scared not doing it right

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celewis2011
celewis2011 Posts: 243 Member
in Food and Nutrition
i have cut all meals in half so i am under my calories everyday. I also replaced my sugar with equal for my coffee and added multivitamins as well. I lost 4 pounds this week but I want to make sure i do it right this time.
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Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    You are supposed to be at your calories everyday, not under. Great job on making good decisions for yourself but make sure you are still eating enough and enjoying your food so you are able to make it sustainable. How much are you eating? Are you working out?
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Also, get rid of the equal, it's just as bad as sugar, just in a different direction. If you absolutely need something sweet try honey, or xylitol or stevia. Even better would be to get rid of the coffee and opt for green tea instead (1 hour before or after meals, not with main meals)

    If you have any questions or anything, feel free to ask. :-)

    Edit: good examples of cheat day food: pizza, ice cream, or pasta with meatballs if you want something cleaner (some oil to make sure it is full of fat and carbs at the same time, remember only once a week)
  • weeshaz74
    weeshaz74 Posts: 10 Member
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    if I burn off calories each day, am I supposed to eat what I have burned off???
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    It's tough to say with your diary closed, but given your ticker it looks like you have quite a bit to lose? In that case, don't worry too much about it! Your body can sustain a larger deficit right now. Make the changes you can make and don't worry about getting it perfect right away. If you're in this for the long haul then you have plenty of time to figure everything out!
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Ummm huh what? :noway:
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    if I burn off calories each day, am I supposed to eat what I have burned off???

    Yes, MFP expects you to eat back the calories you burn. You can get away without it if you have a lot to lose (75+ pounds). But for those of us with just a bit left to lose it's important not to stress our bodies too much or we'll start to lose lean muscle along with the fat.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
    Options
    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Ummm huh what? :noway:

    It's true. The main hormone responsible for fat loss is called leptin, and it loses 50% of its efficiency after only 7 days of dieting. So one cheat day per week is very helpful to a diet. You just have to make sure to get back on your diet during the other 6 days.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    It's tough to say with your diary closed, but given your ticker it looks like you have quite a bit to lose? In that case, don't worry too much about it! Your body can sustain a larger deficit right now. Make the changes you can make and don't worry about getting it perfect right away. If you're in this for the long haul then you have plenty of time to figure everything out!

    This ^^^ Just keep at it! weigh/measure and log what you're eating, exercise when you can and just stick with it. You'll figure out the little in's and out's as you progress. Best of luck, so far you're doing great!
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Options
    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Also, get rid of the equal, it's just as bad as sugar, just in a different direction. If you absolutely need something sweet try honey, or xylitol or stevia. Even better would be to get rid of the coffee and opt for green tea instead (1 hour before or after meals, not with main meals)

    If you have any questions or anything, feel free to ask. :-)

    Edit: good examples of cheat day food: pizza, ice cream, or pasta with meatballs if you want something cleaner (some oil to make sure it is full of fat and carbs at the same time, remember only once a week)

    This doesn't seem too helpful. What works for one isn't universal. I don't think it's the greatest idea to give someone just starting the recommendation of having a cheat day full of pizza, ice cream, etc. I eat ice-cream 7 days a week. You don't have to cut that stuff out and then spend one day eating it all back.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Ummm huh what? :noway:

    It's true. The main hormone responsible for fat loss is called leptin, and it loses 50% of its efficiency after only 7 days of dieting. So one cheat day per week is very helpful to a diet. You just have to make sure to get back on your diet during the other 6 days.

    Well been doing this since January and haven't had a cheat day yet, and have still lost 50 lbs. How can you cheat on a lifestyle change, that's like cheating on my marriage. If I want something I eat it and I make sure I budget for it. No reason to cheat.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    if I burn off calories each day, am I supposed to eat what I have burned off???

    If you are using MFP as designed .... YES

    MFP factors the calorie deficit in BEFORE exercise ..... that way people who can't/don't exercise still lose weight.

    The reason for eating calories back..... to large a calorie deficit PROMOTES lean muscle loss. Healthy weight loss is getting rid of FAT.

