alleekat Member

How was your body fat tested, calipers or scale?

Definitely use only unrefined coconut oil. I use it for everything. Really. I cook and bake with it - coconut oil can withstand heat better than EVOO; I use it for raw, sugar free chocolate; coconut oil coffee (it might sound weird, but it's really good); I use it as a moisturizer and in my hair; I make body scrubs and…

That's exactly what happened to me. My digestion was all screwed up (from undereating and fasting, although I didn't know/realise it at the time) for awhile. I was even going to doctors to figure out what was wrong (and why I was gaining weight and unable to lose), then ran test after test (blood, stool, stomach acid,…

I feel your pain. I did Insanity eating under TDEE, and lost nothing - not even a centimeter loss either.

I peeked at your diary. I noticed that you have those fruit snacks (sugar and empty calories) and a protein bar (glorified candy bar) pretty much every day. You might try cutting those out and replacing them with more nutritionally dense, whole food snacks - fruit & nut butter, veggies and hummus, cheese, etc... - and see…

^^THIS^^ I'm in a serious struggling phase, and I'm getting to the point where I don't even want to close out my diary because I just feel bad. According to the "prediction" I should have reached my goal weight looooooooong ago.

Great post/insight!!

My "hypothyroidism" is subclinical, yet this is also my experience. I had my RMR tested at 1560, which would then calculate my BMR at 1401. Two months ago, I completed Insanity (in addition to other exercise/activity) , eating 1500 cal or less per day, and I didn't lose an ounce or reduce a centimeter. I'm back at my…

Will average TDEE goal be accurate, even if my activity isn't always 100% consistent from week to week? My current activities are power yoga 3-4x/week, dance 2x/week, walking 30-60+ minutes per day. Sometimes, I might miss a class due to a studio's holiday schedule, etc... or I might even double up some days - throw in a…

Without peeking at your diary... Are you tracking sodium? The first thing that comes to mind is extra sodium creeping in with the increased food intake. Swapping more fresh, whole foods for pre-prepared will help... also, upping water intake and making sure you're getting enough potassium to balance the sodium.

Thank you so much for all of this info and all of your input!! The above, at least, makes a little sense to me. I swear, I thought I was somehow magically violating the laws of thermodynamics. How high do I ultimately want to increase my calories? To net my BMR indicated on the spreadsheet? I don't have a HRM, and can't…

Maybe that explains why I was at my thinnest, when I was drinking the most - never beer, only spirits and water or diet soda. Hmmm... maybe I should go back to that.

That's what I figured. Thanks! So, is it really possible to make errors of 600-800+ calories on a consistent basis? I'm asking totally honestly. In my case, if my RMR is really 1560, as tested, and I was weighing/measuring food to 400-1000 (when I was putting on weight), I'd have been making - sometimes - 1000 calorie…

"Bad" as in over estimating or under estimating... or both (under for food, over for exercise)? I weigh and measure everything I eat. On the rare occasion that I eat out, I select carefully and do my best to estimate - it's probably not perfect, but I don't think it should make a huge negative impact, since everything else…

My most recent test(s) were higher than I believe is accurate. They indicated 1680 and then 1560 later, when I asked for a retest due to the number being what I considered ridiculously high for me, compared to a previous test. The testing conditions were not properly set up - poor prep/pre-test instructions (the first time…

I never did figure it out, and I still haven't lost any weight. I even completed the Insanity program, hoping to shake things up, with not an ounce or a centimeter lost. I'm seriously past my wits end. I feel like no one believes me, and I keep hearing it's just as simple as "eat less and move more". :-(

^^^THIS!!!!^^^

^^^ This! ^^^ Were calipers actually used? They definitely could have been measuring incorrectly. However, if they used one of those bio electrical impedance scales, you can pretty much guarantee it was inaccurate. Results can be highly affected by even just having taken in too much or too little water! I was plopped on to…

Indeed, they may as well have put me in a janitor's closet! I had this recent one done at a small, privately-owned fitness center, I had no idea how small, until I walked in for my appointment. Being new to the area, I was relying on internet research, the company website, yelp/user reviews, etc... I was set up in my…

Thanks! I'll definitely check out a local university. The time for my tests was only 10 minutes. I don't see how that could give a truly accurate number, especially when propped in a folding chair and holding up an air tube. :-/

I second aliciab307 of the informativeness of this thread! Thank you all!! I had my RMR re-tested a couple of months ago via Korr Revue, and I suspected the entire time that the person administering the test had given me poor prep directions. I was told not to exercise 12 hours prior, not eat a *heavy* meal two hours prior…

I do make it up to 1500, and I know that some days I'm just not hungry, so I end up around 1350, but I do push for 1500. I thought that would be adequate. I don't feel tired or drag at all during my workout or afterward. I've come this far with Insanity. Do you think 1500 is really not enough, and if I really work to up…

Thanks! Have you been seeing good results so far?

I have read the nutrition guide, and I'm sticking to foods from Tiers 1 & 2 of the Michi's Ladder. Since January, I've been working up from some severe restriction/undereating, so getting up to 1500 is huge step for me. I figured by now, my body would figure out that it's going to get fed/nutrients, so I'm really working…

^^This.^^ The study seems entirely dependent upon size/weight and gravity. I suspect those results did not come from the more ample segment... IF there was one. I'm sticking with a bra to help counteract the gravitational pull that is absolutely not lifting my nips 7mm.

One thing in your sample food journal that I noticed is the pre-packaged stuff: Luna bars, cereal bars, Kashi cookies. They're marketed as healthy, but they're nothing more than glorified candy bars. They really should be treated as a dessert, not a "healthy" snack. You mentioned being careful to keep your desserts to 100…

I've been Vegan for 20 years. I know it's not for everyone, but I don't find it to be challenging at all. Good luck!

I WAS showing hypothyroid symptoms, and, when tested, I showed borderline low T3. I believe now, and also after additional research, that it was just my body trying to compensate for the ridiculously low amount of calories it was getting. My T3 has gone up (better, but not perfect) without medication, and then, yeah, the…

Thank you! And thank you, everyone!! I can't have peanut butter (sad, because I do like it), but I'm trying to get in more almond butter. Yum! I'm Vegan, so I don't have the dairy option, but I'm adding in more avocado, olives and olive oil, coconut milk.....aaaaaand sometimes coconut milk ice cream (usually the no sugar…

Hi Everyone! Andrea, that sounds just like me! I was virtually starving myself trying to lose weight. Then it turned into starving to just keep my weight down. Suddenly I began to pile on weight despite exercising and eating under 1000 calories - it was usually between 400-800 per day. I'm still working on getting my reset…