This is why people gain weight, and why losing it is so hard.
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I just wanna add to great advice that you may benefit, like I did, to the way in which exercise can suppress appetite. I enjoy it and I do better staying within my calorie allowance..it's not meaningful to me in that it gives me extra cals to eat but that it helps me feel good, motivated and hormonally balanced.
That's its biggest draw for me. And it can take a bit of pushing yourself internally to do it but you make the time fit (even a short walk to start) and eventually you'll crave it, prioritise it, demand it. So, essentially, exercise means more than 200-300 cals...helps mindset.
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GOOD FOR YOU, jdb3388, for having the awareness and curiosity to see where you are and where you need to be!
That in itself is an enormous step. Sadly, calories in will always be a concern for all of us except a lucky few. I hate that I can't eat whatever I want, but learned to "adapt" and to enjoy on occasion, while being diligent about my eating habits most of the time. It takes paying attention but it can work. And to those lucky enough, or active enough to burn thousands of calories- that's great! I, however, at 5'3" and nearly 60 years old, run 5 times a week and bike/hike the other days, as well as weight training and HIIT alternately- and still have to watch carefully.
The good news? At 60- normal BP, no medications, regular cholesterol. I'm aiming for 90 years like this.....:-)7 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »I was convinced I was an outlier due to my frame when I was fat .. My goal was to get close to 25 ...cos I bought into the whole population measure,not for individuals, I'm large framed / big boned (I am by wrist and forearm dimensions) .turns out I sit nicely around a BMI of 24 (and I have decent muscles
As I mentioned, height is a big issue with BMI. My husband is 6'1, used to throw javelin, shot put, discus, etc. and has the build you'd expect from that. BMI says he'd have to be below 190 to be "healthy" which is total BS. I've seen photos of him as a teenager weighing that much and he was skinny as a rail. You shouldn't be skinny as a rail at the top of your "healthy" BMI range. But he is the exception not the rule (and it is largely because he is tall in addition to being broad shouldered and broad chested).
Similarly, for some very very short women (substantially sub-five-feet), the bottom end of the healthy range doesn't go low enough.
Checking for FFMI and assuming he's in the land between very fit and still humanly possible, he could be between 10 and 15% bodyfat at below 190 with plenty of musculature because high FFMI. Hardly thin as a rail.1 -
bethannien wrote: »I would like to see a listing of the food you ate that tallied 4500 calories.
I just cannot fathom that many calories in a day.
Easy peasy. A fat Belgian waffle, slathered in a couple tablespoons of butter for breakfast and at LEAST 1/2 cup of maple syrup. Can't eat that without a couple slices of bacon and a fried egg or two (cooked in the bacon grease of course). 800 calories for the waffle, butter and syrup. Another 100 or so for the bacon and conservatively another 150 for the eggs. Pushing 1000 just on breakfast.
Lunch, I'd eat a Big Mac meal (with a Diet Coke at least) which tops out at around 900 calories. Sometimes I'd get a dipped ice cream cone for another 150 (1050).
A snack before dinner of a snickers bar (280 cals if I'm not mistaken) and maybe a couple ounces of cheese for 220 cals or so (500).
Dinner, if I cooked at home, would be some form of creamy pasta with meat. I would easily eat two servings, if not more but let's say I just ate two. I guarantee just the entree would be 1000 calories, plus one or two slices of garlic bread, 400 calories for 2 slices. (1400).
I nearly always ate something before bed too. Maybe it was leftovers in the fridge (anywhere from 500-750 calories would be my guess). Maybe it was swinging through a drive thru and eating egg rolls dipped in ranch (3 at 150 cals each plus 200 or so calories worth of ranch-650). Sometimes it would be a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's (1200 give or take 200 calories).
Conservatively, that's about 4400 calories but it could get as bad as 6000 calories. And that was a pretty regular Saturday for me.
