Losing weight rapidly, but feel fine, looking for advice.

JasonKnight85 · April 2014

First off, I should say ever since finding MFP, my life has changed. It is exactly what I've been looking for.

Now to the heart of things. I've lost 7 lbs in 5 days, but I feel fine. I've had two headaches during this time... but I have always been prone to headaches, was a heavy soda drinker, and adding coffee to my diet instead helped that, or so it appears.

I've pretty much been eating the same things each day, tweaking and modifying the accoutrements/method of preparation until I get something I am happy with.

The problem: I'm usually 600-1000 calories shy of my daily goal even without exercising. But I am stuffed. I eat snacks in between meals and right after my nightly walk / 1 hour before bed.

My concern: I'm going to peak / enter starvation mode... I don't know how my body could think I'm starving though... I feel bloated after meals and snacks keep me satisified... I'm not ravenous in the morning... am I just being paranoid?

Any ideas or advice?

Here's my menu if its needed... and I don't mind eating the same things every day, truly. It saves on my budget, my time of preparation, and keeps me honest. Plus its like all my favorite foods.

Mornings: It's a slice of 12 grain toast with low sodium peanut butter, a bowl of oatmeal with very little brown sugar and a dairy free olive oil spread, a tall mug of coffee, and a glass of reduced sugar almond milk.

I am diabetic and lactose intolerant, I should point out.

Mid-morning Snack: 1 stick of celery with a little low sodium peanut butter.

Lunch: A spring mix salad with strawberries topped by red wine vinegar, and plenty of cracked black pepper. A chicken breast with a side of plain brown rice or a can of solid white albacore tuna with a slice of plain toast, my coffee, a hard boiled egg, and a glass of grapefruit juice.

Mid-afternoon Snack: 1 stick of celery with a little low sodium peanut butter, some baby carrots.

Dinner/Supper: A pan seared tilapia fillet, a side of brown rice, steamed California veggie mix, a slice of plain toast, a spring mix salad with strawberries topped with red wine vinegar and cracked black pepper, a hardboiled egg, and a glass of reduced sugar almond milk.

After-walk / before bed snack: 1 stick of celery with a little low sodium peanut butter, and a hard boiled egg.

I drink around 2-3 liters of water a day, and use Splenda sometimes to sweeten my coffee. Everything is measured out using a digital scale for accurate counts.

Aaron_K123 · April 2014

When you first start an exercise diet routine it is pretty common that your sodium intake plummets and as a result you drop a lot of water weight that you were carrying around. Hate to break it to you but that 7 pound loss, most likely just water. Actual fat loss is going to happen on longer timescales than just a week.

The whole "starvation mode" idea that you stop losing weight because you are eating far to little is a myth, you would continue to lose weight. The problem with undereating is you are more likely to start burning up your muscle in addition to your fat which you do NOT want to do. Compared to putting on muscle burning fat is easy, every pound of muscle you lose is likely to be lost permenantly lest you put in some serious effort later on while eating at a surplus.

So I would recommend you try to hit your calorie goal but not because your weight loss will stall but rather to help conserve your muscle.

Your diet sounds good to me on paper although really what matters is how your macros break down (protein/carb/fat percentage) and how many calories you are taking in. You don't say anything about your current weight or your height and your diary isn't public so I can't really say anything specific.

If you want specifics or ideas it would help to know your height, your weight, your goal weight, your goal loss per week, your calorie intake and your exercise.

StarFall90 · April 2014

I am two and a half months into my life style change. I have lost 42 pounds. Anywhere from 3-6 pounds a week. I eat almost 1000 less than my goal, exercise daily, and eat better. But I started at 364 pounds. I am full and never hungry. As long as I feel fine I see no harm.

JasonKnight85 · April 2014

I'm sorry. I didn't realize my profile wasn't public, I set it so everyone can see it now, I believe.

