Should I increase my amt of calories or decrease them?

[fral945]

I haven't really been counting everything!! [only some things but overall, I eat whatever I want usually! I thought it was gona be difficult but I made sensible decisions and it worked.] I noticed that I haven't been any rounder in the middle for the last 2 days. Well, ok my weight varies between 105 and 110. 105 on a good day. I weighed 107 yesterday. Last nite I weighed 110, then when I woke up this morning I was 106.. weird! I know my body does that sometimes I'm not sure why but I'm not complaining lol. [burns fat in my sleep maybe?].

 

Your weight will fluctuate a few pounds normally. Don't obsess over that. You'll weigh more after a meal and/or after a large intake of fluids. You'll way less in the morning usually because you haven't eaten or drank anything in 7-8 hrs.

 

 

1000 cals of refined sugars and junk food taste soo good but are so bad. Why is it that everything that tastes so good is so bad for you! Ugg..

 

Healthy food can be tasty. I recommend you learn how to cook some healthy dishes. I make some healthy dishes that even picky eaters would love. Granted, not all healthy is as tasty as the junk, but you'll feel a lot better in the long run with the good stuff.

 

All fruit is very tasty. There is pineapple, blueberries, cherries, apples, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, plums, pears, bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, etc, etc. There are probably more varieties of fruit than soft drinks. I don't see how anyone could ever tire of fruit, it nature's way of satisfying our sweet tooth.

 

Hm. I now know that if I eat the junk foods that I love just in moderation, I'll be fine. Just eat small portions. Yesterday for example, when my Mom and I went to this pasta place, I made sure that I got a takeout bag right away then I immediately put half of my portion in the package and then enjoyed a guilt-free, small pre-portioned pasta.. MmMm it was good.. Chicken with mushrooms and tomato sauce ;-) lol. There's no way I could give up something like that for good!

 

I have a rule I made up for myself. It's the 95/5 rule. I eat good stuff 95% of the time and the other 5% I eat whatever I want. That usually equates to 2 meals a week where I splurge and eat what I enjoy (fast food, pizza, etc.). You should do something like that, that way you can eat healthy without feeling too deprived.

 

 

I'll definitely look into checking out that book. I want to educate myself thoroughly on eating healthy, as well as exercising. It's not just a temporary diet, it's a lifestyle.

 

It's best to figure that out while you are young. Read enough and you'll see most books agree on some general points for eating healthy. There are areas that are controversial as well, but from all I've read, the one I recommended to you had the most sound advice in one book.

 

It might take some time to make changes and adjust, but once you are living that way, I doubt you'll ever want to go back to your old bad habits. It took me about 4 years to completely changes my bad habits, and I would never go back.

 

Aw, Thank you. You are so sweet. I have actually been told not to lose weight by guys or that I've got a perfect body, and that I would probably look a little gaunt, but to me, because I'm with myself 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that is completely untrue in my eyes. Plus, women always have issues with their bodies to some degree so it is highly unlikely that a woman would be satisfied with her body all the time. There are sometimes I like/love it, other times I'm like blah, you tub of lard. lol. Anyway, I think I'm making great progress here. Thank you so much again. I am very appreciative for your advice!

 

Btw, how's your exercise/eating regime going?

 

Mine's been going good for the last 6 yrs. I used to be about 15 lbs. heavier and had a 34" waist about 8 yrs ago until I started my changes. I've had the same size waist (31") for the last 6 yrs, and I've started exercising more, so I've put on about 15 lbs. of muscle in the past year or two. I also bought some better fitting clothes to show off my physique a little more (I have good sized arms and heard through the grapevine that women like nice arms). I have noticed a few more looks from women, so I don't have any complaints.

 

The hardest part for me is eating enough food. When you eat as healthy as I do, it's hard to get enough calories! But I'm sure no one will be able to relate to that.

[jcrew]

I think it's fantastic that you've decided to eat a more healthy amount! But you still seem to think being 95 lbs is the answer to looking how you want to look, and I'm concerned about your focus on a weight that your nutritionist (who knows and wants what's best for you, certainly knows what's right for your body better than anyone on this forum) thinks is too low and unhealthy for you.

 

I'm gonna propose a scenerio. Say you reach 95 lbs. What happens if you think your body still isn't quite thin enough? What if it doesn't look as thin to you as you are picturing/remembering? Will you say to yourself, "Well, just five more pounds can't be any less healthy, I'll stop at 90. If I'm 90 lbs I'll look how I want, I was wrong thinking 95 was thin enough." And THEN what if the same thing happens with 90 lbs, and you STILL don't see much of a difference in the mirror? Do you lower it to 85? I know you said you think 80 lbs is gross, but that's a very real possibility. I've done it myself, just kept lowering what I thought my ideal weight would be, but they never made me look as thin as I'd thought they would (not to me, anyway, as I wasn't seeing myself very clearly). And so I'd lose just a little more, and a little more, etc, etc, etc.

