Starting to doubt my plan. Need help.

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Alpine005
Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Before I get started, here is my plan:

- Eat 1,500 calories a day, logging everything on MFP
- Burn 700 calories 5 times a week (M-F) doing cardio (typically 40-60 minutes on a elliptical)
- Walk 10,000 steps a day (I use a fitbit and have an active job)
- 30 minutes of strength training 3 times a week (Power 90 Videos)
- OPTI-Men Vitamins 3 times a day and Green Tea Extract pills 2 times a day
- Drink 64+oz Water all day.

I am 30 and started my diet/lifestyle change 4.5 weeks ago.

I started at 340 pounds and I’m currently at 315. My goal is to get down to 200 lbs or so. Hard to say now.

Since I started this diet, I really haven’t felt hungry and when I did, I ate something. I've been doing a good job of eating every few hours.

My typical day:

- Bowl of cereal around 6:30am (200 Calories)
- Drink 24oz of water in the car on my way to work
- Head to the Gym around 9:00am, burn 700 calories doing cardio
- Eat Lunch around 11:00am, typically a ham or chicken sandwich (no mayo/cheese), raw carrots and hummus (320 calories), another 20oz of water
- Have a crunchy granola bar and more water around 1:00 (200 calories)
- Get home and do 30 minutes of strength training (3 times a week)
- Have a snack, usually an apple, sometimes a sandwich if I'm hungry at 4:00ish, more water (100-200 calories)
- Eat dinner around 7:30 usually a baked piece of lean meat, baked potato (no butter) and vegetables of some sort, more water (600 calories)

This typically puts me around 1,500 calories for the day. Again, I feel like I'm eating all day and I'm not hungry. When I am, I eat. I'm not scared to go over 1,500, but it seems to work out.

I carry a fitbit on me all the time and it says my average intake is 1,426 and my average burn is 4,344. (workouts+steps+living)

So my question is: is 2,900 calories a day too big of a deficit? I mean I feel really good. I wake up with alot of energy (I do go to bed earlier now) and I've lost 25 pounds. I've had a few days when I have felt drainined, but I'll usually eat more and take it easier the next day. Keep in mind, I went from sitting on the couch to working out so I expect to feel some aches and pain.

I just worry that I'm going to lose muscle, maybe lose weight too fast (I can't believe I said that) and have loads of loose skin. There seems to be so much contridictory information out there and it's frustrating.

Replies

  • LesliePierceRN
    LesliePierceRN Posts: 860 Member
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    Well, you're going to see big losses in the beginning like this. Your losses will slow down eventually. As long as you're tracking your micros and making sure you're getting the right nutrition, I wouldn't necessarily worry. And you're strength training, so it's possible to lose fat and gain muscle at this stage in your journey.. however, that gap will close eventually, and you'll have to begin eating more quality protein and calories to keep building muscle. That's a hard transition to make mentally sometimes, especially when this may have been working for you for a year or so.. you may want to mentally resist upping your calories at that point to continue becoming smaller, but that's what it'll take.
  • DrthFlanders
    DrthFlanders Posts: 6
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    WOW - Congrats on the progress. That's some gumption to stick with such a drastic drop for so long.

    That being said, I would be concerned that your progress is not sustainable. At some point you have to balance your values - your desired body image vs. the impact on your lifestyle. What are you giving up to maintain your diet? Compromising family & Social time with others (which in my family very often is centered around a meal)?

    It wasn't long ago that I was over 300 lbs. What I found made the most difference for me was to make smaller changes to promote long-term habit changes. I had/ have a lot of issues surrounding eating and what goes on in my head. This slower course of training is helping me, I feel, to acheive better wellness in addition to a healthier body weight. It's been over a year now, and I'm still loosing weight and haven't fallen off the band-wagon yet.

    Not to discount your acheivement. It is awesome what you are accomplishing. I just know that for me - I have more to fix in my head than inches to drop from my waistline.
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    Thanks for the help. I was thinking that once I finish my 90 days of Power 90, I would maybe start hitting the weights at the gym every other day and hits the weights. Maybe I'll keep eating 1,500 calories and incorporate some protein shakes to give me extra protein and calories.
    Well, you're going to see big losses in the beginning like this. Your losses will slow down eventually. As long as you're tracking your micros and making sure you're getting the right nutrition, I wouldn't necessarily worry. And you're strength training, so it's possible to lose fat and gain muscle at this stage in your journey.. however, that gap will close eventually, and you'll have to begin eating more quality protein and calories to keep building muscle. That's a hard transition to make mentally sometimes, especially when this may have been working for you for a year or so.. you may want to mentally resist upping your calories at that point to continue becoming smaller, but that's what it'll take.
  • lynette111
    lynette111 Posts: 77 Member
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    You will indeed lose muscle this way. You should be eating more-especially since you are exercising.
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    That's good advice and something I will keep in mind.

