CrackingWise: New Guy Blathers On and On
crackingwise
Posts: 14 Member
Hi. CrackingWise here. I'm a middle aged software developer who's spent years sitting behind the computer, and I have the fat behind to prove it. I finally decided to lose weight after a day at the beach; I got a little too much sun, and the mild sunburn had shadows under my man boobs. Awkward.
There are many reasons for me to lose weight, most of them familiar to you - attractiveness, health, better clothing selection, avoiding diabetes. You know them all. In addition to these, I'm planning on looking for new work in a couple months. First impressions count, even for us basement-dwelling nerds, so it can make a difference during the interview.
I didn't grow up fat, and I wasn't particularly athletic as a kid. I did ride my bicycle quite a bit, sometimes 30-40 miles at a clip. I was never a road racer, but I hope once I finally shed some blubber I might be able get into racing. During my early adult life, I worked in laboratories, much of the time on my feet. When I switched to software development, though, I spent more time on my butt. That was 20 years ago, and I swear I have a chair shaped butt now.
Anyway, I was a little overweight when I got divorced (but nowhere near as bad as my corpulent ex-wife). Divorce took a major toll on my life, with constant stress to provide child support and alimony, a tanking economy, having to live in a crappy little apartment. To alleviate the stress, I turned to the bottle, and whiskey became my evil buddy. I'd drink and chat people up online, rarely exercising or even getting out of the house, due to lack of money and interest. I wouldn't consider it full blown alcoholism, because I've never had any bad side effects during times when I would abstain from drinking. It was more of a habit than an addiction, a habit that was pulling me down the vortex.
Immediately after the divorce, I had a girlfriend who was much more obese than me. We started weight loss together, but she gave up for some flimsy reason and gained it all back. Our intimacy left a lot to be desired, although she was a lot of fun to drink and laugh with as friends. We finally broke up, and at that time I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. I guess I excused it because she was fatter than me. After the break up, and mostly out of spite, I decided to diet and lost 45 lbs. I was able to keep it off for a couple years. But old habits die hard, and over the past couple years, I gained most of it back. And I blame alcohol for this gain: alcohol slows the metabolism, adds empty calories, numbs the mind and creates health problems. I'm lucky I haven't had any alcohol-related problems yet, but I know I'm rolling the dice.
Which brings me to the present day. Here's my current vital info:
My initial goal is to comfortably fit into size 34 jeans, with a weight goal of 175. That's still considered overweight by CDC, but is well below the 50th percentile of men my age. So that means I need to drop 71 lbs to attain that initial goal. Once I reach that goal, I'll decide if I want to continue even lower. At the end of college, in my early 20's, I weighed 155 lbs, so even that might be attainable at some point.
My plan to attain this weight loss is a combination of calorie restriction and ultralow-carb diet, including vegetables instead of grains. I'll be working regular exercise into my registration after the first week or two as well. The last time I dieted, I saw great results using this approach, but the carb restrictions on the former diet was intense, only permitting 500 cal/day for 6 weeks. With this kind of diet, any kind of carb cheating will set you back a week, so I probably could have lost a little more. Also, I was advised not to extend the diet longer than 6 weeks, but I felt fine after the six weeks and wanted to continue, and probably should have. This time around, I'm going to be more lenient with carb restrictions, allowing up to 800 cal/day, so I can feel filled and satisfied every day instead of that gnawing feeling.
So wish me luck! I'll be posting updates here as I continue my progress, and hopefully encourage others, especially men, to keep losing and carry on.
There are many reasons for me to lose weight, most of them familiar to you - attractiveness, health, better clothing selection, avoiding diabetes. You know them all. In addition to these, I'm planning on looking for new work in a couple months. First impressions count, even for us basement-dwelling nerds, so it can make a difference during the interview.
