Starving Yourself Isn't the Way!
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RuggedMcCormick
Posts: 5
As you can see from my diary I've been a little bit short of starving myself each and every day. I figured that this would be the best way to lose weight (and many people DO think this is the best way to lose weight!) I've lost 8lbs in less than a week and my stomach has begun to be accustomed to the amount of food I eat so I'm never that hungry.
I never believed that starving myself would slow down weight loss, ever. I never believed it. You could tell me until you were blue in the face that it WON'T allow you to lose weight but NOW I'm starting to believe it.
I've read here countless, countless times about how you need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories and other places too and I read and read it and never believed it.
Well my body's alarms have been starting to go off, I'm irritable and haven't been feeling that well, and I need to get back on track.
I've suffered from eating disorders before and I've just started to realize that starving yourself isn't the way to weight loss.
I'm posting this in success stories because I've realized that starving yourself isn't the way. I'll be upping my calories to MFP's recommended 1200 and eating back my exercise calories (IMPORTANT) so that I can get my body out of starvation mode and continue to lose weight.
Anyone out there who hates the way they look, who is disgusted every time they look in the mirror and who thinks that starving yourself is the easiest way to lose weight. IT ISN'T. You won't lose weight after awhile and you'll start to suffer health problems because of it.
I never believed that starving myself would slow down weight loss, ever. I never believed it. You could tell me until you were blue in the face that it WON'T allow you to lose weight but NOW I'm starting to believe it.
I've read here countless, countless times about how you need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories and other places too and I read and read it and never believed it.
Well my body's alarms have been starting to go off, I'm irritable and haven't been feeling that well, and I need to get back on track.
I've suffered from eating disorders before and I've just started to realize that starving yourself isn't the way to weight loss.
I'm posting this in success stories because I've realized that starving yourself isn't the way. I'll be upping my calories to MFP's recommended 1200 and eating back my exercise calories (IMPORTANT) so that I can get my body out of starvation mode and continue to lose weight.
Anyone out there who hates the way they look, who is disgusted every time they look in the mirror and who thinks that starving yourself is the easiest way to lose weight. IT ISN'T. You won't lose weight after awhile and you'll start to suffer health problems because of it.
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Replies
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You sounds just like me
I have been struggling to realize this same thing for months.. its either an overeat, or starvation problem I suffer from.. when I was younger I too had an eating disorder.. and it has taken its toll now that I am older..
Good luck on your endevour!0 -
That is EXACTLY how it is with me! I'm a very "all or nothing" type of person. It's either I'm overeating or undereating. It's a struggle to realize that I have to feed my body to lose weight when it just seems the easiest thing to do is starve myself. I'll continue the struggle by gradually upping my calories which will be a chore but I can do it! Thank you for your encouragement. Your weight loss is amazing and inspiring, 42lbs is a huge accomplishment! 0
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YEP this is me! This is the first time in my life when I eat a solid three meals a day..and it is stange and scarey. Eating less that 500 cals a day always worked! but my 28 year old body is no longer playing along. Im attempting to repair my metabolisim, all the while being scared ****less that Ill blow up like a balloon.0
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I have always tried to look at eating more like the game of quarters.
Not sure if you've heard of it, but players draw a line and then throw quarters at it. The person that gets closest to the line without going over it wins.
Dieting is the same way. Going over, and you'll gain. Going too low, and you lose the game. Gotta hit the right spot.0 -
LittleMissLisa- I completely agree. I'm so nervous to eat because I feel like even a few calories will make me gain weight. I'm overweight now at 190lbs at 5'10, but I used to be 110lbs at 5'10 when I was completely anorexic (I'm a male so that was a really low weight). It's hard because even though I'm overweight I still have those "anorexic thoughts" that make me not want to eat. We just gotta realize that we did screw up our metabolism and when we repair it the weight will fly off!
DanaDark - I love that analogy! It is a super fine line when losing weight, you want to get as close to the line as possible as you said, but if you go over it's not a good thing for your body either!0 -
Thank you for posting. Hopefully you will be able to reach some who think starving is the only way to perfection.0
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You're right. Starving yourself isn't the way. But you should be eating way more than a 1200 calorie minimum - at least 1600, but very likely quite a bit more than that, being that you're a male and claiming to be 18 years old.
For the record, I'm 31, 5'11"... 230-233lbs (down 100+), and I've eaten 2400+ (currently aiming for 2700) every day.0 -
BaconMD - Embarrassingly enough, I guess MFP had me set as a female when I joined so it had me at 1200 calories to lose 2lbs a week. OOPS! Now it's up to 1390 now that I changed it in my profile settings.
Even if I'm not that active, (I exercise on my elliptical 30 minutes a day on average which burns 200 cal) I should be eating 1600 calories per day? It seems like a lot, but it DOES make sense! I'm technically still developing at 18 years old so I guess I would need to feed my body more.
