Working out and calorie intake

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,843 Member
    deezer23 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    With 15 pounds to lose, half a pound a week loss rate would be a good plan . . . but it will take a long time to show up clearly on the scale. How fast have you actually been losing?

    Using data from at least one full menstrual cycle, add up how many calories you've logged, add the approximate number of calories you've lost during the same time period (3500 x number of pounds), and divide by the number of days. That's be your approximate TDEE. Subtract 250 from that, and eat that much daily to lose about half a pound a week. Monitor that for at least *two* more months before adjusting (usually one month is enough, but that slow a loss rate takes longer to be clear, amongst routine daily water-retention fluctuations).

    (ETA: That would be total calories, so you wouldn't eat back exercise on top of that. If you want to account exercise separately, per the usual MFP routine, the arithmetic is a little more complicated, but still doable.)

    I've been losing slowly for over a year, even more slowly than that, to lose a few vanity pounds: Only about a pound a month. It's been effective, and virtually painless. I'm smaller and older than you (female, 5'5", 125ish pounds now, age 65), and not exercising as much as an hour most days. In a slow-loss context, 600-800 calorie meals can easily be part of the routine. I admit I'm a mysteriously good li'l ol' calorie burner for my demographic, even before exercise, but I eat 800+ meals several times a week.

    If you get 1630 for a pound and a half a week, you should get about 2130 for half a pound a week at active. Since you're working out lots, that should be very useful.

    I haven't been losing i have been floating right around 170lbs for a year now. I haven't stopped working out but I got aggressive with it 14 weeks ago. Still haven't lost a pound. I maintain well, but am not losing so it has to been eating too many calories. So I got more aggressive with diet and I guess I am just stressing myself out which isn't healthy either.

    Yes, stress can increase cortisol, which can lead to water weight gain, which would mask fat loss on the scale.

    Do be more consistent about eating back your exercise calories so you eliminate the stressor of under eating.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    So many of us have been where you are. I’ll tell you what helped me specifically.

    I had to let go over everything I thought I KNEW. All the myths and lies I clung to that made me a special snowflake. Like, that won’t work on me! My metabolism is different! Sugar, carbs, make me blow up! I can’t eat like everyone else! Everything I do doesn’t help, so advice from strangers doesn’t matter, they don’t understand how bad my up yo-yo dieting has messed me up! I have a binging trigger, so what works for you doesn’t work for me! I CANT! IM SCARED!

    I also had to get real with the advice I got, and ask myself if I REALLY REALLY TRULY wanted to accept the process, commit, and consistently track as accurate as humanly possible, and see for myself if what they were saying is true. No creating different rules to speed up the process. No fudging on the numbers or not logging bites here and there. Just 100% accurately to the best of my abilities.

    Then I asked myself what my priorities really were and to be totally honest. Once I knew what that was I decided what I was willing to do to make that happen. And if I wasn’t willing to accept the process then it wasn’t really a priority, at least not yet.

    Only you can be 100% ready to take those steps, and let go of the excuses, fear, and myths holding you back. When I did, it changed my life, and I realize the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own mind and ability to commit honestly to the process.

    Wow, what a great post.

    For me, the day I realized that I wasn't going to be able to bypass, trick, or hack the way my body processes and stores energy was a huge deal. It also helped me let go of a lot of resentment as I realized I COULD eat whatever I wanted and whatever quantity I wanted, I just also had to accept the consequences of that. I wasn't uniquely disadvantaged by my metabolism, I wasn't an energy unicorn. I have the same choice everyone else does, I can consume the amount of energy my body needs or I can consume more than that.

    It can be scary and intimidating and sometimes a slow process, but it's also very liberating since I felt like I was being released from a cage of dietary mumbo jumbo and mixed messages.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Some stats would be helpful to get tailored advice. How many calories per day are you aiming for, how tall are you, current and goal weight, what is your MFP activity level set at and your selected weekly rate of weight loss, are you eating back your exercise calories, how long have you been following this plan, how are you measuring your intake (weighing? Cups? Package labels) and what kind of activity are you doing for how long to burn 400-500 calories?

    It suggests 1630 cal/ week. I am 5'7" 166lbs. My goal is around 150lbs or a size 7 whichever works out best for my body. I am set to "active" on MFP. WEEKLY weightloss is set at 1.5/week. I eat back on occasion but it isn't daily however today even after working out I am still over. Measuring intake is usually per serving according to label and I do Measure my food. I weight train, kettlebell train, interval run and treadmill for exercise about an hour or more.

