Restrictive dieting is the cause of weight gain, is this your experience?
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Katiebear_81 wrote: »Which is why I'm not strictly paleo any more
That said, I had a lot more energy, my seasonal allergies were next to nil, and my digestion was never better. So there was something to be said about how I felt while doing it. I also had a wonderful self-righteous glow the entire time! 
Good on you girl! LOL about the self-righteous glow.0 -
I'm not sure how "restrictive diet" is defined, but I haven't done what I'd consider a particularly restrictive diet--no going hungry, no cutting out foods so that I missed them, no eating in a vastly different way than I plan to for life. I can see how that could cause rebound or overly restrictive periods followed by bingeing periods.
I don't buy into the idea that all that many people are "naturally thin," though. I do know people who do a ton of exercise and don't really need to watch their weight (or are actually focused on trying to gain), and I know one guy who is simply uninterested in food, but most people I know who enjoy food use some kind of strategy to avoid gaining weight, even if they've never been fat.
What worked for me when I maintained for 5 years before was being active plus casually watching my portion size and eating a generally nutritious diet where I cooked at home for the most part and was not overly indulgent at restaurants when I went and not snacking much. Now I find I'm pretty good about staying within my projected calories when I do that, so long as I stay active so my calories aren't too low. So we will see. I don't think I could ever trust just eating when I'm hungry or the like, and I can't blame dieting for that because I didn't really ever diet at all until my 30s.0 -
I have not had this experience because I have not dieted in a restrictive manner. However, I agree that restrictive dieting tends to be counterproductive, based on my observations. People cut their calories super low, go from 0-60 exercise-wise, end up doing very little NEAT type activity so their calorie burn dips, and then wonder why they are exhausted and not losing as quickly as they think they should. Every time I see a post like that, where a person says they are struggling and then describes the above, I think no s*** Sherlock, what did you think would happen?
Oops....I don't know what is NEAT either....care to share? I am one of those that get exhausted ALL the time on my very pathetic 1200 calories. zzzzz......
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NEAT = Non Exercise Activity ThermogenesisTicklemynose wrote: »I have not had this experience because I have not dieted in a restrictive manner. However, I agree that restrictive dieting tends to be counterproductive, based on my observations. People cut their calories super low, go from 0-60 exercise-wise, end up doing very little NEAT type activity so their calorie burn dips, and then wonder why they are exhausted and not losing as quickly as they think they should. Every time I see a post like that, where a person says they are struggling and then describes the above, I think no s*** Sherlock, what did you think would happen?
Oops....I don't know what is NEAT either....care to share? I am one of those that get exhausted ALL the time on my very pathetic 1200 calories. zzzzz......
daily activity calories/calories you burn just doing normal daily activities
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415
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shadow2soul wrote: »Ticklemynose wrote: »I have not had this experience because I have not dieted in a restrictive manner. However, I agree that restrictive dieting tends to be counterproductive, based on my observations. People cut their calories super low, go from 0-60 exercise-wise, end up doing very little NEAT type activity so their calorie burn dips, and then wonder why they are exhausted and not losing as quickly as they think they should. Every time I see a post like that, where a person says they are struggling and then describes the above, I think no s*** Sherlock, what did you think would happen?
Oops....I don't know what is NEAT either....care to share? I am one of those that get exhausted ALL the time on my very pathetic 1200 calories. zzzzz......
daily activity calories/calories you burn just doing normal daily activities
Exactly that. So instead of coming home and working on a hobby or cleaning or whatever, you come home and completely veg out because, between your low calorie intake and your high exercise activity level, you are exhausted.0 -
No. I restrict my day-to-day diet so I can trust my hunger signals and eat a satisfying amount of food. Other foods I reserve for special occasions -- which increases my enjoyment of those foods and the occasion immensely. It's the best of both worlds for me.
Eating anything, anytime, anywhere was a spectacular failure and even with counting calories that didn't make that way of eating anymore sustainable for me. Putting boundaries (aka restrictions) in place actually allows me to truly eat whatever I want without restriction because what I want to eat is nourishing food that doesn't leave me hungry and craving more food.0 -
No. I think this is the experience of binge eaters.
Not everyone who is overweight has a binge-eating tendency.0 -
Ticklemynose wrote: »I have not had this experience because I have not dieted in a restrictive manner. However, I agree that restrictive dieting tends to be counterproductive, based on my observations. People cut their calories super low, go from 0-60 exercise-wise, end up doing very little NEAT type activity so their calorie burn dips, and then wonder why they are exhausted and not losing as quickly as they think they should. Every time I see a post like that, where a person says they are struggling and then describes the above, I think no s*** Sherlock, what did you think would happen?
