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This just isn't true. I had cut calories to the point that I was not getting the nutrition I needed but I still didn't lose weight. I am working with a doctor now and hopefully I will be able to undo the damage I did to my metabolism. You do have to cut calories to lose weight but cutting calories too low for too long can result in damage to your body and will not automatically result in weight loss.
Losing weight when you are older IS harder. It IS harder for women to lose weight than it is for me. I have been able to lose 55 lb but I have been having all sorts of problems losing any more despite having cut calories to the bone.
Cutting your calories too low will result in malnutrition. Your body will lose weight--just look at any anorexic.
With the exception of some metabolic disorders, when people cut calories they will lose. Now, based on my experience, many people do not adequately measure their calories but will swear on their life they do. I was one of them. It's easy to measure/eyeball incorrectly. VERY easy.
Cutting your calories too low will result in malnutrition. Your body will lose weight--just look at any anorexic.
With the exception of some metabolic disorders, when people cut calories they will lose. Now, based on my experience, many people do not adequately measure their calories but will swear on their life they do. I was one of them. It's easy to measure/eyeball incorrectly. VERY easy.
Yup!
And I'd like to reiterate something I said in my last post; calorie management works for just about everyone, but still, not everyone. There are always outliers, people whose bodies work differently for whatever reason.
But I would win a lot of money betting that people who claim to create a consistent calorie deficit but don't lose weight aren't accurately tracking their consumption. Since I've gotten on board with the CICO (love that acronym, by the way) strategy I've encountered many who said it didn't work for them but upon further discussion and inspection, weren't doing a very good job of counting calories. Think about it, how likely is it that a persons body gains weight when they consume more calories than they burn, but doesn't lose weight when they maintain a deficit?
Oh, and if a body stops losing weight after drastically reducing calories, why aren't there plump anorexic people?
I lost weight by tapering off calories and rigorous exercise. I really can't speak for others, just myself. I never went below 1400 calories, ever. Maybe people are restricting too much, triggering responses from their bodies. I started off with 1900 calories and as I lost, there was a gradual reduction. In fact, I lost weight while having two cheat meals. While you should never be super full, you should never be super hungry either while losing weight. If you are truly hungry, it's because you ARE hungry and your body should receive food. Foregoing eating in the hopes of losing even more likely will backfire. Dieting does not mean eating sparely and consuming rice cakes.
"Calories in vs. calories out" sounds simplistic but I'm sure most of us realize it's not. However, that doesn't mean the law doesn't ultimately apply. As was stated, you may be overconsuming and not even realize it or overestimating calories burned during exercise. You have to figure out how your body works to better approach your weight loss. The weight loss apps (Lose It being my fav) really help here because they can give you a ballpark figure to manage your calories. While I try to make healthier food choices most of the time, there are many things I consume that are probably on assorted no no lists and I'm fine. YMMV, of course. I don't pay attention to GI, or anything like that. I eat potatoes, mangoes, jasmine rice. Now if you have a medical condition such as diabetes, obviously different rules apply. Simply put, I just aim to eat within my calorie range for my age/height.
I lost weight by tapering off calories and rigorous exercise. I really can't speak for others, just myself. I never went below 1400 calories, ever. Maybe people are restricting too much, triggering responses from their bodies. I started off with 1900 calories and as I lost, there was a gradual reduction. In fact, I lost weight while having two cheat meals. While you should never be super full, you should never be super hungry either while losing weight. If you are truly hungry, it's because you ARE hungry and your body should receive food. Foregoing eating in the hopes of losing even more likely will backfire. Dieting does not mean eating sparely and consuming rice cakes.
"Calories in vs. calories out" sounds simplistic but I'm sure most of us realize it's not. However, that doesn't mean the law doesn't ultimately apply. As was stated, you may be overconsuming and not even realize it or overestimating calories burned during exercise. You have to figure out how your body works to better approach your weight loss. The weight loss apps (Lose It being my fav) really help here because they can give you a ballpark figure to manage your calories. While I try to make healthier food choices most of the time, there are many things I consume that are probably on assorted no no lists and I'm fine. YMMV, of course. I don't pay attention to GI, or anything like that. I eat potatoes, mangoes, jasmine rice. Now if you have a medical condition such as diabetes, obviously different rules apply. Simply put, I just aim to eat within my calorie range for my age/height.
This is everything that has worked for me. I eat what I want within my calorie range. Last night, I really wanted to eat some Ben & Jerry's Limited Edition "One Love" Ice Cream. I modified what I ate all day so it would fit in.
I was able to easily lose weight in my 20s. With each decade it got much harder. That was because with each decade I got more sedentary and I lost muscle mass. So just the mere fact of EXISTING didn't take as many calories as it used to.
At age 50, I realized I was about 20-30 lbs heavier than I should be. I made a couple half-hearted attempts to cut sugar, drop dessert and start walking. Guess what? Nothing happened. Couldn't lose a pound. I blamed it on my thyroid (I don't have one), I blamed it on menopause, I thought "I just can't lose weight anymore."
