Could it be any easier!

2

Replies

  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    I think he just sounds a little excited. Find a diet that suits you and you can stick with. Dont worry about other people.

    I started off a few days on 1200, but when I talked to my nutritionist he warned it was too little and it was raised to 1550. I track fibre, protein and carbs, as whithed does. I worry less about salt and sugar but I do look to see how much I go over.

    Just log and track accurately what you are eating and see how it goes. 1500 would probably be more manageable over a longer term. Didnt see whether you are exercising?

    Is there some confusion between 120lbs and 120 kg?

    This is a forum so if you express opinions then dont be surprised if people come back at you. Good luck am sure you will learn some new things, be happy on some views and change others.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member

    And also to assert that someone doesnt know how to cook but they are on myfitnesspal here is a piece of advice, Go to youtube you can learn to cook almost anything. It feels good to learn how to cook.

    Again, in your opinion.

    There are people who can't cook, dont want to learn to cook, or are living in a situation where they cant cook so they rely on convience foods and there is nothing wrog wth that. You can still lose weight that way
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    Good for you finding your way here! The tools are indeed amazingly helpful and I'm confident you are going to continue to learn and have great success. I think others are misunderstanding your reply earlier. To me it looks like you're saying you have 120 pounds to loose (to go from your current weight of 290 to your goal weight of 170) rather than that you currently weigh 120 pounds, is that right?

    That makes more sense. Sorry, I misunderstood the 120 lb part.

    OP where you are going wrong is trying to eat 1200 calories - you need to aim for 1870.
    Of course, you also need to weigh, measure, log, accurately to be sure your logged 1870 really is close to 1870.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member

    And also to assert that someone doesnt know how to cook but they are on myfitnesspal here is a piece of advice, Go to youtube you can learn to cook almost anything. It feels good to learn how to cook.

    Again, in your opinion.

    There are people who can't cook, dont want to learn to cook, or are living in a situation where they cant cook so they rely on convience foods and there is nothing wrog wth that. You can still lose weight that way

    Exactly.
    And there are people who don't have time to cook or, like me, can cook but sometimes just don't want to.

    Best not to make big generalisations like calling people lazy, OP - as you have found out, that doesn't go down too well.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Im done..........

    Instead of getting upset or frustrated, maybe take a moment and really read what is being said. You've gotten great advice, from people that have done what you are trying to do.

    I cook lots, bake lots, but also eat fast food, frozen meals, whatever because I have learned that this can all be part of an overall well balanced diet.
  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member

    Best not to make big generalisations like calling people lazy, OP - as you have found out, that doesn't go down too well.

    Exactly,
    We are not a mean community, infact the forum can be one of your best resources, However, We do not like know-it-all's, We do not like people that ask for advice but don't take it and we do not like people who think their desicions are better than everyone elses.

    Make of that what you will OP.


    ETA: Also I cook everything from scratch, always have, I very rarely eat out and eat fast food even less. I was also vegetarian for 12 years and it didn't stop me getting fat. I also cook alot of things in the microwave because it's quite often just me and I can't afford to turn the oven on for just one meal.
    Maybe stop demonizing things that aren't actually bad for you.
  • SpicesOfLife
    SpicesOfLife Posts: 290 Member
    Exactly,
    We are not a mean community, infact the forum can be one of your best resources, However, We do not like know-it-all's, We do not like people that ask for advice but don't take it and we do not like people who think their desicions are better than everyone elses.

    *holds up mirror*
  • farmerpam1
    farmerpam1 Posts: 402 Member
    Welcome and congrats on your first loss. I can understand wanting to eat under your calories, I think it's something many(myself included) have done in the beginning. That said, I'm barely 5 feet tall and 55, yeah, I know,right? Really old! lol Anyway, I found that even at 1200, let alone under, I was not able to sustain my energy levels over time. I'm extremely active and realized I needed more. It was hard at first, felt like I was "cheating", but I work hard for these muscles and didn't want to lose them. In fact I want more bulk, more of that rock hard goodness that keeps me flying up those mountains. Try what works for you in the beginning, but be open to changing, is all I'm saying. I'd hate for you to be one of the folks that give up too soon. You're a big guy, your body will let you know if it needs more, you just have to listen. Good luck to you my friend, you can do this!:flowerforyou:
  • Im done..........

