Alot of people that I know who are losing weight talk about making sure they eat enough food. The idea being that you have to prevent your body from going into starvation mode and eating throughout the day speeds up metabolism.

I understand that completely, but I don't think it works for me. Eating acts as a trigger for me to eat more. If I am hungry and only eat a tiny bit (and not a regular meal) I will have to fight the "binge monster" that invades my thought process.

I'm very capable and willing to limit the occasions when I eat so that the chances when this occurs will be limited. Frankly, I usually only eat a piece of fruit in the morning and then a normal lunch. I rarely eat dinner (just once or twice a week). My lunch is usually a little larger than normal but it works for me.

If, for example, my calorie intake eating this way was 1200 calories without eating any dinner. Would I really be losing more weight if I ate just a little bit more later in the day to keep my metabolism buring?? It seems illogical for me to think that eating more means losing more. Even if it is true that that would occur, I know for me it wouldn't be as effective. I am fine being a little hungry, I am not fine eating just a little bit when I am hungry.

See Matt the thing is you let yourself get hungry and then you want to eat to the hunger. If I get hungry ever my diet is right out the window. I will tell you 1200 calories is not enough for a man, what you are losing my friend is lean muscle mass. Thats the stuff you want to keep losing weight.

So I wouldn't say the idea is that your eating more to lose because when push comes to shove it is about calorie consumption. The idea is to continually fuel your metabolism so it doesn't slow down. So your body believes it has all the components it needs for survival, otherwise as you say your in starvation mode.

I find feeding my body a little bit at a time through out the day keeps the hunger away so I don't have to binge to fill up. And I do know what you mean. Alot of times when I have dieted I have walked around with the dull ache of hunger and it was easier to keep it than to feed it. Of course little did I know my body was eating it self to live and my metabolism was slowing down making my plateaus higher and ending in frustration.

I don't know if I have said anything helpful I am feeling a bit off today. But I would recommend to you about reading up on diet cycling and lean muscle.

Seconding what Miss Chris said.

Thirding

Just my opinion Matt, but I think that whatever works for you is the best thing to do. Being as overweight as many of us are is definitely not a healthy thing, so I think that if you find something that works for you and you can do it, and stick to it, and you feel good, then do it.

I know that I'm like you, just eating can send me into a binge. I haven't reached the place yet where I can just have one or two cookies and be okay, I would keep going back until the bag was gone, or close to it. I would rather just eat less and avoid triggering that kind of response.

I think you've really accomplished a lot and should be very proud of yourself.

Thanks everyone,

I just don't know if "starvation" mode happens in a 24 hour period??. While my calories on a particular day might be really low, taken over the course of a week, I think I balance out to a fairly nice amount for moderate weight loss. Plus, being very good seems to afford me the chance to be occasionally bad. I really look forward to the 1 or 2 days a week that I go to my neighborhood bar and have a few beers and a hamburger (gasp, with fries!).

I guess everyone has to have a plan that works for them, and I am trying to make sure that I am eating enough protein and all of the other good stuff (btw, i take a calcium suppliment and a multi-vitamin just because i don't eat alot of dairy or veggies).

hmmmm...good topic Matt.

I believe in what Miss Chris has said in that I don't believe that 1200 calories is nearly enough for you, especially since you are a man. I lose on 1800 and I'm a girl with much less muscle mass to feed.

But, I also know that people are different. I am a snacker. I have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack (sometimes 2) dinner and dessert. Denise doesn't snack and saves her calories for her meals. I save alot of my calories for dinner, some people would say it's better to balance, but I feel the need to eat at night and If I skimp, I end up pigging out. I get hungry, but never starving.

If you added a dinner of grilled Chicken, salad, cup of rice and a slice of bread with light butter might only run you 500 calories depending. That would still only put you at 1700.

I do think that it almost matters more what you do in a weeks time that what you do on any given day. I had thought about giving myself a weekly limit instead of a daily, but with the way I am, I wouldn't get to eat on Saturday or Sunday!!

I agree w/what everyone has already said. You have to do what works for you, but at the same time, you aren't getting nearly enough calories. As weird as it may seem, your body is in starvation mode right now.

A nosy question, but are you saving your calories all week & having the beer, burger & fries as a "reward" for "being good" all week? If so, I know where you're coming from, believe me!

Start by eating at least *something* for dinner, even if it's a small piece of grilled or baked chicken & a baked potato w/salsa.

What's worked great for me is eating more calories in the am, having a snack @ like 10:30 or 11, a small lunch, small snack around 3, and sometimes I don't eat dinner, or when I do, it'll be a Lean Cuisine meal (no brainer: I don't have to cook or measure anything out, etc it's all been done for me) and a can of seltzer water or some fresh fruit mixed into an 8 oz bowl of FF vanilla yogurt.

I think you could add a few snacks to your day so you won't be so famished @ mealtimes & to get your metabolism moving w/out gaining any weight. I think you'll actually lose quicker. And you shouldnt have to give up your treat night @ the bar, either, I think your snack/snacks would just be supplementary.

Let us know what you decide & how it goes.

Its not a nosy question at all!

I wouldn't say that the bar nights are a "reward", because I was doing that long before I started any of the weight loss. I kind of knew that aspect of my life would be difficult to give up, so I made a decision to keep it in moderation. While I don't think of it as a reward, I certainly feel better knowing that I have been exercising and avoiding all of the junk through the week.

I know that some days I eat very little and other days I eat more, but in total, things seem to be working. I wouldn't recommend that other people do that, but we each have our own strategies for weight loss.

hmmm. very interesting stuff here. it's possible that the fact that you're not eating the same number of calories daily is keeping your body guessing, so that it can't go into starvation mode.

having said that, however, i truly believe that it's not possible for you to get the protein you need by having a piece of fruit for breakfast, a 'normal' lunch, and no dinner or snacks. it sounds to me, if you're calculating your totals as 1200 per day, that lunch is pretty good size...

i'm with the other ladies. add some protein at night., doesn't have to be fancy. 3 oz of canned tuna has about 125 calories and 23 grams of protein., a good choice. add a salad and you're good to go. [i like tuna on raw red peppers better, though. and on cucumber slices].

the protein is needed to prevent loss of your muscles, and to repair and replace blood cells and immunoglobulins and stuff you need to maintain good health. you can't get it in a vitamin tablet, although you could also consider protein shakes or bars. but eating real food is a better way to get what you need.

Goodmorning Jiffypop

I've just guessed at the calories. I've never really been organized enough to track my calories in a real way. So, it is quite possible that on those days when I just eat lunch that my calories are lower. I always eat lunch out somewhere (i work in a downtown location with lots of restaurants etc.). I've avoided the fast food places, but I will typically go to a local sandwich/ soup/ salad place and get a sandwich, bag of "baked lays" chips, and sometimes a piece of fruit. I would guess that lunch is usually around 800-1000 calories.

I've been following the protein bar thread and perhaps that is something that I will look into. Its strange to me, but I don't get really hungry until after I start eating!

Matt

OMG, If you're going to do this, make sure you get albacore tuna. That is the only tuna I can stomach plain (w/no mayo or yogurt or anything). The chunk light tuna is too strong to eat straight. I'm gagging just remembering the one time I tried it (in 1997!!!!)

Another really light fish if you're into light protein and omega threes and all that happy stuff is Tilapia. It's great, mild, easy to cook and keep in the fridge, very low on calories, and almost as good as salmon and tuna for omega 3.

I've never tried fish...
I had fish sticks as a kid.

I'm scared!!!!!!!!! It smells bad!