    I’m also pretty active and let me tell you- you are not eating enough. For some one with a history of binge eating, a restrictive diet is even worse! I’m 5’ 4” and 160ish lbs right now (I’m quite muscular) and I workout 5 days a week and I walk 10,000 steps a day. My average TDEE is 2400ish depending on how active I’ve been. 1600 would be a 800-900 calorie deficit which is no where near sustainable! You’re also the same as me because you only have 15 lbs to lose and that requires patience and consistency. Last year I lost 8 lbs in 4 months eating 2000+ calories. Fatloss doesn’t have to be miserable. Oh and I’ve already done the undereating stuff (I ate 1200-1500) calories because I stupidly thought that I had a slow metabolism (silly PCOS advice I read somewhere- yes I have PCOS too) but no I have a faster metabolism because I have more muscle! And NO, it didn’t work to eat super low calories. The reason why I gained weight in the first place was because I restricted and then would binge (that’s a whole other story). So, basically aim to lose 0.5 lbs a week. Imagine this whenever you think it will take too long- imagine in 6 months time and you’re still the same weight! That doesn’t feel good does it? Or you could be 12 lbs lighter! This is all advice that I still struggle with myself so I know it’s hard but we can do this. It’s mind over matter.
  • deezer23
    deezer23 Posts: 17 Member
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    So many of us have been where you are. I’ll tell you what helped me specifically.

    I had to let go of everything I thought I KNEW. All the myths and lies I clung to that made me a special snowflake. Like, that won’t work on me! My metabolism is different! Sugar, carbs, make me blow up! I can’t eat like everyone else! Everything I do doesn’t help, so advice from strangers doesn’t matter, they don’t understand how bad my up yo-yo dieting has messed me up! I have a binging trigger, so what works for you doesn’t work for me! I CAN’T! I’M SCARED!

    I also had to get real with the advice I got, and ask myself if I REALLY REALLY TRULY wanted to accept the process, commit, and consistently track as accurate as humanly possible, and see for myself if what they were saying is true. No creating different rules to speed up the process. No fudging on the numbers or not logging bites here and there. Just 100% accuracy to the best of my abilities.

    Then I asked myself what my priorities really were and to be totally honest. Once I knew what that was I decided what I was willing to do to make that happen. And if I wasn’t willing to accept the process then it wasn’t really a priority, at least not yet.

    Only you can be 100% ready to take those steps, and let go of the excuses, fear, and myths holding you back. When I did, it changed my life, and I realize the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own mind and ability to commit honestly to the process.

    O....k....I guess in my question I wasn't clear. I did state that I workout daily and have been on this journey for years. I am totally committed and expressed my issue right now is my calorie intake. I have been using this app for about 6 years, especially when I am going through binge triggers. I have undergone counseling and am very self aware and real with myself. I work out 6 days a week. Every other day is weight training. The other days is running and yoga. I started at 197 and am currently 166. I honestly don't know how much more "real" and "dedicated" i can be. I gained 15lbs during covid shut down and I am trying to lose it but I noticed this week I am hungrier and have been eating a lot more. My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder. I posted to assist in being honest with myself. If it is my calorie intake then I know ihave to fight the urge to eat harder. If it is because of my workouts and I have my settings too aggressive then I know to allow yself to relax a little. Thanks for your comment.
  • deezer23
    deezer23 Posts: 17 Member
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Some stats would be helpful to get tailored advice. How many calories per day are you aiming for, how tall are you, current and goal weight, what is your MFP activity level set at and your selected weekly rate of weight loss, are you eating back your exercise calories, how long have you been following this plan, how are you measuring your intake (weighing? Cups? Package labels) and what kind of activity are you doing for how long to burn 400-500 calories?

    It suggests 1630 cal/ week. I am 5'7" 166lbs. My goal is around 150lbs or a size 7 whichever works out best for my body. I am set to "active" on MFP. WEEKLY weightloss is set at 1.5/week. I eat back on occasion but it isn't daily however today even after working out I am still over. Measuring intake is usually per serving according to label and I do Measure my food. I weight train, kettlebell train, interval run and treadmill for exercise about an hour or more.

