What should I do?
xoxluvvy
Posts: 15 Member
So for the past few months I have been recording everything I eat on MFP. I've been making healthy choices and watching every calorie. I used to eat about 1500 calories but I'm now deathly afraid to go anywhere above 1300. I try to stay around 1200. I know that this technically isn't healthy or anything but I'm terrified to put on weight. I'm afraid that I've already done damage to my metabolism and if I increase my calorie intake I will gain. And I really don't want to starve myself I swear its just that before I weighed 139 pounds and I would eat a lot and my whole family would make fun of me. Now my family is making rude comments about how I'm driving them crazy and how I'm too obsessed. I don't want to be this obsessed but I feel like I have to be. I don't know what to do.
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Replies
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:frown:0
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Uh-oh! Sounds like you need help, hunny. My advice is to reach out before you find yourself in the chaos of a full-blown eating disorder. Doctor, counsellor, etc... You're more than your weight and food.0
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Make your diary public so we can disect it for you. Eating the wrong things ALL the time will affect things. As will exercise. It is a delicate balance but you need to get it right and the weight will come off slowly, healthily, and properly. Make your diary public so we can see what's up with both your diet and/or exercise.0
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Consult a doctor! Sometimes people will be sticking to the 1200 calories a day, scared to gain, but the doctor or diet specialist will say they need to eat an extra 1000-3000 calories per day, and suddenly they start shedding the pounds!
It's all pretty complicated, and I would see a specialist for this before you get too wrapped up in fear and resort to drastic measures to lose weight.
Good luck, lovely!0 -
I copied this from someone else but don't know who so I can give proper credit, but it's full of some really great stuff...
The Most Dreaded Word In Weight Loss: Plateau-
In the world of weight loss, metabolism is king. Everybody seems to know that a fast one is a good one. Yet, some confusion arises when confronted with the problem of who’s got a fast one, what causes a slow one, and what leads to a metabolism that just won’t do what you want it to do – burn fat!
Every day desperate pleas rain from those in the weight loss trenches begging for advice on how to get the scale moving again. Inevitably, someone is 35 or 40 pounds away from their goal weight, and for some reason, the weight has stopped coming off. Despite adhering to a strict exercise regimen and a 1200-1500 calorie-a-day diet, weight loss comes to a stand-still. Sometimes, the scale reveals a slight weight gain. For three weeks, the scale records no change. What happened? Why did it stop after such a long period of successful weight loss?
According to The Mayo Clinic, a plateau means the body has reached a state of equilibrium. The diet and exercise plan that has worked so successfully for the first round of weight loss must now change. The situation feels nothing short of infuriating. The work and sweat and willpower amount to nothing in the face of a plateau.
So what exactly needs to change? Just like all things with the human body, a one-size-fits-all solution is inappropriate. The Mayo Clinic suggests a further calorie cut or an increase in exercise. After all, weight loss happens when the body burns more than it consumes. Unfortunately, many people on calorie restricted diets exercise to their maximum capacity yet experience the plateau. Suggesting a further cut in calories or increasing exercise proves an irresponsible recommendation. Such a plan could lead to exhaustion, weight gain, decreased brain function, muscle consumption (ketosis), and inevitably, binging and burnout.
The trick to fat loss is maximizing the body’s potential to burn fat. This involves finding a balance between the three main elements of fitness: nutrient intake, cardiovascular work, and strength building. These three elements work together to supply muscles with glycogen (converted carbohydrates from the liver), build more pathways within the body to bring oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, and adapt the muscles to the stress of strength training by building more muscle fibers. Increased muscle mass consumes more fat. Cardiovascular work increases the body’s ability to endure longer periods of exercise more efficiently, making muscles more efficient fat burners. The human body can accomplish these two goals only when fed properly.
When one of these elements falls out of balance, the body adjusts to the change and adapts, as the body’s main goal is equilibrium. The goal in weight loss is to change that equilibrium point to a place of healthy weight and body fat, strong muscles, and healthy nutrient intake.
