you gotta EAT.

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RaeannePemberton
RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
in Food and Nutrition
okay... i am not an expert by any means. but IMHO the NUMBER ONE worst thing you can do for yourself, especially when you are starting out, is restrict your calories TOO MUCH.

how many times do we see msgs here about "i am eating 1200 cals and i just can't lose..." etc. ? do a little research online and you will see that 1200 is BASE LEVEL intake. that means if you are sitting around all day (and only weigh like 130 lbs) then you are pretty much guaranteed to burn 1200 cals. now, if you weigh more than 130 and MOVE at all... you will burn more than that. let's say you are 200 lbs. did you know you burn close to 2000 just by living? so cutting yourself off at 1200 would be NUTS and your body will STOP LOSING WEIGHT because it's scared of when it will get fed. not to mention the damage that you are doing to your metabolism.

so. eat.

you need FUEL in your tank or YOU will TANK.

just speaking from experience here... i was eating 1300 and eating back cals, and i was so tired all the time, was not losing, was cranky... and even was on the verge of a binge all the flippin' time. NOT WORTH IT. and it doesn't work.

this is about health, not starvation!!!!!! and think about the BIG PICTURE. if you cut too much you are likely to NOT be able to maintain your habits. cut less cals in the long run, lose and then you will know how to maintain the right way.
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Replies

  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    okay... i am not an expert by any means.

    after looking at the results, I'd say you ARE an expert. Thanks :drinker:
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    question: what did you do to get through plateaus?
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 860 Member
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    Great advice. BTW, you look fabulous!! Congratulations on a job well done. :bigsmile:
  • ltbrdg
    ltbrdg Posts: 19
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    Great post! I couldn't agree more! I too learned that I needed to eat more to see results.
  • mrsmichellewilson
    mrsmichellewilson Posts: 86 Member
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    :happy:
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    okay... i am not an expert by any means.

    after looking at the results, I'd say you ARE an expert. Thanks :drinker:

    I agree!
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
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    Totally with you. So tired of seeing people starving themself.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
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    You are so right!

    Congrats on your success... sometimes experience makes you just as knowledgable at the experts! You look awesome!

    I have also lost 110 pounds and I still have hard time convincing "newbie" losers that they need eat in order to lose. Frustrating, but eventually they figure it out on their own... like I did! LOL
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
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    Your post is a perfect motivator for healthy weight loss.

    But not eating does equal fast weight loss. I know it all comes back on again when you start eating but the idea that starving yourself for a long enough time will not put you at a critically low weight is bizarre.

    5 months of eating fewer than 500 calories a day sent my bmi from 22 to 15.5. It isn't healthy but it has to work - if you don't give your body enough fuel it eats itself. Nowadays my bmi regularly flips between 20 and 23 because I crash diet and exercise for a few weeks, give up for a few weeks and repeat. My calorie levels are appalling but I do lose (and regain!) weight.

    The way I've seen it explained scientifically is that if you eat say 1500 calories a day you might lose 1lb a week. If you eat 1000 you might lose 2lb a week. But if you eat 500 the extra weight loss from 1000 will be negligible - ie you might lose 2.25 or 2.5 lbs a week instead of 2. So definitely not worth it but it isn't going to make you fat!
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    okay... i am not an expert by any means. but IMHO the NUMBER ONE worst thing you can do for yourself, especially when you are starting out, is restrict your calories TOO MUCH.

    how many times do we see msgs here about "i am eating 1200 cals and i just can't lose..." etc. ? do a little research online and you will see that 1200 is BASE LEVEL intake. that means if you are sitting around all day (and only weigh like 130 lbs) then you are pretty much guaranteed to burn 1200 cals. now, if you weigh more than 130 and MOVE at all... you will burn more than that. let's say you are 200 lbs. did you know you burn close to 2000 just by living? so cutting yourself off at 1200 would be NUTS and your body will STOP LOSING WEIGHT because it's scared of when it will get fed. not to mention the damage that you are doing to your metabolism.

    so. eat.

    you need FUEL in your tank or YOU will TANK.

    just speaking from experience here... i was eating 1300 and eating back cals, and i was so tired all the time, was not losing, was cranky... and even was on the verge of a binge all the flippin' time. NOT WORTH IT. and it doesn't work.

    this is about health, not starvation!!!!!! and think about the BIG PICTURE. if you cut too much you are likely to NOT be able to maintain your habits. cut less cals in the long run, lose and then you will know how to maintain the right way.

    I believe everyone has their ways in losing the weight....some eat those "exercise" calories back, half of them, or not at all. I say this because I started off eating a few to none exercise calories back and lost the weight quickly, but over time I eat about half of my exercise calories back....either way I'm still losing the weight (1-2lbs a week). I say try out different things and see what your body might be saying...the times where you are hungry compared to the times you are not. Plus this is one of those debates where people are on either side. Amen to those who have found a way to lose the weight and keep it off :flowerforyou:
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    So definitely not worth it but it isn't going to make you fat!

    sure it will, because one of these days, as you get older, the re-gain will be harder and harder for you to lose. :frown:
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
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    So definitely not worth it but it isn't going to make you fat!

    sure it will, because one of these days, as you get older, the re-gain will be harder and harder for you to lose. :frown:

    If you start making poor choices again yes....but it will stay off as long as you keep maintaining.
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
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    i weigh 176.5 pounds and i am eating 1200 calories per day. my weight loss was good in the first three weeks but has slowed down. i thought 1200 calories was ok because i spend all day sitting down at work and at university. reading this topic has made ne rethink this, however if i increase my calories from 1200 to maybe 1300 won't i gain weight automatically because i will be eating more?
  • SmileeBarbFLA
    SmileeBarbFLA Posts: 138
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    Thanks for this! I guess the old mentality of eating less will make you lose weight is gone. Also burning more calories than you eat etc. I've been told through MFP and my coaches at Curves that I'm not eating enough so I increases my calories and hopefully soon will see results. The darn scale is EVIL!!!! I guess I just haven't found the right balance yet because I keep gaining back and losing the same 2-3 lbs instead of losing consistently. VERY frustrating...
  • Raguirim
    Raguirim Posts: 17 Member
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    Good info!
  • erinem182
    erinem182 Posts: 14
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    If you eat all the right foods, and especially enough protein in under 1200 calories then you WILL lose weight. The issues arise when you do not eat enough protein and your protein/glycogen stores are not in equilibrium.

    There are many, many studies where very low calorie intake or low calorie intake diets (with enough macronutrients, vitamins and minerals) show brilliant FAT loss.

    Even on VLCD (very low calorie diets) metabolic rate and lean body mass is preserved through high volume resistance training.

    So yes eat the right foods, yes get your nutrient intake, yes exercise, yes work out your deficits etc BUT if you don't eat 1200 calories every day but do everything else - you will be fine and you will lose fat :)
  • sonpari24
    sonpari24 Posts: 62 Member
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    ur post is so encouraging ...i was thinkin of goin on a diet but wen i saw u n ur pics i changed my mind...now i m going to eat within my range n l eat everything but not beyond limits...so that i dont feel deprived n frustrated...coz v r here to cahnge our lifestyls not loose few pounds...cheers,,,,,n u rock
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
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    perhaps i should clarify.

    you will LOSE. but your body will HALT at some point.

    then, it's not impossible to continue to lose.

    BUT for healthy LIFELONG weightloss and maintenance, YOU HAVE TO EAT. just sayin'.

    opinions are like belly buttons. :-)

    PS. what works for you may not work for me and vice versa. but all i know is eating under 1200 calories is a dark place that i never want to be.
  • sonpari24
    sonpari24 Posts: 62 Member
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    Thanks for this! I guess the old mentality of eating less will make you lose weight is gone. Also burning more calories than you eat etc. I've been told through MFP and my coaches at Curves that I'm not eating enough so I increases my calories and hopefully soon will see results. The darn scale is EVIL!!!! I guess I just haven't found the right balance yet because I keep gaining back and losing the same 2-3 lbs instead of losing consistently. VERY frustrating...

    same happening with..now i deicde to stand on my scale once a week ONLY
  • RaeannePemberton
    RaeannePemberton Posts: 382 Member
    Options
    Your post is a perfect motivator for healthy weight loss.

    But not eating does equal fast weight loss. I know it all comes back on again when you start eating but the idea that starving yourself for a long enough time will not put you at a critically low weight is bizarre.

    5 months of eating fewer than 500 calories a day sent my bmi from 22 to 15.5. It isn't healthy but it has to work - if you don't give your body enough fuel it eats itself. Nowadays my bmi regularly flips between 20 and 23 because I crash diet and exercise for a few weeks, give up for a few weeks and repeat. My calorie levels are appalling but I do lose (and regain!) weight.

    The way I've seen it explained scientifically is that if you eat say 1500 calories a day you might lose 1lb a week. If you eat 1000 you might lose 2lb a week. But if you eat 500 the extra weight loss from 1000 will be negligible - ie you might lose 2.25 or 2.5 lbs a week instead of 2. So definitely not worth it but it isn't going to make you fat!

    i am confused. what are you advocating?

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