    I’m also pretty active and let me tell you- you are not eating enough. For some one with a history of binge eating, a restrictive diet is even worse! I’m 5’ 4” and 160ish lbs right now (I’m quite muscular) and I workout 5 days a week and I walk 10,000 steps a day. My average TDEE is 2400ish depending on how active I’ve been. 1600 would be a 800-900 calorie deficit which is no where near sustainable! You’re also the same as me because you only have 15 lbs to lose and that requires patience and consistency. Last year I lost 8 lbs in 4 months eating 2000+ calories. Fatloss doesn’t have to be miserable. Oh and I’ve already done the undereating stuff (I ate 1200-1500) calories because I stupidly thought that I had a slow metabolism (silly PCOS advice I read somewhere- yes I have PCOS too) but no I have a faster metabolism because I have more muscle! And NO, it didn’t work to eat super low calories. The reason why I gained weight in the first place was because I restricted and then would binge (that’s a whole other story). So, basically aim to lose 0.5 lbs a week. Imagine this whenever you think it will take too long- imagine in 6 months time and you’re still the same weight! That doesn’t feel good does it? Or you could be 12 lbs lighter! This is all advice that I still struggle with myself so I know it’s hard but we can do this. It’s mind over matter.

    Thank you so much this was super helpful.
  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    So many of us have been where you are. I’ll tell you what helped me specifically.

    I had to let go of everything I thought I KNEW. All the myths and lies I clung to that made me a special snowflake. Like, that won’t work on me! My metabolism is different! Sugar, carbs, make me blow up! I can’t eat like everyone else! Everything I do doesn’t help, so advice from strangers doesn’t matter, they don’t understand how bad my up yo-yo dieting has messed me up! I have a binging trigger, so what works for you doesn’t work for me! I CAN’T! I’M SCARED!

    I also had to get real with the advice I got, and ask myself if I REALLY REALLY TRULY wanted to accept the process, commit, and consistently track as accurate as humanly possible, and see for myself if what they were saying is true. No creating different rules to speed up the process. No fudging on the numbers or not logging bites here and there. Just 100% accuracy to the best of my abilities.

    Then I asked myself what my priorities really were and to be totally honest. Once I knew what that was I decided what I was willing to do to make that happen. And if I wasn’t willing to accept the process then it wasn’t really a priority, at least not yet.

    Only you can be 100% ready to take those steps, and let go of the excuses, fear, and myths holding you back. When I did, it changed my life, and I realize the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own mind and ability to commit honestly to the process.

    O....k....I guess in my question I wasn't clear. I did state that I workout daily and have been on this journey for years. I am totally committed and expressed my issue right now is my calorie intake. I have been using this app for about 6 years, especially when I am going through binge triggers. I have undergone counseling and am very self aware and real with myself. I work out 6 days a week. Every other day is weight training. The other days is running and yoga. I started at 197 and am currently 166. I honestly don't know how much more "real" and "dedicated" i can be. I gained 15lbs during covid shut down and I am trying to lose it but I noticed this week I am hungrier and have been eating a lot more. My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder. I posted to assist in being honest with myself. If it is my calorie intake then I know ihave to fight the urge to eat harder. If it is because of my workouts and I have my settings too aggressive then I know to allow yself to relax a little. Thanks for your comment.

    Oh, I’m sorry my experience wasn’t helpful to you at all. Glad you got some great advice here that is though! 🙌🏻
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 935 Member
    deezer23 wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Some stats would be helpful to get tailored advice. How many calories per day are you aiming for, how tall are you, current and goal weight, what is your MFP activity level set at and your selected weekly rate of weight loss, are you eating back your exercise calories, how long have you been following this plan, how are you measuring your intake (weighing? Cups? Package labels) and what kind of activity are you doing for how long to burn 400-500 calories?

    It suggests 1630 cal/ week. I am 5'7" 166lbs. My goal is around 150lbs or a size 7 whichever works out best for my body. I am set to "active" on MFP. WEEKLY weightloss is set at 1.5/week. I eat back on occasion but it isn't daily however today even after working out I am still over. Measuring intake is usually per serving according to label and I do Measure my food. I weight train, kettlebell train, interval run and treadmill for exercise about an hour or more.

