Weight Loss Question

[Mom22ns]

Can somebody tell me how to keep my metabolism from dropping so I can keep losing weight. If your answer is low carb, don't bother, I've done that and won't go back. Here is the story:

 

I have been trying to lose weight for about a year. I weight 10 lbs less than I did this time last year which is good, but I really need to lose another 15 and I just can't do it. Through the last year there were some serious setbacks that have nothing to do with metabolism. For example, my dad had a stroke in April and died a month later at his house on hospice with me as the primary care giver. I didn't exercise and I ate whatever people brought to the house and gained back all the weight I had lost and who cares. But, each time I try lose weight, the same thing happens.

 

I exercise regularly, 4-6 times/week. I eat 3 meals and two snacks/day trying to keep my blood sugar steady. My total caloric intake ranges from 1400-1600. My eating is heavy in fresh fruits and veggies. I also eat fat free dairy (yogurt and cheese), egg whites and usually include low fat meat for dinner. After 3-5 weeks, I stop losing weight and start gaining, then hold steady. It doesn't matter what the exercise is or if it is ramping up or how many calories I am burning. Why does my body adjust to the caloric intake and refuse to lose! :banghead:

 

Please someone tell me how to reset my metabolism without gaining all the weight back so I can continue to lose weight!

[Snickerdoodle]

nm

Edited October 27, 2011 by Snickerdoodle

[Dee22]

Going gluten free has been the only way I've been able to lose weight. I went gluten free because I suspected an allergy. I've felt so much better and the weight just started to drop off. I struggled for years not being able to lose a pound...

[Mom22ns]

Going gluten free has been the only way I've been able to lose weight. I went gluten free because I suspected an allergy. I've felt so much better and the weight just started to drop off. I struggled for years not being able to lose a pound...

 

Ds was gluten free for 10 years. I cooked gluten free for the whole family during that time but saw no benefit for myself.

[Mom22ns]

You are exercising 4-6 times a week and eating a starvation diet.

 

Are you sure you're losing fat? Gaining muscle?

 

What regulates fat metabolism?

 

Have you read any Gary Taubes?

 

1400-1600 calories is a starvation diet?

 

I have definitely lost fat and gained muscle. I have a lot more muscle and it is visible. There is still fat, but I don't jiggle anymore :). I'm strong and toned. I could NOT say that a year ago.

[Snickerdoodle]

Yes, I think if you are exercising 4-6 times a week and eating only 1500 calories a day then it's not enough.

 

 

What you would like is to mobilize your own fat stores for energy. How do you change your metabolism to do that?

 

I still stand by my book recommendation before, but I think perhaps you're not interested in this approach.

[LaxMom]

How are you exercising? I have clients who "exercise" regularly but don't really break a sweat. That's not enough.

 

Cardio mobilizes the "quick" fats - the ones stored around the abdomen that are more readily available for conversion to energy. Lifting (to the point of failure, either through many reps or heavy weights) keeps your metabolism higher for longer after exercise. Exercise goals should be moving targets: if you can do the whole workout - lift all reps, finish cardio easily, etc, it's time to add more weight, more reps, incline on your treadmill or what have you.

 

The other thing is muscle memory. Doing the same workout day in, day out trains your muscles to be efficient at one movement. Efficiency does not promote higher metabolism. So, you need to switch up how you are working each muscle group.

 

Stress causes our bodies to hold onto calories, too. So dealing with that will help in many areas of overall health, including weight loss.

 

Finally, I would look to changes in body structure more than the scale. How are your clothes fitting? What are your measurements? Those are better indicators of success than weight.

Edited October 27, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse
Autocorrect kills kittens

[Cera]

It sounds counterintuitive but you may need to eat more to lose weight.

 

I started P90x eating between 1400 and 1600 calories a day and found myself gaining weight. The trainer at our YMCA suggested I add an extra 200-300 "good" calories a day and it actually worked.

[LisaKinVA]

Well, you could try "the Belly Fat Cure."

 

Essentially, you eliminate sugars. You keep your sugar intake to 15g of sugar or below. You count your carbs, and keep those to about 100g. You don't have to count calories, but we did track them.

 

We have never been hungry on this diet... but it's essential you eat a LOT of veggies (not starchy veggies). Even my dh stays really, really full on this diet.

