Metabolism
Options
Replies
-
If you believe that your metabolism is damaged, I suggest that you measure it. You can either use the DIY method or use other methods such as doubly labelled water or measuring exhaled carbon dioxide. Doubly labelled water is expensive because it involves obtaining water with isotopes which aren't normally found in water. It also involves the use of a mass spectrometer at least twice. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubly_labeled_water
The DIY method is pretty simple. Weigh yourself daily, or twice daily for a faster process. It took me 17 days using one weighing a day. Use food which can be weighed easily. Measure your daily intake, and your weight the following day. Graph intake vs daily change. For example, on Monday you weigh 280 pounds. You eat 2000 calories. On Tuesday you weigh 279.5 pounds. You enter 2000 and -0.5 into a spreadsheet. Then you create a scatter graph using the spreadsheet. Using Microsoft Excel, you create a linear trend line. Where the trend line crosses the zero daily weight change is your metabolic rate. It sounds complex but you have at least 2 weeks how to figure it out.
or you can use an app like trendweight or libra that does all the math for you13 -
Pamela_Sue wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
Because sometimes we need to meet people where they are at that point in their life. Some people do well making drastic changes all at once, yet others, like myself, are more successful with making incremental changes. I suppose a good question would be, what is more important to him? To lose some weight first, or to eat healthy first?
My own first goal was getting some weight off, then progressing to more healthy eating. My lunches and dinners were both fast food, then better fast food choices, then fast food lunch with frozen dinner, then frozen lunches and dinners, then one fresh meal a day, then two, to present day where I cook almost all my meals using healthy ingredients and am even progressing towards more organic choices. It has been a long, long process over the last 2 years. And I still enjoy the occasional fast food because I find it rather yummy.
Along the way I learned a lot about myself and have slowly developed the discipline and mental fortitude to continue on my own journey. That is my hope for this young man - that he finds his own path to being healthy.
Pretty much my experience too. I've gone from cheesesteaks or pizza for lunch (sometimes cheesesteaks AND pizza), and an afternoon snack likely to be candy bars or Sun Chips or whatever, to today I'm having 6 oz of blackberries for my snack. following a healthy plate of rice, chicken and mango. If I'd had to start where I am now with the healthy foods while also restricting my calories, I doubt my diet would've ever gotten off the ground.
Fast food is bad for you, but if that's where the OP is at right now, just getting a handle on the calories and eating at a daily deficit is a fine first step. All sorts of improvements to the diet can be made later, but when you're 280 lbs, you gotta get started somewhere. If the OP loses 30 or 40 pounds he'll probably conclude on his own that it's time to address other aspects beyond calories. Very, very few people work their way through the 200's on a junky, unhealthy diet for the whole ride. Not everything needs to be straightened out in the first week.
I suspect the problem here boils down to bad logging. Meaning high-calorie junky fast food that's not being logged, or is being logged in smaller quantities than is really being ordered/eaten. People in this thread have mentioned variances in fast food prep, but clearly the problem is deeper than someone at a McDonalds putting too much sauce on a Big Mac. The OP needs to record what he's actually eating, thoroughly and honestly.
Also, it's too bad more people in this thread aren't helping the OP to understand that metabolisms can't be "broken". I have a few morbidly obese people in my family, and one thing I've noticed about them is that they come to believe their bodies are somehow different than other peoples' bodies or they latch onto bizarre theories about how their body works (or malfunctions), rather than staring into the abyss and admitting to themselves that if weight isn't being lost, it's because too many calories are being consumed, period, end of story.17 -
Biggiwig69 wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
People think, it’s good as long as he just eats 1500 calories of french fries and burgers and donuts.
Well you know, eating 1,500 calories of junk isn't going to prevent heart disease and diabetes...but what do we know!
Actually, since weight loss is one of the two best ways to improve health markers in overweight people (the other is more exercise), 1500 calories of "junk" probably would reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes (and eating "healthy" is no guarantee of preventing heart disease and diabetes).31 -
tracybear86 wrote: »I just want to throw out there that OP has had several different user names (search @geminigarcia199017 or @geminigemz90) and has posted basically the same questions over and over, receiving good information about how to start losing weight. They are obviously either a troll or not ready to do what needs to be done in order to lose the weight. Sorry to be harsh OP but you are not going to receive different answers by asking the same question to the same group of people.
Good sleuthing!0 -
iheartmyyorkie wrote: »
No one is thinking that. People are saying weight loss is about calories. You can become obese from eating healthy food if you overeat. I know many fat vegans.Biggiwig69 wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
People think, it’s good as long as he just eats 1500 calories of french fries and burgers and donuts.
"vegan" doesn't mean "healthy". Prime example: Veganaise.
Do you realize that fat is essential to good health?14 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »iheartmyyorkie wrote: »
No one is thinking that. People are saying weight loss is about calories. You can become obese from eating healthy food if you overeat. I know many fat vegans.Biggiwig69 wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
People think, it’s good as long as he just eats 1500 calories of french fries and burgers and donuts.
"vegan" doesn't mean "healthy". Prime example: Veganaise.
Do you realize that fat is essential to good health?
Absolutely!! Just saying that the vegan lifestyle is not automatically more healthy. Just pointing out there are bad choices that are vegan.
