Author Topic: Losing weight the right way?  (Read 6896 times)

DollarBill

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Losing weight the right way?
« on: February 19, 2015, 09:07:01 PM »
So I had a conversation with my Dad tonight. He's been cutting back on his eating and he told me that he cut about 21 lbs in the last month. He was about 240lb and now below 220lb. His doctor took him off 3 different meds...high blood press, high cholesterol and his diabetes meds. I'm proud for him for doing it but I think he's doing it the wrong way.

Do I say anything or just let him try to improve himself?? I think he can set his mind to losing weight but I don't think he'll do it right and will gain it back in the future...like he's done in the past. Any tips?

mom2_3Hs

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #1 on: February 19, 2015, 09:28:53 PM »
Good for him!  Be supportive.  I wouldn't give him advice unless he asks for it.

AHLEditor

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2015, 09:34:19 PM »
That might seem excessive for those who haven't gone through it but believe it or not given certain diets (that are actually food based and do not involve any medicine or unhealthy eating habits) losing 21 pounds isn't that unheard of, speaking as someone who is in that century of weight.

A lot of times there is excess water and other "easy weight" to lose.  It's the long term that it becomes more difficult.  Just because you can lose 21 lbs or even measure it as 10% of your body weight doesn't mean you can keep either metric going long term.

I appreciate your worry but unless he was going all pills then I would be supportive and happy.

DSKla

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2015, 09:35:43 PM »
While your advice might not be well-received if he feels he's doing well, I understand your concern. Not losing weight the right way could not only lead to a weight relapse, but could be unhealthy regardless of how much he loses, depending on how he's doing it. I have definitely had a few conversations with people who lost weight in an unhealthy way, but it would only be if I felt the drawback outweighed the benefits. Can you elaborate on what you don't like?

If you do have to bring it up, you need to make a big point of congratulating him and giving him credit for his progress, and instead of saying he did it wrong, offer your suggestions as tweaks or improvements that will make his hard work pay off even more.

DollarBill

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2015, 08:20:49 AM »
Quote
Can you elaborate on what you don't like?

He grew up in a large family and food was the center of attention. He is an active guy even in his later years but he has always cooked full flavor (butter/fat in everything). I have an ongoing joke about dinners...how many sticks of butter are in this dinner. I kid not most dinners are at least 3 sticks of butter. His life is all about eating and entertaining.

I think it is fantastic that he is trying to cut weight and slow down on the drinking. I think by stopping the drinking and avoiding the butter he would drop the weight. He said he's been on a 1200-1500 calorie diet and talks about being hungry. I'm currently trying to cut weight but one thing I don't do is starve myself. There is so many healthy options. If I'm hungry I eat but I eat healthy things. I don't keep crappie food in my house. I think the most unhealthy thing in my house is peanuts but they are good for you in moderation.

I guess when I hear about people dieting they do it from an unhappy place...like eating tofu burgers and bland food. I still eat burger and flavorful food. He actually eats healthy food but will make it unhealthy with butter and bacon fat. He even drinks butter milk and buttered bread with every meal. I just think if he did it in moderation then he would keep off the weight in the long run.


jba302

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2015, 08:53:45 AM »
So there's some misunderstanding within your post, which is totally fine because "healthy eating" is a weird, nebulus concept to being with. To begin with, butter and bacon fat are not inherently unhealthy. While they can assist in leading to health issues (mostly due to their caloric density but some people have higher sensitivities to saturated fats as well), eating a couple strips of bacon a day is not going to put your dad in a premature grave. In fact, he seems to be moving in the right direction, right? Health markers are moving positively - BP, resting HR, lipid profiles, less pills, blood sugar leveling off, etc. These are signs that his health is improving. So let's get that out of the way, simply choosing to use butter isn't going to kill him. We can get into this for ages for what's right for whom, but look at the end results more than the inputs to determine if it's working (fruits, veggies, meats, some carbs. All totally cool.)

