Thread: Are You Kidding Me??!!??

I'm looking for advice from nutritionists or anyone that has experience with this.

To start off, I am NOT on a diet. I hate diets. I think they do more harm than good unless you can stick with a diet that is Healthy.

I recently started tracking my food intake again. I have to say that I am quite shocked at the results. On average, I eat about 1400 calories a day. I am not hungry. I do not starve myself. And I exercise (dance) as much as possible.
Apparently, at 260, I'm suppose to be eating almost 2000 calories a day. 1700 on the low end. So can under-eating actually cause you to gain weight?
It's soooooo frustrating! Do I really need to be eating more??? And what should I eat if I'm full? lol Again, I'm so frustrated. If this is the reason why I keep gaining weight, I think I'm going to scream.

For some people, eating frequent small meals during the day helps them loose weight, but for me I like to stick with the old adage of eating less moving more because I just can't seem to eat small meals though out the day... food is not a big part of my life. I think I eat about two meals a day.

Hello Rya. First, let me preface this by saying I'm not a nutritionist. I have read that not eating enough calories will cause your body to hang onto those pounds you'd like to lose. Someone here can probably explain better, but your body thinks it's starving and holds onto every bit of fat it can to sustain itself. By comparison, I also eat about 1400 calories a day and I weigh 137 pounds.

I wish I could offer some advice on what/how to eat when you're not hungry. I have just the opposite problem. Maybe some others can offer some advice.

Originally Posted by Rya_of_Indiana

On average, I eat about 1400 calories a day. I am not hungry. I do not starve myself.

While the body can go into "starvation mode" and hang onto weight if you undereat, 1400 calories in your case shouldn't be thought of as below normal.

I suspect it's the exercise that's the problem :)

And I exercise (dance) as much as possible.

Well, it's complicated but the activity that you do the most -- well the body learns quickly how to be very very efficient and burn as few calories as possible to accomplish that activity. This is why cross-training in different activities is recommended.

Calorie burn charts are VASTLY overrated. I wear a heart rate monitor whenever I engage in any activity that gets my heart rate up 50-80% of my heart rate reserve, and I'm always a little disappointed at how few calories even strenuous activity burns. Belly dancing really is not the best calorie-burner.

Apparently, at 260, I'm suppose to be eating almost 2000 calories a day. 1700 on the low end.

No -- there's a very "nebulous" formula to determine how many calories you need TO MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT. But it's really very vague, and doesn't take into consideration soooo many variables.

The average woman needs AROUND 1500-2000 calories a day to get the proper amount of energy for the body. BUT -- muscle mass (or lack thereof) can make a huge difference in this number, as can your daily caloric expenditure.

I suspect what you need to do is start building muscle mass. Muscle basically needs more calories to "survive" than fat does. If you start a program of resistance training, and build up some muscle mass, while not changing your diet, you should notice a gradual fat loss. Keep in mind that your WEIGHT -- the number -- may not change and may even increase slightly, but if you measure yourself you'll see a reduction in size. (Muscle weighs more per square inch than fat.)

So can under-eating actually cause you to gain weight?

Yes, but I don't think this is your issue.

It's soooooo frustrating! Do I really need to be eating more??? And what should I eat if I'm full? lol Again, I'm so frustrated. If this is the reason why I keep gaining weight, I think I'm going to scream.

I think if you start weight or resistance training, and add a cardio workout (where you get your heart rate up to 60-90% of your maximum heart rate)
then you'll start to see a difference. Eat low on the food chain -- lots of veggies and fruits and whole grains -- and eat if you're hungry. Try grazing -- 5 or 6 small meals a day.

Check out this community site for fitness/weightloss -- it's free:
Free Diet Plans at SparkPeople

That's what I've been using to track my nutrition! I know that I'm not burning as many calories as they say I do with dancing. lol But in the beginning they ask if you want to lose weight or maintain. Apparently, eating between 1700-2000 is what they say I need to lose weight. *shrug*
Gonna add in some peanut butter for when I'm feeling peckish. Definately no salads since the only salad I like is Caesar salads and those are terrible for you! lol
I gotta plan now. lol I probably still won't eat enough calories though.
Yogurt and granola for breakfast(with coffee of course! lol)=YUM!
Turkey sandwhiches using whole grain Rye bread=YUM!
And then something else. lol I know those two definately don't add up to enough calories.

On the plus side, I decided to drag out the scale and somehow I lost 10-15 pounds. Yay stress! lol I haven't changed my eating habits or my dance schedule so that's the only thing I can figure.

Thanks for the advice! I definately need more veggies in my diet.

I'm not a nutritionist, either. This is what has worked for me:

I lost 55 lbs. two years ago and have kept it off. I don't count calories or weigh myself more often than once a month (and I usually forget to do that!). I have found that I do best eliminating all refined sugars and refined carbs, eating 4 times a day (my last meal is fruit and yogurt about 4 hrs. after dinner, keeps my metabolism going overnight). I eat tons of fresh veggies, two servings of fresh fruit per day, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, beans, tofu, and low-fat meats. I eat a lot of food and am not hungry between meals.