 

You can get so caught up that you don't even realize it. You just keep going further down the rabbit hole.

 

It's not something you, I, or most anyone else intends or wants to have happen, but it does all the same. It's a trap, thinking that THIS number is what will make you like your body. And it sounds like one you've been stuck in before, too, from what you said in your original post.

 

I truly think that you would benefit from sorting out your thoughts on your body/goal with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, even if you're 100% sure you don't/didn't have one. Do you see a therapist already, actually? I don't recall you saying. Working on your health and body with the nutritionist is really REALLY fantastic, but I think therapy could be a great help with helping you understand and tackle WHY you are focusing so much energy on food/weight and help get you to a place where you're happy with your body at a weight that's healthy for you.

 

And, I'll admit I haven't had the courage yet to do this myself, but if you think you can, throwing away your scale might be a great idea for you. If you keep exercising and eating healthily, your body will be healthy and fit. You should feel really good about yourself for that. All the scale can do is either verify what you already would know (that your body is in good shape) or make you feel disappointed if you aren't at the weight you want. Seriously, they're tools of the devil.

[dvsxx6]

I guess I really jumped to some conclusions as I quickly read through the thread, didn't realize you were coming up out of the disease not going down! Glad to hear. You seem like the sweetest person and I hope everything goes good for you. Stay strong, eat healthy, and never give up the hope of over coming this battle! If you ever need to talk to someone who has been there I am always here. Good luck.

 

Heyy. It's no problem. I suppose it would appear that I have an eating disorder with all of my talk about restricting calories and Nicole Richie, but I think for the most part I'm fine lol. I've decided to start spreading my meals and snacks out 2 hours apart and it's not hard to do at all. It'll rev up my metabolism. Do you eat frequent meals a day? I just read this article http://fitnessandhealthtips.com/speed-up-your-metabolism-by-eating-more/ By eating small meals throughout the day and adding an exercise regime to that, the weight will definitely come off. I've known this all along but was too warped into my eating disordered-thinking that I wouldn't let more than 500cals/day pass through my system. Well, not anymore! I'm doin it the healthy way now hehe.

 

Thank you for your kind words. :-) You are a darling!

[fral945]

I've decided to start spreading my meals and snacks out 2 hours apart and it's not hard to do at all. It'll rev up my metabolism. Do you eat frequent meals a day? I just read this article http://fitnessandhealthtips.com/speed-up-your-metabolism-by-eating-more/ By eating small meals throughout the day and adding an exercise regime to that, the weight will definitely come off. I've known this all along but was too warped into my eating disordered-thinking that I wouldn't let more than 500cals/day pass through my system. Well, not anymore! I'm doin it the healthy way now hehe.

 

 

That's a great thing to do. I eat 8-9 meals a day (no kidding), usually I don't go more than 3 hrs without eating. Skipping meals is against my religion.

 

People are always amazed how often I eat and they always tell me I'm gonna get fat. If they only understood that eating more frequent, smaller meals was better.

 

Speaking of meals, it's about time for meal #8 for me............

[dvsxx6]

hey kiddo, I've heard that it's apple juice that brings on a good poop!

I enjoy a good poop. I think I'm gona start drinking more apple juice. It was rare that I pooped in past 3 months [1x/wk, lol [Ew..that sounds weird & gross doesn't it?] but now that I'm eating more smaller meals and exercising, I'm going more often [2x/day!] [TMI? yes sorry!, haha. I'm just happy that I'm functioning like how a normal human should.

the slight weight loss you notice each morning? I;m pretty sure it has to do with water weight, usually the first thing you lose when you "lose weight" – last time my dad was in the hospital, they drained off 10 pounds of excess fluid ... and for an old guy, he's really not that heavy to begin with (about 150-160, with a 33-34 inch waist. And that's after six kids and 9 grandkids and all the junkfood he'd buy for us!!!)

I'm sorry to hear about your Dad.. hope he's doing better. And where did all that junk food go on that 150-160 LB body of his! Wow, some people are just so lucky. Maybe he lost weight while chasing after all of the children running around! hehe

I do know that sometimes when you begin a good exercise regime, you'll put on some weight, not lose it. That's because you're building up muscle mass (toning up). could be another reason why you're not able to get any less weight than what you are. From everything I've read, though, you sound like you're a trim little lass who's got a bit of wiggle room with slight weight gain.

Ah.. yeah, I know I might put on a couple of LBS here and there but I'm not too worried. I know that once I get the ball rolling, it'll be worth the few extra LBS gained cause I'll eventually lose it.. [that is if I stick to the workouts! lol..sometimes I just like to watch TV and sleep cause I'm soo tired from work. But nope, gota stick with it!]

I think I'm jealous ...

No need to be you can do it too.

[dvsxx6]

Your weight will fluctuate a few pounds normally. Don't obsess over that. You'll weigh more after a meal and/or after a large intake of fluids. You'll way less in the morning usually because you haven't eaten or drank anything in 7-8 hrs.

