One meal a day

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balletgirlxo
balletgirlxo Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I haven't really posted much here before and haven't been watching what I've been eating for a while. So, I've gained a few kilos (about 3.5kg or 7.7 pounds). In order to lose that extra weight, for the last 3 weeks, I've just been eating one meal and one snack a day, with great success. I was losing about 1kg/2 pounds a week. But now my weight's plateaued and I can't seem to lose any more weight. I've considered exercise but I'm usually too weak or tired to exercise with this eating regime. Any ideas on how I can keep losing weight?

An example of what I eat on a typical day is:

6pm - A large serving of salad greens (100g of baby spinach and mixed greens), 1 tomato, 2 cups of alfalfa sprouts, 1 portobello mushroom sautéed in a tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup of (soy) milk and some herbs + a fried egg + 100g of beef steak/skinless roast chicken

8pm - Half a glass of chocolate soy milk (100mL)

When I have a busy or active day, I also eat 1 small Dole banana in the morning.

If I'm consuming roughly the same amount of calories as I was before, why have I stopped losing weight? I'd really appreciate some insight.
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Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    If you're too weak, that's a pretty good indication that your body isn't getting the nutrients it needs. With only about 5 pounds to lose, you shouldn't have your goal set so aggressively.
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    You really need to eat an appropriate amount of food. Severe under eating is probably the best way to set yourself up for plateaus and massive weight regain. It's no wonder you're too tired to exercise. Food is your body's fuel, and you're not giving it any. Please watch this video on severe underrating and weight loss. Please let me know if you have any questions.
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk

    Allan
  • Screechy1
    Screechy1 Posts: 6
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    Eat more thus more energy to stay in this for the long haul. Your body needs fuel. I started out at 1200 cal....seen a trainer and he put me on 1500-2000 and that is my first week! I advise you to see a trainer if you can. Cheering you on!
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
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    You aren't eating enough. When eating so little, eventually you'll plateau.

    At this point you can do one of two things. You can continue to eat less than you are now and each time you plateau you can eat even less than before. There for withering away, eventually developing an eating disorder and still being unhappy with your body.
    OR you can eat more, lift weights, shape your body and love yourself. I would go with the second option, this way you will succeed and be happy with your end goal.

    The choice is yours. I have seen many people come out from a ED and they always explain how no matter how much they lost or how skinny they were that they we never happy and never liked who they saw in the mirror.

    I would also suggest you going on facebook and checking out the group female flexible dieters. There are many there who have came from an ED and completely turned there life around. I am not saying you HAVE an ED right now, but you are well on your way down that dangerous path.

    Best of luck!
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    This isn't going to end well.


    Real quick... figure out your BMR (basal metabolic rate) and try to eat AT LEAST that much... it's still not enough, but it's at least close to what your body will need to perform basic functions like breathing...
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    I've just been wanting to lose this about 5kgs/11 pounds forever but I never seem to able able to move much from my usual weight. If I lose a few, I put it back on and if I gain a few, I lose it soon enough. So that's why I've been a bit "aggressive" in my approach, I guess.
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    I've just been wanting to lose this about 5kgs/11 pounds forever but I never seem to able able to move much from my usual weight. If I lose a few, I put it back on and if I gain a few, I lose it soon enough. So that's why I've been a bit "aggressive" in my approach, I guess.


    Unfortunately, this aggresive of an approach isn't doing you any favors. Your body can adapt to calorie restriction to an extent...

    If you want to lose weight and feel better, you need to eat more than you are.

    With that said, I don't know how active you are or anything else...

    If you want a huge collection of awesome information and great people, try this group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
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    I've just been wanting to lose this about 5kgs/11 pounds forever but I never seem to able able to move much from my usual weight. If I lose a few, I put it back on and if I gain a few, I lose it soon enough. So that's why I've been a bit "aggressive" in my approach, I guess.

    That would be because you have to change it for the rest of your life...especially when you are eating so little. Of course when you go back to eating like an normal human being would eat you are going to gain. Hints why I have stated you should eat more to being with.

    http://iifym.com/

    I'm out.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    I've just been wanting to lose this about 5kgs/11 pounds forever but I never seem to able able to move much from my usual weight. If I lose a few, I put it back on and if I gain a few, I lose it soon enough. So that's why I've been a bit "aggressive" in my approach, I guess.

    Aggressive approaches tend to lead to failure. And what will you do one you hit this vanity weight? Instead of doing something aggressive, why not set up a plan that will give you long term success?
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    Quadgasm, I don't know about loving my body (because that stuff is hard) but eating well, lifting weights and shaping my body sounds better than slipping into a full blown ED, you're right about that. That is scary, dangerous territory and I don't want to go there. I don't have an ED (or at least, I've never been diagnosed with one but I do consider myself a bit fat at 40kgs, which I suppose most people would think is sort of unreasonable and logically I might agree but just can't seem to see it that way myself). I'll check out that Facebook group. Thanks.
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    :/ So I've messed up my body.
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
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    Also... not to stick to a stereotype here but...