I didn't grow up fat, and I wasn't particularly athletic as a kid. I did ride my bicycle quite a bit, sometimes 30-40 miles at a clip. I was never a road racer, but I hope once I finally shed some blubber I might be able get into racing. During my early adult life, I worked in laboratories, much of the time on my feet. When I switched to software development, though, I spent more time on my butt. That was 20 years ago, and I swear I have a chair shaped butt now.
Anyway, I was a little overweight when I got divorced (but nowhere near as bad as my corpulent ex-wife). Divorce took a major toll on my life, with constant stress to provide child support and alimony, a tanking economy, having to live in a crappy little apartment. To alleviate the stress, I turned to the bottle, and whiskey became my evil buddy. I'd drink and chat people up online, rarely exercising or even getting out of the house, due to lack of money and interest. I wouldn't consider it full blown alcoholism, because I've never had any bad side effects during times when I would abstain from drinking. It was more of a habit than an addiction, a habit that was pulling me down the vortex.
Immediately after the divorce, I had a girlfriend who was much more obese than me. We started weight loss together, but she gave up for some flimsy reason and gained it all back. Our intimacy left a lot to be desired, although she was a lot of fun to drink and laugh with as friends. We finally broke up, and at that time I was the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. I guess I excused it because she was fatter than me. After the break up, and mostly out of spite, I decided to diet and lost 45 lbs. I was able to keep it off for a couple years. But old habits die hard, and over the past couple years, I gained most of it back. And I blame alcohol for this gain: alcohol slows the metabolism, adds empty calories, numbs the mind and creates health problems. I'm lucky I haven't had any alcohol-related problems yet, but I know I'm rolling the dice.
Which brings me to the present day. Here's my current vital info:
- Age: 54
- Height: 5' 9"
- Weight: 246.0 lbs
- BMI: 36.3
- Pants size: 40"
- Annual Salary: $none of your business
My initial goal is to comfortably fit into size 34 jeans, with a weight goal of 175. That's still considered overweight by CDC, but is well below the 50th percentile of men my age. So that means I need to drop 71 lbs to attain that initial goal. Once I reach that goal, I'll decide if I want to continue even lower. At the end of college, in my early 20's, I weighed 155 lbs, so even that might be attainable at some point.
My plan to attain this weight loss is a combination of calorie restriction and ultralow-carb diet, including vegetables instead of grains. I'll be working regular exercise into my registration after the first week or two as well. The last time I dieted, I saw great results using this approach, but the carb restrictions on the former diet was intense, only permitting 500 cal/day for 6 weeks. With this kind of diet, any kind of carb cheating will set you back a week, so I probably could have lost a little more. Also, I was advised not to extend the diet longer than 6 weeks, but I felt fine after the six weeks and wanted to continue, and probably should have. This time around, I'm going to be more lenient with carb restrictions, allowing up to 800 cal/day, so I can feel filled and satisfied every day instead of that gnawing feeling.
So wish me luck! I'll be posting updates here as I continue my progress, and hopefully encourage others, especially men, to keep losing and carry on.
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Replies
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Sounds like you are an all-in kind of guy. I respect and like that since I am too. I wonder if that kind of caloric restriction is setting you up for failure... At your weight you need approximately 2460 calories for maintenance. You could set to 2000 cal or so eat at a good deficit and not starve yourself. Once you add in the exercise, and if you don't eat cals back you will have nice deficits going.
Source - guy who was 38 years old, dropped 85lbs in about a year and a half with the first 50 coming off in 8 months, eating at 1950 cals a day.2 -
Just Three Short Days
Hello happy campers! This is my fourth day on the diet, and I'm already seeing some fantastic and promising results. It appears my body has been primed for weight loss, as I've lost a whopping 6.8 lbs in just 3 days. I know from experience that you can't expect this kind of radical loss for very long, and the initial loss is always precipitous and becomes more gradual with time. Here's some photos of my progress:
7/10/17
7/11/17
7/12/17
7/13/17
I weigh myself after I first wake up and have my morning whizz, before eating or drinking anything, because body weight can vary by 2 lbs over the day.