Now for his rapid weight loss. How tall is he? If he's 5'5, then this initial flush of fat dropping is Totally Fine. If he's 6'5 then it's probably too fast. The concern, more than the hard cut, is the fact that it's unsustainable. He probably isn't on a 1500 calorie diet, but it's probably pretty low. Is he going to be hungry losing weight? Hell yes. Everyone who is reducing their body weight under their body's current set point is going to be hungry. Alternatively, anyone trying to gain weight appreciably above their current set point is going to feel full all the time. It's Totally Fine. What isn't fine is that if the weight loss is accompanied by moodiness, irritability, sleeplessness, significant lethargy, short term memory issues, etc. There's a wide range between healthy weight loss and starvation-level weight loss. 1500 calories is high enough to sustain the body of a relatively inactive person for a long long time.

My best tip is to support the current weight loss, and watch for the bounce behavior. His new body will not sustain if his old habits come back. This is the most aggravating part of a dieter. They think their old diet was not the issue, that their weight was. So they go from normal diet -> weight loss diet -> original normal diet and end up exactly where they used to be. There needs to be a New Normal Diet, which is going to be closer to the weight loss diet than the old normal diet. Less butter than before, more than current. Less drinking that before, more than none. Cut out the shitty carbs if he's not active.

Also weight lift. Because it's always a good answer.

Philociraptor

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2015, 08:54:22 AM »
Quote
Can you elaborate on what you don't like?

He grew up in a large family and food was the center of attention. He is an active guy even in his later years but he has always cooked full flavor (butter/fat in everything). I have an ongoing joke about dinners...how many sticks of butter are in this dinner. I kid not most dinners are at least 3 sticks of butter. His life is all about eating and entertaining.

I think it is fantastic that he is trying to cut weight and slow down on the drinking. I think by stopping the drinking and avoiding the butter he would drop the weight. He said he's been on a 1200-1500 calorie diet and talks about being hungry. I'm currently trying to cut weight but one thing I don't do is starve myself. There is so many healthy options. If I'm hungry I eat but I eat healthy things. I don't keep crappie food in my house. I think the most unhealthy thing in my house is peanuts but they are good for you in moderation.

I guess when I hear about people dieting they do it from an unhappy place...like eating tofu burgers and bland food. I still eat burger and flavorful food. He actually eats healthy food but will make it unhealthy with butter and bacon fat. He even drinks butter milk and buttered bread with every meal. I just think if he did it in moderation then he would keep off the weight in the long run.

I'd be willing to bet that reducing drinking (all liquid calories, including alcohol and milk) and bread will have a much more profound effect on weight loss than reducing the butter and bacon fat. It's much easier to gorge on carby foods than fatty foods. Cut the carbs and appetite stabilizes (less insulin spike at meal times).

3okirb

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2015, 09:18:44 AM »
Quote
Can you elaborate on what you don't like?

He grew up in a large family and food was the center of attention. He is an active guy even in his later years but he has always cooked full flavor (butter/fat in everything). I have an ongoing joke about dinners...how many sticks of butter are in this dinner. I kid not most dinners are at least 3 sticks of butter. His life is all about eating and entertaining.

I think it is fantastic that he is trying to cut weight and slow down on the drinking. I think by stopping the drinking and avoiding the butter he would drop the weight. He said he's been on a 1200-1500 calorie diet and talks about being hungry. I'm currently trying to cut weight but one thing I don't do is starve myself. There is so many healthy options. If I'm hungry I eat but I eat healthy things. I don't keep crappie food in my house. I think the most unhealthy thing in my house is peanuts but they are good for you in moderation.

I guess when I hear about people dieting they do it from an unhappy place...like eating tofu burgers and bland food. I still eat burger and flavorful food. He actually eats healthy food but will make it unhealthy with butter and bacon fat. He even drinks butter milk and buttered bread with every meal. I just think if he did it in moderation then he would keep off the weight in the long run.

The problem is that it isn't a lifestyle change that he will be able to do "forever".  That being said, there are plenty of stored calories in an overweight body, where as long as you have proper nutrition, it's not a huge deal to be on that few calories.

What people often don't understand is that a large part of your metabolism is your muscle mass.  Unfortunately, when you cut calories, your body will get rid of muscle to conserve the calories that it burns.  It's a great survival process.  The problem is that it's hard to gain the muscle back, so when you go off the diet, your body doesn't have all that muscle that burns calories for you.

