Is this the norm?

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Hazel2005
Hazel2005 Posts: 175 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, just started here and was checking out the threads and have a couple of questions. There is a very diverse range of members and strategies to losing weight on here. Some info looks to be great and some look "quick fix" for lack of a better description. All those things that didn't work in the past and have brought me to MFP. Yes, I know about the "search button" and I will try not to add to the "what or how much should I eat debate" but I did come across a thread where someone had lost a lot of weight in a short time and everyone was congratulating them. Upon looking at their diary it is very clear to see that they are definitely not eating healthy, or as some have described as cleaner and yes, dare I say it - definitely not enough. (Just so you don't think I'm crazy, an example was 527 cal one day, 960 the next, 511, and then 1027 cals) Is the general protocol on this site just to encourage and show support? Should I just avoid commenting all together or encourage/suggest alternative methods for perhaps a more realistic and sustainable outcome?

Oh, and a little about me. I'm 5'7", 47 and an embarrassing 248 lbs. I'm hoping to lose about 1 - 1.5 lbs a week and have already lost 50 lbs over this last year. I'm hoping to be able to exercise soon, I have some injuries preventing me from doing much at the moment, and my first goal is 25 more pounds, ultimately 75 more in total. Thanks for reading and good luck!:drinker:

Replies

  • ArtGeek22
    ArtGeek22 Posts: 1,429 Member
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    The thing you just described is what people call "Zig-zagging" calories to shock your metabolism into burning more.

    I personally don't use this method I just eat lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meat. You do want to show encouragement but criticism can be a very touchy subject sometimes. I think if you are concerned with something your friend is doing, you shouldn't post it publicly but shoot them a message to express your concern. I am sure they would much rather prefer that that it being post for everyone to see. It is important to encourage each other because that is a big reason for success, but we want to make sure we succeed in a healthy way.

    Hope I helped and good luck to you :flowerforyou:
  • leslisa
    leslisa Posts: 1,350 Member
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    And to answer your question, yes, we pretty much just offer support. But it's your perogative which posts to which to reply so it's all good in the end.

    As far as quick weight loss, not in favor of it, but I'm not a doc so I can't say what is healthy and what is not.
  • Hazel2005
    Hazel2005 Posts: 175 Member
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    Gotcha. Thanks for the replies. I see a lot of anger and criticisms just from surfing the threads this afternoon, some with absolutely no reference to what the thread started out as. As well, a lot of "quotes" and opinions....very strong opinions - Eeek!!!! Enough to keep me off the boards and keep my mouth shut. That being said, I'm already finding it hard to do so, so I'll sign off. :ohwell: Good Luck to you all!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    The thing you just described is what people call "Zig-zagging" calories to shock your metabolism into burning more.

    I personally don't use this method I just eat lots of fruits, veggies, and lean meat. You do want to show encouragement but criticism can be a very touchy subject sometimes. I think if you are concerned with something your friend is doing, you shouldn't post it publicly but shoot them a message to express your concern. I am sure they would much rather prefer that that it being post for everyone to see. It is important to encourage each other because that is a big reason for success, but we want to make sure we succeed in a healthy way.

    Hope I helped and good luck to you :flowerforyou:
    Yeah, zigzagging seems "popular" now, but in many cases the low AND the high seem to low to be healthy. I sometimes comment (I can't help myself, I was a teacher for too long) and sometimes I don't.
  • BenChase
    BenChase Posts: 169
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    i have done many things to get where i am (anything from starting off with the bad 2-3 day water fast, then 500 calorie days, followed by everything else that isn't healthy) but i KNOW this, and i knew it at the time. people will get there however they want to, so with this knowledge in mind i say feel free to let them know whatever you want, if they don't know they are doing unhealthy things you can help them by sharing your knowledge, if they do know then they should be fine having people bash thier unhealthy ways. i generally try to only eat my original calories (no eating back excercise calories) which i have custom set by what my personal trainer/nutritionist has recomended,which i have had plenty of people tell me it's not right, whether healthy or not it's working for me so i will keep doing it and keep not caring what people think of my food diary. people shouldn't get their feelings hurt when someone bashes them for eating 500 calories a day as long as they know it's their choice and people are just trying to help...thats how i feel about it anyway ;)
  • AliciaNorris81
    AliciaNorris81 Posts: 185 Member
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    I can say that I am one of those people, but it isn't on purpose. My life is super crazy right now, and sometimes it just happens.

    My calorie intake is very low right now, but with my new meds and medical treatments, I have no appetite and have to force what I do eat in. Some days, I am actually hungry so I eat when I am hungry to try to build SOMETHING back up. I am however working closely with doctors, a dietitian, and physical therapy to make sure I am remaining healthy through vitamins and supplements.

    I had my diary private for awhile after getting a bunch of backlash...then I realized "Why not make it public and just explain the situation to people?"

    I guess what I am saying is while "zig-zagging" isn't the ideal way to lose weight and may not be the healthiest...sometimes people aren't doing it intentionally or there might be another reason behind it.
  • irefusetoquit
    irefusetoquit Posts: 62
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    Welcome to MFP! I think the divers members with different strategies has worked for them, but you need to figure out what works the best for you. The only way to find out is to experiment.

    You're right that quick fixes don't work. I've tried some in my past and I stayed exactly where I was at. Zig zagging didn't work either. One day I ate clean, healthy meals and the next day I ate quick fixes or fried/greasy - and the constant change didn't help.

    We'll take different approaches on how to do this. Some work, some don't. We learn from them and go on without giving up. My suggestion is to try something for a while (about 3 months), see how it works for you. Then decide "is this really working for me" and see where you are and what you want to do next.

    Interesting point. Based on my experience, I will share my perspective from what I've learned in the past few years on what has and hasn't worked for me. I'll comment on posts that get my attention.

    I like how you've posted some of your goals. Very nice! They will help keep you motivated.

    I hope my perspective helps you out. Please keep us posted how you're doing. Good luck. :-)

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