I've managed to avoid all carb-heavy foods and have not cheated. I had one shot of gin on Tuesday, and a glass of red wine (the cheap stuff) on Wednesday. Last night, my main meal at dinner was grilled chicken breast strips over baked eggplant slices with pasta sauce, garnished with a little Romano cheese, total of 220 calories, but very filling and satisfying. I spiced it with garlic, Adams "Just Right Burger Spice" (highly recommended) and Italian seasoning. The peanut gallery gave it a thumbs up. For snacking, I sliced some red cabbage and ate it raw. It has the satisfying crunch of junk food with very few calories. Why do they call it red cabbage, anyway, it's freaking purple!!
Anyway, I'll keep up the updates as I progress down the path to normal weight, and beyond!1 -
Brabo_Grip wrote: »Sounds like you are an all-in kind of guy. I respect and like that since I am too. I wonder if that kind of caloric restriction is setting you up for failure... At your weight you need approximately 2460 calories for maintenance. You could set to 2000 cal or so eat at a good deficit and not starve yourself. Once you add in the exercise, and if you don't eat cals back you will have nice deficits going.
Source - guy who was 38 years old, dropped 85lbs in about a year and a half with the first 50 coming off in 8 months, eating at 1950 cals a day.
Thanks for the reply! I'm not a super active guy, and there's no way I could handle a 2460 cal/day intake. I get full from a Big Mac for 8 hours, not kidding. Also, when you age, your metabolism goes down pretty fast, one reason I gained so much weight. In my non-dieting mode, I was eating less than 1600 cals/day. Best thing about my current regimen is that I don't feel starved or deprived, although I don't have a sweet tooth and rarely eat sweets or desserts.1 -
Using Excel as a Weight Loss Tool
I'm a fan of spreadsheets, and have been since I first used Lotus 123 on DOS. Anybody here remember DOS? Spreadsheets are fantastic way to visualize numerical information, and when it comes to dieting, it can really keep you on track. If you don't have Excel, you can use any other spreadsheet, including Google Sheets, which is free and you can access it from Android or your computer. But I'm a slavish Microsoft devotee, so Excel it is.
One of the ways I use Excel is to get a graphical representation of my progress, and to calculate my ever-reducing BMI. Here's a shot of my "Weight" page:
You'll notice I'm focused on a cell for BMI. To calculate BMI, the formula is =[Weight]/69/69*703, where [Weight] is the cell containing the weight value. I also added a scatter chart with lines (from the INSERT menu), just highlight the two columns for date and weight, then insert the chart. If you add extra dates and extend the selection, the new data points will insert themselves automagically.
I also use Excel to track total number of calories consumed in a day, on my "Eats" page:
I get my calorie counts from either the Nutrition Facts on the label or from MyFitnessPal's food search. Some of the values are off, but with a little jigging around, I can always find what I'm looking for. And I never, ever trust USDA numbers, they're just totally wrong.
In the first image, there is a percentile column. I use a VBA macro to calculate this, adapted from the halls.md BMI calculator web page. If you're interested in displaying this, and you are using Excel (as opposed to Google sheets), let me know and I can send you the code for this macro and how to use it. If this whole paragraph is mumbo jumbo to you, don't worry, it's only for this one column.
Chive on, fellow future skinnies!2 -
You should start a blog!
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crackingwise wrote: »
There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)1 -
crackingwise wrote: »I get my calorie counts from either the Nutrition Facts on the label or from MyFitnessPal's food search. Some of the values are off, but with a little jigging around, I can always find what I'm looking for. And I never, ever trust USDA numbers, they're just totally wrong.
You use the MyFitnessPal's food search numbers over USDA Food Composition Database?
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GIGO. Healthy living, which is going to begin with a period of weight loss, is not a subroutine to be invoked by the occasional boolean operation, {IF (fat) then}. Rather, it is to be the kernel of your operation. Ditch the notion of temporarily radically changing your food intake and activity to achieve a discrete goal. Change your habits for the rest of your life, change the rest of your life. END.5
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crackingwise wrote: »
There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
+1 for this post.
you're super restricting calories to an unhealthy level. this may feel fine to you now, but unless it's done under a doctor's supervision it's not a good plan. your body needs a base level of calories just to run essential processes and you're nowhere near hitting it with the examples you've shared above. it may take time for you to feel the ill effects of this kind of VLC but they'll show up. muscle loss, brittle nails, hair loss, fatigue, damage to your organs and tissues, etc. are all associated with these kinds of diets. not to mention, you're not really learning how to deal with food in a healthy manner once you've lost the weight.
also, if you're restricting to 800 calories per day there is no way that 200 should be devoted to alcohol. i say that as someone who consistently budgets calories for drinks and still hits my protein goals *most of the time.
i understand that your initial successes are bolstering you, and i even see that you have some idea that the initial losses are extreme and won't continue - in truth most of that loss was water weight.
here's some more unsolicited advice - given not because i want to tear you down, but because i would love to see you succeed.
1. eat more. you can in fact eat up to 2,000 accurately tracked calories and lose weight at a safe and healthy rate. the added benefit is not getting sick and keeping lean body mass like muscles and organs healthy.
2. you do not have to restrict carbs if you like to eat them. MFP will give you a default setting for carbs / fat / protein - you can adjust this any way you see fit. if you enjoy eating low carb, do it, but it's not necessary and won't result in more rapid fat loss over time. it will show you a bigger initial drop in weight due to depletion of glycogen stores, but your weight will hop right back up when you replenish glycogen adding carbs back in.
3. don't be impatient. losing weight takes time. losing 76 pounds isn't done in a matter of weeks, it's months or even years. it also doesn't have to be miserable. eat a sensible balance of foods which satisfy your nutritional needs and give you enjoyment. have a glass of wine or treats occasionally. change your habits over time and adjust your goals accordingly.
good luck!2 -
*sigh* So many of these posts lately... so frustrating!!!
I'm sure you realize that your success in software development was the result of good education and a number of years of gaining experience & learning how to go about things in the best way. I would encourage you to apply those same principles to your weight loss. This would be a great starting point:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
And I just have to add, you were not maintaining and/or gaining on 1600 calories. Truly, just fill out your profile accurately with a goal of 2 lbs/week. Log as accurately as possible, which means you need to be more skeptical of MFP database entries (not saying none of them are accurate, but make sure the data matches your packaging info wherever possible). Then eat the calories MFP gives you. It is a target to reach, not beat. It will work. The top of the "getting started" & "general diet & weight loss" forums have a list of most helpful posts that will get you where you want to go in the best (and easiest) possible way.
Welcome! Hang around and learn from those with knowledge & experience that have succeeded without extremes. Wish you the best! 1 -
jessiferrrb wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »
There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
here's some more unsolicited advice - given not because i want to tear you down, but because i would love to see you succeed.
Loved all of your post, and its pleasant nature (I'm getting cranky... time to take a break from the forums!) This point is so important... we're taking the time to offer info & suggestions because we want to see people succeed. We don't want people to join the ranks of those that have quick success, but then flame out or mess up their metabolism & health with their extreme approaches.0 -
crackingwise wrote: »I get my calorie counts from either the Nutrition Facts on the label or from MyFitnessPal's food search. Some of the values are off, but with a little jigging around, I can always find what I'm looking for. And I never, ever trust USDA numbers, they're just totally wrong.
You use the MyFitnessPal's food search numbers over USDA Food Composition Database?
I do. I've seen USDA data where the grams of carbs, fats, and protein grossly exceed the portion size. They're a mess. I've seen some errors in MFP's data as well, but there's no way to contact MFP about erroneous nutritional facts, they way they used to in Calorie Count (before it was bought by some lame investor).0 -
There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.0 -
It's all been said above really so not going to repeat.
especially DO take the time to read
What I wanted to add was, if you plan to use excel which is not bad as such, although all the basics are actually in MFP, do make sure your source data is correct (lots of incorrect info in the database). Also do read up on BMR/TDEE etcetera and incorporate into excel as that will also change with your weight loss.
Make your decisions informed and with a good understanding of all the "basics".
Wishing you insight and good luck, and do take advise from those with experience.
From one IT guy to another
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My offerings;
I'd echo what some others here have pointed at that what you are really after is sustainability based on knowledge about your body and it's metabolism. XLS's and all sorts of deep dives into calorie or macro restrictions are useful but make sure in the end you are developing a clear sense of how and why the things you do work and are they sustainable, not just while you loose weight but when you're done. What you learn now during loss will speak to what it will look like after you reach your destination, if it doesn't you'll be back here sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.
On exercise calories and a diet. This was something that really changed for me when I hit 50. I used to be able to exercise off virtually any challenges brought on by enjoying eating. It took me three years to work out what changed. This guy Yoni Freedhoff seems to have a pretty good story to tell in the video. His blog is insightful as well.
http://www.weightymatters.ca/
video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7FK8noIc5I
The one thing that I'd like to see more of is what the supposed science is, the biochemistry. From the video, it seems like the most sensible explanation is that exercise induces your body to subsequently slow down energy expenditure; example you may without exercise burn your natural 2500 calories in energy in a day. Add exercise and although you burn 500 calories at that activity the body, following exercise, slows down its energy expenditure such that at the end of the day you are still right around the 2500. If there is any, and there is a question in the data if there is, the effective calorie deficit from exercise is probably in the single digits %'s.
Debate of Forks vs Feet, which is more critical to weight loss. The real question is can you exercise your way to weight loss without or with little caloric deficit.
http://blogs.plos.org/obesitypanacea/2011/06/14/forks-vs-feet-video-and-podcast/
There is an entire other set of ponderings about what I'll call macro'ing your way to weight loss, as in can I simply adjust my macros (low carb as example) without caloric deficit and lose weight.
Enjoy and good luck!0 -
crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/0 -
crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
Yes, I have a handy Martha Stewart scale that reports in either grams or lb/oz and I use it for everything, and I measure liquids. As a former bench chemist and wannabe chef, I can eyeball volumes surprisingly well when I don't have access to my cups and spoons.
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation. I love food too much to go anorexic, lol. Meanwhile, I plan to lose as much fat as I can primarily by restricting carbs I don't need. I only eat when I'm hungry, and sometimes 800 cal is all I need, but I'm not going to be so strict about the low calorie part that I don't enjoy a juicy steak or bunless hamburger.
Thanks for the blog link!
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It's all been said above really so not going to repeat.
especially DO take the time to read ...
What I wanted to add was, if you plan to use excel which is not bad as such, although all the basics are actually in MFP, do make sure your source data is correct (lots of incorrect info in the database). Also do read up on BMR/TDEE etcetera and incorporate into excel as that will also change with your weight loss.
Make your decisions informed and with a good understanding of all the "basics".
Wishing you insight and good luck, and do take advise from those with experience.
From one IT guy to another
Thanks for the inspiration. The lynch pin of my strategy is to remain low-carb, as this seems to work best for my weight loss. My low-calorie intake is only temporary, and after I've lost a visible amount, I plan on adding back some calories while minimizing carbs. Adding BMR is a great idea, and easy to implement in Excel.
Also, I just watched the Netflix documentary "Sugar Coated". It's a must see for everyone who cares about their health, and shows how industry and government colluded in the 1970s to convince the public that fat is evil and sugar is completely harmless, a myth that endures today.0 -
crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation.
