is higher, perhaps your daily caloric goal should be something like 1800 calories. Or maybe your doctor can help you set a goal. Setting it too low, like you are already finding out, is a recipe for disaster and will lead to failure.
Exercise is key, and if it's brand new to you then start with a walking 30-60 minutes a day. Get those nutrients flowing through your system.
The weight should come off slowly. You didn't gain it in a day, and it will take a long time for it to come off. Be patient with yourself and know that the small changes you make will make a big difference in your health in the long run.
You ARE ready for this journey. You signed up for MFP and you asked for help. That already speaks volumes about your determination. You just need help getting started, like most of us did. :flowerforyou:0 -
Sorry you're feeling bad. This is a very difficult thing we are all trying to do here--struggling every day with our food wants. The thing is though, that you CAN have anything you want--just not EVERYTHING--and not all at once. I know you want it to be like it was before--where you could just eat whatever, whenever, and however much you wanted without worrying. But--that has changed. You now know that you cannot do that --ever again--and sustain the changes that will enhance and improve your life. It will never be the way it was. You need to just accept that--and move on. Move on to a different kind of eating---healthy food, yes, but not boring. Have your favorite things--but in moderation. And yes, you have to count every calorie you eat. AND--you should be eating over 500-900 calories every day. MFP (this site) can figure out how many calories you get each day. The best part is that you can "earn" some extra calories by exercising and logging that in also. Some people don't eat those "earned" calories back--some do, and you can. It is hard but you will lose weight and that IS important---especially to your physical health, but also to your emotional and spiritual well being. People here understand and support you--you CAN do this!:flowerforyou:0
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Sounds like you need to make the mental change into believing that it is possible to change your habits. Your username doesn't sound supportive of yourself at all either. No offense intended. As for the calorie deficit, a rule of thumb for adults is to never eat less than 1200 calories a day. I suggest trying to stick to 1800 for a start. Its usually a matter of kicking the food addiction to start learning how to eat sensibly and still be happy. And don't listen to what random people tell you about your diet, I usually don't (unless its from someone on MFP). Eat what works with your body and cut things that make you feel like crap. For me that's red meat, greasy food, and dairy. We call it a journey for a reason! Hope I could help0
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I actually find that logging food is sustainable. Now that I'm on maintenance and have been logging for a long time I can pretty much guess how many calories things have when I go out to eat or go to someone else's house. I am of the belief system that you don't have to cut out any foods, you just figure out how to fit them into your goal. That said, the most sustainable plan is the one that works for you.
Although I don't think 500-900 cals is it, for what it's worth. You could easily double the high end of that and be just fine. Actually better than fine, since you're more likely to stick with it and less likely to plateau.0 -
I have admitted to myself that I have a food addiction. For example, if I eat an apple, I don't have any desire for another one. But if I eat cake, pie, ice cream, (you get the idea) I want more and more. My weakness is sweets, but I also have found I just feel better not eating flour of any kind. Try it for one week. You'll lose weight and feel amazing!0
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You need macro and micro nutrients - many amino acids, certain fats (eg. omega-3s), all vitamins and minerals are classed as essential, only crazies will tell you that you don't need these. You won't all these that on such a low calorie intake and you will indeed be cranky and craving - so you've learned that a starvation diet is no use. For the most part good nutrition is not about individual foods, it's about combinations of foods your whole diet, there is a reason the official guidelines recommend a number of servings from different food groups, that supplies at least a minimum of each nutrient. Since each food has a different nutrient and antioxidant profile you benefit from a wide range of different foods not just a handful of media 'superfoods'. You should not eat as much of any one food as you want because that is not a balanced diet and won't supply all the nutrients you need for health.
Perhaps your research is telling you that either your philosophy or research techniques are flawed, make better choices on who to trust, there is an awful lot of totally unscientific unsubstantiated rubbish written on the internet in the name of health and nutrition, some of it the total opposite has been proven in studies!
Good sources of each nutrient http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/nutrient-search
Index of published studies, what people should be basing their opinion on
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
Cravings don't go away for everyone but I am not sure I have ever met anyone for whom they have not reduced massively IF the person is eating enough food, enough overall calories and a balanced nutritious diet. If you starve or deprive your body you will continue to crave fatty and sugary foods, that is your survival instinct because these foods supply plenty of energy. Concentrate on a balance of wholefoods, some will have negative effects alongside the positive ones but because you are only eating one serving of each food these will be 'diluted' by all the other wholefoods you will be eating.0 -
op, what is your point?
you're not asking questions. you don't have a tale. you're not willing to accept advice or make changes. you're just being a grump because you're hungry and you have seen that people lose weight on very low calorie diets and others lose weight on higher calorie diets.
are you just trying to get attention for your very low calorie diet?0 -
I have to agree with the others - you are not eating enough. I understand the pressure you feel since you have loved ones who are concerned. But keep in mind that even people who have your best interest at heart can drive you crazy! Everyone seems to have advice but you have to decide what works for you. Please don't damage your body by eating too few calories just to start seeing results quickly and quiet those around you. You are far too important to put your health aside to please others.
Also , have you gone to the doctor recently. I used to struggle with craving foods that were ,shall we say, less than healthy. After seeing my doctor it was discovered that my thyroid was not functioning properly. Once I started the medicine for it my cravings were not nearly as bad. Now I find I only "crave" those foods when I am struggling emotionally. It didn't resolve my cravings completely but it definitely made a huge difference. It also improved my energy and that made it easier to get up and move. Just something to think about.
As far as what is OK to eat and what isn't , you have already found out that will change according to where you get your advice. If you want to live an enjoyable life and in your opinion it does not include severe restrictions then so be it! You have to make your own decisions and figure out what you are content with as far as diet and exercise. Allowing other people to decide for you takes away your power and sets you up to fail. I know several people (myself included) who have thrown out all the micromanaging techniques for weight loss and just try to eat well, exercise and forgive ourselves for the ocassional diet faux pas.
Hang in there! You are worth figuring this out! And for goodness sake - eat something!
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I am a firm believer that no one loses weight by measuring every little thing that goes into your mouth - it is not sustainable, not practical and just not possible if you plan to lead any type of lifestyle outside of your home.
There's a whole lot of people on this website who have proved you can and will.0
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