Eating in deficiency no longer viable??
maidengirl_
Posts: 283 Member
So I've been eating in deficiency for the last 8 months now. I have lost a total of 39 lbs. Started at 191 lbs and now I weigh 152 lbs. I'm 12 lbs away from my goal weight and now I am finding it extremely difficult to continue eating in deficiency. I started out eating about 1400-1500 cals per day with a net ranging from 1,100 to 1,300 with exercise. I have since upped my calorie intake to around 1600-1700 per day and I eat back about 75% of my exercise calories now because I have been feeling super hungry, irritable, and just down right tired. I drink lots of water (6 cups + per day) and eat actual food so I don't understand why this is occurring. Has anyone else experienced this with weight loss? Any tips on getting rid of the last few pounds and staying full longer? Should I consider supplements for fiber? I have practically gone into maintenance mode for over a month now and have maintained my weight because I can't figure out why I'm starving.
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Replies
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This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.4 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
Thank you! I thought I was going crazy! I was like OMG WHYY is this happening. Glad to know it's common!1 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7oD_nGdtbs
http://rippedbody.com/diet-break/
Here they are. Best of luck!5 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
No. Your body doesn't need a "reset".1 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
No. Your body doesn't need a "reset".
Please post your sources on studies that have been done that have shown that there are not any hormonal changes during dieting, and there is no metabolic adaptation.
If I'm wrong, I'd love to become more educated on the subject. Thanks!13 -
Have you recalculated the calories you burn in a day recently? Having lost almost 40 pounds, your BMR will be lower and, if you haven't increased your activity level, so will your daily burn.4
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SusanMFindlay wrote: »Have you recalculated the calories you burn in a day recently? Having lost almost 40 pounds, your BMR will be lower and, if you haven't increased your activity level, so will your daily burn.
I certainly agree with this, but that seems semi-unrelated to the topic. I think (sorry if I misunderstood the OP) that the issue was that the diet has become unsustainable due to hunger.
As there are changes to leptin as you diet, these feelings in some (most) people tend to get stronger and stronger, and it becomes more of a physiological issue than a willpower issue. Raising these hormones back up to normal (or near normal) levels will allow you to take two steps forward after taking one step back.
Although, this is based off of the research that I've seen. @elphie754 seems to have found recent discoveries disproving this, so we are awaiting those links to see if all of the previous research was flawed.13 -
RelevantGains wrote: »RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
No. Your body doesn't need a "reset".
Please post your sources on studies that have been done that have shown that there are not any hormonal changes during dieting, and there is no metabolic adaptation.
If I'm wrong, I'd love to become more educated on the subject. Thanks!
I'd like to see the new research also. I've seen several authoritative sources (Lyle McDonald and Alan Aragon among them) make evidence-based recommendations for an occasional full diet break (eating at maintenance levels) to balance out hormone levels which are affected by a long-term caloric deficit.9 -
This one dosnt even need scientific evidence.
Your mind and body WILL fight dirty to get you to eat more after eating in a deficiency for a long time.
If it didnt, evolution would have failed.
As the guys says, eat more for a little while.3 -
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
^ Lyle McDonald's take on it.
http://www.predatornutrition.com/articlesdetail?cid=ask-the-experts-fat-loss-special
^Alan Aragon interview. He is asked how his approach to fat loss has changed in the last few years and he replies:It's been the same for quite some time now (I've been at this since the early 90's). However, I'd say that within the past decade or so, I've been more conscious of having people take maintenance breaks from their dieting. Roughly every 4-8 weeks depending on the individual circumstances, I'll have clients take a full week off of the diet.
http://www.completehumanperformance.com/fat-loss-podcast/
^ From a podcast with Eric Helms:...If I’ve done that and they’re still having a really tough time following the diet, I typically implement a diet break. Instead of this constant grind of them feeling guilty and going off and just having a really bad psychological setup, we go, “OK, the goal of this right now is to eat closer to maintenance.”
