Does anything truly work?
Replies
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PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
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Plenty of people seem to feel that CICO itself doesn't apply to them. They've usually just never connected that what they're stating or implying is that because they don't connect the specifics of what they're saying to the abstract concept.goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
The number of times that starvation mode - the idea that you'll lose weight slower or stop losing weight because you're eating too FEW calories - shows up all the time on the board.
People come on all the time saying they can however much they want of certain food or types of foods and they can't possibly gain weight. When pressed, a lot of them initially state it is always true and defend it.0 -
"If the calorie count close to a person's TDEE, I would have to disagree that CICO is literally (always) the only way to lose weight."goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
"After doing MFP's calculations for 23 days, I lost only two pounds. When I talked to my trainer about it, he suspected I was eating too few calories... I realized my trainer was probably right."
Those are just two examples from basically current threads that I've been reading.
A lot of people here apparently don't believe it.
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goldthistime wrote: »I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance.
You're new here aren't you?
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goldthistime wrote: »I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance.
Prepare for disappointment...
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goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
A lot more people than you think really do fail to understand energy balance, and how it changes based on your activity level and weight.
A lot of people don't realize that people with issues with food in the first place don't stop having them once they've dieted down to a reasonable size.
There are some people who are blessed in this life to have the ability to naturally maintain a healthy weight through instinctively balancing intake with activity. Others have to work at it conscientiously.
Sadly, those of us who have to work at it conscientiously are often of the belief that we'll be "fixed" once we lose weight. That's not true. If you go to the National Weight Control Registry, you'll see that successful maintainers remain consistent and focused. That's what I meant when I said "truly understanding" in regards to energy balance.
You've said it yourself about yourself -- you lose focus.
Calorie counting doesn't have to be part of the plan to maintain your weight if it's not a habit that suits you, but some sort of way of bringing your intake in line with your calorie burn to maintain a healthy weight is going to have to become a way of life for you if you want to succeed. Whether you're able to develop an eye for portioning, or get a handle on your appetite/hunger signals and keep them in line with your energy needs, you'll need to find something that works for you.
The other thing that sometimes plays a role in this, at least to my way of thinking, is that we're reluctant to admit we're broken in this regard. There's a stigma attached to this need to monitor ourselves for the rest of our lives. I've come to think of it like I think of needing my eyeglasses to see. Not everyone is gifted with 20/20 vision. Oh well, there's no stigma attached to that. Why should there be stigma attached to needing to take extra measures to be a healthy weight? So what if it's not something that doesn't come instinctively to you? You CAN take steps to correct it. You just have to find workable solutions for you and your lifestyle.
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goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
that is not a failure of CICO…that is a failure of the individual to eat less or eat at maintenance…
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goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
you must be new here….0 -
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goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
Oh good, you came back. I thought that's what you were saying.
I think what you are saying is probably fairly accurate about maintaining habits and healthy consumption. I've seen quite a few stories on here where people say they've been skinny or a healthy weight their whole lives, but have gained in recent years, and it is usually due to a change in habits (activity or food). I think whether counting calories is sustainable is going to come down to the individual themselves - some people are going to like the precision and find that helps during maintenance, others are going to prefer to just develop habits that allow them to stay where they would like in maintenance. I think both can be effective, and it's going to be individual preference. The commonality between the two is consistency, and I think that's what most people have trouble with - I've seen a lot of comments on my newsfeed over the last year from people who just sometimes need to take a break from counting calories as well. Not surprising, as I think we as humans feel that way about any repetitive task (laundry and food shopping come to mind in my life). I think success relies on whether you can get back on the plan again and not let a break completely undo your progress.
There's a lot of interesting articles about diet breaks out there and the mental aspects of weight loss, if you're interested in that sort of thing. I want to say either sarauk2sf or SideSteel posted a good one about diet breaks, but I can't remember when or where I saw it.0 -
goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
Oh good, you came back. I thought that's what you were saying.
I think what you are saying is probably fairly accurate about maintaining habits and healthy consumption. I've seen quite a few stories on here where people say they've been skinny or a healthy weight their whole lives, but have gained in recent years, and it is usually due to a change in habits (activity or food). I think whether counting calories is sustainable is going to come down to the individual themselves - some people are going to like the precision and find that helps during maintenance, others are going to prefer to just develop habits that allow them to stay where they would like in maintenance. I think both can be effective, and it's going to be individual preference. The commonality between the two is consistency, and I think that's what most people have trouble with - I've seen a lot of comments on my newsfeed over the last year from people who just sometimes need to take a break from counting calories as well. Not surprising, as I think we as humans feel that way about any repetitive task (laundry and food shopping come to mind in my life). I think success relies on whether you can get back on the plan again and not let a break completely undo your progress.