No, that's not true. *Everyone* that loses weight loses a combination of fat and lean muscle mass. When you pursue a calorie deficit that amounts to weight loss of more than about 1% of your body mass a week, you force your body to burn more lean muscle mass in proportion to fat. That hurts your metabolism in the long run, and is very difficult to undo (not to mention leaves your body looking pitiful, even without the excess weight).0 -
crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
Yes, I have a handy Martha Stewart scale that reports in either grams or lb/oz and I use it for everything, and I measure liquids. As a former bench chemist and wannabe chef, I can eyeball volumes surprisingly well when I don't have access to my cups and spoons.
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation. I love food too much to go anorexic, lol. Meanwhile, I plan to lose as much fat as I can primarily by restricting carbs I don't need. I only eat when I'm hungry, and sometimes 800 cal is all I need, but I'm not going to be so strict about the low calorie part that I don't enjoy a juicy steak or bunless hamburger.
Thanks for the blog link!
That is wrong, you lose fat, muscle, water, all along, you will lose a larger % of muscle when lower weight/bf%, but the body is efficient. If you don't give it enough fuel it will try to get rid of what used calories, which would be muscle over fat, thereby lowering your metabolism more than if you lost mostly fat, meaning you have to eat even less to lose the same amount of weight. This is a survival mechanism in order to avoid starving, why would hte body hold muscle and waste calories just keeping it there, vs keeping you alive (organs etc.)
And you need strength training and adequate protein to retain muscle, even at higher bf%. How much protein are you getting per day? Based on your stats I would aim for a bare minimum of 125 grams (500 cals from protein).0 -
crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
Yes, I have a handy Martha Stewart scale that reports in either grams or lb/oz and I use it for everything, and I measure liquids. As a former bench chemist and wannabe chef, I can eyeball volumes surprisingly well when I don't have access to my cups and spoons.
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation. I love food too much to go anorexic, lol. Meanwhile, I plan to lose as much fat as I can primarily by restricting carbs I don't need. I only eat when I'm hungry, and sometimes 800 cal is all I need, but I'm not going to be so strict about the low calorie part that I don't enjoy a juicy steak or bunless hamburger.
Thanks for the blog link!
That is wrong, you lose fat, muscle, water, all along, you will lose a larger % of muscle when lower weight/bf%, but the body is efficient. If you don't give it enough fuel it will try to get rid of what used calories, which would be muscle over fat, thereby lowering your metabolism more than if you lost mostly fat, meaning you have to eat even less to lose the same amount of weight. This is a survival mechanism in order to avoid starving, why would hte body hold muscle and waste calories just keeping it there, vs keeping you alive (organs etc.)
And you need strength training and adequate protein to retain muscle, even at higher bf%. How much protein are you getting per day? Based on your stats I would aim for a bare minimum of 125 grams (500 cals from protein).
Most of my caloric intake is coming from lean meats, eggs and high-protein legumes, at least 200 protein g/day. I'm also eating nuts for healthy fats, ie extra calories. I mostly abstain from grains and sugar in all its forms, but get fiber from vegetables and beans. But I see your point - weight training is a must for preventing muscle loss. Guess it's back to the gym!0 -
duplicate post
0 -
crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
Yes, I have a handy Martha Stewart scale that reports in either grams or lb/oz and I use it for everything, and I measure liquids. As a former bench chemist and wannabe chef, I can eyeball volumes surprisingly well when I don't have access to my cups and spoons.
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation. I love food too much to go anorexic, lol. Meanwhile, I plan to lose as much fat as I can primarily by restricting carbs I don't need. I only eat when I'm hungry, and sometimes 800 cal is all I need, but I'm not going to be so strict about the low calorie part that I don't enjoy a juicy steak or bunless hamburger.
Thanks for the blog link!
That is wrong, you lose fat, muscle, water, all along, you will lose a larger % of muscle when lower weight/bf%, but the body is efficient. If you don't give it enough fuel it will try to get rid of what used calories, which would be muscle over fat, thereby lowering your metabolism more than if you lost mostly fat, meaning you have to eat even less to lose the same amount of weight. This is a survival mechanism in order to avoid starving, why would hte body hold muscle and waste calories just keeping it there, vs keeping you alive (organs etc.)
