We actually need SO little to survive
johnrossmckay
Posts: 66 Member
So my net calorie goal is 1000 per day. Somewhere in my calculations I am missing something on the number of calories I am eating or on how many calories I am actually burning because my weight is stable. SO... I guess I'll have to try and eat less. But I feel like I am eating so little right now (even though I am not really). Compared to before though I guess it feels like very little.
SO here we go. Sugar comes out of the coffee, Homemade breakfast so I can control the salt and sugar. Carbs reduced to veggies only (no starchy veggies). I'll try to get a run in the morning if I can get to bed early enough.
My stomach looks flatter so maybe IU am just shifting the weight around a bit. AND, I might be retaining water....did you know a can of baked beans contains over 1200 mg of salt? NO PROCESSED FOOD!
All my life I have wanted to be lean. I don't know why it matters so much. But I've finally decided I need to cross this off my bucket list. It must be a vanity thing. Maybe it's to prove that I can do it when I am surrounded by obese people...my way of being better than everyone else - that is pathetic. But the effort required to get lean is a journey that is developing discipline and determination and planning and THAT has to be a good thing.
SO here we go. Sugar comes out of the coffee, Homemade breakfast so I can control the salt and sugar. Carbs reduced to veggies only (no starchy veggies). I'll try to get a run in the morning if I can get to bed early enough.
My stomach looks flatter so maybe IU am just shifting the weight around a bit. AND, I might be retaining water....did you know a can of baked beans contains over 1200 mg of salt? NO PROCESSED FOOD!
All my life I have wanted to be lean. I don't know why it matters so much. But I've finally decided I need to cross this off my bucket list. It must be a vanity thing. Maybe it's to prove that I can do it when I am surrounded by obese people...my way of being better than everyone else - that is pathetic. But the effort required to get lean is a journey that is developing discipline and determination and planning and THAT has to be a good thing.
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there is a VERY big difference between surviving and being healthy....0
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Good if this work for you. My point of view is that I'd rather live than survive and think that food should also be a pleasure not just a way to keep going.0
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I'm not suffering. And I am no where close to thin. I do P90X everyday and usually run or rollerblade. I am 50 years old but I can hang with the 20 somethings for cardio and strength. All of my health markers except stress are good. I just want to be lean. You know, not self-conscious about how I look.0
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I'm not suffering. And I am no where close to thin. I do P90X everyday and usually run or rollerblade. I am 50 years old but I can hang with the 20 somethings for cardio and strength. All of my health markers except stress are good. I just want to be lean. You know, not self-conscious about how I look.
the thing is, you can probably get the same results but be able to eat a normal amount if you repaired your metabolism.... just eating less and less isnt going to be sustainable.
but at the end of the day, you do what you do!0 -
there is a VERY big difference between surviving and being healthy....
^^^ this
humans can survive on very little, but for optimum health, we need a LOT more
aim for optimal health.... if you want to be lean, you can get lean without starving yourself or eating bare minimums.... aim for slow and steady fat loss, while enjoying all the foods you love (albeit in smaller portion sizes and less often for some foods) and doing exercise to build your body up, not break it down. You want to lose fat while keeping the rest of your body strong and healthy.0 -
If you want to be lean and fit, then you want to maintain your lean body mass. As a male, eating about 1800 calories a day, it may be difficult. The more lean you get, the more fuel you need to provide or your body will start catabolizing lean body mass. Now, i will say, your exercise calories are over estimated in your diary because even I would struggle to burn over 1000 calories doing P90X. I am in the process of doing X2. Also, the issue with low calories is it's very difficult to hit your macro nutrients (which you don't track but probably should).
