There are always these questions...
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RhonndaJ
Posts: 1,615 Member
And I've come up with some answers. I will preface this by saying that these are only my opinion reached over 38 years of eating, dieting and just plain living.
How much water should I drink?
It is suggested that you drink 64 ounces of water a day, but this will vary from person to person. If you drink a lot of other liquids or high water content foods, you will need less. If you have a lot to lose you may require more. If you exercise you may require more. If you live in a high humidity climate, you may require more. The best judge is the colour of your urine. (Medical conditions aside... darker? Drink more water. Pale? ease up.)
Is diet soda bad for you?
Maybe.
Some people are sensitive to artificial sweeteners, or find that the sweetness of the beverage sends them in to craving sweets. If you are one of these people, diet soda is not a good idea. Otherwise, scientific data says it's just fine to drink in moderation. (There is a lot of anecdotal data will suggest otherwise.)
Should I eat back my exercise calories?
(Speaking from the perspective of someone with more than 100 pounds to lose to those in the same position)
No. Unless you are hungry. That is 'stomach grumbling, light headed' hungry, not 'I feel like eating something' hungry. There's a big difference between the two.
How many calories should I be eating?
Less than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). How much less depends upon how quickly you want to lose. (Anything more than about 2 lbs a week you should be careful about.)
What about 'starvation mode'?
First, starvation mode exists.
Second, it takes a fair bit of time to reach it so it's not really a concern, particularly to those of us with a lot to lose.
We should spend more time worrying about the level of nutrition we get from the food we do eat than about 'starvation mode'.
What foods shouldn't I eat if I want to lose weight?
Simply put, anything that's a trigger for you.
Otherwise, the key is moderation and staying within your calorie goals.
Granted, eating healthier choices is always going to be better than eating your calories in junk food, and you can likely better satisfy true hunger, but it's not mandatory.
Do I have to exercise to lose weight?
No.
It helps. It'll make you fitter and feel better and be able to do more and probably make you lose faster. But no, you don't need to exercise to lose weight.
Feel free to add to this, or to challenge what I've said.
From input and counter opinions we all learn.
How much water should I drink?
It is suggested that you drink 64 ounces of water a day, but this will vary from person to person. If you drink a lot of other liquids or high water content foods, you will need less. If you have a lot to lose you may require more. If you exercise you may require more. If you live in a high humidity climate, you may require more. The best judge is the colour of your urine. (Medical conditions aside... darker? Drink more water. Pale? ease up.)
Is diet soda bad for you?
Maybe.
Some people are sensitive to artificial sweeteners, or find that the sweetness of the beverage sends them in to craving sweets. If you are one of these people, diet soda is not a good idea. Otherwise, scientific data says it's just fine to drink in moderation. (There is a lot of anecdotal data will suggest otherwise.)
Should I eat back my exercise calories?
(Speaking from the perspective of someone with more than 100 pounds to lose to those in the same position)
No. Unless you are hungry. That is 'stomach grumbling, light headed' hungry, not 'I feel like eating something' hungry. There's a big difference between the two.
How many calories should I be eating?
Less than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). How much less depends upon how quickly you want to lose. (Anything more than about 2 lbs a week you should be careful about.)
What about 'starvation mode'?
First, starvation mode exists.
Second, it takes a fair bit of time to reach it so it's not really a concern, particularly to those of us with a lot to lose.
We should spend more time worrying about the level of nutrition we get from the food we do eat than about 'starvation mode'.
What foods shouldn't I eat if I want to lose weight?
Simply put, anything that's a trigger for you.
Otherwise, the key is moderation and staying within your calorie goals.
Granted, eating healthier choices is always going to be better than eating your calories in junk food, and you can likely better satisfy true hunger, but it's not mandatory.
Do I have to exercise to lose weight?
No.
It helps. It'll make you fitter and feel better and be able to do more and probably make you lose faster. But no, you don't need to exercise to lose weight.
Feel free to add to this, or to challenge what I've said.
From input and counter opinions we all learn.
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Replies
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Thanks for this. I am actually about to post somewhere about daily calorie goals, so this was helpful to read before doing so. One thing I would add is on the diet soda- a lot of people don't realize how much sodium is in some diet sodas, so if you're sensitive to or watching your sodium, or if you're prone to retaining water, it might be better to limit it.0
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Great post! Thanks!0
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Agreed. I notice I bloat a lot more when I drink soda (diet or regular). My feet weren't puffy at all for the few weeks I drank nothing but water, but as soon as I started drinking soda again (in addition to water), my feet swelled right up. Lesson learned.One thing I would add is on the diet soda- a lot of people don't realize how much sodium is in some diet sodas, so if you're sensitive to or watching your sodium, or if you're prone to retaining water, it might be better to limit it.
Obviously, this is just personal experience. Some people can drink soda without any side effects. Lucky.
These are all good points. When people are over 300+, it's okay to avoid eating back exercise calories unless truly hungry. I notice I lose a lot more per week when I don't eat back my exercise calories. It's rare for exercise to put me under 1200 anyway.0 -
Love this and wish I had been it when I started... great info here...though I have actually had exercise put me into a net negative. That's probably not healthy. Anyone in need of friends I am here. I personally believe that any day you log is a good day and any day you log and are under your calorie goals is a great day. I won't judge your diaries unless asked for I believe that the food choices you make are for you alone. You are not doing this to please me nor I to please you. Positive support is what I try to provide. I ask for the same in return.0
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Is diet soda bad for you? Yes, Yes, Yes! It's bad for everyone, period. I used to drink A LOT of pop, mainly diet soda once I found out I was diabetic. In my discussions with my cardiologist from The Ohio State University, he recommended that I stop drinking pop all together, which my Primary Care Doctor agreed with because of the chemicals used in diet pop which can have severe, adverse affects on a person's brain, heart, liver, digestive system and skin.
Since I've given up ALL soda, I feel AMAZING! No longer sluggish or confused, finally able to lose weight and I look great. Most people don't realize that some of the chemicals in diet soda are some of the same chemicals used to make embalming fluid.0