I, too, hate diets and I got fatter after every diet I ever tried. Now I consider eating this way as a permanent lifestyle that works for me.

I know the no-sugar, no refined carbs thing is difficult for a lot of people to "swallow," (pun intended) but it's the only way for me. I have found that I can't have just a little bit of these things. Moderation doesn't work for me, it's an all-or-nothing situation for me, so best just to avoid them altogether.

I personally know women who have lost up to 100+ lbs. eating the way I eat. If you want more info, I can PM you.

I didn't start eating this way in order to lose weight, but to get healthier. The weight loss was a by-product of my change in eating habits. I am moderately active but didn't do a rigorous work out program as part of the weight loss.

It wasn't easy but it works and I am happy with the results on so many levels, not just weight loss.

Originally Posted by dunyah

I have found that I do best eliminating all refined sugars and refined carbs, eating 4 times a day (my last meal is fruit and yogurt about 4 hrs. after dinner, keeps my metabolism going overnight). I eat tons of fresh veggies, two servings of fresh fruit per day, low-fat or non-fat dairy products, beans, tofu, and low-fat meats. I eat a lot of food and am not hungry between meals.

That is exactly what I am doing.

I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes during my pregnancy. I had to change my diet dramatically. Because of this I did not have to take medication to control the diabetes and I didn't get it after.

No refined carbs or added sugar and six small meals a day. It was really hard at first, because you don't realize that most foods that you think are "healthy" are not for some. You will be surprised how many carbs and sugars are in everyday foods. Reading labels was shocking to me.

I lost all my baby weight and more. Currently, 40 pounds lighter. I have more to go of course and things are slowing down.

Have you had a physical lately? Maybe there is something else going on that explains how a fairly low-calorie diet could be yielding those results.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Have you had a physical lately? Maybe there is something else going on that explains how a fairly low-calorie diet could be yielding those results.

Planning on going to the doctor but since I have no insurance, I have to wait a month to get in. So, I'm gonna try my own thing that includes Iron, B-12, and D Vitamins. I know I'm anemic...or I was. Doubt that has changed. And I don't get a lot of vitamin D which has recently been linked to encouraging weight loss. Gonna shoot for the 1700 calories a day. I checked out the Mayo Clinic Calorie Calculator and it said I needed 2100 calories a day! Dear Lord!!!!!!!!!!!! There's no way! Unless I start myself on a diet of cake. lol Unfortunately, I like the cake part, hate the icing. So I'm sure I still wouldn't get enough calories according to the Mayo Clinic! I didn't realize that I was eating so little. I always thought I was overeating! Funny how that works out.

I'm also gonna start some weight training like Aziyade suggested(by the way, you need to come down for a visit or we need to work out me and Taletha coming up there to visit you!). Hopefully, I'll at least start to feel better. Which is what the real problem is. I could deal with the weight if it wasn't for the fact that I feel like crap ALL the time. Just for fun, I put all my symptoms in the webmd thing. According to that, I could possibly have about 20 different things wrong with me. LOL! I think it's mostly an eating right problem though. I don't get enough Vitamins. Must work harder to make myself feel better!

Thanks for all the advice. I don't know if I could do the whole carb/sugar thing. Major respect to you. I love the yogurt suggestion before bed though. Oh, and I have to drink more green tea. Besides being yummy, it always makes me feel better.

Rya, don't pay much attention to the "This is how many calories you need" charts, because they're based around a person who has about 15-20% body fat. If you have either more or less body fat, the calculation will be way off.

Muscle requires more calories to maintain itself than fat (it "burns more" than fat) and those charts usually assume that a 5-6" woman who weighs 145 pounds is mostly muscle. The problem is, most of us AREN'T!

Even truly obese women will be safe with a 1500 calorie diet IF they eat low on the food chain: Fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains. If you eat meat, stick to leaner meats like turkey and chicken, with pink fish (Salmon, Tuna) once a week if you can. It sounds like you're eating pretty healthy, but don't skimp on the veggies. Learn to love salads with lemon juice instead of dressing. Or steam up some greens with a splash of soy sauce. :)

If your current eating plan isn't helping you lose weight, then you don't need to add calories. If you're not dropping below 1200 calories a day, I seriously doubt you're going into starvation mode, unless you're also doing marathon running or something 3 hours a day. You are maintaining your weight on that calorie count. To lose weight, you need to either eliminate some calories each week (500 is the usual goal) or burn some additional calories, or both -- a combination of both being the recommended course of action.

Get yourself a heart rate monitor -- the kind that has the strap that goes around the chest. I recommend the Polar F4, or whatever low-end model the Polar F series is on now. It will be the best investment for your fitness goals, I'm serious! That way you can accurately check the intensity of your cardio workouts and get a much better approximation of calories burned.

