Anyone else discovered low calories are their only option?
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Yes I've covered everything because I take this all very seriously which is the reason for my original post, I wanted to know if anyone else had the same problems as me and is in the same position.
My BMR is supposed to be 1400 ish according to online calculators but I've come to the conclusion that it's probably closer to 800 in reality and my TDEE is more like 1600 rather than the 2200 the online calculators have it at.
I gained weight to my current weight by eating 1200 calories most days with some days of 1500-1600 calories while being sedenary and only burning off around 800-1000 calories per week through exercise so by most peoples standards I should be skinny but unfortunately I have to work very hard to get there.0 -
Have you thought about finding a proper beginner routine to follow? I know strong lifts is done to death on here but I think as a beginner routine it is a great place to start. There's so much more to body building then people give credit for and we could sit here all day and discuss the finer details but I think a full body routine 3 x weekly is a good starting point for various reasons. IMO you NEED a proper, tested weight lifting routine to adhere to.
The whole point behind my post is that for a female it's hard for us to build lean muscle. We need a solid weight lifting regime and a high protein diet. But the more muscle you have the more it will improve your calorie burning potential in the long run. I think for someone like you, a step away from the scales and a change in mindset might help you? Muscle for a female is the best thing you can do for your body. It will eventually free you from the low calorie trap that so many women fall in to lose weight. You don't have to look like a female body builder, Im not saying this, but if you concentrate on body re-composition far more than losing scale weight I think this could help you more in the long haul. This is just my opinion, for what it's worth....I'm not stating it as the only way to improve your body/lose fat/etc etc. That's my disclaimer BTW. Ha.0 -
Sexy muffin top I know I could try and gain muscle by eating a lot more protein and maybe not being so concerned with weight gain but at my current size/body fat % I know that's not a good idea as I already look 'chunky' and my largest clothes are fairly tight (no joke) so I definitely need to cut the weight before I even think about building muscle. Maybe if I ever get to goal weight/body fat % I can think about doing that later as I intend on continuing to train 6 days a week which I've never done consistently before. My worry with eating low calories like I've done in the past is firstly that I'll be tempted to eat more than I know my body can tolerate but with 5:2 I don't think this will happen as having 2 vlc days means I can still eat 1450-1650 on the other days theoretically, though I may lower the amount I eat on feast days if that isn't working.
As I'm weight training on non-fast days I should be able to prevent muscle loss anyway from what I've read too.0 -
Sexy muffin top I know I could try and gain muscle by eating a lot more protein and maybe not being so concerned with weight gain but at my current size/body fat % I know that's not a good idea as I already look 'chunky' and my largest clothes are fairly tight (no joke) so I definitely need to cut the weight before I even think about building muscle. Maybe if I ever get to goal weight/body fat % I can think about doing that later as I intend on continuing to train 6 days a week which I've never done consistently before. My worry with eating low calories like I've done in the past is firstly that I'll be tempted to eat more than I know my body can tolerate but with 5:2 I don't think this will happen as having 2 vlc days means I can still eat 1450-1650 on the other days theoretically, though I may lower the amount I eat on feast days if that isn't working.
As I'm weight training on non-fast days I should be able to prevent muscle loss anyway from what I've read too.
Are you sure you look 'chunky' really? I know as a woman it's so hard to see ourselves as others do. I've eaten enough to feed a small country these past few days, honestly I have, and I feel huge but I know in reality I'm not...I'm not saying it's all in your head but do you think maybe you've got a bit obsessive about trying to lose now and it's making it all harder? Does that make sense? I kinda mean like when couples have conception problems, they get so stressed and upset about it it makes it all so much harder. Stress takes a huge toll on our bodies and if you are stressed and pent up about losing this weight is going to be mych harder?
For me weight lifting is a joy, I actively love it so I don't see it as a way to lose weight. It's something I look forward to every time I go to the gym. I love the way it makes me feel and the results. You need something in your life fitness wise that makes you feel that way. Life is too short to be constantly battling to lose those few pounds pounding away on a treadmill or feeling hungry all day.0 -
I looked at stronglifts but wanted more variety/flexibility with the types of exercises I do and I kickstarted my weight training again by following a routine from another book I have but soon stopped following that too as I didn't feel it was necessary.
