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chelsea151220
New Member
| Joined: | 14 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 3 |
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Posted: 14 Sep 2008 10:09 pm |
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Hi, I'm a newbie.
You guys obviously seem to know about food and calories and weightloss, so could someone please just answer a few questions for me?
I've always been overweight, it's always been a big struggle and blah blah blah. In July I decided to do something about it. I began "dieting", and I've lost about 45 pounds in the last 3 months. I began eating about 500 calories a day. No more than that or I would flip out! Then, I noticed the weight loss, and decided that maybe I could lose it faster if I lowered that amount. So I reduced it again and the cycle hit me once again. Long story short, I'm 45 pounds lighter and I eat about 300 calories a day. I don't eat:
bread, meat, sugar, chocolate, baked goods, grains, anything good really. I eat progresso lite vegetable soups, lettuce, baby carrots, sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles, apples, and the occasional protein bar (if calorie content is low enough).
I work full time from 9-5 and go to school from 6-11. I eat something in the morning, like a protein bar, or an apple with some baby carrots, and then I eat at 11 at night when I get home. Soup and either sugar free jello or a sugar free popsicle. I'm pretty active at work and at school we get enough breaks for me to walk around and take the stairs.
My energy is gone. I'm always cold. People are asking me about my diet constantly and either telling me that I look great or that my rapid weight loss is concerning them. Other women on a diet at work are asking me every ten seconds what I'm eating and how I'm doing it. I feel like a tired freak, and a FAT freak.
So what do I do? I am terified to eat like a normal person. I am on calorieking.com constantly, and I know the calorie content of A LOT of foods, which has ruined food for me all together. I have meltdowns at the grocery store and family gatherings. I don't know if that is classified as anorexia or not. WHAT DO I DO?? SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!
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trimB
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 16 Sep 2008 01:49 pm |
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I think the wisest thing would be to seek some sort of objective outside help in person. Sounds like you have a really full schedule, but maybe you could pop in your school's counseling center during the breaks that you mentioned?
Restricting your calories that low is really harsh on your body, and the farther you go down this path the harder it will be to get over the disorder.
Keep us posted about what you decide to do...
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vrts
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 2 |
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Posted: 25 Sep 2008 12:34 pm |
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Losing 45 pounds, although great, isn't healthy in a three month time frame. Eating only 300 calories a day also isn't healthy. If you are adamant about losing weight through a massive caloric deficit, you should consider doing so to less of an extreme. Sure, it'll take a little longer but you'll be healthier overall.
In my opinion, your current method is unhealthy; that being said if you're going to continue, you should do so in the healthiest manner possible. Seeing as how your level of activity seems to be pretty high, you could probably get away with 1000 calories per day. However, seeing that your preference is towards speed, maybe 700 calories a day would be enough to keep the weight loss gradual enough that you won't be consistently exhausted. Also, if you're going to drastically reduce your food intake, I'd recommend a multivitamin to ensure that even with low calories, you're still receiving essential vitamins and minerals.
You can still lose weight, albeit slower simply by minimizing the difference in caloric intake and usage. Afterall, what good is looking great if you're too tired to get out of bed?
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Straylight
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 867 |
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Posted: 26 Sep 2008 01:05 am |
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If you eat below 1200 calories per day, your body will go into what is called starvation mode and you will store fat and burn lean tissue, which includes muscle, bone tissue, mammary tissue, etc. So, while you will lose WEIGHT by eating below 1200 calories, you are, in the end, making yourself fatter, uglier, and completely unhealthy because this type of major nutrient deficiency will result in hair loss, tooth loss, skin rashes, brittle bones, losing your breasts as the mammary tissue gets burned up, etc. (I even know one chick who lost her eye now she has a glass one). Definitely NOT GOOD.
If you want to lose weight but keep all those important things like your boobs, teeth, hair, eyes, etc, you want to make SURE you are eating at least 1200 calories a day. 1200 is not that much, and unless you lie in bed all day and don't do anything, you will burn more than 1200 calories just by going about your day, and you will always have a calorie deficit.
1200 is the magic number for chicks, sorry for the dudes, I can't remember exactly what yours is, somewhere around 1800 I think.
