Oh now I am REALLY confused!

IamUndrCnstruction
IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just when I thought I had it figured out. Started this journey for medical reasons, I need surgery, a lifesaving surgery that has noting to do with my weight. They won't do it until I lose weight. So I found MFP and used it's guide lines which told me to eat 1200 calories a day. That worked for two weeks and I lost 11 pounds. Then nothing, at all...in fact I gained two pounds, lost two pounds, etc. Through reading the forums and some advice from a nice member here who FINALLY answered my posted questions, I started slowly upping my calories. I could only get them up to about 1400 or so before panic set in. So the transplant team asked me to have my metabolic cart done to measure my resting metabolic rate. It came out to 1760, at rest. Now, I work full time for now, and walk at least 2.5 miles three times a week and do kettlebell circuits 3 times a week (only 15 pounds, but medical limitations prevail) . Anyway, I thought "Wow, maybe I am not eating enough!" ...so I made the leap of faith and upped my intake to at least 1700, sometimes 1800 and not eating back exercise calories. And then I lost 5 pounds!!!!

At this point, I know you are asking yourself, why the confusion then? Well, because the Transplant dietician just emailed me (weeks effin later) to say she looked at my metabolic cart results and I need to be eating 1250 calories a day max!!! WTH!! Now I don't know who or what to believe or do....

Some one please answer....even if it's just to say "Damn, that sucks" LOL

Replies

  • Karinlin25
    Karinlin25 Posts: 11 Member
    Damn that sucks ;) I don't have any advise other than to hang in there and figure out what works for your body. Good luck!
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
    OK "Damn that sucks."


    Sorry couldn't resist.

    I'd say give it a week at the higher level and see what happens. Dieticians are not always right, nor are physicians or anyone else. If it doesn't work, try other changes - maybe the dietician recommendations. Life is not one size fits all, even though some of the charts may make it look as such.
  • nancykabat
    nancykabat Posts: 17 Member
    Maybe just stick with a middle range of calories and keep your exercise up. 1400 is very doable and you can get extra calories when you exercise for those days you ARE extra hungry. Best of luck with your surgery and don't get frustrated.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    If you stopped losing at 1200 I'm not sure how 1250 max is supposed to work for you. I'd suggest keeping with the 1700-1800 since it's working for you. The point is to lose the weight so you can have the surgery. If you lose it eating 1700 calories it still gets done.
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
    Just when I thought I had it figured out. Started this journey for medical reasons, I need surgery, a lifesaving surgery that has noting to do with my weight. They won't do it until I lose weight. So I found MFP and used it's guide lines which told me to eat 1200 calories a day. That worked for two weeks and I lost 11 pounds. Then nothing, at all...in fact I gained two pounds, lost two pounds, etc. Through reading the forums and some advice from a nice member here who FINALLY answered my posted questions, I started slowly upping my calories. I could only get them up to about 1400 or so before panic set in. So the transplant team asked me to have my metabolic cart done to measure my resting metabolic rate. It came out to 1760, at rest. Now, I work full time for now, and walk at least 2.5 miles three times a week and do kettlebell circuits 3 times a week (only 15 pounds, but medical limitations prevail) . Anyway, I thought "Wow, maybe I am not eating enough!" ...so I made the leap of faith and upped my intake to at least 1700, sometimes 1800 and not eating back exercise calories. And then I lost 5 pounds!!!!

    At this point, I know you are asking yourself, why the confusion then? Well, because the Transplant dietician just emailed me (weeks effin later) to say she looked at my metabolic cart results and I need to be eating 1250 calories a day max!!! WTH!! Now I don't know who or what to believe or do....

    Some one please answer....even if it's just to say "Damn, that sucks" LOL

    I'd say stick to what you're doing if it's working. If it stops working, try what the dietician recommends. Then again, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on MFP or TV, so that's just my humble opinion only. I just don't see why you need to restrict calories if what you're doing is working and you're losing weight.
  • mizzie1980
    mizzie1980 Posts: 379 Member
    Everyone is different, every body is different. Does the dietitian know how active you are? It's possible that the 1250 number she gave you is not taking into account all your exercise. Taking a look, it looks to me like she just took that 1760 that your test showed and subtracted 500 a day to lose 1 pound a week.

    It also looks to me like you've done a lot of jumping around. You ate low, then it didn't work for a week or two, so you ate high, it worked for one week, but now you want to go low again. You need to try a new calorie range for a few weeks before your body can kind of settle into it. 11 pounds in the first two weeks is very high, so is 5 pounds last week. You will not be able to keep that up. Don't expect it, don't even want it, a higher loss week once in a while is fine, but losing too much too fast is not healthy. A good rule of thumb is to aim to lose 1% of your current weight per week.

