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Is it me or is it my body?
Replies
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Just what are your "very low (but totally doable) calorie limits per day"?
And also note that as you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will slow.2 -
Have you reevaluated your TDEE and maintenance weight goal lately?
Maybe you should eat at maintenance level where you are for now and give your body a chance to level out and get accustomed to its new weight. You can always shift back down to the lower calories later, but at least you won't lose ground you've gained already if you go on maintenance for a bit.
We do keep an eye on re-evaluation, and we're both eating on what should be the right calorie limit for our current weights and continued weight-loss goals. I didn't think of giving our bodies a "maintenance break," though. Have you tried that sort of thing? Did it work?You might be missing important nutrients. I can jog a plateau by eating some avocado on a salad and have a fatty fish like salmon. You might be low on essential fatty acids? (Just some ideas to think about.)
This is a good point. We try to eat a diverse diet (lots of pulses, starchy and non-starchy vegetables, eggs, some lean meat, the occasional bit of fish, wholemeal bread), but perhaps we haven't been paying enough attention to fats. We love both salmon and avocado, but haven't had either lately. This is something I can change - thank you!
What were your macros (percent of carbs, fat, and protein) around the time of your unusual hunger? I wonder if your increased hunger was due to not enough fat and protein in relationship to carbs. When I don't get enough proportional protein I can eat and eat and eat and never feel satisfied.1 -
Some low cal filling favourites for me are zucchini noodles with shrimp, tuna or chicken and a tomato based sauce. I also discovered these black bean noodles which are amazing. One serving of just the noodles is quite big and filling and has 25 gm of protein, 12 gm of fibre and 180 calories... i thought that was pretty amazing. I also like to make a taco salad using ground chicken breast, shredded light tex-mex cheese blend, pico di gallo, peppers, onions and lots of lettuce.
Thank you! I love zucchini noodles (called "courgetti" here). Can't afford shrimp often, but will start making them with inexpensive chicken more regularly. I'll keep an eye out for black bean noodles, too! There's a thing called "zero" or "miracle" noodles here, which are shiratake noodles and have almost no calories, but they can be fairly expensive and don't have much nutritional value.
I like your taco salad idea, too! I make slow-cooker chicken "fajitas" that sound quite similar, but omit the cheese (I just eat the mixture plain, or topped with a little fat-free yoghurt and some chopped avocado). I should try it over lettuce!0 -
One thing that may help with the frustration and disappointment of the periodic weigh-in ... Daily weigh-ins using a weight trending app like Happy Scale (iPhone) or Libra (Android). Trendweight is online.
I used to have a huge fears of the scale and using this program has helped me understand how exercise and food affects my body. I no longer dread getting on the scale.
There are great videos on fitness blender on YouTube.
Congrats on all the great work so far!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'll download Libra this afternoon and take a look at it. I was under the impression you weren't supposed to weigh yourself every day because of the variability due to water and temperature and what you ate the day before and stuff, but perhaps the app will teach me to understand in a slightly more nuanced way!0 -
It didn't for me, unfortunately. I was very close to my goal and upped my exercise, went in vacations, and I've basically been hungry since... that was 2 years ago.
But with what you said above - you're not building any muscle by eating low calories. You're probably actually burning through it. Raise your goal to something more manageable/healthy.
Oh, gosh. Hopefully "hungry forever" isn't the new normal for us, especially as my partner has a strong tendency to get depressed (or occasionally irritable) when he feels hungry or unsatisfied. I hope you find a solution to your hunger, too! I wish I could offer suggestions, but it's clear from this thread that I don't know enough yet to suggest anything useful.
(I know of a few low-calorie options that you can add to your regular meals without blowing your limits. The ones that most help to fill me up and quash hunger include winter squash, summer squash, haricot beans - navy beans in America, I think - and shiratake noodles or konnyaku, if you have access to and can afford them.)
You're right about muscle-building, though. We focus on getting enough protein (both of us have a higher-than-average need for it), but I think once we start the strength training another user recommended, which will be next week, the calorie limits may have to go up as well in order to compensate.0 -
Calliope610 wrote: »Just what are your "very low (but totally doable) calorie limits per day"?
And also note that as you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will slow.
That's certainly part of it, although we've recalculated our limits to reflect our new, lower weights. We're okay with slow weight loss; just worried when it seems to stop altogether!
My partner is on 1200 calories a day as calculated by MyFitnessPal; he used to be on 1310, but the app recalculated him lower after he lost weight.
I'm on 1000 calories a day, which I know is lower than the technical limit on MyFitnessPal, but in my case it's medically approved. (I have a tiny frame size and slow metabolism for other health reasons, so I verified that I am in fact okay to be this low.)0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »What were your macros (percent of carbs, fat, and protein) around the time of your unusual hunger? I wonder if your increased hunger was due to not enough fat and protein in relationship to carbs. When I don't get enough proportional protein I can eat and eat and eat and never feel satisfied.