Then I decided to really dig in. I unwisely went on a 1240 calorie a day diet (as an older, sedentary person my TDEE isn't that high). But, you know what? At 1240 calories I actually lost weight like GANGBUSTERS. And I was METICULOUS about measuring. The weight started rolling off and in fact I went too far and I had to put some back on. Then I went a little too far that way! So now, I am on 1650 calories a day (no exercise to speak of) and I am losing about 1 lb every 3 weeks. I'm good with that. But I have to be very accurate with my logging.
This is everything that has worked for me. I eat what I want within my calorie range. Last night, I really wanted to eat some Ben & Jerry's Limited Edition "One Love" Ice Cream. I modified what I ate all day so it would fit in.
I was able to easily lose weight in my 20s. With each decade it got much harder. That was because with each decade I got more sedentary and I lost muscle mass. So just the mere fact of EXISTING didn't take as many calories as it used to.
At age 50, I realized I was about 20-30 lbs heavier than I should be. I made a couple half-hearted attempts to cut sugar, drop dessert and start walking. Guess what? Nothing happened. Couldn't lose a pound. I blamed it on my thyroid (I don't have one), I blamed it on menopause, I thought "I just can't lose weight anymore."
Then I decided to really dig in. I unwisely went on a 1240 calorie a day diet (as an older, sedentary person my TDEE isn't that high). But, you know what? At 1240 calories I actually lost weight like GANGBUSTERS. And I was METICULOUS about measuring. The weight started rolling off and in fact I went too far and I had to put some back on. Then I went a little too far that way! So now, I am on 1650 calories a day (no exercise to speak of) and I am losing about 1 lb every 3 weeks. I'm good with that. But I have to be very accurate with my logging.
Clearly, you don't have complex hormones which dictate your weight loss capabilities ;-).
Every single person I know who has used calorie management as a method of losing weight, and did so honestly and accurately, has lost weight. Every..... single...... person.
A good friend of mine who was instrumental in getting me going with this whole thing, laughs at people who contend that weight loss is a complicated science. His position is that of course they want to believe that, that way they don't have to be responsible for their obesity; they can blame it on something obscure that's beyond their control.
Again, I'm sorry if I'm being overly blunt, but after a lifetime of making similar excuses and justifying why I always weighed between 240-265 (e.g., I have a big frame, some people are just thicker than others, I have hypothyroidism, I'm middle-aged), I vigilantly tracked my calorie consumption, kept my daily intake to no more than 1,500 calories, and dropped down to 193 lbs. As a result, my tolerance for people who claim that weight loss isn't as simple as consuming fewer calories than you burn is nonexistent.
This is everything that has worked for me. I eat what I want within my calorie range. Last night, I really wanted to eat some Ben & Jerry's Limited Edition "One Love" Ice Cream. I modified what I ate all day so it would fit in.
I was able to easily lose weight in my 20s. With each decade it got much harder. That was because with each decade I got more sedentary and I lost muscle mass. So just the mere fact of EXISTING didn't take as many calories as it used to.
At age 50, I realized I was about 20-30 lbs heavier than I should be. I made a couple half-hearted attempts to cut sugar, drop dessert and start walking. Guess what? Nothing happened. Couldn't lose a pound. I blamed it on my thyroid (I don't have one), I blamed it on menopause, I thought "I just can't lose weight anymore."
Then I decided to really dig in. I unwisely went on a 1240 calorie a day diet (as an older, sedentary person my TDEE isn't that high). But, you know what? At 1240 calories I actually lost weight like GANGBUSTERS. And I was METICULOUS about measuring. The weight started rolling off and in fact I went too far and I had to put some back on. Then I went a little too far that way! So now, I am on 1650 calories a day (no exercise to speak of) and I am losing about 1 lb every 3 weeks. I'm good with that. But I have to be very accurate with my logging.
Clearly, you don't have complex hormones which dictate your weight loss capabilities ;-).
Every single person I know who has used calorie management as a method of losing weight, and did so honestly and accurately, has lost weight. Every..... single...... person.
A good friend of mine who was instrumental in getting me going with this whole thing, laughs at people who contend that weight loss is a complicated science. His position is that of course they want to believe that, that way they don't have to be responsible for their obesity; they can blame it on something obscure that's beyond their control.
Again, I'm sorry if I'm being overly blunt, but after a lifetime of making similar excuses and justifying why I always weighed between 240-265 (e.g., I have a big frame, some people are just thicker than others, I have hypothyroidism, I'm middle-aged), I vigilantly tracked my calorie consumption, kept my daily intake to no more than 1,500 calories, and dropped down to 193 lbs. As a result, my tolerance for people who claim that weight loss isn't as simple as consuming fewer calories than you burn is nonexistent.
You and I now both know the truth.