The truth is I started weight training around 11-12 years ago when I first decided to get fit/lose weight when I was at my heaviest of 178lbs. I didn't count calories then I just made healthier food choices and went to the gym to do cardio and weights 3 x a week and had a personal training. I lost weight very easily then and got to 122 lbs with 26% body fat and was fairly happy with the way I looked but couldn't sustain it as I was eating very low carb with very few foods I really liked.
So I've actually been weight training to some extent for 12 years but I have only ever managed to weight train for 4-6 weeks before getting injured in the past. This time I've avoided injury and am finding I'm enjoying it so will stick with it this time and I'm lifting heavier weights than I ever have done before too.
If I was a healthier body fat % already and weighed around 130 lbs I wouldn't be so concerned with the scale but at my current fat % and weight I know that I am way over what I should be. Ideally I'd be 115 lbs and lean but I know it will be very hard to get there and I may find that at 130 lbs and leaner I'll be happy as I've mainly only ever got to skinny fat due to eating low calories and little weight trainin.
This time round I'm eating more protein although I am a little scared of doing damage to my kidneys so don't want to go too high (family history of kidney disease although no symptoms/evidence of a problem personally so far).0 -
Yes I know that, I've done all the maths. I meant that I tried the TDEE -15-25 pc method (for several weeks each time) as well as MFP plus eating back exercise cals, I've tried it all!
I'm sure this has been said - but you've only been logging for 4 months, and at a few weeks per "trial" it may just be an adjustment process. Your body isn't working on "instant" terms, it's not going to sense a change and immediately respond because our daily levels of practically everything fluctuate.
Whatever you choose just do what feels right for you and you're happy with - personally you couldn't pay me to go back to eating so little, but I'm little miss piggy :laugh:0 -
No, I'm sure I look chunky! Photos of me over the past couple of years since getting to this weight prove that. My high body fat is distributed unevenly so it's mainly on my upper arms, thighs and bum as well as lower tummy. It makes me look bottom heavy especially as I have a small waist and very thin calves/forearms. I have an hourglass figure which would be great if I was able to lose the fat. My arms and thighs currently look huge compared to the areas with no fat. In fact my thighs are each 23 inches and upper arms 13.5 inches. I've lost on my hips so I'm kind of losing my hourglass shape a bit as my hips are currently 34.5 inches and my waist is still 27.
When I was 122 lbs I didn't measure my thighs or upper arms but I was 25 in the waist and my hips were around 34 and my ribs were showing. I still had chunky thighs and the weight had started to come off my upper arms but I was 26% fat so plenty of room to move.
That shows that at 20% fat I'd probably be a lot lighter as the fat would finally come off my thighs and tummy which are obviously the last places for it to come off so my ideal weight would probably be close to my goal weight of 115.0 -
I looked at stronglifts but wanted more variety/flexibility with the types of exercises I do and I kickstarted my weight training again by following a routine from another book I have but soon stopped following that too as I didn't feel it was necessary.
The truth is I started weight training around 11-12 years ago when I first decided to get fit/lose weight when I was at my heaviest of 178lbs. I didn't count calories then I just made healthier food choices and went to the gym to do cardio and weights 3 x a week and had a personal training. I lost weight very easily then and got to 122 lbs with 26% body fat and was fairly happy with the way I looked but couldn't sustain it as I was eating very low carb with very few foods I really liked.
So I've actually been weight training to some extent for 12 years but I have only ever managed to weight train for 4-6 weeks before getting injured in the past. This time I've avoided injury and am finding I'm enjoying it so will stick with it this time and I'm lifting heavier weights than I ever have done before too.
If I was a healthier body fat % already and weighed around 130 lbs I wouldn't be so concerned with the scale but at my current fat % and weight I know that I am way over what I should be. Ideally I'd be 115 lbs and lean but I know it will be very hard to get there and I may find that at 130 lbs and leaner I'll be happy as I've mainly only ever got to skinny fat due to eating low calories and little weight trainin.
This time round I'm eating more protein although I am a little scared of doing damage to my kidneys so don't want to go too high (family history of kidney disease although no symptoms/evidence of a problem personally so far).