    Honestly, it took me months to get my mind in the right place to do this. What really pushed me over the edge was signing my son up for sports. He is 4 years old. I don't want to be the fat dad and I want to be active with him. Once upon a time I was a pretty good athlete.

    It's been a good time of year to start this diet because there isn’t much going on. Come summer and football season, it will be harder. What's helped me is to be vocal about my lifestyle change to my friends and family. It seems to keep me more accountable.

    I can't say what will happen in the future with certainty, this isn’t my first attempt, but this time it does feel different. I know I won't continue to lose 5 pounds a week and I'm trying to prepare myself for that. The good thing is that I have a buffer; I just can't fall off the wagon completely.

    Congrats on your loss and here's to continued success.
    WOW - Congrats on the progress. That's some gumption to stick with such a drastic drop for so long.

    That being said, I would be concerned that your progress is not sustainable. At some point you have to balance your values - your desired body image vs. the impact on your lifestyle. What are you giving up to maintain your diet? Compromising family & Social time with others (which in my family very often is centered around a meal)?

    It wasn't long ago that I was over 300 lbs. What I found made the most difference for me was to make smaller changes to promote long-term habit changes. I had/ have a lot of issues surrounding eating and what goes on in my head. This slower course of training is helping me, I feel, to acheive better wellness in addition to a healthier body weight. It's been over a year now, and I'm still loosing weight and haven't fallen off the band-wagon yet.

    Not to discount your acheivement. It is awesome what you are accomplishing. I just know that for me - I have more to fix in my head than inches to drop from my waistline.
  • DrthFlanders
    DrthFlanders Posts: 6
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    It's amazing how significant a motivator kids can be, eh? I have two beautiful girls and I would hate for them to be embarrased to be seen with me or be judged because of me.

    I know something else that has helped get me off of my duff was to find a measurable objective, outside of weight loss, that supported my battle. In two months I will run my first 10k with the support of my friends and family, and I will run a half-marathon before the end of the year. Who knows - maybe even a full :noway: hehe - or not. We'll see how the 13.1 feels.

    To your point - this is very much a team sport. You're wise to get your friends and family involved. I know that I would make little to no progress if I didn't have the support of my wife, kids, and running partner.

    Good luck to you in your continued journey.
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    Congrats, I've been thinking about maybe working towards a 5k, there are a few in my area.
    It's amazing how significant a motivator kids can be, eh? I have two beautiful girls and I would hate for them to be embarrased to be seen with me or be judged because of me.

    I know something else that has helped get me off of my duff was to find a measurable objective, outside of weight loss, that supported my battle. In two months I will run my first 10k with the support of my friends and family, and I will run a half-marathon before the end of the year. Who knows - maybe even a full :noway: hehe - or not. We'll see how the 13.1 feels.

    To your point - this is very much a team sport. You're wise to get your friends and family involved. I know that I would make little to no progress if I didn't have the support of my wife, kids, and running partner.

    Good luck to you in your continued journey.
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    bump
  • DrthFlanders
    DrthFlanders Posts: 6
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    bump

    Hey - I feel bad that your question has gone unsatisfied. Here are some quick articles I found about potential risks for fast weight loss:

    Gallstones / Gastrointestinal Problems
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/307431-problems-with-losing-weight-too-fast/

    Hair Loss / Muscle Loss
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/379184-side-effects-of-losing-weight-too-fast/

    Gout / Heart Disorders
    http://www.livestrong.com/article/389437-health-risks-of-losing-weight-too-fast/

    I've heard from other sources too that one of the most rich muscles in the body is the heart. Since the heart is usually one of the strongest and active muscles in the body, it often becomes targeted by the body to provide energy for consumption. I heard that those who die from starvation are actually perishing from cardiac arrest due to a weakened heart. I'm no cardiologist, so I would defenitely ask for a second opinion on that.

    My personal opinion: Its safer to pace yourself. There's no point to the race if you can't relish the victory.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
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    I think most healthcare professionals wouldn't have a problem with you dropping weight that fast at the outset. When you're bigger you can get away with faster early loss and larger caloric deficits, but honestly, if I were you I'd think about going a little steadier on the exercise and eating a little more. I say this because I've been through a lot of hardcore loss periods like the one you describe in my life and, while they feel great while they last, for me at least they were never sustainable. Better to focus on developing comfortable, sustainable long term habits than fast and hard dieting. Of course what you are doing may be sustainable for life for you, but it wouldn't be for me. That's something you'll have to be honest with yourself about.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    When you have a lot of weight to lose, you can get away with a larger deficit. However, at some point your body is going to realize what is going on and weight loss will likely slow down or stop. I would encourage you to increase your calories - things like a handful of nuts twice a day can add almost 400 calories to your intake without making you feel sick from too much food. An apple (around 80 calories) and 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter (190) is an easy way to add in nearly 300 calories too. A container of Greek yogurt and an apple will put you close to 250 too. There are a lot of calorie dense, but healthy foods out there. I suggest adding some of them into your diet to try and get your caloric intake higher.


