Horrible problem when loosing weight - HELP!
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kcaffee1
Posts: 759 Member
OK, for most of us, keeping the calories WITHIN goal is the problem, but with me it is just the opposite. I have a medical necessity that requires low carbs (under 130 on a high cardio day, 100 on any other day) and at LEAST 30 minutes of cardio to keep it under control with out medication.
Sounds reasonable enough, there are tons of low carb options out there.
So, to the problem.... I can't get in ENOUGH calories! Most days I easily hit 1200 - 1300, but I struggle to hit above that. Even hitting the nuts heavily, I can't seem to get the calories to stack up. Especially when I have an hour long swim. (and, I use the most accurate estimator I can find, then take 10% off, just to be on the safe side!)
This week will make week 4 that I have NETTED somewhere between -7500 and -8500 calories for the WEEK.
Anyone have a suggestion for HOW to get the calories to stack up that does not involve sitting down to a carb loaded meal??
My diary is open, if you want to take a look and comment, please feel free to, I'm desperate. Don't want any of the nasty side effects of under eating to catch up with me, and I refuse to go onto meds because I won't exercise or eat the way I have to!
Sounds reasonable enough, there are tons of low carb options out there.
So, to the problem.... I can't get in ENOUGH calories! Most days I easily hit 1200 - 1300, but I struggle to hit above that. Even hitting the nuts heavily, I can't seem to get the calories to stack up. Especially when I have an hour long swim. (and, I use the most accurate estimator I can find, then take 10% off, just to be on the safe side!)
This week will make week 4 that I have NETTED somewhere between -7500 and -8500 calories for the WEEK.
Anyone have a suggestion for HOW to get the calories to stack up that does not involve sitting down to a carb loaded meal??
My diary is open, if you want to take a look and comment, please feel free to, I'm desperate. Don't want any of the nasty side effects of under eating to catch up with me, and I refuse to go onto meds because I won't exercise or eat the way I have to!
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Replies
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Try eating beef or lamb instead of chicken, and eat more meat in general - like in every meal. Eggs are also a great resource. I have recently upped my carbs, but I used to eat very low carb, and ate to gain. Successfully put on 15 pounds that way. So it can be done.0
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If you can't eat more carbs, eat more fat and protein.
Fat is calorically dense, so easy and efficient in terms of stomach space.
I did a year at 60 - 85g of carbs per day. At first it was hard, then it wasn't. Getting calories in is easy once you become more liberal with the fat usage.0 -
Your swimming calorie counts seem EXTREMELY high. Are you sure you're correctly figuring your exercise calories?0
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Good fats. We need them. I use coconut oil to make eggs. Some people eat 3 tablespoons of it a day to help with ailments. It's healthy but has calories. Then olive oil on salads, for baking chicken etc. Protein with every meal. Dont forget to load up on veggies!0
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Your swimming calorie counts seem EXTREMELY high. Are you sure you're correctly figuring your exercise calories?
Sadly, yes. And even at that, I'm rating them DOWN 10 % from the estimator. I didn't believe them either, but I risked my HRM today to get the heart rate periodically during the swim. And, when I actually looked at the comparable efforts between swimming and walking/jogging, I'm actually getting off LIGHT for the swims!
And, the scale is agreeing - weight loss is starting to accelerate again, which I don't like, because I want it to be a sustainable loss, at a healthy rate. Which it's not right now. 4 pounds the week before, 6 or 8 last week, and already another pound this week.0 -
Good fats. We need them. I use coconut oil to make eggs. Some people eat 3 tablespoons of it a day to help with ailments. It's healthy but has calories. Then olive oil on salads, for baking chicken etc. Protein with every meal. Dont forget to load up on veggies!
That's what I'm leaning towards... I've gone almost completely "real" foods where possible, but I'm at a loss on where else I can add fats into the day. And, I'm usually pretty good abut getting meat at lunch - today was an exception because I forgot to pull down my chicken for the salad last night. It was still in the freezer this morning.0 -
Dietary FAT. Add it.
Breakfast: Add whole eggs. And/Or bacon. Better yet, cook bacon - fry the eggs in the grease. Eat both.
Lunch: don't eat "light" cheese. Eww. Full-fat cheese adds both flavor and calories.
Suppers: Fattier cuts of meat, high-fat fish (usually cold-water fish) and high-fat sauces (cheese/butter/whatever) on your meat or veggies.
Nighttime snack: Instead of a chocolate smoothie, use a little chocolate protein powder with heavy cream.
Do NOT be afraid of dietary fat, even saturated fat. It's healthy, and always has been.
Avoid trans-fats ('partially-hydrogenated' anything) and avoid refined oils - they're high in Omega 6's.