So I will tell ya, yes, eating too little will cause weight gain. It even happened on the biggest loser one season and they made a point of showing the trainer go over his food intake with him and pointing out that he actually ate to little food.

I have this same problem. I hardley ever eat and am rarely hungry. I have to schedule times to eat where I force myself to eat at least 400 calories even if I don't want it. My metabolism is at about the same rate as a hibernating bear. It is the only way to get it up so I can start burning and not storing. The Vitamin D has really helped me tho. I do find that I am starting to feel more hungry since starting to take the supplements. It has also improved my mood and sleep (and skin tone yeah!). I was thinking about taking B-12 as well cause I heard that many people are deficent in this area too.


ETA: When I say too little, I don't mean anorexic little, I mean maybe only eating 1000 or so a day. I use to joke that I was an anorexic with no will power!
Don't give up. You just have to find what works for you and your body. Some people do well on protein, some on the low fat road, some on raw foods. You just have to play around a bit and see where you fit in!

I've found that I'm allergic to some foods - which allow me to gain weight if eaten... like wheat for instance - it's in almost everything, and dairy. If I eat these foods my fat cells explode. Maybe, Rya, you should start with a food allergy test to find what food you are allergic to first. Also, cross training is a good start. Water aerobics, power walking and weight training.

Just wanted to say I'm on SparkPeople too, feel free to add me if you'd like (I have the same UN there too).

Originally Posted by Rya_of_Indiana

Thanks for all the advice. I don't know if I could do the whole carb/sugar thing. Major respect to you.

You welcome.

I have tried everything myself I have been on a weight yo-yo for a very, very long time. Diabetes runs in my family and I don't want it!

This just seemed to work for me. You get use to it after awhile.

When you get insurance you can always go to the nutritionist. They have a wealth of information to help you. I never thought they could, but it helped me!

The problem with insurance is that my husband's company doesn't offer it anymore due to so few people getting it. In the employee's defense, it was $200 a month and you had to pay a 50% co-pay when you went to the doctor. Seeing as just a visit is $129 around here, you're paying 1.5 just for insurance that month. And if you're like me and only go to the doctor when it's absolutely necessary, you only go once every 3 years or so. So not worth it. Not that they dropped us, we can now get insurance for $600 a month. Yeah, no thanks. So I'm really hoping for Obama's health care plan to go through.

Which, by the way, if anyone can find me a comprehensive overview of the plan without all the opionated commentary, that would be great.

I'm hoping I can solve this with more veggies and I'm really hoping that it's a vitamin defenciency and not a thyroid problem or anything serious like that. I know I don't eat great but when you're averaging 1400-1500 calories and still gaining weight, something doesn't add up. I mean, I despise snack cakes or most sweets in general. They just don't taste that good. With the exception of that time of the month of course. lol And I hate eating out. It all tastes so bad!

Diabetes runs in my family too. Along with heart attacks, asthma, obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, cancer, strokes...lol You name it, we've got it! So far, I'm still healthy as can be(serious illness wise) but I definately don't want to take after my dad's side of the family which includes the diabetes, heart attacks, and obesity. Oops...already got that last one. Stupid genetics!

We'll see how my new plan works out. Maybe there are times when I really do go over my calories. I hate being one of those people who watches everything they eat, but something definately has to change.

I'm definately taking that 2000 calorie thing with a grain of salt. My body will just have to get use to 1600-1700. I just need to make sure that I hit that mark everyday without going way below or way over it.

Thank you for everyone's support! I hate talking about diets and exercise. It makes me feel like I should be on Desperate Housewives or something! lol If it's possible, I'll definately look into the food allergy thing. I've never thought of that before.

American Nurses Association - Health System Reform

Here is the American Nurses Association's take on it. They are for it. It should have the details listed in the link, that isn't opinionated.

Originally Posted by bdaddiction

American Nurses Association - Health System Reform

Here is the American Nurses Association's take on it. They are for it. It should have the details listed in the link, that isn't opinionated.

Thanks! For some reason, I couldn't find the actual plan...just everyone's opinion of the plan. lol It's nice to read the whole thing for myself instead of basing it off what others think.

Originally Posted by Linnyg

I was thinking about taking B-12 as well cause I heard that many people are deficent in this area too.

You might want to get a B complex that has all of the B vitamins in it (with folic acid)---instead of just a b 12. They work synergistically, that's why they're all lumped together.

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_vitamins]B vitamins - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

What's helped for me to lose weight is to make sure I'm balancing my carbs and my proteins and making sure to get both when I eat. I don't really eat meat that often, so I learned to love protein shakes (I just slam them down without tasting them) and cheese. Cottage cheese on whole grain waffles with sugar-free syrup kind of tastes like a crepe suzette. :) It tastes kind of like a dessert, so I like it. Also, I find when I eat lots of veggies throughout the day, I have a lot more energy.
I saw you dance in New Albany a couple months ago, by the way. I loved it! (I'm the girl that said she only knew kung fu movements when we were practicing group improv.)