This is why people gain weight, and why losing it is so hard.

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Replies

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    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.
  • credle071207
    credle071207 Posts: 37 Member
    SLLRunner 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.
  • joowelz
    joowelz Posts: 172 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    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)

    l291cxqbat7e.png

    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.


  • AJF230
    AJF230 Posts: 81 Member
    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!
  • BridgetHarrington
    BridgetHarrington Posts: 41 Member
    edited September 2016
    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.
  • zamphir66
    zamphir66 Posts: 582 Member
    edited September 2016
    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.
  • LiminalAscendance
    LiminalAscendance Posts: 489 Member
    edited September 2016
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    Again, I'm not asking you for help, I'm just making conversation about how much it F#*$&%@ sucks.

    Yeah, quite often the responses here are meant to illuminate the hordes that are scrambling aimlessly in ignorance, and aren't really attempting to address the OP.

    Don't take it personally.

  • STLBADGIRL
    STLBADGIRL Posts: 1,693 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    So here's were the experiment comes into play. I thought, you know what, I've never just booked out a normal "non deiting" day, lets see how many calories that is. So I went into MFP and loaded up what I would eat on a normal day. Over 4500 calories!!! HOLY S**T!!!! No wonder people get so fat so quickly without even realizing whats happening!

    I had a similar "come to begeesus" moment when ai realized what an "average" non-logging day looked like for me--around 3,000 calories.

    One thing that helped me put that number into perspective was the RDA guidelines that say that an "average" woman should consume 1600 - 2000 calories, so that 3K number both (a) brought into sharp focus how crazy out of control I was; and (b) got me thinking about what non-eating changes I would have to make in order to be satisfied in the long term of ~1800 calories a day.

    Some of those changes (with which I experimented while on my weight loss journey) included:
    • eating a LOT more high-fiber veggies like cabbage, onions, and squash--which provide a satisfyingly large amount of food for much lower calores
    • learning to love SOUP! I want to feel full, and the bulk of a water- or veggie-based (as opposed to cream-based) soup fills me up without adding lots of calories
    • being aware of the difference between hunger and thirst. Sometimes, a big ole glass of water is what I REALLY need. . . I just got into the habit of eating rather than drinking when I felt "that way."
    • Practicing portion control, getting better at estimating portion size (and confirming my estimates with a scale) and STOPPING when I had eaten a "reasonable" portion-- not when I had an Alice-Sized portion (which was NOT reasonable.)
    • focusing on some of the non-eating psychological/ emotional/ headgame things that lead to more eating-- like "I deserve a treat" mentality, or "I really need this beer to relax" mentality, or "I have to eat this or X will be sad" mentality.

    By incorporating some of these changes as I worked on my weight loss, I was ready for them when I reached maintenance.

    I've been maintaining successfully since February on 1800 calories--but I DO eat most of my exercise calories (between 300- 600 calories) when I work out.

    Good luck to you!


    I love this....I shall hit copy/paste/print!
  • Laura
    Laura Posts: 4 Member
    Your maintenance calories are only low in relation to what you've been eating. You'll adapt to your new normal soon enough. Just stop looking so far ahead. Of course it's daunting to go look at going from eating 4000 calories to 1800, but it isn't going to be an overnight switch. Your calories are reduced as your weight goes down, and as your weight goes down so will your need for larger quantities.

    For example, at one point it was not uncommon for me to eat two whole 12-inch subs in one sitting. Gross, I know, but last week I ordered one 12-inch and got about 3/4 of the way through before feeling stuffed. I forced the last bit down out of habit, but I could've stopped sooner. Next time, maybe just one 6-inch will be enough. This is something I've noticed happening more often. The foods I used to eat with abandon are now foods I enjoy more in smaller quantities and I don't feel deprived by it. That's not to say there aren't times when I want to scarf down three cupcakes and a big bag of chips, but that's something I will learn to deal with over time, I can't expect a lifetime of an unhealthy relationship with food to sort itself out overnight.