In my experience, the solution to ending a weight-loss plateau means modifying the most extreme measure of the current weight loss plan. What is the most extreme part of a plan? It’s the part of a plan that a dieter does too much or too little. It’s an extreme of too many or not enough calories, cardio work, or strength training.
For example, a relatively sedentary person initially gained weight by consuming more calories than they burned. The extra calories were stored as fat. Though counter to what we’ve been taught, their bodies actually adapted to the excess caloric intake by increasing the metabolism. Because of the extra weight, their body was forced to work harder to maintain normal body functions. Working hard uses more energy. Even with an increased metabolism, without exercise, their extra calories were stored. To take the weight back off, the first obvious solution is to identify the extreme. In this case, the extreme is excess calories, and the solution is to decrease calories. The body then adapts by lowering the metabolism to reach a balance with new, lower caloric intake. Because the process of lowering the metabolism is gradual, the body makes up the metabolic deficit with body fat. In short, the body begins consuming fat to fill energy needs in the face of minimal caloric intake. When the body has lowered the metabolism enough to accommodate the new caloric intake, the unsuspecting dieter reaches a plateau.
So, dear readers, if you’ve hit a plateau, what part of your fitness regimen needs a change? The following example is based on a real-life person on a weight loss journey as they hit a plateau.
John made the decision to lose weight when the scale tipped 240 lbs. In an effort to get to a healthy weight of 180 lbs., he decided to go from a 3,700 calorie a day diet to a calorie-restricted diet of 1500 net calories, meaning that he would have 1500 “leftover†calories after he exercised. His body needed these "leftover" calories to perform normal body functions like breathing, digesting, and thinking. So, if he burned 700 calories on the treadmill, he would consume 2200 calories. He exercised 5 days a week and strength trained twice a week. He eliminated processed foods from his diet and consumed an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and lean proteins. He lost 38 pounds but still had about 20 to go. He's been losing weight steadily for about 7 months. Now, the scale hasn’t budged in three weeks. He’s tired and frustrated and feels like he’s working hard for nothing! He’s got no idea what to do!
To start identifying the extreme, let’s look at the three elements of John’s weight loss journey.
John engages in cardiovascular work 5 days a week. That’s great! His heart rate doesn’t exceed 85% of his maximum (220-your age), and he works out for about 45 minutes each time. John strength trains twice a week, so he’s building more muscle to burn fat, increase bone strength, improve posture, and maximize his efficiency in movement. Both of these activities serve to increase John’s metabolism. These are both reasonable amounts of work. Attempting to increase either may lead to burnout, exhaustion, injury, or even weight gain because John’s caloric intake is still restricted. His decreased calories are now keeping his metabolism lowered. To raise his metabolism without exhausting himself, he must consume more calories. In the same way that he raised his metabolism while gaining weight, he will now do the same thing and lose weight. Only this time, cardiovascular work and strength training will prevent his increased calories from being stored as fat. By increasing his calories, John gives his muscles more energy to consume fat. In a few weeks or months, when he reaches a plateau, signaling that he’s at equilibrium again, he’ll need to increase his calories again. By that time, he might have reached his “goal weightâ€, so this final increase may be to reach the number of calories he’ll need to maintain.
Note that John did not increase his exercise and his calories. He increased one only - caloric intake. He increased his calories from 1500 to 1800, still several hundred calories shy of his final number (go halfway down). He'll still be at a caloric deficit, and thus, will continue to lose weight. While increasing calories is terrifying to someone attempting to lose weight, consistent cardiovascular and strength training will prevent weight gain.
