Weight-Loss Plateau?

[Asuka]

Your body likes to eat 600 calories a day? 1,000 I could believe - when I was losing, I did have days that I was done at 1,000 calories. But 600 says "you're not very accurate at estimating what you eat" more than it does "unlike everyone else in the world, your body only needs 600 calories a day for fuel." I'd guess that when you were aiming for ~1,400 a day, you were actually consuming a good bit more than that.

Looks to me like the only reason you stopped your original plan (900 calories a day by your estimation, which I suspect to be a much higher number in reality) was because you stopped seeing a steady decline on the scale? I vote for going back to the original plan, but adjusting your expectations for the scale. The scale is a liar, and can't be trusted to give you accurate feedback in the short term. Stick with the plan another month, check the scale at the end, and readjust if needed at that point.

Wrong. The estimate of 900 is a lot lower and I don't eat much. 800-900 was just a broad estimate. I don't starve myself either, I just plain don't eat much at all because I have a small appetite. This sounds odd coming from majority of people but that's just how my body works. The real issue is not exactly what I'm eating but how much I can eat of it, that is the problem that I think you guys have an issue with.

Even if I ate a complete healthy meal with enough calories, I can only eat 1/2 of that or even less. I SERIOUSLY EAT LIKE A BIRD. I don't get hungry a lot, either.

 

[Asuka]

Also I'll give you a background of why I'm dieting if that serves any clarification.

I used to be 140lbs and that was from emotional eating. I'm actually clinically depressed and all other sorts of things. I ate because it made me feel better. I'd get satisfied pretty fast but I kept eating for obvious reasons. I lost almost 10lbs (now 125) because I decided to care and listen to my body, meaning I ate A LOT less. I went down to 130 from stopping the emotional eating and my weight dropping halted from there. So I decided to try something different... From 130 I dropped 7lbs because of exercise and healthier alternatives, which has sculpted my stomach flatter, my legs skinnier and my arms, too.

At this point I'm trying to eat healthier alternatives but I guess I'm not being very good at this (from your perspective). I eat relatively around the SAME AMOUNT but the content of the food has changed. I cannot rectify this, this is just how my body operates. I can't eat the same amount of food that my peers can eat; I just can't. It's nothing psychological, I assure you, I don't stare mid eating and think, "I need to stop!" because I feel fat or some crap. I stop because I feel satisfied, like my desire has been satiated enough. Sometimes I feel like s#*$ because people would comment on how small of a portion I eat and they look at me like I'm an alien/freak, so I eat more even when I don't need to...

Now how I'm going to take in more calories with the same amount (taking in) of eatage every meal is tricky. I don't know if I can do 5 meals a day...

 

[Steve]

Alrighty, I think I agree about the eating part. I've cut down on my portions and also what I'm eating. I'm sticking with protein/vegetables and eat till I feel okay. That's it. For breakfast though I just eat a bowl of cereal with soy milk.

I'd supplement that diet with some form of healthy fats.

You can do fish oil pills.

Or you can add in some nuts, peanut butter, fish, flax, extra virgin olive oil, etc.

 

[Steve]

Ally is absolutely correct.

You say you aren't starving yourself.

The proof is in the numbers, if they're accurate.

You are.

 

[allyphoe]

I decided to care and listen to my body, meaning I ate A LOT less. I went down to 130 from stopping the emotional eating and my weight dropping halted from there. So I decided to try something different... From 130 I dropped 7lbs because of exercise and healthier alternatives, which has sculpted my stomach flatter, my legs skinnier and my arms, too.

Sounds to me like you have a plan that works for you, which you're capable of successfully modifying when it stops working as well. "Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, and exercise regularly" is a pretty decent plan.

So remind me again why you're asking strangers on the internet, who know your actual body and your actual diet less well than you do, to suggest changes to a plan that already works?

 

[Asuka]

Sounds to me like you have a plan that works for you, which you're capable of successfully modifying when it stops working as well. "Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full, and exercise regularly" is a pretty decent plan.

So remind me again why you're asking strangers on the internet, who know your actual body and your actual diet less well than you do, to suggest changes to a plan that already works?

First you assume that I consciously starve myself, then you assume I'm confident with myself.

