Why am I losing weight?

stephdeeable
stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Oh, hello there.

I just read this quote - "The calories in/calories out argument for weight loss is garbage." in another thread and after I recovered from the anger stroke that it caused me, it left me with a few questions.

You see multiple threads a day where people are asking "Why am I not losing weight?" but not me. I want to know why I am losing weight, because a lot of the "information" I read on this site tells me that not only should I not be losing weight, I should be deadsies. I should have cancer literally seeping out of my pores. My energy levels should be so low that I don't understand how I'm managing to type these words. Please explain it to me.

Some background - I started at 320 pounds in October of 2012 and today I weighed in at 266. That's 54 pounds gone in less than 6 months -but...HOW? Based on this site, I'm doing everything wrong.

I eat between 2000-2500 calories a day, my macros are set at 45carbs/35 fats/20protein. That leaves me eating between 200-300 grams of carbs a day. I don't eat breakfast. I don't track sugar or sodium. I eat at any hour I want, sometimes I'll eat a huge dinner and go to bed minutes later. I don't always eat enough vegetables, but I try. I don't consider fruit a treat and eat as much of it as I want including a banana every day *GASP*. I eat bread every single day. Some days I eat bread, and an english muffin - why isn't my body shutting down??

Don't get me wrong, I try to eat much healthier than I used to, and in my opinion eat a much more balanced diet than ever before. But I also eat snack cakes, pizza, mashed potatoes with gravy, cookies, potato chips, poutine, cake, wine, beer, ice cream..etc. And not once a week or once a month or twice a year....every week. Every day. I don't know where food is on the G.I index, I don't know what food spikes my insulin, I don't know what food "blocks fat loss" - I just eat food. I eat food, say "What a delicious -insert food item-" and carry on with my day.

So I'd really like some answers. I always believed the reason I was having consistent weight loss is because I was consistent with my caloric deficit, but apparently I was wrong about that too. So if calories in/calories out is garbage - why am I losing weight? I'd really like someone who believes that to explain it to me. Did I sign a deal with the Devil and simply forgot about it? Am I magic? If so, I'd like to know - there are some possibilities there.

Please help me.
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Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    You're losing cause of calories in-calories out-same as me. That's what I believe too! It's all about the calories!
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    Congratulations for coming across and overcoming the BS of the fitness industry. Many people stupidly believe that they have to adhere to strict protocols because some idiot in a magazine told them so.
  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
    I think you are magic. :flowerforyou:

    Not because of the weight loss or anything, but just because YOU LIVE IN MY COMPUTER AND TYPE MESSAGES FOR ME TO READ OMG HOW WEIRD
  • dovetail22uk
    dovetail22uk Posts: 339 Member
    Tapeworm
  • elis_mama
    elis_mama Posts: 308 Member
    Love it!!! And, I'm TOTALLY sending you a friend request based on that post! LOL! I agree!
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Tapeworm

    This is what I was afraid of. I'm a perfect candidate...tapeworms love carbz. I read that somewhere.
  • ramonafrincu
    ramonafrincu Posts: 160 Member
    All about calories! Doesn't matter what we eat. I was in the same boat like you before. Ate anything just in smaller portions and lost weight...
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    It must be just a Miracle then....... you must be a special snowflake :laugh:
  • Jadetaft
    Jadetaft Posts: 19
    Haha I love this post! So many people get on there high horses. I'm 5ft 2 I was 9st 2 and now 8st 5 in 6 weeks and I still have pizza, crisps a sandwich here and there I do eat healthily aswell as don't want my tubes to be full of fat... (the skinny people can still have fat wrapped around there insides) but mines just simple do some exercise!
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I'm the same. I should be comatose half the time or not losing a damn thing. Yet for some reason...I can't stop losing it & it's actually starting to scare me. For the last 20+ years I could not lose a damn thing, now for the last 14 months I have not been able to stop. When am I going to stop?
  • Amcolecchi
    Amcolecchi Posts: 260 Member
    Do you exercise? Also, eating 2000 calories a day is good. There are many people who believe the only way to lose weight is getting under 1200 calories. I am 5'1" and I eat 1500-1900 a day!
  • tyralicious
    tyralicious Posts: 12
    omg. eatmore2weighless.com!!! go there!
  • gimpygramma
    gimpygramma Posts: 383 Member
    Same problem here. Let me know if you get the answer. Day after day I was told that to lose more I had to eat more but I broke the cardinal rule and ate 1200 calories a day! :noway:
  • jennfranklin
    jennfranklin Posts: 434 Member
    Tapeworm

    If this is the case...I WANT ONE! LOL :laugh:
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Same problem here. Let me know if you get the answer. Day after day I was told that to lose more I had to eat more but I broke the cardinal rule and ate 1200 calories a day! :noway:

    This isn't the same problem at all. Not even a little bit. Please read again.
  • pacosal
    pacosal Posts: 107 Member
    EXCELLENT post!!!!!
  • miked7344
    miked7344 Posts: 26 Member
    It's because it takes a lot of calories for your body to sustain such a high weight. The more you lose the less in calories you will need to consume. I was 350lbs and started losing on weight watchers for 9 months until I got stuck for 3 months at 270lbs. Then switched over to mfp. I like it better because it goes by calorie deficit and not just a point system. Lets me have a better idea of overall balanced food intake.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    One thing I take issue with is saying things like "Based on this site" when what you should say is based on what I see on the message boards. These people, with rare exception, do not speak for MFP. Whatever spews from their mouths are their own opinions.