And on to my third point...  Getting to a "healthy weight" in the "wrong" way might still end up being healthier than being overweight.

DSKla

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2015, 10:31:52 AM »
I agree with the above poster that butter is NOT bad for you. Some will disagree with us, I think you should leave his butter habit alone. However, 1200-1500 calories for an active grown man is very, very low. It's possible to lose weight without such severe caloric restriction if he cuts out the drinking and prioritizes quality foods and just eating to satiety, not being stuffed. I would be worried that if he loses a bunch of weight at 1200 cals, he will gain most of it back when he doubles that to a normal caloric intake.

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2015, 02:10:52 PM »
If he's on a 1200-1500 calorie diet and not particularly active much his actual caloric deficit likely somewhere in the range of 700-1200 calories/day. That translates into a sustainable weight loss rate of ~2 lb/week after exhausting the easy weight (water, glycogen reserves etc) other posters have alluded to which often comes at the start of a new diet. The recommended target for weight loss rates is 1-2 lbs/week, so it doesn't seem like his diet is actually all that extreme.

It sounds like you want your father to make additional changes (his diet) in addition to his weight. If you bring that issue up right now, it may well come off as a criticism of his current efforts to improve his health (which are apparently already paying dividends from his blood tests and reduction in medications). If, after he hits his target weight, he's struggling to maintain it --which may well happen-- that's when I would offer advice on changes in diet to maintain weight without feeling hungry all the time.

LalsConstant

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2015, 02:21:54 PM »
5 foot ten male.  238 pounds currently in February.  Was 333 last July.

I do 1500 kcal day.  Did 1900 when I was over 300 still. 

Work out 3 days a week with kettlebells and body weight.  One hour of exercise every day regardless.  May just be walking and jump rope but I do it.  Stronger than I have been in a long time but not like when I was 17.

Lost 15 per month for a while.  Starting to plateau only losing 8 to 10 per month.

May cut down to 1200.

DollarBill

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2015, 06:25:42 PM »
Quote
Can you elaborate on what you don't like?

He grew up in a large family and food was the center of attention. He is an active guy even in his later years but he has always cooked full flavor (butter/fat in everything). I have an ongoing joke about dinners...how many sticks of butter are in this dinner. I kid not most dinners are at least 3 sticks of butter. His life is all about eating and entertaining.

I think it is fantastic that he is trying to cut weight and slow down on the drinking. I think by stopping the drinking and avoiding the butter he would drop the weight. He said he's been on a 1200-1500 calorie diet and talks about being hungry. I'm currently trying to cut weight but one thing I don't do is starve myself. There is so many healthy options. If I'm hungry I eat but I eat healthy things. I don't keep crappie food in my house. I think the most unhealthy thing in my house is peanuts but they are good for you in moderation.

I guess when I hear about people dieting they do it from an unhappy place...like eating tofu burgers and bland food. I still eat burger and flavorful food. He actually eats healthy food but will make it unhealthy with butter and bacon fat. He even drinks butter milk and buttered bread with every meal. I just think if he did it in moderation then he would keep off the weight in the long run.

The problem is that it isn't a lifestyle change that he will be able to do "forever".  That being said, there are plenty of stored calories in an overweight body, where as long as you have proper nutrition, it's not a huge deal to be on that few calories.

What people often don't understand is that a large part of your metabolism is your muscle mass.  Unfortunately, when you cut calories, your body will get rid of muscle to conserve the calories that it burns.  It's a great survival process.  The problem is that it's hard to gain the muscle back, so when you go off the diet, your body doesn't have all that muscle that burns calories for you.

And on to my third point...  Getting to a "healthy weight" in the "wrong" way might still end up being healthier than being overweight.
This is pretty much my thought...my guess is he's probably losing a lot of muscle. Either way I guess I should just be glad he's finally doing something about his weight and hope he sticks with it.

LalsConstant, congrats on the weight loss!

