Day 50 of the journey - Question about calories in/out

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Replies

  • slbbw
    slbbw Posts: 329 Member
    I went from 185 to 140 in 20 weeks last year. Started out around 3 lbs a week, tapered to 2 lbs a week and then to one thinking I was doing it right when I started feeling really hungry. The problem was I was in weight loss mode and not how to I do this everyday mode. And I ended up gaining 15 lbs of that back. The only reason I did not gain more was good exercise habits and a long term defined goal. Since that time last year I have gained 15, lost 5 gained 5 and lost 4 again. Part of this all is figuring out that life is just kinda like that, but it is also important to realize this is a long term goal. I lost quickly and I did not know how to sustain it in the real world.

    I ramble. When you have a fair amount of body fate this fast rate of loss feels fine. When your body fat starts getting lower that is when you will run into trouble and if you do not start practicing how to eat for life you are likely to regain. Good luck on your journey.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,162 Member
    edited June 2020
    slowregal661 wrote: »
    Update : Day 95, 46 pounds down!
    I've gotten used to the new eating habits, and the weight is dropping by itself, feeling/looking much better.

    One thing i'm not sure about, is once i'm down to my desired weight, (about 30 more pounds), how will it be to maintain the weight? Will it just slow down and be alot more manageable? I'm currently eating about 1800 calories a day, and still dropping 2 pounds a week.

    Can any1 share a weight loss + maintaining story?

    Right now, I know I will reach my weight, there is no doubt, and it doesn't matter how long it'll take, i'm more worried about maintaining it later on.

    Thanks!

    If you're eating 1800 and averaging 2 pounds a week loss, your TDEE is around 2800 now. It won't decline dramatically with 30 more pounds loss just from the lighter body (can't speak to fatigue effects).

    It won't slow down automatically, except insofar as either fatigue, or lighter body, slow it down, if you keep eating at 1800.

    Everyone's maintenance transition story is different (and you'll find some threads about that over in the Maintaining part of the forums).

    Personally, I thought an intentionally slowed weight loss was a better plan as I got lighter, so I was gradually increasing calories over a period of months to slow down the loss intentionally. Even once I got to goal weight, I intentionally added back calories gradually, 100 or so daily at a time, with a week or so between adds (for a variety of reasons).

    In that kind of setting, transition to maintenance was easy: Just add that last small tweak, no big change in eating habits, hunger, energy, exercise or anything else. Throughout loss, other than the calorie deficit, I'd been eating pretty much how I planned/expected to eat in maintenance. Ditto for exercise.

    And maintenance has been fine since, staying well within a healthy weight range for 4+ years now. The only change I've seen is that in the last few months to a year, in the cases where I decide to eat indulgently, my capacity/appetite isn't as high in that scenario as it was in early maintenance.

    I have no idea what it would've been like if I'd kept losing at breakneck pace all the way, but I see others have commented on that.

    Best wishes!
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    Update : 56 pounds down, feeling great, 14 pounds to go before reaching my goal!
    Stopped tracking calories, just eating well and doing lots of excercice
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    I still want to lose another 20 pounds after reaching my initial goal, so technically I have another 34 pounds to lose, but I focus on my first goal(240lbs) and then i'll go for the 220, i've been gaining alot of muscle as well, so my fat loss is more than what the scale shows
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    slowregal661 wrote: »
    I still want to lose another 20 pounds after reaching my initial goal, so technically I have another 34 pounds to lose, but I focus on my first goal(240lbs) and then i'll go for the 220, i've been gaining alot of muscle as well, so my fat loss is more than what the scale shows

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  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    If you can eat above minimum (which is 1500 for guys) and still have a 1000 calorie deficit daily while feeling satiated/fueled/energized by what you are eating: you are fine.

    The adage around MFP that if you have only a little weight to lose then you should aim for slower weight loss is a numbers thing. Many people close to goal weight, especially women, do not burn enough in a day for a 750-1000 calorie per day deficit.

    As for what comes next: eventually you'll need to be in the habit of eating more in order to maintain. Perhaps when you get down to 10 pounds left, increase your daily intake by 500. Then monitor your progress over the next 2 months. Then increase by another 300 or so. It will take some trial & error to get the right # to aim for ultimately.
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    Yep im def doing things faster than that. I realize it's too fast, but can't help it lol. What do you think is more likely to happen once I reach my goal? I've been doing so much excercice, gym in the morning, cycle at night, eat lots of protein, I was stuck at 258 pounds for almost 3 weeks, and then dropped 4 pounds in a week, without changing anything.

    All I know, is i've never been in a better shape and I feel great.

    Thanks!
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    You may choose to decrease your cardio - especially as it sounds like you are particularly focused on building muscle. Decreasing cardio means you would not need to increase your calories as much as if you kept up your current activity.

    You may shoot past your goal slightly. It can be mentally hard to jump from eating 1800 cals daily to 2800-3000. If that happens, it just means more trial & error to find the right combination of activity & food.

