Mixed messages, and so very confused.

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  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    Don't worry about other peoples' loss speeds. You should pick a calorie goal for yourself and stick to it and don't be competitive. It's going to take patience.

    You've mentioned "1200 calories or less" many times. No one here (that I know of) is recommending you go under 1200. If the site is suggesting 1200, you know you're uncomfortable below 1500, so eat 1500. You WILL lose. It's not all or nothing.

    You will not do long term damage to yourself UNLESS you continue at your current weight or try something stupid like eating under 1000 calories for a long time.

    You're doing great. Sometimes it's slow. Try to be patient. The next year will pass regardless. You can be smaller next year (and next month) or not. But it's not going to be different next week, not in a big increment. You just have to keep at it.

    Good luck!
  • Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel
    Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel Posts: 175 Member
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    Don't worry about other peoples' loss speeds. You should pick a calorie goal for yourself and stick to it and don't be competitive. It's going to take patience.

    You've mentioned "1200 calories or less" many times. No one here (that I know of) is recommending you go under 1200. If the site is suggesting 1200, you know you're uncomfortable below 1500, so eat 1500. You WILL lose. It's not all or nothing.

    You will not do long term damage to yourself UNLESS you continue at your current weight or try something stupid like eating under 1000 calories for a long time.

    You're doing great. Sometimes it's slow. Try to be patient. The next year will pass regardless. You can be smaller next year (and next month) or not. But it's not going to be different next week, not in a big increment. You just have to keep at it.

    Good luck!

    It isn't about being competitive, it is about wanting this weight off. I have picked a goal weight for myself, and I actually upped it a month or so ago. MFP is not suggesting 1200...In fact, MFP suggests over 1700 for me, but I want to lose more, faster.

    And, yes, lots of people on this site say if people are very obese that going below 1200 will not hurt someone. If it is safe, then I think I should try it. My doctor just left his practice, so I don't have a new one, yet. All these people on this site say it is okay, and I have a few friends who are eating around 1000 calories, never eating they're exercise calories (or even logging those calories) and they are doing AMAZING! A lot of you don't understand. I started out above 300 lbs. I still weigh close to 300, and so I am still VERY obese. From all the comments in the forums that I have read, very obese people can consume very little calories to help with weight loss, because we have extra fat stores, so I don't see why I shouldn't try it.
  • txlissa62
    txlissa62 Posts: 128
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    It isn't about being competitive, it is about wanting this weight off. I have picked a goal weight for myself, and I actually upped it a month or so ago. MFP is not suggesting 1200...In fact, MFP suggests over 1700 for me, but I want to lose more, faster.
    Believe me, I understand being very obese. However, you really need to understand that this is not going to happen overnight. It will take time - just as it took time to put the weight on.

    If you are too impatient about how quickly the weight comes off, you run the risk of throwing in the towel, and giving up altogether. As mcarter99 said, time will pass regardless. I know you want to lose more than two pounds per week, but think about it - if you lose 2 pounds per week, after a year you will have lost 104 pounds! If you could look into a crystal ball and see yourself a year from now, would you rather be 104 pounds lighter, or the weight you are now? Or worse, say you gave up and gained even more back. Is that what you want to happen?

    I think it will help you mentally prepare for this if you don't adopt a crash diet all at once. Before I started keeping track of my calories and weight, I had already begun eating smaller portions. I would put less on my plate, not go back for seconds, order smaller versions of dinners at a restaurant, have a sandwich without chips, hamburger without fries, etc. I wasn't much of a vegetable eater, so I started incorporating more into my diet. I started going with a friend to the farmers' market every week; fresh vegetables taste SO much better than canned or frozen. I also grow vegetables at home. I've always loved to cook, and the past couple of years I've made an effort to make things from scratch rather than from a box.

    When I decided to buckle down and actually work at losing weight, it was so much easier for me, since I didn't have to make as many changes.

    I think that if you eat too little for an extended period of time, you run the risk of not getting adequate nutrition, as well as losing a lot of energy. Losing weight at a slow, steady pace is more sustainable. You will also develop a habit of healthy eating that you can continue to follow.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    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.
  • AmiC0717
    AmiC0717 Posts: 440 Member
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    First of all, congrats on 34lbs! That's an achievement to be proud of and tells me you are doing something right. Secondly it's like anything, you know what is right and what is wrong. That being said if something that someone else is doing or posting seems odd, let it go. I agree with even keel below. It may benefit you from speaking to your physician or a nutrionist. I know they aren't cheap but if you can get one session even it may help you immensely. Good luck to you!
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
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    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.
  • cmurray234
    cmurray234 Posts: 112 Member
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    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.
  • crystalmhood
    crystalmhood Posts: 2
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    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:
  • Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel
    Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel Posts: 175 Member
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    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.
  • cmurray234
    cmurray234 Posts: 112 Member
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    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. :smile:

    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.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    Some of it is just going to be trial and error for you.

    Large Deficits: Some people can get away with eating in a larger deficit because they're particularly obese. It's not something they should do for extended periods of time, though, usually. And I'd probably suggest also using a multi-vitamin. If someone has 100+ lbs to lose, they can get away with eating at 1k+ deficit more easily than if someone has 10lbs to lose. The closer you are to your goal, the slower weight loss will be and smaller your deficit should be.

    Fad Diets: It's very personal. Odds are you'll probably be more successful in the long run if you kind find a way of eating that you can sustain and that will sustain you. A lot of people make this much harder than it has to be. Though sometimes people have moral/ethical reasons for choosing a particular diet over another, but again that's personal. If you're frustrated, try to keep it simple.

    Long Term Health: If you are this concerned and stressed about it, you may benefit from seeing a nutritionist and consulting your doctor. Generally, the more extreme the diet seems the higher the odds of there being long term health risks. Again, do not rely on internet forums to ease your mind on health concerns.


    Like!
  • wild_wild_life
    wild_wild_life Posts: 1,334 Member
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    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.
  • staciaricherson
    staciaricherson Posts: 1
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    Patience is a virtue. Your doctor has a medical degree and says you are doing well. Why not believe him and continue on your successful track. Did you gain all your weight overnight? I didn't gain all mine quickly and I don't expect it will come off quickly either. As a matter of fact, it isn't. Mine is coming off slow and steady. It appears your weight is shedding as well. Please believe your doctor (The one with the PhD) and believe in your success. Don't let others become what consumes you...it's hard to get out of that pit once you jump in it!
  • Melonhead
    Melonhead Posts: 168
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    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

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