 

If you are exercising hard 4-6x a week, and your calorie level is between 1400-1600, and you *know* your muscle mass has increased, yes you could be putting yourself into starvation mode, and making it more difficult to lose weight.

 

Our bodies are very complex. Simple formulas (calories-in-calories-out) don't always work with our bodies the way they work on paper. In one of the last two seasons of the Biggest Loser (not sure which), they actually addressed one of the contestants who was *clearly* exercising hard, and eating according to her plan, but not losing weight. One of the things they mentioned was the possibility she wasn't eating enough, and her body was going into starvation mode. Another contestant had some sort of electrolyte imbalance, which was frustrating her weight loss.

 

The only things that really work for me are eliminating sugars, and increasing proteins. When I follow the FDA guidelines, I'm hungry, tired... and blow up like a blimp.

[Denisemomof4]

from what I've read, the HCG diet DOES reset your metabolism. I was just talking to two people who could NOT lose weight. (I also gained weight caring for my mom and I've had a hard time getting and keeping it off) The HCG diet has you do the diet in phases and take herbal drops. While you eat very very little, most people, from what I've read, don't get hungry on the diet. The woman I spoke to at length who couldn't lose weight no matter how much she tried, has lost 40 pounds and has huge amts of energy.

 

If you do a search here, there have been many threads on it. I wasn't interested until the woman mentioned above inspired me last week. I'm anxious to reset my metabolism and intend to give this a try.

[LisaKinVA]

from what I've read, the HCG diet DOES reset your metabolism. I was just talking to two people who could NOT lose weight. (I also gained weight caring for my mom and I've had a hard time getting and keeping it off) The HCG diet has you do the diet in phases and take herbal drops. While you eat very very little, most people, from what I've read, don't get hungry on the diet. The woman I spoke to at length who couldn't lose weight no matter how much she tried, has lost 40 pounds and has huge amts of energy.

 

If you do a search here, there have been many threads on it. I wasn't interested until the woman mentioned above inspired me last week. I'm anxious to reset my metabolism and intend to give this a try.

 

I didn't recommend the hCG diet, because I believe the OP only wants to lose about 15lbs., and it's usually only rec'd if you need to lose at least 30lbs. I've done two rounds, and have one more to go.

[Denisemomof4]

I didn't recommend the hCG diet, because I believe the OP only wants to lose about 15lbs., and it's usually only rec'd if you need to lose at least 30lbs. I've done two rounds, and have one more to go.

 

I didn't realize that you needed to lose 30 lbs on HCG as I haven't read the book yet.

 

How long does one round last?

[FriedClams]

I have been doing Weight Watchers with amazing results (I've lost 70 pounds since April, and I'm less than 10 pounds to my goal). I also work out 6-7 days a week.

 

One thing I have found that helps me a lot is to vary my points a few times a week (points are calories, essentially). If I have 30 points a day assigned to me, I don't eat 30 every day. I'm convinced that if I eat the same number every day that my body will become more efficient on those calories, and lose less. So I vary mine a few times a week.

 

I weigh in on Saturday morning, so that day is usually higher in points for me. I use a few weekly or activity points and I will eat maybe 40 points that day.

 

Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I eat my daily 30 points. Just 30. And all 30.

 

Wednesday I eat a few under. Maybe 3-4. So I eat 26-27.

 

Thursday I eat under a lot. I have a light day. Usually 22ish.

 

Friday is more like Wednesday. Often I will eat all 30 on Friday since it's my long workout day and I am usually HUGNRY.

 

I don't eat any weekly or activity points except on Saturday or Sunday - but 99% of the time only on Saturday. On my lighter days I do still eat LOADS of zero point fruit and veggies, so its not like I am not eating *anything*.

 

If you google "wendi plan" you'll see more details on this. It's working great for me - and since I have a few heavier days to have a treat or two and a couple lighter days I don't every really get into a rut. I am also much more able to control cravings because I know I have a day or two that I can splurge a little. It's been great for me.

[Mom22ns]

How are you exercising? I have clients who "exercise" regularly but don't really break a sweat. That's not enough.