    If you're still following the thread, OP, don't get discouraged because not everyone jumped onto the cheerleading squad with you. We're still here with you for support, I promise. :flowerforyou:

    1. Good for you for going to a doctor and getting help taking charge of your health. Not everyone is strong enough to do that.

    2. It's fantastic that you're working on eating healthier food and learning how to fuel your body better.

    That being said, it's difficult to jump into weight loss and know everything. Be open to learning new things. Read, read, read all the links and highlighted posts in these forums. Use the search function to find answers to your questions.

    Take people's advice with an open mind. Where are they coming from? Do they have a point? Be willing to hear what people say before you get defensive -- remember the internet is a print medium, so vocal inflections can be lost and it's easy to assume people are being harsh when they're not.

    It takes time to figure out what makes up your ideal diet, and it's not the same for everyone. For example, I eat quite a bit of the stuff you'd likely call "death," but it works for me, and my health is better than ever.

    Keep going. One pound down. You can do this. (but seriously, eat more food!) :smile:
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    That's the second rage quit ive seen in 24 hours. Sometimes the forum is a litle aggressive imo.

    Agree with what greengoddess said.

    OP if you are still lurking take it all with a pinch of salt (metaphorical). Its just a forum. If you post and express strong opinions then expect to be challenged. People are very passionate about their views on dieting and nutrition so it pribabky not the best stragey to start your first post as though you know it all and make wide sweeping statements.

    People just think your calories are too low, which will have two possible risks becayse your body is not getting enough nutrution.
    1. It will be unhealthy/ dangerous.
    2. It will be unsustainable and you will quit.

    Unsurprisingly the advice on the forum is to lose weight at healthy and sustainable levels.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    I hope you don't quit because of some people here :3 you are doing this for your own health..
    but I do agree that you should eat more than 1200 calories, even girls as short as me eat more than that! :3
    good luck!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    I know OP you may have left this thread in frustration I do hope you read this. You've let your frustration with people disagreeing with you cloud what they are saying. Have a look at the tickers of those people saying those things. They have lost huge amounts of weight and have lots of experience

    I'll put into context what your doing. When I started I was 333 pounds I', 5'11" so not far off you. I started by eating 1800 calories a day with very little exercise just a wee bit of walking. I made sure my logging was accurate and the weight fell off me. I didn't demonise food I just ate smaller portions. If I'd eaten 1200 calories I would have lasted a few weeks of misery at most.

    Now today 18 months later I'm 145 pounds lighter and an avid runner. I average eating between 2000-3000 calories daily and still lose weight.

    So if your still reading take a step back a deep breath and think about what people have said and have a look at those links. You want to lose weight and get healthy for life don't you?
  • Still quietly lurking......... :wink:
  • Kymmu
    Kymmu Posts: 1,650 Member
    Good keep lurking- don't be put off!
    You've done so well !
    Some people can be VERY sensitive. Do what's right for you. You might find a group on here with similar opinions to yourself where you can chat and not feel under attack.
    Good luck.
    Just adding- if he is consuming 1200 and is overweight his body is using up stored fat, so isn't that a good thing?
    As he approaches goal he will probably feel hungrier and eat sensibly.
    When he is at his goal he will probably have more energy to be more active then his appetite will gradually increase accordingly.
  • Hey Matt. I am in the same boat as you. I am a 54 year old male, started at 387, down to 295 now. Went to a nutritionist and I was surprised with the results of the visit. I would recommend the same for you. You do what works for you and make adjustments as you go. People are offering advice because they want to help you but you need to do what works for you. Everyone is different. Keep up the enthusiasm and you will be successful.
  • Still quietly lurking......... :wink:

    And I see you're now 4 down. :drinker:
  • aschroeder2749
    aschroeder2749 Posts: 172 Member
    I'm going to randomly chime in and say yes, everyone should learn to cook and no, it is not ok to rely on convenience foods all day. You may still lose weight, but you are not healthy on the inside if you eat convenience and overly processed foods all day. :frown:
  • Cheekies_
    Cheekies_ Posts: 319 Member
    I'm just going to throw in an 'Atta Boy!' right here. I found your post very refreshing.

    You found something that works for you. Over time, you will be able to tweak it to meet your needs, like most of us have. You're happy so I'm happy for you! :flowerforyou:
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    I'm just going to throw in an 'Atta Boy!' right here. I found your post very refreshing.

    You found something that works for you. Over time, you will be able to tweak it to meet your needs, like most of us have. You're happy so I'm happy for you! :flowerforyou:

    Here Here. I'm glad you find MFP to be such a great asset to your toolbox. There are many great community groups here, that really are a wealth of information, on many many different aspects of health, diet, fitness and over-all well being. check them out...in spite of your initial lashing, I bet you'll find some that are really interesting and informative. Lots of recipes on here too. Best of luck to you!
  • I completely understand your excitement and motivation, keep that up and you'll get good results. But just remember you must have had something click in your head to make the decision to change your life, which is awesome, but there are still plenty of people out there that haven't had that lightbulb moment. Until they have their own lightbulb moment, it's important to remember we were all struggling and finding our feet before we had ours. It's always easy to look at others and think "if I am doing it, why aren't they"

    I've been tracking for 8 days and so far doing well. My calories are around 1630 for a 5'4, 31 year old female office worker. I have around 30kg (66 pounds) to lose. I have dropped 7.3 pounds in week 1, but well aware that a large portion of that is water weight which most people get in that first week. Your body needs fuel to run well, so don't forget it's ok to eat your allocated amount of calories but anything under the 1,200 mark can put your body into stravation mode and it will start hanging onto everything you eat, making weight loss a struggle.

    Starting out is often easy, as I've done many times over my life, it's sticking to it and making it a lifestyle change, getting through those social events without blowing out calories too much and taking steps backwards or getting into bad habits again. You need to do this for a better life, to make sure your body doesn't give up on you. I have diabetes in my family history as well as heart disease. I need to make sure I am looking after myself now, not waiting until I get sick or get a scare. I've seen my grandma slowly losing her sight and struggle with her health from diabetes and my mum had a heart attack earlier this year and was diagnosed with ischemic heart disease on top of her diabetes. Not to mention my grandfather died of a heart attack and probably had ischemic heart disease also.

    Keep up the tracking, up those calories a bit and slowly build up your activity. We are all here for the same reason and we should all support each other. We all have a different story or motivation as to why we are here, but the end goal is to be healthier, happier, lighter and live longer.
  • jnv7594
    jnv7594 Posts: 983 Member
    That's the second rage quit ive seen in 24 hours. Sometimes the forum is a litle aggressive imo.

    I was thinking the same thing 999tiger. After reading some of the posts, I think I would have felt ganged up on if I were in his shoes. I don't think he meant to insult anyone. He just seemed overexcited.
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    That's the second rage quit ive seen in 24 hours. Sometimes the forum is a litle aggressive imo.

    I was thinking the same thing 999tiger. After reading some of the posts, I think I would have felt ganged up on if I were in his shoes. I don't think he meant to insult anyone. He just seemed overexcited.

    bingo.
  • I do all my work out of the house so I really dont do much. I didnt even own a pair of tennis shoes , but this afternoon I went out and got some tennis shoes.... Gonna start walking everyday. Thanks guys... Love everyone......
  • nill4me
    nill4me Posts: 682 Member
    I do all my work out of the house so I really dont do much. I didnt even own a pair of tennis shoes , but this afternoon I went out and got some tennis shoes.... Gonna start walking everyday. Thanks guys... Love everyone......