    Don't judge the end of your journey by how you feel at the start. Things will change.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    Again, I'm not asking you for help, I'm just making conversation about how much it F#*$&%@ sucks.

    Yeah, quite often the responses here are meant to illuminate the hordes that are scrambling aimlessly in ignorance, and aren't really attempting to address the OP.

    Don't take it personally.

    God forbid we try to help when the post is made in the forum "general weight loss help". It's not like this is the motivation section...

    This. If it was posted in the Motivation/Support thread maybe you would have gotten the responses you wanted. The Help thread is usually for people looking for help. And is often frequented by lurkers who are not the OP and also looking for help.

    FYI, OP I enjoy my food too. I don't just eat because I'm hungry - food is one of the great joys of life. But I have taken the last couple of years and learned how to structure my diet so that I don't have to think too much, I don't have to spend too much, I definitely LOVE what I eat, and I'm at the correct calorie level too. With all due respect, if all you're eating is a lot of fast food, candy, and soda, experimenting a little with food will get you to a diet that is WAY more yummy and with WAY less calories. You aren't prioritizing delicious food, you're prioritizing convenience.

    Sorry I couldn't commiserate, but best of luck.

    This is a great point: There are many ways to LOVE what you're eating. I LOVE all of the foods I eat. I wouldn't eat them otherwise. I'm a foodie. I really enjoy food. We eat out a few times a week.

    WHAT I love has changed. And what I now love fits in the context of my lifestyle.

    Again, a paradigm shift.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Post in Help, Get Help

    Chit chat -->

    Motivation and support -->

    Everyone has fark it days
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    Again, I'm not asking you for help, I'm just making conversation about how much it F#*$&%@ sucks.

    Yeah, quite often the responses here are meant to illuminate the hordes that are scrambling aimlessly in ignorance, and aren't really attempting to address the OP.

    Don't take it personally.

    God forbid we try to help when the post is made in the forum "general weight loss help". It's not like this is the motivation section...

    This. If it was posted in the Motivation/Support thread maybe you would have gotten the responses you wanted. The Help thread is usually for people looking for help. And is often frequented by lurkers who are not the OP and also looking for help.

    FYI, OP I enjoy my food too. I don't just eat because I'm hungry - food is one of the great joys of life. But I have taken the last couple of years and learned how to structure my diet so that I don't have to think too much, I don't have to spend too much, I definitely LOVE what I eat, and I'm at the correct calorie level too. With all due respect, if all you're eating is a lot of fast food, candy, and soda, experimenting a little with food will get you to a diet that is WAY more yummy and with WAY less calories. You aren't prioritizing delicious food, you're prioritizing convenience.

    Sorry I couldn't commiserate, but best of luck.

    I wasn't going to respond to this when I read the first paragraph, but since the second one was so ridiculous I'll go ahead and hit both.

    I understand there are lurkers, and I understand that the people who were trying to help maybe weren't talking to me but just everyone in general, and I respect that. I even appreciate it, because we can all always stand to learn something new. It's the people who were being pricks that I'd like to give a big "F#&$ YOU!" to.

    Now about this deal of prioritizing convenience over delicious food, you couldn't possibly be more wrong. You don't get to decide what is delicious to me, or anyone else, in the same way I don't get to decide on that for you. I eat a lot of different kinds of food, from cheap fast food, to standard sit-down style restaurants, to homecooked meals, to 5 star cuisine, and I'll tell you right now, I'll take a greasy plate of french fries smothered in cheese and chili and bacon and ranch dressing over a pretty piece of steak or chicken or fish and greens any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. I don't care about convenience. I enjoy cooking, which is another thing that everyone in this topic seems to think just doesn't happen when people eat a bunch of bad food. I can make a 2000 calorie dish as well or better than any restaurant can.

    I feel singled out.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    auddii wrote: »
    jdb3388 wrote: »
    Again, I'm not asking you for help, I'm just making conversation about how much it F#*$&%@ sucks.