LalsConstant

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2015, 07:24:05 AM »
Thanks Dollar.  I was hoping to provide another example of someone doing something similar that might make you feel better about your dad.  I'm not a doctor, but I am seeing one, and so far I've had a MD, a RN and a trainer all tell me what I'm doing is safe.

If I had started my sugar fast AND 1900 calorie diet in the same month, I could have easily lost 21 pounds that first month, because you lose a lot of fluid when you sugar cleanse.  At least I did.  But I couldn't handle cutting out all the sugar and reducing calories all at once, I knew I would give up and quit if I tried that.

I do not intend to eat a 1500 calorie diet forever.  Maintenance for me is probably going to be more than that, and eventually once your weight settles in you need to put on a little more lean muscle, that requires eating more.  I honestly think I'm improving my strength endurance more than putting on muscle at this point, but I will take whatever I can get, I am a wreck and anything helps.

I feel like it's similar to the two years or so I paid cash for everything after I paid off my credit cards.  After a long time of using credit (food) irresponsibly, you need a transition phase where you go all cash (reduced calories) to learn new, better eating (spending) habits.

Some people naturally regulate their own behavior well and I envy you smug, skinny bastards who can.  XD  Some people need an external tool to realize what they're doing is "off" and for me it's calorie/sodium/sugar/carb counting.  I hope eventually what happens is I get used to eating the right mix of food and I can just not think about it so much.

While the fundamentals of how to lose weight are often pretty simple (though there's lots and lots of nuance), the behavioral aspects that cause obesity are pretty damn complicated and very hard to shrug off.  I tried for a long time to lose weight.  The No S diet book cites a study that says most people have to make like a dozen serious, concerted attempts before they find a way that works.  Aligning what you know, to how you feel about it, to what you actually do and getting all three of those things on the same plane is not some trivial task.

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2015, 07:39:33 AM »
Google the ideal protein diet. I am doing my own version and have lost 25 lbs in a month eating 1000-1200 calories a day of lean protein and green veggies. Such calorie restriction requires supplementation with vitamins and minerals. Lots of doctors put people on this kind of diet to lose a lot of weight quickly, safely, and sparing as much muscle as possible.

willow

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2015, 06:31:50 PM »
I've always been curious about this. Is there anything wrong with restricting calories for a short period of time if you're grossly overweight? I suppose I think of it like an emergency situation for your health.

I always thought it if like you eat 1500 calories a day until you reach a healthy weight, and then you can bump it back up to 2000 or whatever is your ideal caloric intake. And if anything, it will feel like you're eating more than you're used to and should be pretty easy to maintain.

Then again I've never had any major issues with weight so I may be thinking about it the wrong way.

Exhale

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #15 on: February 22, 2015, 06:54:02 PM »
If you live close to your dad maybe have a weekly fitness date (could "just" be a nice long walk) followed by you cooking a meal for him. That way you can share with him what works for you (e.g., chatting about it and cooking for him) without telling him what to do.

Another strategy is to ask for him advice on whatever health step you may be considering, struggles you may be having - that way you can talk about it and welcome him into the conversation without him feeling lectured.

Finally, telling him how much it means to you that he is taking care of his body would (I think) be welcome. I say this as someone whose mother is dying a slow agonizing death due to her life of being obese. I know what a gift it'd be to my family if she'd made different choices back when she could have done so.

3okirb

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2015, 07:19:15 AM »
I've always been curious about this. Is there anything wrong with restricting calories for a short period of time if you're grossly overweight? I suppose I think of it like an emergency situation for your health.

I always thought it if like you eat 1500 calories a day until you reach a healthy weight, and then you can bump it back up to 2000 or whatever is your ideal caloric intake. And if anything, it will feel like you're eating more than you're used to and should be pretty easy to maintain.

Then again I've never had any major issues with weight so I may be thinking about it the wrong way.

1500 calories is actually OK for a lot of people.  The problem is if you drop it too low, your body will sacrifice muscle to "conserve".  Strange to think of a 300 pounder conserving, but that's how our body works.