    It sounds like your healthy weight (220 I think is what you're aiming for?) for a fit, active male will still mean a pretty high TDEE. My husband is 5'9" and presently well over 200 and without trying he burns 2500 in a day. When he is active & exercising its more like 3500-4000. When he is focused, he can drop pounds at a rate that I never could. A super active/busy day for me would 2200-2300 calories burned while my normal is 1650-1750.

    slowregal661 wrote: »
    Yep im def doing things faster than that. I realize it's too fast, but can't help it lol. What do you think is more likely to happen once I reach my goal? I've been doing so much excercice, gym in the morning, cycle at night, eat lots of protein, I was stuck at 258 pounds for almost 3 weeks, and then dropped 4 pounds in a week, without changing anything.

    All I know, is i've never been in a better shape and I feel great.

    Thanks!

  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    I spoke with a few trainers and good friends of mine that are into nutrition and fitness, and according to them, 220 would be the ideal weight for my shape. It might even be hard to reach 220 as I am already fairly muscular, but i'll see. For now i'm eating anywhere between 1800 and 2600 calories a day(estimated, not calculating anymore), and i'm focusing on high protein meals.

    I'll keep y'all posted on the progress :smiley:
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    Not sure how to quote but yes you are right Novus, it never ends. You just have to make changes and live with it.

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited July 2020
    I believe in edging your way down slowly but I realize that horse has already left the barn. There's a Honeymoon Phase that comes with rapid weight loss followed by Ghrelin Blowback. Get ready. Get ready.

    Down the line after all of the weight releasing is done when you're not looking, in comes the Mission Creep. Ghrelin Blowback is seldom denied and if it is not handled correctly it results in rebound weight gain with friends.

    The weight loss Mission Creep is so darned stealthy that it will actually distract you as it coaxes you start eating it all back. Dropping it like it's hot is fun until it's not.

    Slow this horse down and start thinking about your long term weight stability waaaay into the future. The appetite control center is located in the brain and not the stomach. That's why we can remove most of a stomach and still eat it all back.

    With every major weight loss the body will start fighting hard against you for 2 years or more, trying to get you to eat it all back. Rethink your strategy.

    I hear the joy in your words but all I can think about is the consequences of rapid weight loss. The road back from rebound weight gain with friends steals all of the joy. It's taken me years to make that comeback and promise not to make those same mistakes again.

    I share my errors and mistakes.

    Do you know why people eat it all back in a fraction of the time it took to take it all off without ever stopping one time to question what's going on. The brain doesn't care and the appetite control center wants what it wants.

    You eat it all back in a fog by remote control and autopilot. Then one day when you've reached the highest weight the brain stands back and allows you to look into the mirror.

    Multi-cr@p hits the fan and you start dieting all over again and again and again. I've been there and I'm not going out like that. Slow down and rethink your long term strategy. Ghrelin Blowback is a hunger that can undo all of the hard work in the blink of an eye.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,162 Member
    slowregal661 wrote: »
    Yep im def doing things faster than that. I realize it's too fast, but can't help it lol. What do you think is more likely to happen once I reach my goal? I've been doing so much excercice, gym in the morning, cycle at night, eat lots of protein, I was stuck at 258 pounds for almost 3 weeks, and then dropped 4 pounds in a week, without changing anything.

    All I know, is i've never been in a better shape and I feel great.

    Thanks!

    I guress the question I'd ask is: Do you plan to continue to eat as you're now eating (restrictions, food choices, etc.), and exercising as you're now exercising (frequency, duration, volume, modes), socializing as you're now socializing (well, adjusting for changes due to pandemics) forever?

    If so, there's reasonable hope that you can just add back some calories, from your current food choices or similar, to stabilize your weight, then go on to have a happy and successful long-term maintenance. (Well, except for that hunger-hormones blowback thing, which is a very real possibility. Oh, and the "what are your motivating goals once scale-drop isn't it" thing on the psychological side.)

    If you can't see yourself with this (pretty exact) lifestyle long term, then I'd suggest now is the time to start seriously experimenting with the changes you'd like to make, in order to reach a long-term sustainable routine. For example, if you plan to reduce cardio to have more time for your family or non-exercise hobbies, start doing that now. It will slow your weight loss, but it will also help you understand what life-tweaks you'll need for maintenance (if your initial vision proves somehow problematic), and it will get you practicing and grooving in those new habits. Same thing with the eating habits: If you've given up something important to you in pursuit of weight/fitness goals, start adding that back in. For example, if you've been skipping beer and wings over football - probably quite easy during coronavirus times - what will your future look like? Football with friends, but salad, no beer? Modified portions? etc. It may not be some situation that extreme, but for most people, there's something.

    IMO, the weight loss process ought to be maintenance practice, if staying healthy long term is the goal. The calorie deficit creates a little wiggle room for mistakes and adjustments, that we don't have in actual maintenance.

    If the process so far hasn't had that "maintenance practice" focus for you up to this point then the last chunk of pounds would be a good time to start thinking in those terms. Maybe you're all good there, I dunno. Just something to consider.

    I know I'm kind of repeating what I said earlier . . . but with a sharper point to it. I think many people find keeping weight at a healthy level long-term, and staying fit, is the bigger challenge compared to reaching those goals in the first place.

