I currently count calories and do light exercise (mostly walking, some elliptical), and I've lost almost 24 pounds now since the start of May. I set my calorie limit at 1200, although there are days where I hover more around the 1000 range. Like JohnP mentioned, as long as you're eating healthy foods with plenty of veggies and you're not starving, you should be fine.
Ian your loss makes me wish I liked beer lol! looking good!
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Originally Posted by IanG
I lost my first 61 pounds through diet alone and just walking to/from work every day which is what I did anyway.
I lost my first 10 pounds just by skipping dinner. I still don't eat dinner but my breakfasts got smaller and lunch turned to a salad with fish. Amazing fish too.
After 61lbs down, I then stepped up the exercise. I didn't need to but it did turbo charge my weight loss (but also made it more volatile) and has made me feel healthier and look better.
I was looking for where I found the challenges or mini challenges or whatever they are called and saw your post.
I weighed 279 lbs on the doctors scales this past July 8. He told me to lose 10 percent of my weight, 28 lbs. Today, Aug 30, 53 days later my new scales just arrived. They are supposed to be accurate, I will not know for sure how accurate until I get a chance to weigh on them and then on my doctors scale or other reliable scale. Anyway, my weight just a bit ago was 256.3 lbs. A loss of 23 lbs in 53 days, almost half a pound a day. Practically all of the loss is from deficit calories, my daily intake has been running something like 950 to 1150 calories per day. My weight and height says my daily intake to maintain that weight is 2985 calories. So my deficit intake runs about 1950 calories, give or take. To lose one lb, one needs to take in 3500 calories less than the body requires to sustain themselves. That calculates out to an average .55 lb which is daily loss for me, which fits with the actual loss for this past 53 days.
I do not do hungry, I do not do diet. The idea of restricting myself to some ridiculous set or type of meals and walking around hungry just is not a way to live. A one a day vitamin makes sure I get the vitamins and elemental types of nutrients needed.
As type 2 diabetic I have to watch carb and sugar intakes. I do not care for sweets, so that part is easy. However, for soft drinks, I make my own drinks of tamarind and hibiscus and bought some Truvia to make them less tart, though I do drink them plain. I do not like sweetened tea or coffee, so that is no problem and simply do not drink sodas, neither diet type which I cannot tolerate nor sugared ones.
My meals during this are simple but nutritious. Usually something like a chicken sandwich made with 4 oz grilled chicken using no oils on whole wheat bread, mayo (yes, real mayo, I do not like the taste of the "light" types. Best food real Mayo. A generous slab of lettuce and covered with tomato, no meat, sometimes some slices of other vegetables such as raw squash or whatever including onion and often without any meat. Processed lunch meat, such as bologna or salami (especially salami) are not on my menu though I love the taste of salami. It just is not good for human consumption health wise.
Due to arthritis and worn out knees, walking is out of question for me, especially until I get my weight down to where it may become doable.
But there are other ways of exercising which one can do without having to carry that much weight.
Though your said you keep your intake down to around 1024 you do not give your weight so I have no opinion as to how many calories you require.
A few suggestions, for one, you can lie down on your side and raise one leg up in the air for as many times as you can do it. Then let it rest a bit and do it again, then get on your other side and do that leg the same, as many as you can twice. Or if you want you can repeat both sides more. You will burn many calories doing that and it is not hard on the knees or joints. I also swing my legs back and forth as far as possible, and raise them from the position that is furthers back. You will find this will tighten your back muscles and tone many other muscles. Also you can lay on your back and raise your legs as many times as you can as high as you can, then lower them slowly. If you cannot do both legs at the same time, do one at a time, rest and repeat. Lay on the bed on your stomach with legs hanging over the bed, raise both legs up and behind you, the lower them back to the floor as many times as you can do them. There are many other exercises that can be done to strengthen and tone your muscles, which will also burn fat and build more muscle which in turn will increase the percentage of your body which requires energy, which will come from the fat in your body to sustain it. Plus, believe it or not, you will find yourself charged up, you will have more energy, longer hours in your day and feel better. The plus side of exercise is phenomenal. It releases serotonin in the brain, that feel good chemical. It will help alleviate negative thoughts and depression. Though you can lose that weight without exercise, exercise is the best thing you can do for yourself. That includes weight loss.
Everything I said is me, but I have no claim to coming up to them myself, most of what I know has been learned from others and reinforced by self trial. I am only passing on a tiny bit of the experience and knowledge I have. Take what you can use and let it help you, toss the other in the trash.
Good luck
B F R
(big fat rooster)
PS I would appreciate it much if someone can tell me where to join that sept weight loss challenge, I would like to participate in it
I have lost roughly 50 lb since mid-March with very little exercise. I am really lazy, so I do mean very little. The only exercise I enjoy is hiking the dogs and I do that maybe once a week max. I am 5'3" and eat about 1300 calories per day.
When I lost weight the first time..eh..lol...I lost 40lbs in 6 months counting calories 1000-1200 per day with no exercise. Probably not the lifestyle change i was hoping for because as you can see I wrote "the first time"
I eat in portions, making sure i write down everything i eat and follow the 1025Cal allowed.
The problem is, is that i dont wanna be trying like this and then not losing weight, caus i will just give up then.
I started this monday with 167lbs on whensday it was 163 and today its 161.3. I weigh every morning before eating anything.
Is my scale lying to me?
I think you need to seek help for an eating disorder. Overly restrictive calories, throwing up your food, and believing that you aren't losing weight when you're indicating a 6lb loss in a matter of days indicates that you suffer from an eating disorder.
It sounds like you've got a lot going on besides trying to lose weight! It's worth remembering that this is a process that's about finding what fits in with your life and works for you.
It probably will involve trying different strategies out - the worst thing that can happen is if something doesn't work you try something else, a little better informed than you were before.
In terms of your plan, it can't hurt to run it past your GP (not sure how this works in America) and get their take on your calorie intake and nutrition and then if you're not quite on track they can point you in the right direction.
Take a walk while the little one rides a tricycle/big wheel, skates ...whatever. Get a mat and do floor exercises, buy one set of cheap handweights and lift at home.
Severe calorie restriction and no exercise is going to make you "skinny fat". You'll still have visceral fat, still be out of shape and under eating (which will result in low to no energy to play w/ your child).
Your hair will thin. You can't possibly get sufficient vitamins and minerals on 1,000 calories per day and will likely have an iron deficiency. Just... find a better way.
Well I agree you are eating too little. Though I think there is nothing wrong per se with eating 1000 cals or 800 as long as you supplement with nutrients ... it doesn't seem like you are. I did a very low calorie diet plan with medical supervision. However after 4 weeks I completely stopped losing. It made no sense since I wasn't eating much. But I started eating more and got back on track. I suspect that your body does take severe action if you shock it and some hormones can be released that will shut down weight loss. So you should not go too low for too long.
I do not think there is any problem with stopping eating after 4 PM. Many people do it with intermittent fasting. They eat all their food during an 8 hour window and then fast.
IanG you beast!
The only exercise I enjoy is hiking the dogs and I do that maybe once a week max. I am 5'3" and eat about 1300 calories per day.
