Mixed messages, and so very confused.

EvanKeel is SO RIGHT! I've lost the same 80 pounds twice already. The way I did it before is to deprive myself and lose extremely fast and then in 2 to 3 years I balloon back up to where I was. I keep gaining back because I can't seem to tell myself no or live without the stuff you're not supposed to have. I'm really excited about this time though because I feel like I'm mature enough to make better choices for my body. My plan is to only eat the calories I have set to reach my goals, not including exercise calories. I feel like that way I will be getting the nutrition my body needs, and I'll still be doing my body good with exercise. Being that successful weight loss is a lifestyle change I want to take an approach that I will be able to maintain for the rest of my life. This time hopefully I can manage to make the calories count and try harder to eat things that fill me up and do the body good. I too am an emotional eater, and that is a hurdle I haven't figured out how to tackle. I've only recently figured out that when I get emotional I reach for the lunchbox and feel like I'm really teaching whoever I'm mad at a lesson. (really?!) I hope you find a way to lose weight that really works for you and you can feel confident in knowing you're doing it right. Sometimes it feels like being unsure about what you're doing is just as dangerous as an unsupervised chocolate cake!

Having been on this site for a while, there are several common threads.

First, you're correct that there are plenty of people on this site who stick to their 1200 calories/day and swear up and down that they're losing tons of weight and quickly. They say eating back their exercise calories will cause them to gain weight and that because the number on their scale (which unfortunately seems to be the ultimate sign of success or failure) has gone down, even temporarily, then what they're doing MUST be the answer.

Second, you hear just as many people on this site who fall into that group and pop up complain about how their weight loss stalled or how their weight went up. Many people who see the idiocy of the first group, who actually eat back their exercise calories, who know what they're talking about, will inform this group that they're doing more harm than good and need to eat back their exercise calories. Sometimes they learn the error of their ways, other times not.

But the important thing is that we can all understand and relate to you wanting faster results and seeing other people getting them (albeit either temporarily and/or at the expense of their long-term health) can seem discouraging. But remember that the grass is not greener on the other side- just because they're scale is telling them a smaller number, doesn't mean they're any healthier, faster and/or stronger. You also need to make the important distinction that you are on your own journey and what anyone else says or does ultimately should have little to no impact on it.

Oohh! I feel exactly the same way! I don't know what to do :S I've tried eating very little and exercising loads, I did actually lose weight, but I found I couldn't keep it up. I'd binge eat later and would ruin everything. I'm trying to take it slow now, and I actually think I'm losing weight just as fast as I did before, but via less extreme methods. Which is probably a good thing

Hmmm... I'd probably just try to find whatever works for you. But I'm no expert so I don't know :P
Good luck though!

Yep, there's a lot of confusion for me too. But I've decided I've got to do what's best for me, even if it means the weight will come off slowly. I've been dieting for 6 weeks and have only lost 4 pounds of the 15 I need to lose. That's so frustrating to me! But I'd rather "do it right" and re-learn good eating and exercise habits that last a lifetime than do a fad diet that gets me to lose fast only to regain it quickly. Do what's right (and healthy) for you!

I have decided to just start eating 1000-1200 calories, and see how that goes. That seems to be working for so many people, so that is what I will try. If I pass out or feel bad, I am sure I will get over it. It will definitely take some getting used to. But, since everyone is saying that very obese people can safely do it, then I guess I should try. If after a few weeks it doesn't work, I don't know what I will do.

It's probably not a bad idea to get your doctor's take on this even if his background isn't in nutrition specifically. He may have some experience with patients on low-calorie diets.

I totally understand. I personally think you should try the 1200 for a week and see how you feel. If it's bad, go up. Eventually you'll feel deprived, in all likelihood, and you'll want to move up to more (or quit- which, don't). You also will think you've plateaued but it will just be a normal, non-linear trend of weight loss.

You're doing great. It's a tough journey. You'll find what calorie level works for you or you'll keep fiddling all the way but if you keep at it you'll get there. The good thing about your weight now is you know you'll lose at 1200 or 1700 or probably 2100. You just need to find an intake level you can live with for a while, and learn to live with the loss rate that results.

Sometimes I think it is better to stick with what is working. If you eat 1100 calories, like I am, and feel totally fine, then keep it up. I'm doing that and losing weight.. so far so good. If what you are doing is working then don't worry about all of these other groups.. What works for one group of people isn't gonna work for another. Some people are pushy about it.. Just don't worry about all of that stuff.. when your weight loss stops (*if) then look into what you can do to change it up.

The best thing to do is to follow the MFP recommendations. Do not go under 1200 calories, unless it tells you to. You need to make sure you get all your nutrients and calories that your body needs to function.

