so my low cal diet won't work to lose 50 pounds?

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  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    This is why I quit reading these posts. Everyone is an expert!

    no not experts, but people with experience. lots of SUCCESSFUL people with lots of experience. You will find many more people around here who have had long term success by exercising patience than you will find people who have had long term success on 900 a day.
  • jess7386
    jess7386 Posts: 477 Member
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    This is why I quit reading these posts. Everyone is an expert! If it works for you and you are not feeling sluggish & run down then it works. We are all grown ups on here and should try to support each other not boss each other around.

    A person at my work always comments on what I am eating...too much salt, too many carbs. I've lost 16 lbs and she just exercises her mouth. Who is doing better??

    No, this isn't really true. Your coworker sounds like she's nitpicking. We're telling this woman that if she eats 900 calories, she risks losing bone density, muscle mass, etc. along with fat. We're telling her that she's going to screw up her metabolism to the point that she will gain weight when eating even a minimal amount of calories. Just because it works for three weeks, doesn't mean it works.

    I particularly get nervous not for people like the OP, but for people who read these threads and think "gee, this lady lost on 900 calories, I should do that too." I'm not saying that I am an expert in anything, but I do feel like myself and others have a responsibility to correct misinformation so that others don't fall into the same, dangerous pattern.
  • Diamond05
    Diamond05 Posts: 475 Member
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    Also, why would you want to be 190, unless you are six feet tall?

    Why not? If she feels good in her own skin at that weight, I don't see the problem. Not everybody wants to be stick thin...
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    A couple friends used to weight about as much as me. They signed up with a medical weight loss clinic.

    Your friends are under medical supervision. Where as you're not. You could seriously harm your body by doing this. I'm not trying to "bash" your decision, but I do feel that you should know that it isn't very healthy and definitely not sustainable. You could be missing key nutrients your body needs on such a low cal diet.

    Have you even tried the higher calorie amount? I'm asking because you may lose more weight than you think you will with the higher calories. For example:

    I started calorie counting on March 13 at 218lbs. Since March 13, I eat anywhere from 1500-1800 net calories a day (meaning total intake is like 1700-2000+). I am 201lbs now, so an average weight loss of a little over 2lbs a week, even though MFP thinks I should only be losing 1lb a week.

    I would suggest, talking to a doctor if you plan to continue on this low of a calorie diet.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    A couple friends used to weight about as much as me. They signed up with a medical weight loss clinic. One has lost 40 pounds in the last two months. She eats about 900 calories a day, she's still losing. The other has hit a plateau at about 180. They don't eat sugar or salt, all protein, carb and veg. I don't eat the same thing as them.

    If I could quickly get down to 180 it would be easier to focus on the best way to lose for long term health.

    Could I get information instead of just bashing?

    Do some research. Google things. Avoid using peoples blogs as a "solid" source for information.

    I have a difficult time believing there are actual doctors monitoring your friends and they will likely regain their weight because they are not learning how to eat for a healthier life style. They are learning how to crash diet.

    Google search for Healthy Weight Loss - http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_weight_loss.htm

    Google search for Healthy Calorie Goals for Weight Loss - http://www.livestrong.com/article/263829-calorie-goals-for-weight-loss/

    These are the kinds of things you can find if you just put forth the effort to learn a new way to eat versus learning a new way to diet.

    Edited to say: Weigh loss is a marathon, not a quick sprint.
  • aemoomoo
    aemoomoo Posts: 70 Member
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    MjAxMy1hZDhmODc2ZTYxZjI2MTAz.png


    this.
  • bergsangel
    bergsangel Posts: 131
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    I totally get it, because let's face it, you have plenty to lose (not being mean). I would just say to be careful not to develop an ED and when you lose the 40-50 pounds, do something healthier, more sustainable or you will for sure fail and gain it all back. Food is delicious and you obviously know that. I have done similar plans for quick weight loss and yes, people, it does work. After the initial loss, I am hoping your self esteem will rise up and motivate you to a healthy eating and exercising life style. :flowerforyou:
  • KilikiMom
    KilikiMom Posts: 237 Member
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    I feel hungry for you.....seriously......I eat 900 calories in 2 meals alone....I would be starving....and no I am not talking about "starvation mode" I am talking about literally STARVING....do you exercise?? what do you do all day?? nothing??? I mean yeah I could that 900 calories a day would be fine for someone who sits on the couch all day long and does absolutely nothing...because then you are just burning minimal calories (not that you should only eat 900 even you sit on the couch) but seriously if you are active and exercising?!?! I dunno...maybe you should educate yourself on healthy eating habits??? You really are only setting yourself up for failure and you will gain back more than just 10lbs...and you will probably plateau before you hit 180....IMO....been there done that before (granted mine was more stress related but I couldn't be in taking more than 500-1000cals a day if that).....lost 30+ lbs in a month guess what? I started eating "normally" again...gained all 30 back plus an extra 10lbs.....
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    I could either save money by putting 10% of my paycheck into a savings account each week. Or I could save money by prostituting my body at a truck stop on weekends and then putting that money into a savings account.

    I would probably have a bigger savings account faster with the second option, but does that make it the smart option?

    No. Eat some damn food.