 

 

I exercise pretty intensely. I started by walking (4 mph) then started doing the 30-Day shred, Then I started doing both building to a 90 min workout (shred + 4 miles of walking). Then I switched from Shred to Bob's Cardio and Super Strength workouts (60 min). Then again, as I built up, I added a 30 min walk after those videos. The last few weeks I've joined a running group and I am building up to running. This week my stage is run 5 min/walk 2.5. The running is only a 40 min. workout, but I'm having trouble getting more than that into my schedule right now, so it is working nicely because it is allowing me to increase the intensity with less time. I finish all the workouts with my hair and clothes soaking wet with sweat, literally dripping sweat onto the treadmill or floor wherever I go.:ack2:

[Mom22ns]

If you google "wendi plan" you'll see more details on this. It's working great for me - and since I have a few heavier days to have a treat or two and a couple lighter days I don't every really get into a rut. I am also much more able to control cravings because I know I have a day or two that I can splurge a little. It's been great for me.

 

I have looked at that before and wondered if it might be an answer. I've also wondered if I'm just not eating enough, but I am not hungry. When I'm hungry it is usually time to eat something and I do.

[Staceyshoe]

Have you considered getting your hormones tested to make sure they are balanced? My metabolism bottomed out last year. Making drastic changes in diet and exercise only slowed down my weight gain. Finally went to the dr and found out my hormones are all out of whack.

 

Because it's a hormonal issue for me, I've changed the way I exercise to try to elicit hormonal change. (I'm doing more "burst training" to increase HGH and testosterone levels.)

 

HTH! Things have improved for me, but it's still a struggle. Weight is not a fun issue to deal with!:grouphug:

[Carrie Sue]

I have been reading a lot about the JUDDD diet on the boards I frequent. It's Johnson's up day down day diet. You plan your week where you alternate your high calorie days with low calorie days. People really seem to like it and it is effective.

[Mom22ns]

Thanks Carrie, I'm going to look that one up. I can't quite figure out how to translate the Wendie diet into calories instead of points.

[Mom22ns]

I didn't recommend the hCG diet, because I believe the OP only wants to lose about 15lbs., and it's usually only rec'd if you need to lose at least 30lbs. I've done two rounds, and have one more to go.

 

Thank you for that information. If I lost 30 pounds I would be far less healthy than I am now, so that isn't a good solution. I really don't like the looks of any of the diets that unreasonably restrict calories off and on either. It just seems so unhealthy.

[LisaKinVA]

I didn't realize that you needed to lose 30 lbs on HCG as I haven't read the book yet.

 

How long does one round last?

 

minimum is 21 days... longer round is 40 days... but I've known some who have gone 60-90 days on the homeopathic. I've done a 40 day and a 21 day. My last round will be 40 days.

[silliness7]

I've seen it for myself. As crazy as it sounds it isn't as simple as calories in and calories out. If it were nobody would be asking how to lose 15 pounds.

 

It may not be as simple as calories in and calories out but I am curious if people who have truly and correctly, religiously, and long-term counted the calories they've taken in and NOT had success with losing weight. Of course, you can't count the calories going out but there are some ways to make a good "guess."

 

Obstacles to sticking with counting calories seem to be ime, overcoming hunger pains and other physical feelings of being hungry, walking away from food that would send you over the calorie count for the day, feeling deprived, and not knowing how many calories a certain food is. Counting calories takes the fun and spontaneity out of eating, limits the social eating experience, and can honestly be a real pain in the butt.

 

Nevertheless, if you can overcome all that? :D

[silliness7]

, yes you could be putting yourself into starvation mode, and making it more difficult to lose weight.

 

Our bodies are very complex. Simple formulas (calories-in-calories-out) don't always work with our bodies the way they work on paper. In one of the last two seasons of the Biggest Loser (not sure which), they actually addressed one of the contestants who was *clearly* exercising hard, and eating according to her plan, but not losing weight. One of the things they mentioned was the possibility she wasn't eating enough, and her body was going into starvation mode. .

 

Never mind. I had no idea starving people didn't lose weight. That shows how naive I am.

[LarlaB]

Thanks Carrie, I'm going to look that one up. I can't quite figure out how to translate the Wendie diet into calories instead of points.

 

I used the "wendie diet' as calorie concept when I was losing baby weight and essentially, you just vary every day- really lean/low days, also at least one high 'splurge' day as well. The point is to keep your body guessing, and make sure that there is enough variance in the low-high days (meaning, they are more than 400-500 calories apart). I actually found that I lost more when I had 'high calorie' days (not ridiculously high, just more than usual).