    I’m also pretty active and let me tell you- you are not eating enough. For some one with a history of binge eating, a restrictive diet is even worse! I’m 5’ 4” and 160ish lbs right now (I’m quite muscular) and I workout 5 days a week and I walk 10,000 steps a day. My average TDEE is 2400ish depending on how active I’ve been. 1600 would be a 800-900 calorie deficit which is no where near sustainable! You’re also the same as me because you only have 15 lbs to lose and that requires patience and consistency. Last year I lost 8 lbs in 4 months eating 2000+ calories. Fatloss doesn’t have to be miserable. Oh and I’ve already done the undereating stuff (I ate 1200-1500) calories because I stupidly thought that I had a slow metabolism (silly PCOS advice I read somewhere- yes I have PCOS too) but no I have a faster metabolism because I have more muscle! And NO, it didn’t work to eat super low calories. The reason why I gained weight in the first place was because I restricted and then would binge (that’s a whole other story). So, basically aim to lose 0.5 lbs a week. Imagine this whenever you think it will take too long- imagine in 6 months time and you’re still the same weight! That doesn’t feel good does it? Or you could be 12 lbs lighter! This is all advice that I still struggle with myself so I know it’s hard but we can do this. It’s mind over matter.

    Thank you so much this was super helpful.

    Glad it was helpful to you- I’ve also recovered from multiple EDs so I know how you feel ❤️
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    deezer23 wrote: »
    My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder.

    As regards the exercise part....
    My hunger response to exercise doesn't necessarily track the actual calorie burns.
    Low to moderate cardio even with very extended duration (multi hour) creates very little hunger response compared to what can be a massive calorie burn.
    Strength training, low calorie burn but quite a strong hunger response.
    Intense cardio, stronger hunger response, higher than the actual burn.

    e.g. An hour of moderate steady state cardio at 540 net cals results in no real hunger response and no fatigue. An hour of intense cardio interval training with high burn rate peaks and low burn rate recovery intervals at exactly the same overall 540 net cals will result in feeling shattered and very hungry.

    Which leads to a decision point, eat to hunger signals or eat to the numbers?
    (In reality I do a bit of both and even things out over the week rather than the day, your choice might be different.)
  • deezer23
    deezer23 Posts: 17 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder.

    As regards the exercise part....
    My hunger response to exercise doesn't necessarily track the actual calorie burns.
    Low to moderate cardio even with very extended duration (multi hour) creates very little hunger response compared to what can be a massive calorie burn.
    Strength training, low calorie burn but quite a strong hunger response.
    Intense cardio, stronger hunger response, higher than the actual burn.

    e.g. An hour of moderate steady state cardio at 540 net cals results in no real hunger response and no fatigue. An hour of intense cardio interval training with high burn rate peaks and low burn rate recovery intervals at exactly the same overall 540 net cals will result in feeling shattered and very hungry.

    Which leads to a decision point, eat to hunger signals or eat to the numbers?
    (In reality I do a bit of both and even things out over the week rather than the day, your choice might be different.)

    Thank you. This was very helpful. I push pretty hard and my cardio is interval training. So it makes more sense now. Thanks
  • deezer23
    deezer23 Posts: 17 Member
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Some stats would be helpful to get tailored advice. How many calories per day are you aiming for, how tall are you, current and goal weight, what is your MFP activity level set at and your selected weekly rate of weight loss, are you eating back your exercise calories, how long have you been following this plan, how are you measuring your intake (weighing? Cups? Package labels) and what kind of activity are you doing for how long to burn 400-500 calories?

    It suggests 1630 cal/ week. I am 5'7" 166lbs. My goal is around 150lbs or a size 7 whichever works out best for my body. I am set to "active" on MFP. WEEKLY weightloss is set at 1.5/week. I eat back on occasion but it isn't daily however today even after working out I am still over. Measuring intake is usually per serving according to label and I do Measure my food. I weight train, kettlebell train, interval run and treadmill for exercise about an hour or more.

    I’m also pretty active and let me tell you- you are not eating enough. For some one with a history of binge eating, a restrictive diet is even worse! I’m 5’ 4” and 160ish lbs right now (I’m quite muscular) and I workout 5 days a week and I walk 10,000 steps a day. My average TDEE is 2400ish depending on how active I’ve been. 1600 would be a 800-900 calorie deficit which is no where near sustainable! You’re also the same as me because you only have 15 lbs to lose and that requires patience and consistency. Last year I lost 8 lbs in 4 months eating 2000+ calories. Fatloss doesn’t have to be miserable. Oh and I’ve already done the undereating stuff (I ate 1200-1500) calories because I stupidly thought that I had a slow metabolism (silly PCOS advice I read somewhere- yes I have PCOS too) but no I have a faster metabolism because I have more muscle! And NO, it didn’t work to eat super low calories. The reason why I gained weight in the first place was because I restricted and then would binge (that’s a whole other story). So, basically aim to lose 0.5 lbs a week. Imagine this whenever you think it will take too long- imagine in 6 months time and you’re still the same weight! That doesn’t feel good does it? Or you could be 12 lbs lighter! This is all advice that I still struggle with myself so I know it’s hard but we can do this. It’s mind over matter.