Yah, you're right. It's almost impossible for my weight to stay exactly the same so naturally it'll fluctuate. Silly me for thinking that! lol.

 

Healthy food can be tasty. I recommend you learn how to cook some healthy dishes. I make some healthy dishes that even picky eaters would love. Granted, not all healthy is as tasty as the junk, but you'll feel a lot better in the long run with the good stuff.

Oh I totally agree! I know that a lot of low cal dishes are very delicious: broiled chicken with spices, asparagus with brown rice and a spinach salad, fish [broiled or baked], various salads, etc. I'm only naming a few cause I don't cook, lol, I have a live-in gourmet chef for the summer [aka my mom LoL] so I definitely know that there are many great foods that are low-cal/low-carb/low-fat. Healthy food does not have to be bland and we're all lucky that we've got lots of places to choose from to eat. Even fast food places have pretty good quality salads too. Not everything is all nasty and cardboard-like.

 

All fruit is very tasty. There is pineapple, blueberries, cherries, apples, grapes, kiwi, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, plums, pears, bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, etc, etc. There are probably more varieties of fruit than soft drinks. I don't see how anyone could ever tire of fruit, it nature's way of satisfying our sweet tooth.

mMmmm. yah that sounds really good. Now I'm craving some pineapples!! The only thing that I'm kind of questioning about fruits though [only b/c I want to get more feedback about this] is that supposedly fruits are high in sugar, and some are higher in sugar than others. Do you know which ones are safe to eat without having to worry about the nautral, high sugar content? I think bananas and apples were said to not contain a lot of sugar. I'm really not sure though.

I have a rule I made up for myself. It's the 95/5 rule. I eat good stuff 95% of the time and the other 5% I eat whatever I want. That usually equates to 2 meals a week where I splurge and eat what I enjoy (fast food, pizza, etc.). You should do something like that, that way you can eat healthy without feeling too deprived.

oOoh.. that sounds reaally doable! You must be loving it! I can't imagine having a better life than to be eating more [smaller meals], and being able to enjoy pizza and fastfood in moderation [without feeling guilty]. That sounds like a great idea and I hope you don't mind me adopting that into my own routine.. hehe

It's best to figure that out while you are young. Read enough and you'll see most books agree on some general points for eating healthy. There are areas that are controversial as well, but from all I've read, the one I recommended to you had the most sound advice in one book.

I'm very happy that I'm starting at 21. I know that habits such as smoking [daily smoking, I only smoke while drinking now X_X] were hard for me to break at my age, but I did it [for the most part]. I can't imagine having done it when I'm older. You're right, it is so much better developing good habits at a young age.

It might take some time to make changes and adjust, but once you are living that way, I doubt you'll ever want to go back to your old bad habits. It took me about 4 years to completely changes my bad habits, and I would never go back.

It's only been 2 days and I already don't want to go back to my old habits Nope, I'm not missing them onnnee bit!

 

 

Mine's been going good for the last 6 yrs. I used to be about 15 lbs. heavier and had a 34" waist about 8 yrs ago until I started my changes. I've had the same size waist (31") for the last 6 yrs, and I've started exercising more, so I've put on about 15 lbs. of muscle in the past year or two. I also bought some better fitting clothes to show off my physique a little more (I have good sized arms and heard through the grapevine that women like nice arms). I have noticed a few more looks from women, so I don't have any complaints.

Oohh. Good for you! And that is really great that you've maintained your same size for the past 6 years! The lifestyle change was all worth it huh! And yes, women do like strong, muscular and sexy arms.. but not too buff! hehe ;-)

The hardest part for me is eating enough food. When you eat as healthy as I do, it's hard to get enough calories! But I'm sure no one will be able to relate to that.

LoL yah sorry hun, you're on your own on that one. I have more than enough calories I can get now.. but of course only healthy food. What are you gona do since you've got a hard time getting all the cals?

[dvsxx6]

I think it's fantastic that you've decided to eat a more healthy amount! But you still seem to think being 95 lbs is the answer to looking how you want to look, and I'm concerned about your focus on a weight that your nutritionist (who knows and wants what's best for you, certainly knows what's right for your body better than anyone on this forum) thinks is too low and unhealthy for you.

 

I'm gonna propose a scenerio. Say you reach 95 lbs. What happens if you think your body still isn't quite thin enough? What if it doesn't look as thin to you as you are picturing/remembering? Will you say to yourself, "Well, just five more pounds can't be any less healthy, I'll stop at 90. If I'm 90 lbs I'll look how I want, I was wrong thinking 95 was thin enough." And THEN what if the same thing happens with 90 lbs, and you STILL don't see much of a difference in the mirror? Do you lower it to 85? I know you said you think 80 lbs is gross, but that's a very real possibility. I've done it myself, just kept lowering what I thought my ideal weight would be, but they never made me look as thin as I'd thought they would (not to me, anyway, as I wasn't seeing myself very clearly). And so I'd lose just a little more, and a little more, etc, etc, etc.