 

You will have to adjust depending on what kind/how much you are exercising too...if you are really burning 400-500 calories every day in an workout, you need to be eating more than 1400 calories. :)

 

For example:

 

Monday: 1200-1300 calories

Tuesday: 1500-1600 calories

Wednesday: 1300-1400 calories

Thursday: 1800-1900 calories

Friday: 1500-1600 calories

Saturday: 1200-130 calories

Sunday: 1600-1700 calories

[Mom22ns]

Thanks Larla!

I was just setting up my own calorie version of the Wendie plan to try. I thought I'd go with:

Day 1: 1200

Day 2: 1500

Day 3: 1300

Day 4: 2000

Day 5: 1200

Day 6: 1600

Day 7: 1500

 

I think I typically burn between 300-400 calories/day instead of 400-500. I use LoseIt! to track my food and my exercise and that is the range it usually gives for my exercise. I have days that are higher like last Saturday where I ran/walked 3 miles, biked 10 and did 2 hours worth of yard work in between. I stayed easily within my 1500 cal budget that day and my weight was up .5 lb the next day and has been steady or increasing each day since. I think maybe I need to eat more calories on days I'm burning more to make sure my body doesn't freak out and start trying to horde.

[butterflymommy]

Have you calculated your maintenance/ loss calorie levels? 1400 might be too much if you are petite-- though i doubt it since you are so active. caloriecounter.com has calculators. You might need to eat more... you could gradually increase to see if it has any effect good or bad.

[LisaKinVA]

Never mind. I had no idea starving people didn't lose weight. That shows how naive I am.

 

At some point you will... and you will die from it. But your body does everything it can to preserve itself. Just like with being too cold... it starts shutting circulation to the extremities first (fingers, toes, then hands/feet, then lower arms/legs), trying to keep blood circulating around major organ systems. Anorexics take this to an extreme... and usually need synthetic help (such as taking diet pills that contain "energy" enhancing substances... to help them continue somewhat "normally")

 

But, your body seeks balance. Just like you will retain water if you aren't consuming enough water. The body is protecting itself. If you have enough days where your energy output significantly outpaces your energy input (food), your body will find ways to conserve.

 

At one point, my mother was exercising regularly and consuming about 1200 calories a day. She did not lose weight. She felt better for a little while, but eventually it all came crashing down.

 

She did hCG with me for 21 days, and I forced her to follow protocol (eat, according to plan). She lost 30 pounds, and has kept it off. She is eating more now than she used to, and is not gaining weight... she has continued to lose even while NOT on the hCG program. She was in "starvation mode." Her body reset her metabolism really low, so that when she ate just the tiniest bit more than average it converted to fat. Now, at 5'7" she can eat 1800 calories a day (as long as they don't all come from bread), and not gain anything.

 

My "sweet spot" is 1700-1800 calories (mostly proteins, veggies). I'm 5'5" If I eat significantly less than 1700 calories for a few days, my weight starts to creep up. If I eat significantly more than 1800 calories for a few days, my weight starts to creep up. Or, if I eat more than 3 normal servings of grains a day... the next day I'm up. This assumes I'm not doing my exercise program. Add my exercise and I can go up to 2500 calories a day (whoo-hoo!)

 

The point is, your body seeks balance. If you tell it it's only going to get 800 calories a day... it's going to adjust as much as possible. Once you have broken that balance... it takes a bit of work to get it back. A lot of the fasting-type diets (hCG, juice fasts, etc.) help to do this.

[Mom22ns]

Have you calculated your maintenance/ loss calorie levels? 1400 might be too much if you are petite-- though i doubt it since you are so active. caloriecounter.com has calculators. You might need to eat more... you could gradually increase to see if it has any effect good or bad.

 

I am not petite. I'm 5'9".

[SJ.]

I highly recommend switching up your workout routine. Do you have access to a gym where you can take a new class? Do you lift weights?

 

I am a big fan of interval training where you warm up about 2 min, then alternate between 80-90% of your max and 30-50% of your max (I like 30 sec hard, 1-1:30 easy but you can increase the time). Do this for around 20-30 minutes and add a cool down.

 

For strength training I like circuits alternating between lower and upper body. If you are lifting light weights with many reps change to low reps (6-8), higher weight. A good weight routine will boost your metabolism 24hrs+ after your workout. Don't go easy on that lower body, those are big muscles = higher metabolism boost/calorie burn.

