To think eating 1500 cals daily is unsustainable?

[savedbythewell]

And if you disagree, how do you do it?
How do you satisfy your appetite and what weight loss is reasonable monthly, if three stone overweight

@Bloodybridget

Yes *@northernruth* but I use recipes from all sorts of places - online, various books, cut out of newspapers and magazines going back decades, and usually adapt them to some extent depending on what I have or need to use up. And of course often cook without a recipe. But thanks for your response, I have noticed that BBC recipes include calories per serving.

Yep understand that and I make lots of stuff that I;ve been making for years and don't need a recipe for. But making a few calorie counted recipes helps you sort of learn inuitively what helps and what doesn't. For example, I don't normally subscribe to low fat etc but in the pinch of nom books they have some handy hacks to reduce calories using fry light sprays and low fat cream cheese instead of cream to make sauces, and that's all then adapable to other recipes that I make. Also I ALWAYS weigh carbs - pasta or rice - and adjusting the portion sizes of those takes a chunk out of calorie count. Little tweaks can make all the difference

There is actually research suggesting a very low calorie diet (1000 cals) and rapid weight loss is better for those significantly overweight, especially those with metabolic syndrome (obese, high blood pressure and insulin resistance). It appears to strip the fat surrounding the organs (particularly the liver) first and then moves on to the other more surface level fat.

Bunnykins no argument from me - I said what I do, and that it works, certainly not preaching it's the best thing to do.
It's no added sugar. I'm sure there are far healthier things to do .

@BigYellowTaxiT

There is actually research suggesting a very low calorie diet (1000 cals) and rapid weight loss is better for those significantly overweight, especially those with metabolic syndrome (obese, high blood pressure and insulin resistance). It appears to strip the fat surrounding the organs (particularly the liver) first and then moves on to the other more surface level fat.

Yup, the trials with women with insulin-resistant PCOS are showing to be incredibly successful.

I’m short (and over 40) - I don’t think I need to eat more than that on a regular basis? I’m quite slim but definitely not skinny.

I wonder what a "normal" calorie intake was viewed as in the past? DH and I (both mid 50s)were talking about this the other day. We don't recall people talking much about the nutritional value of food or counting calories and we don't think we had particularly healthy diets as children, judged by modern standards. But portions were definitely a lot smaller. Even junk food. I remember when McDonald's first arrived locally the biggest thing on the menu was a quarter pounder. Most people would have a regular burger or cheeseburger. The only time you see those these days is in kids meals. We have definitely reset our defininitions of "normal". Most of us are brought up to clear our plates as that's polite, not wasteful etc. There's more on plates nowadays for sure - and we're still clearing them whether we really need it or not.
I don't recall being hungry as a child, but we definitely ate a lot less.
I suspect we need a lot less food than we think we do now. We've just got used to having more so it seems unsustainable to eat less. My parents remembered rationing - now that does look unsustainable and I am not advocating a return to that - but my parents say they managed ok. And of course everyone around them was in the same boat which I think makes a difference. I think it is harder to eat less when everyone else is eating more. You feel more deprived which erodes will power. I always give up chocolate for Lent and often find it hard. This year both my sons did the same so there was none in the house, nobody else to see tucking into my favourites and it was easy.
I think physically, 1500kcal is probably plenty for many people. But food isn't just about meeting a physical need, it's far more complex than that, and that's why it's hard to cut down.

1500 is the average daily amount for a woman anywhere between 4'11 and 5'3.

I wouldn't eat over 1500 calories of food most days I've a small appetite.

@gamerchick

*Meat - ballpark figure per portion. Oils/fats - ballpark figure per portion. Rice - ballpark figure per portion based on measuring cup supplied. Potatoes - ballpark figure per portion. Eggs - ballpark figure per egg. Pulses - says it on the tin/packet. Veg - fuck all per portion. Fruit - chill, it's hardly a packet of double chocolate chip cookies we're talking about*

People massively underestimate when they guess. Like a tablespoon of rapeseed is over 100 calories and so is a medium banana.