    Good for you! :)
  • I do all my work out of the house so I really dont do much. I didnt even own a pair of tennis shoes , but this afternoon I went out and got some tennis shoes.... Gonna start walking everyday. Thanks guys... Love everyone......

    That's the spirit, get those feet moving. I can't wait until we get daylight savings here in Oz in a few weeks, then we get daylight til 8-830pm at night. Makes for awesome walking weather, beach walks as it gets warmer.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
    I do all my work out of the house so I really dont do much. I didnt even own a pair of tennis shoes , but this afternoon I went out and got some tennis shoes.... Gonna start walking everyday. Thanks guys... Love everyone......

    Personally I started at 6ft4 338 lbs. So even heavier than you. I made pretty much the same mistakes too. Thing is at the moment it is easy. Your body wants to lose weight. And honestly you are so overweight and your fat metabolism so robust that you probably CAN manage on what you are currently eating. Your fat provides calories. And the more fat you have the more it can provide over the day. Yours probably provides about 2000 or so maybe more maximum. But as you achieve success and lose fat your body becomes less capable of simply providing for itself. That is the purpose of fat after all. To provide a buffer for lean times. Dieting is all about making your body use tat buffer. But please remember that this runs out. And not just all at once. The less fat you have the less crazy you can take things before real damage occurs. Also your fat can only mobilize calories slowly. So if you are sedentary ok. But if you want to exercise you will probably start losing lots of lean tissue with the calories you are eating.

    A MUCH more healthy approach would be to eat about 2000 calories a day and start to develop good exercise habits. This can start as small as walking for half an hour a day. And gradually building up the time. I walk for 2 hours a day and honestly I don't think that anything else has done more for my fat loss than that. I have some nice strength and muscles now due to heavy lifting. And my cardio has improved my fitness. But as far as fat loss goes. Just walking is king. And it's also great for your nervous system. Which may help with the foot issue.

    Try to see the good bits about exercise. The satisfaction of lifting heavy. The runner's high. The endorphin rush after any workout. The comfortable feeling of moderate muscle soreness. Try and seek that satisfaction. It will do awesome things believe me. But you need to be consistent also. No point going to the gym once a week and hammering yourself. Work up challenge yourself. But don't burn out.
  • Yea im suffering a little setback today...... After purchasing the new shows and walking yesterday this morning I looked and my two big twos and I got bleeding blisters on them...... problem is due to the nueropathy I didnt know I had those till I saw them :( I got to be real careful with stuff like that...... For people that dont know when you have Neuropathy you dont feel stuff...... so I wasnt aware there were blisters till I saw them.....
  • farmerpam1
    farmerpam1 Posts: 402 Member
    Walking is awesome. I started with walking, 20 minutes a day. That was awhile ago, it just leads to you being able to do more and go further. Really got to keep an eye on your toes, I keep a pack of moleskin in my backpack when I go hiking. New shoes can be the problem, got to break them in. You got this dude, glad you're back.
  • sarajenivieve
    sarajenivieve Posts: 303 Member
    2dopedesigns you should definately up your intake im 5'2 petite female and my minimum is supposed to be 1200, higher if im really killing workouts. this site should set a goal for you based on height weight gender etc, did it not do that? if not you can good nutritional need calculator and some should pop up
  • justcindy59
    justcindy59 Posts: 904 Member
    I just started too and I am allowed 1650 cal. a day But I'm so excited that this is working and I want to do better and eat a lot less to lose faster but I know if I go down that road I will fail . So I try to stay as close to 1650 as i can ...and I feel so much better...and not deprived....Love your motivation....thank you...