You know, I do think its fairly simple to lose weight the first time you try. Most people drop unhealthy foods and drinks from their diets and your body responds pretty quickly. Especially eating 1600-1900-2000 calories a day - that sounds very high to me.
So it's not rocket science.
It's keeping it off long term, losing any weight you may regain after you've hit your goal that's much more difficult. Researches have proven that once you lose weight, your metabolism becomes more efficient and you can't eat as much as a normal person your size that never dieted.
From the article below:
"In reality, 97 percent of dieters regain everything they lost and then some within three years. Obesity research fails to reflect this truth because it rarely follows people for more than 18 months. This makes most weight-loss studies disingenuous at best and downright deceptive at worst."
Clearly, you don't have complex hormones which dictate your weight loss capabilities ;-).
Every single person I know who has used calorie management as a method of losing weight, and did so honestly and accurately, has lost weight. Every..... single...... person.
A good friend of mine who was instrumental in getting me going with this whole thing, laughs at people who contend that weight loss is a complicated science. His position is that of course they want to believe that, that way they don't have to be responsible for their obesity; they can blame it on something obscure that's beyond their control.
Again, I'm sorry if I'm being overly blunt, but after a lifetime of making similar excuses and justifying why I always weighed between 240-265 (e.g., I have a big frame, some people are just thicker than others, I have hypothyroidism, I'm middle-aged), I vigilantly tracked my calorie consumption, kept my daily intake to no more than 1,500 calories, and dropped down to 193 lbs. As a result, my tolerance for people who claim that weight loss isn't as simple as consuming fewer calories than you burn is nonexistent.
You and I now both know the truth.
Well I went from 235 to 185 without counting a single calorie. Then NOTHING with no change in diet. So I cut back my calories more and more and more. I still weigh 185. I am working with doctors to fix things. Hopefully, I will be able to lose more weight.
My parting advice for you is that when you inevitably hit that plateau don't just cut WAY WAY back on your calories because if you do you might have to lose tolerance for yourself.
You know, I do think its fairly simple to lose weight the first time you try. Most people drop unhealthy foods and drinks from their diets and your body responds pretty quickly. Especially eating 1600-1900-2000 calories a day - that sounds very high to me.
So it's not rocket science.
It's keeping it off long term, losing any weight you may regain after you've hit your goal that's much more difficult. Researches have proven that once you lose weight, your metabolism becomes more efficient and you can't eat as much as a normal person your size that never dieted.
From the article below:
"In reality, 97 percent of dieters regain everything they lost and then some within three years. Obesity research fails to reflect this truth because it rarely follows people for more than 18 months. This makes most weight-loss studies disingenuous at best and downright deceptive at worst."
So I'm wondering, if researchers fail to track accurate numbers because they rarely follow people for more than 18 months, how did the articles author know that 97 percent of dieters gain back all they lost and then some?
While I'll agree that a large number of successful dieters regained some or all of the weight they lost, I know quite a few who haven't. I can't offer hard numbers, but off the top of my head I can think of at least a dozen people I know personally who went through a true transformation and maintained it.
The article is irresponsible and lazy as it draws a "why bother trying" conclusion. My blood pressure is now perfect, I sleep deeper and quieter, my resting heart rate is now sub-50 BPM. My knees and lower back are no longer hurting and I can pursue more intensive, more efficient exercise. There is no doubt I am in a better place because of the weight loss.
I will chime in to say that maintenance is hard. When you are actively restricting calories and losing weight to get to a goal, there is a purpose there. Once that goal is met, you generally can add some foods back in and eat at a maintenance amount. For me, this is the hardest part. It's hard for me to face the fact that for me to stay the same weight I am for the next 30 years, my life is pretty much filled with 1700 calorie days. It's a little depressing. Since I'm not on the losing track anymore, I'm also being a little less restrictive. This means that sometimes I want to add in little bits of my trigger foods. At times, this has been disastrous for me. So, yeah, maintaining is the hardest part. Very easy to derail and go back to old, unhealthy eating patterns.
As for it being harder to lose each time. I can see the case for that. The predominant reason for that is not that you've damaged your metabolism or anything, but every time you lose weight in a not-so-smart manner (and I'm guilty of this), you also lose fat and muscle mass. I'm sure when I did my 1200 calorie plan last year, I lost a good amount of my already-dwindling muscle mass. When I put weight back on, it wasn't muscle, it was more fat. So the dieting did lead to a loss of muscle. Less muscle means that I need less fuel to exist; hence lowering my "metabolism."
This time I'm ensuring that I lose MUCH slower, so I don't ravage my muscles AND I'm trying to gain muscle mass through bodyweight exercises (squats, push ups). If I eat too little then I actually would not be able to gain muscle. Even at my 1650 calories per day, which results in an extremely low weight loss, I'm probably inhibiting muscle gains.
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So now, I am on 1650 calories a day (no exercise to speak of) and I am losing about 1 lb every 3 weeks. I'm good with that. But I have to be very accurate with my logging.
