Diet or Exercise?

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BlackPantherChick123
BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, well, about a year ago, I went on a diet that got out of control and I lost 30 pounds in about a month but I loved how quick it was for me. Well, I gained some weight back and want to lose just a few pounds but I find myself struggling. I avoid the scales so I'm not sure how much I gained but about 5-10. I'll eat 1200 and burn a pound a day (5-6K) but my diet is 1 meal a day. It takes me a long time to eat so I just eat my meal between 11-3 and then workout. This isn't working. I use to eat 3 meals a day by eating 700-800 calories a day and only burning 3K and I lost weight quickly but my current diet is making me gain. I want to know is it my diet by eating it all in one sitting, my excessive exercise, or both? I was thinking on going back on that quick weight loss diet and then trying again with the 1200 by eating it as 3 meals. I'm just not sure what's causing my weight gain. I also give myself 2 rest days and those I have a cheat day. Usually my huge Newks salad and a dessert and that's it unless I end up eating more if I'm that hungry since I burn so much in a week. Should I cut my exercising down and eat smaller meals a day? I just want to lose 5-10 so I can feel comfortable again. Right now I'm on vacation, I eat only dinner and a dessert, but I have no idea how many calories I'm eating. I'm just enjoying the foods I normally restrict and eat them occasionally but I also plan on working out everyday just to stay active. I just don't know how to change up my diet and exercise but I want to lose just those few pounds and feel comfortable again.

Replies

  • 85Cardinals
    85Cardinals Posts: 733 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Diet comes first for losing weight. Exercise might improve your mood though.

    Oh, I think I misunderstood you there. You're asking what's holding you back, I take it.
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
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    There are 2 potential problems;

    1. CICO - you're eating more calories than your body can burn off, even with exercise in play. Are you sure you're eating that many calories, are you getting calories from other sources Ie sugar?

    2. You have an illness that is preventing you from losing weight.

    No amount of exercise in the world will help you unless it brings you into a calories deficit.

    It sounds like you don't know how much you're eating, which doesn't help us. I suspect that dinner and desert is coming in at more than 1200 calories, thats just my sense of feeling.
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    My normal diet is 1200 and under, my days off are dinner and dessert where I tend to eat more for extra energy and I'll burn 6-7K that next day.
  • robs_ready
    robs_ready Posts: 1,488 Member
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    BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »
    My normal diet is 1200 and under, my days off are dinner and dessert where I tend to eat more for extra energy and I'll burn 6-7K that next day.

    You're burning 6000 calories the next day???

    How? You would have to running up Mt everest for about 10 hours!?
  • BlackPantherChick123
    BlackPantherChick123 Posts: 425 Member
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    Lol, I use an incliner treadmill and it takes me hours to burn that much and it's very tiring but it gets the job done. But as of right now, I'm on vacation and enjoying myself, but when I get home, I want to lose the weight quickly. I just know my first diet was 7-800 a day and only burning 3000 and I just lost weight very fast but I looked unhealthy since I got to 105 and looked sick but that's not my goal. I just want to shed at least 5 pounds and then try to maintain that new weight. I'm just not sure if I need to cut my excessive exercise or spread out my meals but cut them too. I use to survive off of 700-800 on filling foods but I don't want to do that again for a long period of time. Just temporarily if needed.
  • sonyadilworth
    sonyadilworth Posts: 24 Member
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    Your exercise and eating habits sound very unhealthy. It's more important to be healthy than to lose 5 pounds.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Absolutely cut your exercise. Speak to your parents and boyfriend about things. Then get the professional help you need. This cycle is going to keep continuing until you do something about it.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    edited May 2016
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    How are you tracking your calories? From what you've said about your size, it would be nearly impossible for you to actually burn 6-7000 calories per day. Both MFP and machine estimates are notoriously inaccurate.
    Having said that, if you're really exercising several hours a day, you may need to take a hard look at how you're approaching this, because unless you're an elite athlete, it's probably not emotionally, or physically healthy.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    sonyadilworth wrote: »
    Your exercise and eating habits sound very unhealthy. It's more important to be healthy than to lose 5 pounds.

    This
    sijomial wrote: »
    Neither diet or exercise is the solution to your problem.

    And this

    OP you need to see a doctor and get some help
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
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    Not only do your eating habits sound very unhealthy, but your mentality about eating and losing weight do as well. In no world, except maybe in that of the morbidly obese, is it healthy to lose 30 pounds in a month. If everything you say is accurate, you're severely restricting your food (i.e., only eating once a day), possibly binging when you break that fast (eating a huge meal and dessert and more if you feel hungry), overexercising (spending hours on a treadmill), and considering going back to something you said made you look sick and unhealthy just to lose five pounds. You really need to reevaluate what's going on here, and if that takes getting a professional involved, do it! I'd bet you'd be a million times happier if you weren't struggling with all this!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    First, weigh yourself so you know what calorie goal is appropriate. If you can't step on a scale seek professional help.
    Second, put your age, height, weight and activity level into MFP and choose .5 lb A WEEK for the goal. Eat the number that you are told- not below 1200. If you exercise eat some of those calories as well.
    Do not eat 800 calories and exercise like crazy. Do not try to lose 1 lb a day. That is a very unhealthy goal.
    Seek professional help from a doctor, registered dietician, therapist if you have trouble setting up a normal healthy eating plan.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
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    You say you don't know hats causing your weight gain. I'd venture you're eating too much. Which means, you're kidding yourself about your intake.
  • jennie361
    jennie361 Posts: 6 Member
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    Running a marathon burns estimated 3000 calories (or so Iv heard/read) I doubt your burning nearly what u think you are. I struggle to burn more than 650 calories in 90 minutes and that's with HIT high intensity aerobics weights and steady rate running. At the end of last year my calories dropped below 1000 a day due to stress of divorce with no exercise I was losing 5lbs a week and I was already at the low end of my healthy bmi. Your calculations are wrong do doubt about it. I'm now trying to lose 7 vanity pounds and the only way that is working is counting calories weighing all my food and exercise in not starving or exsausted img myself with exercise and it does work not 30lbd down in a month but a lb a week which is fine with me cause I know I can keep it up long term.
  • michellemiler
    michellemiler Posts: 16 Member
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    don't ever change your diet for weight management, it never works,because once you start eating your normal meal again you start getting weight, I have done it so many times but now I have changed my way, I get my meal and do a massive workout,have complete rest,drink more water,use beyond weight management tea for weight loss, the thing I changed that I keep my self busy all the day, don;t stay at bed for long time once I get up.
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Try to give up the "cheat days" and you will get to eat a bit more on avetage day. What did MFP recommend for your daily calorie requirements to lose 1-2 pounds a week? You are so close to goal that it will be difficult to lose more than that. It isn't healthy to lose 30 pounds (7 pounds a week on average?) in a month because that would require disordered and severely restrictive eating which MFP discourages.
  • suzyjane1972
    suzyjane1972 Posts: 612 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Neither diet or exercise is the solution to your problem.

    THIS.
  • ratcoffee
    ratcoffee Posts: 17 Member
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    It really sounds like you are on a restrict/binge cycle, which is a disordered pattern of eating. You need to seek professional help.
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Seems disordered.

    Weight gain is caused by taking in more calories than you are expending--so you are either underestimating what you are taking in, or grossly overestimating what you are expending.

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