REALLY freaked out to eat p90X plan...

Frankenbarbie01
Frankenbarbie01 Posts: 432 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
Went to the doctor a few weeks back to get thyroid tested, he poo-pooed that I may be low functioning thyroid (next doctor please...) and told me that if I wanted to lose weight eat 4 x 300 cals per day and keep running. So I did and was STARVING!! so went over quite a few days by 1-200 cals to keep sane, kept running. Scale = no Move!!!
So in comes P90X, totally stoked to be doing this program am on day 6 and LOVE it. HOWEVER............
I finally looked at the nutrition portion, thinking it cant be so different from what I'm doing....

WOW!! Who was shocked to see I should be eating 2760 cals per day???!!!
To be perfectly honest I am terrified to eat this many cals! This goes against everything I have ever been taught about trying to lose weight, and I have been trying for years!!

I guess what I am looking for is sucess stories of people who did eat their cals and still had progress with developing a slimmer, stronger body. I am just not convinced to tie on the ole' feedbag and eat 2760 cals a day...Im going to be eating....ALL day !!! Help! Explain the starvation mode to me like I'm 5 yrs old please!

Replies

  • Awake_Alive
    Awake_Alive Posts: 261 Member
    This is how my trainer explained it to me:

    When you don't eat enough calories, your body thinks that it is starving, so it stores every single calorie in case things get even worse...like a hoarder. If you continue to not eat enough calories, you are training your body to hoard the calories you do put in. On the flip side, when you eat enough calories, you are training your body to let go of that stored energy like it should, taking a friend or two with it, because it's not so worried that bad times are a comin'. It's like a person who has plenty of money to spend...they don't go crazy and spend it all, but they let go of a lot more of it than someone with no money would. Eating more calories is actually your way of telling your body it's ok to spend it's "money" :)

    I hope this doesn't confuse you even more. :)
  • linneyo
    linneyo Posts: 9 Member
    wow.. i have the p90 at home as well.. and i haven't started it.. i want to .. but i haven't.. i can see that being true (need the calories as fuel for your muscles/body).. in order to lose weight!

    let me know what you come up with ..because i'm with you.. i don't think i'm eating enough calories to lose weight, and my body thinks it's starving :(
  • linneyo
    linneyo Posts: 9 Member
    wow.. i have the p90 at home as well.. and i haven't started it.. i want to .. but i haven't.. i can see that being true (need the calories as fuel for your muscles/body).. in order to lose weight!

    let me know what you come up with ..because i'm with you.. i don't think i'm eating enough calories to lose weight, and my body thinks it's starving :(
  • Setof2Keys
    Setof2Keys Posts: 681 Member
    You're eating back your exercise cals. Just because you eat that many doesn't mean it has to be all crap food. That is where the diff is. Good luck.
  • dia77
    dia77 Posts: 410 Member
    Went to the doctor a few weeks back to get thyroid tested, he poo-pooed that I may be low functioning thyroid (next doctor please...) and told me that if I wanted to lose weight eat 4 x 300 cals per day and keep running. So I did and was STARVING!! so went over quite a few days by 1-200 cals to keep sane, kept running. Scale = no Move!!!
    So in comes P90X, totally stoked to be doing this program am on day 6 and LOVE it. HOWEVER............
    I finally looked at the nutrition portion, thinking it cant be so different from what I'm doing....

    WOW!! Who was shocked to see I should be eating 2760 cals per day???!!!
    To be perfectly honest I am terrified to eat this many cals! This goes against everything I have ever been taught about trying to lose weight, and I have been trying for years!!

    I guess what I am looking for is sucess stories of people who did eat their cals and still had progress with developing a slimmer, stronger body. I am just not convinced to tie on the ole' feedbag and eat 2760 cals a day...Im going to be eating....ALL day !!! Help! Explain the starvation mode to me like I'm 5 yrs old please!
  • mangos4music
    mangos4music Posts: 126 Member
    This is how my trainer explained it to me:

    When you don't eat enough calories, your body thinks that it is starving, so it stores every single calorie in case things get even worse...like a hoarder. If you continue to not eat enough calories, you are training your body to hoard the calories you do put in. On the flip side, when you eat enough calories, you are training your body to let go of that stored energy like it should, taking a friend or two with it, because it's not so worried that bad times are a comin'. It's like a person who has plenty of money to spend...they don't go crazy and spend it all, but they let go of a lot more of it than someone with no money would. Eating more calories is actually your way of telling your body it's ok to spend it's "money" :)

    I hope this doesn't confuse you even more. :)

    that is the coolest way of explaining it that i have ever heard!
  • GLLove
    GLLove Posts: 77
    This goes against everything I have ever been taught about trying to lose weight, and I have been trying for years!!

    Maybe its time you try something different :) I hope whatever you decide to do you have good results.
  • dia77
    dia77 Posts: 410 Member
    Went to the doctor a few weeks back to get thyroid tested, he poo-pooed that I may be low functioning thyroid (next doctor please...) and told me that if I wanted to lose weight eat 4 x 300 cals per day and keep running. So I did and was STARVING!! so went over quite a few days by 1-200 cals to keep sane, kept running. Scale = no Move!!!
    So in comes P90X, totally stoked to be doing this program am on day 6 and LOVE it. HOWEVER............
    I finally looked at the nutrition portion, thinking it cant be so different from what I'm doing....

    WOW!! Who was shocked to see I should be eating 2760 cals per day???!!!
    To be perfectly honest I am terrified to eat this many cals! This goes against everything I have ever been taught about trying to lose weight, and I have been trying for years!!

    I guess what I am looking for is sucess stories of people who did eat their cals and still had progress with developing a slimmer, stronger body. I am just not convinced to tie on the ole' feedbag and eat 2760 cals a day...Im going to be eating....ALL day !!! Help! Explain the starvation mode to me like I'm 5 yrs old please!
    your doctor should tell you for sure( run some blood tests ) if you have a hypothiroid condition. This is not a guessing game . Ask him for blood tests! I am hypo and I do my blood tests every 3 months.
  • annhjk
    annhjk Posts: 794 Member
    How are you figuring 2700 cals? I did it 2 years ago and was 1800 and my husband was at 2300 (or close to it - I can't remember the exact amount). I don't have my book close by, but I thought 2700 sounds too high.
  • brattyworm
    brattyworm Posts: 2,137 Member
    here's the scientifics behind it
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • Frankenbarbie01
    Frankenbarbie01 Posts: 432 Member
    THANK YOU Gennafer!! Makes perfect sense now!! really excellent way to explain it.

    My past 6 thyroid tests have come in between 2.3-3.0, what my dr feels is normal.
    Im giving it up to the P90X gods....gonna work my *kitten* off and eat!! Thx all!
  • Frankenbarbie01
    Frankenbarbie01 Posts: 432 Member
    calorie calc:
    RMR: 180lbs x 10=1800
    Daily burn: 1800x 20%=360
    1800+360+600(projected cal burn during P90x)=2760
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
    You don't have to eat the P90X plan to get results. Just a suggestion. I am a vegetarian so that plan really doesn't apply to me. I just eat as much as I feel is necessary and try to eat back my exercise calories as best I can.
  • annhjk
    annhjk Posts: 794 Member
    calorie calc:
    RMR: 180lbs x 10=1800
    Daily burn: 1800x 20%=360
    1800+360+600(projected cal burn during P90x)=2760

    I knew that didn't sound right. I found a book online (http://myp90xnutritionplan.com/p90x-nutrition-guide/official-p90x-nutrition-guide-pdf-now-available-below/) and looked at the formula for calories.

    The math is right, but the bottom of page 3 breaks it down into 3 levels. If you're between 2,000 -2,999 you go to level 2 which suggests calories should be 2,400. That cuts out 360 calories each day.
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