MFP has a barcode scanner to get a more accurate daily account and a big database of foods. Not all of them are right, look for the green tick against some of them

So is a single 19g triple chocolate GF cookie.

But the banana doesn't just contain fructose, it's also got protein, fibre and potassium and, combined with a slice of toasted GF bread (78kcal if you want to be really picky about it) and some crunchy peanut butter, I'm eating fewer calories, getting better nutrition and I'm not going to be hungry in thirty minutes - unlike the person who has three cookies with their tea and then goes on to have a full meal on top.

CICO works. But that doesn't mean accounting to the last atom like a dietary taxman is hovering.

In any case, I spend so much time scrutinising ingredients for whether or not they're going to make me seriously fucking ill usually yes, hence the cooking stuff from scratch almost all the bloody time, I am not devoting further mental energy to whether a banana is too thick to be really counted as a medium or if there's one more steamed new potato and an extra tablespoon of Petits Pois on the gravyless plate than somebody else thinks should be a 'portion'.

I am trying to stick to 1500, my TDEE is 2000. I need to lose 10-14lbs and struggling

Problem is snacking!! And probably because my meals aren't enough so I'm changing that.
Also weekends are my weakness, again probably because I deprive myself mid week and then make up for it of a weekend
Temptation when I eat out etc

I have 12 weeks and want to do this healthy but it really needs to come off as nothing fits me! I exercise 6 days a week so I should be able to. It's just hard!

I only need to eat about that much, in healthy-ish food, to not put on weight.
In fact if I need to lose I eat around 1300.
My fitness pal is great for tracking:

Plain yoghurt w blueberries/banana and low sugar granola for breakfast, w a milky coffee.

Lunch - homemade egg mayo sandwich on wholemeal w tomato/cucumber, apple, rich tea biscuit

Dinner - veggie chilli with cheese and riceuk wrap and guacamole or falafel/pita/salad/chips/houmous

If you cut down massively on carbs/sugar/processed food it’s not that hard.

That’s pretty much what I eat e when I want to lose a bit of weight, i prioritise the protein, fibres and carb content, protein and fibre keeps me full. I’m pretty activity, I walk, run and strength train about 3 times a week and hit at least 70k steps for the week. Doing this I went from 136lbs to 118lbs in 6 months. To maintain the weight I aim to eat between 1800-2000 cals a day.

I should add that doesn’t mean to say you should be on the same cals as me! It’ll depend on your a TDEE, height, activity levels, etc!

Just a word of warning that if you eat moderately low calorie long term, especially if not low carb, your body is likely to adapt your daily calorie requirements to compensate (and you may feel tired, cold and hungry if you keep at it). Then if you eat what used to be ‘normally’, you will gain weight. It’s a sensible evolutionary strategy in times of low food resource. I would urge to have days where you eat more to prevent this, because in the long run, it’s deeply unhelpful!!!

@nahnothanks

This whole thread is just such a sad read.

Can you imagine how much time women waste throughout their lives fretting over this stuff? About how many calories are in a bloody Kit Kat?

If you want to improve your relationship with your body, step back from the diet industry. The vast majority of people who lose weight will put it back on again, and then some.

Your life’s purpose is not weight loss. There are a lot of people making a lot of money from you hating your bodies.

I'm with you on this. I find it utterly tedious. Women on MN seem to have made "being thin" their only personality trait. The freedom you feel when you step away from diet culture is overwhelming. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I think it depends how tall you are, and how active you are. I'm only 5'1 and don't really exercise or have an active job, so I can stick to it without feeling hungry if I want to. It doesn't make me loose weight though, I'd need about 1200 for that.

If you feel freedom when you stop a diet then you were doing it wrong IMO.

I've found it to be the opposite, it's very freeing realising you don't need expensive processed stuff to live well.

@BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou - have you had your thyroid tested, because that seems a bit weird tbh? Is it under-active?

@CorsicaDreaming The tests showed “within normal range” but GP did put me on thyroxine to see if it helped. It’s made my skin less dry but had no effect on my weight gain.

