wamydia Member

Exercise and good diet are important. I started working on both back when I weighed 316lbs and had borderline high cholesterol. I was eating a lot of crap and not much good stuff. I lost around 100lbs, starting exercising every day, cut back drastically on my eating out and fried foods, and starting making a point to eat…

What does the MFP calculation tell you that you should be eating if you set your goal to lose 1lb/ week? That is where I suggest that you should start. It is possible that you were netting some pretty low calories before (1500 minus all the running is probably fairly low) and your body may be sort of rebounding now that…

Here is a study with some discussion of the issues of metabolic slowdown. This study was specifically focusing on using exercise to help prevent the eventual metabolic slowdown that occurs in a way that is out of proportion to the individual's weight loss. They found that not only does exercise not even prevent this…

For number 6, "Starvation Mode," I agree with your overall explanation, but I think it's worth mentioning that there is evidence that people who net less than 1200 calories a day are at risk for metabolic slowdown. Yes, a person does have to be literally starving for a period of time to enter "starvation mode" (and they…

So for number 4, "Carbs are not the enemy, in fact having too few carbs in your diet has been shown to be unhealthy ," if no is the correct answer then you are saying that carbs are the enemy and that eating too few of them is healthy or at least OK? I don't agree. Carbs are not the enemy. People may make choices to do low…

red paint?

I agree and I think this probably arose in response to people telling others that since they are fat enough to need to lose weight, they should have no trouble shoveling enough healthy food in their gullet to make their calorie goal for the day. Some people got fat by eating four candy bars and a take way meal with a giant…

World War Z -- Max Brooks Snow Crash -- Neil Stephenson The Dark Tower series -- Stephen King (although this is actually several books) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams Dune -- Frank Herbert Sorry, having trouble thinking of anything not SciFi right now. . . .

What do you mean by her sodium is in the minus? It looked to me like it was often over the 2500mg target. That is more likely to be causing water retention due to excess sodium than anything else. I would actually recommend, OP, that you cut back a tad on the sodium and make sure you are getting enough potassium every day.…

You save the yeses for the really awesome stuff and try to be good the rest of the time. You have to have the things you really want once in a while or you lose your mind.

If you're diary is accurate, you're actually not eating enough. I know it's counterintuitive, but it's true. If you look through this website, you will find lots of people who will tell you that they got the same advice, followed it, and started losing weight. Your metabolism slows down when you don't eat enough, so you…

THIS. And that awesome piece of advice goes neatly with one of my other favorite pieces of wisdom -- "Don't do anythng to lose weight that you aren't willing to keep doing for the rest of your life to keep it off." So, although I use the word diet all the time, I never think of myself as on a diet (that includes when I did…

Thanks for the clarification. You can substitute this explanation for everywhere that I used TDEE in my post above.

It's actually based on scientific research. The current evidence suggests that below the 1200 calorie mark, the average person's body starts to have to compensate for not having enough calorie intake (energy) to perform basic daily functions. This results in a metabolic slowdown which will only hinder your weight loss in…

I don't think your numbers are quite right, which would explain the confusion. For person A, if she is getting 2200 TDEE and wants to lose 1lb/ week, MFP would give her 1700 calories (2200-500). If she adds her 200 calories exercise, she gets 1900 caloreis to eat. If person B is the same height and weight but has a…

I'm a little confused as to your reason for not wanting to use the TDEE set up. The activity level you set (lightly active) is meant to be in reference to your day to day activities outside of exercise. So, if you lay on the couch all day you are sedentary, but if you have a job working in construction you probably have a…

Baked lemon pepper tilapia with steamed veggies Crispy ranch chicken (chicken coated with plain bread crumbs mixed with dry ranch mix and baked) with olive oil and garlic sauteed spinach BBQ chicken with corn on the cob! Baked pork chop (salt and pepper seasoned) with roasted veggies (squash, potatoes, tomatoes, green…

Your rats are adorable, but your avatar is terrifying. Are you a terminator?

FYI, if you are drinking way too much water, your body will eliminate it anyway it can in order to maintain a healthy water balance in your body (yes, even though the digestive tract). If that is the problem you are having, you should lay off drinking so much water. Try only drinking when you think you need it instead of…

You're right of course. I apologize. :happy:

While there is certainly some (disputable) evidence that drinking water may aid weight loss, the last time I checked chugging massive quantities doesn't do much for you except put extra pressure on your kidneys. When you drink that much water at one time, your body doesn't get a chance to absorb it to do anything with it.…

The good news is that there are a lot of 5K's that allow walkers. You won't be competitive, but it's still a lot of fun for good causes. Especially if you can talk a friend into walking with you!

I have walked for almost my entire weight loss journey (except for a few months when I started jogging and discovered I couldn't due to knee problems) and I have lost around 100lbs in 3 1/2 years. At various times I have interspersed aerobics home videos and very light weights (and I'm about to start dong some strength…

Sorry, but I'm in agreement with everyone else who thinks it is a big deal. It's just that when you start cutting calories into that below 1200 range, you are entering a zone where you body has to defend itself. The only way it can do that is to lower the metabolic rate, which will result in no or very little weight loss…

Typically if a person is gaining weight while losing muscle it means they are eating too much and not exercising enough. Some people will plateau themselves by eating too few calories to support their body, however there is no physiological way for a person to gain a significant amount of weight from fat storage while…

If you want to get the most out of your exercise routine, I would suggest looking into adding some strength training instead of more cardio. Even doing a video using dumb bells at home can help you get some the benefits of weight lifting. Weight lifting activates muscle metabolism that will continue burning calories for…

This. I try to eat at regular intervals even if I'm not especially hungry for this exact reason. When my body does finally decide to tell me it's hungry, I'm usually starving. If it goes on too long, I will eat way more than I need or had planned for and it will mostly be junk for the quick energy. Also, eating throughout…

The heavier you are, the longer it takes. I started at 316lbs and it took about 40lbs before anyone noticed. Now I'm around 216lbs and, after an extended 1 1/2yr plateau, I've started losing again. People noticed after the first 8lbs this time.

Does he also eat the cookies and stuff he brings home? If he does, it may be that he also wants the stuff and he is sort of using the "getting you a treat" excuse because he feels bad eating it in front of you. If that is the case, I know it is hard on you to avoid the temptation, but I think you also have to respect that…

Hmm. . . well, as a general rule I don't think it's wise to immediately assume that if your weight loss isn't progressing that it is the fault of one particular food group. It is possible that you will find out that lowering our carb intake somewhat will work well for your body, however my experience is that when people's…