    **Be careful with calorie burn "estimates" ..... MFP and machines can exaggerate. Because of this some people start with a % of their calorie burns ..... and then increase or decrease after a couple weeks. More weight loss than expected .... increase %.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
    Options
    Incorporate a cheat day into your schedule. One cheat day per week where you can eat whatever you want is helpful for losing weight. This resets your fat loss hormones so that you are always burning 100% of the fat you can. A cheat day means you need simple carbs and fat in the same meal, every meal. (remember, only 1 day per week!) directly after the cheat day, do a low carb day and continue your diet. It would be best to choose a day where you are in a social setting for your cheat day, that way you don't feel pressured to look for the most healthy things on restaurant menus. This cheat day also acts as a psychological "rest" day. Dieting is mentally hard, so having a break once in a while is okay and helpful (just like with exercise, you need rest)

    Ummm huh what? :noway:

    It's true. The main hormone responsible for fat loss is called leptin, and it loses 50% of its efficiency after only 7 days of dieting. So one cheat day per week is very helpful to a diet. You just have to make sure to get back on your diet during the other 6 days.

    It's opinion, not truth or fact. But if that works for you, that's great! Keep it up. It's not great advice for a new dieter though.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    This works for everyone. It's science, not bro-science. Look up leptin. Like I said, it doesn't have to be pizza or ice cream, but it can be. It could work for white rice with a rice of oily meat and veggies. As long as simple carbs are together with fat in 3 meals during a day, it will work. I lost 44 lbs in 3-4 months with this being a part of my diet.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    It's opinion, not truth or fact. But if that works for you, that's great! Keep it up. It's not great advice for a new dieter though.


    Lol. Go check the library on Leptin. This is a scientifically proven fact backed by research. Not an opinion. An opinion is something you believe... that cannot be right or wrong. Like person A is uglier than person B. This is an opinion. If you don't believe the fact that I presented to you, you can at most, say that I am wrong (which is not true, but at least makes grammatical sense), but you can't call it an opinion lol.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    Well been doing this since January and haven't had a cheat day yet, and have still lost 50 lbs. How can you cheat on a lifestyle change, that's like cheating on my marriage. If I want something I eat it and I make sure I budget for it. No reason to cheat.

    The amount of fat you are trying to lose is rather large, so a 50% loss in fat loss speed has not made itself noticable to you yet, but it will :-)

    Also, dieting is a temporary fix; a jumpboard to a new lifestyle change, not the lifestyle change itself. After the weight loss goal is achieved you can get rid of cheat days and just eat enough healthy foods your whole life. If you diet, you need cheat days to make use of 100% of your body's fat-burning potential, otherwise you're wasting 50% of your time and effort after only the first week.
  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
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    i have cut all meals in half so i am under my calories everyday. I also replaced my sugar with equal for my coffee and added multivitamins as well. I lost 4 pounds this week but I want to make sure i do it right this time.

    Are you doing any workout program? Use the Mifflin formula to calculate your needed calorie intake and remove 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week. You need to eat enough so you don't slow down your metabolism.
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    Are you doing any workout program? Use the Mifflin formula to calculate your needed calorie intake and remove 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week. You need to eat enough so you don't slow down your metabolism.

    That's why I recommended a cheat day. It resets the metabolism so she can continue her diet uninterrupted until she reaches her goal.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    Well been doing this since January and haven't had a cheat day yet, and have still lost 50 lbs. How can you cheat on a lifestyle change, that's like cheating on my marriage. If I want something I eat it and I make sure I budget for it. No reason to cheat.

    The amount of fat you are trying to lose is rather large, so a 50% loss in fat loss speed has not made itself noticeable to you yet, but it will :-)

    So your saying, I'm only losing cause I have a lot to lose, has nothing to do with eating at a deficit and working my butt off with cardio and weights. Guess I'll just throw a cheat day in and stop working out since you have it all figured out.

    Now OP what I have found what works for me right now is eating between 1400-1600 calories, measuring and logging everything, and getting off my butt. If I want ice cream I have it as long as it fits in my calories. I treat my calorie budget just like my bank account can't spend what's not there.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
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    Are you doing any workout program? Use the Mifflin formula to calculate your needed calorie intake and remove 500 calories to lose 1 pound per week. You need to eat enough so you don't slow down your metabolism.

    That's why I recommended a cheat day. It resets the metabolism so she can continue her diet uninterrupted until she reaches her goal.

    We get it. You want her to have a cheat day. Can some other people post questions or opinions without you coming back and making it all about your cheat day?
  • Thoth8
    Thoth8 Posts: 107
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    We get it. You want her to have a cheat day. Can some other people post questions or opinions without you coming back and making it all about your cheat day?

    Questions, yes, opinions, no. A dieter doesn't need opinions, but knowledge backed by science.

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