I'm not saying it doesn't work, but...

Options
13»

Replies

  • csmith4567
    csmith4567 Posts: 82 Member
    Options
    Talking to my doctor, he suggested maintenance calories every 4-5 days

    He explained that you need to find a spot where you are maintaining ... not gaining or losing ... to "reset" your body's metabolism. Your body will start holding onto calories if it is not getting enough to operate every day. And when we are trying to lose, we tend to go under for too long, which causes our bodies to adapt.

    So, once or twice a week ... hit the maintenance calories in lieu of the minimum calories to keep your body from hitting a plateau ... and ALWAYS switch up the workout. When I stick to this plan, the weight loss is consistent. When I only hit the minimum for weeks, no matter what I do, the weight loss slows.

    That is me ... and what I have found works for my system through trial and error.

    PS In regards to pregnancy - Eating healthy and exercise is the most important thing ... I'm sure your doctor can talk to you about what you should be gaining, and what is safe for you and your child.
  • TheSarahHill
    TheSarahHill Posts: 185
    Options
    Also, white anything is an empty calorie, so if you are wasting any of your daily calories with sugar, white rice, etc. you are not eating to lose.

    This has to be the most uninformed, uneducated statement that I have EVER read in these threads!!

    You my dear are ace! with everything you have said so far on this thread, infact I nearly wee'd with laughter! !!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
    Options
    BTW, here is a whole thread dedicated to the whole Eat more to lose more mentality. And the second link is a study I conducted with 88 MFP members to compare calories to body fat. People with lower body fats ate more. My theory is, if you want to look like an athlete, you should train and eat like one.



    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395948-caloric-intake-results?hl=caloric+intake+results&page=1#posts-5425208
  • TheSarahHill
    TheSarahHill Posts: 185
    Options
    I tend to eat a big fat pizza to boost mine ;-) I wouldn't advise you all to do that though!
  • LadyKT
    LadyKT Posts: 287 Member
    Options
    Also, white anything is an empty calorie, so if you are wasting any of your daily calories with sugar, white rice, etc. you are not eating to lose.

    This has to be the most uninformed, uneducated statement that I have EVER read in these threads!!

    So bring on the white rice, pasta, M&Ms and soda? :love: I mean, i've plateued....so I should have an extra pack of M&Ms then? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:



    (and if you can't read the sarcasm...well....)
  • Anoetos65
    Anoetos65 Posts: 7
    Options
    Everything your body does metabolically uses calories to do it and calories are really just units of heat expenditure (reference the laws of thermodynamics? energy = heat, etc.) so, your body expends calories digesting food. There seems to be a sweet spot where you're eating just enough to keep the motor running and yet burn calories in adequate amounts to lose weight. This is probably related to "starvation mode", the idea that the body reaches a point where it begins to conserve calories/energy rather than just burning them in BMR. Your body will expend what energy is necessary to digest the few calories you give it, but little else.

    Personally, having lost a hundred pounds more than once, I can attest to the fact that the body has a memory as well. I shift into conservation mode much more quickly than I did the first time I dieted and exercised. It's as though my cells were saying, "We're not falling for that trick again!"...So, I have to consume about 1600-1800 calories a day to keep them from thinking I am starving them.

    But it's important that these are efficient calories, good calories, not cake and soda pop.

    Add to this that I am older now than I was the first time I lost weight and my metabolism has slowed as a necessary byproduct of the fact and I have a loooong row to hoe indeed. Sad.

    The moral of the story is this: once you lose it, do not gain it back, it's harder to get rid of.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
    Options
    Also, white anything is an empty calorie, so if you are wasting any of your daily calories with sugar, white rice, etc. you are not eating to lose.

    This has to be the most uninformed, uneducated statement that I have EVER read in these threads!!

    So bring on the white rice, pasta, M&Ms and soda? :love: I mean, i've plateued....so I should have an extra pack of M&Ms then? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:



    (and if you can't read the sarcasm...well....)