 

You can get so caught up that you don't even realize it. You just keep going further down the rabbit hole.

 

It's not something you, I, or most anyone else intends or wants to have happen, but it does all the same. It's a trap, thinking that THIS number is what will make you like your body. And it sounds like one you've been stuck in before, too, from what you said in your original post.

 

You have really opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about my 95 LBS weight goal. At this point, because I'm already eating healthy [eating every 2 hours of small snacks/meals], and exercising 3-4x wk, it really doesn't matter what the scale says. As long as I'm exercising and eating right, that really all what matters. I suppose that I've always lived my life based on that low number, and the lower it was, the more fulfilled and accomplished I was. I was a better person cause I worked harder. But I've now come to see that it doesn't matter if I weight over 110 Lbs [Ok well, actually kinda scares me a little just typing that.. I guess I still have to get used to it]. The fact is that I just need to eat healthy and exercise, and not be fixated on a number like how fral945 mentioned earlier in the thread. I think giving up the scale would be harder than to eat healthy and exercise cause I don't ever want to feel that I'm going to lose my "petite" status. Surely I won't lose it physically, but numerically, I might and I am a lil' scared thinking of that. I know it's something that I will get over with through time. Once I start seeing more of the results, I'll snap out of it and realize how superficial I was being [right now it's too soon] lol.

I truly think that you would benefit from sorting out your thoughts on your body/goal with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders, even if you're 100% sure you don't/didn't have one. Do you see a therapist already, actually? I don't recall you saying. Working on your health and body with the nutritionist is really REALLY fantastic, but I think therapy could be a great help with helping you understand and tackle WHY you are focusing so much energy on food/weight and help get you to a place where you're happy with your body at a weight that's healthy for you.

I've seen a therapist in the past. I've seen a therapist for other issues though, past relationship problems w/ guys, my past self esteem issues, my past drug issues, etc. I know full well why I have this disordered eating. I'm a psychology major and have read about it many times a saw the classic signs of a potential eating disorder in myself, yet I needed that control over my life because everything seemed so out of order. My weight and what I consumed was the only thing that I really had a full grasp of. I don't see therapists now cause I mostly do self-assessments from time to time when I feel things are out of order. I notice that therapists actually bring out the worst in me, which is the strange thing. They delve too deep into things that bring up other painful memories that are deep in my subconscious. I'd function normally without it being brought up. Things have been brought up from my past [rape, abuse, etc] but I saw that it actually made things worse rather than when I didn't bring it up. [Those things don't affect my day to day life cause I don't think about it]. [sorry I went off topic but I believe that all of these problems that I went through are all relative as to why I had a distorted self image = potential eating disorder]

And, I'll admit I haven't had the courage yet to do this myself, but if you think you can, throwing away your scale might be a great idea for you. If you keep exercising and eating healthily, your body will be healthy and fit. You should feel really good about yourself for that. All the scale can do is either verify what you already would know (that your body is in good shape) or make you feel disappointed if you aren't at the weight you want. Seriously, they're tools of the devil.

You're right. I am totally going to throw out my scale. I'm curious though, do you workout and have a certain calorie allotment daily? What is it that you're afraid of by throwing away your scale? [Everyone has their own reasons for things]. It is a really great idea though and although I have my reservations about it, I am going to do it. Thank you!

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far! I am SO grateful for all of the responses!! You've all really helped me make a huge change in my life and if not I'd still be malnourished and very confused about what to do in terms of my eating. I'm still learning though but I really appreciate everyones' responses up to this point!! :-)

[fral945]

mMmmm. yah that sounds really good. Now I'm craving some pineapples!! The only thing that I'm kind of questioning about fruits though [only b/c I want to get more feedback about this] is that supposedly fruits are high in sugar, and some are higher in sugar than others. Do you know which ones are safe to eat without having to worry about the nautral, high sugar content? I think bananas and apples were said to not contain a lot of sugar. I'm really not sure though.

 

The main thing I would focus on would be to avoid added sugars. Of course, if you avoid most processed foods that won't be too tough.

 

I'd avoid dried fruits, since they have all the water sucked out of them. They are not necessarily bad if you can't find fresh fruit, definitely better than a soft drink and probably a little better than drinking fruit juice. The water in fruits does help to keep you feeling more full (I also drink a decent amount of water). Remember that even though fresh fruits have sugar (and some a good amount), they also have fiber and all kinds of other nutrients. The fiber and the high water content is what makes an apple more filling and satisfying than a piece of white bread, which might have the exact same number of calories and no sugar.