I think it’s a great way to prevent the yo-yo, by having a controlled plan of when I’m going to take a break from dieting and then come back into it. This is something that Lyle McDonald talked about extensively back in the day and it’s something I use very frequently. It can help to bring back some of those maladaptations or to reverse those things we were talking about with all the effects of dieting and get your head above water so you can take a big deep breath before we dive back in. That’s one that I normally suggest if the person absolutely can’t hack it.
Another one is accepting a slower rate of weight loss. If someone is losing at a pretty quick rate and they’re having a tough time following a diet, cut it down. I have no problem with someone losing slower if it means they can keep losing...10 -
Also, have you reviewed your rate of loss? As you get nearer to your goal, you should reduce your deficit and aim for a slower rate of loss, to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need and that it is sustainable. The size of deficit that is comfortable when you are very overweight and have a lot of fat available to burn will not be comfortable when you are nearer to goal and have less fat in reserve. Try for a loss of half a pound a week (I agree a break might do you good too, and serve as a practice session for maintenance).9
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There are systems within our bodies which, like to be the weight we were, it takes time for them to become accustomed to how we now are. Our systems will fight back. Information to this effect was on the British tv program, Trust me, I'm a doctor, series.
I'm wondering if you have the best level for fats in your diet, foods you are eating. It is now being recognised that ones body needs fats to make most if not all hormones to make the body work well. Having a good ratio of fats will be more satisfying when it comes to combating hunger. I should have taken a peek at your diary before starting off on this post. I have lost a significant amount of weight over a protracted period and have found it beneficial to have periods of maintaining before moving to loose more.
All the very best2 -
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/
^ Lyle McDonald's take on it.
http://www.predatornutrition.com/articlesdetail?cid=ask-the-experts-fat-loss-special
^Alan Aragon interview. He is asked how his approach to fat loss has changed in the last few years and he replies:It's been the same for quite some time now (I've been at this since the early 90's). However, I'd say that within the past decade or so, I've been more conscious of having people take maintenance breaks from their dieting. Roughly every 4-8 weeks depending on the individual circumstances, I'll have clients take a full week off of the diet.
http://www.completehumanperformance.com/fat-loss-podcast/
^ From a podcast with Eric Helms:...If I’ve done that and they’re still having a really tough time following the diet, I typically implement a diet break. Instead of this constant grind of them feeling guilty and going off and just having a really bad psychological setup, we go, “OK, the goal of this right now is to eat closer to maintenance.”
I think it’s a great way to prevent the yo-yo, by having a controlled plan of when I’m going to take a break from dieting and then come back into it. This is something that Lyle McDonald talked about extensively back in the day and it’s something I use very frequently. It can help to bring back some of those maladaptations or to reverse those things we were talking about with all the effects of dieting and get your head above water so you can take a big deep breath before we dive back in. That’s one that I normally suggest if the person absolutely can’t hack it.
Another one is accepting a slower rate of weight loss. If someone is losing at a pretty quick rate and they’re having a tough time following a diet, cut it down. I have no problem with someone losing slower if it means they can keep losing...
Ah, thank you! I was trying to find Lyle's take on it, but couldn't find anything on his site. I guess I need to work on my Google-Fu lol3 -
CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Also, have you reviewed your rate of loss? As you get nearer to your goal, you should reduce your deficit and aim for a slower rate of loss, to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need and that it is sustainable. The size of deficit that is comfortable when you are very overweight and have a lot of fat available to burn will not be comfortable when you are nearer to goal and have less fat in reserve. Try for a loss of half a pound a week (I agree a break might do you good too, and serve as a practice session for maintenance).
