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| Love:) |
I did go out shopping a bit yesterday and wore some jeans that I had not had on since the middle of November. They weren't perfect, but they made me realize that I'm not either! I think wearing looser clothes gets you off the hook of feeling like a stuffed sausage. I had read something years ago that we should always wear jean type pants so we keep our bodies accountable. I had started wearing a lot of work out pants again, just saying:)
I have a challenge for anyone who wants to try it. I googled "how many calories does my body need" and it took me to the Fitness magazine website, where they have you enter various pieces of info about yourself. My total calories a day to "maintain" my weight was 1760. That is not very many:( In order to lose, I believe I have to significantly lower that number through activity and food. I 100% believe that the sugar and carbs affect our insulin levels and fat storage. I do think what we eat matters, but wouldn't you love to know that maybe, just maybe, you don't have to try all kinds of alternative foods, you could eat the things you love within a reasonable calorie count? Again I point to WW success because they don't BAN anything, they limit it. Your challenge is to figure out how many calories your body is burning a day and find a way to take away 500 calories a day, either through food or exercise. Obviously staying within the 15/6 guidelines of the BFC. If it one week, truly do not have one ounce of success....1 short week....then at least you tried? Giving up all of our favorite foods and learning to eat things that are only tolerable to our pallets is not going to be a long term solution. You will always crave the "real" thing. Of course simple and healthy adjustments to our favorites are often required, but not an all out ban.
Just a thought, I have had time to have many. I truly believe the reason that I have lost weight over the last week is not because of the combination or quality of the food I have eaten, it's because of the LACK of food I have eaten. The lack of calories that I have consumed.
I know I am no scholar on all of this "food" stuff, but I have had lots of stories. My friend I have talked about before that has always been heavy, is having her weight loss surgery on March 18th. Starting Feb. 18th is being put on a VERY limited diet. The first week she has 1 meal and 3 protein shakes a day, the last 3 weeks, she will have 4-5 protein shakes a day and then surgery. That's not very much fun, but she will definitely be on her way to losing after eating that for a month. The sad part is that I know of at least 10+ people, my sister and another friend included that have gained most of their weight back after the surgery. I know I always bring up my old gym, but at one point there were 6 gals that had the surgery through their employer (co workers), 1 had even had all of her excess skin removed. I talked to my friend that still works with them at Bunko and they have all gained their weight back, including the gal that had the skin removed:( Weight loss, no matter what method that you use, is not for the meek:(
So this wasn't very uplifting, but I would LOVE to hear any thoughts? Anyone???
First of all, congrats on getting your weight back down! Also sorry to hear the flu is lingering, sounds like it was a bad one.
ReplyDeleteFor what they're worth, here are my thoughts on the calorie issue. I'm not saying limiting your calories wont help. I definitely think you can lose weight that way. Look at the people on that show "Survivor" they all lost weight by not eating much. I think as a way of life though, you've almost confirmed in your post that it doesn't work long term. All those people from your old gym that regained. All those people that severely restriced their food intake because of their gastric surgery regained. Anyone knows who has tried simply limiting calories or eating very little fat, it is very difficult to sustain it. You can do it for awhile, but then you can't stand it any more and you eat a lot. You lose weight only temporarily because you can't keep it up for any length of time without a lot of support or self-discipline. It's too hard to sustain. And whatever you do to lose weight has to be sustainable or I think you'll just gain it right back.
They gained weight because they went back to eating EXACTLY like they used too, the calories were only a small part of the equation. Mass quantities of food poor food choices, all of the things that got them to the point, got them back there. Your stomach stretches back out again, the more they tested themselves, the larger their stomach grew. They needed to stay within a certain "food/calorie load for their new stomach size and they didn't. I'm talking about a sustainable calorie limit, like I said, mine for maintenance right now is 1700. I agree that eating 1200 a day for life would be virtually impossible for my size. I could definitely eat more than 1700 if I would add exercise back in. I think sometimes it seems like it might be a bit "easier" for me to some people? Well, let's look at some factors that make it so. I don't snack, several hundred calories a day, and I don't drink, several hundred calories a day...so is it easier? Yes, maybe, but because I have less of a calorie burden just from those 2 things. And believe me, I use heavy cream and butter and I do eat fast food way too much. I just find that when I am "maintaining" whatever that means, I am under 2000 calories a day.
ReplyDeleteKay, I agree with you. I have been really diligently trying to track in myfitness pal. I wrote about the week that I kept my sugars in carbs right within the BFC limits,but I was consuming way over 2000 calories, and the scale was inching up. I think people like Rosalie naturally limit their calories without even trying. Notice how if she has one big meal, she eats less the next, never uses butter on her popcorn, only eats one of the sweet treats she makes. I am a food addict and I can figure out ways to stay within my carbs and sugars and still eat too much. I also agree with the snacks and the wine. I see that they make up a big part of my calorie intake, even when staying with in theBFC guidelines. So i am trying to be more conscious of those things, limiting cheese, butter to some extend. Today I had half of what usually have on my toast and it was fine. So I'm following the basic BFC guidelines, but watchin that I don't get too high in the calories. When I get myself back into a good pattern, I think I will be OK with just tracking sugars and carbs, but I got off track and need to be strict right now. I love your voice of reason. Feel better soon!!! XO
ReplyDeleteOMG, sorry about the typos!! My glasses must be dirty!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think that counting the calories do matter some. I watch mine but don't count them - I guess I'm too lazy to figure all that stuff out.
ReplyDeleteI have also heard about tons of people that have the surgery and gain it all back. You are right its because they eat the same way as before. Your stomach is so small after the surgery anything you consume MUST be of the right stuff. No junk.
I know now that eating healthy is the best way to lose the weight.
Have a great day :-)
Totally agree with ya, Kay! Sugar and carbs put on weight quicker, but we still have to eat less than our bodies need to maintain in order to loser weight.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone followed the blog 344 pounds. This guy lost his weight (100+ pounds and counting) just from counting calories. He doesn't restrict per se, but he certainly eats less than he did when he was 344 lbs. He also goes to the gym regularly. It's just an interesting comparison on how people can choose to lose weight. Here's his blog if anyone is interested. http://www.344pounds.com/
ReplyDeleteI started counting calories after year 1 on the BFC when my weight loss stalled. It is because I began to eat more than my body needed. I am an overeater by nature. I can keep things within the 15/6 but overeat beyond that. One serving of nuts can become 2 or 3 quite easily for me. Keeping track of what I eat and how many calories helps me to try to reign it in. I can look at my spreadsheet and see what I ate, and figure out what I did right, or in most cases wrong, and how I can make tomorrow a better day. I didn't get fat from eating fast food and drinking sugared soda everyday. I got fat from eating too much sugar and carbs everyday. I've pretty much got a handle on that but have the tendency to transfer that habit to cheese & nuts now. It's a process for sure!