44 years old and trying to lose 50 pounds...

[WaikikiWaves]

Originally Posted by Nlambert

Her best friend is 5'2 and about 125 in soaking wet winter clothes. She exercises daily, consistently runs about 20-30 miles per week. She drinks when she feels like it (a couple times per week), eats absolute garbage (chocolate snacks, chips, crackers, etc...) and rarely eats healthy meals. She usually just snacks on and off all day. She cannot gain a lb to save her life. If she stops running in the late winter months she still doesn't gain weight.

We're just built differently.

I never met someone who exercises daily and then stops completely just because it's winter. She may not be running outdoors, but probably doing something else.

If a 120lb person runs a mile in 7 minutes, they burn around 80 calories. Multiply by 30 = 2,400 calories every week.

For someone of her weight, she probably only needs like 1,600 calories if she was inactive. So this would be like going 1 day and a half without food, and then eating normally for the other 5.5 days.

Finally, someone who exercises daily will probably be more active throughout the day. Pacing around the home, going for walks (instead of driving) when doing errands, etc. So her NEAT is probably a lot higher than someone of her size who is inactive.

Gaining or losing weight is all about calories in and out. Doesn't matter if that's achieved with 'healthy' foods or chocolate chip cookies. Now, eating whole foods with a lot of nutrition, will make you healthier in other ways. For her, she probably needs all the carbs/sugars to fuel her workouts.

I know body builders with single digit bodyfat, who eat 12 doughnuts before workouts, to top off their muscle glycogen. They will then spend 2 hours in the gym sweating out that glycogen.

[Nlambert]

Originally Posted by WaikikiWaves

I never met someone who exercises daily and then stops completely just because it's winter. She may not be running outdoors, but probably doing something else.

If a 120lb person runs a mile in 7 minutes, they burn around 80 calories. Multiply by 30 = 2,400 calories every week.

For someone of her weight, she probably only needs like 1,600 calories if she was inactive. So this would be like going 1 day and a half without food, and then eating normally for the other 5.5 days.

Finally, someone who exercises daily will probably be more active throughout the day. Pacing around the home, going for walks (instead of driving) when doing errands, etc. So her NEAT is probably a lot higher than someone of her size who is inactive.

Gaining or losing weight is all about calories in and out. Doesn't matter if that's achieved with 'healthy' foods or chocolate chip cookies. Now, eating whole foods with a lot of nutrition, will make you healthier in other ways. For her, she probably needs all the carbs/sugars to fuel her workouts.

I know body builders with single digit bodyfat, who eat 12 doughnuts before workouts, to top off their muscle glycogen. They will then spend 2 hours in the gym sweating out that glycogen.

She still exercises 2-3 days per week, but she stops running and uses the dead of winter as her "break".

[gentlearts]

I don’t know if I already posted, but why don’t you subscribe to Nutrisystem low carb for 3 months? Eat only what’s on the plan and nothing else. You will have lost weight, you will have weaned yourself off sugar and simple carbs, and you will realize what proper portion control looks like. You will never be hungry on this diet.

Once you stop, if you go back to your old diet, you’ll gain all the weight back, but if you use it as a learning tool, you’ll keep the weight off.