But that's my point, it is attainable when eating utter crap food. When trying to lose weight, in my opinion, there is no way you should be even coming close to that.0 -
I eat 4k everyday. It's not that hard.8
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Clearly you eat 4k calories every day of McDonalds, Waffles bathing in syrup, 6 pack of coke, Ding Dongs, Chips etc...0
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I came to the realization that I will NEVER be able to eat like I used to and I am ok with that. My cardiologist told me that I had to find a way to eat and exercise that I can sustain for the rest of my life. I had to make the choice to change the way I live or resign myself to die much sooner than I wanted to. I am pretty much on a maintenance schedule now.
I see the terminology "non-logging days". For me, there are no non-logging days, even on maintenance. I have missed only one day of logging in over two years and I know that is the only thing that allows me to be successful in this journey. I have lost 140 pounds and I intend on keeping it off.
I am 57 years old now and weigh 197 pounds. I started at 337. My goal weight was originally 180, but I can't get there because of all the loose skin. I didn't have any bariatric surgery, but because of my age and the amount of weight I lost, the skin won't shrink.7 -
midwesterner85 wrote: »I would like to see a listing of the food you ate that tallied 4500 calories.
I just cannot fathom that many calories in a day.
Really? I just started to give up on caring how many calories I eat half-way through today (thanks to this thread) and had 4K calories just in the evening. In fact, 2K of those calories were just from peanut butter alone. It isn't hard to add on the calories pretty fast. If I had not cared how many calories I ate for breakfast and lunch, consider how many calories I could have eaten today...
Ha, for once we agree. Days when I say F-it, I have no problem hitting 4-5000 calories.
But both of us have binge eating disorder. A lot of people don't seem to understand large quantities of food.
I have no idea if the OP has any kind of binging issues or if he just really likes foods that are high in calories. There have been a lot of good suggestions in this thread for strategies to handle that though.- Eat smaller portions of the food you do enjoy and supplement your diet with lower calorie options to help keep the volume of food up (have 6 wings instead of 12 or 20 and get a side salad, have a single serving of ice cream and some fruit for dessert, etc.).
- You could try doing intermittent fasting where you skip one meal which will allow you more calories for your later meals. This obviously doesn't work for everyone. I skip breakfast and try to have small meals and snacks throughout the day (I get hungry every few hours) so that I can eat the majority of my calories at night. I frequently will eat about half of my daily calories for dinner.
- Try minor modifications to things to cut some of the calories out - take the bun off your burger, get a smaller order of fries, diet soda instead of regular, etc.
- Try making at home versions of foods you like to eat out. Cooking at home gives you more control of what goes into your meal and it's easier to make minor substitutions and healthier versions of things.
- Have a "go to" list of foods that you like to eat that easily fit in your calorie goal. Having easy options to fall back on makes sudden trips for fast food less necessary.
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bethannien wrote: »I would like to see a listing of the food you ate that tallied 4500 calories.
I just cannot fathom that many calories in a day.
Easy peasy. A fat Belgian waffle, slathered in a couple tablespoons of butter for breakfast and at LEAST 1/2 cup of maple syrup. Can't eat that without a couple slices of bacon and a fried egg or two (cooked in the bacon grease of course). 800 calories for the waffle, butter and syrup. Another 100 or so for the bacon and conservatively another 150 for the eggs. Pushing 1000 just on breakfast.
Lunch, I'd eat a Big Mac meal (with a Diet Coke at least) which tops out at around 900 calories. Sometimes I'd get a dipped ice cream cone for another 150 (1050).
A snack before dinner of a snickers bar (280 cals if I'm not mistaken) and maybe a couple ounces of cheese for 220 cals or so (500).
Dinner, if I cooked at home, would be some form of creamy pasta with meat. I would easily eat two servings, if not more but let's say I just ate two. I guarantee just the entree would be 1000 calories, plus one or two slices of garlic bread, 400 calories for 2 slices. (1400).
I nearly always ate something before bed too. Maybe it was leftovers in the fridge (anywhere from 500-750 calories would be my guess). Maybe it was swinging through a drive thru and eating egg rolls dipped in ranch (3 at 150 cals each plus 200 or so calories worth of ranch-650). Sometimes it would be a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's (1200 give or take 200 calories).