This is entirely possible! We do focus hard on protein, but we aren't always successful. Sugar is a problem area for us both (and, to a lesser extent, carbs because you can't really have sugar without carbs). Thing is, we don't eat that many "sweet treats" - things like fruit and vegetables do us in!0 -
You've both done really well. There isn't much good advice out there about ending a diet.
Every time I've dieted in the past I've put the weight back on within a year or two. So this time, even though I've got a long way to go yet, I'm determined to work out how we deal with those last few pesky pounds and the (inevitable) binges that come when we end a diet.
First the bad news. I think my problem in the past was that I didn't continue counting calories. A diet is for life.
My suggestion (after having read a lot. About this) is to up your calorie intake by a little bit each and increase your activity levels, but don't count exercise as extra calories. Gently does it is the name of the game. Don't go hareing round a running track for an hour if that's not your usual level.
When you start losing weight again, up the calorie levels a bit more and the exercise until you are again losing weight. It'll take ages, but what you are doing is coming to a nice steady state. So as you increase calories think about how you want to eat for the rest of your lives.
Imagine a plane coming into land. You are just about to ouch down, but you are only at the beginning of the runway.1 -
Vegplotter wrote: »Every time I've dieted in the past I've put the weight back on within a year or two. So this time, even though I've got a long way to go yet, I'm determined to work out how we deal with those last few pesky pounds and the (inevitable) binges that come when we end a diet.
That's what we'd both like to avoid. When we do finally manage to hit our goals, we'll definitely continue tracking (although possibly switching to the easier, app-based "calories-only" method instead of following all the macro- and micronutrients). That's the easy part; continuing to raise the activity levels when exercise is so time-consuming will be the hard part.Vegplotter wrote: »Imagine a plane coming into land. You are just about to touch down, but you are only at the beginning of the runway.
I like this analogy. My only fear is that I'll overestimate our maintenance calorie levels and mess it all up at the last minute!1 -
There's a thing called "zero" or "miracle" noodles here, which are shiratake noodles and have almost no calories, but they can be fairly expensive and don't have much nutritional value.
Just to warn you, I once tried those and thought they were horrible -- slimy in texture and squeaky against the teeth. I managed to swallow, but then it just sat there in my stomach. Not worth the money, IMHO! Zoodles are much better.
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Just to warn you, I once tried those and thought they were horrible -- slimy in texture and squeaky against the teeth. I managed to swallow, but then it just sat there in my stomach. Not worth the money, IMHO! Zoodles are much better.
I actually like them fine (although it probably varies by brand and preparation method). They're expensive, unfortunately, but so is buying prepared noodles made out of vegetables. (We have courgetti here, which I'm pretty sure is the same thing as zoodles, but we also have "noodles" made out of carrot or butternut squash - the butternut is my favourite.) I'd happily prepare my own, but I've got to buy a spiralizer before I can do that...
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Update:
My partner and I spoke to our doctor. He had his calorie allowance raised; I did not (because I'm so small in terms of frame size that raising it even a tiny bit has a disproportionate impact). We were both encouraged to eat back more exercise calories.
The doctor also said that we were probably doing enough exercise, but - on the advice of this thread, and because we wanted to - we decided to implement more strength training anyway. After trying a few things (NHS Strength & Flex, "You Are Your Own Gym"), we settled on a half-hour full-body strength workout based on the Sworkit app three days a week. (We also do three two-hour aikido classes a week on the other days, and the final day is usually spent walking anywhere from two to six hours.)
Progress will definitely be slower, and I'm not entirely sure I see how this will help get us off that plateau, but I guess we'll see what happens.0 -
I think it's important to see exercise as a part of your day, something you do naturally, not a chore. So for me walking, gardening, volunteering, cycling instead of driving - those are the 'forever' activities. At the weekends hiking, or swimming or kyacking might be fun. In the evenings go dancing or join a yoga class. These are all things that you should be able to fit into a normal social life.
[Calorie counting] That's the easy part; continuing to raise the activity levels when exercise is so time-consuming will be the hard part.
If your existing social life revolves around fast food and the pub, it might be time to widen your circle of friends.
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Vegplotter wrote: »I think it's important to see exercise as a part of your day, something you do naturally, not a chore. So for me walking, gardening, volunteering, cycling instead of driving - those are the 'forever' activities. At the weekends hiking, or swimming or kyacking might be fun. In the evenings go dancing or join a yoga class. These are all things that you should be able to fit into a normal social life.
If your existing social life revolves around fast food and the pub, it might be time to widen your circle of friends.