 

The white bread is a refined starch that is quickly digested and causes a rapid rise and fall in your blood sugar, causing you to become hungrier sooner. The apple, with the additional fiber and who knows what other nutrients, is digested more slowly and promotes a more gradual rise and fall in your blood sugar over a longer period of time, causing you to feel full longer and not have those hunger pangs. That's also the idea in avoiding refined carbohydrates (white flour products, HFCS, etc.) and eating more whole grains. Whole grains (like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, whole wheat, steel cut oats, etc.) are more slowly digested and cause more gradual rises and falls in blood sugar, helping you feel full longer.

 

I know I could easily eat more pieces of white bread than whole wheat bread, because the fiber content and the hearty texture take my body longer to digest.

 

I've noticed certain fruits aren't quite as filling, like watermelon and bananas, I think because they have a higher than average sugar content. They might be better choices after a tough workout, when you need the sugar for recovery. I find most other fruits, though, like apples, oranges, pineapple, pears, blueberries, grapes, etc. all to be pretty filling.

 

My in-between snacks usually consist of a piece of fruit (whatever is in season), along with my favorite seeds or nuts (to provide healthy fats and additional satiety) and either a Kashi bar or a 400+ calorie protein bar (when I really need the additional calories).

 

oOoh.. that sounds reaally doable! You must be loving it! I can't imagine having a better life than to be eating more [smaller meals], and being able to enjoy pizza and fastfood in moderation [without feeling guilty]. That sounds like a great idea and I hope you don't mind me adopting that into my own routine.. hehe

 

Knock yourself out. I'm definitely never deprived. Honestly, I always wonder about those people who say they are starving. I'm never starving because I eat all the time.

 

By eating the small meals I never get too hungry and I never eat until I'm stuffed. You may find that eating all this good stuff you actually are physically ingesting more food but fewer calories, because junk foods are concentrated sources of calories in small amounts, and you'll be eating large quantities of fruits and vegetables which are large quantities of food with fewer calories (i.e, a whole head of celery probably has fewer calories than a can of coke).

 

Oohh. Good for you! And that is really great that you've maintained your same size for the past 6 years! The lifestyle change was all worth it huh! And yes, women do like strong, muscular and sexy arms.. but not too buff! hehe ;-)

 

I'm not too big. I think I'm just the right size. It's all pretty much maintenance at this point for me.

 

LoL yah sorry hun, you're on your own on that one. I have more than enough calories I can get now.. but of course only healthy food. What are you gona do since you've got a hard time getting all the cals?

 

I've honestly always had a good appetite. That's inherited. Maybe there are some 14 yr teenagers that can relate.

[quankanne]

No need to be you can do it too.

 

unfortunately, I'm big-boned ... and have a "curvy" shape to begin with, thanks to my Mexican heritage. Even when I was at my best, healthiest shape (133 pounds high school freshman in marching band ... gah! Talk about a great conditioning fat farm there!), I had those curves that made me look heavy regardless of what I did.

 

at this point, a good weight is the point where I give up the insulin

[dvsxx6]

 

I'd avoid dried fruits, since they have all the water sucked out of them. They are not necessarily bad if you can't find fresh fruit, definitely better than a soft drink and probably a little better than drinking fruit juice. The water in fruits does help to keep you feeling more full (I also drink a decent amount of water). Remember that even though fresh fruits have sugar (and some a good amount), they also have fiber and all kinds of other nutrients. The fiber and the high water content is what makes an apple more filling and satisfying than a piece of white bread, which might have the exact same number of calories and no sugar.

Oh yah that's right.. dried fruits are high in sugar. Now that you mentioned that, I remember hearing that from my Mom too. I think that fresh fruits are always better anyhow.. Love that freshness of a nice juicy apple!

 

I've honestly always had a good appetite. That's inherited. Maybe there are some 14 yr teenagers that can relate.

hehe yah probably, or pre-pubescent children LoL But that's good cause you need all that fuel.

 

Thanks again for your resopnses Fral945!!

[dvsxx6]

No need to be you can do it too.

 

unfortunately, I'm big-boned ... and have a "curvy" shape to begin with, thanks to my Mexican heritage. Even when I was at my best, healthiest shape (133 pounds high school freshman in marching band ... gah! Talk about a great conditioning fat farm there!), I had those curves that made me look heavy regardless of what I did.

 

at this point, a good weight is the point where I give up the insulin

 

Unfortunately big boned? There are lots of women who look good who have curves : Carmen Electra, Jen Lopez, Beyonce. Sometimes I wish I had curves..I'm Japanese and how often do you see girls who are japanese have curves? Yeah, 0. lol. I know that curvier women make great dancers, which probably equates to better sex ;-) hehe~ And I know it's sexier when a woman has curves as well. A good example would be Marilyn Monroe, who was a size 16. She was and is gorgeous, curves and all!

 

You should embrace your curves not feel bad about it! I'm sure there are guys that find your curves very sexy. Btw, is that your baby in your avatar pic? Apparently your bf/husband likes your figure ;-)

[FleshNBones]

dvsxx6,

 

You really should educate yourself on proper nutrition. You should ignore the fad diets. Once you know what you are doing, you can make some wise decisions about what you eat and how you exercise. Screw this up, and you screw yourself up for life assuming you don't die.

