Cutting Calories...sustainable?

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gridsmart2004
gridsmart2004 Posts: 6 Member
in Getting Started
Just starting what I hope will be the last effort at losing weight wholesale. Going to try calorie restriction. But is this method sustainable? I've gone 3-days so far, and feeling good...not deprived or anything, but what has been YOUR experience with cutting cals to lose weight?

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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    gridsmart2004 wrote: »
    Just starting what I hope will be the last effort at losing weight wholesale. Going to try calorie restriction. But is this method sustainable? I've gone 3-days so far, and feeling good...not deprived or anything, but what has been YOUR experience with cutting cals to lose weight?

    Depends how large a deficit you are creating?
  • andreaen
    andreaen Posts: 365 Member
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    Going in a deficit is how you will lose weight, but there are many ways to do this and the most important thing is not cutting too many calories at the beginning. You can go in a deficit by eating fewer calories or increasing exercise/movement throughout the day. I would recommend no more than 150 calories less each day for the first few weeks to see how your body reacts to that. Then if you don't lose any weight you can cut 50 more until over the course of a week you have lost a bit of weight. Also, you should weigh yourself several times per week in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating as your weight can fluctuate quite a bit throughout the week depending on things like carb intake and sodium.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,073 Member
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    All weight loss regardless of the method you choose is down to calorie control.

    Sustainability is very individualised but you can read through the Success Stories to see that many people have managed to sustain calorie counting over a long period of time to lose hundreds of pounds or ten pounds and keep it off.

    The important things to consider are:
    • have you set yourself a reasonable rate of loss for the amount you have to lose?
    • are you eating enough to ensure you're getting adequate energy?
    • are you fuelling any exercise you're doing?
    • are you getting the minimum recommended amounts of nutrients you need?
    • do you feel the way of eating you have chosen is something you can keep up in the long term around your normal life?

  • gridsmart2004
    gridsmart2004 Posts: 6 Member
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    All great pointers, and all, I must say, make me feel encouraged. The stories about people cutting calories and becoming ravenous and overindulgent, and gaining excessive weight when they choose this route for weight loss, had me a tad concerned, but I am gonna throw those to the wind, read the Success Stories, and keep going
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    gridsmart2004 wrote: »
    All great pointers, and all, I must say, make me feel encouraged. The stories about people cutting calories and becoming ravenous and overindulgent, and gaining excessive weight when they choose this route for weight loss, had me a tad concerned, but I am gonna throw those to the wind, read the Success Stories, and keep going
    The biggest help in that regard will be to choose a reasonable deficit rather than dropping to starvation level calories that will have you gnawing the drywall off your kitchen walls. You'll have far better success losing weight slowly and steadily than you will starving yourself and flaming out in three weeks.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
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    gridsmart2004 wrote: »
    Just starting what I hope will be the last effort at losing weight wholesale. Going to try calorie restriction. But is this method sustainable? I've gone 3-days so far, and feeling good...not deprived or anything, but what has been YOUR experience with cutting cals to lose weight?

    667 days so far and I'm okay with it. The key is to avoid being overly restrictive. Just record everything and make small adjustments if necessary.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Been doing it for over 4 years (>1500 days), of those about 1,350 were for weightloss. The rest to learn maintenance. So yes it is sustainable
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    How else do you think weight loss works, if not through calorie restriction?

    Have you lost weight before? What methods did you employ?
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    What a strange question! The only way anyone loses weight is through calorie restriction. Some people achieve that calorie restriction through keto, intermittent fasting, or drinking Slim Fast shakes (not recommended), but it's all calorie restriction. The beauty of skipping the middle man and just counting the calories is that you can tailor it to the way *you* eat and thus it becomes much more sustainable because you're not trying to force yourself to eat foods you don't like or in a way that doesn't appeal to you. Calorie restriction doesn't mean starving unless you cut too much, which is a common mistake people make. This may help you understand how MFP works and how to choose a reasonable goal:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Well, it needs to be if you want to lose weight. So you'll have to pick a calorie goal that allows you to lose at a comfortable rate but is sustainable for you.

    You also may need to change your "way of eating" a bit to keep hunger at bay. That can mean different things for different people. For example, I like to reduce carbs low and add lots of veg and high protein. Others like moderate protein, high fat. Etc.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Well, it needs to be if you want to lose weight. So you'll have to pick a calorie goal that allows you to lose at a comfortable rate but is sustainable for you.

    You also may need to change your "way of eating" a bit to keep hunger at bay. That can mean different things for different people. For example, I like to reduce carbs low and add lots of veg and high protein. Others like moderate protein, high fat. Etc.

    Yes- most people will find they need to swap out things they find less filling for foods that are more satisfying. For example, when I'm actively restricting, I skip the measly 130 calorie serving of cereal for a Greek yogurt or 2 eggs because I know I'll be hungry again in an hour after the cereal. Over time, a person learns what works best for them.

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