The Meal and Exercise Plan I Have Been Following

@ zara11: Wanting to lose weight in an unhealthy manner does not make on anorexic. People are far too free to fling and toss that term about- that is a serious disorder that is not developed after a month or two of 'unhealthy habits'- there are many secondary and tertiary aspects and dimensions to the disease that thankfully I do not (and will never) demonstrate. So whilst your caution may be well-meant, it is quite frankly unnecessary.

Then it's a good thing I never said you're anorexic, isn't it?

Over and out, peeps. Have fun and be safe!

My heart goes out to you. I wish you the best.:flowerforyou:

@ arewethereyet: that edit was wise. shall we leave it at that, hm? I understand that whatever weight i lose quickly can/will return rapidly as well- but not all at once, and not if I continue to eat in a healthy manner. I don't mind gaining up to 5 lbs on vacation by eating larger portions of healthy food, because I do not plan to follow this diet plan indefinitely- whatever weight I am at with a daily consumption of approx. 1,600 cals and 3/per week exercise during/after vacation will be one I am comfortable with.

"I do not plan to follow this diet plan indefinitely- whatever weight I am at with a daily consumption of approx. 1,600 cals and 3/per week exercise during/after vacation will be one I am comfortable with." makes me feel much better, thank you.

please understand I edited because I felt it would fall on deaf ears. I am the mother of 3 and know you must learn from your own experiences.

I have finally lived long enough to have experience on my side. I have watched a dear friend die from heart failure because she was always the thinnest. I have also watched my best friend in our teens, eat like this and exercise like a fiend, turn into a 300 pound mess in her 30's.

I worry that this diet is unhealthy for your body and mind and I truly pray you add a bit of protein into it so you do not hurt your body for the future.

It is the only body you get

@ arewethereyet: that edit was wise. shall we leave it at that, hm? I understand that whatever weight i lose quickly can/will return rapidly as well- but not all at once, and not if I continue to eat in a healthy manner. I don't mind gaining up to 5 lbs on vacation by eating larger portions of healthy food, because I do not plan to follow this diet plan indefinitely- whatever weight I am at with a daily consumption of approx. 1,600 cals and 3/per week exercise during/after vacation will be one I am comfortable with.

"I do not plan to follow this diet plan indefinitely- whatever weight I am at with a daily consumption of approx. 1,600 cals and 3/per week exercise during/after vacation will be one I am comfortable with." makes me feel much better, thank you.

please understand I edited because I felt it would fall on deaf ears. I am the mother of 3 and know you must learn from your own experiences.

I have finally lived long enough to have experience on my side. I have watched a dear friend die from heart failure because she was always the thinnest. I have also watched my best friend in our teens, eat like this and exercise like a fiend, turn into a 300 pound mess in her 30's.

I worry that this diet is unhealthy for your body and mind and I truly pray you add a bit of protein into it so you do not hurt your body for the future.

It is the only body you get

:drinker:

Hard boiled egg would be perfect after your workout. Protein is key, as soon as you can eat after your workout to help repair your muscles.


Also, I think people need to be a little more understanding and less aggressive when responding to people's posts. It is easy to get caught up in calorie counting and maybe go a little overboard and aggressive comments don't help, they only turn people defensive. Let's try and be understanding and realize that it takes small steps to find the perfect calorie count with the right amounts of nutrients, proteins, etc. We all know that it isnt easy (or we wouldnt be here right?).

So good, luck, take care of yourself, and enjoy your vacation, you definitely worked hard for it

Carolyn while I agree that no one should be attacked for their posts, I didn't see any attacks on this post. It seems that everyone that posted a reply was only trying to help the poster. I didn't see in her post or her revisions that only people that agree with her posts need reply. The poster has been a member of this site long enough IMO to know posting this was going to stir controversy. The poster would not have to defend her diet and exercise plan had she not put it on a public forum for feedback.
The people on this site are good people, people that are supportive, and knowledgeble. Take it or leave it. :smokin:

I realize that the replies were well intended.

All I am saying is that there is a way to tell people things that will be beneficial to them and there is a way of telling people things that will make them defensive and, in turn, they will likely not listen and just, well, get defensive.

I dont think anyone was trying to be mean, that is not the point of this forum, but it is a lot more helpful to give small tips instead of telling someone they are going off the deep end and will hurt themselves if they dont change. When someone is committed, you cant just tell them everything they are doing is wrong and that they have to stop. Suggesting small changes is a lot more helpful.