 

Glycogen is a form of sugar stored in the muscles. Fat is stored in fat cells distributed over the body. I don't think protein is really stored, but is instead constantly formed and ripped appart.

There are several energy systems in your body. ATP-PC, glycogenic (anerobic), and aerobic. Purely ATP should last about 10 seconds. Anerobic glycogenic system sould be enough for up to 15 min. The aerobic system should be active for more than 15 min. The aerobic system is the only system that burns fat, but it can only do that with the addition of glycogen and protein. The anerobic systems run off of sugar, and I think protein.

 

I believe the human heart is the exception. It runs on whatever is available so it can burn sugar, fat, or protein in any combination.

 

The reason the Atkins diet works is because it depletes the glycogen reserves in the muscles resulting in immediate weight loss. It is like lightening your vehicle by emptying its tank. Not a very good long-term solution.

If you are active, you end up using protein when the glycogen is depleted. It is like burning your furniture instead of chopped logs to stay warm in winter. Not a very good long-term solution.

 

I think a 4lb change (110->106) overnight is a sign of overtraining. Have you kept track of your heart rate?

[dvsxx6]

dvsxx6,

 

You really should educate yourself on proper nutrition. You should ignore the fad diets. Once you know what you are doing, you can make some wise decisions about what you eat and how you exercise. Screw this up, and you screw yourself up for life assuming you don't die.

 

Glycogen is a form of sugar stored in the muscles. Fat is stored in fat cells distributed over the body. I don't think protein is really stored, but is instead constantly formed and ripped appart.

There are several energy systems in your body. ATP-PC, glycogenic (anerobic), and aerobic. Purely ATP should last about 10 seconds. Anerobic glycogenic system sould be enough for up to 15 min. The aerobic system should be active for more than 15 min. The aerobic system is the only system that burns fat, but it can only do that with the addition of glycogen and protein. The anerobic systems run off of sugar, and I think protein.

 

I believe the human heart is the exception. It runs on whatever is available so it can burn sugar, fat, or protein in any combination.

 

The reason the Atkins diet works is because it depletes the glycogen reserves in the muscles resulting in immediate weight loss. It is like lightening your vehicle by emptying its tank. Not a very good long-term solution.

If you are active, you end up using protein when the glycogen is depleted. It is like burning your furniture instead of chopped logs to stay warm in winter. Not a very good long-term solution.

 

I think a 4lb change (110->106) overnight is a sign of overtraining. Have you kept track of your heart rate?

 

I never said that I was on any fad diet. I said that I was increasing my daily caloric consumption from 500 [very extreme, and dangerously low number]to a healthy number ranging from 1200-1500.

 

And my when my weight went from 110 to 106 over nite, it couldn't possibly have been from overtraining. I hadn't exercised for 2 or 3 days prior to that so that's definitely not it. It was mentioned by quankanne that the wt loss wasit was due to the loss of water weight.

 

I don't usually check my heart rate. I think I should start doing so. The good news is that I just went in to see my cardiologist 2 days ago and he said my heart is fine. No problems there. Should definitely look into checking my heart rate though.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[jcrew]

You have really opened my eyes to a new way of thinking about my 95 LBS weight goal. At this point, because I'm already eating healthy [eating every 2 hours of small snacks/meals], and exercising 3-4x wk, it really doesn't matter what the scale says. As long as I'm exercising and eating right, that really all what matters. I suppose that I've always lived my life based on that low number, and the lower it was, the more fulfilled and accomplished I was. I was a better person cause I worked harder. But I've now come to see that it doesn't matter if I weight over 110 Lbs [Ok well, actually kinda scares me a little just typing that.. I guess I still have to get used to it]. The fact is that I just need to eat healthy and exercise, and not be fixated on a number like how fral945 mentioned earlier in the thread. I think giving up the scale would be harder than to eat healthy and exercise cause I don't ever want to feel that I'm going to lose my "petite" status. Surely I won't lose it physically, but numerically, I might and I am a lil' scared thinking of that. I know it's something that I will get over with through time. Once I start seeing more of the results, I'll snap out of it and realize how superficial I was being [right now it's too soon] lol.

I've seen a therapist in the past. I've seen a therapist for other issues though, past relationship problems w/ guys, my past self esteem issues, my past drug issues, etc. I know full well why I have this disordered eating. I'm a psychology major and have read about it many times a saw the classic signs of a potential eating disorder in myself, yet I needed that control over my life because everything seemed so out of order. My weight and what I consumed was the only thing that I really had a full grasp of. I don't see therapists now cause I mostly do self-assessments from time to time when I feel things are out of order. I notice that therapists actually bring out the worst in me, which is the strange thing. They delve too deep into things that bring up other painful memories that are deep in my subconscious. I'd function normally without it being brought up. Things have been brought up from my past [rape, abuse, etc] but I saw that it actually made things worse rather than when I didn't bring it up. [Those things don't affect my day to day life cause I don't think about it]. [sorry I went off topic but I believe that all of these problems that I went through are all relative as to why I had a distorted self image = potential eating disorder]

 

You're right. I am totally going to throw out my scale. I'm curious though, do you workout and have a certain calorie allotment daily? What is it that you're afraid of by throwing away your scale? [Everyone has their own reasons for things]. It is a really great idea though and although I have my reservations about it, I am going to do it. Thank you!