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #17 on: February 25, 2015, 01:18:19 PM »
1) Everything in moderation perhaps? Forego the "butter is good or bad for you" discussion. The question is....how much? Let's say you ingest four tablespoons of butter per day -- not so difficult given how lovely it tastes. But on a 2000 calorie diet, one is taking in 20% of daily calories from something that doesn't really provide any meaningful nutritional value, and is 100% fat. Again, forego the "fat is good or bad for you discussion." My question -- how much.

2) With all the discussion about whether 1500 calories is good or bad, I have the audacity on the MMM site to recommend paying a couple of hundred bucks for a test that will accurately calculate one's BMR (basal metabolic rate). No more guessing. No more BS. Mine is....or was....1862 calories....meaning that if I simply eat, sleep, breathe and my body does all its other things....I typically burn that many calories per day. That said, I've been paying no attention to this for the past 33 months -- eating and drinking heavily -- and so I'm now nearly 20 pounds overweight.....

3) Your habits become your have-its.

DollarBill

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #18 on: February 25, 2015, 02:09:32 PM »
If you live close to your dad maybe have a weekly fitness date (could "just" be a nice long walk) followed by you cooking a meal for him. That way you can share with him what works for you (e.g., chatting about it and cooking for him) without telling him what to do.

Another strategy is to ask for him advice on whatever health step you may be considering, struggles you may be having - that way you can talk about it and welcome him into the conversation without him feeling lectured.

Finally, telling him how much it means to you that he is taking care of his body would (I think) be welcome. I say this as someone whose mother is dying a slow agonizing death due to her life of being obese. I know what a gift it'd be to my family if she'd made different choices back when she could have done so.
He lives in Maryland and I live in Kansas. So I'll just continue to support over the phone.

DollarBill

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #19 on: February 25, 2015, 02:22:46 PM »
1) Everything in moderation perhaps? Forego the "butter is good or bad for you" discussion. The question is....how much? Let's say you ingest four tablespoons of butter per day -- not so difficult given how lovely it tastes. But on a 2000 calorie diet, one is taking in 20% of daily calories from something that doesn't really provide any meaningful nutritional value, and is 100% fat. Again, forego the "fat is good or bad for you discussion." My question -- how much.

2) With all the discussion about whether 1500 calories is good or bad, I have the audacity on the MMM site to recommend paying a couple of hundred bucks for a test that will accurately calculate one's BMR (basal metabolic rate). No more guessing. No more BS. Mine is....or was....1862 calories....meaning that if I simply eat, sleep, breathe and my body does all its other things....I typically burn that many calories per day. That said, I've been paying no attention to this for the past 33 months -- eating and drinking heavily -- and so I'm now nearly 20 pounds overweight.....

3) Your habits become your have-its.
1) He normally has a very high butter intake. Last time I was home I counted about 36 sticks/tubs/squeeze butter and an average of 1-4 sticks of butter in a day. I know not all of it will be ingested but I think most of the time it's overkill.
2) I would love to do one of these BMR test. I've always wondered if my low resting heart rate plays a part in my weight gain...I already know the heavy eating and drinking plays a part. lol I'll try to do more research on where to get one. Nearest found so far is about 10hrs away.

jba302

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #20 on: February 25, 2015, 04:35:24 PM »

2) With all the discussion about whether 1500 calories is good or bad, I have the audacity on the MMM site to recommend paying a couple of hundred bucks for a test that will accurately calculate one's BMR (basal metabolic rate). No more guessing. No more BS. Mine is....or was....1862 calories....meaning that if I simply eat, sleep, breathe and my body does all its other things....I typically burn that many calories per day. That said, I've been paying no attention to this for the past 33 months -- eating and drinking heavily -- and so I'm now nearly 20 pounds overweight.....


As a nitpick point, that seems really high for BMR. It seems more in line with an low activity TDEE.

On a more reasonable point, a stick of butter is 800 Calories. All else holding constant, just cutting 2 sticks/day average out of his diet would probably put him in the low 200's.

RapmasterD

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2015, 07:23:07 PM »
jba - It may seem that way, but I'm  nearly 6 feet tall and am confident in the results. It was a pretty ridiculously lengthy and annoying test overall.