Will your body survive, of course, you feed it daily but it will optimize muscle retention and metabolic functions.. NOPE. Long term suppression will cause your RMR to adapt and become more efficient. This means it will burn less calories.0 -
Eat the food. Lift the weights. Long-term "survival mode" is no way to live.0
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Sure... you can survive on a 1,000 calories a day... but what will the quality of your life be? And, you don't get lean by depriving your body of the nutrition it needs to build muscle. But good luck with this plan of yours. I hope you come to your damn senses before you make yourself sick.0
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Please read:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.htm
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1077746-starvation-mode-adaptive-thermogenesis-and-weight-loss
Sounds like you have already done some damage to your metabolism. I wish I could find the thread with the case study of the person who was eating 800 cals and didn't lose weight but it's been too long and unfortunately I have lost it
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So my net calorie goal is 1000 per day. Somewhere in my calculations I am missing something on the number of calories I am eating or on how many calories I am actually burning because my weight is stable. SO... I guess I'll have to try and eat less. But I feel like I am eating so little right now (even though I am not really). Compared to before though I guess it feels like very little.
SO here we go. Sugar comes out of the coffee, Homemade breakfast so I can control the salt and sugar. Carbs reduced to veggies only (no starchy veggies). I'll try to get a run in the morning if I can get to bed early enough.
My stomach looks flatter so maybe IU am just shifting the weight around a bit. AND, I might be retaining water....did you know a can of baked beans contains over 1200 mg of salt? NO PROCESSED FOOD!
All my life I have wanted to be lean. I don't know why it matters so much. But I've finally decided I need to cross this off my bucket list. It must be a vanity thing. Maybe it's to prove that I can do it when I am surrounded by obese people...my way of being better than everyone else - that is pathetic. But the effort required to get lean is a journey that is developing discipline and determination and planning and THAT has to be a good thing.
No. Just no.
You can survive on less than 1000 calories a day. You can survive with ZERO processed food or coffee without sugar. You can't honestly tell me though that you would be able to maintain this for the rest of your life, especially the <1000 calories part0 -
I will never ever understand why folks insist on eating as little as possible to lose weight. I eat as much as I can! I am much happier, and should I daresay, healthier for it.
OP, I am a petite 52 yr old female. My only exercise for the moment is rehab exercises for my injured back for the next 6 weeks.
I am maintaining at 115-ish lbs on about 1500 calories. My point: you should be able to eat more!
Why just "survive" when you can "thrive"?0 -
there is a VERY big difference between surviving and being healthy....
Also, personally, I would much rather be happy and healthy than to be just 'surviving'. If you're going to follow your logic, why not go and live in a cave and do nothing but hunt and try to keep yourself warm? For some people, food is just fuel. For me, it's also a pleasure!
Your last point about being surrounded by obese people whilst maintaining a VLCD for 'vanity' worries me, it's a very narcissistic and disordered way to look at food...0 -
Look at OPs diary before you comment.
He's not starving by any means.0 -
why are there so many threads with people rationalizing why they eat much less than they need to loose weight? it makes no sense!0
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Look at OPs diary before you comment.
He's not starving by any means.
No, he's not, fair enough. However, he does not need to net 1000 calories after exercise, unless he doesn't really care about that pesky lean muscle crap or the whole decent metabolism thing.0 -
So my net calorie goal is 1000 per day.
Why would you suddenly cut your calories by half? Isn't that a bit drastic? Have you calculated your TDEE yet and eaten at -20% of that number?0 -
Look at OPs diary before you comment.
He's not starving by any means.
No, he's not, fair enough. However, he does not need to net 1000 calories after exercise, unless he doesn't really care about that pesky lean muscle crap or the whole decent metabolism thing.
If he's really sure of the calories burned, which it is almost impossible to be with programs like P90X. 2000 calories is likely enough for a man his age (no offense intended OP, I'm older than you).