 

Good luck with those last few pounds. Really try to shock your body with something new.

SJ

 

ETA: Don't forget to properly fuel your body before and after you workout.

Edited October 27, 2011 by SJ.

[Brooketopia]

I can only tell you what I would do and what's worked for me.

 

I'd drop down to 1200 calories and continue with the exercise as is. That's a another deficit of ~400 calories a day, so 400 x 7 = 2800. You need to burn 3500 calories in order to lose a pound of fat, so that's 3/4 pound a week simply due to the calorie cut.

[Mom22ns]

I highly recommend switching up your workout routine. Do you have access to a gym where you can take a new class? Do you lift weights?

 

I am a big fan of interval training where you warm up about 2 min, then alternate between 80-90% of your max and 30-50% of your max (I like 30 sec hard, 1-1:30 easy but you can increase the time). Do this for around 20-30 minutes and add a cool down.

 

For strength training I like circuits alternating between lower and upper body. If you are lifting light weights with many reps change to low reps (6-8), higher weight. A good weight routine will boost your metabolism 24hrs+ after your workout. Don't go easy on that lower body, those are big muscles = higher metabolism boost/calorie burn.

 

Good luck with those last few pounds. Really try to shock your body with something new.

SJ

 

ETA: Don't forget to properly fuel your body before and after you workout.

 

I have been doing a lot of cardio lately trying to ramp up running. I've neglected my strength training. I can put in some serious time Saturday, I'll make sure it includes a brutal strength workout to get back on track there. :D

[SJ.]

Check out HIIT and Tabata if you are interested in intervals. They are very efficient and quick workouts. I plan to incorporate more of these into my workouts. I'm all about efficiency! :)

[MunRoLy]

My sister-in-law couldn't lose any weight until she found this book:

 

The Metobolism Miracle

 

She has had amazing success with this! I think she's lost 18 pounds over the past 5 months and these are pounds that she couldn't get rid of no matter how much she exercised or no matter what diet she tried.

 

Here is the book description from Amazon:

 

There is a reason that some people can eat all they want and seemingly never gain a pound, while others count every calorie, exercise, and can’t lose an ounce. Millions of people—an estimated 45 percent of dieters—have Metabolism B, a condition that causes the body to over-process carbohydrate foods into excess body fat. Registered dietitian Diane Kress’s scientifically based, easy-to-follow program has helped thousands of people with Metabolism B lose weight and keep it off

As someone who struggled with Metabolism B for years, Kress knows firsthand the frustration of diets that don’t work. The solution? A simple, three-step, carb-controlling program that stabilizes blood glucose levels and reprograms the metabolism to melt away fat. The Metabolism Miracle starts working on Day 1.

[SJ.]

I have been doing a lot of cardio lately trying to ramp up running. I've neglected my strength training. I can put in some serious time Saturday, I'll make sure it includes a brutal strength workout to get back on track there. :D

 

Keep in mind that strength training will help you with running and make you better at it. A strong upper body will help your form, a strong lower body will help your speed and a strong core will help you all around. Years ago when I was in the military I didn't realize this and now I wish I had done more strength training. I'm sure I would have done much better with running - I was HORRIBLE at it. Now it isn't so bad. :001_smile:

[acurtis75]

I am not petite. I'm 5'9".

 

If you are 5'9" I think it's likely you're starving yourself at 1400 calories with the amount of exercise you're doing. I would also suggest weight training like the pp mentioned. It's very important for women and while you'll see a temporary increase on the scale when you first start, in the long haul you'll burn more calories and lose.

 

This is over-simplified and you can get more specific calculators online but you should figure out what your calorie intake needs to be to maintain your ideal weight. If you want to weight 150 (total random number...that might be too low for 5'9") the amount would be somewhere in the range of 1500 calories per day (depending on your metabolism). You then need to calculate based on your weight how many calories you're burning each day in exercise. If you burn 300 calories running 2 miles you would need 1800 calories that day to maintain your weight. If you wanted to work out something like the Wendi Plan you should aim for a calorie shortfall of only about 2000 calories for the whole week which would allow for a healthy 1 - 2 lb loss per week. So if your number is 1800 per day (with exercise) to maintain your weekly target should be about 10,600 calories ((1800x7)-2000.

