BEST weight loss advice!!!!! Simple & easy

" 'Weight loss' is not complicated."



But I will say again:
Sometimes, even if the answer is right, it is the question that is wrong.



Who REALLY wants to lose weight?!?!

It is FAT loss that we are looking for (in the same way that a bodybuilder doesn't want to gain WEIGHT, s/he wants to gain muscle mass).

And I don't believe that "fat loss" is as "simple & easy" as weight loss.

Actually, it's not as simple as that. I used to be a competitive skater and before a competition for about 2 weeks I'd almost double my training. HOWEVER, in that time frame, I'd gain about 2-3lbs, even though I was eating the exact same thing. I know I wasn't under estimating because my diet was VERY closely monitored, as in I followed a meal plan and never had anything outside of it.

It also has to do with what your body chooses to adsorb and keep. In those two weeks, my body would keep more of the protein that I was eating and so I put on weight. It was muscle weight so I didn't mind. When I'm really stressed, my weight will drop like crazy, not because I'm not eating but because my body just isn't absorbing any of it.

A better example would be someone who has a cup of coffee everyday. Skipping their morning brew will see themselves gaining about half a pound that day as they would be retaining more water than they usually are.

But the fact is, there are many things that contribute to weight, not just calories.

Pretty strong words coming from someone who has a baby pig as a profile pic. LOL.

In most cases it might be that simple, but weight loss is not a black and white issue. It is different for every person.

at the end of the day it all boils down to calories in vs calories out. So, no it is not different for every person ..

Now, the amount of calories you need to lose, maintain, gain will be different….but the concept is the same for all of us ….

This is barring any medical condition ...

So what your saying is, If I only at 500 calories a day, I should see the scale go down.
you wanna make a wager on this?

yes, on a 500 calorie diet you will lose weight. It will be a lot of muscle and what not, but you will lose weight.

why do you think you would not lose weight eating 500 a day? Even seen pictures from concentration camps, how many calories per day do you think those people ate?

If what you are suggesting is true, then mass starvation would not be possible and everyone in Africa would be fat and happy …

so how much are we betting on this..10k?

are you saying on 5000 calories a day you will lose weight?

But if weight loss really was that simple, this site wouldn't exist.

Actually, for the majority of the overweight population, weight loss really IS that simple. However, simple does not mean easy. That's why most of us are here: to learn the simple facts, and then get support when it's not easy.

For those of you asking "if that equation is true why did I gain weight eating the same way after I started taking a medication?!?!" Well, it's because that medication changed the "calories out" part of the equation...not because the equation is invalid.

That makes sense. Maybe a lower heart rate or shallower breathing or other energy-using biological activities that if slowed even a little bit, over 24 hours, can lower BMR/TDEE. But all I'm saying is that, in the same way that medication could cause such a thing, couldn't internal endocrine balance (or imbalance) cause a similar decrease in "calories out"? And couldn't low calorie dieting cause the endocrine changes necessary to precipitate lower BMR/TDEE?

It appears people that are overweight have a higher BMR.

Sorry, I don't follow. Yes, being overweight generally provides a higher BMR, but I'm asking if it could be possible that there could be endocrine changes that might alter/lower BMR in the same way that some medications seem to do, but with an underlying cause of said changes being as a result of very low calorie diet. In other words, could it be that people hit a plateau because their hormones/etc cause a reduction in BMR in response to very low calorie dieting.

In for the special snowflakes, butt hurt and general snide remarks made to those of us who believe...no wait...know

it is simple as calories in<calories out=weight loss

We have never said it's easy...just simple

I know if I eat 2500 calories a day I too will gain 1lb a week...
I know if I eat 2000 calories a day I will maintain my current weight
I know if I eat under 2000 caloires a day I will lose weight
I know if I eat under 1200 calories a day for an extended period of time I will get hangry, screw my metabolism and not have the body I want

How do I know that Science says so...and those numbers are not arbitrary either...those are cold hard facts from tracking with a scale for long time...

I eventually will be able to eat more then 2000 calories and not gain weight...why because I lift weights and that means I am maintaining muscle mass...then I am gonna bulk and build some more...so I can eat all the foodz

For those who "choose" not to believe this...have fun with your weight loss and being Hangry all the time...

*waits to post butt hurt report*

It's not always so simple.

I had successfully lost 91 lbs by eating at a calorie deficit (1200 cal a day). I faithfully logged everything I ate and drank into a desktop program similar to MFP. Suddenly I stopped losing. I kept adhering to the diet, even trying various approaches such as calorie staggering, lowering carbs, etc., and logging in everything I ate, but I didn't lose one ounce in an entire year. Due to being disabled, I was unable to increase my exercise.

At that point, after researching, I decided to switch to a vegan diet. I lost 35 more pounds for a total of 126 lbs. I was able to eat 1300 to 1400 calories a day on the vegan diet and still lose. The diet was so restrictive, that I couldn't stay on it beyond the 6 month period, though. So, I went back to the original diet plan's maintenance program and kept off the weight for a few years until I had a two year period of steady illness and injuries, and I put the weight back on.

This time when resuming my diet, I spoke to a diet doctor who advised me that the reason I stopped losing before was that my calorie deficit was too low, which caused my metabolism to slow down, which in turn caused me to stop losing weight. He said switching to a vegan diet reset my metabolism and caused weight loss to start again. So, the doctor told me that this time, I must eat 1500 calories a day. He said as my weight lowers, my ideal calorie deficit amount will lower and at those intervals, we can drop my calorie intake accordingly.

The body is very complex, and weight loss can be just as complex.

SailorKnightW -- Yes.

There are some people who have medical issues or are on meds that mess with their ability to lose weight... However, I think most people don't lose because they are underestimating the number of calories they consume. It's easy to do!

Actually, I've always wondered about the meds thing. It seems that people say "LAW says: calories in vs. calories out, no exception" UNTIL there's talk of certain birth control pills or oral steroids, etc. So, what happens with those drugs--do they just cause the people to eat more without them knowing it, or does it make them sit on the couch more without them noticing? (Serious question; no snark)