Oops....I don't know what is NEAT either....care to share? I am one of those that get exhausted ALL the time on my very pathetic 1200 calories. zzzzz......
Think of it like this...
BMR = laying in bed calories burned being alive for the day
+NEAT = calories burned walking to the bathroom, doing dishes, walking to the car, etc.
+Exercise = calories burned doing deliberate workouts
Many people try to lose weight by overexercising and undereating, which leaves them tired, so when they are not exercising they lay around more than they used to. So Exercise goes up, but NEAT goes down.
My mom is 65 with lung disease and needs to lose 10 pounds to be put on the transplant list. She cannot exercise more than walking slowly on the treadmill. She thinks she can lay in bed all day, do 30 minutes of slow walking on treadmill and burn enough to lose weight. I told her to forget the treadmill - go to the bathroom twice as often, fidget when sitting in your chair. Do 5 min walks through the house 10 times a day, etc. Just move more in general. It will be much easier for her to raise her NEAT every day than to struggle with 30 min exercise every day. On days she is too tired, she will skip exercise but not going to the bathroom - so NEAT calories will be more stable and easier to keep up with.
Calories burned are calories burned. Do your regular exercise, but make an effort to move more in general to raise your NEAT. Its just a bonus
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NEAT = Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis
daily activity calories/calories you burn just doing normal daily activities
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415
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Totally. I did up my calorie intake recently because I just can't do it anymore. hahahhaa....
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Exactly that. So instead of coming home and working on a hobby or cleaning or whatever, you come home and completely veg out because, between your low calorie intake and your high exercise activity level, you are exhausted.[/quote]
Gotcha. I will take a look at it.
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Re "naturally thin" - my mom is one pound away from being underweight but she is always moving. Yesterday, my brother and I were helping her dig roots out of a recently tilled garden bed and stopped after an hour but she kept going for another hour until she had to take a bathroom break.0
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Ticklemynose wrote: »
Exactly that. So instead of coming home and working on a hobby or cleaning or whatever, you come home and completely veg out because, between your low calorie intake and your high exercise activity level, you are exhausted.[/quote]
Gotcha. I will take a look at it.
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Lol - my trick? Drink more water or tea or whatever makes you pee more. Its good to get more water, and having to pee twice as often forces you to move more double win! Drink all day!
Other tricks - made up a chart of housecleaning. on Mondays I do the bathroom, Tuesdays the kitchen, etc. One day a week is special project - moving the stove out to clean behind, etc. Its up to an hour a day of planned movement - increasing my NEAT, and obviously hard to eat while cleaning so I dont eat that hour at least ANd my house is always clean - bonus! Its under an hour and the tasks are not so overwhelming it is easy to skip (i.e. if I said I was going to clean the whole house one night it would be easy to back out of it... but if I walk in the door, then jump right into it, I am done in under an hour so I just do it).
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AlabasterVerve wrote: »No. I restrict my day-to-day diet so I can trust my hunger signals and eat a satisfying amount of food. Other foods I reserve for special occasions -- which increases my enjoyment of those foods and the occasion immensely. It's the best of both worlds for me.
Eating anything, anytime, anywhere was a spectacular failure and even with counting calories that didn't make that way of eating anymore sustainable for me. Putting boundaries (aka restrictions) in place actually allows me to truly eat whatever I want without restriction because what I want to eat is nourishing food that doesn't leave me hungry and craving more food.
Sounds like mindful eating to me! It ain't really about eating everything and anything, it is more about taking a little bit of it. I do agree that the enjoyment level goes up when I do enjoy some food on occasion. I am still learning what works for me, a balance between boundaries and enjoyment. I am one of those that the book talk about, use smoking to stem my food intake (silly I know) and I under eat which made me gain more weight. zzzzz...... I am learning more about different food and maximising the nutrition of the food I eat.
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Exactly that. So instead of coming home and working on a hobby or cleaning or whatever, you come home and completely veg out because, between your low calorie intake and your high exercise activity level, you are exhausted.[/quote]
How does one calculate NEAT and how much calories to add or subtract?
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Ticklemynose wrote: »AlabasterVerve wrote: »No. I restrict my day-to-day diet so I can trust my hunger signals and eat a satisfying amount of food. Other foods I reserve for special occasions -- which increases my enjoyment of those foods and the occasion immensely. It's the best of both worlds for me.