    Yeah, quite often the responses here are meant to illuminate the hordes that are scrambling aimlessly in ignorance, and aren't really attempting to address the OP.

    Don't take it personally.

    God forbid we try to help when the post is made in the forum "general weight loss help". It's not like this is the motivation section...

    This. If it was posted in the Motivation/Support thread maybe you would have gotten the responses you wanted. The Help thread is usually for people looking for help. And is often frequented by lurkers who are not the OP and also looking for help.

    FYI, OP I enjoy my food too. I don't just eat because I'm hungry - food is one of the great joys of life. But I have taken the last couple of years and learned how to structure my diet so that I don't have to think too much, I don't have to spend too much, I definitely LOVE what I eat, and I'm at the correct calorie level too. With all due respect, if all you're eating is a lot of fast food, candy, and soda, experimenting a little with food will get you to a diet that is WAY more yummy and with WAY less calories. You aren't prioritizing delicious food, you're prioritizing convenience.

    Sorry I couldn't commiserate, but best of luck.

    I wasn't going to respond to this when I read the first paragraph, but since the second one was so ridiculous I'll go ahead and hit both.

    I understand there are lurkers, and I understand that the people who were trying to help maybe weren't talking to me but just everyone in general, and I respect that. I even appreciate it, because we can all always stand to learn something new. It's the people who were being pricks that I'd like to give a big "F#&$ YOU!" to.

    Now about this deal of prioritizing convenience over delicious food, you couldn't possibly be more wrong. You don't get to decide what is delicious to me, or anyone else, in the same way I don't get to decide on that for you. I eat a lot of different kinds of food, from cheap fast food, to standard sit-down style restaurants, to homecooked meals, to 5 star cuisine, and I'll tell you right now, I'll take a greasy plate of french fries smothered in cheese and chili and bacon and ranch dressing over a pretty piece of steak or chicken or fish and greens any day of the week, and twice on Sunday. I don't care about convenience. I enjoy cooking, which is another thing that everyone in this topic seems to think just doesn't happen when people eat a bunch of bad food. I can make a 2000 calorie dish as well or better than any restaurant can.

    Your choice.

    Continue to eat like you have been ~~>> remain the over weight man you have been.
    Eat better 80% of the time ~~>> lose weight - finally. After years of struggle.


    It is so worth it to make these changes. Is it a perfect world (according to jdb) ~~>>No.

    No one here really has any say in this. It's your life. Stay big. Your choice. ::shrug::
  • MaybeLed
    MaybeLed Posts: 250 Member
    Resistive 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.

    @Resistive Off topic but, if you ask, you get. I'm a 5'5" woman, this was a deliberate day off from my food plan (but not logging) so if you ignore my fitbit adjustment that's all food I scarfed, and I skipped lunch

    62tdbdgnlo9l.jpg
    4800.jpg 100.1K
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    MaybeLed wrote: »
    Resistive 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.

    @Resistive Off topic but, if you ask, you get. I'm a 5'5" woman, this was a deliberate day off from my food plan (but not logging) so if you ignore my fitbit adjustment that's all food I scarfed, and I skipped lunch

    62tdbdgnlo9l.jpg

    Holy cow! Is that an accurate tally for 5/8 of a medium dominos cheese pizza??
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    MaybeLed wrote: »
    Resistive 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.

    @Resistive Off topic but, if you ask, you get. I'm a 5'5" woman, this was a deliberate day off from my food plan (but not logging) so if you ignore my fitbit adjustment that's all food I scarfed, and I skipped lunch

    62tdbdgnlo9l.jpg

    Holy cow! Is that an accurate tally for 5/8 of a medium dominos cheese pizza??

    Yea, I know... I was thinking it was way too low until I went back and noticed the bolded part.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Resistive 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.

    It's not that difficult... I've seen folks hit 7000+ on a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
    pcmykxabi937.png
  • Dannigreen31
    Dannigreen31 Posts: 557 Member
    Wow I could never imagine eating 4500 I would explode haha I even struggle eating 2000!
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