Is the "wrong" way the right way?

Options
2

Replies

  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
    Options
    I am looking for advice from those of you who have have longterm significant success.
    Thank for for a few minuets of your time!


    I am following the program, exercising, and yes eating my exercise calories back. I know the arguments to do so, and they seems sound not wanting your body to go into starvation mode. But... I am struggling to loss the smallest fraction of a pound and I have noticed that everyone who seems to really be losing weight , even for a prolonged period of time, usually have 900-2000 calories left over at the end of the day. If this is what is getting the amazing results and people are keeping the weight off, than should I switch? I am on the 1200 cal regiment (and I freely volunteer that I have gotten weary and had my share of "off" days). I usually burn 300 to 400 cals a day, and would have to eat only 500-600cal to have 1000 left over each day. It seems that this should equal starvation mode and a unsustainable weight loss, or is this a poor usumption and is actually the way to success on MPF? The evidence seems stacked towards 1000cal under method.

    Please let me know what really worked for you.

    Eating alot more than 1200 net worked for me. I started losing when I went up to 1800 and ate exercise calories on top of that.

    Instead of guessing what works for you try calculating your BMR and your TDEE then eat 15% less than your TDEE and never below your BMR.
    Don't know what I mean? Read the sticky posts in this forum.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less
  • GemmaRowlands
    GemmaRowlands Posts: 360 Member
    Options
    Since starting losing weight I've eaten between 1,200 and 1,400 cals per day, and NOT eaten back any of my exercise cals. Sometimes, when I've had a particularly hard day's exercise, I can net around 600 cals, which some people recoil in horror at. But, I don't feel unhealthy, the foods I'm eating are healthy and well balanced, and I've been losing weight consistently throughout and have lost over 6 stone using this method now. So I don't believe in "starvation mode". It's like saying if your car was running out of fuel it'll stop burning it- utter rubbish. Your body CANNOT and DOES NOT work on thin air. It NEEDS fuel, it's just a basic biological fact.
  • babyblooeyes
    babyblooeyes Posts: 67 Member
    Options
    I am a big girl. I have lost over 35lbs in just over 1 month eating 2100-2300 calories or more a day and netting about 1400-1500 calories. You have to find something you can stick to for the rest of your life not going hungry or starving yourself as you will lose precious muscle and be miserable.

    Theresa
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Options
    This thread on women who eat more than 1800 calories a day and achieve their goals is inspiring:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day

    The people who eat tiny amounts will get rapid results but not sustainable ones and will end up yo-yo dieting as they find themselves hungry all the time. Yesterday I ate 2,500 of yummy food after a long run and was still under.

    Go with the calories MFP gives you for a 1lb a week weight loss, and eat back a good proportion of your exercise calories, but be conservative about the estimates. If you have two estimates (MFP's/HRM/gym machine etc.) go for the lowest, and if you only have one to go by aim for 80%. Some things are very close - MFP's walking and running estimates are very close to my actual.

    Also portion size is key. If you enter the calories for 75g of pasta but actually eat 150g (which is very, very easy!) you're not doing yourself any favours.

    Looks like you're getting a nice steady loss as it is, keep up the good work!
  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
    Options
    My BMR is 1,677. I understand the math and the reasoning, but that doesn't seem to be what a lot of "successful" people here are doing. I noticed it when I starting pulling up the diaries of people with significant weight loss.


    I disagree there are people who are eating above their BMR and losing. If you understood the reasoning I am assuming that instead of eating at 1200 you would have at least tried to eat past your BMR net of 1677.
    True success comes from KEEPING it off after.
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
    Options
    I got told that the Slimfast milkshake diet is wrong! I thought id prove everyyone wrong, so I went on Slimfast for 10 weeks and lots a staggering 1stone7lbs!! I proved EVERYONE wrong that Slimfast does work!! The weight has stayed off and a year later from been on slimfast i am 3 stone lighter and 2 sizes smaller in clothes!! Take no notice of what other people tell you! If you want to try something new for yourself, then you try it :) dont let others be charge of you and your diet x
  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
    Options
    You said you looked at profiles of people who had lost significant amounts of weight, but do you realize that diaries evolve over time as you lose weight? The calories they are eating now are based on their current weight and were most likely much higher when they started. Don't mimic them as they are now if you still have a lot to lose yourself. Did you also see how long it took them to lose? Weight loss shouldn't be fast. If you find you still aren't losing at around 1200 calories, try upping to at least your bmr. That's what I tried when I found myself stalling and miraculously (it seemed to me) that on much more calories I was able to lose more weight. Find something that works for you, but give your body time to adjust to a new method before deciding it didn't work.
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
    Options
    When I started MFP last February, I had 30-40 lbs to lose. I initially set it up to lose 1 lb/week and it gave me 1200 cals/day. I think I ate 1200 cals for about 1 month (plus about 75-90% of my exercise calories) and lost 2-3 lbs a week. Although I was happy the weight was coming off, I know I wasn't overweight enough to warrant a 2-3 lb/week loss without doing some damage to my body (since 1lb/week is a pretty healthy number). I upped my calories to 1300 something and did that plus exercise calories for a while. When I had lost about 25 lbs, I upped my calories again to 1540, where they stayed for the duration of my weight loss. I always ate back 75-90% (leaving some room for estimation errors) of my exercise calories and never plateaued, always lost weight rather consistently. I reached my goal within 6 mths even going "slow" like this. I never felt low energy, or starving like I did when I was trying to operate on 1200 cals a day.