I experienced the food cravings earlier this year and figured my goal was too aggressive for the amount I had left to lose so I changed my loss goal from 2 lbs per week to 1.5 lbs per week so I upped my calories from 1480 to 1590 which worked for a while. I suppose I could change it to 1 pound per week. It just seemed like it was way too many calories to eat to realistically lose weight. It gave me 1790.0 -
How much do you have left to lose? 1.5lb per week is still a pretty aggressive goal and that may well be why you are struggling. If you have been losing at the rate myfitnesspal predicts so far, then its estimates are working for you, so I would trust it when it tells you that you can lose 1lb a week on 1790, or even 2040 for half a pound a week.3
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maidengirl_ wrote: »CattOfTheGarage wrote: »Also, have you reviewed your rate of loss? As you get nearer to your goal, you should reduce your deficit and aim for a slower rate of loss, to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need and that it is sustainable. The size of deficit that is comfortable when you are very overweight and have a lot of fat available to burn will not be comfortable when you are nearer to goal and have less fat in reserve. Try for a loss of half a pound a week (I agree a break might do you good too, and serve as a practice session for maintenance).
I experienced the food cravings earlier this year and figured my goal was too aggressive for the amount I had left to lose so I changed my loss goal from 2 lbs per week to 1.5 lbs per week so I upped my calories from 1480 to 1590 which worked for a while. I suppose I could change it to 1 pound per week. It just seemed like it was way too many calories to eat to realistically lose weight. It gave me 1790.
There you go. That 1790 isn't "too much". You surely ate more than that to gain. You think it's this huge upswing with calories, but it's not, not really.
Change your MFP setting to .5 - 1# loss rate. You've got 12# to go, so no real need to have such a huge deficit with so little to lose. Also, be almost anal about weighing your food intake.5 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
I would agree with this. I'm on my last 10 lbs as well and it's sllllooow to come off. It should be, though. The .5 lb week deficit of 1750 was even hard to maintain for awhile because I just got tired of dieting. So for that reason, I'm all for dieting breaks. It's a nice mental break, plus with being so close to your goal, it helps you practice to see if your TDEE is maintainable for you. Agreeing with Cattofthegarage, too, about changing to .5 lb/wk loss if you haven't already. The loss rate is slower, but that's better with less than 15 pounds to lose anyway. Plus, you get to eat more!5 -
I agree with the diet break and refeed. There is very good information posted above from Alan Aragon, Eric Helms, and Lyle McDonald. These are people you definitely should be following and learning from.4
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I think even above the potential hormonal changes etc having a short break from deficit has always helped me mentally refocus. Being slightly hungry all the time gets to me mentally. At a certain point I find I'm not losing because I am having an extra snack here, eating back too many exercise calories, not measuring something properly etc. Then I know it's time to spend a day, week etc. letting myself eat at maintainence honestly before I go back into a deficit.1
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maidengirl_ wrote: »So I've been eating in deficiency for the last 8 months now. I have lost a total of 39 lbs. Started at 191 lbs and now I weigh 152 lbs. I'm 12 lbs away from my goal weight and now I am finding it extremely difficult to continue eating in deficiency. I started out eating about 1400-1500 cals per day with a net ranging from 1,100 to 1,300 with exercise. I have since upped my calorie intake to around 1600-1700 per day and I eat back about 75% of my exercise calories now because I have been feeling super hungry, irritable, and just down right tired. I drink lots of water (6 cups + per day) and eat actual food so I don't understand why this is occurring. Has anyone else experienced this with weight loss? Any tips on getting rid of the last few pounds and staying full longer? Should I consider supplements for fiber? I have practically gone into maintenance mode for over a month now and have maintained my weight because I can't figure out why I'm starving.
Congratulations!
Weight loss slows down as you get get closer to goal weight.
How long has your weight been stalled?
When did you adjust your calories up?
Do you weigh your food and log everything you eat? You have less margin for error now, so it's important to be sure of what you are eating.0 -
I agree, have a week at maintenance, re-do your numbers to make sure they're up to date after your loss, and then get back to a deficit of 250cals.