There's a lot of interesting articles about diet breaks out there and the mental aspects of weight loss, if you're interested in that sort of thing. I want to say either sarauk2sf or SideSteel posted a good one about diet breaks, but I can't remember when or where I saw it.
The bolded part is the problem. Seeing a 'diet' as a temporary thing that one can take a break from is the issue. Let's hearken back to Carol's earlier comment about 20/20 vision and needing glasses - if I decided that I'm just tired of wearing my glasses or contacts, and don't want to wear them for a while, I'll run into some serious problems, if I have bad vision. A person just wouldn't make that decision, would he? The correlation isn't there. Similarly, if a person has learned to eat food in moderation and enjoys the eating experience, and is still able to maintain, why would a break be needed at all? There are specific ways to build a deficit into a week so that an overindulgent day is possible without a break at all. Avoidance is a bad idea, and leads to regaining weight, because it enables the person to stop being responsible for eating behavior.0 -
Hi,
My name is Elizabeth. I have tried everything you can think of to lose weight. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, South Beach Diet, Adkins, Mediterranean, Advocare 24 Day Challenge, and logging my food here to stay within 1200 calories. It's so hard to stay under 1200 calories. I am a mother of six children ranging in age from 2 - 8, and although that isn't an excuse to eat unhealthy, it sure enough provides a ton of temptation with all of their cookies, chips, and carb-rich foods.
I am 5'4" and weigh 180lbs. I want to weigh around 150. I would be soooo happy with that weight. I exercise but not regularly enough. I like to swim, walk, and jog. I recently bought Garcinia Cambogia (not sure if that is spelled correctly) and I haven't tried it yet. Does anyone have anything negative or positive to say about it? Anyone have any suggestions for losing this weight once and for all?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
You aren't supposed to say under 1200 calories. To lose a half pound a week, at your height, I was eating 1450 calories. My loss was not steady even though I was pretty religious because your body adapts - it holds water, your metabolism changes, if you work out as well, inches will be lost instead of weight sometimes.
All those programs you tried work. Anything that puts you in a deficit works. If you're not honest about what goes in your mouth, your body will know.
Suggestions: patience, honesty, logging, don't starve yourself. Stop making excuses.0 -
I understand your frustrations. Check with your doctor on your medical conditions (I have a thyroid issue) and exercise & eat less than you burn & make healthy choices.... water, water & more water... It takes strict discipline, but it is achievable!! I wish you luck & energy!
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goldthistime wrote: »PeachyCarol wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »goldthistime wrote: »Your thread title caught my attention because I do feel like nothing truly works. No guarantees anywhere. I once read a quote from a scientist saying that studies prove that a good way to gain weight is to go on a calorie restricted diet for a period of time first. In other words, diets are a real problem in that we are statistically likely to regain the weight and then some. So, although CICO truly works initially, it only works for a limited period of time for many people. Obviously I'm here believing I can be a statistical minority. I have vowed not to let myself get overly hungry, or to take any other extreme measures to lose this weight, and I have vowed to pay attention to the quality and quantity of food I'm eating forever and ever amen.
wut...??
CICO only fails when one stops eating in a deficit, there is no "time lapse" on CICO...
OF COURSE if you keep eating less calories than you are burning, you will lose weight. It would be ludicrous to suggest otherwise. I meant only that many people can't stick with a calorie deficit for extended periods, and of those that do (and get to goal weight), many are likely to falter at some point during maintenance (ie the rest of their lives). My point was that ANY diet is hard to maintain long term, and your best bet is to avoid extreme measures. Better?
But the only way to lose and maintain weight is to understand that your body works on an energy balance.
Of course, operating on extremes isn't healthy. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's more likely to lead to loss of muscle mass if you lose too quickly, but that's beside the point.
The reason most diets fail is because people fail to understand weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption. You simply cannot over consume food and maintain a healthy weight.
People who come to understand this? Don't fail. People who run from this fact by blaming the food or hiding behind any other sort of rationalization? They're the ones who are doomed to regain weight.
The theory of energy balance works. The people who embrace it and who also embrace their responsibility and part they played in gaining their weight will be successful in losing that weight.
Spend some time reading the studies on the National Weight Control Registry web site and learn more about what leads to success.
I would be very surprised if there were ANYONE on this site who did not believe that your body works on an energy balance. Admittedly I worded my post poorly when I said "CICO truly works for a period of time". My inference was that counting calories works but is NOT SUSTAINABLE for many people, not that the equation calories in - calories out = weight change gets negated after a period of time.
And I contend that people who understand that weight management relies on maintaining healthy habits and patterns of consumption can and do fail. Understanding is much different than applying.
In my case, I have tended to lose my weight, keep it off for five years or so, and then redirect my focus to some project or situation I consider to be important at the time, and regained the weight.
I have read a fair bit about weight loss but I'm always willing to learn more so I will take your advice and spend some time reading the National Weight Control Registry web site. Thanks for adding that.
Oh good, you came back. I thought that's what you were saying.
I think what you are saying is probably fairly accurate about maintaining habits and healthy consumption. I've seen quite a few stories on here where people say they've been skinny or a healthy weight their whole lives, but have gained in recent years, and it is usually due to a change in habits (activity or food). I think whether counting calories is sustainable is going to come down to the individual themselves - some people are going to like the precision and find that helps during maintenance, others are going to prefer to just develop habits that allow them to stay where they would like in maintenance. I think both can be effective, and it's going to be individual preference. The commonality between the two is consistency, and I think that's what most people have trouble with - I've seen a lot of comments on my newsfeed over the last year from people who just sometimes need to take a break from counting calories as well. Not surprising, as I think we as humans feel that way about any repetitive task (laundry and food shopping come to mind in my life). I think success relies on whether you can get back on the plan again and not let a break completely undo your progress.
There's a lot of interesting articles about diet breaks out there and the mental aspects of weight loss, if you're interested in that sort of thing. I want to say either sarauk2sf or SideSteel posted a good one about diet breaks, but I can't remember when or where I saw it.
The bolded part is the problem. Seeing a 'diet' as a temporary thing that one can take a break from is the issue. Let's hearken back to Carol's earlier comment about 20/20 vision and needing glasses - if I decided that I'm just tired of wearing my glasses or contacts, and don't want to wear them for a while, I'll run into some serious problems, if I have bad vision. A person just wouldn't make that decision, would he? The correlation isn't there. Similarly, if a person has learned to eat food in moderation and enjoys the eating experience, and is still able to maintain, why would a break be needed at all? There are specific ways to build a deficit into a week so that an overindulgent day is possible without a break at all. Avoidance is a bad idea, and leads to regaining weight, because it enables the person to stop being responsible for eating behavior.
Right, though it should be acknowledged that how you track your deficit varies for different people.
While the actual act of calorie counting is not a good fit for everyone, there are other methods of achieving proper portioning which balances with activity levels and applying them consistently through habituation.
I see people talk about diet breaks and recommend them, but in terms of them during the maintenance phase? I think the research from the NWCR doesn't support the idea. Those most successful with maintaining their weight are consistent in their intake.
Now, having seen the tracking methods of participants in the study, it's likely that those having inconsistent intakes weren't calorie counting. I think that those who count calories can safely juggle inconsistent intakes just fine. BUT, you can't have your cake and eat it too. If you're going to do without precision, you have to put safeguards in place, and consistency just might be one of them. That would mean no diet breaks.0 -
Your strategy can change over time, too, depending on what's going on.
When I was losing, and for the first year of maintenance, I had high calorie output (worked out a lot), counted calories, and watched food quality (went lowish carb).
When I maintained, I kept up the activity and stopped counting after a while, because over that first two years, I learned to be much better at estimating. (I'd mostly used measuring cups; I think I developed a strong hand-eye sense of portions after a while.) I also continued to rely on food choices. (And, for me, the cardio part of what I was doing also helped keep my appetite in check.)
When I became unable to exercise as vigorously, I kept eating the amounts I ate before, so I gained a bit back. Luckily, not all. Now, I'm counting again, because I finally registered that the output side was not going to get back to where it had been soon.
I've lost half of what I wanted to this time, and am undecided about how I'm going to deal with the rest. Like, I'm at a healthy weight, middle of the BMI, and I'm not really willing to be as hungry as I would have to be, or to make particular sacrifices, to make up the difference by not eating as much. I'm looking more closely at food quality again, that helps for controlling appetite - but also because I need to, for medical reasons. (And that's a bit of a balancing act, because what's good for one is less good for the other, still figuring it out.) And sometimes I just don't feel like counting or watching at all, and I take a little break and deal with whatever happens to my guts. BUT I've learned and changed enough to mostly stay on track, despite all that. I have all the tools I need.
All you can do is adapt as best you can. You might find that one way of eating works for a certain period, then something else is easier. It's all a learning process, trial and error.
Just keep an eye out, long-term. Pay attention when the scale is creeping up, or when you're having to buy a size UP. (That's what helped me pull my head out of my butt this time.)0
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