Eating anything, anytime, anywhere was a spectacular failure and even with counting calories that didn't make that way of eating anymore sustainable for me. Putting boundaries (aka restrictions) in place actually allows me to truly eat whatever I want without restriction because what I want to eat is nourishing food that doesn't leave me hungry and craving more food.
Sounds like mindful eating to me! It ain't really about eating everything and anything, it is more about taking a little bit of it. I do agree that the enjoyment level goes up when I do enjoy some food on occasion. I am still learning what works for me, a balance between boundaries and enjoyment. I am one of those that the book talk about, use smoking to stem my food intake (silly I know) and I under eat which made me gain more weight. zzzzz...... I am learning more about different food and maximising the nutrition of the food I eat.
Undereating did not cause you to gain weight. You were either eating more than you think you were or you ended up binging due to feeling restricted.0 -
I tried that "natural eating" method but I just gained weight. All that works for me is counting calories and working out. To have sufficient energy, I have to make sure I am getting enough protein, not skimping *too* much on carbs, and getting all my vitamins. Also, because I have blood sugar issues, instead of 3 full meals I break it down into 6 dinky ones so that I eat every 3-4 hours. Blood sugar levels and energy levels can be made more stable by making sure proteins and carbs are eaten in combination. Eating a carb alone can cause sugar to rise then crash for some people, leaving you tired and depleted. Adding the protein stops that from happening. (Source: Endocrinology clinic at Duke University Hospital)
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Undereating did not cause you to gain weight. You were either eating more than you think you were or you ended up binging due to feeling restricted.[/quote]
Oh really? I thought under eating puts my body into starvation mode and it kept piling on more weight as a result. I do binge, I don't deny it. But not often and not a lot. I was tracking it on MFP and even factor it more calories for each meal just in case but even for a 1200 per day, I had a tough time hitting it. Is this thinking wrong?
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I tried that "natural eating" method but I just gained weight. All that works for me is counting calories and working out. To have sufficient energy, I have to make sure I am getting enough protein, not skimping *too* much on carbs, and getting all my vitamins. Also, because I have blood sugar issues, instead of 3 full meals I break it down into 6 dinky ones so that I eat every 3-4 hours. Blood sugar levels and energy levels can be made more stable by making sure proteins and carbs are eaten in combination. Eating a carb alone can cause sugar to rise then crash for some people, leaving you tired and depleted. Adding the protein stops that from happening. (Source: Endocrinology clinic at Duke University Hospital)
Thanks for sharing. I think natural eating is that natural for many anymore. There was an interesting chapter on differentiating real hunger pangs or false emotional ones. It was then that I realised how out of sync my body is. Counting calories does keep one on track for weight loss, no doubt. Yeah, I am looking into my eating habits about carbs and protein in moderation. Skipping carbs totally is just plain madness. I can't do it and don't believe it's healthy either. How do you keep to small meals, what with work and family and all? Prepacked snacks or?0 -
Ticklemynose wrote: »
Oh really? I thought under eating puts my body into starvation mode and it kept piling on more weight as a result. I do binge, I don't deny it. But not often and not a lot. I was tracking it on MFP and even factor it more calories for each meal just in case but even for a 1200 per day, I had a tough time hitting it. Is this thinking wrong?
Starvation mode does not exist in the way you are thinking. True starvation mode is when your body starts to experience the nasty side effects of actually starving. Weight gain is not a side effect of starving. Your body using it's lean body mass as fuel is a side effect. Metabolism slowing a bit is a side effect.
If you were gaining weight you were eating more than you think. This could be the result of using measuring cups instead of weighing on a food scale, picking inaccurate entries from the database, not logging 100% of what you eat, or any combination of the above.0 -
I am also the opposite! I have hypoglycemia (extreme low blood sugar.) If I don't severely carb restrict (<50g daily) and watch my glycemic index like mad, my overactive insulin makes me ravenous 95% of the time. (Due to low blood sugar, which convinces my body I'm starving.) So I either spend all day eating or trying to gnaw off my own arm.
It's much, much easier for me to retain a healthy weight by restricting (though admittedly it's harder to stick with long term.) Though I guess you could call it mindful eating because I'm making an active choice about what my treats are, and what fits within my body's limits, rather than cutting things out based on a regimen that gets dropped when I hit my goal weight.0
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