lost 20 pounds but confused about nutrition
apeck496
Posts: 34 Member
I've lost 20 pounds since March and I still am focusing on revamping my eating habits. I know a caloric deficit helps but I've been reading things lately about how restricting calories is bad. If my caloric needs tell me like 1800/2050 or something calories a day, the 500 calories deficit would have me eating 1300 but I've read things that say that's basically starvation mode. So should I now focus just on eating really well (non processed foods, fruits, veggies, good fats, etc) but not worry too much about calories or what?
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Replies
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Starvation mode doesn't exist in that way. With 5 pounds to lose, your deficit should only be half a pound a week. Eat that amount while getting in as many nutritious foods as possible. Only focusing on nutrition without counting calories could lead to gaining weight back.0
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Starvation mode doesn't exist in that way. With 5 pounds to lose, your deficit should only be half a pound a week. Eat that amount while getting in as many nutritious foods as possible. Only focusing on nutrition without counting calories could lead to gaining weight back.
It says it all really, only thing I'd add is why doubt the counting when it has brought you so far? Trust the process it works as you have seen.0 -
......If my caloric needs tell me like 1800/2050 or something calories a day, the 500 calories deficit would have me eating 1300 but I've read things that say that's basically starvation mode......
The MFP approach is consistent with recommendations by the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Exercise and eat all the nutritious food you want, but you won't lose weight without a calorie deficit. The smaller the deficit, the longer it takes to lose weight and the more accuracy required to track energy intake and burn.
Calories
To lose weight, most people need to cut down on
the number of calories (units of energy) they get
from food and beverages and increase their physi-
cal activity. For a weight loss of 1–2 pounds per
week, daily intake should be reduced by 500 to
1,000 calories. In general:
■
Eating plans containing 1,000–1,200 calories will
help most women to lose weight safely.
■
Eating plans between 1,200 calories and 1,600
calories each day are suitable for men and
may also be appropriate for women who weigh
165 pounds or more or who exercise regularly.
If you are on a 1,600-calorie diet but do not lose
weight, you may want to try a 1,200-calorie diet.
If you are hungry on either diet, you may want to
boost your calories by 100 to 200 per day. Very
low calorie diets of less than 800 calories each day
should not be used routinely because they require
special monitoring by your doctor.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/heart/aim_hwt.pdf0 -
So should I now focus just on eating really well (non processed foods, fruits, veggies, good fats, etc) but not worry too much about calories or what?
You should focus on eating in a way that you are comfortable with for the rest of your days.
Congratulations on your 20 lbs. lost!
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Thanks to everyone for this! Gonna trust my gut. As long as I don't feel like I'm starving all the time, I think I'll be alright!
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Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,0
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Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
....that sounds REVOLTING. Yuck.
Don't worry OP, no icky brussel sprouts or brown rice required.0 -
1300 calories IS NOT starvation mode! Too funny! Starvation mode CANNOT even occur until you get to less than 5 percent body fat. Go to 1200, and you'll be fine.0
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Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
....that sounds REVOLTING. Yuck.
Don't worry OP,no icky brussel sprouts or brown rice required.
Bleuh, these 2 foods have made it on my never to eat list...
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I know a caloric deficit helps
A caloric deficit doesn't just help, it is required. A caloric deficit is everything, for weight loss purposes.
I would look up your BMR using a calculator, as you generally don't want to eat less than that. The most generalized recommendation is that women shouldn't go below 1200, so 1300 is probably fine. Also, as another poster explained, "starvation mode" doesn't exist in the way a lot of people describe it.
As you lose weight, you might need to decrease your deficit. Depending on how much you have left to lose, a deficit of 250 cals instead of 500 may be more reasonable.
Eat however makes you feel your best. It sounds like you've been successful so far, so keep it up!
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Christine_72 wrote: »Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
....that sounds REVOLTING. Yuck.
Don't worry OP,no icky brussel sprouts or brown rice required.
Bleuh, these 2 foods have made it on my never to eat list...
But did you sauté your Brussels sprouts with bacon? Don't give up on them until you try that!
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Brussel sprouts and brown rice are delicious when prepared well. That said eat foods you like. You dpn't have to eat things you don't like... OTOH learning to like veggies ,and prepare them well, means you will be able to have larger more satisfying meals for fewer calories.
As for 1300 calories well... if you do no exercise that might be needed but you should get out and get moving more if you are truly sedentary.
Currently MFP has me starting out at 1200 calories to lose 2 pounds a week at sedentary activity level. But once Fitbit factors in my daily activity I wind up with closer to 2400 calories most days. I almost never bother to log my other exercise such as horseback riding and martial arts.0 -
Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
Jim most females will not follow that plan.0 -
Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
Jim most females will not follow that plan.
I don't think anyone should follow that plan regardless of gender. Gross.0 -
If you've lost 20 pounds in 9 months, that's half a pound a week. Sounds like you should just stick with what you've been doing.
Not sure what you mean by 1800/2050. That 250-calorie different is the deficit it takes to lose half a pound a week. If maintenance for you is 2,050 (which is close to my maintenance calories), your target shouldn't be 1,300 - it should be 1,800.0 -
Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
Jim most females will not follow that plan.
What's with the gender specific differentiation?0 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »Jimsmith109 wrote: »Eat lean proteins such as Chicken, Turkey, Salmon, Center cut pork chops. Steamed veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts. carbohydrates are sweet potatoes, brown rice,
Jim most females will not follow that plan.
What's with the gender specific differentiation?
Ditto. What the heck does being female have to do with eating those food items, dhimaan? Personally, I am a meat eater and I also love broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potatoes, even though I would probably roast them versus steam them. If it's because you think all women crave sugar you can toss that bit of misinformation right out the window. Give me a steak over chocolate or ice cream any day. And if that's not your reasoning I'm really curious what is.
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My approach is I eat anything below maintenance and try to keep losing slowly. I'm not a routine person so I can't do 1200cal 7 days a week 52 weeks of the year. But when I get closer to my goals, say 15kg from now, I'll try to drop my calories a bit more too just to keep losing.0
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why all this Brussels sprouts hate? really roasted with garlic and bacon? some balsamic vinegar? served with short ribs garlic mash and au jus? man i looovveeee me some sprouts.0
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Personally Jim's eating plan appeals to me considerably more than most eating plans.0
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