Does this really work?

I can't say that I've experienced what you have, but I do know that since I've tracked every calorie I've taken in and every calorie I've expended (through exercise) keeps in mind what I'm doing. I don't "cheat" recording my intake or output and to date, I've lost 19 lbs since January 3rd. I think this site is great because you DO have to log everything and if you stall in your weight loss, you can look back at your history in calories, fat, sodium and see where you need to make changes. Good luck in your weight loss and you've got lots of people here to help keep you motivated.

Before starting this site i would eat 1200 calories and whatever i burned in exercise was just that ,but now i eat 1200 calories and if i workout and get more calories for the day i do try and eat a little bit more i never eat all of them but your body does need fuel in order to burn more , and now since ive done this website ive lost about 10 lbs in a month when before i wasnt losing ,and ive lost quite a bit in inches as well. So whatever they tell you i think it works :0) ..i hope this info helps

Eating back your calories kind of depends on how many calories you are taking in. Your body needs so many calories a day just to function. Your heart needs calories in order to beat-all of your organs need calories to function. You have a lot of "activity" going on inside you that requires calories.

I used to not eat back my calories burned through exercise, but I wasn't dropping below 1000 net calories a day either. After a few weeks, I became stronger and my stamina increased, and I began burning a lot more calories because I was working out a lot more and at greater intensity. I eventually reached a point at which I was burning a lot more calories and my net dropped to about 800 calories a day. When I reached that point i stopped losing weight and my fat loss stopped as well. I couldn't figure out why until I thought about it and figured out that my body wasn't getting enough calories for normal daily activity and basically went into "starvation mode." After coming to that decision I increased my calories so that I had a net of 1000 calories for that day, and the very next day I weighed 2 lbs less, and continued to lose from that point.

Basically, you have to look at your net calories and think about that number. If your goal is 1200 net calories a day, and you eat a total of 2000 calories a day, then burn off 800 through exercise, which leaves you with 1200 net, then no, you don't eat those calories back. But, if you eat 2000 and burn off 1200, which leaves you with 800, then yes, you need to eat at least 200 of those calories back or you risk your body going into starvation mode.

Also, you should think about when you eat as well. If you eat within 30 minutes of a good, intense workout, (and don't eat for at least 2 hours before) then your body will immediately send those calories to your spent, nutrient starved muscles rather than storing them for later use.

If you keep doin' whatcha been doin', then the it's worth a bird in a peartree. Or something like that.

Okay, so I lost a lot starting out by staying on track with just taking in the 1200 that was provided to me. I then started eating my cals back and my loss has stalled but I also started eating more empty cals so that is part of the problem. I do have hypothyroidism and take medications everday. This also makes my weight harder to maintain more or less lose. I don't know if eating back all of your cals will keep you out of starvation mode or if it is even real. What I do know is that the simple formula of calorie in calorie out has worked for years. I also know that I had two symptoms of thyroid issues and ignored them until I had to go through a round of radiation treatment. (it really was not that bad.) So please, if your doc says get it checked, get it checked! What can it hurt? It is a blood test. I have to get my levels checked again in the morning. If it is all good then you can rest easy. If it is not, then the treatment is really easy and it is better to know which factors are in the fight. Good luck!

I agree that you will eventually lose weight in "starvation mode," but I want to emphasize how unhealthy this is too. When I don't get enough calories, I have headaches and fatigue. You will eventually start to lose weight after a couple weeks, but this is because your body is burning its fat, and most importantly muscle, out of sheer desperation to stay alive. You would eventually reach a body mass that is healthfully sustainable at the calorie consumption level you are consuming, but you'd lose a LOT of muscle mass and it would be a very rough journey, ending with you in a very weak and malnourished state. I'm no expert either, but I have experienced this first hand (I, too, at one time thought the lower my calories, the better) and witnessed it in others, which has validated for me personally that "starvation mode" is very real. Besides, if you're like me, after an intense workout, you're gonna be hungry! Just focus on that net calorie number and stick to it. It does work! I went from 170 lbs and a jeans size of 36 (yeah, I'm kinda short lol) to 158 lbs and a size 31 jeans in 2 months ONLY after counting calories. Before that, I worked out intensely, but ate whatever I wanted, for 2 whole years without seeing any fat loss. Don't get me wrong, I gained strength and stamina, but I still had a gut, and big ol' butt LOL. Even though I felt great, I couldn't see the muscle I had built because I was maintaining a thick layer of fat over it. (You need to eat extra calories to build muscle, but then the type of calorie, and timing of your meals in correlation to your workouts become crucial, so that you do build muscle instead of just fat. It becomes a lot more complex than losing weight.)

Also, I want to point out that it can take time for you to see any results too. When I started here, I didn't see a single pound come off for 2 whole weeks, and I knew from doing this in the past that I was doing what I needed to do. I don't know for sure why, but my educated guess is that it just took that long for my metabolism to get going. I had been very sedentary for nearly 6 months and my body was very sluggish. It also could of been that I had added muscle, but I really doubt that because I was doing strictly cardio exercise (and not that much of it because I was so out of shape and just couldn't) and keeping my calories down.

And lastly, (I promise lol-sorry, I'm on a caffeine and endorphin buzz) men and women's bodies seem to react very differently when it comes to diet and exercise. I'm very confident in my knowledge of dieting and exercising for men, but have to admit I'm clueless when it comes to women. I'm clueless when it comes to thyroid issues too.

HI!

All these weight loss sites are great. The tools are great tools. You use the pin and pad less with counting calories. You just log on, and the site does all the math for you. Giving you the insight and tools you need. I say, give the setting a try for one month, and if you don't lose anything. Go into your settings and change it up. Use this site and research your plan. All it takes is one step, and you have already made it. New at this or not... These weight loss support groups and weight loss sites... They really do help.
I've lost over 80+ pound using weight loss sites, and I have also back slide too... But you keep at it. You never give up, and you never give in. It's all about doing, and if you are willing to start by logging your calories on this site, and following the suggestions guides.. You too will see weight loss, and be one of many on here.. Blogging about your weight loss journey. & success.

Good Luck to you.. And I wish you well on this "LIFE CHANGING JOURNEY".. It's a journey to health, and also a journey to finding you... That's how I look at it... It really works..