Conservatively, that's about 4400 calories but it could get as bad as 6000 calories. And that was a pretty regular Saturday for me.
But that's my point, it is attainable when eating utter crap food. When trying to lose weight, in my opinion, there is no way you should be even coming close to that.
No, you can overdo it on food that is nutritional. Things like oils, butter, nuts, avocado, beef, peanut butter and many fruits are packed with nutrients as well as calories. Easy to have a 4,000 calorie day.7 -
credle071207 wrote: »I came to the realization that I will NEVER be able to eat like I used to and I am ok with that. My cardiologist told me that I had to find a way to eat and exercise that I can sustain for the rest of my life. I had to make the choice to change the way I live or resign myself to die much sooner than I wanted to. I am pretty much on a maintenance schedule now.
I see the terminology "non-logging days". For me, there are no non-logging days, even on maintenance. I have missed only one day of logging in over two years and I know that is the only thing that allows me to be successful in this journey. I have lost 140 pounds and I intend on keeping it off.
I am 57 years old now and weigh 197 pounds. I started at 337. My goal weight was originally 180, but I can't get there because of all the loose skin. I didn't have any bariatric surgery, but because of my age and the amount of weight I lost, the skin won't shrink.
You look fabulous, well done!
I hear you, I could not go back to my old way of eating either, even though I overdo it on the food sometimes. For me, making better choices and having smaller portions work.0 -
credle071207 wrote: »I came to the realization that I will NEVER be able to eat like I used to and I am ok with that. My cardiologist told me that I had to find a way to eat and exercise that I can sustain for the rest of my life. I had to make the choice to change the way I live or resign myself to die much sooner than I wanted to. I am pretty much on a maintenance schedule now.
I see the terminology "non-logging days". For me, there are no non-logging days, even on maintenance. I have missed only one day of logging in over two years and I know that is the only thing that allows me to be successful in this journey. I have lost 140 pounds and I intend on keeping it off.
I am 57 years old now and weigh 197 pounds. I started at 337. My goal weight was originally 180, but I can't get there because of all the loose skin. I didn't have any bariatric surgery, but because of my age and the amount of weight I lost, the skin won't shrink.
You look fabulous, well done!
I hear you, I could not go back to my old way of eating either, even though I overdo it on the food sometimes. For me, making better choices and having smaller portions work.
Thank you! my weight loss calorie intake was 1600 per day. I actually still try to stay as close to that as possible, but will occasionally slip up and take in 2000 or maybe even 2200, but see no adverse affects. It's all about consistency.1 -
I'm 5'5'', my goal weight is 150 (which BMI tells me is at the very peak of Normal, just 1 lb away from overweight) and I work a job were I can't get up and walk around often. Comes out to 1899. Even if I take a walk/jog/run in the morning or evenings I'd really only pick up 200-300 calories.
Hi JDB,
For 5'5, 4,500 calories is a crazy amount of calories! You must be living the good life and indulging in every kind of high-fat, high-flavour, high-calorie food for all three meals!!
If you search my name, you'll see I posted two weeks ago about how impossible it is going to be to go from my usual 2,000-2,300 calorie days to 1650-1,800 per day to lose weight. But after being reassured on MFP and using a food scale, I am doing it - and it's fun being in control of your calories! (Haven't seen any weight loss yet though.)
A couple of things come to mind for you....
- you may need to go through a period of retraining your tastebuds. I love sweets and for me, having just a little bit of cake opens up my appetite for more and more cake. I cant just have one slice - it has to be three! That's why i dont keep any desserts in my home. Like a recovering alcolohic, I have to stop cold turkey in order for the desire to lessen and disappear with time. You might have to do the same thing if you are eating foods with loads of butter, oil, sugar, etc. It is possible to retrain your tastebuds and you can do it. Eventually you will develop a disdain for junk food.
