Please troubleshoot me

Danielle7711 · July 2008

I’m sure other people (especially women) have a similar experience.
I've averaged about 1250 net calories per day (after eating my exercise calories) and I only maintain my current weight.

Many say that means I need to eat more calories. When I increase my calories I gain weight very quickly. (One weight-loss diet I followed to the letter and gained 6 lbs. in one week. It wasn’t water.:grumble: ) The only time in the last three years that I lost weight was during a detox fast -- a liquid fast of homemade fruit and vegetable juices and soups. Eating an average of only 750 calories per day and exercising about the same as I do now I lost weight at the rate of 1 1/2 pounds per week. (Supposedly a safe rate.) Of course, this is not a diet that can be maintained permanently even though in many ways I felt better. I was even less hungry than normal and I’m almost always hungry. It’s just a matter of degree.

As a note, I’ve always been active and exercised (sports, weights, cardio, core, flexibility, etc.) – love it. Also, I eat pretty healthy – veggies, fruits, low-fat dairy, eggs & fish, very little sugar, very little grain. (I feel bad when I eat most grain – puffy, sluggish, brain fog.)

So what do you think? Should I try something like 1000-1100 calories per day? From reading other posts I know I’m not the only one in this situation. Has anyone here conquered this problem?

Danielle7711 · July 2008

I’m sure other people (especially women) have a similar experience.
I've averaged about 1250 net calories per day (after eating my exercise calories) and I only maintain my current weight.

Many say that means I need to eat more calories. When I increase my calories I gain weight very quickly. (One weight-loss diet I followed to the letter and gained 6 lbs. in one week. It wasn’t water.:grumble: ) The only time in the last three years that I lost weight was during a detox fast -- a liquid fast of homemade fruit and vegetable juices and soups. Eating an average of only 750 calories per day and exercising about the same as I do now I lost weight at the rate of 1 1/2 pounds per week. (Supposedly a safe rate.) Of course, this is not a diet that can be maintained permanently even though in many ways I felt better. I was even less hungry than normal and I’m almost always hungry. It’s just a matter of degree.

As a note, I’ve always been active and exercised (sports, weights, cardio, core, flexibility, etc.) – love it. Also, I eat pretty healthy – veggies, fruits, low-fat dairy, eggs & fish, very little sugar, very little grain. (I feel bad when I eat most grain – puffy, sluggish, brain fog.)

So what do you think? Should I try something like 1000-1100 calories per day? From reading other posts I know I’m not the only one in this situation. Has anyone here conquered this problem?

kimber607 · July 2008

Hi

Crazy question, but how much do u have to loose?
Based on your height and frame....maybe you don't have as much to loose as you think/would like to?
Have u had your thyroid checked/routine blood work...?

I don't think dropping to lower than 1200+ cals is the answer
Maybe re-evaluate your exc cals (could u be over-estimating) and double check your cals consumed
I know I completely read the package wrong one time and was only logging in half the cals I was actually eating (silly mistake that added up to 150 cals)

Sorry I couldn't be of more help...hopefully Banks or someone else will chime in
Good luck
kim

Widdy1961 · July 2008

Danielle

Go here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition
and read the second post (rheston's), it may be the information you need.

Widdy

banks1850 · July 2008

Hmm, well, I dunno. I can't really tell much without your numbers (height, weight, activity level, frame type)... but if you're eating 1250 calories after exercising I'm guessing (unless you are 4'8" or have an underactive thyroid or other medical condition) you are below what you probably should be. This is speculation of course, but I've seen a lot of people on here with similar issues and usually it's because they have been in starvation mode for so long that they don't even realize it anymore.

One thing to note, if you have been in starvation mode for a long time and you suddenly start eating more, it is very possible that you will gain weight for a couple of weeks, cuz the body will frantically start to rebuild muscle once it realizes that you are no longer starving. That's to be expected, but after a month to 2 months, that should level off and you should be able to lose weight in a healthy manner while still keeping your muscle mass fairly constant or even growing it. The key is to not overdo the caloric deficit. Even if you eat healthy, if you eat way under your BMR, the body is going to store as much fat as it can because it thinks you are starving.
Again, this is all speculation, it would take a full diagnostic session from a registered dietician to really deduce you with complete accuracy.
Oh, and another helpful number is your body fat %. If you could have that done, it would go a long way towards judging where you are health wise.

cecreech · July 2008

You have me a little worried.

Without being able to look at your stats and understand more of the picture its hard to tell but it does sound like a trip to the doc might be in order.

It could be so many things but the fact that some foods make you ill set of a lil' alarm in my brain. Sometimes it is not the food.:drinker: Sometimes it is not the exercise. :sick: Sometimes its how your body reacts to those things that is trying to tell you something important that seems unrelated. :huh: Please don't think I'm pushy, I am just truly concerned.

Danielle7711 · July 2008

Thank you all for your replies. I'll answer a few of your questions:

Kimber -- How much I have to lose depends on who you ask. According to charts if I lost 8-10 lbs. I would no longer be considered overweight; but my "ideal" weight (according to charts) is about 30 lbs. "south" of here. Of course, my standards are more extreme but I'd be content with losing 30 lbs.

I have had my thyroid checked. One doc (the most recent) said it was fine. Another (4 years ago) said it was a little slow (very little). Except for recovering from anemia at the moment, I'm fine.

Widdy -- Thanks for the link. Rheston has a good point and I'm keeping that in mind.

Banks -- I'm 5' 7 3/8" and I have a large frame. I'm a stay-with-my-kids-mom and move around a lot. I try to exercise 7 days a week because I like it but 4-5 times is usually my average. I think what others consider "starvation mode" I probably consider normal which is probably at the root of my problem. I started restricting my eating when I was between 12-13 because I was gaining weight. (I'm now 43.) Until I was in my late 20's I ate a small breakfast and a normal dinner -- nothing else but coffee. That was maintenance level -- no weight loss. So my diet history is not so good. However, I've got great muscles (under my fat layer). I was an athletic kid and later a gym rat for years before having children.

Do you know of a do-it-yourself method to check body fat percentage that is reliable?

Cecreech -- I wouldn't say I feel really sick or ill when I eat grains I just don't feel good. When I eat fruits and salads I feel really good so when I eat grains it's the opposite. I suspect my body doesn't like the gluten. "Regular" docs say I'm fine. I may need to find a naturopath or someone similar. I really suspect that most of my problem is diet-related; but there may be a trigger somewhere else.

Thank you all for your help and support. It's good to have others to talk to about this.:smooched:

lotusfromthemud · July 2008

Here's a home body fat test calculator.

http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html

The margin of error is pretty big, but it was accurate for me. If your body fat % is really low, you may be underestimating your metabolism. If you're undereating, and you up to a more proper amount of calories, you will gain weight quickly at first. I was undereating for a long time, and when I started to eat a more healthy amount, I gained five pounds and kept it on for a month. After a month, I lost those five pounds and an additional three, which have since stayed off. I'm now losing body fat on maintenance calories. It may be a case of trusting in the process and letting your body adjust. (hard, I know)

If it's at all within your means, most gyms can give you a pretty good fitness assessment that would give you a better estimate of your BMR calories. They increase with muscle mass. For example, this website calculator puts my BMR at 1300, but in reality it's closer to 1600.

Please troubleshoot me

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