    Thank you so much this was super helpful.

    Glad it was helpful to you- I’ve also recovered from multiple EDs so I know how you feel ❤️

    I figured....its nice to be understood. ED's are super hard to work through....it's a total reprogramming of them brain. Thanks for understanding
  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
    edited March 2021
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    So many of us have been where you are. I’ll tell you what helped me specifically.

    I had to let go of everything I thought I KNEW. All the myths and lies I clung to that made me a special snowflake. Like, that won’t work on me! My metabolism is different! Sugar, carbs, make me blow up! I can’t eat like everyone else! Everything I do doesn’t help, so advice from strangers doesn’t matter, they don’t understand how bad my up yo-yo dieting has messed me up! I have a binging trigger, so what works for you doesn’t work for me! I CAN’T! I’M SCARED!

    I also had to get real with the advice I got, and ask myself if I REALLY REALLY TRULY wanted to accept the process, commit, and consistently track as accurate as humanly possible, and see for myself if what they were saying is true. No creating different rules to speed up the process. No fudging on the numbers or not logging bites here and there. Just 100% accuracy to the best of my abilities.

    Then I asked myself what my priorities really were and to be totally honest. Once I knew what that was I decided what I was willing to do to make that happen. And if I wasn’t willing to accept the process then it wasn’t really a priority, at least not yet.

    Only you can be 100% ready to take those steps, and let go of the excuses, fear, and myths holding you back. When I did, it changed my life, and I realize the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own mind and ability to commit honestly to the process.

    O....k....I guess in my question I wasn't clear. I did state that I workout daily and have been on this journey for years. I am totally committed and expressed my issue right now is my calorie intake. I have been using this app for about 6 years, especially when I am going through binge triggers. I have undergone counseling and am very self aware and real with myself. I work out 6 days a week. Every other day is weight training. The other days is running and yoga. I started at 197 and am currently 166. I honestly don't know how much more "real" and "dedicated" i can be. I gained 15lbs during covid shut down and I am trying to lose it but I noticed this week I am hungrier and have been eating a lot more. My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder. I posted to assist in being honest with myself. If it is my calorie intake then I know ihave to fight the urge to eat harder. If it is because of my workouts and I have my settings too aggressive then I know to allow yself to relax a little. Thanks for your comment.

    Oh, I’m sorry my experience wasn’t helpful to you at all. Glad you got some great advice here that is though! 🙌🏻

    I am sure someone will come across it and be inspired. I am sure you helped a lot of people. I can appreciate you "getting real" approach and I feel like I did that years ago. I am just confused as to what I said in my original post to make you think I haven't taken the steps you did, been 100% honest with myself. Also, your "I have binge triggers so that won't work for me" comment being used as an "excuse" was a touch off putting. I have an eating disorder....clinically diagnosed. It steams from a diagnosis of PTSD from Family of Origin. I was neglected and abused as a child and one of my abuses was only being allowed to eat bologna and ketchup sandwiches. I was allowed 2 a day for long periods of time. It was used as a punishment so when I was allowed to eat real food I would binge. I would also eat out of the garbage at school. So, yeah I have triggers and it took 10years of therapy to get over it. But I still have moments because of how my brain is wired for food. It will never fully go away. So I reached out on here because I know there are people who understand.

    I know you meant well. And judging by how real and honest you are I would venture to say you are a really good person to be around. Honest people are hard to come by.

    I’m happy to answer your questions. But first I want to say I’m sorry for your incredibly difficult situation growing up. No one should ever have to experience that, or have their relationship with food robbed of anything positive. I’m happy you have taken back control of your life through therapy, and I understand there is no perfect light switch moment to make everything go away. We are all a work in progress.

    Now, I’ll respond specifically to your post with thoughts, so you know where my head was at.

    Had high metabolism since I was a kid till about 30 then I had to get a grip on my eating...been working on it ever since.

    This comment is worded unusual to me. It makes me think you think your metabolism is damaged, instead of you addressing that perhaps you were more active and ate less before you turned 30. Most people’s activity level and food intake changes due to work and family dynamics, not because of their metabolism. You said you are very active, but it is still different than your childhood and so is your eating.