And you need strength training and adequate protein to retain muscle, even at higher bf%. How much protein are you getting per day? Based on your stats I would aim for a bare minimum of 125 grams (500 cals from protein).
Most of my caloric intake is coming from lean meats, eggs and high-protein legumes, at least 200 protein g/day. I'm also eating nuts for healthy fats, ie extra calories. I mostly abstain from grains and sugar in all its forms, but get fiber from vegetables and beans. But I see your point - weight training is a must for preventing muscle loss. Guess it's back to the gym!
Now we're adding weight lifting to a VLCD? Can't say we didn't try...0 -
crackingwise wrote: »duplicate post
200 grams of protein has 800 calories. How can you eat 800 cals of protein on a diet of 700-800 calories that also includes alcohol? Maybe if you were eating 1600 cals you could get in 800 cals of protein.
Or do you mean 200 cals from protein (50 grams) which would not be enough!0 -
crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »crackingwise wrote: »There is a blog option on MFP (this site)
I do have a questions about your spreadsheet, are those all the calories you take in each day?
Fast weight loss is not the healthy way to lose. At your size you should be eating around 2,000 cals/day to lose weight. eating this little will lead to a large % of your loss coming from lean muscle, not just the fat you want to lose.
Set your goal on this site to lose 1 to 1.5 lbs per week and eat the amount of calories it tells you too (less isn't necessarily better)
Strange as it may seem, my metabolism is only about 1700 cal/day, not the 2460 given in medical charts. I've noticed that if I eat more, I metabolize faster, and vice versa. My body adjusts its metabolism depending on how much I eat, so I will never lose weight eating 2000 cal/day, trust me. The only thing that works for me is carb restriction, but I probably should get my calories up higher, I agree with that.
Also, I'm new here, so could you please point me to the Blog section, I didn't find it here.
Do you weigh all solid foods you eat and measure liquids? If not what you think is 1700 is probably closer to 2500. You are only going to harm yourself by doing an 800 cal/day diet, and if you lose muscle your metabolism will slow even more, making it easier to put the weight back on.
blog section here: http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/
Yes, I have a handy Martha Stewart scale that reports in either grams or lb/oz and I use it for everything, and I measure liquids. As a former bench chemist and wannabe chef, I can eyeball volumes surprisingly well when I don't have access to my cups and spoons.
As far as losing muscle mass, that only starts to happen when you get down to a BMI of 10 or so, basically REAL starvation. I love food too much to go anorexic, lol. Meanwhile, I plan to lose as much fat as I can primarily by restricting carbs I don't need. I only eat when I'm hungry, and sometimes 800 cal is all I need, but I'm not going to be so strict about the low calorie part that I don't enjoy a juicy steak or bunless hamburger.
Thanks for the blog link!
That is wrong, you lose fat, muscle, water, all along, you will lose a larger % of muscle when lower weight/bf%, but the body is efficient. If you don't give it enough fuel it will try to get rid of what used calories, which would be muscle over fat, thereby lowering your metabolism more than if you lost mostly fat, meaning you have to eat even less to lose the same amount of weight. This is a survival mechanism in order to avoid starving, why would hte body hold muscle and waste calories just keeping it there, vs keeping you alive (organs etc.)
And you need strength training and adequate protein to retain muscle, even at higher bf%. How much protein are you getting per day? Based on your stats I would aim for a bare minimum of 125 grams (500 cals from protein).
Most of my caloric intake is coming from lean meats, eggs and high-protein legumes, at least 200 protein g/day. I'm also eating nuts for healthy fats, ie extra calories. I mostly abstain from grains and sugar in all its forms, but get fiber from vegetables and beans. But I see your point - weight training is a must for preventing muscle loss. Guess it's back to the gym!
Now we're adding weight lifting to a VLCD? Can't say we didn't try...
Done with you.0
This discussion has been closed.
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