- You will probably also have to rediscover your true hunger. At 4,500 calories a day, you are probably never going a bit hungry nor are you finishing a meal when your stomach is adequately filled. My guess is you are eating waaaay past your true hunger.
- make sure to drink enough water throughout the day.
Good luck.
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midwesterner85 wrote: »I would like to see a listing of the food you ate that tallied 4500 calories.
I just cannot fathom that many calories in a day.
Really? I just started to give up on caring how many calories I eat half-way through today (thanks to this thread) and had 4K calories just in the evening. In fact, 2K of those calories were just from peanut butter alone. It isn't hard to add on the calories pretty fast. If I had not cared how many calories I ate for breakfast and lunch, consider how many calories I could have eaten today...Nony_Mouse wrote: »You're seriously blaming this thread for your lack of self control? No wonder you struggle.midwesterner85 wrote: »No, I am saying this thread helped me finally realize that the low calorie level I am now at is not satisfying, and that I am not happy with it. In fact, I may be less unhappy being overweight.
Also, I didn't say I gave no self control. This thread isn't about me, but I will point out that I don't lose weight as easily as most MFP users. CICO alone does not work for me, which is why it has taken almost 3 years to lose 45 lbs. For all I have been through along the way, I would argue I have far more self control than most. But that is a whole separate thread which isn't germane to this topic, nor is there any value for me to try to help you understand (that is assuming you are capable of understanding the struggles I have endured). It isn't that I have no self control, it is that I finally acknowledge (thanks to this thread) that being hungry all the time is a result that needs to be considered into my weight loss plan and how I move forward.
I can relate to mourning loss of calories as we lose weight and need less of them - I was going through that a bit recently. I upped my exercise. I'm doing something at lunch and after work. I realize this may not be a good solution for everyone, but thought I'd put it out there.
I know things are especially challenging for you due to your medical condition(s)
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Here ...not even hit 1900 calories ...under maintenance ...will drink and eat that this weekend instead ..I know the sodium is out but I'm not that bothered
And I logged my dinner in the wrong place (peanut butter and jelly sandwich)
I'm not saying that I can't eat 1900 calories every day, I'm just saying that, and no offense and its nothing personal, nothing on that list looks very good to me at all. I mean I am willing to eat all of those things, I'm not a picky eater, but its not what I want. I find happiness in food that taste good, things that are fried, things that have a lot of cheese and/or creamy sauces, I like soda. That's where its so hard. I'm not saying I can't do it, I'm upset because I know I'm not going to be happy doing it.
Just saw this. Ok, so I think we ALL naturally like fatening foods. That's why the food industry makes billions of dollars and McDonalds is so rich!!! But just because you like something, it doesnt mean you cant live without it or learn to like something else as a replacement.
I stopped consuming colas 20 years ago. To me, it's a waste of calories that I would much rather spend on a piece of toast or cheese to satisfy my hunger.
You need to have faith and believe what we are telling you about getting used to this new way of looking at food. As mentioned above, with time you can retrain your tastebuds and grow to dislike heavy, buttery, creamy dishes as they will feel too heavy to you. Your body wont want to consume them becausr they will make you feel sluggish rather than sprite.
Exercise helps regulate appetite. You need to start some kind of consistent activity.
Remember: If you continue eating the way you have been, at some point in the future chances are you will have a serious medical reason (diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol) to start eating like a rabbit. Isn't it better to do the right thing now, lose the weight, get fit, feel better and enjoy the remainder of your years vibrant, energetic and looking good than to spend another 30 years as a food glutton only to develop disease and be forced to deprive yourself later? It happened to every one of my relatives due to lack of education.
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Everyone else has had great advice.
I do not. All I can say is suck it up buttercup. You want to lose weight pull up your panties and do it but don't just sit there and complain about what you have to do to get it done. If you actually want to do it is a journey, if you don't it's a long row to hoe and you and a crappy attitude just won't do it.
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I totally understand this. Got a BMR test and Dexa scan. My BMR was 1699. I'm 6'3 and 195lb. (down from 207 or so) And got informed I'm 23% body fat. My measured rate was below what would be predicted.