    It sounds like you're worried more about body composition rather than the fat itself... or at least that's my hope.

    If you only weigh 40kg, you really don't have much left to lose... so, just a thought... try resistance training. You won't "get bulky" unless you start taking testosterone shots, but you will start to shape your body a lot better than just starving yourself (which is what you're doing currently).

    It's a process, and it won't happen overnight, but the end result is a lot better than where you're currently aiming yourself.


    ETA: You haven't "messed up" your body, it's just adapting to the lack of food... eat more, and while you'll retain water for a few days and gain a pound or 3 in muscular glycogen, it's a healthy gain.
  • Sparkyjs1965
    Sparkyjs1965 Posts: 4 Member
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    Your body has gone into what is called starvation mode. As long as we are giving our bodies enough fuel it will continue to burn fat. When you cut back to only one meal a day, your body doesn't know when it's going to get it's next meal so it starts to store everything so it can continue to function. That's why 5-6 small meals work best, the more you eat, the more you burn.
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    I'm not sure what body composition means, exactly. Sorry, I know very little about all this stuff. I have no fear of getting bulky (because yeah, unless I inject T, that's not going to happen) . I used to work out 6 days a week at the gym and got really toned and fit and ate a lot more during that time too. But that was a year ago and then I got very sick and I wasn't allowed to exercise any more and I lost weight from a medication I was on. After that, I gained weight back but it looked so much worse than it ever had my whole life. I just look fat. Even before when I weighed more, I looked less fat than I do now. I'm still not sure about exercise as the medication I'm on at the moment makes me weak/tired and dizzy and the one meal a day probably doesn't help. But I think I'm going to maybe pluck up the courage to talk to my doctor about eating better. Not the hardly eating part, just the how to eat better and if it's okay to to resistance training exercise part.

    Appreciate the advice, darkguardian4.

    Edit - I hope you're right about that. I mean, it's just so weird. I don't even get hungry any more or crave pizza or whatever like I used to. And I'm so scared I'll just gain so much weight and look like a balloon when I up my cals.
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    I've just been wanting to lose this about 5kgs/11 pounds forever but I never seem to able able to move much from my usual weight. If I lose a few, I put it back on and if I gain a few, I lose it soon enough. So that's why I've been a bit "aggressive" in my approach, I guess.


    Unfortunately, this aggresive of an approach isn't doing you any favors. Your body can adapt to calorie restriction to an extent...

    If you want to lose weight and feel better, you need to eat more than you are.

    With that said, I don't know how active you are or anything else...

    If you want a huge collection of awesome information and great people, try this group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress

    Thanks, I just joined. I'll check it out. I know I need to do better, I just have no idea what I'm doing haha
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Forgive me if my math is wrong, but 40 kg... that's 88 lbs, correct?

    That is not a healthy weight for a grown female. It may be time to consider that you might have an eating disorder.
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    Forgive me if my math is wrong, but 40 kg... that's 88 lbs, correct?

    That is not a healthy weight for a grown female. It may be time to consider that you might have an eating disorder.

    Yes, 40kgs is about 88 pounds. I'm a petite person, short and very small-framed. I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Forgive me if my math is wrong, but 40 kg... that's 88 lbs, correct?

    That is not a healthy weight for a grown female. It may be time to consider that you might have an eating disorder.

    Yes, 40kgs is about 88 pounds. I'm a petite person, short and very small-framed. I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

    Are you freakin kidding me?? 88 pounds?You do NOT need to be losing weight. Get some help.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
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    Your not eating enough!!!

    Why are you eating just ONE meal a day???

    Your body is holding onto everything - As its thinking.... when will I get fed next???

    You need to work out your BMR & TDEE.

    Eat the right amount of calories for your body, then you WILL lose weight.

    Eating not enough for yourself can make you gain!!!! Like whats happened to you
  • balletgirlxo
    balletgirlxo Posts: 14
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    Forgive me if my math is wrong, but 40 kg... that's 88 lbs, correct?

    That is not a healthy weight for a grown female. It may be time to consider that you might have an eating disorder.

    Yes, 40kgs is about 88 pounds. I'm a petite person, short and very small-framed. I have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

    Are you freakin kidding me?? 88 pounds?You do NOT need to be losing weight. Get some help.


    I'm not happy with the way it looks. 88 pounds is a lot for a small framed petite Asian woman. Keep in mind many Asian women have similar body shapes to adolescent girls, who would often be classified as underweight if measured using standard adult BMI but are actually perfectly healthy.

    Yeah, I need help. I need help to get my body to look the way I want it to look so I can feel good about myself. I don't see why that's such a big deal.

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