[DawnM]

But the OP said no low carb and this sounds like a low carb diet.

 

Dawn

 

My sister-in-law couldn't lose any weight until she found this book:

 

The Metobolism Miracle

 

She has had amazing success with this! I think she's lost 18 pounds over the past 5 months and these are pounds that she couldn't get rid of no matter how much she exercised or no matter what diet she tried.

 

Here is the book description from Amazon:

 

There is a reason that some people can eat all they want and seemingly never gain a pound, while others count every calorie, exercise, and can’t lose an ounce. Millions of people—an estimated 45 percent of dieters—have Metabolism B, a condition that causes the body to over-process carbohydrate foods into excess body fat. Registered dietitian Diane Kress’s scientifically based, easy-to-follow program has helped thousands of people with Metabolism B lose weight and keep it off

As someone who struggled with Metabolism B for years, Kress knows firsthand the frustration of diets that don’t work. The solution? A simple, three-step, carb-controlling program that stabilizes blood glucose levels and reprograms the metabolism to melt away fat. The Metabolism Miracle starts working on Day 1.

[DawnM]

OP:

 

I am gearing up to go back on a diet that is somewhat difficult to follow, but has worked for me in the past.

 

1200 calories and no processed foods of any kind. No wheat and no sugar.

 

Corn in great moderation.

 

So, rice cakes and rice (preferably brown) are fine, lean meats, vegetables of all kinds, fruit (2 a day recommended), low fat milk products, etc....potatoes are even fine if they are baked and calories counted. No mashed or fried potatoes though.

 

She recommends no popcorn as it is a "trigger food" for snacking and she is trying to get people to stop the grab and snack type foods. I found this a bit over the top and still would allow myself 3 cups of air popped popcorn and found it to actually help me feel less deprived.

 

The diet is called The Prism Diet and is typically a group type diet found at churches, but is easy to follow without the Bible study or group.http://www.amazon.com/Prism-Weight-Loss-Program/dp/1590528468/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319892503&sr=8-1

 

However, it is basically the OLD OLD WW program with exchanges of 2 milks, 2 bread products, 4-5 ounces of lean meat, 2 fats, 2 fruits, and plenty of plain vegetables. The only difference is that it is minus any wheat products or sugar (other than naturally occurring in fruit.)

 

I am typing this all out to remind ME of it before going back on it.

 

Dawn

[QueenCat]

I started losing more weight when I increased my calories from 1400/day to 1700/day. My doctor says it's because I was starving my body so my body went into "storage of fat for survival" mode. Others have mentioned that here. The 1400/day only showed losses for a very short time.

[DarlaS]

 

For strength training I like circuits alternating between lower and upper body. If you are lifting light weights with many reps change to low reps (6-8), higher weight. A good weight routine will boost your metabolism 24hrs+ after your workout. Don't go easy on that lower body, those are big muscles = higher metabolism boost/calorie burn.

 

 

Joyce Vedral's dvds will walk you through this type of strength training exactly the way SJ describes.

[Berta]

Thank you for that information. If I lost 30 pounds I would be far less healthy than I am now, so that isn't a good solution. I really don't like the looks of any of the diets that unreasonably restrict calories off and on either. It just seems so unhealthy.

 

If it sounds unhealthy it's because you don't know about the diet and how it works. I have lost 52 lbs, I'm just ending my third round. You CAN do the diet if you only have 15 lbs to lose. It is ideal for people 20+ lbs overweight, but it is not unheard of doing it to lose 15 lbs. Many people do, and they lose those last few lbs in places they couldn't lose before.. like the belly.

 

Read "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeons, it explains the diet and how it works.

 

http://www.diyhcg.com/media/Dr-Simeons-Manuscript.pdf

 

The hCG releases about 2000 calories of stored fat each day, this is why you are not hungry. Your body is NOT in starvation mode, and it is NOT unhealthy.

 

I can tell you from experience you WILL lose those 15 lbs, and you will NOT be hungry. A short round of 23 days on the low calorie phase, then you go onto the next phase which resets your metabolism. I can eat 2000 calories a day and not gain anything. I stayed within 2 lbs of my ending weight for 6 months effortlessly. BEST.DIET.EVER.