Very much the opposite. We're both non-drinkers with very little money, so fast food and the pub make poor bedfellows for us. Unfortunately, we both work full-time, have commutes we can't do actively (too far to walk and we don't own bicycles - which would also be a challenge - so we're stuck with public transit), and have creative sideline careers, so those things take up most of our days, not social activities.
We do as much lifestyle exercise as we can - three two-hour aikido classes per week, walking to all of our errands (groceries, appointments, etc.), and long weekend hikes (usually anywhere from two to six hours of walking to/from, not counting any walking we do at our destination, e.g. if we're running errands while there). Those are our "forever" activities - but that's also what I meant by "time-consuming," because six hours of walking is a lot of creative or busywork time to lose! We've just implemented a half-hour bodyweight strength training routine three mornings a week as well, but we'll have to see if we can get that to stick as well as the other things have.0 -
I love this thread topic. Who are we and what are our bodies? Where does one stop and one begin? Really makes you think.0
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Hi im Jake!
So your on 1200 calories a day? How does that break down into macros?
I dont want to sound a cliche but honestly your not eating enough.
I understand counting calories is a very useful tool but I wouldn't count them for the time being, Id count my carbs fats and proteins, which ultimately is more specific than calories.
1gram of carb is 4 kcal
1 gram of protein is 4 kcal
1 gram of fat is 9 kcal
But I never count mine, I usually sit around 2250 for weight loss which sounds very high compared to everyone else but the majority comes from protein and fats (which are what you need for weight loss)
Try dropping your carbs , raising your protein and raising your fats.
I'd say stay between 170-200g protein
80-100g of fat
and 80g of carbs
ultimately it does depend on your weight and height too.
I'd aim to lose 2 lbs of FAT per week, not weight too
once you drop your carbs you'll see the results you deserve for your hard work, but remember keep fats and proteins high.
Oh and when you eat carbs eat them around exercise 1 hour before and straight after!
Message me or add me for any further help!1 -
Hi! Thanks for responding.
Very much the opposite. We're both non-drinkers with very little money, so fast food and the pub make poor bedfellows for us. Unfortunately, we both work full-time, have commutes we can't do actively (too far to walk and we don't own bicycles - which would also be a challenge - so we're stuck with public transit), and have creative sideline careers, so those things take up most of our days, not social activities.
We do as much lifestyle exercise as we can - three two-hour aikido classes per week, walking to all of our errands (groceries, appointments, etc.), and long weekend hikes (usually anywhere from two to six hours of walking to/from, not counting any walking we do at our destination, e.g. if we're running errands while there). Those are our "forever" activities - but that's also what I meant by "time-consuming," because six hours of walking is a lot of creative or busywork time to lose! We've just implemented a half-hour bodyweight strength training routine three mornings a week as well, but we'll have to see if we can get that to stick as well as the other things have.
I wonder whether it isn't time to increase calories (counterintuitive I know) and decrease exercise. Also cut out eating the exercise calories (if you are) You may be building muscle now, which is heavier than fat. (And you can have too much of a good thing muscle wise I'd say!)
Do it very gradually. The NHS here advise about 30mins exercise a day -as long as you do it regularly.
As long as your target weight is reasonable I'm guessing that you will eventually reach it, but very slowly. It's worth waiting for. And I'd say, the slower you make this transition from losing to maintenance the better.
It's really important to think about what your maintenance diet and exercise will be like, because you will be on it for the rest of your life.
I'm wondering if you'll be able to keep up what sounds like a punishing routine?
You mention the impossibility of walking to work.
Why not get off the transit a stop or two before your work stop and add that to your daily exercise? I don't know your ticketing system but by walking just a stop here in London you can really reduce commuting costs by walking into a cheaper zone.
Good luck. It sounds as though you are nearly there. My main advice. Be patient.
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jakefitzgerald93 wrote: »Hi im Jake!
So your on 1200 calories a day? How does that break down into macros?
I dont want to sound a cliche but honestly your not eating enough.
I understand counting calories is a very useful tool but I wouldn't count them for the time being, Id count my carbs fats and proteins, which ultimately is more specific than calories.
1gram of carb is 4 kcal
1 gram of protein is 4 kcal
1 gram of fat is 9 kcal
But I never count mine, I usually sit around 2250 for weight loss which sounds very high compared to everyone else but the majority comes from protein and fats (which are what you need for weight loss)
Try dropping your carbs , raising your protein and raising your fats.
I'd say stay between 170-200g protein
80-100g of fat
and 80g of carbs
ultimately it does depend on your weight and height too.
I'd aim to lose 2 lbs of FAT per week, not weight too once you drop your carbs you'll see the results you deserve for your hard work, but remember keep fats and proteins high.
Oh and when you eat carbs eat them around exercise 1 hour before and straight after!
Message me or add me for any further help!