I'm not saying i'm a perfect example, no chance. I'm a size 10-12 (uk) so not that slim, but...I at 5ft 4 and I weigh around 153 lbs. It could be more, I haven't weighed myself for about a week. I don't know what my body fat is, I think it's around 23% last time I calculated it. I think you should bin the scales, if they make you feel crap, chuck them. They are very over rated IMO.0 -
No, I'm sure I look chunky! Photos of me over the past couple of years since getting to this weight prove that. My high body fat is distributed unevenly so it's mainly on my upper arms, thighs and bum as well as lower tummy. It makes me look bottom heavy especially as I have a small waist and very thin calves/forearms. I have an hourglass figure which would be great if I was able to lose the fat. My arms and thighs currently look huge compared to the areas with no fat. In fact my thighs are each 23 inches and upper arms 13.5 inches. I've lost on my hips so I'm kind of losing my hourglass shape a bit as my hips are currently 34.5 inches and my waist is still 27.
When I was 122 lbs I didn't measure my thighs or upper arms but I was 25 in the waist and my hips were around 34 and my ribs were showing. I still had chunky thighs and the weight had started to come off my upper arms but I was 26% fat so plenty of room to move.
That shows that at 20% fat I'd probably be a lot lighter as the fat would finally come off my thighs and tummy which are obviously the last places for it to come off so my ideal weight would probably be close to my goal weight of 115.
Right, from those measurements that makes you slightly smaller than a UK size 10? yes?0 -
I'm the same height as you and currently lighter but I bet if we stood side by side we'd look very different and I'd look a lot heavier. I'm also a UK 10-12 at the moment.
Build also has a lot to do with it too I think. I'm quite broad shouldered but very petite boned and have tiny wrists and ankles/calves.
At 26% body fat I was 122 lbs and was a UK size 8 and happy at that size. I still hated my thighs and at that stage would have given anything to get the body fat down even if it had meant the weight going up.
Were you ever fatter and if so how did you drop the fat?0 -
I'm the same height as you and currently lighter but I bet if we stood side by side we'd look very different and I'd look a lot heavier. I'm also a UK 10-12 at the moment.
Build also has a lot to do with it too I think. I'm quite broad shouldered but very petite boned and have tiny wrists and ankles/calves.
At 26% body fat I was 122 lbs and was a UK size 8 and happy at that size. I still hated my thighs and at that stage would have given anything to get the body fat down even if it had meant the weight going up.
Were you ever fatter and if so how did you drop the fat?
Yes I was a UK size 16 this time last year. I just ate less and weight trained. Seriously, nothing more than that. Your hips and thighs are smaller than mine measurement wise. Would you say I need to lose weight as well then?0 -
I'm not sure to be honest. I am currently in Spain so sizes are European. Plus due to my body fat concentration I find that clothes are loose on the waist but tight on the thighs so I don't fit standard sizes right now.
I have a wardrobe full of size 8-10 clothes which I can't find over my bottom hanf and my bust size is 35D so I also find tops don't fit me that well either, especially blouses.
I don't really care about the scale although it would be great to be in the 120s or less but I can't wear a bikini now due to so much flab everywhere and it's unsightly. I am 10 minutes by car from the beach but dread having to strip off due to the wobble and I just want to get rid of the fat. My belly moves as I do and so do my arms and thighs, not pretty and I can't even blame having kids on any of it!0 -
From your picture you look like your body fat is quite low and you look very muscular and personally I wouldn't want to be that big. I don't want to be skinny by any means but I wouldn't want to carry as much muscle as you are. It's all about how your happy and I don't like being too muscly not that I've ever really been there. I want to look toned but small to fit my frame.0
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I'm not sure to be honest. I am currently in Spain so sizes are European. Plus due to my body fat concentration I find that clothes are loose on the waist but tight on the thighs so I don't fit standard sizes right now.
I have a wardrobe full of size 8-10 clothes which I can't find over my bottom hanf and my bust size is 35D so I also find tops don't fit me that well either, especially blouses.
I don't really care about the scale although it would be great to be in the 120s or less but I can't wear a bikini now due to so much flab everywhere and it's unsightly. I am 10 minutes by car from the beach but dread having to strip off due to the wobble and I just want to get rid of the fat. My belly moves as I do and so do my arms and thighs, not pretty and I can't even blame having kids on any of it!