    Judging by what you've said already, you're losing pretty consistently already. 3-4 lbs/month is really the perfect amount of weight loss to keep you healthy and minimize the appearance of sagging skin. For women, losing any more than 1/week is detrimental to the elasticity of the skin in your chest area. I don't know about you, but I'm not looking for pre-mature sagging of the ladies because I'm trying to lose weight too fast.

    I've been in maintenence mode since August. Stopped tracking my food in October (am back to tracking now) and haven't regained anything. In fact I've recently started tracking again to make sure I'm eating enough to put on some muscle. My food diary is open if you want to browse through it, although you will have to go back several months to at least August for accurate journal entries.

    I hope that helps. Not everybody loses weight the "wrong" way. And I'm not sure I could have kept it off this long by doing it that way myself.
  • sammanchester
    sammanchester Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    Listening to some people on MFP and not my own common sense had me seriously worried..especially about the 'starvation mode' myth. This website is by someone who regularly posts on MFP (stroutman81) and makes a lot of sense. No more forced feeding for me...though I kind of liked the excuse to eat a massive cake to myself! :shttp://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Congrats on your 10lbs lost too :)
  • GalaxyDuck
    GalaxyDuck Posts: 406 Member
    Options
    Listening to some people on MFP and not my own common sense had me seriously worried..especially about the 'starvation mode' myth. This website is by someone who regularly posts on MFP (stroutman81) and makes a lot of sense. No more forced feeding for me...though I kind of liked the excuse to eat a massive cake to myself! :shttp://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Congrats on your 10lbs lost too :)

    I can stand by this comment, stroutman81 is one of my MFP friends and ALWAYS posts good advice. Especially when it comes to women and strength training (as opposed to chronic cardio). Very helpful info that I wish more ladies would take the time to read and understand!
  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
    Options
    This guy eats 500 cals and seems healthy though...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/518970-who-should-eat-500-calories-a-day
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    Listening to some people on MFP and not my own common sense had me seriously worried..especially about the 'starvation mode' myth. This website is by someone who regularly posts on MFP (stroutman81) and makes a lot of sense. No more forced feeding for me...though I kind of liked the excuse to eat a massive cake to myself! :shttp://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Congrats on your 10lbs lost too :)

    Thanks for the citation. I just read the article (though I should be getting ready for work). It has really helped me see the big picture, clarified and affirmed some things and raised a few questions. I have lost over 70 pounds in four years, slowly and happily. I don't think there is a day where I ate less than 1500 calories and most days I ate more, typically between 1800 and 2000 (and I am hypothyrhoid, 58 years old, and taking adjuvant cancer medicine that can cause weight gain). My major reason for weight loss was to be in better shape should I be buffeted by life's challenges. I am being tested right now with some back issues. Believe me, I'm glad not to have those 75 pounds and I'm glad to have the knowledge base and habits in place that I can tweak and adjust to adapt to my temporary inertia.

    OP, it is your life and your choices. But please don't assume that the majority of the fitness successes are based on low calorie diets. I wish you success in your choices and, most importantly, good health!
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    Options
    Long story short - I lost 90% of what I want relatively easy and the last 10% is proving very difficult. The last step needs far more than just eat less.

    For me its just a balance sheet now, the actual numbers don't matter. Infact I'm not that bothered about weight its all about body fat.

    Now I know you know the science - but I'll explain how I make it work for me

    I have my ratios what I want at about 120g carb, 250g+ of protein and not too concerned at fat levels because if you are doing 120g of fat and high protein fat isnt going to be that big a deal.

    So 3600 cals = 1lb. I want to lose a 1lb a week because that is best for muscle / fat / body I need a deficit of about 500 cals a day

    Record calories very accurately at a figure initially of BMR - 500 but then slowly adjust to the figure that actually applies to you in reality. EG: If after two weeks you HAVE been eating and drinking 2000 calories but you have lost half a pound a week down the daily calories by 250 a day for another 1/2lb a week and what goes against what you will want to do is if you loose 1 1/2 a week - you must up your cals by 250 a day - aim for 1lb

    So eat good food... meat and good carbs and keep it simple. Don't deviate from your plan. An overweight person might get fed up of not eating much and pig out. but if you are focused and appear to put a bit of weight on it is very easy to panic and drop down to very low cals - dont - that's where it starts to go wrong
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    Options
    The HR monitor is another challenge. On my walks it says I burn about 530 cal, while MPF says its about 280. Keep running into these interesting results, makes me wonder about the accuracy of both.

    even more reason for u to eat more than 1200 calories a day

    if you are burning 500 calories and your BMR is 1600 you are not leaving your body much to work with

    try this for 2 weeks
    eat 1700 calories no matter what ...whether you exercise or not

    exercise for less than 1hr 3 times a week
    and everytime you walk into the bedroom
    do 3-5 squats holding for 30 sec and 8-12 pushups

    and see what happens...

