[Blog] - My doctor is mad, I've got to make some changes

[TheVrolok]

1500 is too low. Check out a TDEE calculator, you should be doing 1000 calories less than your TDEE at the most, that will net you roughly 2 lbs/week fat loss.

Unfortunately those calculators can be woefully inaccurate. A lot of the BMR data came from athletes which is not applicable do the average population. I can't tell you how many times I've seen TDEE/BMR calculators overestimate by 500-1000 calories when compared to direct calorimetry. I suppose it's better than nothing as a guide, but I've seen a lot of people frustrated by those calculators.

 

[skull]

Unfortunately those calculators can be woefully inaccurate. A lot of the BMR data came from athletes which is not applicable do the average population. I can't tell you how many times I've seen TDEE/BMR calculators overestimate by 500-1000 calories when compared to direct calorimetry. I suppose it's better than nothing as a guide, but I've seen a lot of people frustrated by those calculators.

Weird I'm not an athlete and mine seemed to come up low, I'm 6'0 160 and it told me 2625 so I thought for sure 1500 would be too low for him. Yeah the calculators aren't perfect and neither are food labels or our ability to count every calorie. So it is best to watch the scale every week and make sure your sticking to 2lbs/week loss. I shoot for the morning after the coffee kicks in but before breakfast so I don't get those 5lbs swings.

 

[TheVrolok]

Weird I'm not an athlete and mine seemed to come up low, I'm 6'0 160 and it told me 2625 so I thought for sure 1500 would be too low for him. Yeah the calculators aren't perfect and neither are food labels or our ability to count every calorie. So it is best to watch the scale every week and make sure your sticking to 2lbs/week loss. I shoot for the morning after the coffee kicks in but before breakfast so I don't get those 5lbs swings.

Mine is low also, I will fairly quickly lose weight if I use what a calculator tells me. It certainly varies in either direction, although I think typically overestimates. People may also over/under estimate his or her activity level.

Weight loss, diet, etc isn't a perfect science which makes it really, really hard. We have some basic tenants that "generally" hold true (eat less, exercise more), nothing is accurate for everyone.

This is why I'm a fan of big picture advice or healthy lifestyle change and letting the benefits follow without getting into the nitty gritty (which the admission that I myself am motivated by the nitty gritty). As Michael Pollan has said, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

 

[ch33zw1z]

Still going strong. I've lost 12 pounds or so. I'm eating a lot less refined food and a lot fewer animal products. We'll see what the numbers say in a couple of months. I miss cheeseburgers.

Good job! Like whm said, big changes are very tough in the beginning, but the desire fades as you notice results.

Just keep at it, losing 12 lbs means what you're doing is working. Steer clear of refined sugars and junk food, keep up exercise, and the lbs will melt.

 

[mikeymikec]

Another thing to bear in mind that appetite is a very odd thing. My conclusion through personal experience is that it is a link between mind and body that can be manipulated quite a bit (I think the mind picks up on certain cues from the body that don't mean "I am hungry" but "food has passed a point in the digestive system").

For example, before I figured out how to gain weight within the limitations of my diet, I used to have a 300 calorie breakfast between 7-8AM which I could start to feel peckish at around 10-11-ish. These days I have a 600 calorie breakfast and I see much the same effect on my appetite (my current aim is to maintain weight though I've upped the exercise).

Since finding a diet that works for me, I'm often eating about 1.5x the amount of rice I used to for each meal which I go through phases of feeling like that's too much and at other times is fine.

Also, because of my illness I've sometimes had to fast for medical examinations. When undergoing a hydrogen breath test (testing for lactose intolerance), I had to fast from waking up time for a few hours (IIRC between about 7-11AM), and that morning I didn't even vaguely feel peckish at any point, whereas most mornings if I delayed breakfast by an hour I'd definitely be feeling hungry. I think that morning I had simply made my mind up subconsciously that food wasn't even vaguely on the cards.

Another example is that if I tried to eat minimally in the morning I'd really feel hungry, but after lunch I think I'd be quite happy not to eat again for 8 hours (assuming I haven't been physically exerting myself a lot in that time). At 5-7 ish I eat my evening meal in pretty much any case.

 

[JEDIYoda]

1,500 TO 1,800 CALORIES is on the low end but if you want to lose weight and if your Dr set that goal for you then you need to trust your doctor and not these armchair doctors on these forums!! Good luck!!

 

[skull]

1,500 TO 1,800 CALORIES is on the low end but if you want to lose weight and if your Dr set that goal for you then you need to trust your doctor and not these armchair doctors on these forums!! Good luck!!

Doc told him 1800 which be in line with what I told him going based on a TDEE calculator. He choose 1500 which is low, when you go too your body goes for more muscle instead of fat and is just all around unhealthy.