By the way, awesome job with your weight loss, 100lbs is insanely inspiring!
suzely0530 - Thank you! I hope this will make some "all or nothing" people like me realize they need fuel to lose weight!0 -
You're right. Starving yourself isn't the way. But you should be eating way more than a 1200 calorie minimum - at least 1600, but very likely quite a bit more than that, being that you're a male and claiming to be 18 years old.
For the record, I'm 31, 5'11"... 230-233lbs (down 100+), and I've eaten 2400+ (currently aiming for 2700) every day.
I agree, but I'd say bare minimum 1800, because you are still growing. At the same time, I know even 1200 is progress for you, but do work up to a higher goal please.0 -
BaconMD - Embarrassingly enough, I guess MFP had me set as a female when I joined so it had me at 1200 calories to lose 2lbs a week. OOPS! Now it's up to 1390 now that I changed it in my profile settings.
Even if I'm not that active, (I exercise on my elliptical 30 minutes a day on average which burns 200 cal) I should be eating 1600 calories per day? It seems like a lot, but it DOES make sense! I'm technically still developing at 18 years old so I guess I would need to feed my body more.
By the way, awesome job with your weight loss, 100lbs is insanely inspiring!
suzely0530 - Thank you! I hope this will make some "all or nothing" people like me realize they need fuel to lose weight!
If 1600 seems like a lot to you, you need to visit this TDEE calculator. http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
I'm short, just over double your age, and female, and I burned nearly 2700 yesterday with no actual exercise at all.0 -
BaconMD - Embarrassingly enough, I guess MFP had me set as a female when I joined so it had me at 1200 calories to lose 2lbs a week. OOPS! Now it's up to 1390 now that I changed it in my profile settings.
Even if I'm not that active, (I exercise on my elliptical 30 minutes a day on average which burns 200 cal) I should be eating 1600 calories per day? It seems like a lot, but it DOES make sense! I'm technically still developing at 18 years old so I guess I would need to feed my body more.
By the way, awesome job with your weight loss, 100lbs is insanely inspiring!
suzely0530 - Thank you! I hope this will make some "all or nothing" people like me realize they need fuel to lose weight!
The MFP way is to take a deficit from your normal daily activity, NOT counting exercise - which you are expected to log AND eat back (but nobody ever does because they "don't think it makes sense").
I go a different route, and use my TDEE. Go here: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator and fill in all the information HONESTLY. It'll spit out a number like 2500 or 3000 or something. That's your TDEE. You want to subtract 10-20% from that, and that's how much you eat every day (and you don't log and eat back exercise calories using this method).
Like I said, I'm at 2700 calories. I am NOT very active... I don't even work out every day! MAYBE every-other-day if I'm lucky. Even so, 2700 calories is really not a lot of food. I used to eat that in one meal at Wendy's... Several times a day sometimes.
Don't be afraid of food! Try to understand how it all works, so you can take control of your health and life.
EDIT: I see Athena posted a different TDEE calculator link - either one is good - you could even check both of them out. There are many others too.0 -
The MFP way is to take a deficit from your normal daily activity, NOT counting exercise - which you are expected to log AND eat back (but nobody ever does because they "don't think it makes sense").
I go a different route, and use my TDEE. Go here: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator and fill in all the information HONESTLY. It'll spit out a number like 2500 or 3000 or something. That's your TDEE. You want to subtract 10-20% from that, and that's how much you eat every day (and you don't log and eat back exercise calories using this method).
Like I said, I'm at 2700 calories. I am NOT very active... I don't even work out every day! MAYBE every-other-day if I'm lucky. Even so, 2700 calories is really not a lot of food. I used to eat that in one meal at Wendy's... Several times a day sometimes.
Don't be afraid of food! Try to understand how it all works, so you can take control of your health and life.
EDIT: I see Athena posted a different TDEE calculator link - either one is good - you could even check both of them out. There are many others too.
I hadn't seen that calculator before, but it's a good one. I put in the info from yesterday (as close as I could estimate), and it came out with a little over a hundred difference from my BodyMedia FIT Link.0 -
Thats good your learning about yourself and you needs. Start giving yourself good wholesome nutrition and love. Your body will follow.
Besides the body was designed to eat.0 -
You guys are amazing. SERIOUSLY! The help and hope you guys have given me that I can eat and lose weight is amazing.
BaconMD- "Based on your information your details, the TDEE calculator puts your daily calorie requirement at 2658" Thank you so much for your support man, it means so much. You're fantastic!
Athena98501 - "Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) = 2276" Thank you for your support also, your posts are encouraging and they mean a lot!
Idrosophila - For sure! Time to start taking care of myself!
It's time for me to take control of my eating and eat a good amount every day instead of 400-700 calories per day. It's time for me to take you guys' advice and put it to work which I will do starting tomorrow so I can have a fresh day and a fresh start. Healthy body with a healthy weight, here I come!
