Calorie Deficit Question

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Thank you for replying, @kallen771991, and in such an understanding, conflict-soothing manner. A couple of comments/questions.

kallen771991 wrote: »

@musicfan68
musicfan68 @PAV8888 @AnnPT77 @paperpudding @glassyo @Cluelessmama1979 @lynn_glenmont @emmamcgarity

I think i got everyone tagged that replied here over the last few days.

So i have to address a few things.

First thing is, i didn't meant to worry or upset anyone. I realize i'm not very good at writing these posts well. I was never cross with responses either.

second, I don't know if many of you understand that having a dignosis of PCOS changes the game pretty drastically in terms of calorie counting. Granted i'm still learning about it all but i know calorie counting isn't the preferred method now. We with PCOS have a slew of factors that make the calorie calculators wrong for us.. i've read a ton of literature in the last couple days trying to find answers.

Not so much aimed at you, but a general comment: So many people consider that "calorie counting doesn't work" (a thing you didn't say!) because they find that the so-called "calculators" don't produce a calorie estimate that works for them.

There are really 2 different things: Getting a valid calorie estimate, and whether (once having one), calorie counting is a useful tool. (It sounds like you've internalized this distinction, and are using that knowledge in a sensible way, which is great.)

All the "calculators" do, essentially, is spit out an average calorie-needs value for people who are similar in terms of the variables the calculator knows about: The things like height, weight, age, activity level, etc. Actual people vary around that average. Most are close, a rare few are surprisingly far away. (Loosely, the further from average, the fewer people who fall in that range.)

Certainly, medical conditions, like your PCOS, can contribute to being "non-average", and finding the calculators not accurate for an individual. Lots of factors can make a person non-average in that way, some not obvious at all. (That "non-average-ness" is what the common "try it for a month then adjust" advice is about.)

For the majority of people, logging accurately, calorie counting can work as mechanics, once they have that adjusted, personalized estimate. (For some people, calorie counting is psychologically unsuitable for various reasons.) There are a few medical conditions I'm aware of that can cause calorie needs to be unstable enough for an individual that counting doesn't work as mechanics. Those are rare things, but possible.

(For example, one of my friends had an unusual cycling thyroid condition - not normal hypo/hyperthyroidism, but cycling wildly anywhere between extremes of each. When her thyroid was overactive, it was like taking stimulants: High heart rate, high energy, twitchy - burning many calories. When thyroid was underactive, she barely moved, was cold, slept/rested more - burning much lower calories. It could be one of those extremes, or anywhere in between, quite unpredictably. Calorie counting mechanics are less viable as a tool, in some rare case like that.)

Soooo... i finally asked my doctor about all of this. She said to aim for 1500 a day, which i now understand is with exercise. so basically i could eat 2000 cal in a day if i try to burn off 500 of it. I had told her my overall plan before, the staying between 1200 and 1700 calories and she never told me i was wrong for that at all or seemed concerned i was doing things that way.. so thats a reason why i was confused over reactions.

To give an update though. this week i've added turkey into my lunch meal, which boosts my protein and i also got some plant protein powder to go in my oatmeal in the morning. PCOS can make things difficult so they say to aim for plant proteins vs animal proteins because of insulin resistance. I take metformin for mind and also inositol for it.

That seems odd to me, speaking as a long term vegetarian. Protein can indeed raise insulin, but once broken down in the body, amino acids are amino acids, regardless of food source. Plant proteins can have a different protein profile (relative values of different amino acids), but plants tend (if anything) to be less complete in essential amino acids than animal proteins. Also, plant proteins in whole foods are more likely to bring carbs along with them, because many plant protein foods are less protein-dense, and often not high in fats, so a fair chunk of calorie content coming from carbs.

I'm not saying your doctor is wrong, and I admittedly know little about PCOS, but that advice seems strange, at least in terms of the explanation.

That said, the average person would be better off (according to most mainstream nutrition experts) getting more plant-source foods in general, for the micros, fiber, and prebiotics (loosely, certain types of fiber that help support a diverse gut microbiome).

So i promise i'm being healthy, and i'm paying closer attention. I understand why so many of you responded the way you did and i appreciate the concern. i will try to be better at giving the right information in the future.

Thank you for the reassurance - I think most people here really do care, really do want to help. We do have a range of different communication styles (most of us probably using a style that would work if the OP were us!). Some are warm'n'fuzzy, touchy-feely; others are science-nerd-y, maybe super blunt in ways that can come across to harsh. Also, we sometimes argue among ourselves!

Wishing you excellent results, going forward!