    It seems to be my challenge to not freak out mentally when I am hungry. I have healthy snacks, but even some of those are calorie dense. I eat 5 times a day off a small plate and most days but every few days I get so bloody hungry I have a baby binge.

    Being hungry is certainly uncomfortable. I have no issue with this, I think so too. When you said you have healthy snacks, that’s great too but whether they’re healthy or not is only somewhat helpful. Satiating- yes this is absolutely helpful. Healthy- it doesn’t answer whether it helps you feel better. You stated you eat 5 times a day off a small plate, but how many times you eat and the size of your plate literally doesn’t matter. I prefer getting all my calories once or twice a day so I feel like I got substantial amount of food and feel satisfied. For example, if I ate breakfast or snacks, I would be starving for the rest of the day. Others prefer small calorie amounts throughout the day. It’s up to each individual person as to what meets their calorie goals and what satiates them mentally and physically. But I think, since this isn’t working for your hunger cues, you might want to reevaluate that strategy.

    Like today I had two turkey sandwiches, an apple and popcorn and that meal was like 800 calories!!

    Great- Now you know what doesn’t satiate you. The week I’m the hungriest I know what types of foods fill me up and provide quantity. On normal weeks, I would feel completely fine having a sandwich, an apple, and popcorn. But I know for a fact, during my famished week, this would absolutely not do the trick for me, so this doesn’t surprise me. Additionally, you might just be under eating, and need to keep an accurate log and watch your weight trend to see which one it is.

    No pop/soda or any juice really. No sugar really. I make my own bread or buy organic seed bread.

    Again, this is an unusual comment. I mean, it makes sense not to drink your calories if you’re struggling to maintain a deficit, but it doesn’t matter if you do as long as they fit in your calories. In your case, probably not a good idea. But sugar, for a lot of people, can be satiating and satisfying sometimes. When you say no sugar really, it makes me wonder if you’re depriving yourself. Avoiding sugar myself for 10 years, I was binging all the time! It was very triggering when I finally did have it, and then I blamed the sugar for everything. Turns out the deprivation and guilt associated to eating it was a huge culprit in my disordered eating. Hey, if you don’t like it or are diabetic, then that’s one thing, but I hope mentally you haven’t demonized it, otherwise not sure why you brought it up. The organic thing, that doesn’t matter in terms of weight loss or being satisfied either. Cool that you bake your own bread though, I do too. It’s delicious.

    Is it normal for someone who lifts weights and runs to eat a lot? Any suggestions? I feel like I have tried everything.

    When I lift weights, wow do I get hungry, so you’re not alone. A lot of people responded regarding that so I didn’t elaborate. As far as trying everything, it just seems you still have some possible misconceptions and realizations that are in progress, due to some of your statements I mentioned. Key thoughts here- Metabolism isn’t likely the issue. Overworking is counterproductive. Healthy food is good for health, not weight loss. Sugar is fine in moderation. Organic food is a preference. Eating 5 times isn’t necessary to lose weight and can even be detrimental to goals. Small plate, so what? These are some of the red flags for me, but if you’re seeing a nutritionist don’t listen to someone on the internet, of course and follow their program.

    As far as other comments I made, they were specific to my experience and what worked for me, that other people could potentially dismantle and apply to themselves how they see fit. Like my binging comment- That was something I went through, I binged for so long I thought my metabolism was broken. Little did I know, I was not. CICO, don’t demonize food, show myself grace, find food I love and that works for me even in maintenance, this is what I did differently and it changed my life. If you feel you have done that, that’s great. It just doesn’t sound like it from your post (to me).

    I hope this was more helpful. If not, please just brush it off and continue to do exceptional things being the person you are. I genuinely mean that.
  • joanna_82
    joanna_82 Posts: 151 Member
    OP I am similar height and just a little bit lighter than you, also with a history of BED.
    I’ve found setting my weekly goal to the lowest possible (0.5) and making my diet as nutritionally balanced as I can, and ensuring I hit my protein intake. I also eat back half my excersise calories when I run. This has worked for me for the last year where I have slowly steadily lost weight without resorting to bingeing.

    Good luck!
  • deezer23
    deezer23 Posts: 17 Member
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    deezer23 wrote: »
    Ddsb11 wrote: »
    So many of us have been where you are. I’ll tell you what helped me specifically.

    I had to let go of everything I thought I KNEW. All the myths and lies I clung to that made me a special snowflake. Like, that won’t work on me! My metabolism is different! Sugar, carbs, make me blow up! I can’t eat like everyone else! Everything I do doesn’t help, so advice from strangers doesn’t matter, they don’t understand how bad my up yo-yo dieting has messed me up! I have a binging trigger, so what works for you doesn’t work for me! I CAN’T! I’M SCARED!

    I also had to get real with the advice I got, and ask myself if I REALLY REALLY TRULY wanted to accept the process, commit, and consistently track as accurate as humanly possible, and see for myself if what they were saying is true. No creating different rules to speed up the process. No fudging on the numbers or not logging bites here and there. Just 100% accuracy to the best of my abilities.

    Then I asked myself what my priorities really were and to be totally honest. Once I knew what that was I decided what I was willing to do to make that happen. And if I wasn’t willing to accept the process then it wasn’t really a priority, at least not yet.

    Only you can be 100% ready to take those steps, and let go of the excuses, fear, and myths holding you back. When I did, it changed my life, and I realize the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was my own mind and ability to commit honestly to the process.

    O....k....I guess in my question I wasn't clear. I did state that I workout daily and have been on this journey for years. I am totally committed and expressed my issue right now is my calorie intake. I have been using this app for about 6 years, especially when I am going through binge triggers. I have undergone counseling and am very self aware and real with myself. I work out 6 days a week. Every other day is weight training. The other days is running and yoga. I started at 197 and am currently 166. I honestly don't know how much more "real" and "dedicated" i can be. I gained 15lbs during covid shut down and I am trying to lose it but I noticed this week I am hungrier and have been eating a lot more. My question was if the workouts could be making me hungry or if it was my eating disorder. I posted to assist in being honest with myself. If it is my calorie intake then I know ihave to fight the urge to eat harder. If it is because of my workouts and I have my settings too aggressive then I know to allow yself to relax a little. Thanks for your comment.

    Oh, I’m sorry my experience wasn’t helpful to you at all. Glad you got some great advice here that is though! 🙌🏻

    I am sure someone will come across it and be inspired. I am sure you helped a lot of people. I can appreciate you "getting real" approach and I feel like I did that years ago. I am just confused as to what I said in my original post to make you think I haven't taken the steps you did, been 100% honest with myself. Also, your "I have binge triggers so that won't work for me" comment being used as an "excuse" was a touch off putting. I have an eating disorder....clinically diagnosed. It steams from a diagnosis of PTSD from Family of Origin. I was neglected and abused as a child and one of my abuses was only being allowed to eat bologna and ketchup sandwiches. I was allowed 2 a day for long periods of time. It was used as a punishment so when I was allowed to eat real food I would binge. I would also eat out of the garbage at school. So, yeah I have triggers and it took 10years of therapy to get over it. But I still have moments because of how my brain is wired for food. It will never fully go away. So I reached out on here because I know there are people who understand.

    I know you meant well. And judging by how real and honest you are I would venture to say you are a really good person to be around. Honest people are hard to come by.

    I’m happy to answer your questions. But first I want to say I’m sorry for your incredibly difficult situation growing up. No one should ever have to experience that, or have their relationship with food robbed of anything positive. I’m happy you have taken back control of your life through therapy, and I understand there is no perfect light switch moment to make everything go away. We are all a work in progress.

    Now, I’ll respond specifically to your post with thoughts, so you know where my head was at.

    Had high metabolism since I was a kid till about 30 then I had to get a grip on my eating...been working on it ever since.

    This comment is worded unusual to me. It makes me think you think your metabolism is damaged, instead of you addressing that perhaps you were more active and ate less before you turned 30. Most people’s activity level and food intake changes due to work and family dynamics, not because of their metabolism. You said you are very active, but it is still different than your childhood and so is your eating.

    It seems to be my challenge to not freak out mentally when I am hungry. I have healthy snacks, but even some of those are calorie dense. I eat 5 times a day off a small plate and most days but every few days I get so bloody hungry I have a baby binge.

    Being hungry is certainly uncomfortable. I have no issue with this, I think so too. When you said you have healthy snacks, that’s great too but whether they’re healthy or not is only somewhat helpful. Satiating- yes this is absolutely helpful. Healthy- it doesn’t answer whether it helps you feel better. You stated you eat 5 times a day off a small plate, but how many times you eat and the size of your plate literally doesn’t matter. I prefer getting all my calories once or twice a day so I feel like I got substantial amount of food and feel satisfied. For example, if I ate breakfast or snacks, I would be starving for the rest of the day. Others prefer small calorie amounts throughout the day. It’s up to each individual person as to what meets their calorie goals and what satiates them mentally and physically. But I think, since this isn’t working for your hunger cues, you might want to reevaluate that strategy.

    Like today I had two turkey sandwiches, an apple and popcorn and that meal was like 800 calories!!

    Great- Now you know what doesn’t satiate you. The week I’m the hungriest I know what types of foods fill me up and provide quantity. On normal weeks, I would feel completely fine having a sandwich, an apple, and popcorn. But I know for a fact, during my famished week, this would absolutely not do the trick for me, so this doesn’t surprise me. Additionally, you might just be under eating, and need to keep an accurate log and watch your weight trend to see which one it is.

    No pop/soda or any juice really. No sugar really. I make my own bread or buy organic seed bread.

    Again, this is an unusual comment. I mean, it makes sense not to drink your calories if you’re struggling to maintain a deficit, but it doesn’t matter if you do as long as they fit in your calories. In your case, probably not a good idea. But sugar, for a lot of people, can be satiating and satisfying sometimes. When you say no sugar really, it makes me wonder if you’re depriving yourself. Avoiding sugar myself for 10 years, I was binging all the time! It was very triggering when I finally did have it, and then I blamed the sugar for everything. Turns out the deprivation and guilt associated to eating it was a huge culprit in my disordered eating. Hey, if you don’t like it or are diabetic, then that’s one thing, but I hope mentally you haven’t demonized it, otherwise not sure why you brought it up. The organic thing, that doesn’t matter in terms of weight loss or being satisfied either. Cool that you bake your own bread though, I do too. It’s delicious.

    Is it normal for someone who lifts weights and runs to eat a lot? Any suggestions? I feel like I have tried everything.

    When I lift weights, wow do I get hungry, so you’re not alone. A lot of people responded regarding that so I didn’t elaborate. As far as trying everything, it just seems you still have some possible misconceptions and realizations that are in progress, due to some of your statements I mentioned. Key thoughts here- Metabolism isn’t likely the issue. Overworking is counterproductive. Healthy food is good for health, not weight loss. Sugar is fine in moderation. Organic food is a preference. Eating 5 times isn’t necessary to lose weight and can even be detrimental to goals. Small plate, so what? These are some of the red flags for me, but if you’re seeing a nutritionist don’t listen to someone on the internet, of course and follow their program.

    As far as other comments I made, they were specific to my experience and what worked for me, that other people could potentially dismantle and apply to themselves how they see fit. Like my binging comment- That was something I went through, I binged for so long I thought my metabolism was broken. Little did I know, I was not. CICO, don’t demonize food, show myself grace, find food I love and that works for me even in maintenance, this is what I did differently and it changed my life. If you feel you have done that, that’s great. It just doesn’t sound like it from your post (to me).

    I hope this was more helpful. If not, please just brush it off and continue to do exceptional things being the person you are. I genuinely mean that.

    I appreciate you taking the time to break everything down. I word things the way I did to simplify as much as possible. I honestly didn't want to bring up my childhood but since we were in conversation I decided to share. I am pretty well educated in biology and how the body works in part because of my ED journey and my job as a PT massage therapist and herbalist. I am also taking classes to become a certified nutritionist. So, I appreciate the info you shared. But I simply just wanted to know if anyone else has experienced hunger spike after kicking up your workout. But since we are conversing I just want to add a little.

    With my personal eating disorder one of the "side effects" if you will is that my brain doesn't read the CCK, PYY, GLP-1 hormones that the brain produces. My insulin is find but my hypothalamus doesn't register like it should. So in essence I never really feel full and satisfied 20-30mins after I eat like most people. So I can't always take the same approach to food as most people. HOWEVER, I could have been more forthcoming with information so people could understand what I was after.
    As far as my "unusual" comments. Those were just tidbits so people understood that what I eat and that I understand how my body works. I think you may have read into what I wrote a little bit too much. I don't think my metabolism is damaged but it does slow down as you age due to multiple factors like you stated. I just didn't want people to give me answers like "maybe you're eating too much bread or processed food" or "maybe you eat too much sugar or fruit." I honestly just wanted to know if other active people found their hunger to spike a lot when the implemented a higher intensity workout.

    I LOVE A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAID AND ITS TRUTH!!! Thank you for all your time. I screen shot it. Thank you.