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DavidGraham1169
DavidGraham1169 Posts: 5 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Just wondering I'm not very clued up on dieting etc, I have joined premium and logged my height age weight etc, also have said I want to stick to under 1300 calories a day, am I right in thinking that if I stick to the macros on my plan then I will lose weight? I have been between 900-1100 calories for the last 2 weeks which actually hasn't been too bad for what I have been eating. So as long as I stay within the macros shown or under I will continue to lose weight? It says so much about carbs/fat etc intake. Just don't want to be eating the wrong things. So far haven't went over in fact been well under,apart from the protein which has allways been few grams over here n there.
Thanks in advance

Best Answer

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,413 Member
    edited November 2023 Answer ✓
    If MFP said to eat 1300, eat 1300, not 900-1100. Losing weight fast creates health risk. Further, if you do any significant amount of exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, MFP intends you to log the exercise and eat those calories, too. (Or you can sync a fitness tracker, and eat the calorie adjustment it and MFP work out.)

    Also, if you told MFP you want to lose 2 pounds a week (or 1 kg a week), and that would be more than 1% of your current weight per week, give it a rethink and set it for slower loss. (0.5% of current weight per week would probably be better, even, than 1%.) If you're male (as I'd guess from your user name), you're meant to eat a minimum of 1500 calories to get minimum essential nutrition. Even 1300 would be too low, unless you're very, very short of stature and pretty old.

    Macros are important for nutrition, health, energy level, satiation, body composition (fat vs. muscle), but not super important for weight loss, except in so far as they make it easier or harder to feel reasonably satisfied at your target calorie level.

    Being exact on all the macros is never necessary even for the things that macros affect. Close, on average over a small number of days: That should be fine. Over on protein is probably a good thing. Don't dramatically under-eat fats, either, because they're an essential nutrient. Carbs are pretty flexible.

    A common pattern is to drop quite a bit of scale weight in the first week or two, then seem to stall on the scale. That's a fake-out. It's common to drop several pounds of water weight at the start, alongside losing some fat. Then the water weight rebalances, and hides continuing fat loss on the scale for a while. If you see that, stick with it. It'll sort itself out.

    Personally, I think you're under-eating, and that that will come back to bite you at some point. The "bite" could be some type of health problem (hopefully minor, but possibly major), deprivation triggered binge eating, flagging energy that has you burning fewer calories through fatigue, getting tired of the extremes so giving up altogether, or some other thing.

    Eat your goal, don't under-eat it. Set a sensible goal, not an extreme one. That would be my advice, from the perspective of having lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight in just under a year, and having maintained a healthy weight for 7+ years since (after about 30 previous years of overweight/obesity).

    I truly would like to see you succeed, and I don't think you're on a sustainable path.

    Best wishes, sincerely!

Answers

  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,230 Member
    Sounds like you're undereating? Macros aren't really as important as calories, unless they're important to you. MFP macros are a suggestion for overall healthy eating, sort of like the government food pyramid. In other words, maybe something to generally aim for. Also good sleep, staying hydrated, exercise, needed vitamins and/or supplements may help your health and happiness. In the long run, they may help your weight loss.
    Enjoy the journey!
  • DavidGraham1169
    DavidGraham1169 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks guys, took on board what you are saying. So basically go for the 1500 calories and exercise so my body is getting what it needs. Just confused me don't want to eat to much fat or too many carbs
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,413 Member
    edited November 2023
    DavidGraham1169 wrote: »
    Thanks guys, took on board what you are saying. So basically go for the 1500 calories and exercise so my body is getting what it needs. Just confused me don't want to eat to much fat or too many carbs

    Fat doesn't make you fat. Don't be afraid of it for that reason. Body fat is a function of calories, not directly macro mix. Fat is calorie dense, but you need some for good health. You need fat to absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), for smooth digestive throughput, for various hormones, for cell wall health, and more. Even if you're trying to lower blood cholesterol or something like that, reducing fat to a minimum isn't the right route.