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied so far! I am SO grateful for all of the responses!! You've all really helped me make a huge change in my life and if not I'd still be malnourished and very confused about what to do in terms of my eating. I'm still learning though but I really appreciate everyones' responses up to this point!! :-)

 

I'm really really impressed at your positive attitude and determination to be healthy. I know it can't be easy. I can understand and relate to so much of what you're writing. Therapy's been pretty beneficial to me, and I'm sorry to here it was counterproductive for you. We all have to do what works best for us, though!

 

I hope you really tossed the scale! Or maybe had a little bonfire with it! My therapist says it's really empowering. She hasn't known her weight in over ten years or something, which is pretty incredible.

 

I don't workout everyday, but I do still count my calories (stupid, I know) a bit obsessively. I've been working on recovering from anorexia for almost two years now. My habits have improved a lot compared to what they were, and I'm almost at a healthy weight, but neither are quite where they need to be. I haven't tossed my own scale yet because I just don't feel ready for that yet. Recovery feels slow taking it one step at a time, but that's the only way I can get through it, you know?

[dvsxx6]

I'm really really impressed at your positive attitude and determination to be healthy. I know it can't be easy. I can understand and relate to so much of what you're writing. Therapy's been pretty beneficial to me, and I'm sorry to here it was counterproductive for you. We all have to do what works best for us, though!

 

I hope you really tossed the scale! Or maybe had a little bonfire with it! My therapist says it's really empowering. She hasn't known her weight in over ten years or something, which is pretty incredible.

 

I don't workout everyday, but I do still count my calories (stupid, I know) a bit obsessively. I've been working on recovering from anorexia for almost two years now. My habits have improved a lot compared to what they were, and I'm almost at a healthy weight, but neither are quite where they need to be. I haven't tossed my own scale yet because I just don't feel ready for that yet. Recovery feels slow taking it one step at a time, but that's the only way I can get through it, you know?

 

:-) Thank you. I appreciate your tips as well as others who have even took the time to read my thread! And hey, don't worry about how little progress you're making -- you're moving in the right direction! Like you mentioned, you've got to take it one step at a time. Otherwise, you'd overwhelm yourself and will probably go back to your old habits. But just one meal, one day at a time. I know that it'll take time to get over your calorie counting, but it seems that you are making an effort to get better. Good luck with everything and thank you for posting.

 

Thank you to everyone else who posted as well!! Your comments were greatly appreciated and I hope this doesn't sound corny, but you've really changed my outlook on life! Good luck to you all!

[dazed.1]

Heyy. It's no problem. I suppose it would appear that I have an eating disorder with all of my talk about restricting calories and Nicole Richie, but I think for the most part I'm fine lol. I've decided to start spreading my meals and snacks out 2 hours apart and it's not hard to do at all. It'll rev up my metabolism. Do you eat frequent meals a day? I just read this article http://fitnessandhealthtips.com/speed-up-your-metabolism-by-eating-more/ By eating small meals throughout the day and adding an exercise regime to that, the weight will definitely come off. I've known this all along but was too warped into my eating disordered-thinking that I wouldn't let more than 500cals/day pass through my system. Well, not anymore! I'm doin it the healthy way now hehe.

 

Thank you for your kind words. :-) You are a darling!

 

Yeah I have heard eating more frequently and smaller portions is best. I think is has something to do with feeding your body before you are actually hungry. I know that if I wait until I am starving to eat that I will eat anything in sight because it feels like I have this void that is not filling (which when I am done I don't feel so happy with myself). Yeah I def. try to eat frequently and in small portions, but I'm really doing well not thinking too much about the food I take in and when I take it. I try to listen to my body so that nothing gets carried away (not too much or too little). I exercise 5-6 times a week for about 1 hour. How are you doing with exercise?

[lovestruck818]

I'm not extremely well versed in the calorie/food intake thing, but I do know that when you exercise regularly, your body burns off calories ... Maybe since you're devoted to a good workout, maybe your physician wants to ensure you have enough calories to do just that, plus whatever else your daily regimen calls for.

 

am curious as to why a mature female (i.e., post puberty) would want to weigh 95 pounds. I think of little kids when I hear that weight. And I worry about how that would affect your reproductive organs, since women need that extra bit of body fat to healthily carry their babies ...

 

I'm 5'1" and I weigh 95lbs...it's the perfect weight for someone of that height.

