Wanting friends in EM2WL

kikilieb3
kikilieb3 Posts: 19 Member
Sometimes I feel like I am eating too much, but I have a pretty good estimate that my TDEE is around 2500 calories per day. I have been calorie counting on MFP since June 25th 2015 and I have eaten an average of 2250 calories per day and I have lost an average of half a pound per week. So, I'm thinking my TDEE is about 2500. If I eat 3,000 calories per day for a period of a week or more, that's when I start to gain weight.

I don't think I am super active though. I walk about three miles per day (throughout the day at work). I do 3 moderately strenuous cardio workouts during the week (Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday), and I am only just starting to incorporate 2 strenghtening workouts on Tuesday and Thursday. My three cardio workouts burn between 350-500 calories during a 45 minute session. My walking burns about 100 calories per mile (300 calories per day). These burns are according to my Polar HRM.

I guess I am just astounded that allllll of my MFP friends are eating 1200 cals per day (give or take). I am eating twice as much as them, yet I am still losing weight. I guess I don't mind the difference except it is almost like it's embarrasing to eat this much, but if I eat under 1900 calories for too long I start to feel really week, and also I end up bingeing on all the food for a couple weeks before I feel good again. Then, consequently, I actually feel awful.

I guess what I am trying to say is that at 2250 calories per day I can lose a little bit of weight each week, but not feel really hungry or deprived. I am just looking for some MFP friends that can make me feel like I'm not the only one eating a lot!

Has anyone else experienced these kind of feelings?

Replies

  • kikilieb3
    kikilieb3 Posts: 19 Member
    Also, just a quick note on how I gained so much weight when I can eat so much each day. Many years ago I went through a bad phase in my life (quit smoking, quit drinking, broke up with my long-term boyfriend and lost my job due to a massive layoff at work). I got so depressed and started eating probably 3,000+ calories per day. I gained 50 lb that year. Then I was just so used to eating all that food - cakes, burgers, entire pizza. I had a hard time giving it up, even when I didn't want it anymore, my stomach was just that hungry. I joined MFP in 2011 and I slowly lowered my calorie intake by 100 calories per day until I got to 2250 calories or less per day. It took a good three years to lose 20 lbs, but I felt great!

    I had an accident last August (2014) that I ended up with a fractured wrist and a fracture in my tibial plateau (lower knee) and I actually managed to keep my weight off throughout most of my long recovery. But when I felt like I should be recovered (contrary to my doctors advice), I felt like I should be able to do all my activities again (running, dance aeorbics, 5k), but I couldn't sustain the activity for more than a few days and I got really depressed and gained 15 lbs back. Only 5 lb less than my highest weight.

    That's why I'm back on MFP, i don't want to be at my highest weight anymore or ever again.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Gonna say great planning and perspective.

    Will suggest what others found useful with many friends eating 1200. If you find it the least discouraging, or you want to help and can't - start trimming according to who speaks out the most that always gets your attention.

    I'm sure there are some on list eating that much, but they nary make a peep either unless you happen to look out of curiosity.

    Also be aware that the TDEE will lower as weight goes down, merely from moving less mass around.
    Even if the workouts increase in intensity to compensate there, daily life isn't so easy to.

    Read over the recent topics and find a whole batch that will support eating at reasonable level, or at the least won't complain of lack of results eating 1200!
  • kikilieb3
    kikilieb3 Posts: 19 Member
    Thank you heybales! Oh my, now that I read your post I seem to recall the Scooby calculator to recalculate after a weight loss. Good to know, because I probably would have kept eating 2500 calories forever! Even though I did think that sounds like a lot of food. Anyway, it is working for me right now, so after I lose 5 or 10 pounds I will recalculate.

    Yes, some of my friends are great friends, I will have to look through forum posts and see if I can find more people who are going through this the same way I am.

