Losing weight is a Catch-22! :/

olivia3263 · August 2011

I've been realizing: you can cut calories - to a point - and then your metabolism adjusts which makes you less hungry (yay) but that means it is slower and you lose weight slower, or not at all (boo). Then when you increase your calories, your metabolism catches up so you burn calories again (yay) but then the hunger comes back (boo). And if you feed the hunger too much, the weight piles back on again (double boo).

Wouldn't it be cool if we could have an increased metabolism and NOT get hungry?! Hey, a girl can dream....

Guess there might be something to this zig-zagging thing I keep reading about - feed the beast for a day, and then make him angry for a couple days so he burns that fat right up, and then reward him by feeding him again which keeps him happy and in fighting form.

Sounds good to me...I think.

hm_day · August 2011

You have to change up the diet and exercise. Otherwise your body adapts and gets used to it and then will stop losing weight. Which is why when you work out, and the weight is too easy for your muscles, you won't see results unless you keep upping the weight. The body adapts. So if you keep the body guessing, then you'll see changes. Just don't eat TOO much or TOO little

fultzjaf · August 2011

I totally understand where you are coming from. I'm a standstill, fighting with 2 to 5 lbs for the last 2months and I'm going crazy! What is the whole zig zag thing about?

CaliSweden · August 2011

Actually you can have an increase metabolism and not get so hungry. It's called the Low GL diet. You should check it out. I eat 3 meals, and 2-3 snacks a day. Also I'm losing weight. It's the foods that you eat that really effect how hungry you feel. If you eat slow releasing carbs, you'll feel fuller longer. Also because it takes longer to digest you use more energy.

Starving yourself is the worst you can do to lose weight. It's more about eating properly to lose weight.

EDesq · August 2011

I've been realizing: you can cut calories - to a point - and then your metabolism adjusts which makes you less hungry (yay) but that means it is slower and you lose weight slower, or not at all (boo). Then when you increase your calories, your metabolism catches up so you burn calories again (yay) but then the hunger comes back (boo). And if you feed the hunger too much, the weight piles back on again (double boo).

Wouldn't it be cool if we could have an increased metabolism and NOT get hungry?! Hey, a girl can dream....

Guess there might be something to this zig-zagging thing I keep reading about - feed the beast for a day, and then make him angry for a couple days so he burns that fat right up, and then reward him by feeding him again which keeps him happy and in fighting form.

Sounds good to me...I think.

Where do you think Zig Zagging" comes from? It is the way NORMAL people eat. YES! We eat a varied amount of calories each day NATURALLY! Some days you feel more hungry than on other days; if you react normally, you don't eat or eat. It is only with "Dieting" and people begin eating the SAME number of calories that you have to artificially vary caloric intake. This stuff isn't new, it has just been reduced to a degree that people can understand. That's why when people "Overeat" one day, they should NOT get upset with themselves, they should get back on track and move forward, the Body may actually need it.

olivia3263 · August 2011

Very true. Well i don't know about the low GL diet - I checked it out and I eat mostly low GL foods to begin with. I get around 50 - 60 grams of dietary fiber a day - mostly through hot cereal (no sugar), fruits and veggies. I just noticed that after a day of more calories, I tend to get hungrier the days following - and my hot cereal breakfast that used to last me for 3 hours now only lasts me for about 1.5 hours.

I'll take it though - I'm so happy to have an appetite! I've spent a good majority of my life with a slower metabolism due to insufficient calorie consumption. It's still an adjustment feeling comfortable enough to eat when I'm hungry and stay within my calorie range. It's nice to finally be in tune with my body though and be able to notice the signs.

dad106 · August 2011

Have you tried weights?

The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest.. which means that you will be more hungry, but those calories are getting burned off without even doing anything extra.

olivia3263 · August 2011

Yes, I run 30 - 35 miles a week, do free weights once a week and do a 90 minute yoga video (from P90x) once a week too. I know things are working in my body - I just find it ironic how so many things in this life come down to the whole balance and moderation thing. "You can have this, but there's a catch" kind of thing. Not exactly how I would choose things to be sometimes, being the type "A" kind of person that I am. I've always been an all or nothing type of person, so I have to actively work at accepting balance.

Perfect example - I ran 5+ miles everyday, cut my calories too much, and slowly started eliminating things from my cheat days, only eating extremely healthy foods and came to a standstill in my weight loss. So I did some reading, upped my calories by adding a serving of my favorite ice cream every night for a week and I lost 6 pounds. Now my hunger has increased, but I have to make sure I keep that serving to only 1 and not the whole carton. I didn't run today (resting - also part of balance) so I'm not having the ice cream, even though it's sitting in the freezer. And I'm perfectly fine with that because I know that tomorrow I will run and will get to have it then

I'm learning...

infamousmk · August 2011

*eyes crossed*

withchaco · August 2011

A lot of people lose weight and keep it off successfully, so it's not as tricky as it may seem! Consistently sticking to regular exercise and proper nutrition (even though there is obviously some caloric deficit) will do the job; and when that doesn't seem to be enough, there's always zig zagging, as mentioned by others.

Losing weight is a Catch-22! :/

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