Like someone else said, everyone's body is different. I DO NOT recommend going on a "fad diet". Those usually do not last and can have harmful results (ESP if you are cutting important nutrients). Just try to be reasonable with your meals getting as many nutrients as possible (within your daily limit), and get all your vitamins and minerals. If you can do that while staying within your caloric limit, you will do great! The best thing is to make sure you get a nutritional balanced diet and workout. It is recommended that people workout at least 20 minutes a day.

I workout about an hour a day (doing the Mitch Gaylord's "Melt It Off" workouts with the G-ball) and then run/walk every other day for about 30 minutes. In doing so, I've seen tremendous results in just the last few days. However, I have to make sure I get all my nutrients and calories too.

Calories are a measurement of energy. You need energy for your body to function. Too much energy (calories) is stored as fat in the body. If you work off your excess energy, then you will maintain weight. If you work off more energy than you intake, you will lose weight. Your body naturally burns calories throughout the day with bodily functions. This is why when only staying below your caloric allowance, you will lose weight (because MFP has calculated how much your body is likely to use throughout the day based on your personal profile). However, if you are also working out (AND NOT eating the extra "worked-off" calories) you will lose more weight. MFP recommends not losing more than 2lbs per week.
The risk with this is losing muscle mass and possibly developing an eating disorder. I have recently been working out and not counting those "worked off calories" by only posting my runs as cardio (and not the "MELT IT OFF" workouts). However, this can be dangerous if you are not getting enough calories your body needs.

You say you "see people doing great," but you can't see behind the scenes. You also will never know if they are being completely honest with their posts/results and "effects".

As for counting everything....COUNT EVERYTHING. Anything and everything you eat and do should be documented. THIS WILL ONLY HELP YOU! even if you "don't want to because you feel guilty"...THAT WILL MOTIVATE YOU NEXT TIME!! I know when I first started, I only documented what I was eating...completely and honestly. i was eating an average of 2040 calories on the weekend. I LOVE FOOD, so I would eat until I was stuffed. After seeing how much I was eating, I was motivated to decrease to my caloric allowance...a few days went by and my daily average dropped to under 1200 calories. If you don't track everything, you won't know your true results or know what to change to get results.

My personal nutrients have to be obtained through daily vitamins b/c the food I eat isn't sufficient for my recommended vitamins and minerals. However, you can look at each of the foods you are eating and see where your nutrients are coming from, and choose the foods that give you what you need. You can check it throughout the day and see what you are missing. This can help you decide what foods you should eat for lunch and dinner (based on what you have already had).

I found staying under my caloric allowance easier by drinking only water. Many other drinks have empty calories (calories without sufficient nutrients). Even choosing a diet soda over regular can cut almost 300 calories from a meal. Look up which foods are healthiest. Look at the nutritional information BEFORE ordering or eating (OR AT LEAST AFTER, and learn as you go).

GOOD LUCK!! :flowerforyou:

The single best thing you can do for long-term weight loss is to find something you can literally live with. Forever. Because if you feel too much deprivation, there is a high likelihood that you won't keep the weight off. It is, in short, an exercise in futility.

I suppose there are people who are capable of cutting out grains, rice and potatoes forever. I am not one of them. I tried so very, very hard to make it work, but I couldn't do it. All of that work, just to fail.

Nobody is going to be able to say, "This WILL work for you" because it's different for every person. The South Beach Diet works. It does. But if it only works for 6 months because you can't eat like that for the rest of your life, it's a complete waste of time.

I have found what has been working for me, but I thought maybe there was an even better way, that would make it go faster. I have not felt deprived, and felt the way I was doing it was sustainable. I am just sad, because I still feel like I could do better, and faster.

Ah, but in weight loss, faster isn't better.

If what you are doing leaves you feeling healthy and satisfied and you are still losing weight then what you are doing is EXACTLY the right thing.

The single best thing you can do for long-term weight loss is to find something you can literally live with. Forever. Because if you feel too much deprivation, there is a high likelihood that you won't keep the weight off. It is, in short, an exercise in futility.

I suppose there are people who are capable of cutting out grains, rice and potatoes forever. I am not one of them. I tried so very, very hard to make it work, but I couldn't do it. All of that work, just to fail.

Nobody is going to be able to say, "This WILL work for you" because it's different for every person. The South Beach Diet works. It does. But if it only works for 6 months because you can't eat like that for the rest of your life, it's a complete waste of time.

I have found what has been working for me, but I thought maybe there was an even better way, that would make it go faster. I have not felt deprived, and felt the way I was doing it was sustainable. I am just sad, because I still feel like I could do better, and faster.

Don't be sad! You have found something that is working, that's great! Don't set yourself up for failure by trying something you know will make you miserable or that you can't sustain.

Give it some time and see what works for you. Everyone is different. Take me for instance. When I get serious I will drop 8-12 pounds in the first week. Then it slows down. I will be happy with 0.5-1.0 lbs lost per week. We'd all like to happen "right now", but that just isn't how it works. Looks to me like you're doing just fine