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JSwanson
New Member
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Posted: 12 Nov 2006 07:44 pm |
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I started dieting four weeks ago. I'm 30, 6' tall and now 330 lbs. I would estimate that before I started dieting I consumed anywhere from 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day. Now I'm making healthier choices, watching serving sizes and really reading labels. I take in now between 1400 to 2000 calories a day and have for the last 4 weeks. My girlfriend doesn't think I'll be successful cutting down so much, but I'm not hungry all the time and when I do feel hungry I have a little snack. I've lost 32 lbs in the last 4 weeks doing this and walking everyday.
Josh
Last edited on 13 Nov 2006 04:12 pm by JSwanson
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 12 Nov 2006 08:22 pm |
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The RMR calculator on this website gives your unadjusted RMR as 2495. Generally it is a bad idea go below it as you'll be slowing down your metabolism and losing muscle, setting yourself up for problems later on.
Sometimes that particular RMR formula gives a higher than expected result for large individuals. If you happen to have had your body fat % tested (buy $10 skinfold calipers if you haven't) you can try this formula: 370 + 9.8 x Lean-Body-Mass-in-pounds. It may give a lower result. (putting it another way, the standard RMR formula has a bias which means it assumes your body fat% is 33.6%, but if in practice your body fat% is higher then your RMR is lower). e.g. If your body fat% was 50% then 2000 calories would be about right.
Pretty much the only thing I can find in favour of restricting calories as much as you have is that it might work for you if you're following the kind of nutrition suggested in the Eat To Live book (mostly vegetables, fruit and legumes - for maximum nutrients and minimum calories). However this is still controversial - he makes the case that a slowed metabolism isn't necessarily a bad thing, but many of us disagree!
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JSwanson
New Member
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Posted: 12 Nov 2006 08:33 pm |
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Thank you for the reply. If I had to guess I'd say my body fat% is closer to 50% than 33%. I will know soon the actual number as I have a doctor's appointment coming up. I haven't read the Eat To Live book yet, but a lot of my diet does consist of vegetables and fruit.
I understand my girlfriends concern, but I haven't felt hungry limiting myself like I have. Which kind of surprises me because I'm far more active than I was. Not that I've ever been sedentary....just always taking in too many calories.
Josh
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jillybean720
Senior Member
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Posted: 13 Nov 2006 12:48 pm |
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I hear it all the time..."I don't feel hungry, so I'm doing just fine." Well, I can literally not eat anything all day long and not feel very hungry--does that make it healthy? Not a chance. If I don't eat breakfast, then I truly don't feel hungry all day--I guess I never quite wake up my stomach 
IMO, hunger has little to do with how much you should be eating. Anyone who has been overweight/obese likely has distorted/misconceived their natural feelings of hunger. Also, your stomach can actually physically change in size according to the volume of food you eat. When I was in college, I would (unhealthfully) basically starve myself for a few days so my stomach would shrink. That made it easier to diet because the smaller the stomach, the less food it takes to feel satisfied/full (the whole basis of Gastric Bypass Surgery, although you can never shrink your stomach that small naturally). After eating less food for a while, your stomach adjusts, and you no longer have room for the larger amounts you used to eat (of course, if you start eating more again regularly, you can conversely stretch your stomach right back out to a bigger size again).
Anyway, yadda yadda yadda, not feeling hungry isn't always a sure sign that you're doing the right thing.
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fsahurie
New Member
| Joined: | 6 Dec 2005 |
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| Posts: | 413 |
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Posted: 13 Nov 2006 08:33 pm |
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jillybean720 wrote: After eating less food for a while, your stomach adjusts, and you no longer have room for the larger amounts you used to eat
Do you mean as in volume of food or the amount of calories eaten?
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luv2teach
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 13 Nov 2006 11:52 pm |
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| Well, the last few weeks I have been trying to drop weight FAST...so I figured I could go from 3,000 calories a day to 800 calories. It was crazy! I binged everynight because I was so hungry. It's like they say "You need to eat to lose weight". I just started Jenny Craig and they told me exactly what I need to eat and when--I cannot believe how much food I can eat! I know for sure I will not be hungry. Keep us posted as to your progress!
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btowns911
New Member
| Joined: | 14 Sep 2006 |
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| Posts: | 68 |
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 03:56 am |
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i get your concern.
you feel on top of the world, because your not losing weight, and not starving all the time? that is a perfect solution isnt it, too good to be true infact.
welll when i first came on this site, a lot of great members, admonished me against it. i just figured it wasn't healthy, but it would still work. and it does work, i mean it worked for you right.
but i have been eating 1200 or under calories daily for 2 months now (when i should be eating 1500) and i have only lost 2 pounds. that is devastating to me . i work out a great caloric deficit daily, but i am not losing much. i even do it sneakily, where i eat bread, i eat fatty foods, i dont mis junk food, but i stil stay under such a small amount of calories, esp cuz i work out so much. but my body is reducing its metabolism, cuz im not eating alot to burn off. and since i have a slow metabolism to begin with, i have lost very little. i am quite upset with myself, because, i worked very hard at it, working out alot, and being obsessed with my caloric deficits n i feel liek my efforts were a waste.
i knwo if you are quite overweight ( i am about 20-30) then you will lose a lot of weight at first. but be careful-it might seem like its working now, but when you have a lot less pounds to lose ... you might not lose anything.
take the advice of our great members, they are geniuses! but we can't be thick. we gota take the solution to our problems and actually use it, ; not just nod n grin.
good luck:) i am proud that you are serious about what you are doing. the first step is the most important step.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 08:40 am |
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fsahurie wrote: jillybean720 wrote: After eating less food for a while, your stomach adjusts, and you no longer have room for the larger amounts you used to eat
Do you mean as in volume of food or the amount of calories eaten?
The answer is volume of food - with the emphasis on the the eventual volume it will occupy in the stomach (which is largely affected by the amount of fibre in the food).
So, even with a very shrunk stomach you could still make perverse food choices to sneak in untold calories. (About the most perverse I can think about is drinking oil which is 120-135 calories per tablespoon and has no fibre.)
That said, if you're going to be eating anything with fibre (vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains etc.) you'll notice that your shrunk stomach accomodates less of them.
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momsstayhome
New Member
| Joined: | 14 Nov 2006 |
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| Posts: | 1 |
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 09:25 pm |
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From all the research I have done 1400-2000 is right where you should be for calorie intake. Obviously you must be doing something right if you lost 32 lbs in 4 weeks. Keep up the good work.
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VYV8
Senior Member
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 10:09 pm |
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Well done on getting that much fat off so far. Keep eating heaps of vegetables (not potatoes, though, they're too starchy), and keep going for lots of walks. You don't need to run or hurt yourself, just spend plenty of time walking.
Also, as you get lighter you will find the rate of weight loss slows a bit. This is normal, just keep doing what you're doing. Once you have lost 10% of your initial body weight you will feel markedly better. After the next 10% you will feel amazing!
Let us know how you get on!
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JSwanson
New Member
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 11:09 pm |
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| Thank-you everyone for your words of encouragement and all the advice and info. It's tough, but I'm determined. And the key this time is educating myself about nutrition and weight loss. This site has helped alot.
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