OP you don't need to cut all processed foods, but cutting back some does seem like a good idea. All that sodium could be a factor.0 -
I'm not suffering. And I am no where close to thin. I do P90X everyday and usually run or rollerblade. I am 50 years old but I can hang with the 20 somethings for cardio and strength. All of my health markers except stress are good. I just want to be lean. You know, not self-conscious about how I look.
if your stress levels aren't good, you could have high levels of cortisol in your system? - this will make you hang on to a bit of water weight - cutting back carbs won't help if this is the case. simple carbs spike insulin, keeping cortisol levels down
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I get more than 10000 steps a day on my pedometer so not all those calories come from P90X. "narcissism" - absolutely . I wrestle with that, although if you've met me the best lifelong description of me is "one ugly sob". The "obese" people in my life are the ones that are abusive; my way of having some toehold I guess.
Thanks for the encouraging words. It helps my get my head around the issues. ie poor body image, lack of control, and a characteristically extreme reaction to negative feedback. 0 -
I will never ever understand why folks insist on eating as little as possible to lose weight. I eat as much as I can! I am much happier, and should I daresay, healthier for it.
OP, I am a petite 52 yr old female. My only exercise for the moment is rehab exercises for my injured back for the next 6 weeks.
I am maintaining at 115-ish lbs on about 1500 calories. My point: you should be able to eat more!
Why just "survive" when you can "thrive"?
This. I want to be her. ^^^0 -
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Look at OPs diary before you comment.
He's not starving by any means.
But why would you eat, for example, 12 whole-wheat crackers with nut butter and chocolate chips for 600kcal if you can have a more satiating, balanced meal for - probably - fewer calories?
If it's for the sake of health, that's misguided, especially after consuming a 20oz "double double" Tim Horton coffee in the morning or an egg McMuffin.
Granted, you can get your calories from anywhere, but why make yourself miserable? OP already said he feels like he's eating so little.
Eating is psychological as well as physiological.0 -
Eating is psychological as well as physiological.
Exactly... and OP is on a one-way ticket to a binge.0 -
Hey OP, you don't have a large post count so I'll just say
- that maybe your approach isn't the healthiest one
- that maybe cutting so hard is actually counter productive
- that there is a lot of information around about how adequate nutrition is so important, particularly if you want to look 'lean'
- that part of looking lean is maintaining muscle mass and to do that you have to eat enough
There is so much information both on here and out there on the web about why what you've chosen to do is probably not going to work. I hope you achieve your goals, good luck 0 -
OP, do you really think it is wise to have your telephone number on your avatar?0
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just eating less and less isnt going to be sustainable
This x1000.
When your metabolism continues to slow because you're systematically starving yourself, are you just going to keep reducing the amount you eat all the way to 0 calories? You're an active 50-year-old, not a bedridden 95-year-old. You've got a long way to go, and you are making the path ahead a difficult one for yourself. I encourage you to rethink this.0 -
OP, do you really think it is wise to have your telephone number on your avatar?
Imma text him in a bit..0 -
The crackers and almond butter were a binge item...not proud of it. It was chocolate chips the night before. I was doing wine every night for a while as well.
I struggle with time management and a workplace that is.... Need to sort out how to be a full time single dad with a 1.5 hour commute still. I use that to rationalize the breakfast sandwiches and coffees...not good. They have to stop. I need to move to finding time to eat breakfast at home and cut out the darn coffee. I eat when I am stressed and am more likely to do so at night when I am tired. Even though my dinner is usually still in my stomach and I am not hungry.
I just need to clean up the diet I guess. Stop eating so much crap. I find the quickest and most readily available meals are the ones I need to avoid. No more excuses0 -
Thanks everyone. Appreciate the input. Somewhat embarrassed. Didn't realize I was that extreme. (Fades into background). Will do more research, read more threads, come up with a healthier plan, good work. Bye.0
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Thanks everyone. Appreciate the input. Somewhat embarrassed. Didn't realize I was that extreme. (Fades into background). Will do more research, read more threads, come up with a healthier plan, good work. Bye.
Don't be embarrassed. No one knows everything. Lots of us are learning.0
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