Height 5'9"
Weight 268.4lbs
Goal weight 168lbs (What I was in high school)
I'd like to lose 2lbs per week.
My calorie intake fluctuates a little. I fast for religious reasons once a week, just water.
My exercise varies, sometimes I roller blade for 15-20 minutes in the morning waiting for my kids to get on the bus, then zip down a few blocks to check my mail and back home.
I take roughly a 30-60 minute walk in the evenings because it helps me sleep better.

That's really about it. I'm waiting till I get paid and the local high school sells memberships for after hours use of its gym/equipment... it has lots of free weights, some weight machines, things like elliptical bikes, etc. then I want to do some strength training, that is my goal.

I'm also planning on getting a decent heat rate monitor to use.

My calorie intake has been about 1600-1800 calories, my base goal is 2050. I'm hitting my calories burned pretty closely maybe a little under/over by weeks end. Which throws the recommended intake off by a large bit...

Thanks for your patience, advice, and help. Water weight loss sounds about right.

I was unaware that the whole starvation thing is a myth. I just don't want to hinder my progress in any way really.

My main reason for deciding to get in shape was my recent diabetes diagnosis, and my dr. refuses to do my knee surgery till I'm no longer obese. So there it is, good reasons, hopefully an attainable goal.

I want to do this hopefully in a years time. Next year I want that surgery, cause my current knee replacement I can tell has about had it... and the pain limits my activity level. Not cool with two young kids. I hate not getting out to play with them as much as I should because I'm simply fat and in pain.

benbrandwood · April 2014

So you are eating a solid, healthily looking diet, taking in 1600-1800 cals a day and seem to be moderately accurate.

Sounds like a solid setup there, and once (as mentioned above) the peak water weight comes off and settles down you should see sustained loss.

Good luck!

JasonKnight85 · April 2014

Thanks for the replies all. I don't feel quite as paranoid now. I guess the whole diabetes thing, and then being shot down for surgery really scared me. A tall dose of bad news for one day, one dr's visit. So if everything looks good then I'll continue on my course... I'll try to eat a little more on days I really do some heavy exercise but honestly I don't see it happening. My appetites never been real big, I just ate really unhealthy.

hmaddpear · April 2014

As bebrandwood said, it's a solid set-up. You may find you're eating a little more over time. If you do have exercise heavy days, try and eat a little more fat to mop up those exercise calories. Fat's not, necessarily, the devil and you need some in your diet for hormone regulation. You're getting some with the peanut butter and non-milk spreads. But if you're struggling on an exercise-heavy day, try a drizzle of olive oil on the salad or eat some oilier fish - salmon or mackerel. This will big up your calories for the day without too much bulk.

Good luck!

ETA: I meant to add - or there's always ice cream! That's my go-to treat on days that I find my calorie intake a little low for comfort.

motivatedmartha · April 2014

My only take is that, while you don't mind eating the same thing every day, for long term sustainability you may want to introduce more variety - what you're eating looks good but if you're aiming for a long term healthy eating lifestyle you want to learn good portion control on a variety of foods so you can eat out, visit with friends, go on holiday etc.

Enjoy your journey

JasonKnight85 · April 2014

Thanks for the advice!

So maybe adding something like an avocado, and using it as a spread on my toast or even with my tuna as a bread moistener would help? I want the fats to be healthy, for sure, and I wish I could get over the taste of canned mackerel/salmon.. just not something that's easy having grown up in Michigan with lots'a fish to choose from. I've never seen fresh nor frozen varieties in any of the markets where I live now here in Nebraska either.

When we do eat out, usually its at a pretty decent place, and because I can't have dairy my choices tend to be healthier. The real winner here is me finding MyFitnessPal so I can kind of plan ahead when I order with what I've already had. The hardest thing is the last bit... visiting family and friends, though I'm not sure whether I'm more worried about what I might eat or how offended they'd be if I decline something. My family is especially tough, they all love to cook, and most of it isn't what I'd consider healthy... its the them expecting you to eat their cooking that's the real problem there. Well, can't win em all.

lemonsnowdrop · April 2014

Don't demonize food, though. You do have a nice setup, but mentioning "healthy" fats makes me think that you're convinced everything you eat has to be "healthy". Don't restrict anything unless it's a trigger food.