My confidence in knowing how much I can eat doesn't mean that I'm confident in being that. For all I know I might have a medical problem which I'm unaware of and I'm frightened of that.

I appreciate your concerns but please get rid of any 'hollywood' assumption you may have of me and you'll see that I'm just a girl who can't eat 'enough'. This may actually be a real problem. Now some meaningful advice is welcoming, like how Steve suggested fish oil pills, are there any other type of pills I can take in compensation for the way I eat?

 

[Asuka]

Ally is absolutely correct.

You say you aren't starving yourself.

The proof is in the numbers, if they're accurate.

You are.

Alright, so my body starves itself? How curious.

 

[Asuka]

I'd supplement that diet with some form of healthy fats.

You can do fish oil pills.

Or you can add in some nuts, peanut butter, fish, flax, extra virgin olive oil, etc.

Today for breakfast I'll eat a slice of bread with mashed bananas and peanut butter. Sound good?

I like the fish oil pill idea. Do you recommend any other type of pill? Seeing as though I can't eat enough.

 

[allyphoe]

First you assume that I consciously starve myself

That's actually not what I said at all. I said I think you're not accurately calculating how many calories you consume. It was Steve who said that if your numbers were accurate, you're starving yourself. I don't believe your numbers are accurate, so I don't believe that you're starving yourself. (I also disagree with Steve's suggestion to add more fats to your diet, because it's based on your numbers being accurate, and I don't believe your numbers are accurate.)

As far as "assuming you're confident," I said nothing about confidence. I said that you've claimed your plan works - you've lost weight at a reasonable rate, fairly steadily, for an extended period of time. (Go back and read what you wrote. First you lost 10 pounds, then another 7, and maybe another pound after that. Right? What's not working for you, again?)

For all I know I might have a medical problem which I'm unaware of and I'm frightened of that.

Because the best way to determine that is to give strangers on the internet an internally inconsistent story, full of unrealistic claims that none of us have any way of confirming or denying? If you think you have a medical problem, talk to a doctor.

I'm going to use my mystical internet mind powers to predict that the next post from you will be one in which you claim I've called you a liar. As it happens, I don't think that you're a liar. I think you're bad at calculating how much you eat.

 

[Asuka]

That's actually not what I said at all. I said I think you're not accurately calculating how many calories you consume. It was Steve who said that if your numbers were accurate, you're starving yourself. I don't believe your numbers are accurate, so I don't believe that you're starving yourself. (I also disagree with Steve's suggestion to add more fats to your diet, because it's based on your numbers being accurate, and I don't believe your numbers are accurate.)

As far as "assuming you're confident," I said nothing about confidence. I said that you've claimed your plan works - you've lost weight at a reasonable rate, fairly steadily, for an extended period of time. (Go back and read what you wrote. First you lost 10 pounds, then another 7, and maybe another pound after that. Right? What's not working for you, again?)



Because the best way to determine that is to give strangers on the internet an internally inconsistent story, full of unrealistic claims that none of us have any way of confirming or denying? If you think you have a medical problem, talk to a doctor.

I'm going to use my mystical internet mind powers to predict that the next post from you will be one in which you claim I've called you a liar. As it happens, I don't think that you're a liar. I think you're bad at calculating how much you eat.

At 900-600 calories, when did I give claim that I calculate my calories? You'll see that I said that no where. 800-900 was just an estimation, and I was wrong because I ate relatively around the same. Only when I ate 1388 calories did I actually calculate.

Oh but I guess you're now going to say that I'm just bad at estimating..... k

Reiterating, my confidence in knowing what I do doesn't mean I'm confident in being that way.

I didn't say my plan works. I just explained what has worked but like the original intent of the post, my plan stopped working.

I didn't see improvement for weeks so that is why I posted.

What's not consistent again?

 

[Judyb]

k it says...

Fat: 21%, 13 grams
Carbs: 40%, 68grams (veggies, fruits and little grains)
Protein: 39%, 53grams (fish)

This is how much I eat now by the way (normally how my body likes to eat), not how much I ate before (when I began this post). I think I may need to incorporate more fat.. hm...

13 x 9 = 117
68 x 4 = 272
53 x 4 = 156

Total consumption 584 calories per day?

(Unless my math is bad....aren't fats 9 calories per gram and carbs/protein are 4 per gram?)