    MIchelle Tanner, thank you for this.
  • RhodRhod
    RhodRhod Posts: 109
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    Do you have people depending on you? That love you? That need you? If you won't do it for yourself, do it for them. If you do what you say you're going to do, your just tearing your body up and who knows what it'll do to your mental state. Do some research and do it the healthy way. You owe it to yourself but most importantly to the people who love you. I wish you nothing but the best and good luck!
  • kimmymayhall
    kimmymayhall Posts: 419 Member
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    I'm not sure I understand what the point of your post is. You already know what you should be doing (eat 1700 calories) and you already know what you want to do (eat 900 calories.) Plenty of people here have given you good adivce, the same advice you likely read in the IPOARM thread.
    If you continue with your decision to lose weight as fast as possible to get to 180 without regard to overall health you will likely not be happy with your body when you get there. Not to mention how your will feel during the process if you are not giving your body enough fuel and key nutrients. If you eat at a more reasonable defecit and incorporate resistance training you will maintain more muscle mass and have a stronger, healthier, and better looking body in the end.
  • Meaganandcheese
    Meaganandcheese Posts: 525 Member
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    Sounds like your friends are also eating a lot of nutritionally dense foods for their calorie level. You say you are not eating the same things as them. Aside from the long term points that others have mentioned, it's very difficult to get all of the nutrients you need daily in >1000 calories. Your diary is locked, so do you mind sharing what a typical day looks like? You can definitely get feedback on how to add more calories in a healthy way. You don't have to be living in one of these extremes!
  • mag2906
    mag2906 Posts: 57 Member
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    ...i don't think i'm capable of eating 1700 calories. I can either eat a lot of calories (like 2600) or very little...

    This makes absolutely NO sense to me, but anyways. Good luck! You've obviously got it all squared away.

    I can relate to OP here. For years I would either binge all day long or not eat at all. It was very hard for me to maintain a resonable calorie deficit on daily basis and lose weight because of that.

    OP: it seems hard but try to eat more. There is a good chance that you will not last on 900 cal for very long and start binging anyways. If you learn to eat 1700 cal now, it will be not only healthier but also so much easier to switch into maintenance mode later.
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    Do you really want to continue a life of eating 900 calories a day and being so restrictive? Can you imagine this being your lifestyle for years to come just to maintain at 180, a weight you may never get to before giving up from the sheer exhaustion and resentment you'll feel by eating this way?

    I don't really get how you could eat 900 calories for a quick fix and not know that as soon as you start eating more than 900 calories, you will gain weight rapidly. It's the key element in any crash/fad diet, and you should know by now that those just don't work.
  • Feisty_Red
    Feisty_Red Posts: 982 Member
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    If you want a change permanently you need to be able to learn to eat well for life.....and not go on crash very low calories to just lose weight...one pound a week is a heck of a lot better that 3-4 a week if you are teaching yourself how to eventually MAINTAIN your loss..

    Sure it will work..but.. you will end up saying screw it..when you stop losing(or binge out-which on 900 it eventually will happen) and just go back to where you were..

    I've been there...at least 5 times!

    This isnt a bashing....this is just a speaking from experience..... Gradually up your calories a bit....your body will run better...for the long run!!!!
  • tmbowen12
    tmbowen12 Posts: 175 Member
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    A couple friends used to weight about as much as me. They signed up with a medical weight loss clinic. One has lost 40 pounds in the last two months. She eats about 900 calories a day, she's still losing. The other has hit a plateau at about 180. They don't eat sugar or salt, all protein, carb and veg. I don't eat the same thing as them.

    If I could quickly get down to 180 it would be easier to focus on the best way to lose for long term health.

    Could I get information instead of just bashing?

    your friends are likely being monitored by doctors. you don't seem as if you are and as such, what you're doing is very dangerous.


    exactly! unless you have a medical issue or are under a doctor's care you shouldn't eat that low. Call your doctor and see what he/she says. I mean they would know more than people on a message board.
  • bubbinsnik
    bubbinsnik Posts: 20 Member
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    No advice or "bashing" from me but I will say this...

    ...MFP has led me to learn about and from my body, I fight the urge to do a crazy fad, quick loss way of weight loss almost every week but I have done this before and it is not sustainable. This is the longest I have ever stuck at a weight loss journey and I know that my body needs to go slow in order to sustain.

    Your body may start to tell you how it feels about 900cal a day quite soon, listen to it. Fight the urge for the quick fix and you will succeed.

    Good luck.

    And FYI I eat 1450ish per day and 20lbs down.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    my plan is to stay on 900 a week until I stop losing weight and then start adding 100 calories a week back. I think ill plateau around 180 pounds and probably gain back like 10 pounds while my metabolism goes up when I add back calories

    Your plan is to yo-yo diet? And starve yourself to you can't take it anymore then gain a bunch back and then starve yourself again???!! Why?? Be nice to your body and it will be nice to you.
  • dressagester
    dressagester Posts: 53 Member
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    You are losing weight. Probably a combination of lean muscle, fat and bone density. If you lost at a lower rate while eating a healthy number of calories, you would lose more fat and less muscle. If you did weight training at the same time, you would lose mostly fat, almost no lean muscle and no bone density. It's really up to you what "weight" you want to lose.

    All this being to say: MFP isn't about trying to eat the fewest possible number of calories. It's about learning to eat at a healthy level for your body - not too much and not too little.

    THIS. This is all you need to know.
  • drchimpanzee
    drchimpanzee Posts: 892 Member
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    I can either eat a lot of calories (like 2600) or very little.

    Literally all you have to do is DOUBLE the portion size of whatever you're eating to get to 900 calories and you'll get just a hair about 1700.
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