Coconut oil, palm oil, Olive oil, nut oils are pretty decent. A cold-pressed canola oil vs. refined is a superior option if you like canola. Basically, if you can squeeze it and get oil out - that's usually pretty healthy.0 -
In looking at your diary, i noticed that while your carbs are fairly moderate at approx 35% of calories( i can't call them low with the cereal and the rice), your fat consumption is lower ...around 30% of calories. Adding some high quality fat in the form of coconut oil, olives and olive oil and grass-fed butter, as well as using heavy cream or coconut milk instead of unsweetened almond milk will help to increase your calories while also bringing your macros into percentages that would be more helpful to someone with a metabolic condition. Cheese is also a good option. nuts work but you need to monitor the carbs as they also add up quickly with bigger portions.
With regards to the tremendou deficit, I suggest you revisit how many calories you actually burn during a work out.
While a heart rate monitor (at least a model with chest strap!) is quite good at recording heart rate, it still relies on a generic (if proprietary) formula to calculate a calorie burn and the accuracy of those formulas is +/- AT LEAST 25% compared to caloric burn calculated by V02 in a lab setting.
Most, if not all, of the calorie burn estimations on MFP are ridiculously high and most people seriously over-estimate the strenuousness of their efforts. Your looping off of 10% is a good start, but I've seen articles where it is estimated that Michael Phelps burns 6000 calories during one of his training sessions, which last 6 hours. If an Olympic athlete is burning 1000 calories per hour, I think it's safe to revisit the idea that you might not be burning 1659 calories in 90 minutes. And i am NOT trying to be unkind at all in pointing this out.
I'm also not sure what sort of deficit from TDEE you are attempting or what your BMR is, but the general consensus is that the heavier you are, the bigger a deficit you can have without affecting metabolism. A morbidly obese person doesn't have a lot to fear from "starvation mode" and it is expected that an morbidly obese person will lose at a much faster and still "healthy" rate than someone who is mildly or even moderately overweight or obese.0 -
Mayo. Make your own. And it tastes good on just about everything except fruits!!:laugh:
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Dietary FAT. Add it.
Breakfast: Add whole eggs. And/Or bacon. Better yet, cook bacon - fry the eggs in the grease. Eat both.
Lunch: don't eat "light" cheese. Eww. Full-fat cheese adds both flavor and calories.
Suppers: Fattier cuts of meat, high-fat fish (usually cold-water fish) and high-fat sauces (cheese/butter/whatever) on your meat or veggies.
Nighttime snack: Instead of a chocolate smoothie, use a little chocolate protein powder with heavy cream.
Do NOT be afraid of dietary fat, even saturated fat. It's healthy, and always has been.
Avoid trans-fats ('partially-hydrogenated' anything) and avoid refined oils - they're high in Omega 6's.
Coconut oil, palm oil, Olive oil, nut oils are pretty decent. A cold-pressed canola oil vs. refined is a superior option if you like canola. Basically, if you can squeeze it and get oil out - that's usually pretty healthy.
Working on getting mom to buy the full fat cheeses. She missed the last couple of times, which is ironic, because she despises the low fat stuff.
Can't handle dairy - it sends the medical issue spiraling horribly. But, I've been able to sneak in about 1/4 cup Greek yogurt into the smoothie, and I'm using protein powder to help flesh out some of the macros... when I remember.
As for breakfast - the days I'm not scrambling to get out the door to make class, I usually do try to have some extra protein in there - like adding nuts to the cereal. Just started working on that a couple of days ago, so not habit yet. Will have to look into the rest as finances allow - student budgets bite when you've got a carb restriction.0 -
monday i ate 1588 calories , 108 carbs and 170ish grams of protein !0
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monday i ate 1588 calories , 108 carbs and 170ish grams of protein !
NO dairy , no processed junk either .0 -
In looking at your diary, i noticed that while your carbs are fairly moderate at approx 35% of calories( i can't call them low with the cereal and the rice), your fat consumption is lower ...around 30% of calories. Adding some high quality fat in the form of coconut oil, olives and olive oil and grass-fed butter, as well as using heavy cream or coconut milk instead of unsweetened almond milk will help to increase your calories while also bringing your macros into percentages that would be more helpful to someone with a metabolic condition. Cheese is also a good option. nuts work but you need to monitor the carbs as they also add up quickly with bigger portions.
With regards to the tremendou deficit, I suggest you revisit how many calories you actually burn during a work out.
While a heart rate monitor (at least a model with chest strap!) is quite good at recording heart rate, it still relies on a generic (if proprietary) formula to calculate a calorie burn and the accuracy of those formulas is +/- AT LEAST 25% compared to caloric burn calculated by V02 in a lab setting.
