EAT - Are you serious?

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I cannot believe that if I eat more than I have been that I will actually start to lose weight but since you guys are the professionals I will try it out what is the worse that can happen - I'll end up back in the 240's instead of where I am at in the 220's my goal is to get back down to 140 - this is my prayer- God Willing!!!!!
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Replies

  • Syntax_Error
    Syntax_Error Posts: 77 Member
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    yup it seems crazy but it works. Feed your body what it needs and it lets the fat go.
  • Adina81
    Adina81 Posts: 252 Member
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    I am right there with you! Its been 2 weeks and my scale has been a sitting duck...so I am going to try the MFP way and see what happens for the next week. Good Luck!
  • oswaldbowser
    oswaldbowser Posts: 164 Member
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    Eat healthy foods .....not tinned or processed foods...............and keep off of fruit juice as you may think its healthy but its full of sugar !
  • rsj206
    rsj206 Posts: 36 Member
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    It worked for me! I am now totally converted to eating every last one of my daily calories and exercise calories. I feel better, I'm able to work out harder, and I've lost six pounds in about a month (after being stuck for four months!). Good luck!
  • RushinBruisette
    RushinBruisette Posts: 2,109 Member
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    V
    V
    V See those pounds gone? It works. :flowerforyou: Keep at it!!
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    we are far from professionals. but for many, eating a controlled deficit diet with proper food and nutrients has helped us.
  • adk88
    adk88 Posts: 143 Member
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    It's true.. I dropped my calories from 1420 to 1200 for three weeks. I didn't lose a pound the entire time, but when I upped them back to 1400, I started losing right away again.
  • Sublimerae
    Sublimerae Posts: 1 Member
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    I have been eating all of the proteins and good fats (coconut, avocado, nuts) that my body needs. I'm never hungry and sometimes I have to remind myself to eat. Cutting the carbs out was hard at first, but you get used to it.
  • sarad777
    sarad777 Posts: 210 Member
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    This works, but darnit....don't stop exercising or you'll regret it.
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
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    "Well, I have recently seen many people questioning the idea of eating your goal calories and/or eating exercise calories so I thought I would offer up a quick reminder for both the newbies on here who are confused about caloric intake and some of our more seasoned members who may have forgotten. I'll be as brief as possible. (sorry if this gets long, I'll break it up to make it easier to read)

    1)
    Every single person on here loses weight differently, but there are a few common factors everyone. The first is that we all have a metabolism, governed by how much energy we give it, how active we are, genetic makeup, and the type of energy we give it. With that in mind MFP has a relatively easy to use goals calculator that will give you the amount of food you should eat to lose the weight you desire and become more healthy.

    2)
    The relationship to your BMI (as flawed as that measurement is) and how much you can lose is real and governs much of your weight loss. People with a BMI over 30 (classified as obese) can lose weight faster then people that are under that number (generally speaking, see number 1) 2 lbs a week or more is realistic for obese people. Trying to lose 2 lbs a week for someone with a BMI under 30 is much more difficult, as well as much more time consuming.

    3)
    Starvation mode is REAL. It can and does happen. You should keep close tabs on where your BMR calories is. If you are under the obesity level then please try to stay (at a minimum) at your BMR. The goals calculator WILL account for weight you want to lose, don't think you can up the stakes by eating less, it doesn't work. And if you exercise, realize that you are creating a larger deficite, and make sure you eat your exercise calories.

    4)
    (This is one I see all the time) If you are close (say within 25 lbs or so) of your goal weight, 2 lbs a week is probably unrealistic. The human body knows where it's equalibrium is, attempting to go below it is a difficult, and frustrating process, 2 lbs a week (what ever you may think) is a drastic strategy for someone near their goal and usually doesn't happen. As you approach your goals, slow down your attempt at loss, try for 1 lb a week or less, it will give your body time to adjust it's chemistry more gradually, keep you healthy, and lessen your frustration.

    5)
    1200 calories is a number that doctors and nutritionists have made up based on averages. It's not a line in the sand. Your starvation calories depends on your body. For me that line is somewhere around 2000 calories, for a really small woman, it could be 1000, Generally it's somewhere around 1000 calories less then your maintenance weight. But being dynamic systems, some of our bodies can tolerate more or less. Be smart about your weight loss, use your common sense, if you're not losing weight and your at or below a 1000 calorie deficite, then think logically and up your calories a little, and keep upping them until you see improvement.