    Thank you again heybales, your post really helped me put the pieces of the puzzle together. I feel much more relaxed now then I did yesterday!
  • KickboxDiva
    KickboxDiva Posts: 142 Member
    I sent you a PM.
  • jennytree
    jennytree Posts: 195 Member
    I often feel like I never stop eating! Not so much around MFP people, but in real life. I feel like the guys that sit next to me wonder what's going on! I'm a bit of a grazer, so I eat little and often :blush:

    You seem to be on the right path, and it's really encouraging for me as I'm coming from the 1,200 side of things and it can be a bit of a struggle to believe that it's the right path to go on so I'm glad to hear you're losing AND eating :smile:
  • Candicem99
    Candicem99 Posts: 71 Member
    I am new to this whole eating more and come from eating 1200 a day if even that. I am just starting and wrapping my head around having to eat at least 1887 according to my TDEE is causing concerns. I also do three days of cardio (Body Combat) and three days of Strength (Body Pump) which I know is more than I probably should, but I do enjoy that (I know crazy). I am so scared of gaining, changing mindset is difficult.
  • kimjacques2
    kimjacques2 Posts: 42 Member
    Icequeen07 I'm exactly the same, terrified of gaining any of the weight that I've lost but needing to consume enough to fuel my workouts and get lean! I'm still struggling with that.
  • KickboxDiva
    KickboxDiva Posts: 142 Member
    IceQueen07 wrote: »
    I am new to this whole eating more and come from eating 1200 a day if even that. I am just starting and wrapping my head around having to eat at least 1887 according to my TDEE is causing concerns. I also do three days of cardio (Body Combat) and three days of Strength (Body Pump) which I know is more than I probably should, but I do enjoy that (I know crazy). I am so scared of gaining, changing mindset is difficult.

    I'd say just ease into it. I spent so much time reading others experiences and expecting mine to be the same. Everyone is different, reports of food and activity different ect. After my husband and I got our FitBit Charge HR it really opened my eyes to how many extra calories you can burn between an active moving job or being a pacer (like my husband...he even paces when eating which kills me) and a desk job and less figity person. He gets 20K steps a day just living. If I don't work out I get about 3000 steps. All those things are going to influence your daily burn. But you just KNOW 1200 calories isn't right but looking for that correct number is trial and error. Plus every day is a little different. I'm really close to where I want to be, not finished, but I'm recognizing this is for life and if that is true it has to be sustainable. I'm using this data to increase my non training activity. (dog walking, leisurely after dinner strolls some times ect) and also increasing calories at a moderate pace. Your body amazingly will adapt. I weigh the same now eating 1900-2500 calories (Average about 2100) that I did at strict, hungry, 1200-1400. Just add a little at a time and give your body some leeway to adapt. You might have a little water weight gain but mathematically if you ate 250 more calories a day it would take you 2 weeks to gain a pound anyway so if you see your scale shoot up 5 lbs you KNOW that's just water fluctuations.
  • Candicem99
    Candicem99 Posts: 71 Member
    IceQueen07 wrote: »
    I am new to this whole eating more and come from eating 1200 a day if even that. I am just starting and wrapping my head around having to eat at least 1887 according to my TDEE is causing concerns. I also do three days of cardio (Body Combat) and three days of Strength (Body Pump) which I know is more than I probably should, but I do enjoy that (I know crazy). I am so scared of gaining, changing mindset is difficult.

    I'd say just ease into it. I spent so much time reading others experiences and expecting mine to be the same. Everyone is different, reports of food and activity different ect. After my husband and I got our FitBit Charge HR it really opened my eyes to how many extra calories you can burn between an active moving job or being a pacer (like my husband...he even paces when eating which kills me) and a desk job and less figity person. He gets 20K steps a day just living. If I don't work out I get about 3000 steps. All those things are going to influence your daily burn. But you just KNOW 1200 calories isn't right but looking for that correct number is trial and error. Plus every day is a little different. I'm really close to where I want to be, not finished, but I'm recognizing this is for life and if that is true it has to be sustainable. I'm using this data to increase my non training activity. (dog walking, leisurely after dinner strolls some times ect) and also increasing calories at a moderate pace. Your body amazingly will adapt. I weigh the same now eating 1900-2500 calories (Average about 2100) that I did at strict, hungry, 1200-1400. Just add a little at a time and give your body some leeway to adapt. You might have a little water weight gain but mathematically if you ate 250 more calories a day it would take you 2 weeks to gain a pound anyway so if you see your scale shoot up 5 lbs you KNOW that's just water fluctuations.


