I eat 1200 cal/day and exercise 4-6x/week. I eat a little more on exercise days (depending upon what I'm doing), never more than 200 extra calories.
I also eat whatever the F I want for dinner on Friday nights after eating my normal daily caloric load (650-800 cal). I have wine and eat pasta and live it up. It's a way of keeping your metabolism in check. Using this method, with doc supervision, etc, I have lost 42lbs this year.
Go to town on Friday, and enjoy it.
Thanks, Sessalee. I think you get it. I'm not a whole lot taller than you, and I do have a weekly couple of hours of extra grazing that I think keeps things going.
Wow, I was not expecting this much, uh..feedback because of my personal calorie allowance.
I totally get it, you know what's right for you. Being short really impacts your daily caloric needs!
Post by juliahenry on Nov 14, 2012 20:58:28 GMT -5
Ok, here's the thing: SOME OF US NEED TO EAT LESS TO LOSE OR EVEN MAINTAIN.
It's not a made-up number. for me, it's the number Loseit gives me to lose at the 2 lbs/week mark. I'm losing 1.8-2.2 most weeks so it seems to be working. It's within 100 calories of the numbers other websites give me if I plug my stats in there. Even the website someone posted earlier in this thread. for my stats and "active" it gave me a number that, if I want to lose 2 lbs a week, has me at... between 1200 and 1300. which is what I eat.
Do you think I WANT to have the metabolism of a snail? That I'm doing this on purpose for some weird reason? Hell no. I would kill to have the metabolism of a frat boy, or even some of the other posters. But no. I didn't get that in the genetics lottery.
Sometimes lower calories is just lower calories. I'm not starving, I'm not eating weird, I'm just doing what works for me.
And, honestly, I'm kinda pissed that you can't seem to accept that 1) the number calculations might be right, 2) it might have been shown to work for me and 3) I am not you and don't have your stats.
Ok, here's the thing: SOME OF US NEED TO EAT LESS TO LOSE OR EVEN MAINTAIN.
It's not a made-up number. for me, it's the number Loseit gives me to lose at the 2 lbs/week mark. I'm losing 1.8-2.2 most weeks so it seems to be working. It's within 100 calories of the numbers other websites give me if I plug my stats in there. Even the website someone posted earlier in this thread. for my stats and "active" it gave me a number that, if I want to lose 2 lbs a week, has me at... between 1200 and 1300. which is what I eat.
Do you think I WANT to have the metabolism of a snail? That I'm doing this on purpose for some weird reason? Hell no. I would kill to have the metabolism of a frat boy, or even some of the other posters. But no. I didn't get that in the genetics lottery.
Sometimes lower calories is just lower calories. I'm not starving, I'm not eating weird, I'm just doing what works for me.
And, honestly, I'm kinda pissed that you can't seem to accept that 1) the number calculations might be right, 2) it might have been shown to work for me and 3) I am not you and don't have your stats.
Great. It works for you, but I think people are also saying you need to enjoy life and not worry about calories every single day of your life. That is just no way to live. Part of having a healthy relationship with food is to be able to eat things that aren't the greatest for you on occasion. Relax a little, enjoy life.
He's a growing developing boy, he's active and a child.
I am 31, work a desk job, I am not growing any taller than my 5'1" frame. I have spent years of my life morbidly obese, then just obese. My thyroid is jacked up and is slow. I have tried 1800 calorie diets and 1600 calorie diets and 1200 calorie diets. I lose weight on 1200 cal plus my cheat meal, and thats what i do because that is what I need to be healthy.
There is zero comparison between the metabolism of your child and my own.
I don't understand how you could possibly eat 1,200 calories every day then manage to stuff dinner plus popcorn in your gullet without vomiting. I think this problem will work itself out.
But I wouldn't have a sense of humor on 1200 calories, either.
Nah, in a thread like this one it's hard to pick up humor in text. I know the op is feeling defensive, and i was really more just explaining the difference in caloric needs between the two and why it can matter, though I didn't look at your username until after I posted and realize you knew that already.
I think you're teetering right on the edge of disordered eating and have unrealistic expectations of healthy weight loss. Most people shouldn't aim to lose 2 lb a week. Most people shouldn't eat 1200 calories a day. My toddler *does* need about 1000 calories. I don't think I have a particularly strong response; you're reading it that way because you're defensive already.
I'll abstain from critiquing your exercise/diet strategy... you're getting plenty of that. When I know I'm going out for a massive dinner, I usually just eat like a bird all day. Works for me!
1) say screw it and order/eat whatever? Hello cheeseburger and large buttered popcorn!
2) eat like nothing all day and then have like 1000 calories for dinner, stay on track but kinda go crazy for one meal?
Or 3) eat reasonably during the day and then order the boring-but-healthy option that fits within my calorie budget?
WWMMD?
Is there some brilliantly simple yet delicious solution that I'm missing?
I'm in your position - if I want to lose weight, I need to eat 1200 calories and run for miles every day.
I don't think there's a correct answer to your question. If this is a one-time thing, any of one those choices will not make a difference to your weight loss, so do what you want.
That said, I'd probably do #3 - it's easier for me mentally to stick to my eating plan than it is for me to have a cheat day & then go back to my plan.
I think you're teetering right on the edge of disordered eating and have unrealistic expectations of healthy weight loss. Most people shouldn't aim to lose 2 lb a week. Most people shouldn't eat 1200 calories a day. My toddler *does* need about 1000 calories. I don't think I have a particularly strong response; you're reading it that way because you're defensive already.
2lbs a week is perfectly safe weight loss, that is what is recommended for individuals initiating a weight loss plan. 1200kcals is not a safe, sustainable way to do it, particularly for an active individual.
when I know I'm going out to a movie, I want the darn popcorn with lots of butter, but I know I can't eat dinner and eat the pop corn because I will be too full. so I skip dinner and eat the popcorn.
if I want a nice dinner, we do the nice dinner. A lot of times I will just eat 1/2 of it and take the rest home since portion sizes are so out of control at most places.
Maybe your solution is if you are doing dinner and movie, eat a small portion of the dinner (and get the menu item you want, enjoy it darn it), take the rest to go, and then get a small popcorn or snack at the movie...you don't have to eat it all either.
For me when it comes to days like Christmas and Thanksgiving, I don't gorge or eat lots of unhealthy food on those days either for some reason, the traditional holiday foods aren't that appetizing to me...I actually tend to eat less and since there is never any dessert I like (unless I bring it) I don't have those calories added.
I'm short too, I'm barely 5'2" and 33. granted my body needs closer to 1700 calories if I do nothing just to maintain my weight.
I used to get really wrapped around the axle about what I ate and amount of calories I consumed, until it made me sick because I wasn't eating enough. I also learned that I don't want to live like that either...if I want a brownie or a cheeseburger, well I'm going to have it and it will all balance out in the end. I can't do what my DH does and eat 1/2 a pan of brownies in a day and not gain weight, but I sure can have one. My dislike of soda and cutting out alcohol has helped at the moment as well.