Thanks, Jake! This is a lot of very useful information. Neither of us has a lot of fat to lose (my partner's trying to shake the last little bit, which in weight numbers seems to be about 5 lbs; I'd like to do about the same, but recognize that I might simply not have 5 lbs of pure fat left and don't want to drop muscle).
I'm on 1000 calories a day, but I'm extremely small and lightly built and that amount is doctor-verified/approved. (I just checked in with her again last week and she confirmed that I'm where I ought to be). I haven't been eating back exercise calories, but she said I ought to start doing that. I seem to be getting mixed messages about whether or not that's the right way to go, though!
My partner was on 1200 calories a day (trying to lose 1.5-2 lbs/week), but the doctor agreed with you and bumped him up to 1500 (on track to lose about 1 lb/week). We haven't been paying close attention to macros other than to see where we're going over (refined sugars are his problem; carbs are mine), but we'll start trying harder with those.
On your advice, I very slightly adjusted our macros so we're aiming for a little less carb and a little more protein. If we manage that, I'll try adjusting them even more. We aim to eat most of our complex carbs at breakfast (to burn throughout the day), but I'll try to start focusing them around exercise times as well.
Thank you for all of this extensive analysis; it's so helpful!0 -
Vegplotter wrote: »Hi! Thanks for responding.
I wonder whether it isn't time to increase calories (counterintuitive I know) and decrease exercise. Also cut out eating the exercise calories (if you are) You may be building muscle now, which is heavier than fat. (And you can have too much of a good thing muscle wise I'd say!)
Do it very gradually. The NHS here advise about 30mins exercise a day -as long as you do it regularly.
As long as your target weight is reasonable I'm guessing that you will eventually reach it, but very slowly. It's worth waiting for. And I'd say, the slower you make this transition from losing to maintenance the better.
It's really important to think about what your maintenance diet and exercise will be like, because you will be on it for the rest of your life.
I'm wondering if you'll be able to keep up what sounds like a punishing routine?
You mention the impossibility of walking to work.
Why not get off the transit a stop or two before your work stop and add that to your daily exercise? I don't know your ticketing system but by walking just a stop here in London you can really reduce commuting costs by walking into a cheaper zone.
Good luck. It sounds as though you are nearly there. My main advice. Be patient.
No, thank you for the advice!
I think you're right about the calorie increase, and the doctor agreed (kept me at 1000, but bumped my partner up to 1500). Unlike you, though, she recommended eating back exercise calories - perhaps as a result of our low baseline allowances? (I wonder which one we should be doing! Mixed messages are a common theme in any "healthy eating/exercise" plan, though. Presumably just because everyone's sucessful regimen looks slightly different...)
We've also changed our exercise regimen (replacing our former daily 5-10-minute cardio workout with a 3x/week half-hour strength workout). The aikido and hiking shouldn't be a problem to continue indefinitely, but the strength workout is the part I'm worried about keeping up after transitioning to maintenance, as you quite rightly warn! Perhaps we should consider decreasing the duration of that workout when we do the transition...
Unfortunately, getting off a stop early on our commutes doesn't work (I'm the middle man in a very tight carpool, and my partner would have to walk for more than an hour if he got off one stop earlier). I've begun taking a 20-minute walk at lunch whenever possible, though (and not adding it to my "exercise calorie count"), and I'll see if I can recommend something similar to him.
Thank you for all of your advice! I think you're absolutely right that "be patient" is a key one, too, but the closer the goal is, the harder that gets!0 -
jakefitzgerald93 wrote: »Hi im Jake!
So your on 1200 calories a day? How does that break down into macros?
I dont want to sound a cliche but honestly your not eating enough.
I understand counting calories is a very useful tool but I wouldn't count them for the time being, Id count my carbs fats and proteins, which ultimately is more specific than calories.
1gram of carb is 4 kcal
1 gram of protein is 4 kcal
1 gram of fat is 9 kcal
But I never count mine, I usually sit around 2250 for weight loss which sounds very high compared to everyone else but the majority comes from protein and fats (which are what you need for weight loss)
Try dropping your carbs , raising your protein and raising your fats.
I'd say stay between 170-200g protein
80-100g of fat
and 80g of carbs
ultimately it does depend on your weight and height too.
I'd aim to lose 2 lbs of FAT per week, not weight too once you drop your carbs you'll see the results you deserve for your hard work, but remember keep fats and proteins high.
Oh and when you eat carbs eat them around exercise 1 hour before and straight after!
Message me or add me for any further help!
So much nope in one reply.
Their calori goals are set by their doctor, you should not be recommending that they disregard their doctors advice.
Dropping carbs does not equate to weight loss/fat loss. You have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, that simple. When you eat carbs has no impact.3 -
Well the one good thing about all this is that you know what your maintenance level is likely to be!
Good luck.1
This discussion has been closed.
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