Most, if not all, of the calorie burn estimations on MFP are ridiculously high and most people seriously over-estimate the strenuousness of their efforts. Your looping off of 10% is a good start, but I've seen articles where it is estimated that Michael Phelps burns 6000 calories during one of his training sessions, which last 6 hours. If an Olympic athlete is burning 1000 calories per hour, I think it's safe to revisit the idea that you might not be burning 1659 calories in 90 minutes. And i am NOT trying to be unkind at all in pointing this out.
I'm also not sure what sort of deficit from TDEE you are attempting or what your BMR is, but the general consensus is that the heavier you are, the bigger a deficit you can have without affecting metabolism. A morbidly obese person doesn't have a lot to fear from "starvation mode" and it is expected that an morbidly obese person will lose at a much faster and still "healthy" rate than someone who is mildly or even moderately overweight or obese.
Rice is NOT a normal menu item, and will be gone after tonight's fiasco. And, one of the reasons I'm having to call for help is because I don't know HOW to add fats in a healthy manner.
I do use real sour cream for a lot of sides - particularly with my cabbage because I like the flavor combination. Butter works with most of the hot veggies, along with cheeses.
Right now, because I'm trying to get the deficit under control, I've got my MFP set to a default "sedentary" so that I can see how many calories to eat back, but once I can get this straightened out, I do plan on resetting it back to the 2100 mark because that was working before. Default sets me around 1900, which isn't MUCH of an improvement, but it helps a little.
And, I'm still classed in the morbidly obese. I'm not worried about starvation mode, I'm worried about metabolic rebound. I don't know what tripped the sudden acceleration in January, but I've been trying to put the brakes on since. The loss for the last 3 weeks has been over 4 pounds, and it looks like it's not slowing down this week either. I don't want to have my metabolism change the ground rules on me, and have this runaway train suddenly stop and start sky rocketing. Been there, done that before. And, getting the calories to stack up right is the first step.
As for the HRM, I don't have one that is waterproof, but it claims to be water resistant. So, I risked it today, and it actually put me HIGHER than I used for the burn. I'm not an athlete, most definitely true. And, if it weren't for the break down, I could see where things get a little unbelievable. But, the kicker is the butterfly, which is my mega burn - and I can feel every one of them in the burning muscles! Also, I've looked at the comparison between swimming and walking, and then looked at a relative ratio between what my walking burns and swimming burns are. They are about right for that before I lop off some of the burn. And, I try to OVER calculate what I'm eating when it's a mixed meal rather than something I can toss on a scale before cooking.0 -
If you've got a lot to lose, you're not hungry and you're losing weight I really don't see that you need to be worrying too much about that.
I'd also question the exercise burns that you are logging. I know I'm a lot smaller than you but for me swimming 1500m fairly energetically burns off about 200 calories if I'm lucky.
Personally I could probably eat up to my TDEE in avocados, nuts and cheese so you could try adding in avocado and more nuts. Protein powder is also an option.0 -
You can make crustless quiche in muffin tins, which make for an easy grab-and-go breakfast once you've got them made up. Just fold them up in some paper towel or stick them in a ziplock bag and eat them en route. You can add all sorts of stuff to them - cheese, bacon, and crumbled sausage are all options that might suit you.0
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I agree with another post, that your calorie burn seems super high for swimming. While 90 minutes in a pool is great work it isnt likely you're swimming that intensely to burn that amount of calories, unless your Michael Phelps. Most people burn, on average,5-10 calories per minute of exercise. The 5 calories is for lower intensity stuff like an easy walk whereas the 10 calories per minute is for things like vigorously jumping rope, running at speeds in excess of 10 minute miles, etc. as you are carrying more weight you will tend to burn more calories by perhaps 10-20% so it might raise the calories per minute to 11-12. In that case 90 minutes of swimming would average about 1,080 calories. Therefore i think you will find it easier to reach your daily caloric goal.
I assume you calculated your BMR.. Make sure you at least eat that amount of calories in a day, but preferably more.
You didnt mention what your medical condition is but i have to assume it is diabetes. I noticed things like pork rinds etc. which are of little to no nutritional value. Pick healthier alternatives all the way around.. Eat homemade toast whole wheat pita chips with mashed avocado and cilantro or seeds, kale chips, fresh fruit and veggies.
If necessary buy a protein drink. I like Isopure zero carb. It has 210 calories for a huge serving with zero carbs and 50 grams of protein and no sugar.
Good luck0 -
Avocado and Pine nuts in your salads will add calories and good fats0
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