Maybe set a new fitness goal too so you have a new focus?4 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
Maintenance, yes But, I disagree with eating above maintenance because she is not losing weight, which means she is eating at maintenance. You never eat above maintenance if you are not losing weight (unless you goal is to gain weight).0 -
RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
I disagree with eating above maintenance because she is not losing weight. You never eat above maintenance if you are not losing weight.
OP is tired, hungry and presumably not losing weight because she's struggling with and not actually eating in a deficit.
Being hangry is a good reason to have a diet break after 8 months hard work.7 -
TavistockToad wrote: »RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
I disagree with eating above maintenance because she is not losing weight. You never eat above maintenance if you are not losing weight.
OP is tired, hungry and presumably not losing weight because she's struggling with and not actually eating in a deficit.
Being hangry is a good reason to have a diet break after 8 months hard work.
No, I agree with eating at maintenance (diet break), not above (refeed).
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TavistockToad wrote: »RelevantGains wrote: »This is very common, There's a lot of hormonal craziness that happens with long term dieting. It looks like a diet break would work wonders for you to get everything reset.
Try to sit at maintenance or slightly above for about 2 weeks, then get back to it. You'll be glad you did! I'll see if I can fish up some articles I've read on diet breaks for you.
I disagree with eating above maintenance because she is not losing weight. You never eat above maintenance if you are not losing weight.
OP is tired, hungry and presumably not losing weight because she's struggling with and not actually eating in a deficit.
Being hangry is a good reason to have a diet break after 8 months hard work.
No, I agree with eating at maintenance (diet break), not above (refeed).
The question is whether the OP is willing to add 5 pounds for sanity or not. If she's mentally beat up from losing 80 pounds and ready to break stuff and quit, and won't panic over a few pounds, then I'd say exceed maintenance for a few weeks and then get back at it. Most likely, that 5 pounds will come off very quickly anyway. On the other hand, if she will panic over 5 pounds then she might be better off just sticking with maintenance. There isn't a "right" or "wrong" general answer here. It's what will work for the OP, and help her get back on track to finish up her weight loss and stay sane in the process. Frankly, at an 40 pounds loss I'd say a couple of weeks of IDGAF would be in order for me.2 -
maidengirl_ wrote: »So I've been eating in deficiency for the last 8 months now. I have lost a total of 39 lbs. Started at 191 lbs and now I weigh 152 lbs. I'm 12 lbs away from my goal weight and now I am finding it extremely difficult to continue eating in deficiency. I started out eating about 1400-1500 cals per day with a net ranging from 1,100 to 1,300 with exercise. I have since upped my calorie intake to around 1600-1700 per day and I eat back about 75% of my exercise calories now because I have been feeling super hungry, irritable, and just down right tired. I drink lots of water (6 cups + per day) and eat actual food so I don't understand why this is occurring. Has anyone else experienced this with weight loss? Any tips on getting rid of the last few pounds and staying full longer? Should I consider supplements for fiber? I have practically gone into maintenance mode for over a month now and have maintained my weight because I can't figure out why I'm starving.
Congratulations!
Weight loss slows down as you get get closer to goal weight.
How long has your weight been stalled?
When did you adjust your calories up?
Do you weigh your food and log everything you eat? You have less margin for error now, so it's important to be sure of what you are eating.
These were the exact questions I was going to ask.0 -
This sounds exactly like me, same figures too!0
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Same boat, 65 down with 10-15 to go and hungry all the time now. Don't have any real answers, but you're not alone. I've been eating smaller breakfasts (250 cals) since I'm not that hungry in the morning and using the extra calories for snacks throughout the day. And gum helps too.2
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TavistockToad wrote: »I agree, have a week at maintenance, re-do your numbers to make sure they're up to date after your loss, and then get back to a deficit of 250cals.
Maybe set a new fitness goal too so you have a new focus?
Another vote for a week at maintenance and then changing your weekly weight loss goal to 0.5 pound per week.1 -
Hormones...take a diet break...when you go back into your cut have a less aggressive rate of loss goal to 1 Lb per week or less.4
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