    There are a few health conditions that require avoiding truly high fat, but I'm not aware of any common thing that suggests eating less fat than the normal healthy amount. If your doctor or registered dietitian has told you otherwise, listen them, not me.

    For general nutrition, I'd suggest maybe at least 0.3g fat daily per pound of body weight, if you're male as I'm assuming. More is fine, within calorie goal and as long as not driving out other needed nutrition. Women might benefit from more like 0.35-045g/pound/day as a minimum. I'm not a registered dietitian, just an amateur interested in nutrition, so caveat emptor. (My advice may or may not even be worth the zero dollars you pay for it!)

    ETA: Nothing wrong with carbs nutritionally, either, unless insulin resistant or diabetic, in which case a person needs to manage them thoughtfully. I ate 150g+ of carbs daily while losing weight at a good clip, and 225g+ in maintenance. I lost weight fine, maintain fine.

    Food choice does matter for satiation and health, though. When I say I eat a lot of carbs, it's primarily carbs from veggies, fruits, no-sugar-added dairy foods, and some whole grains. A lot of the foods that people casually call "carbs", like chocolate candy and baked goods, get more of their calories from fat than carbs. They're calorie dense, but nutrition sparse. Treat foods aren't doom, either . . . but managing portions and frequencies is useful. Most people find so-called "whole foods" more filling, and they're usually more nutrient dense for the calories.

    If you find that carb-containing foods spike your appetite, as some people do, then you may find a lower-carb way of eating helps you manage your appetite and stick to your calorie goal. That's an indirect effect on weight loss, but it can be important.
  • DavidGraham1169
    DavidGraham1169 Posts: 5 Member
    Yeah I know what you mean but I am actually eating to the point where I am full and try and mis it up as much as possible but still find myself under 1300 but not much, today I had 27g pouch of porridge, then lunch I had sardines on 2 medium slices of brown bread, dinner was a chicken breast cut up and in cornflakes with sweet chilli sauce , cous cous and the rest of the plate was full of long great beans and broccoli and had a coffee with oat milk and a cup of tea I use canderel. I am actually eating more frequent than I do when I was stuffing my face with all the wrong foods. I Take vitamins everyday also. Past 18 months my health has spiraled and waiting to see rhuematologist possibly fibromyalgia, but sick of taking medication that does nothing. I am on 5"8inches, 15 stone 10lbs BMI of around 33. Not get any younger I'm 45 next month. Been signed off work, just want to start a healthy lifestyle I have allways struggled with weight due to bad food choices, just sick of the poor mobility I have. Joining the gym to do weights and stretching exercises and hope get to do 10k steps most days again just waiting on the proper clothing n footwear to come as I'm in Scotland and the weather is brutal. Thanks for the replys as I really don't have much clue about what to do and what not to do apart from watching YouTube videos
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,230 Member
    If it's fibromyalgia, be sure to check your vitamin d and B12. May be different in Scotland, but in USA, those 2 figure heavily in fibro. Also, as much as practical, keep your activities level. In other words, if you have an active day at ŵork, rest when you get home. If you sit at your desk all day, take a walk when you get home. Might check out books by Jacob Teitelbaum.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,413 Member
    DavidGraham1169 wrote: »
    Yeah I know what you mean but I am actually eating to the point where I am full and try and mis it up as much as possible but still find myself under 1300 but not much, today I had 27g pouch of porridge, then lunch I had sardines on 2 medium slices of brown bread, dinner was a chicken breast cut up and in cornflakes with sweet chilli sauce , cous cous and the rest of the plate was full of long great beans and broccoli and had a coffee with oat milk and a cup of tea I use canderel. I am actually eating more frequent than I do when I was stuffing my face with all the wrong foods. I Take vitamins everyday also. Past 18 months my health has spiraled and waiting to see rhuematologist possibly fibromyalgia, but sick of taking medication that does nothing. I am on 5"8inches, 15 stone 10lbs BMI of around 33. Not get any younger I'm 45 next month. Been signed off work, just want to start a healthy lifestyle I have allways struggled with weight due to bad food choices, just sick of the poor mobility I have. Joining the gym to do weights and stretching exercises and hope get to do 10k steps most days again just waiting on the proper clothing n footwear to come as I'm in Scotland and the weather is brutal. Thanks for the replys as I really don't have much clue about what to do and what not to do apart from watching YouTube videos

    Eating appropriate (not too-low) calories is the foundation of health. You may be able to lose a couple of pounds a week for the first 20 pounds or so, but with another health condition in the picture, a fast loss is just another stress on your already stressed body. Please be careful.