    Wishing you success!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,232 Member
    edited July 2020
    slowregal661 wrote: »
    What do you think is more likely to happen once I reach my goal?
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    I believe in edging your way down slowly but I realize that horse has already left the barn.

    There's a Honeymoon Phase that comes with rapid weight loss followed by Ghrelin Blowback. Get ready. Get ready.

    ...Ghrelin Blowback is seldom denied and if it is not handled correctly it results in rebound weight gain with friends.

    ...Dropping it like it's hot is fun until it's not.

    Slow this horse down and start thinking about your long term weight stability waaaay into the future.
    The appetite control center is located in the brain and not the stomach.
    ...
    With every major weight loss the body will start fighting hard against you for 2 years or more, trying to get you to eat it all back. Rethink your strategy.
    ...
    I hear the joy in your words but all I can think about is the consequences of rapid weight loss. The road back from rebound weight gain with friends steals all of the joy.
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Do you plan to continue to eat as you're now eating (restrictions, food choices, etc.), and exercising as you're now exercising (frequency, duration, volume, modes), socializing as you're now socializing (well, adjusting for changes due to pandemics) forever?

    If so, there's reasonable hope that you can just add back some calories, from your current food choices or similar, to stabilize your weight, then go on to have a happy and successful long-term maintenance. (Well, except for that hunger-hormones blowback thing, which is a very real possibility. Oh, and the "what are your motivating goals once scale-drop isn't it" thing on the psychological side.)

    If you can't see yourself with this (pretty exact) lifestyle long term, then I'd suggest now is the time to start seriously experimenting with the changes you'd like to make, in order to reach a long-term sustainable routine.

    I think many people find keeping weight at a healthy level long-term, and staying fit, is the bigger challenge compared to reaching those goals in the first place.

    QFT
  • ElTriste1973
    ElTriste1973 Posts: 234 Member
    Very insightful and informative comments, thank you
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks for all your inputs, everything said is true. I have been adding back things like liquor every now and then, bring me a beer i won't think twice, i'll take it. Since it's summer and we are very active, I can eat pretty much whatever I want and i'll still be dropping weight. Yesterday I probably ate 3000 calories and this morning the scale shows another pound down(down to 253,0 from 310,4 now)

    My metabolism is at the top right now, excercise and black coffee wins :smile:

    I'm not rushing the weight loss, i'm just putting in the efforts to make long-term changes, and it's working. I don't plan on changing the way i'm eating right now at all. I made the changes and they are here to stay, i'm not forcing myself into a diet to rush to get down to a lower weight, because that would just make me gain it all back. I've been there before, i've done it before, this time it's different and you are confirming my thoughts.

    Thanks! i'll keep the progress posted
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,232 Member
    edited July 2020
    slowregal661 wrote: »
    My metabolism is at the top right now, excercise and black coffee wins :smile:

    It sounds promising that you personally feel that your current set-up is something you can continue to maintain long term.

    If the future throws you a curve ball, you can always adjust calories in and go back to logging carefully to make sure that your Caloric balance remains withing desired parameters.

    Avoid falling in the trap of believing that you are powerless to control your weight should your level of activity ever change.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    @slowregal661 Thank you for your willingness to be open to other viewpoints. <3 None of this is easy.
    Remember there's a reason there's no such thing as a Biggest Loser Reunion show. They ate it all back.

    It's not my intention to step on deeply felt weight loss principles because we all have them. Experience had to be my teacher and it suxed. As you continue tooling along your way if your consistency should start to wane and wind down that would be the brain taking the reins.

    In order to win any battle we have to know our enemy.

    The brain loves it when we throw the towel in. It likes constant starts and stops and quite frankly, half-@$$ing it. The brain will tell you it's alright to take a break because after all, Life Happens.

    Life Happens to all of us and that's never ever going to change. We have to develop skillsets that will build our ability to get fit under any real life conditions. If we can't do that none of this will last. There won't be any long term stability with weight or fitness.

    The natural and predictable consequences with limited skillsets is short term success followed by long term frustration.

    If you're out there and you're in the eating it all back phase why didn't your brain stop you one single time, not one single time to assist you. Why didn't your brain help you rein it back in before you ate it all back to the highest weight you've ever been in your entire lifetime. Why did the brain encourage you to eat it all back after a major weight loss or even WLS weight loss surgery.

    The brain doesn't care. The brain wants to constantly coast on its laurels and fly by the seat of its pants. Some order out of all this chaos must be imposed.

    This is serious business. It's not about willpower. It's about skills.

    Life has no pause button. There is no timeout. Life keeps going. We don't get to press pause for our jobs and families. We don't get to hit the reset button. We keep going. Fight like that for yourself. Without our overall health and well being we get mostly nothing. If you keep going and fighting you will always, always get something for all of your hard work.
  • slowregal661
    slowregal661 Posts: 19 Member
    Update : 69 pounds down! 1 pound from my original goal

    I am now over 6 months into weight loss, and everything is still going smooth.

    All I have to say is, consistency is key.

    Thanks for all your support, I will keep updating every now and then, from 310 to 241, aiming for 220.

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