    Only if they are peanut M&M's! You need the added protein. :smokin:

    And BTW... stay out of my diary!! :grumble:
  • aleatha5
    aleatha5 Posts: 23 Member
    Options
    Really? I am getting blasted for suggesting that you should limit your intake of refined sugars and refined flour? And that is not supported by evidence? I'm not saying don't eat carbs, I'm saying that refined sugar is an empty calorie. If you only have 1200 calories in a day and you are using 400 on refined sugar than you are probably short changing yourself on needed nutrients (probably not definitely).

    See here:
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/27460-list-refined-foods/
    or here: http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/life-and-style/health/5306-the-fitness-guy-new-years-resolutions-and-weight-loss-.html
  • jfluchere
    jfluchere Posts: 346 Member
    Options
    To answer the OP's question -

    Many people eat too FEW calories, especially those who workout a ton and don't eat back those calories. You need a calorie deficit to lose weight, but too much of a deficit is a bad thing. Your body expects a certain calorie level for general maintenance and daily activities. If you don't get it, your body starts adapting - it causes your body to lower it's metabolism rate. A lower metabolism means that you are burning fewer calories in your day to day activities, which makes it harder to lose weight.

    When people are recommending for people to eat more, they are suggesting that people eat enough so that their body snaps out of this lower metabolism mode. You can't just keep upping calories and expect to lose weight - if you eat more than you burn you will gain, but it's also not healthy (or productive for long-term weight loss) to eat too FEW. The advice to increase calories is about finding that healthy range where you are still at a deficit, but not eating too few calories.

    That just doesn't happen. If you exercise and have low glycogen stores (bonk) then you KNOW IT! You don't just go along happily having a huge calorie deficit and exercising. If you ever bonk you won't do that again!

    The eat more calories thing is a total myth. WHEN YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT YOU ARE IN STARVATION MODE ALL THE TIME!

    The reason it is good to eat more calories some times is to give your body a break from starving.

    Also it is nearly impossible to gain muscle on a calorie deficit. If muscle is your goal, you have to eat more.

    The reason to lift weights on a calorie deficit is to maintain your muscles.

    This
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    Options
    Often times a plateau has to do with water retention, where fat is being lost SLOWLY, but it doesn't show on the scale because water rentention is masking it. Eating more can do stuff to reset your leptin levels and also cause your body to drop water weight (aka the whoosh).

    However, most of the time, plateaus are simply the person is eating more than they think they are thus eating at maintenance calorie levels. Study after study have been done and most people underestimate their intake by some margin. That margin of error is likely the difference between losing weight and maintaining weight if you have a razor thin margin to begin with.

    So in short... Eating more is a trick to get your body to drop water weight and resetting your leptin levels.
  • danniellevigue
    danniellevigue Posts: 36
    Options
    i am unsure of the answer to your question, but just a few things :

    1. congrats on the pregnancy
    2. i LOVE your ticker. the baby is too cute
    3. that is all. have a great day! :)
  • macx2mommy
    macx2mommy Posts: 170 Member
    Options
    There's a couple of reasons (maybe even more), the first is like other have said it, one needs more calories to have the body prevent it from thinking it's in starvation mode, IF you are consuming too few of calories.

    The second reason, is that human bodies are incredibly adaptable. If you kept you calories at the same constaint rate, the body become more efficient and adapts to the lower calories. Just like when you do work outs, it's recommended sometimes to shake things up a bit, this is the same thing in food.

    Think of it when you're doing a new task or job, at first you're using a lot of effort to figure things out, and it takes a while for you to get it right. After you've been doing the job for a while, you become quite proficient and you're using less effort or energy to do it. That effort you use when you're learning something vs doing something well know is like your body burning calories. Once, you're in a routine, and someone or something shakes up your routine, it will 'wake' you up, and get you taking more effort.

Categories