    Do you track your exercise on MFP? What do you have your activity level set as? What do you have your weekly goals set as? What is your height and weight? Do you use a heart rate monitor to track calories burned?


    ETA: If you don't track your exercise calories with a heart rate monitor (don't trust what MFP says for calories burned, they tend to be high in my experience), try this for a few weeks minimum: Set your activity level at sedentary or low (mine is low, but I have a desk job) and set your weight loss goals at 1 pound a week. Eat as close to the calories it gives you as you can and let your exercising be a little extra deficit. I use a HRM, but I've seen this work for other people. Be sure to drink a lot of water and/or avoid foods high is sodium. That might be what is causing that up and down the same two pounds thing you were having
  • SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants
    SisterhoodoftheShrinkingPants Posts: 474 Member
    Did you tell her you stopped losing when you ate that many cals? Ive learned that docs, dietitians etc are not always right. Is she calculating all your activities? Thats the thing about this journey, everyone is different. I dont believe there is ONE WAY to do this. Dont second guess yourself.
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    I just got the email from her today. I have not replied yet. And thank you all for replying. I am 5'9" and currently weigh 211and am 39. I started this journey, not necessarily MFP at 226. I stopped logging my daily weight (daily weigh-ins at the transplant coordinators request) because I got angry. I eat very low sodium due to medications I am on, and I am also on steroids so that adds a little to the issue. The condition I have lends itself to water retention even on a good day, so I have to be careful. Once I upped my calories, I finally went from 216 to 211, but that was in a month, not a week because I was tired of weighing myself , so I stopped. I have gone down a dress size tho!! I think some of you may be right in that she is not counting any of my activity. I have my MFP set to sedentary because I have a desk job. But for some one in my condition, I am fairly active in the evening. I did not do so well at 1200 calories a day. I believe the term MFP folks use is "hangry"....
  • BriHealthy150
    BriHealthy150 Posts: 54 Member
    Let me start by saying I've lost 140 pounds - through my whole journey I've used MFP and I've seen people who say to eat your calories, etc. But personally, I eat what MFP tells me to do in order to lose 2 pounds per week. Right now I eat 1200 a day, and it's not as bad since I've gradually been decreasing since 1500 cals, but it's definitely doable. You just need to find low calorie filling foods that you like. Try turkey sandwiches with reduced fat cheese and mustard, salads with low calorie dressing, grilled chicken, there are so many things. I promise it's not as bad as it seems, you can do it!! :)
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    I know that I "can" do it. I simply question whether or not it is the right way to do it. I have eaten 1200 calories a day or less and while not hungry I was not happy or energetic either, and I was also not losing any weight other than the first 11 pounds which was mostly water. I have had my base metabolic rate measured by the hospital, and it is way higher than 1200, and that is just lying there doing nothing at all. I just don't see where it is healthy to eat 500 cal less than what my body would need to sustain itself were it in a coma. I work, I work out, I "live". I am not a tiny person, even at a healthy weight, I am not petite in any sense of the word. 1200 just doesn't seem like enough.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
    I would stick with what you're doing. You are losing weight at 1700-1800 calories, which sounds about right for your activity level. You KNOW this is working, whereas the best guess of someone else is just that, a guess.

    ETA: I couldn't live on 1200 calories a day either! :wink:
  • lilbearzmom
    lilbearzmom Posts: 600 Member
    OR, try eating high for a week, then 1200 for a week, and so on. The fluctuations in calories can sometimes help. Even day-to-day.
  • Pangea250
    Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
    I would even begin to dare to mess around with the recommendation made by a healthcare professional, particularly when this involves something as serious & complicated as a transplant.

    Time for a spreadsheet! (I love spreadsheets.)

    Print out your food & exercise diary. List calories in & out next to your weight loss (or gain) for that time period. Get this info to the dietician. Then talk to her/him about it. Come to an agreement/understanding, then set your goal.

    Good luck to you - on all fronts! I'll assume this is a kidney transplant you are shooting for?
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    Stick with what you are doing now and go from there. If THATS working for you, than there is nothing to be confused about. I always say 'go with what your body is telling you.'
    There is no better way.