    The only reason I am pointing this out is that I love MFP and owe the creators and maintainers of it a huge debt of gratitude.

    To me, the message boards are a separate and unnecessary part of this place and often piss me off. I am happy for the people that find support and on occasion I have gleaned some valuable info, but for the most part I take the postings with a grain of salt.

    MFP itself preaches the gospel of calories in, calories out and has provided me and many, many people with a successful formula for losing weight.

    I usually get through only a few threads on the message boards before going someplace else, but I don't let that ruin the MFP experience for me.
  • phoenixoncemore
    phoenixoncemore Posts: 196 Member
    YES! I love this post!

    I constantly get people looking down on me because I have a takeaway or meal out almost every week, and heaven forbid, I have at least one treat/bad food every single day. But, you know what? I've lost 30lbs this way and I'm not so miserable I have to berate everybody elses diet to make myself feel better.

    Sending you a friend request right now :flowerforyou:
  • Laurlkat
    Laurlkat Posts: 16
    I will be honest. I track my macros, but I don't live by them. The calories in/ calories out is what I pay attention to.. And it works. If it stops working, I will tweak what I do to see if that makes a difference. I know that I do WAY better as long as I track what I'm eating, and when I exercise. And for the first time in my life, I'm actually enjoying exercise. Maybe it's the fitbit, which tracks what I'm doing for me. So, my solid scientific advice is this.... If it works for you, and you can stick to it, then it works. Period. There is no point in starting a "diet" that you will quit when you hit your goal weight. It has to be a lifestyle change.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Well, here's the thing. If all you want is weight loss, then a calorie is a calorie. End of discussion.

    If, on the other hand, you want a sustainable and healthy diet that will maximize your athletic performance, you should eat more vegetables and pay attention to the quality and quantity of the fat and protein you eat.

    There is a lot of confusion on the forums (and elsewhere on the internet) on these two issues--weight loss vs. overall health. For the latter, you need to be more careful about your diet. For the former, eat whatever you want. For your mental health, perhaps a donut once in a while is not a bad idea.
  • Fedup23
    Fedup23 Posts: 80 Member
    I dont know who these people are that are telling you you shouldnt be losing weigh.. it should be EASY for a 300+ pound woman to lose weight.. hell.. it was easy for the 310 lb man I used to be to lose weight. Its not rocket science. I would suspect you will want to reevaluate your snack cakes, pizza, gravy, potato chip etc etc etc diet when you get closer to your goal.. and you might want to give your cholesterol level a break at some point too, if that interests you at all. I know I am more interested in overall health more than weight loss than I was before at this point.

    Someone will probably come here and tell you that you probably could have lost 80 pounds by now.. but you know what.. who cares.. its your life and your diet.. if its working for you.. run with it! :)
  • kmc2211
    kmc2211 Posts: 7 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss! All the fitness and diet trends have confused me for years. Do not fear food! Life is too short to cut out entire good groups/desserts/wine etc. etc. It sounds like you have figured out a way to maintain your new habits and that is what matters. :smile:
  • Nikusz
    Nikusz Posts: 69 Member
    eating at deficit will result in losing weight. simple.
    the rest is pretty much a collection of ways to make eating at deficit easier (like eating more protein to make one feel full longer).
    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    Everyone is saying things but no one is answering my question. I hate the internet.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Everyone is saying things but no one is answering my question. I hate the internet.

    Sorry you feel that way about the internet.

    Your question was, "why am I losing weight?"

    I will answer it as follows: "you are losing weight because you are eating at a caloric deficit."

    Your other question was, "why is my body not shutting down?"

    My answer is, "I don't know, because I am not a doctor. People can survive on a variety of diets, from vegan to almost entirely meat-based. Some people are overweight and relatively healthy, and others are thin and quite unhealthy. It depends on your genetics and lifestyle. Until you die and have an autopsy, we can never be fully sure of what is going to be the cause of your death."
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Well, here's the thing. If all you want is weight loss, then a calorie is a calorie. End of discussion.

    If, on the other hand, you want a sustainable and healthy diet that will maximize your athletic performance, you should eat more vegetables and pay attention to the quality and quantity of the fat and protein you eat.

    There is a lot of confusion on the forums (and elsewhere on the internet) on these two issues--weight loss vs. overall health. For the latter, you need to be more careful about your diet. For the former, eat whatever you want. For your mental health, perhaps a donut once in a while is not a bad idea.
    .

    I agree. Everything in moderation. McDonalds everyday is not moderation to me.....and it will be hard to continue eating McDonalds daily when you are at a much lower weight and need to consume less calories to maintain a healthy weight.

    Until then calories in and calories out will absolutely work and did for me for my first 50lbs, Once I got down to 139lbs I couldn't eat take out daily any more and continue to lose weight. Once a week seems reasonable.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    . Until you die and have an autopsy, we can never be fully sure of what is going to be the cause of your death."

    I've always assumed it's going to be from someone choking me to death. And not in the cool way.
  • snaapz
    snaapz Posts: 41 Member
    The Cals in / Cals out thing .... I always wondered... "ok, instead of burning 200-300 calories running on a tredmill for half an hour... how about I just don't eat this apple and granola bar today. Simple!

    Not that simple :(

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