    6)
    Lastly, the human body has a 5 lb swing daily. That means that on any given 24 hour period yo can go from 5 lbs above your "real" weight to 5 lbs below. Due to water weight, and waste we can swing quite a bit. The scale is a generalist at best, good for an Idea of where you are, but not very good at calculating exact measurements. I generally recommend weighing yourself no more then once every 2 weeks, at the same time, same day every week. Use other measurements along with this, I.E. size measurments, Body Fat %, and over all fitness level to make up the difference.

    NOTE: I'm not a doctor or a certified nutritionist, but I have done a large amount of research on this, and have spoken with my doctor and 2 separate nutritionists on this topic. NONE of which has ever recommended a 2 lb a week weight loss without doctor supervision. Even after direct questioning about this they all agreed that 2 lbs a week is an EXTREME stragegy and, for most people who are in the healthy BMI range, an unrealistic goal to set (with some obvious exceptions, like an extremely large person overall)"
  • MyCoachNYLA
    MyCoachNYLA Posts: 158 Member
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    Also, adjusting your ratios here is very helpful. MFP defaults to a higher carb plan so if you level it out a bit by apply the zone concept of 40/30/30, you will find that your blood sugar will level out more and your body will begin to release some of the fat.

    Also, some of the set ups especially for women are:

    Dairy products with high milk sugars (inlcuding high fat cheeses and even some low fat)
    Soy - instigates estrogen production by stimulating the E Cells
    Shakes - loaded with high glycemic sweeteners

    Best,
    Coach Nyla
    ISSA Fitness Trainer
    NPC Figure Competitor
    Free Online Fitness Trainer
    From 170 lbs. to Fit
  • stephiejones
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    I know every time i stop eating all my calories, the weight does not come off...try it MFP really does work...this is an AWSOME place to be...
  • samantha1953
    samantha1953 Posts: 156 Member
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    If you eat too little your body thinks it's starving and lowers your metabolism to compensate. Eat quality food in small evenly spaced meals You'll be hungry every time it's time to eat and energy will return. Good luck!
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
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    Dont'cha love this place?

    I cannot believe I've lost 13 lbs since the first part of August........and it hasn't been hard or icky or depressing or sad! I'm still doing most of the things I did before - although I notice I don't crave pop anymore, and I can resist the treats at work a little better, and it's a fun challenge to see if I can DO IT each day!

    ........but don't take away my beer, or it'll get ugly :grumble: :grumble:
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
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    Bump.........and I weighed 25lbs more eating once a day vs all through the day. These people are smart!!!:bigsmile:
  • shedoos
    shedoos Posts: 446 Member
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    bump for later
  • Gemini_at_36
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    Your body thinks you are starving it. When you increase calories it thinks okay, you're feeding me, you can loose more weight now. Good luck!:flowerforyou:
  • tanias001
    tanias001 Posts: 41 Member
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    With all the exercie i do i personally never track my exercise and just eat my cal limit every day. I am still getting results which is what I am after. I need to get more holes punched in my belt so that says something. That's with out tracking my exercise. Tracking your exercise in my own opinon leads you into a false sence of security so thats why I chose not to track the amount of excerise i do every day.
    I know every one is different this is what i chose to do it works for me but it may not work for every one.
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
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    I don't think any of us (or most of us at least) are experts on the subject. But I can tell you from years of experience that starving yourself only makes you gain weight. I didn't need MFP to tell me that. I have yo-yo'd for years because of that problem.

    You do have to eat in order to lose weight. But you have to eat HEALTHY.

    That's the big thing that people forget. If you eat a Big Mac every day, you're not going to lose weight.

    Use the calculations in your food diary as a guide. They're there to help you balance what you intake, which is another huge part of weight loss. If you don't exercise, you shouldn't eat as much protein because it will make you gain weight, but if you do exercise, you'll notice your protein count go way up--that's because when you exercise you make microscopic tears in your muscles, and protein is the ONLY thing that will repair those tears.

    Losing weight isn't rocket science, but it is a science. It's all about numbers.

    You have to burn more calories than you take in. But your body needs a specific number daily to survive. That's what MFP is for.

    But REMEMBER the KEY.

    MFP AUTOMATICALLY takes out calories for you, so on days where you don't exercise, you still burn a bunch of calories. That means you HAVE TO EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES or you will put your body into starvation mode. Lots of people on MFP have the opinion that you don't have to eat back your exercise calories and they are WRONG.

    Net a minimum of 1200 per day and you will be on your way to permanent, good looking weight loss.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I'm with you on the doubt. My exercise puts me at 2500-2700 calories required per day (gross)
    I'm stuffed ALL THE TIME, but let's give it a go, eh?