    If you're feeling too full to eat more, consider eating some calorie-dense but not as filling foods. For many people, that would be fats: Full fat dairy instead of low/no-fat, nuts and nut butters, seeds, avocados more olive oil or the like in/on foods. It's OK to eat treat foods in moderation, too, if you can moderate them. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate, has beneficial phytonutrients, even.

    Increase your exercise gradually, too, if that regimen is all new to you, that would be my advice. If your body is struggling, IMO the last thing it needs is piling on high volumes of new exercise (stress) on top of a big calorie deficit (stress) on top of the health condition(s).

    P.S. FWIW, I'm much older than you are, 68. I was just a bit older than you are now (close to 46) when I first started being active (after full-bore treatment of stage III cancer). I increased exercise gradually, and would recommend that to anyone, but especially to anyone with other physical challenges. I stayed overweight/obese - despite training hard and even competing as an athlete - for another dozen years. (Obviously, I was eating too much for my activity level.) Age 59-60 is when I lost weight. I'm not some twenty-something speculating about age, nor about health conditions. :D (I'm severely hypothyroid (properly medicated), have at least one torn meniscus (deferring surgery as long as I can), have osteoarthritis and osteopenia, plus early stage COPD (which is largely asymptomatic so far, thankfully).

    You can accomplish a great deal. If you take a sensibly gradual route, I predict that you'll surprise yourself where you are at this time next year, let alone a few years down the road. (Overdoing has that stress-related risk, plus higher risk of injury.) Don't sell yourself short, work sensibly but hard and patiently, and believe in yourself. There's tremendous up side ahead of you!
  • DavidGraham1169
    DavidGraham1169 Posts: 5 Member
    Corina1143 wrote: »
    If it's fibromyalgia, be sure to check your vitamin d and B12. May be different in Scotland, but in USA, those 2 figure heavily in fibro. Also, as much as practical, keep your activities level. In other words, if you have an active day at ŵork, rest when you get home. If you sit at your desk all day, take a walk when you get home. Might check out books by Jacob Teitelbaum.

    I was told a year ago I was vitamin D deficient, took vit D since then but now my D levels are fine but still got pain, that's why I have changed my diet I eat a lot of fish etc and try to stick to high protein meals just to see if me getting in shape has an affect, my overweight won't be helping my joints and the drugs doctor has me on definitely don't help so can only try and hope for the best, been signed off work on doctors advice because my job is labour intensive. I can only try. One thing for sure I am not lying about the house eating rubbish in pain, if I am going to be in pain I'd rather be in pain doing something about the pain if that makes any sort of sense lol.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 4,230 Member
    Again, don't know how it is in Scotland. Last vitamin D test I had, my level was 31= healthy according to medical community. Past experience= 70 is much better for fibro, overall feeling good. Same idea with B12. Definitely not a cure, but I was at the point that I wanted every little bit I could get.

    If your joints hurt, have you tried glucosamine chondroiton? A few years ago I had lunch with a group of physical therapists whose general consensus was that it doesn't help most people, but works great for a few. I've never tried it. Just a thought.
  • DavidGraham1169
    DavidGraham1169 Posts: 5 Member
    In Scotland they don't score your vitamin D they just tell you if you are deficient or not. I not so long ago had bloody tests done and was told everything was fine with bloods. But still all over painz waiting to see rhuematologist for 11 months now. I know my previous food choices haven't helped with my health and mental health. I take muti vitamins now and separate bit D still. It's not just my joints certain muscles also not the best, just hope healthy eating and regular exercise will aid the issue it defo can't harm it. Will look into that clucosamine. Thanks

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