I'm gonna just gonna say it....I think it's all in your head. I honestly do. I think you have a distorted body image. You have told us your weight, your measurements and there is no way you are as fat as you think you are. It would be a physical impossibility. You may be retaining a bit of body fat yes, but certainly not a lot.0 -
It really isn't! My body fat is at least 31% which is very high and that's being conservative. My tanita body fat scale has me at 37%! Another scale I use says 32-33%. Using online calculators I am 28% which is why I say 31%.0
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Yes! I have been on a 1200/day calorie diet for 6&1/2 months now. I was losing weight steadily but I kept reading that I was hurting myself by not eating 15 or 20 % below my tdee. So I bumped my calorie level and started working out and eating back those calories as well. During this period I lost NO scale weight. I also did not lose any inches. I have recently went back to my 1200 cals and immediately lost 2 lbs! Yes, even when I exercise I still eat the cals back. I believe if you are logging correctly, some people still have to eat less to lose anything. Everyone is different and as long as you're not hungry and you are getting sufficient nutrients, do what works for you!
I also did the same on advice and put 3 kilos back on today I am going back to less calories its worked in the past0 -
Yes, there is no way I can lose on the TDEE amount. I found it is too high and will start to gain weight. It's very discouraging.0
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It really isn't! My body fat is at least 31% which is very high and that's being conservative. My tanita body fat scale has me at 37%! Another scale I use says 32-33%. Using online calculators I am 28% which is why I say 31%.
hmmm well, I don't know. I have nothing further to add really. As i'm larger than you with obviously different goals there's not much else I can say that could help you, but I wish you luck with your future endeavors.0 -
You will harm yourself and lose your health if you keep eating 1000 cal a day. Your body needs energy to work. Eat 200 cal less a day from recommended 2000 cal and be patient, exercise. I lost 29 lbs in 3 months and planing to lose 30 more. Slowly and steady. Thats the way to do it. Don't expect to lose weight in a week or 1 month. make a diet your new way of life and keep healthy. Thats my advice. There is no miracle weight loss, its all burning energy like fuel in the car. Be ready for 1 year journey. At least. Or you will get into trouble with your metabolism and life.0
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I haven't read past the 1st page, but here's my 2 cents...
Although I am doubtful that your metabolism is permanently set at the rate that you think you find it at now...."assuming" that is the case, if I were faced with the prospects of NETTING 800-1000cals/day (on average) for the rest of my life, I think I'd just eat normally and be overweight instead. Pragmatically, there is such an epidemic over obesity, that the medical field is better equipped to deal with me in that state than in a chronically malnutrioned state and all of the side-effects that come with it (such as the deadly side effects that come to those suffering from untreated anorexia nervosa). Besides, in doing so ("overeating"), I might just find that my metabolism had actually only been damaged and could be restored...whereas organ damage caused by chronic "undereating" may be irreversible. That's just what I'd do. I'd suggest that you eat normally (not at a deficit), until you can more thoroughly investigate...because damaging your body by chronic undereating and most likely further damaging your metabolism is only taking you farther from where you want to be, even if you THINK it is getting you closer to your goal (it is not).
Good luck to you!0 -
Please watch this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw 0 -
I'm the same height as you and currently lighter but I bet if we stood side by side we'd look very different and I'd look a lot heavier. I'm also a UK 10-12 at the moment.
Ah, okay, now I've read through more of the thread. Perhaps you have some genetic reason why you specifically "can't" respond well to my suggestions, but I'll say it anyway. Here goes...The reason that the two of you are the same height and you have larger inches on arms, thighs, etc (basically more fat), is because you have always pursued very low calorie dieting, in which your body consumes it's own muscle. You became "smaller" and "lighter" by losing muscle (and some fat). Then, when you started eating normally WITHOUT musclebuilding exercises, you replaced the lost muscle with fat. Fat takes up more space than muscle, so you are now measuring bigger in the arms, thighs, etc because (as you yourself pointed out), you have more fat there. You simply need to get your muscle back. That means BUILDING muscle, NOT CONSUMING it. You will need to eat enough protein daily and work very hard to build up your muscle (but not so hard as to injure yourself). THIS TAKES TIME!!!!!. That new muscle, combined with the newly formed fat, will make you bigger. But at the end of adding muscle, you will be able to successfully "cut" that fat...but not before (not easily anyway, and not without continuing to perpetuate the circumstances of muscleloss followed by "filling in" with fat). Hope you can do some further research and perhaps get some good professional help on this journey. i do believe that you can become like your boyfriend who eats as much as he likes and doesn't gain weight. But you need muscle and to EAT healthy to do that.
good luck to you!0 -
Please watch this!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw
Actually there is a video prior to this. Please watch both of these.
