Please help--calories/day and starvation mode........hmmmm

goofball · April 2008

Hi there, I have been working out for 2 months. The first month I did lose 8-9 lbs. I was working out 3-4 times per day and eating probably 1000 cal/day or less. Yeah, Month 2 I gain/drop gain/drop pound by pound and have gotten no further than those first 8-9 lbs.

I gather from what I read, that starvation mode has probably kicked in? My fitness guy also told me that since I haven't really done much of anything for 4+ years, that my body is just point blank in starvation mode anyway because it(my body) doesnt really believe what it is seeing. ????????? Does this sound right to anyone?

I am 30-40 lbs overweight and (5'7"/194 lbs) and really WAS motivated when I started, and feel great for sticking to my guns for 2 months, however little results are very frustrating! I guess I now just make sure I have to eat 1200 calories while still exercising my butt off--which means really I have to eat (actual caloric intake) like 1800 calories. Right? I'm so confused. Thank you for any help!

goofball · April 2008

Hi there, I have been working out for 2 months. The first month I did lose 8-9 lbs. I was working out 3-4 times per day and eating probably 1000 cal/day or less. Yeah, Month 2 I gain/drop gain/drop pound by pound and have gotten no further than those first 8-9 lbs.

I gather from what I read, that starvation mode has probably kicked in? My fitness guy also told me that since I haven't really done much of anything for 4+ years, that my body is just point blank in starvation mode anyway because it(my body) doesnt really believe what it is seeing. ????????? Does this sound right to anyone?

I am 30-40 lbs overweight and (5'7"/194 lbs) and really WAS motivated when I started, and feel great for sticking to my guns for 2 months, however little results are very frustrating! I guess I now just make sure I have to eat 1200 calories while still exercising my butt off--which means really I have to eat (actual caloric intake) like 1800 calories. Right? I'm so confused. Thank you for any help!

lotusfromthemud · April 2008

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9614-newbies-please-read-me

Here's a thread(s) that will explain this all. Did you say 3-4 times a DAY? for working out. You are seriously, seriously undereating.

:flowerforyou:

banks1850 · April 2008

goofball, give us your numbers and what the goal calculator is saying to eat. I'll tell you if it looks to me like you are starving yourself.

by numbers I mean height, weight, age, activity level (like how active you are at work, home...etc, not including exercise)

goofball · April 2008

Oh dear, no--did I say per day, 3-4 times per week!!! Thanks for noticing that and for the link!

rairak · April 2008

Yep it sounds like you are not eating enough, then crashing. Your body will go into starvation mode and actually lower your metabolism. It is very important that you eat enough.

goofball · April 2008

Ok so, I am 38, 5'7", 194 lbs, was trying to eat 1000 cal/day but the counter says always consume** the 1200 per day--well for crying out loud, with burning (most recently) at least 500 cal/day and eating 1000, my actual calories consumed would be 500--right?

Activity around home--I do daycare so--moderately active--but the weather has been so yucky here we haven't done a LOT outside like we will--so maybe not real active around house right now.............?

Thanks for the help

lotusfromthemud · April 2008

Ok so, I am 38, 5'7", 194 lbs, was trying to eat 1000 cal/day but the counter says always consume** the 1200 per day--well for crying out loud, with burning (most recently) at least 500 cal/day and eating 1000, my actual calories consumed would be 500--right?

Activity around home--I do daycare so--moderately active--but the weather has been so yucky here we haven't done a LOT outside like we will--so maybe not real active around house right now.............?

Thanks for the help

Yes, 500 net. And that's not including the fact that you are moderately active. Big time starvation mode, no wonder you're not losing. I would suggest entering everything, and following as closely as you can what MFP tells you to do. It really is right! Trust it! Eat.

goofball · April 2008

Hey, viviakay and banks--YOU ROCK--(you'll really rock in some weeks down the road) but Viviakay--that first link you gave me which I was just going to repeat in this box is EXACTLY what I was looking for because that lady sounds a lot like me too--obviously like a lot of people, so I agree that post should be read by everyone on this website!!

I haven't even gotten to the 2nd and 3rd links yet--daycare, but will do--thanks again and I'll keep checking back for any other add'l info!! :happy: :

goofball · April 2008

rairak, I'm sorry, thank you as well for the reply!

lovesdaisies · April 2008

Ha! That's so funny. I saw the 3-4 times per day thing, too and thought, "Where does she find the time?!?!?" I was a bit envious!! :laugh:

banks1850 · April 2008

I'm glad we could help goofball. Viv and I both perscribe to the "eat your calories" philosophy (as you can see from the newbie posts), anyway, it looks like you should be eating about 1500 calories minimum NOT including any extra calories you burn with exercise (so add those calories after ) I.E. if you work out for 400 calories you should eat 1900 that day.

One thing I would say is, ramp up your calories slowly over a couple of weeks, so your body doesn't go haywire with all the new food, there's no telling how it would react if you up it all at once. Say 100 calories a day more until you reach where you should be.

Best of luck!

goofball · April 2008

Ok, so how in the heck am I going to lose weight eating that many calories when the normal daily caloric intake is "supposed " to be 2000 cal per day (i know this is what, a national average or something?)

This is working out--actually normally i go 4 times per week with the calories i told you. 1500 calories? Really?

goofball · April 2008

Oh, yeah--and is that only for the days that i do workout? Do I stick to 1200 for the days i don't go to the gym? Thanks again for all your help!

Kelly1376 · April 2008

We really should link up! I am 5'8'' and starting at 190 lbs! I've been going to the gym faithfully, I'm a spin addict- and haven't seen the scale budge the way I'd like it to. The trainer did my body fat and I did lose 2% but the weight numbers stay within a 5 lb range. I'm normally 155, healthy for my body type, and that number can be sooo discouraging!

chriss1tt · April 2008

eat those calories. it really works. i had a hard time believing it myself but it works. :happy: good luck to ya.

banks1850 · April 2008

Goof,

if your maintenance calories is 2000 (by the way for 190 lbs that sound's low, I'm 190 and my maintenance is 2700.) then 1500 would be 500 a day below maintenance or 1 lb per week, which is a decent weight loss. Now, if 2000 is what the site is telling you to eat after you put in your goals, then you should be eating 2000. You need to realize that this site does a pretty good job at giving you your target daily calories, if the site tells you to eat 2000 with a goal of 1 lb a week loss, then you should eat 2000. If you exercise, then you should eat the 2000 plus your exercise calories. I know it's a little confusing at first, but it really works. Put it this way, I was 233 lbs in september. I'm 190 even right now and on maintenance (I actually hit maintenance in February and have stayed there since). And I followed this site religiously, eating exactly what it told me for calories. When it said eat more because you worked out today, I did.

Hope this helps.

Oh also, there is a new newbie post that has been updated with more posts here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

Please help--calories/day and starvation mode........hmmmm

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