I hope that others here that suffer from eating disorders or simply just starving yourself to lose a few quick pounds will take what all of these kind people have said and the tools they have provided and put it to work in your life. You need fuel to lose weight. Just remember that, you need food to lose weight. 0 -
Based on that, I would start at like 2100-2200 and give it at least a month. Not a few days, not a week or two, but a good month, even two months, and see what happens.
Don't even step on a scale for as long as possible, and if you gain at all, don't panic. If you've been undereating, your body might not react as you'd expect immediately, so you need to give it some time.
Myself, I didn't severely undereat, but when I first tried eating back my exercise calories I was afraid, and I gained weight for a couple weeks, but after that it fell off again and then some.
Good luck!0 -
"The MFP way is to take a deficit from your normal daily activity, NOT counting exercise - which you are expected to log AND eat back (but nobody ever does because they "don't think it makes sense")."
After using MFP for over 3 years and losing up to 110 pounds, gaining some, then back down to 75 pounds off, I think I finally understand! The calories they give you are what you are to eat if you don't exercise. If you DO exercise you can eat those calories back. It's already in the formula. I was recently to the point where I was cutting too many calories, working out 2 times a day and the scale would NOT move! In the last 3 days I've been eating more calories on the days I workout and I have the scale moving once again. I wonder how many others thought the way I did: that less calories would make me lose more? I know now my body needs at least 1,300 calories a day, MINIMUM! If I workout, and I do vigorous cardio and weight lifting, I need to eat more calories on those days. I feel stupid for not "getting" this earlier. I was working so hard at cutting out one more food item when what I really needed was to add the calories. I'll be back in a week to report how this went!0 -
LittleMissLisa- I completely agree. I'm so nervous to eat because I feel like even a few calories will make me gain weight. I'm overweight now at 190lbs at 5'10, but I used to be 110lbs at 5'10 when I was completely anorexic (I'm a male so that was a really low weight). It's hard because even though I'm overweight I still have those "anorexic thoughts" that make me not want to eat. We just gotta realize that we did screw up our metabolism and when we repair it the weight will fly off!
DanaDark - I love that analogy! It is a super fine line when losing weight, you want to get as close to the line as possible as you said, but if you go over it's not a good thing for your body either!
I think I have been to where you are and so I'll give you some feedback from my experience.
Dont focus on loosing weight, focus on lifting more, running longer or some other goal ( for me, chasing an 'ideal' number on a scale becomes an obsession that has nothing to do with HEALTH).
Work on loving your body for more for what it does-moves, allows you to achieve goals, provides freedom-not for what it looks like ( even when I reached 106 @ 5'6 I wasnt happy)
Be careful of the scale. For me, it can send me to a low place if I allow it.
EAT healthy foods often!!! I used to be controlled by my cravings for suger. I realize now, years later, that when I eat NORMAL, I dont have insain cravings.
There is still a lot of work in progress for me. I still feel guilty when I eat breakfast. I obsess over other women and how thin they look, I miss my hip bones, I miss the feeling of pride that comes from a day of not eating.I have a hard time accepting that this 'healthy' thing takes time! BUT I am sick of letting a scale control my self worth. I want happiness more that my protruding hip bones.
This is your health, you have years of bad habits that will take time to reverse. Be patient with yourself. Good Luck0 -
cviertha, I'm glad it finally makes sense for you, too! MFP doesn't a really bad job of communicating its convoluted methodology, I find...
It could be so much simpler if it used a TDEE model, rather than the setup it does use. It is my long-standing opinion that MFP is doing a lot of people a disservice and harm, even maybe with the best intentions.
I'd like to add that you should give it more than a week. Give it a month at least, more ideally. And find someone you trust to give you honest opinions on if they can see a difference in you. And TAKE PICTURES! When I was at my heaviest, I tried my best to take the most flattering pics I could.. I'd delete a lot of the bad ones. I wish I had been honest about it back then, so I would right now have some really good pictures to compare myself with. I mean, I have some, but there could have been much better ones.
Anyhow, I'm rambling now... Heh.0 -
I have always tried to look at eating more like the game of quarters.
Not sure if you've heard of it, but players draw a line and then throw quarters at it. The person that gets closest to the line without going over it wins.
Dieting is the same way. Going over, and you'll gain. Going too low, and you lose the game. Gotta hit the right spot.
nice anology0 -
I am so grateful when I come across my MFP friends that are in the same 'boat' as I am in. I am 5'9"....I have lost 58 lb since Aug 2012, and am currently at 190. I have been STUCK for the past 2 months almost and I feel like I am going to lose my MIND. I keep reading and reading and hearing and hearing everything that all of you have said...not enough calories. I cannot imagine eating any more 'leaner or cleaner'!!! LOL
I struggle to get more than 1400 cals in per day but I am hearing that MUST be my problem.....ARGH. But my challenge is how to do that without eating stuff that is not good for me. I feel so guilty when I eat....
Sorry to be a whiner......
I thank you all for being such great pals....
I am going to start ATTEMPTING to lift....
feel free to send me a message with any words of wisdom....
Blessings to all!0
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