Eating So Little...Are you used to it now?

I want to get a poster of you to look at when I am thinking, "Oh this is just too hard" and feeling sorry for myself. You are an inspiration.

:flowerforyou: Thank You for sharing your Story!! I needed to read this today!!

thanks for sharing this. I have so many friends who are eating between 500-1000 calories and I get worried about their health, so when I saw you eating 1000 calories, I thought, "oh no. not another one". But I did not think about your age and confinement. I am proud of you, and look forward to the day when you get those new knees

Any female eating 500 to 1,000 calorie without consulting her doctor first is inviting health problems. My doctor has me taking 3 different vitamins to make sure that I get the nutrients to stay healthy, while on a low calorie food plan. He insisted that I up my protein, after reviewing my initial food plan. He made sure that I had a nutritionist referral, and she looks out for me as well. It will do me no good to lose this weight...only to end up with other medical problems, related to vitamin deficiencies.

I am an RN who works in long term care, so I see many people in wheelchairs taking in the lower amount of calories you are talking about and not in "starvation mode" (I hate that term).
I have posted several times about malnutrition vs. "starvation".
I confirm everything you have said.
Good job! :flowerforyou:

Awesome post. You're looking good!!

Hello there, this post has been on my mind since I've first read it and wasn't sure if I should reply or not, but since I'm still thinking about it thought I would. Plus, yey! I'm famous! Finally somebody has mentioned me in the famous MFP forums <insert ironic smilie here for those who don't get the joke>

Let me start by saying I love your dedication and will power. You have a lot to lose by staying the way you are and a lot to gain by losing all the extra weight. For you the transformation would be literally life changing (and possibly life saving), and I'm sure that makes you even more dedicated. Just because you don't have much of a choice it doesn't make it any easier for you, I understand that!

Now to the rest of the post :happy:

Yes, I was curious about the 1000 calories, I was only your friend for less than a day and didn't realise you were in a wheelchair. I was also wondering do you find it hard to stick to 1000, also pretty obvious question I would have though. I was on 1200 when I started and the truth is I did find it hard going some days. It wasn't about how much I exercise, it was about re-educating myself to eat food that have more volume for the calories you get, usually vegetables. I did stick to my calories but quickly realised that while I could eat that bagel and fit it around my calories, the amount of food I get is so small my stomach is still physically empty. I would have stuck to it had it been the only way to lose the weight but it would have not been easy! Hence my question. I'm glad it was the reason for a blog posts and hopefully it will help others in similar situation.

However, I do admit the rest of your post had me puzzled and slightly bit annoyed. Yes, I did post few times I can't wait to get into my size 12 jeans (which have been at the back of the wardrobe for nearly 10 years), yes I do have some vain reasons for getting slim - like wanting to look hot again and fit in nice clothes, like being able to chase the kids in the park and not get out of breath after 5 minutes... I'm nearly 40 and it had finally clicked I'm not getting any younger. I've spend the last 10 years of my life putting my family and children first, and I feel it's time to do something about myself for a change. Having an active toddler makes it hard to get any free time, as anybody who has children knows, throw two older ones in the mix and you can imagine my daily schedule... Looking slim and trendy is my vain reason, it's my only way to reclaim a little bit of the old me and feel in control, I don't have to apologize for it:happy: Like many others I started because of health concerns, but it's not something I'm willing to discuss here. But now I'm healthy I just want to look great If people think that's superficial - well, that's not my problem. I am going to get into those size 12 (uk) jeans and rock them! And then I'll work my way towards the size 10 ones:laugh:

The other comment about the binge eating had me even more puzzled... wasn't even sure what to make of that. Yes, I did post yesterday I had this sudden urge to go and get a burger... and I did. I had my usual porridge for breakfast, light lunch and had 800-900 calories left so thought I could comfortably fit a "treat dinner" and even have left over for a snack later. As shocking as it may sound to some I do have treat dinners some days, usually once a week. I still eat pizza and takeaways, I just make sure to have light lunch and no snacks that day - I often go over 100-200 on those days, but since I'm under other days it well balances over the week. I did post on my newsfeed about it for two reasons: First I was surprised how many calories were there in a burger, chips and coke (haven't had those in months!). And second - after few months on MFP and losing 20lb I had that confidence that I'm good at it and I can concur everything, I "knew it all":laugh: :laugh: Oh bless my ignorance!! That burger craving caught me by surprise and dragged me in, and I didn't even try and resist, surely I was an expert at losing weight now. It came to show me that I'm not immune from emotional eating even after weeks of logging. It came to show me the temptations will always be there and that sometimes I just want to give in to them. I came to show me I have so much more to learn... I wouldn't call eating one Burger King meal and binge though, and wouldn't call commenting about it a pity party. Any body who knows me longer than a day would probably agree that I am a fighter, not a pity-party-feel-sorry-for-me person. As my husband says "You are one of the most stubborn people I've met. Glad to see you finally put it to this worthy cause":laugh:

So yes, I do post about my size 12 jeans, it keeps me motivated. Another couple of months and I will get there!! I also occasionally have 800-1000 calorie dinners, and may go over 100-200 on the day, but I usually have "saved" from other days so it all evens out.

I'm not even sure why I spent the last half an hour typing a reply. I guess I was a bit annoyed and felt judged, we've only known each other a day We all have our reasons and our ways of doing it, my "get into size 12 jeans" is not less worthy of somebody else's "keep diabetes at bay" reason. Plus, some of us like our privacy here and may chose to leave out certain details

Best of luck to all of you My Fitness Pals losing weight, whichever way you do it, and for whatever reason you chose to do it!:flowerforyou:

I used to get the opposite in real life, people would see my full plate of food and go "I thought you were on a diet, you can't eat that much on a diet" or "how can you expect to lose weight eating all that?" and other things along those lines but I found that with eating the right things I needed to eat a lot more to get all my calories (or points as I do Weight Watchers) in. They just couldn't get their heads around the fact I could eat proper meals (and even have dessert at times!) and still lose weight. Even now I get told I should be eating nothing but salad if I want to lose weight.

I'm another with some vanity reasons for wanting to lose weight. I want to look good. I want to be able to get back into my nice clothes. I want to go to events with my hubby and not stick out like a sore thumb because I'm twice the size of the other wives there. I need to lose weight for heath reasons too and they are obviously important but sometimes, rightly or wrongly, it's those vanity reasons that make me keep at it when I'm struggling.

You sound like you're doing fantastic on your lifestyle change It's very easy to say you'll make changes, sticking to it is the hard part.

Amazing post! Thanks for sharing.

And yes, you do get used to it. Or, at least I do. It's amazing how much less food it takes to satisfy me if I actually eat nutritious things, mindfully... rather than gorging on junk at lightning speed.

. Yep-- that is me too!

You are awesome! I love this post.

Seems to me like you know more than most people on here! Congrats to the new you currently and to come!

You have a great attitude, and I also don't pity people. I wish some had more self control, but no pity.

Seems to me like you know more than most people on here! Congrats to the new you currently and to come!

Believe me...even at 68, I still have a lot to learn. I have been many things in my life, ranging from a Navy Journalist to a registered nurse. I have been a mother, grandmother and (Heaven help me) the wife of a pastor. All of my experiences have helped me to become the strange, old lady that I am today. I wish some of those experiences would have taught me how to take better care of myself sooner or at least the motivation to try.

I can be stubborn, as I mentioned to my MFP sister earlier. I know that I can also be opinionated, and that isn't always a good thing. In fact, it can cause me a lot of trouble. I can be prideful, but I can also recognize when I am NOT the most important person in the room.

Mostly, I am just grateful that it isn't too late for me to undo some of the damage that I have done to my body with food.

Amen!