    Can't hurt:bigsmile:
  • vabchloser
    vabchloser Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    Just to keep this short - I don't have a "miracle" story. I used to weigh 275 lbs and now weigh 200 lbs. I lost it over about 2 yrs by eating lots of fresh foods and very little meat. I exercised very regularly. My daily caloric intake was about 1500 calories and I didn't eat back what I exercised.

    I am now on my 2nd push to finally get to my goal weight from 200. I am still eating all fresh foods, exercising regularly and not eating back those calories (for the most part).

    I picked a slow approach that I will stick to for the rest of my life. I have no interest in being miserable and tired because my food is cut down dramatically. 1500 calories is difficult for me some days, but most days I feel satisfied and healthy. I also have a TON of energy. I move from morning to night and, I can tell you, it was not this way when I was eating an average American diet of fast food and red meat.

    Good luck to you!
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
    Options
    going at this for over 2 years now what has worked for me:


    1) sleep. at least 6 hrs. I made this a priority. even if it meant missing out on a sechduled work out day.

    2) never ate below my BMR

    3) only thing diet wise I restrict is soda pop. I just don't even drink it. everything else I enjoy in moderation.

    4) I initally started my journey with a Atkins-light style of a diet recommended by my doctor since I had diabetes. low carbs I think it was 200g a day.

    5) I invested in a HRM. big eye opener for me. One good example from when I first started, MFP would estimate I'd burn from walking for 1 hr 700-900 calories. My Polar HRM would actually say 1200-1400 calories.

    6) patience

    7) the scale is NOT I repeat NOT the only way to measure how well you are doing. are you measuring yourself? clothes? do they feel less tight? besides measuring tape I also got a Body Fat % monitor and I see I am making progress

    8) lift. I actually hate it. I would rather do cardio over lift any day. but I know it's important so I do it.

    9) on the exercise calories I eat about 90% of my calories back
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Spot on all nine are spot on glad you are my friend lol
  • watboy
    watboy Posts: 380 Member
    Options
    I agree 100% on both these statements!! Good luck everyone finding something that works for you.
    Listening to some people on MFP and not my own common sense had me seriously worried..especially about the 'starvation mode' myth. This website is by someone who regularly posts on MFP (stroutman81) and makes a lot of sense. No more forced feeding for me...though I kind of liked the excuse to eat a massive cake to myself! :shttp://body-improvements.com/resources/eat/

    Congrats on your 10lbs lost too :)

    I can stand by this comment, stroutman81 is one of my MFP friends and ALWAYS posts good advice. Especially when it comes to women and strength training (as opposed to chronic cardio). Very helpful info that I wish more ladies would take the time to read and understand!
  • minadeathclutch
    minadeathclutch Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    My BMR is 1,677. I understand the math and the reasoning, but that doesn't seem to be what a lot of "successful" people here are doing. I noticed it when I starting pulling up the diaries of people with significant weight loss.

    I usually walk 40 min a day, 1/3 of it is uphill (pushing a 50 lb stroller with 80 lbs of girls in it) . I am also doing Julian Michaels 30 day shred.

    well this is kind of a lie.
    I'm successful in my weight loss.. I've lost a lot of weight GAINED A TON OF muscle... because I EAT. and i EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT. if i dont .. then i cant do my workouts. 40 mins of day .. walking.. IS NOTHING.
    you need to UP your workout. you need to do intense stuff.. try sprints.. and weight lifting. i dont even break a sweat if i walk for 2 hours.. and dont compare yourself to others.. its just not okay..
  • minadeathclutch
    minadeathclutch Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    I got told that the Slimfast milkshake diet is wrong! I thought id prove everyyone wrong, so I went on Slimfast for 10 weeks and lots a staggering 1stone7lbs!! I proved EVERYONE wrong that Slimfast does work!! The weight has stayed off and a year later from been on slimfast i am 3 stone lighter and 2 sizes smaller in clothes!! Take no notice of what other people tell you! If you want to try something new for yourself, then you try it :) dont let others be charge of you and your diet x

    LMAO.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,224 Member
    Options
    The HR monitor is another challenge. On my walks it says I burn about 530 cal, while MPF says its about 280. Keep running into these interesting results, makes me wonder about the accuracy of both.

    What sort of HRM? Does it have a chest strap? Did you put in your age, height, weight, and sex? If it has a fitness test mode did you do that to get the watch to estimate your VO2Max?

Categories

Do you Love MyFitnessPal? Have you crushed a goal or improved your life through better nutrition using MyFitnessPal?
Share your success and inspire others. Leave us a review on Apple Or Google Play stores!