Starving Myself - Lesson Learned!

Posts: 1,370
6/12/12 7:43 P

Glad you increased your calories! It makes me so frustrated when I see people on the message boards saying they are eating "no more than 1200 calories a day"...some say 800 calories or even 1000 calories...it's ridiculous. Food doesn't make you fat-- it is fuel for your body! You NEED calories. I'm glad you found the right balance for you instead of suffering through 1200 calories and wondering why the scale isn't moving!

current weight: 154.0

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SparkPoints: (44,120)
Fitness Minutes: (16,040)
Posts: 1,599
6/12/12 5:27 P

This is the SP way and sad to see how many folks fight it and think they know better on how to lose weight the healthy way. Most folks that are now here and doing it right can tell you all about the many times they did some fad diet and failed.

Eat right, measure and track, stay in the middle of your range as much as possible, and exercise. A simple yet effective plan and one that any person can stick with for life. keep the faith.

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Posts: 328
6/12/12 5:26 P

I agree with you. Good choice! Your body needs fuel. Good luck, and please let us know how it goes!

Pounds lost: 4.0

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Posts: 58
6/12/12 4:50 P

OMG OP I LOVE YOU!! i mean that in the most un-creepy way possible. HAHA. i didnt even see this and i just posted a topic ("Going to eat more") about basically the same thing!!

WE AREN'T RABBITS!! hahaha

current weight: 141.0

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SparkPoints: (7,868)
Fitness Minutes: (8,302)
Posts: 16
6/12/12 4:36 P

Thanks for sharing, I am trying this now. I was staying at around 12-1300 cals a day, and I felt so weak and lethargic by the end of the week...plus I haven't really lost any weight doing this, so I am upping my cals by a bit to 1350ish days I don't work out, and between 1400-1450 on days I do...I'm hoping this works! I'm scared to eat more, but I figure I have nothing to lose at this point.

Plus I sound exactly like you when it comes to work...I bring so much food everyday because I don't want to eat the junk in the office! I think it's pretty funny when I come everyday with a big bag of food and snacks cause like you, I tend to graze all day (apples, hummus, carrots, etc). Whatever works!

current weight: 120.0

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Posts: 168
6/4/12 11:18 A

For what it's worth, heart rate monitors aren't accurate either. ;-) If you have high blood pressure, if you are stressed in one day, or having a great... um... "time" with a partner (wink wink, nudge nudge as the brits say) your rate will be higher but you won't be burning cals.

The best thing - in the long run - is what you did. Look at where you are each month and re-evaluate. If you aren't losing, or if you feel hungry, then you need to look more closely.

Thanks for the tips and glad you got to a place where things are working for you!

SparkPoints: (152)
Fitness Minutes: (235)
Posts: 20
6/4/12 10:43 A

I have been fighting an uphill battle, both at the gym and in the kitchen since February. I typically workout 5 days a week, consume 1200-1400 calories daily, and the scale hadn't budged. I have doubted that the calculation of 1200 calories per day was correct. MyFitnessPal app and SP calculator both stated 1200kc. However, the Mayo Clinic calulator stated 1800 calories (if I wish to lose 1lb weekly). This is a huge difference! That's two extra meals!

Last week was a turning point for me. I was absolutely starving. I'm not talking about an empty stomach that's ready for lunch. I'm talking about feeling like a child going through a growth spurt. My body was literally pleading for more calories. So I listened to it. I upped my intake to around 1800 kc, and lo and behold - lost 6 pounds over a two week period.

I must add that I wasn't sure exactly how many calories I was burning at the gym, because my heart rate monitor would say one thing, and the treadmill/elliptical/bike would say something vastly different. I would pay attention to the calories burned on the machine, as I didn't want to overcalculate my net consumption. My HRM could say 600 kc burned (yes, I do 40 minutes of HIIT, then 30 minutes of strength training), and the machine would say 350 kc. So I started using the reading from my personal monitor.

If you feel like you're just spinning your wheels, you might need to re-evaluate your situation like I did. Here are some other helpful tips, which I have relied on within the past two weeks:

- Buy a heart rate monitor. You must, must, must know what you're burning in the gym. I watch my monitor constantly, and ensure that I keep my heart rate around 160-170 for a good 30 minutes.

- Do HIIT. I burn more calories doing 25 minutes of HIIT and keep my heart rate up, than in an hour of jogging. I have bad knees, so I do my routine on the elliptical. Just follow the same rules of 15 seconds of sprinting and 45 seconds of jogging. I set the resistance and incline at 10, and just kill it.

- I eat a ton of fruit. I know that some people will disagree with the amount of fruit I consume, but hey, it works for me. I have a perpetual sweet tooth, so I'd rather have an entire container of berries over processed carbs any day. I am a grazer also. I rarely eat 300 calories in one setting. I have pistachios one hour, apple the next, carrots with hummus, then a container of strawberries, pouch of tuna, etc. I bring a ton of food to work with me, which is pretty hilarious.

Pounds lost: 9.4

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