    Here's a great snack:

    Handful of almonds (190)

    Greek Yogurt (150)

    and

    apple (80 calories):

    total calories: 420 (roughly). Now you just increased from 1500 calories a day to nearly 2000 calories.

    Also, are you eating back your exercise calories? If you're burning 700 calories working out and not eating at least a good chunk of them back? You're creating WAY too large of a deficit.

    1500 calories eaten - 700 burned through exercise = 800 NET calories. This is far too low. Your body will begin to use muscle for fuel because you aren't giving it enough calories to live on.
  • chixdrag2
    chixdrag2 Posts: 19 Member
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    Congrats on the weight loss, you seem really motivated and that is a good thing! But your deficit does seem really big...in general a 500 calorie/day deficit is sufficient for fat loss without too much muscle loss...and I think you could also focus more on weight training and less on cardio. Cardio is a great tool for putting you in a caloric deficit but if you're only eating 1500 cal a day you're already in a pretty big deficit. You're better off building muscle bc the more lean muscle mass you have the faster your metabolism will be all on its own. You might want to think about increasing your calories too bc your muscles are likely not getting enough fuel on only 1500 cal.
  • Reknim
    Reknim Posts: 7 Member
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    Wow!!! Congratulations on the weight loss and beginning a new chapter in your life. Not to be a "Debbie Downer" but I thought I needed to share my story.... Take or toss....4 years ago I dropped weight pretty quickly. Thanksgiving came around and I had some serious abdominal pain. I figured it was due to my body preferring healthy foods, maybe I over ate... Thanksgiving ended and I was okay for a couple weeks. As we got closer to Christmas I couldn't take the pain any more. Upper right abdomen after fatty foods, usually after Christmas cookies.. Saw the doctor and sure enough, gallstones. The surgeon told me that they like to take the gall bladder out when they bariatic surgery, the rapid weight loss tends to lead to gall problems, typically stones. I'm not sure what could have been done to avoid them, maybe a visit your doctor would be a great place to start.
    About muscle loss... Since you were athletic you just might have some muscle memory that can work for you...
    Here's to your continued success
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    I think I'm going to up my calorie intake to 1,750 and see how that goes. I'm also going to adjust my cardio to 3 times a week and try to burn 500 calories each visit. I'll continue to do the strength training 3 times a day and in a couple months start a new weight lifting program.

    I'm in this for the long haul, so why not try it for a month? No matter what, I'll be losing weight and right now that's all I care about.
  • chixdrag2
    chixdrag2 Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm in this for the long haul, so why not try it for a month? No matter what, I'll be losing weight and right now that's all I care about.


    That is a great attitude to have...this is your life you're changing and you don't need to put a deadline on it...just learn whatever you can and enjoy the journey! Try something new and if that doesn't work adjust it! :)
  • linb99
    linb99 Posts: 6
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    :happy: First of all CONGRATULATIONS on your tremendous accomplishment. You need to eat more, especially lean protein. The protein shakes will give your body more energy, but won't help BUILD muscle. In order for your body to not go into starvation mode you must feed it.
  • brandonvb
    brandonvb Posts: 6
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    Congrats! 1,500 calories is not enough! I know it sounds stupid to consume more calories in order to lose weight, but your caloric intake is way too low. A good rule of thumb that I use and have shared with others who have had great results is, 12 calories per lb of bodyweight and you will lose weight. If you want to lose it faster, make it 11 calories. Eat 5-6 meals a day. It's like "feast or famine". Keep up the good work!
  • Alpine005
    Alpine005 Posts: 87 Member
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    Thought I'd update everyone on my progress.

    I have increased my calorie intake to the 1500-1700 range instead of the 1400-1500 range I was at and I'm not eating my exercise back. I also slowed down my cardio some. I'm doing cardio 4-5 times a week, typically burning 500 calories on the eliptical machine (I've been increasing my level every week). I've started to lift weights 4 times a week, doing arms mondays and thursday and legs tuesdays and fridays. I think I'm going to start doing arms on Wednesdays too because I'm recovering much faster now. In the month I've been lifting I have seen some small progess in strength. The extra 200 calories a day have mostly come from protein shakes after my workouts. I'm down to 303 (can't wait to get under that 300 mark) and I've lost in 12 pounds in a little less than a month since I started this thread.

    I know many people will say I'm still really low on calories, but to be honest I don't want to eat more. I feel full and when I'm hungry I eat something. When I feel tired, I make sure to eat more. for the most part my energy level is really good.

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