[Mom22ns]

I was going to wait a few days to update to see if this was a coincidence or not, but since the thread has come back up I'll tell you what I've done. Thursday, I ate nearly 1700 cal and didn't workout. Friday morning my weight was down a pound. Friday I ate 1420 cal and ran and my weight held steady this morning. I think that those who said I was under eating we're right. I just have to find the right balance.

 

Thanks everyone!

[Renee in NC]

It may not be as simple as calories in and calories out but I am curious if people who have truly and correctly, religiously, and long-term counted the calories they've taken in and NOT had success with losing weight. Of course, you can't count the calories going out but there are some ways to make a good "guess."

 

Obstacles to sticking with counting calories seem to be ime, overcoming hunger pains and other physical feelings of being hungry, walking away from food that would send you over the calorie count for the day, feeling deprived, and not knowing how many calories a certain food is. Counting calories takes the fun and spontaneity out of eating, limits the social eating experience, and can honestly be a real pain in the butt.

 

Nevertheless, if you can overcome all that? :D

 

I do know that my calories didn't "match" what my weight loss was. I tracked calories in (food diary) and calories out (exercise + my supposed basal rate based on weight and activity) and lost WAY more than I "should have." That tells me it isn't all that simple to figure out.;)

[Renee in NC]

Never mind. I had no idea starving people didn't lose weight. That shows how naive I am.

 

It's temporary (the stalling of weight loss.) Long term on a "starvation diet" will make you thin. There is evidence of that all over the world every day.:001_huh:

 

ETA: I do think it depends on the person. I didn't have that issue - I was eating well under what sparkpeople said I should eat, and never "plateaued" until I quit working out as hard (and started eating less plant-based again.)

[LG Gone Wild]

It's temporary (the stalling of weight loss.) Long term on a "starvation diet" will make you thin. There is evidence of that all over the world every day.:001_huh:

 

ETA: I do think it depends on the person. I didn't have that issue - I was eating well under what sparkpeople said I should eat, and never "plateaued" until I quit working out as hard (and started eating less plant-based again.)

 

:iagree:

[Sevilla]

I would start eating dairy with some fat in it - IIRC 'non fat dairy' doesn't help with dieting.

[Mom22ns]

Ok, I only at 1198 cal yesterday (not intentional, just a crazy day) my weight bounced up again today. There is definitely a correlation with the fewer cal I eat the less weight I lose. I will have this figured out soon and those last 15 lbs are history!

[DawnM]

I hope you can figure it out.

 

When I was stalling I was told to eat more and I gained weight, so obviously higher calorie for me does not work. I did this more than once so it was not a fluke.

 

Higher volume does help me though.....so lower calorie foods that I can have more of help me stay on target.

 

Dawn

[Negin]

I still stand by my book recommendation before, but I think perhaps you're not interested in this approach.

I really, really need to get this book. Thank you for the reminder. :D

[Negin]

I didn't recommend the hCG diet, because I believe the OP only wants to lose about 15lbs., and it's usually only rec'd if you need to lose at least 30lbs. I've done two rounds, and have one more to go.

I've read of many who have succesfully gone on a short round of hcg in an effort to lose about 15 pounds.

[Mom22ns]

I put a hold on it at the library, but there was a long wait.

[Negin]

If it sounds unhealthy it's because you don't know about the diet and how it works. I have lost 52 lbs, I'm just ending my third round. You CAN do the diet if you only have 15 lbs to lose. It is ideal for people 20+ lbs overweight, but it is not unheard of doing it to lose 15 lbs. Many people do, and they lose those last few lbs in places they couldn't lose before.. like the belly.

Read "Pounds and Inches" by Dr. Simeons, it explains the diet and how it works.

http://www.diyhcg.com/media/Dr-Simeons-Manuscript.pdf

The hCG releases about 2000 calories of stored fat each day, this is why you are not hungry. Your body is NOT in starvation mode, and it is NOT unhealthy.

I can tell you from experience you WILL lose those 15 lbs, and you will NOT be hungry. A short round of 23 days on the low calorie phase, then you go onto the next phase which resets your metabolism. I can eat 2000 calories a day and not gain anything. I stayed within 2 lbs of my ending weight for 6 months effortlessly. BEST.DIET.EVER.

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

For me, hcg was the only diet that really and truly worked.

I can't wait to start my 2nd round in a few months. :D