#1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk
#2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw
I watched these a couple of days ago, but as far as I remember...
If you're really restricting your calories by a lot, Layne Norton (who is a bodybuilder, trainer, and has a PhD) says to start off increasing your metabolism by starting to add 5 grams of carbs and maybe a gram of fat per week.
5 grams of carbs is 20 calories. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories.
This is adding calories really slowly.
The reason he suggests this is so that the body gets used to adding calories slowly over a long period of time and you increase metabolic capacity in that way.
Since he works with bodybuilders, he is likely assuming that they have a low-carb, high protein, and moderate fat diet. If your macros are different, I think you should focus on adding calories in a more balanced manner...but the principle is the same. Add calories very slowly so that over time your body adapts and gets used to it and then you can increase calories more.
He states that maybe it'll take a year for your metabolism to get where it needs to be, but says that you will get there if you just keep adding slowly.
It seems as if he has worked with a ton of people, and while I think that no one is the source of all knowledge in this situation, I do think that you should listen to what people like Dr. Norton have to say because they have a lot of experience with this type of thing.0 -
So much fail in this thread. OP, I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for. I also hope you will do some more independent research and stop listening to nonsensical bro-science and anecdotal "evidence". You said you tried different things over 4 months and nothing worked, 4 months is about the right amount of time to try ONE thing. Good luck.0
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As others have said you try something for 4 months and see how you feel if it doesn't work. Most of the advice I've read has said to try something for 4-5 weeks before deciding it's not working so I think in each case I've given my body long enough to adjust.
In fact it's allowed my to figure out my true TDEE not the one the calculators estimate it to be and 1600 seems a lot more realistic given my body's response.
If I didn't plan on working out ever again yes I'd be stuck eating 800 calories a day which would be hard but 1200 is sustainable especially with the 2 fast days which have added health benefits too.
If things start moving by doing this then hopefully I'll be able to come back a little while after hitting my goal weight/body fat and say that I have tried a reset and it's worked but not everyone's body works the same way.
I've met lots of people who overeat and cram in the calories through drinking alcohol, eating huge portions etc. then drop to a much lower calorie level and the weight drops off without them even trying but when you're like me ie. someone whose weight gradually creeps up over time by eating a little over my maintenance level which was low in the first place it isn't so easy.0 -
To the op.
If you open your diary up people might be able to have a look over the last 4 months and see if it could be something else before you lower your calories.0 -
Such as? I'm not going to open my diary again as it was open for almost 4 months and I had generally good feedback on the whole except when I started doing 5:2 due to people saying I was under eating. I am by no means a saint and have 1-2 days when I relax my intake while staying within my calories but generally I try to stick to 35% carbs and protein and 30% fat although I occasionally go over on fat by eating good fats mostly. I make sure to eat a reasonable amount of fibre and low sugar 80% of the time.0
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...and another thing (my EMTWL friends will not approve), i've really never seen/heard full-on *goal weight* success stories from folks eating more to weigh less. YES i have heard various NSVs and those feeling much stronger, better sleep, leaning out etc.... (and those ARE successes), but not a whole lot of 'yes, i reset my metabolism and now i am at goal weight and can now lose reasonably at 1500+ (or whatever their particular number).
the real success stories must be there right? i mean this group has over 10k members!
Here is a recent and pretty good one
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/968182-i-lost-a-person-but-i-found-myself-leaky-s-story
Another one that comes to me off the top of my head
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/709987-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics
I've seen tons of them.
thanks. :-)0 -
550 calories 2 days a week? Oh wow. There is no way on earth that I would drop my calories that low.
IF. totally reasonable from health, psychological and spiritual standpoints.0 -
Add in one of those interval training workouts into your routine they say (trainers at my gym) that this is what changes BMR. In the end it is just about what works for you ....GOOD LUCK!!0
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