DollarBill - At 1500 calories, a stick of butter per day means more than half of calorie intake from...a stick of butter. I'm not convinced that's the best plan nutritionally speaking. Again, I love me my butter, but....wow.
« Last Edit: February 25, 2015, 07:35:12 PM by RapmasterD »

boarder42

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2015, 06:11:10 AM »
The only "right" way to lose weight is to find a diet that works for you and you can sustain forever.

The word Diet is thrown around too much nowadays.  The definition has even changed or been amended to included changing what you eat for a short time. 

But your "diet" is what you put into your body.  So the right way to lose weight is to indefinitely change what you put into your body.  Which now is referred to as a "lifestyle change" 

So one does not simply "go on a diet" ... You should effectively change your diet to something that is healthy and can be sustained.  I personally use the Slow carb approach.  Similar to paleo with beans instead of fruit. 

RapmasterD

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2015, 12:34:09 PM »
The only "right" way to lose weight is to find a diet that works for you and you can sustain forever.

The word Diet is thrown around too much nowadays.  The definition has even changed or been amended to included changing what you eat for a short time. 

But your "diet" is what you put into your body.  So the right way to lose weight is to indefinitely change what you put into your body.  Which now is referred to as a "lifestyle change" 

So one does not simply "go on a diet" ... You should effectively change your diet to something that is healthy and can be sustained.  I personally use the Slow carb approach.  Similar to paleo with beans instead of fruit.

HALLELUJAH!!

Seriously!

And not so seriously, let's not forget that beans are the musical fruit.

Cassie

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #24 on: March 07, 2015, 03:24:20 PM »
It has taken me 7 months to lose 25 lbs eating 1600 calories a day & walking fast for an hour each day.  However, one thing i was advised to do  was one day a week eat about 2000-2200 calories so it keeps my body confused & it does not think I am starving. I am age 60 & am on a heart med that slows my heart rate down so I don't die but unfortunately also slows down my metabolism.  I have a fitbit so I can see the # of calories I burn a day which is usually about 2200-2400.  I have another 12 to go & then maintenance. I feel so much better then I have in a long time. Men lose weight faster then woman. My hubby lost the same amount of weight as me in just 2 months.

Philociraptor

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #25 on: March 09, 2015, 07:17:17 AM »
It has taken me 7 months to lose 25 lbs eating 1600 calories a day & walking fast for an hour each day.  However, one thing i was advised to do  was one day a week eat about 2000-2200 calories so it keeps my body confused & it does not think I am starving. I am age 60 & am on a heart med that slows my heart rate down so I don't die but unfortunately also slows down my metabolism.  I have a fitbit so I can see the # of calories I burn a day which is usually about 2200-2400.  I have another 12 to go & then maintenance. I feel so much better then I have in a long time. Men lose weight faster then woman. My hubby lost the same amount of weight as me in just 2 months.

Make sure to do some resistance training! Nothing too strenuous if it's not your favorite, small dumbbells or resistance band work will suffice. As humans age muscle conservation becomes very important, and odds are you're losing some if you're eating at a deficit.

jba302

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Re: Losing weight the right way?
« Reply #26 on: March 09, 2015, 07:34:56 AM »
It has taken me 7 months to lose 25 lbs eating 1600 calories a day & walking fast for an hour each day.  However, one thing i was advised to do  was one day a week eat about 2000-2200 calories so it keeps my body confused & it does not think I am starving. I am age 60 & am on a heart med that slows my heart rate down so I don't die but unfortunately also slows down my metabolism.  I have a fitbit so I can see the # of calories I burn a day which is usually about 2200-2400.  I have another 12 to go & then maintenance. I feel so much better then I have in a long time. Men lose weight faster then woman. My hubby lost the same amount of weight as me in just 2 months.

Nitpick, non-critical information incoming:
Your body doesn't really react to calorie changes in the way you are stating. If your body thought you were starving, you would have systemic organ failures. This kind of activity helps to give you gherlin resets, which is emotionally beneficial in terms of giving your brain a "not hungry" break. Also men tend to lose weight faster than women because we tend to carry more muscle mass (just due to testosterone levels), which requires more energy to sustain. Women that lift weights enjoy a boost to their TDEE, making it easier to lose weight and giving them a higher calorie space for daily intake.