Anyway, I just think there is a right and a wrong way of telling, or suggesting something to someone and when it comes to diet plans, it is important to remember that people put a lot of time, effort and energy into them and it is not something you can convince them of changing by being aggressive.

Oops, I lied. Not done yet:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/eating-to-fuel-exercise/?em

You have 3 meals listed: try 5. And you mentioned exercise right before and after: try an hour before or after. And YESSSS protein, girl!

And nope, actually wasn't trying to be coy. I deleted those parts before I posted it

But so what if she didnt really want feedback?

Sometimes it helps just to share, vent, whatever.

And I do think you can make changes or suggestions and that people will take them if you arent seeming like you are against them but rather, that you are on their side, trying to help them achieve their goals.

Positive feedback will always be better than negative

Ok, whatever, whether she did or she didn't, even if she asked for it but didn't really want it, doesn't mean people need to get all worked up about it.

Relax

I've just joined this website but I had to comment on this post.

I don't think you fully understand the way the human body processes energy stores when in starvation mode.

The body needs some form of energy for basic cellular respiration, in order for one to survive. Cellular respiration is the process by which the body creates ATP, or energy units, in order for one to go about daily activities and other essential bodily functions such as breathing. When in need of energy, the body's first choice of reserves is carbohydrates, or glucose. When you consume carbohydrates, the body stores them as glycogen. Cellular respiration converts the glycogen into glucose to be used in the Krebs cycle which ultimately creates the ATP (energy). But I digress. Glycogen reserves store up to three times their weight in fluids. When caloric intake is drastically decreased, glycogen stores are depleted and therefore the initial weightloss in the first few days of a starvation diet is the loss of water.

Much of our glycogen stores are found within the lean muscle mass. When glycogen is not available for energy, (which is typically the result of a drastic decrease in caloric intake) in a starvation diet such as the one you are currently following, the body searches for an alternative source of energy. You may think that because you weigh 133 lbs your body is burning fat instead of muscle. This is not so. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, which are much easier, and are almost certainly a more plentiful, means of energy for the body to be broken down than fat reserves. So in actuality, the body will turn to amino acids (read: muscle mass) for energy while in starvation mode. Protein is converted to glucose in the liver, helping to maintain blood glucose levels. When glycogen stores are decreased when following a diet plan as you have suggested, it follows that more protein will be utilized for energy. (i.e. your body is using its protein, or muscle reserves, in order to keep you alive).

Additionally, protein holds about four times its weight in water. When protein is being used as energy, the subsequent weight loss is of water along with muscle mass. Thusly when the body is in starvation mode, and glycogen stores are depleted and when protein is beginning to be used as an energy source, many people will find that they will lose up to 20 or more pounds rather quickly. What they do not realize is that this weight loss is a loss of fluid, not fat.

So when you drastically slash your daily caloric intake, your body will turn to PROTEIN stores for energy first, not fat stores. When protein and glycogen stores are depleted in concert, the resulting rapid weight loss is a loss of bodily fluid and lean muscle tissue, not fat. You may be thinking that if you drink 2L of water per day you will not lose water weight. This is not the case, as the body can NOT store water that is consumed (only water that is created by the body by cellular respiration). This is why daily water intake is vital for survival. When you begin to eat 1,600 calories per day again, your body will rebuild its stores of protein and glycogen, and therefore you will notice as drastic of a weight gain as you are noticing a weight loss. This is simply because the increase of calories will replenish your body's glycogen and protein stores which will allow your body to store more fluids.

So not only is your daily caloric intake unhealthy, but it is also not working for losing fat stores. You may be losing "weight", but ultimately it is bodily fluid and muscle mass weight that you are losing. If you are only looking to reduce the number on the scale, this diet plan will work well. If you are looking to lose actual fat reserves, it will be highly ineffective. In order to lose fat stores, you must only decrease your daily caloric intake by 15-20%.

And it does not matter how much exercise you are doing, you cannot build muscle if you are not consuming any protein. Especially not in a starvation diet. Protein-rich foods contain the amino acids which are the building blocks of lean muscle mass. To my knowledge, apples, celery, and blueberries do not contain much protein, if any, but the tofu does. If you are looking to build muscle, increase your intake of protein.

I did not mean for this post to become so lengthy or to be an A&P lesson. I simply think it is important for you to understand the mechanics of the body and how it uses energy stores in times of starvation, and that at this time you are not burning your body's storage of fat. Good luck.