I have had anorexia before, and when I learned more about the body and how it actually works, this was very freeing to me. There is a critical balance for everything, yes less calories is good for losing weight but once it goes beyond a critical point, the effects you are going for stop and you bring on horrible things that you don't want. You need a certain amount of calories to function. 1200 is totally doable, and you can get 1200 calories from all healthy sources spread out over the day, so you don't have to feel guilty. I would not recommend eating 1200 calories worth of McDonald's, I would recommend a lot of fruit, veggies, protein, and calcium.
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Straylight
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 867 |
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Posted: 26 Sep 2008 01:09 am |
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Also, in order to keep your metabolism up and burning fat and NOT going into starvation mode, you need to eat every 3 hours if you are a girl (boys are supposed to eat every 2 hours). So, not only are you in starvation mode from the dangerously low amount of calories you are eating, by the time you eat your evening meal, your body is even MORE ready to store everything you eat as fat and burn up the lean tissue you already have. In short, your eating habits are making your body eat itself. And not eat the fat that you want it to eat, it is eating all the important stuff that you need. So, put something in your mouth and eat it every two hours, even if it's just a carrot or an apple, some nuts, or a piece of cheese, or whatever! Just make sure you do this at least every 3 hours. This will stop your body from feeding on its vital tissues. (and it will also stop it from storing fat).
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Straylight
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 867 |
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Posted: 26 Sep 2008 01:11 am |
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| And I always say, food is MEANT to be enjoyed. Food is supposed to be our bitch, not the other way around!
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roxie
New Member
| Joined: | 17 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 47 |
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Posted: 2 Oct 2008 03:44 am |
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Straylight wrote: And I always say, food is MEANT to be enjoyed. Food is supposed to be our bitch, not the other way around!
That is so my new mantra - I'm thinking printed mugs for the office.
Rox
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Straylight
New Member
| Joined: | 25 Sep 2008 |
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| Posts: | 867 |
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Posted: 6 Oct 2008 10:28 pm |
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Glad you like it--it's true!
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TheThinOne
New Member
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Posted: 23 Oct 2008 02:04 pm |
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"
So what do I do? I am terified to eat like a normal person. I am on calorieking.com constantly, and I know the calorie content of A LOT of foods, which has ruined food for me all together. I have meltdowns at the grocery store and family gatherings. I don't know if that is classified as anorexia or not. WHAT DO I DO?? SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!"
Hi Chelsea, here is what i do. I weigh and measure 3 meals a day off a food plan that abstains from sugar and starches, I write those meals down every day, I call them into my sponsor, and I don't eat in between no matter what, and I make abstinence the most important thing in my life. This free miracle program is called:
Greysheeters Anonymous. You can find them online at
greysheet . org
This is the program that stopped my compulsive overeating/bulimia and anorexia dead in its tracks. For the last 10 years, I have been free from compulsive overeating, counting calories, obsessions with food...blah blah blah
The fabulous news is that this program and food plan are FREE!!!! Also, there are telephone bridge meetings - so anyone from any part of the world can call in and join and share their pain, frustration and victory about the food and their life! I highly recommend it. This program cuts straight to core. No nonsense. It is serious about arresting compulsive overeating and it works!
I thought I was going to be destined to die of either compulsive overeating or anorexia or bulimia until I found this 12 step group. Even Overeaters Anonymous could not help me because they do not recognize that fatty foods, sugars and starches are addictive. Greysheeters Anonymous taught me that putting those substances in my body in any form sets up a craving for more of the same. I hope you and others will check it out.
Warm Hugs and Kisses
Shalisha
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Past Member
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Posted: 25 Oct 2008 06:48 am |
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No one has to anorexic/bulimic evenhough they're pro anamia.You can avoid unhealthy food without being anorexic.
highwaytothin . com
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TheThinOne
New Member
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Posted: 25 Oct 2008 08:05 am |
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I agree.
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TheThinOne
New Member
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Posted: 8 Nov 2008 07:21 am |
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Hi. I so agree with you. Unfortunately, most diets either ban whole groups of foods, give incorrect information, or are too hard to follow because there are phases and stages. Diets don't work. Lifestyle changes do.
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