It's kind of amazing that I don't weigh more than I do
I just started dieting one month ago. I weighed myself two months ago. Two months ago, I weighed 183lbs. When I weighed myself one month ago, I weighed 183lbs. Now, over the month that I've been dieting, I've lost 9lbs. That sounds confusing, but point being, I didn't gain anything in the one month that I was living and eating "normally."
Well "normal" for me was awful. I think it would be safe to say that I didn't eat a single vegetable for that whole month unless it was a chunk of broccoli in Chinese food or something. I'd eat an entire box of Kraft Mac and Cheese for dinners 3 or 4 times a week. The days I wasn't eating mac and cheese, I'd eat fast food. I'd eat a whole bag of Fun Size candy bars over two or three days. I'd make a batch of cookies and eat the whole thing in a couple days. I'd eat Lean Cuisines, but I'd eat a panini with a whole pasta dinner on the side. I wasn't so much of a binge eater, I'd just be constantly eating junk and lots of it. Any one of my meals or snacks would be considered a binge of monstrous proportions now. I plugged in an average day of eating for me on a calorie counter, I was eating at least 3,000 calories a day of bad carbs, sugar, fat, some fat-drenched protein, and sodium.
For exercise? Nothing. Walk to class. Walk around Walmart. Move from couch to kitchen to computer chair a few times a day.
So how in the world did I maintain my body weight for a month like that? And I've lived and ate like that for about 3 years. Yes, I was heavier than I ever was, but how was I not gaining 5lbs everyday??
That is a wonderful question...I have the same one for myself. Because now that I'm trying to lose, it seems like if I eat one chip too many, I can gain a pound in a day...??
And I often look back on my past pigging out and cringe, as well. Not only did I look terrible and greasy and fat and feel lethargic, I was blowing all my money on junk food! I once went to Wendy's three times in one day...and each time I got two jr. bacon cheeseburgers, fries and a coke. The cheeseburgers all together were 1,860 calories! That's not counting the fries and the cokes and all the crap I ate in between. It's a wonder I didn't have to go up a size in pants every week!
It feels good to be healthy now and to be more aware of what differents foods do to our bodies.
Good luck and good job on all your positive changes!
First of all, you'd need to eat 3500 calories beyond your daily calorie burn to gain a pound a day, so 5 pounds a day is out the question.
Second of all, depending on your age, you burn more calories in the course of the day than someone who is older.
And finally, weight gain, like weight loss, doesn't necessarily show up right away. My weight drifted up over the years--maybe 5-10 pounds a year. That's not too noticeable while it's happening. I think that's why so many people are shocked the day they realize they weigh 50, 60, 70, 100 pounds more than they used to. "How did this happen??"
I've wondered the same thing sometimes too! I maintained a long time at around 180, eating crap, before I started gaining again.
Our metabolism is actually adaptable. To some extent, eating more makes it go up, and vice versa. Obviously, we can overwhelm that mechanism . I think we're just beginning to learn all the reasons different people gain, maintain or lose at different calorie, nutrient, and activity levels, as well as other things that have an influence, like sleep deprivation, stress, and so on.
Bodies are amazing machines. We are designed so well! Eventually, though, as Jay notes, the party comes to an end, sometimes in a catastrophe like a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. Or you can just plod along and never realize how good you could actually feel ... it's remarkable what paying attention to what you eat and getting in some activity can do. I never thought I'd feel better at 42 than I did at 28!
It's true; I've noticed, your body does adjust. Both for good and bad. Remember at the end of that movie SuperSize Me, his cholesterol, and other bad values, peaked, then started going DOWN again, while he was still Supersizing?
At my highest weight I was 150 pounds (I'm only 5'2", and my goal is 115).
But the amount of crap I was eating is amazing. Every day I had cake or cookies or ice cream or something. I'd snack on candy between all meals. 4-5 times a week we'd go out to dinner or pick something up... and I'd eat 1/3 of a large pizza, or a meal and appetizer and drink, or a burger and large fries and milkshake. My (now) husband and I would make 3 boxes of mac & cheese for dinner, and finish off a 2L of mountain dew together by the end of the evening. Most days were around 3,000 calories I'd guess.
Part of it is age - I hit my highest weight around 18 or 19. Also I was walking between classes and whatnot, and before that I was walking around high school (having 8-9 class periods a day in a big building) and going to gym class.
Now I can eat 1500 calories and exercise for an hour every single day and if I'm really lucky I lose a pound a week. One or two bad days and I gain a few of them back. *sigh*
I know what you mean. I'm a 'lightweight', having 45-50lbs to lose total. While that sheer amount is startling to me and will be a struggle in itself to lose, I am amazed that I don't have two or even three times more to lose. I've been heavy since I can remember. There were times when I would eat fast food three times a week, and would of done much more if not for the fact that my small town HAS no fast food joints. Even at home, I would eat four to six LARGE meals a day, drinking one or two cans of soda with each meal. I would sit down and eat a whole "roll" of ritz crackers after school, with a soda or two to wash it down. This does not even mention the mindless snacking, the batches of brownies (which I would finish entirely on my own in a day, and eat for BREAKFAST).
I feel the same way. I used to eat so much food. Now that I look back on it, I probably ate 5,000-6,000 calories on some days. It's just crazy. I used to think that I just had a slow metabolism and that I didn't even really eat that much, but if anything I realize that it's the opposite now. Now that I'm paying attention the weight is just shedding off.
I see this too!
I used to eat horribly and although I did make it to around 204 now if I just binge once I seam to gain two or three pounds!
SO confusing
It's kind of amazing that I don't weigh more than I do
. I think we're just beginning to learn all the reasons different people gain, maintain or lose at different calorie, nutrient, and activity levels, as well as other things that have an influence, like sleep deprivation, stress, and so on.