That makes my base TDEE 1.2x BMR = 2038.
So I've taken an active effort to add lean body mass via lots of protein and strength training.
That 200-300 calories of walking you can do every day...it adds up! do it!2 -
Right now, I'm 5'7" and weigh 175. I'm trying to get to 145-150. Thank God I have a larger frame and don't look as overweight as I apparently am (the profile pic is last summer - 10lbs lighter than I am right now). MFP gives me a calorie budget of 1200 calories per day to lose 2 pounds a week. I work a desk job and don't have a ton of free time, so I'm not going to the gym constantly.
If there is something I want to eat, I pre-log it to see if it's "worth it." My downfall has always been chips and crunchy/salty things. I was always able to keep weight off controlling my snacking.....but the last two years, I let that go. And now I have 25-30 pounds to lose. I've been menopausal for the last two years, also, which I am sure does not help matters.
I keep cut cauliflower and cucumber with chili powder on them in the fridge for snacking. I happen to love extreme hot sauces and put them on pretty much everything. They have no calories or at the most, 4 or 5 per tablespoon, so I can make the blandest stuff taste great. Some nights, I steam a few cups of cabbage for dinner.....hot sauce makes it bearable. I use a quart mason jar as my drinking glass (it has measurements on the side) and try to drink at least 4 of those full a day.
For me, it's just a matter of banking my calories and, if I want to splurge -- get a pizza, eat chips and dip -- I have to make adjustments over the rest of the day or even over a period of days. I eat things that are dense but not that caloric (I swear, I am keeping the cabbage and cauliflower growers in business these days) and drink a ton of water in between. I've only been at this a month and a half and already lost 12 pounds. It's small adjustments...nothing crazy. I don't feel deprived or like I'm starving.
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I can eat a half gallon of Edy's slow churned in one sitting for ~2400 calories. Then just eat light to normal for everything else and hit 4K no problem.
This is actually my plan for if/when I decide to bulk up.1 -
So before I get into what I'm about to say, I'd like to thank everyone who was constructive towards me while I was having a low moment.
A lot of you gave some great advice, even though I am pretty well versed in weight loss and knew a lot of it already. But here's the thing, I didn't ask for advice. There was no question in my original post. I was just making conversation about how difficult it is going to be to eat a reasonable amount of food once I get to my goal weight. Obviously, I have a problem when it comes to food. For a lot of you its just a thing you do 3ish times a day so you will continue to have energy and live. For me, its almost ceremonious. Eating is not just something I do to survive, its something I thoroughly enjoy. Meal time is something I look forward to for reasons other than hunger. Telling me to just eat healthier/lower calorie/more nutritious/whatever foods is like telling a cocaine addict that he should just smoke pot instead and everything will be alright. It's not a matter of knowing what to do, because God knows I know exactly what to do, its a matter of being able to do it. I'm only on day 12 and I've been doing well so far. There is no reason for me to believe I cant continue what I'm doing for many months. It's after that that concerns me, and once again, its not that I can't, its that I'm having to chose between something I enjoy, and something I need to be healthy. There's no answer, no way to fix it. I didn't ask anyone to help me solve the problem. I was just making conversation about how it sucks.
Also, to the guy who couldn't figure out how I ate 4500 (a rounded number) calories in a day, book this out:
Breakfast - A.M. Sausage Crunchwrap from Taco Bell
Lunch - 5 Krystals and a Chili Chese Fry from Krystal
Afternoon Snack - King Size Kit-Kat and 16oz Red Bull
Dinner - Cajun Chicken Pasta from Chili's
Throughout the day (including at meals)- About 80oz of Coke
If you are thinking about saying "well surely you don't eat the same thing ever day", no, but similar. And I did drink about the same amount of coke every day and eat a candy bar (sometimes a Mounds or a Twix) and a Red Bull every day.
Again, I'm not asking you for help, I'm just making conversation about how much it F#*$&%@ sucks.9
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