MelissaPhippsFeagins · April 2014

Looks to me like you've got a good set up. Just keep doing what you are doing. When your body wants a change, it will let you know. You have a fairly substantial amount of excess fat to let go off before your body wants to burn muscle anyway.

As for your family, you could always just eat what they cook, but less of it than they do. Every single thing you eat forever doesn't have to be healthy. I eat what I want, I just ate less of it until I got to my goal weight.
.
I will say that starvation mode is possible, but I had an ED when I gote there and wasn't eating close to 1600 calories a day. Many days I had negative net intake..and yes, it was hard to get that muscle back. Once I recovered from the ED and had four kids, I found myself with an extra 40-45 pounds and it was hurting my ablity to play with my kids, clean my house or even walk, so I tried MFP and have now been maintaining my weight loss for 3 months.

Keep up the good work!

ETA - yes to avocados and also toasted salted almonds if you like them. As it gets hotter and you exercise, I suspect you'll crave a little salt to replace what you lose sweating. The almonds are a good fat/protein way to get them.

angdpowers · April 2014

I personally think your doing awesome! And both diabetes and pain are EXCELLENT motivators! I think you will hit your goal fast than you think. Pick up a 20lb weight and then imagine how much better your knee will feel NOT carrying that around day in day out.

I don't think you are necessary labeling foods good or bad and in fact, when you first start out, I think it helps to keep the diet pretty clean (meaning, not all the junk and processed stuff) -- or at least that was the case for me. It helped keep me mentally focused when I ate more healthy/cleaner in the beginning until I could gauge things better. Now I do have a slice of pizza, make a smores with the family or have a burger etc. But in the beginning? Having that made me want ALLLLLL of that that everyday.

If you feel like you are wanting to quit, or like you are about to binge on a bag of chips ... just take a deep breath and then realize your body is telling you that you need something different in your body and its time to mix it up. Sometimes salads don't keep you satisfied for long ... or in the long run ... but you add some great stuff to it as well.

I happen to LOVE avocado on my toast, English muffin, etc -- very tasty! And the fiber & fat from it keep you satisfied and good for you

There are a lot of people that avoid "fats" because they think that is what MADE them fat, and its not.

And I agree with some of the others, it probably is water weight in the beginning but I also think that is encouraging because #1 you see the scale moving and that gives you a mental boost, #2 that means you are already on the right track because your body doesn't NEED that water with the reduced sodium intake (your blood vessels are screaming YAHOO!!! haha) and #3 you are already prepping to lose actually body fat.

Getting that membership will help because some resistance training/lifting will be great for burning the fat and keeping the lean muscle mass.

My family are all BIG EATERS and its offensive (in the beginning) when I would say no. I'd just simply tell them I love them, and their cooking (too much in fact), but I have to get this weight off. I would also bring a "healthier" dish or learn to stick with meats and veggies of the meal if I could, or eat something beforehand so I wouldn't be eating as much while together. And honestly, I just told them that if they love ME, they wouldn't make me feel bad about trying to get and be in better shape so that MY quality of life is good for my family. If they love you (and I'm sure they do), they WILL understand and support you!

I'm just rambling, but wanted to say kudos to getting started -- that's the hardest part sometimes. Keep it up!

MeganAnne89 · April 2014

In response to StarFall90, I understand that you feel completely fine but eating 1000 calories less than your goal seems like it will eventually catch up to you and be more damaging than helpful.

_Resolve_ · April 2014

Sounds like a great start, just keep doing what is working and monitor your BG so you don't get hypo or hyper and let that weight fall off as it wants to. It took me only 16 months to lose all my weight and I didn't restrict anything. Create a deficit and enjoy the ride. Congrats on the 7 lbs, this is just the beginning of a great time in your life.

Losing weight rapidly, but feel fine, looking for advice.

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