[lovestruck818]

quankanne: thank you for your response. I really appreciate it. I have been told by my nutritionist that I should be heavier but for some reason I just don't want to be heavier. I guess 95 LBS is a little extreme, and I know that isn't really healthy but I want to be that way. But then again, maybe it is healthy cause this is the first time that I've simultaneously exercised, actually watched what I ate AND am currently not smoking, which I have never done before in my life. I would usually be lacking in one of those major areas..

 

95lbs is not extreme, that's what I weigh. You have to realise she is only 5'1". I used to weigh 140lbs and I got myself down to 95, which is what someone of that height should weigh.

[dazed.1]

95lbs is not extreme, that's what I weigh. You have to realise she is only 5'1". I used to weigh 140lbs and I got myself down to 95, which is what someone of that height should weigh.

 

Should weigh? I don't know if there is such thing. I am 5"1, really fit, I look like I weigh 95 lbs but I weigh 110 lbs, because I have changed my body from being thin and friail to strong and healthy by developing muscle mass. I think a problem occurs when people get stuck on numbers ie) pounds, calories, etc.

[Grace112]

If you're exercising regularly, you're likely building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. I actually ended up staying the same weight once I started exercising but looking alot trimmer. People were convinced I wasn't eating, but it was the exact opposite. I was eating smaller meals more often but still dropping in body fat percentage.

 

Hope this helps.

[dvsxx6]

95lbs is not extreme, that's what I weigh. You have to realise she is only 5'1". I used to weigh 140lbs and I got myself down to 95, which is what someone of that height should weigh.

 

Wow... from 140 to 95 Lbs?!... How in the world did you do that? I've had a difficult time goin from 110 to 95 for the past year or 2. Well, I actually got down to 95 when I did heavy drugs [3 years ago] but that's not an option now.

 

Were or are you eating small meals every 2-3 hours? That's a lot of weight that you lost. I can't imagine the lifestyle change that that kind of weight loss entails. Good for you though.

 

I know that realistically, 95 isn't a "healthy" weight according to most dieticians and nutritionists. When I was 105, my body fat was 15% and the normal is 20%. As I've mentioned somewhere else in the thread, I believe that as long as I'm exercising and eating healthily, and also incorporating some fat into my diet, I should be fine. Maybe getting down to 15% was a bit extreme, but I am determined to cut down some of my weight. I don't weigh myself nearly as much as I once did in the past, but I just want to be lighter.

 

Unfortunately, in the past week or two, I've resorted to counting calories again and have noticed more fat storage on my body. I'm still about 109 though but, I look bloated. Especially for my height, being 5'1, it's noticeable. Anyway, thanks for your input!

[dvsxx6]

Should weigh? I don't know if there is such thing. I am 5"1, really fit, I look like I weigh 95 lbs but I weigh 110 lbs, because I have changed my body from being thin and friail to strong and healthy by developing muscle mass. I think a problem occurs when people get stuck on numbers ie) pounds, calories, etc.

 

Thanks for your input. I am exhausted thinking about the idea of thin and frail being thought of as beautiful. I too want to build muscle, well, more like toning up my flab lol but also be lean and sexy at the same time. As I've told Lovestruck818, I've been counting calories obsessively again in the past week or two, and have been eating 3 square meals a day. I need to go back to the eating 2-3 hours/day.

 

The thing that I'm somewhat confused about is, should I be eating even when I'm not hungry? A meal, for example. I would eat a snack when I wasn't hungry [cause it just so happened to fall on the 2-3 hour mark, which meant I needed to eat] but a meal is a little different. I'm thinking maybe I should just eat the snack if I'm not hungry... I only have carrots w/ me, lol and I know that I should at least be eating a 100 cal snack, if anything.

 

Do you think I should hold off on the meal til I'm actually hungry?

 

Thanks for your feedback!

[dvsxx6]

If you're exercising regularly, you're likely building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. I actually ended up staying the same weight once I started exercising but looking alot trimmer. People were convinced I wasn't eating, but it was the exact opposite. I was eating smaller meals more often but still dropping in body fat percentage.

 

Hope this helps.

 

I've started to exercise again, and have exercised for the past 2 days. I worked out for 2 hours for each of the days. Just this past summer, when I did eat 2-3 small meals a day, [the lats month of July], I really noticed the difference in my body. Leaner. More energy. And more focused. The only thing was that I wasn't exercising back then and I had a sedentary job that I was working at, but I did notice myself becoming leaner even though I wasn't exercising. I guess I'm just afraid of adding more cals again, it's just my unrealistic and somewhat sick way of thinking. I just haven't ate small meals every 2-3 hours and exercised and for some reason I'm just afraid to. I think I'm afraid cause I have this idea stuck with me that the more cals I eat, the harder I have to work out at the gym when realistically, in the back of my mind, I know that the extra cals I'd be consuming is what will be my fuel for the entire day.

 

Thanks for your help!