    Thanks. I guess I need to consider this a "work in progress"
  • wannabf1t
    wannabf1t Posts: 94 Member
    I couldn't agree more with kickboxdiva. Give it time and trust the process. Your body will adapt to the new calories really soon, and so will you!.
    I was scared to see the scale go up too. I was terrified of dropping cardio too and focusing on weights. I have only gained 3-4 lbs. My only regret is not starting this process sooner!
  • CamGoddess
    CamGoddess Posts: 28 Member
    Jumping back in after a 6 month hiatus. Anybody in this group ...

    Please add me as a friend?

    Sometimes I'm super chatty and then often I just fade into the wallpaper for weeks. But I still get a lot of motivation by seeing other people post their diaries and workouts and random comments. Mine are open to view! I'm no role model but we can get ideas from each other.

    Thanks for being here, Eat More community! (I just need friends who aren't starving themselves on 1,200 calories. I did that and I was miserable.) Thanks to anyone who adds me!
  • jennytree
    jennytree Posts: 195 Member
    Sent you a FR there, along with a few to others too! Need to be around people who aren't starving themselves :smiley:
  • V79F
    V79F Posts: 12 Member
    I know this is a way old post, but I need some more friends who aren't starving themselves. If anyone could use an extra friend, please be mine ;)

    I started the EM2WL journey around August, have been doing really good up until the end of October when the massive months of holiday madness in our family started and I ended up moving way less, but not adjusting my cut enough so I stopped losing weight (I guess I got to maintenance eventually) then over the holidays I pretty much ate my weight in Christmas candy and cookies and only gained about 300 grams in the end, so it's still all pretty good, but I need to get back down to eating my cut and being responsible, after all I'm doing this for my health, not just to fit into a smaller dress size!
  • jerilynconn
    jerilynconn Posts: 524 Member
    I'm going to add you all. Feel free at add me.

  • ambsnic17
    ambsnic17 Posts: 305 Member
    Adding some of you also! Encouragement to know I'm not alone in this!
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    kudos to all of you ladies!! Going against the grain for long term success, good luck to all of you!!!
  • nicolejo143
    nicolejo143 Posts: 214 Member
    Feel free to add me. I'm back after taking some time off of MFP. A lot of my friends are inactive now. I need new ones. :)
  • colleen3115
    colleen3115 Posts: 69 Member
    I am also looking for friends who are not starving themselves to lose weight. At the moment I am just getting back into the habit of logging food and getting active. Short term goal is to get back to lifting weights.
  • terri0813
    terri0813 Posts: 1 Member
    I found this group when I rejoined MFP- please feel free to add me too.
  • sanfromny
    sanfromny Posts: 770 Member
    My secret to adding extra calories? Peanuts. ..high in calories but also high in protein. very easy to convert to fuel and burn off!
  • Raynn1
    Raynn1 Posts: 1,164 Member
    Feel free to add

    As for dealing with the 1200 cal eaters.. just remember, they will lose the weight doing anything they do, but the second they go "off plan"... the weight piles back on and it brings some friends with it. I have watched the same 6 or more people on my feed go on fad diet plans over the years, lose the weight, then months later come back swearing they can "do it again" after gaining it all back and more. I decided I didnt want to spend my life in a diet swing. I want to get to a point in my life where eating is just that. Eating. I dont have to worry about if that piece of cake will make me fat, or will that extra drink mean I see 5 pounds more on the scale.

    This is about LIVING life, not constantly dieting. So first thing, is stop worrying about the NOW, and concentrate on the few years from now. Do the things now to help you get where you want to be in the future. It may be slow, it may be mentally taxing sometimes, but know that THIS is the right way to be healthy and life your life OUTSIDE of a diet swing. Pledge to never diet again, never restrict your cals, and enjoy your life again. Those are the steps to make now.

    Feel free to join the EM2WL forums listed on the website. Lots of great advice and info there too about this all:)