John may represent many dieters on restricted-calorie plans. Others’ extreme may be cardiovascular work. They may work out intensely upwards of 7-8 times per week, leaving the body precious little time to heal and repair. In that case, decreasing exercise and/or intensity a few times a week might be best, or again, increasing calories. Some may eat enough and only do cardiovascular work exclusively. For them, incorporating strength training into their regimen will push them from the plateau onto the losing path again. In all of these cases, water consumption is essential. Water mobilizes fat so that muscles can access it easily. Without water, blood pumps like sludge and causes your body to work less efficiently.
Here are some general guidelines to identifying the extreme in your weight loss plan. Modifying this extreme is the likely solution to further your weight loss.
You may need to consume more calories if:
• You exercise regularly (4+ times per week), strength train 2-3 times per week, and are on a calorie-restricted diet, but you do not consume the minimum calories plus most or all of the calories you burn through exercise
• You consume less than 1200 at least once a week
• You consume less than 1500 calories most days of the week
• You regularly consume fewer calories than your BMR (basal metabolic rate)
• You have headaches, lethargy, aches, and/or lack of concentration
You may need to change cardiovascular work if:
• You are mostly sedentary
• You engage in cardiovascular work fewer than 4 times per week
• Your cardiovascular workouts last shorter than 20 minutes
• Your heart rate does not remain in the 55-70% max. range at least two times per week
• Your heart rate does not remain in the 70-85% max. range at least three times per week
You may need to modify strength training if:
• You do not currently engage in strength training
• Your weights seem very light, thereby not stressing your muscles
• You have reached your goal weight, but still feel “flabbyâ€
This article is not a comprehensive study in why we lose. The plateau is but one obstacle in the path to health. Weight loss takes tremendous willpower and strength. Those who accomplish the goal of changing their lives through increased health are true champions, and those in the midst of the battle are nothing short of warriors. While the fight gets confusing when what has been working suddenly stops, your body, your heart, your bones, and your muscles all work best when the excess weight is gone. You can work through this frustrating time by resetting your equilibrium point. As you review your caloric intake and reflect on your exercise regimen, you can now identify the caloric, cardiovascular, or strength extreme and make the change that will move you back onto the path of weight loss.0 -
So for the past few months I have been recording everything I eat on MFP. I've been making healthy choices and watching every calorie. I used to eat about 1500 calories but I'm now deathly afraid to go anywhere above 1300. I try to stay around 1200. I know that this technically isn't healthy or anything but I'm terrified to put on weight. I'm afraid that I've already done damage to my metabolism and if I increase my calorie intake I will gain. And I really don't want to starve myself I swear its just that before I weighed 139 pounds and I would eat a lot and my whole family would make fun of me. Now my family is making rude comments about how I'm driving them crazy and how I'm too obsessed. I don't want to be this obsessed but I feel like I have to be. I don't know what to do.
This happened to me and it made me do/think/feel things that I never thought I could. If I could have asked for any piece of advice when starting to lose weight, I would have asked for someone to tell me to NOT count calories.
My honest opinion is that calorie counting is a disordered behaviour. It is used to somewhat "treat" other disordered behaviours that lead to unhealthy weight gain/loss. It's like treating one extreme with another extreme. Some people are going to disagree with me, and that's okay. Everyone is different, and what is obsessive to one person may be considered normal to another, but this is just my honest opinion based on what I've felt.
I've decided to stop logging as of today as some things have happened which are scaring me. I've been battling with myself mentally for months to just stop, and today I finally decided that I have the choice to stop, so that's what I'm going to do. If you feel the same, I urge you to seek help. I saw my GP today and she advised me to stop logging, or at least stop obsessively logging and gradually ease out of it. I've never felt more relieved and liberated in my life. Best of luck.0 -
You probably do need to increase your caloric intake.. and to be honest.. you are going to gain some weight... but if you do it right... it is only going to be temporary water weight gain.. simply because your body will be adjusting to getting more food. Increasing calories is a process that takes patience. Try reading this thread so you can learn how to determine how many calories you should be eating and what to expect along the way.. Hope this helps!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience0
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