Mayo/veganaise is not a good fat choice like avocados, nuts, olive oil, or coconut oil.1 -
"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
22 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.2 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".35 -
Biggiwig69 wrote: »iheartmyyorkie wrote: »
No one is thinking that. People are saying weight loss is about calories. You can become obese from eating healthy food if you overeat. I know many fat vegans.Biggiwig69 wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
People think, it’s good as long as he just eats 1500 calories of french fries and burgers and donuts.
I don’t know any fat vegans but I believe you.
Really? You don't know any fat vegans? I wonder if this is an issue of you not knowing whether or not people are vegan (and why would you), thus you know fat vegans but you don't realize that you know them. I can assure you, I've known plenty of obese vegans and vegetarians.19 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.2 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.
Do you understand macros?10 -
But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
How so?7 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »iheartmyyorkie wrote: »
No one is thinking that. People are saying weight loss is about calories. You can become obese from eating healthy food if you overeat. I know many fat vegans.Biggiwig69 wrote: »Why is no one here urging this man to eat healthy foods? I just don't get it. We don't change when we don't change. If he keeps eating fast food his health, not just his weight, won't get any better. But hey it's ok to eat junk, IIFYM.. I guess.
We see by his weight this man is not near a healthy range. Why is no one urging him to make a serious change and be healthy?
People think, it’s good as long as he just eats 1500 calories of french fries and burgers and donuts.
"vegan" doesn't mean "healthy". Prime example: Veganaise.
Do you realize that fat is essential to good health?
Absolutely!! Just saying that the vegan lifestyle is not automatically more healthy. Just pointing out there are bad choices that are vegan.
Mayo/veganaise is not a good fat choice like avocados, nuts, olive oil, or coconut oil.
Since both mayo and vegan mayo can be made with avocado oil, olive oil, etc. this is a spurious argument. And calling coconut oil a good fat choice is highly debatable.19 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.
Do you understand macros?
I do, thank you. However I'm talking about about general health. IIFYM is a problem because it leads people to believe IIFYM, you're good to go.2 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.
Do you understand macros?
I do, thank you. However I'm talking about about general health. IIFYM is a problem because it leads people to believing IIFYM you're good to go.
Because generally, as long as your macro goals are balanced and your caloric goal is reasonable then this is true. As others have stated, simply losing weight is going to be healthier for the OP than anything else. That, and the fact that it should be done in a way that its sustainable are why people were focusing more on calculating calories accurately and less about what they were eating.19 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.
Do you understand macros?
I do, thank you. However I'm talking about about general health. IIFYM is a problem because it leads people to believe IIFYM, you're good to go.
out of curiosity have you read the twinkie diet info? long story short - dude lived on twinkies and other packaged food for a period of time (i believe 30 days) - ate below his required calories and not only lost weight but all his bloodwork improved15 -
Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
To the person who disagreed with htis, can you help us understand why? Thanks!6 -
deannalfisher wrote: »Justin_7272 wrote: »Justin_7272 wrote: »"Eating healthy" is a commonly used phrase that is simply out of touch and is now commonly used as a scare tactic.
If you want to lose weight eat within your caloric range. 500 cheeseburger calories are the same as 500 lettuce calories. The cheeseburger will provide vital nutrients the lettuce will lack, and vice versa. Is one healthier?
Obviously the answer is no. But if you're only eating 3-5 cheeseburgers a day to hit your macros that's going to affect your health in a not-good way.
When was that ever suggested once in this thread? I get so tired of that same argument because nobody ever suggests eating just cheeseburgers. Eating a varied diet is important, but a diet can be varied and still include cheeseburgers and other foods that you might claim are "unhealthy".
A cheeseburger by itself can be healthy, that's why I said the answer is no. This OP guy eats nothing but fast food. I was trying to illustrate that these things, by themselves, are not necessarily "unhealthy" but if you cram them with other foods just like them they ARE.
Do you understand macros?
I do, thank you. However I'm talking about about general health. IIFYM is a problem because it leads people to believe IIFYM, you're good to go.
out of curiosity have you read the twinkie diet info? long story short - dude lived on twinkies and other packaged food for a period of time (i believe 30 days) - ate below his required calories and not only lost weight but all his bloodwork improved
His bloodwork improved because he lost weight by reducing his calorie intake.
Imagine the improvements in his bloodwork if he ate the same number of calories in nutrint dense foods.3 -
This is so discouraging!!
I mean because of my schedule I pretty much live on take away, "fast food" and frozen meals. I'm just devastated that the over 100lbs I've lost is unhealthy.
I'll also have to get in touch with my doctor and tell him that the check up he performed and pathology lab results I got recently which show that ALL the health risk factors previous detected which are now within healthy normal ranges indicating that I'm in the best health of my life are invalid and 'unhealthy' because I didn't subscribe to some food morality standard. He's going to be so mad!
/sarcasm mode off
The truth is that the biggest risk factor is being fat not what you eat. A fat health food fanatic is going to be at more risk and unhealthier than a fast food junkie who's an appropriate weight.
The best way to improve health is to lose body fat in the must sustainable way possible. If eating fast food in a caloric deficit means you can successfully drop the weight then that's going to do more for health improvement and longevity than all the 'clean' eating in the world.41
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.4K Getting Started
- 259.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 387 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.2K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 914 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions