True confessions from a SLOW learner

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alaskagal
alaskagal Posts: 326
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, I'm ashamed to post this but I'm going to put it out here for everyone to learn from....(gulp!)

I've been reading the thread about "eat your calories" blah, blah, blah. Great advice and I "thought" I was basically following it until I sat down this morning to review my diet notebook. Here's the facts
I'm 43 yr. old. 5'6" and current weight 128 (very small frame). I started MFP January 31st. I learned today that I only have 8 (yes, EIGHT days) since Jan 31st where my net calories is over my BMR (my BMR is 1251 and the average of those 8 days is 1,401 calories). I have 15 days where my net calories is (BIG GULP!) 888 :ohwell: I can not believe that even though I thought I was eating close to my calories (I was sort of going with the splitting the difference mentality) that I would be so far under. My gosh, it's no wonder I can't lose these last few pounds.

I've read multiple diet & nutrition books. I truly thought that I had a fairly good handle on this and was doing this the smart way. Thanks to all you guys on MFP I've learned a huge lesson. I will be weighing myself more than once a month (referencing other posts I've made) but I'm definitely going to be increasing the calories and working on improved nutrition. Funny thing is I haven't really been hungry which I guess further proves the "starvation theory".

BTW, the only exercise I usually record is my true gym time. In other words, I don't count housecleaning and daily activities in my exercise log. So these numbers are probably worse than they actually appear.

So any ideas on how long it will take to counteract this starvation mode I've got going? Bring on the chocolate milkshakes :tongue: Just kidding!!

Those of you who have been through this bring on the advice -- I'm REALLY listening this time. Those of you who are starting, please learn from this.

Thanks to all -
:flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
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    Okay, I'm ashamed to post this but I'm going to put it out here for everyone to learn from....(gulp!)

    I've been reading the thread about "eat your calories" blah, blah, blah. Great advice and I "thought" I was basically following it until I sat down this morning to review my diet notebook. Here's the facts
    I'm 43 yr. old. 5'6" and current weight 128 (very small frame). I started MFP January 31st. I learned today that I only have 8 (yes, EIGHT days) since Jan 31st where my net calories is over my BMR (my BMR is 1251 and the average of those 8 days is 1,401 calories). I have 15 days where my net calories is (BIG GULP!) 888 :ohwell: I can not believe that even though I thought I was eating close to my calories (I was sort of going with the splitting the difference mentality) that I would be so far under. My gosh, it's no wonder I can't lose these last few pounds.

    I've read multiple diet & nutrition books. I truly thought that I had a fairly good handle on this and was doing this the smart way. Thanks to all you guys on MFP I've learned a huge lesson. I will be weighing myself more than once a month (referencing other posts I've made) but I'm definitely going to be increasing the calories and working on improved nutrition. Funny thing is I haven't really been hungry which I guess further proves the "starvation theory".

    BTW, the only exercise I usually record is my true gym time. In other words, I don't count housecleaning and daily activities in my exercise log. So these numbers are probably worse than they actually appear.

    So any ideas on how long it will take to counteract this starvation mode I've got going? Bring on the chocolate milkshakes :tongue: Just kidding!!

    Those of you who have been through this bring on the advice -- I'm REALLY listening this time. Those of you who are starting, please learn from this.

    Thanks to all -
    :flowerforyou:
  • deanea
    deanea Posts: 1,437
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    :wink: :smile:
  • FUZZBUZZ4
    FUZZBUZZ4 Posts: 334
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    Thank you all for this!!!
    I agree with u.. MY confession is even more embarassing!!! i Had days where my net calories were..... 400-500 calories :blushing:
    I was in the mind frame of eat less therefore weigh less.. it worked for a while now i am stuck and all this has woken me up to eating more and being healthier!!! i used to never be hungry and now i know why! so thanx for giving me a wake up call.. i am now trying to train my body to accept more food and tell me when its hungry!!

    Thank you all!!
    :flowerforyou:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    I'm glad you've gotten everything straightened out! How long it takes to adjust is an individual thing. You will probably see an increase on the scale before you see a decrease, but give it about a month. Certain hormones have to reach normal levels again and that takes a while.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Don't be too embarrassed, I was doing the same things. When I first started logging here, I was around 600-800 net calories a day.

    I think we're just so conditioned that dieting=starving and deprivation by the diet industry (which I believe wants to keep us fat. . .but that particular theory of mine is another story) So I thought I was "doing everything right", even though I was dizzy and sometimes weak. The one thing I wasn't was hungry, which is why "listening to your body" is so dangerous.

    I've upped my calories gradually, and now sit comfortably at around 1700 without exercise (maintenance). I eat something every three hours whether I need it or not. (which may explain why I'm on this site so much, I'm logging) (hey, I can quit anytime I want to!:tongue: )

    I kept an "activity log" in a notebook to figure out how active I am doing little things during the day that I don't log. (ie: walk to the store: 5 minutes, mop kitchen floor: 10 minutes) Then I found a "calories burned" calculator ("calorie lab" has almost everything you can imagine) and added those calories to my BMR. I thought I was sedentary, until I wore my pedometer to teaching one day. By lunchtime, I looked and had logged over 7,000 steps. By lunchtime. That's my commute, teaching one class and walking to lunch. Needless to say, I'm not sedentary.

    Add a few "diet no-nos" to your diet, and you'll be amazed how quickly the calories add up. Here are my favorite rules to break: "never drink your calories" (I do this all the time, indulging in a latte or a fresh juice) "don't add fat to anything" fat is your friend. It lubes the body, and helps you to digest plant material (which is most of what I eat).

    one caveat: your body might be shocked when you start feeding it again, and you might gain a bit. It will come back off, but brace yourself for that emotional trauma. I gained about five pounds, which was gone again in two weeks without any adjustment of my eating or working out.
  • brunion
    brunion Posts: 60 Member
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    okay so are you all saying if it says my daily calorie goal is 2900 then i should eat all 2900 what about the part where they say to lose 1 pound a week you need to cut out 500 cal's a day. thought i was doing good now im confused and thats not to hard to do confuse me..lol please help. thanks.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    Brunion,

    PLEASE read the thread called THE answers to THE questions.

    Thank you. It should clear that up for you.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • time2wrk
    time2wrk Posts: 773 Member
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    The initial calorie count (say it says 1200 a day) has already figured in what you should be eliminating. So the exercise and EXTRA food you eat should be a wash. Any calories, or fuel, that you expend in exercise need to get replenished. Your metabolism will kick in if you do it this way. Just don't go over the daily allotment + exercise combined. Hope this helps! :smile:
  • kkylstad
    kkylstad Posts: 75
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    okay so are you all saying if it says my daily calorie goal is 2900 then i should eat all 2900 what about the part where they say to lose 1 pound a week you need to cut out 500 cal's a day. thought i was doing good now im confused and thats not to hard to do confuse me..lol please help. thanks.

    i think this is how it goes:
    eat all of your calories that your "goal" allows you. those are the calories you are given TO lose the weight. if you workout and BURN calories then you are allowed to eat more.
    it's all about what you put down as your goal. MFP with figure it all out for you.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
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    I was the same way...most days I was way under my calories. Thankfully now I am doing better! =o)
  • alaskagal
    alaskagal Posts: 326
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    Thanks for the boost, guys! I'm still blushing over my stupidity :blushing:

    Onward......

    :flowerforyou:
  • brunion
    brunion Posts: 60 Member
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    thanks so much for the help i thought thats how it worked but was not 100% sure its been working so i guess im doing it right just dont want to hit a rut in the road .:bigsmile: well good luck to everyone and keep up the hard work.
  • brunion
    brunion Posts: 60 Member
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    thank you for the link it cleared alot up for me:bigsmile:
  • catlover
    catlover Posts: 389
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    I was doing the same thing, lost only 2 pitiful pounds in three weeks, then 2 more in 3 days. If it stays off for the week end, I'm counting it as a real loss on Monday....

    So EAT TO BE HEALTHY...

    that should be our new motto.
  • Cowboy
    Cowboy Posts: 369 Member
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    So EAT TO BE HEALTHY...

    that should be our new motto.

    You said it Catlover!
    Cowboy
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,049 Member
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    Brunion,

    PLEASE read the thread called THE answers to THE questions.

    Thank you. It should clear that up for you.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

    Okay, now I'm the insane one. :tongue:

    I just keep reading these same posts from different people on different days and expecting a different result. (Like - that I'll think it's funny, or just stop reading them.) But noooooo :noway:

    And yet - BUMP.
    everyone, go to this link..........

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    So EAT TO BE HEALTHY...

    that should be our new motto.

    You said it Catlover!
    Cowboy

    can we please add: and get off your toucas!

    sorry, it makes me laugh to say "toucas".:laugh:
  • janiebeth
    janiebeth Posts: 2,509 Member
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    So EAT TO BE HEALTHY...

    that should be our new motto.

    You said it Catlover!
    Cowboy

    can we please add: and get off your toucas!

    sorry, it makes me laugh to say "toucas".:laugh:

    toucas :laugh: :laugh:
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
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    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • doglvr_75
    doglvr_75 Posts: 144
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    I love reading these discussions and confess that I, too, am a slow learner...so...for the past 3 days I have been forcing myself to eat all of my calories and I was a little nervous about weigh-in tomorrow...but since reading this I'll expect to have gained and hope to lose it again in a couple of weeks....:wink:

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