@Eeksteek

Just a word of warning that if you eat moderately low calorie long term, especially if not low carb, your body is likely to adapt your daily calorie requirements to compensate (and you may feel tired, cold and hungry if you keep at it). Then if you eat what used to be ‘normally’, you will gain weight. It’s a sensible evolutionary strategy in times of low food resource. I would urge to have days where you eat more to prevent this, because in the long run, it’s deeply unhelpful!!!

Can you cite a source on that?

Will never understand why eating 3 meals a day of non processed food with plenty of fruit, protein and veg- roughly 400 to 500 calories each- plus a snack is now considered diet culture. I would call it avoiding diabetes and heart disease in your 50s culture. I do this. It is not a diet.

@LethargeMarg

This thread reminds me of the line in Bridget Jones diary (book) when Bridget is explaining to Tom about how she sticks to a low calorie diet and Tom says 'but don't you need 2000 a day to survive?'! I'm definitely there for cutting out crap but eating totally clean can get obsessive. When it's hard to just grab something to eat when out and about I think it starts to go down a path which may be technically healthy but psychologically can start an unhealthy relationship with food and feelings of guilt etc

I agree with this. The problem is, what's the fix? Most of us if left to eat to our appetite and preferences in this world of plentiful and tempting foods, and with our biological ability to eat a lot more than we require; would become overweight pretty quickly. For some of us our age, activity levels and body size mean that we can't get anywhere near to what and how we would prefer to eat, or we will gain weight. People who strictly monitor their diets aren't all doing so because of societal pressure to look a certain way, some of us have to do it to maintain optimal health and minimise risk of disease. I'm not disagreeing with your very valid point. But in the toss up between psychological or physical health problems, it's Hobsons choice really.

I have no problem with eating Kitkats or drinking wine or eating crisps. But I don't do that daily and expect to stay healthy in my 40s and 50s. If this is diet culture I am ok with it. Beats going blind with diabetes.

@CaliforniaDrumming

Will never understand why eating 3 meals a day of non processed food with plenty of fruit, protein and veg- roughly 400 to 500 calories each- plus a snack is now considered diet culture. I would call it avoiding diabetes and heart disease in your 50s culture. I do this. It is not a diet.

I agree. Be interesting to know what people eat as a comparison. To me, eating lots of non processed foods can result in a lot of food for 1500 odd calories, but I imagine if you eat processed food you'd get very little and be very hungry.

I do 1200 when I am looking to lose weight. I try and have my first meal late about 10 or 11 (and keep it to around 250-300 calories). I then have a healthy meal with lots of vegetables for dinner which is filling for fewer calories. I make sure to include chocolate since I have a massive sweet tooth but I have one or two expensive chocolates (50 to 60 calories each) rather than a normal bar of chocolate. I fill up on tea and coffee with skimmed milk.

Generally I have no alcohol and limited bread.

It is possible but I find I need to write down everything to make sure I know how much I am eating.

@CaliforniaDrumming

I have no problem with eating Kitkats or drinking wine or eating crisps. But I don't do that daily and expect to stay healthy in my 40s and 50s. If this is diet culture I am ok with it. Beats going blind with diabetes.

I agree. I do think sometimes the idea of wanting (or being medically advised) to restrict diet for health reasons is conflated with the societal pressure to be thin. Theres no doubt that some women feel pressure to under eat to achieve a certain very slim aesthetic, but they are by no means representative of the majority of women, who need to restrict their diet to avoid being overweight. Whether they choose to or not is entirely up to them of course, but some level of dietary restriction is always going to be necessary for most of us who want to maintain a healthy weight.

@sHREDDIES19 Pp made an excellent and correct point that under eating and going into a low calorie zone will only destroy your lean muscle rather than the fat you are trying to reduce

Would that be the case too if someone had 10 stone to lose ? People who are obese have more muscle mass anyway, they are reccommended to follow a very low calorie diet with sufficent protein and add in resistance type training. Someone who is a very fit and active 8 stone would not be given the same advice.