    Once you start to plateau you can start to lower your calories by maybe 100 or so....

    good luck.
  • Shes1CraftyMama
    Shes1CraftyMama Posts: 152 Member
    I just got the email from her today. I have not replied yet. And thank you all for replying. I am 5'9" and currently weigh 211and am 39. I started this journey, not necessarily MFP at 226. I stopped logging my daily weight (daily weigh-ins at the transplant coordinators request) because I got angry. I eat very low sodium due to medications I am on, and I am also on steroids so that adds a little to the issue. The condition I have lends itself to water retention even on a good day, so I have to be careful. Once I upped my calories, I finally went from 216 to 211, but that was in a month, not a week because I was tired of weighing myself , so I stopped. I have gone down a dress size tho!! I think some of you may be right in that she is not counting any of my activity. I have my MFP set to sedentary because I have a desk job. But for some one in my condition, I am fairly active in the evening. I did not do so well at 1200 calories a day. I believe the term MFP folks use is "hangry"....
    If you are this tall and weigh this much stick with the higher #. I am 5'11" and when I went through all of my testing I came out to 1600-1800 once I stopped following MFP and followed this...I dropped. If you are exercising at all, stick with the higher number. 1200 is for a small woman who is in a coma. That is the LOWEST the body would need to feed the organs. Go higher because you are not comatose and are exercising. You stopped losing because your body was in shock. Once you fed it a good amount it was happy and natural processes (like burning fat) occurred. If you are not eating enough your body will not release fat into your blood stream but will hold it for safe keeping. This is what we hear called "starvation mode." I believe you will see better results and have a better recovery time post-surgery if you eat more.

    That being said, I am not a doctor, but I do have extensive backgrounds studying and teaching science/anatomy/physiology and health. So, how the functions of the body works, is something I know a little about ;)

    Good luck!!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Does she know what level of activity you do in exercise? RMR is what your body needs *at rest*. It really doesn't make sense to eat 500 calories less than what your body needs at minimum, and then expect it to perform in exercise. If you do decide to take her advice and eat only 1200, then I would stop all exercise and try to be as sedentary as possible. Or, continue doing what is working. Fuel that exercise.
  • staystrong_314159
    staystrong_314159 Posts: 43 Member
    If you're losing weight, then it doesn't matter what the pros think.
  • Juliejustsaying
    Juliejustsaying Posts: 2,332 Member
    Medicine is not an exact science, it is subjective....continue doing what is working for you. Adjust if it isn't. Good luck! I hope you get your transplant soon! and I doubly hope that you keep up the healthier lifestyle and live a long happy life!
  • Jarice12
    Jarice12 Posts: 135 Member
    Talk with your doctor/ dietician and explain how much you are exercising daily and the results you've had. I say stick with the 1700-1800 cals because it is working to achieve your goal- to lose wight for surgery.
  • sabified
    sabified Posts: 1,035 Member
    Does she know what level of activity you do in exercise? RMR is what your body needs *at rest*. It really doesn't make sense to eat 500 calories less than what your body needs at minimum, and then expect it to perform in exercise. If you do decide to take her advice and eat only 1200, then I would stop all exercise and try to be as sedentary as possible. Or, continue doing what is working. Fuel that exercise.

    I agree with this- Maybe try for 1250 on days when you do no exercise (though I think you mentioned you walk to work everyday?? so maybe 1350/day) and on the kettlebell days up it to 1700/1800?
    You are also very tall though, from what I've read you should have much more than that. the 1700/1800 range makes more sense to me, but then again most of the info I have is for shorties like me, who fit into that 1200 cal range.
  • lik_11
    lik_11 Posts: 433 Member
    Does she know what level of activity you do in exercise? RMR is what your body needs *at rest*. It really doesn't make sense to eat 500 calories less than what your body needs at minimum, and then expect it to perform in exercise. If you do decide to take her advice and eat only 1200, then I would stop all exercise and try to be as sedentary as possible. Or, continue doing what is working. Fuel that exercise.

    ^^ THIS!^^ You should not be eating significantly under your RMR. If your TDEE were 1760, then 1250 would be an acceptable cal limit, but not your RMR!

    ***edited to add*** Remember, they're only PRACTICING medicine. Listen to your body and don't let yourself get "hangry".
  • littletoblerone
    littletoblerone Posts: 35
    I fully second this. I don't think anyone on MFP would be as acquainted with your situation as your doctor is. Talk these issues through with him/her. And best of luck! Never give up!
  • IamUndrCnstruction
    IamUndrCnstruction Posts: 691 Member
    I wish I could agree that the Doctor's and Dietician were better acquainted with my history and details than MFP, however it's not exactly true. I have never actually met the dietician, she made this recommendation a month after having received my metabolic test results without even speaking to me or reading the food and exercise diaries I supply them every week. So I guess I will go with what is working and, like suggested, if that stops working, try something else! I am only a few pounds away from their set goal, and that is ALL thanks to MFP and myself. Oh, and to any that questioned, I need a double lung transplant, then I will be right as rain! Thank you all again for your input.
  • zazure
    zazure Posts: 18
    Doctors and Dieticians are making an educated guess. If you are loosing on a higher calorie then discuss it with your dietician about sticking where you are. Even with all the knowledge at hand YOU are still the best knowledge base for yourself. Noone is 100% textbook. The human body is far too complex for that.

Categories