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| Foods | Low Glycemic Foods? Which are High? | Jan 16 2009 00:57 (UTC) |
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thhq, How terribly refreshing to read such a rational response, they are in far too short a supply on this, and probably, all sites available to the general public, which is why I have not visited in so very long. The poster you responded to, read my posting, with links to supporting commentary, studies, and suggestions from leaders in the field, and still offered the argument, "Well it worked for me", the result of healthy changes if one believes currently accepted scientific commentary on the use of GI, or GL. Utilizing this sort of magical thinking one may devise a parallel one" "I drank 92 cans of beer, smoked a bag of weed, put a blindfold on, and drove home safely from the party, so obviously the statistics that point to a near-100% negative outcome to that choice, are wrong, because doing it worked for me!" An extreme example, and not fully parallel, but you get the point. Sadly, I have found these sort of places filled with advise tossed about without real thinking going on. (Lots of, "You have to drink 8 glasses of water per day") How many have bothered to research the origin of that statement, and the current and more logically accurate thinking at this time?) Normally, I would site more examples, but as it occurs in nearly every exchange, what's the point? I am only a normal person, but I fear I have seen the death of critical thinking, and an inherent desire to know, through research and dispassionate evaluation, the truth as best we can know it, before stating an opinion. We have become, "repeaters" of quasi-popcorn-"fact", and embraced the easy road of creating our world view largely based on the quips of the moment, and damn the rest of it. Obviously. as laymen, we have to accept the fact that our views and opinions simply cannot be developed purely from our own study; we do not have the education, experience, or knowledge to act as pure researchers. I don't believe that should mean that we are helpless to develop any sort of defendable, intelligent view, and instead hand our free will to others, or worse, give advise to others as if we are experts. Scary. I only wish an appropriate member of the medical community, (Not a trainer, or sociologist, or some other non-medical person), was responsible for quickly and accurately responding to the thousands of inaccurate, even dangerous, posts that fly about. What a tremendous benefit it would be to all of us. Once again, I enjoyed your post, and I hope you don't develop the sort of pessimistic despair about our population that I did while enjoying this site! Warmly, Jen
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Oct 30 2008 03:57 (UTC) |
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OK, so here's how it seems to work. The BMR is your resting metabolic rate, which is what your body, roughly burns through all its processes...this can vary wildly depending on your muscle mass, age, size, the temperature, many other factors, but without going into a formal lab for testing we are just going to use the chart, and call it roughly accurate. So that's when your theoretically sitting still. Your body burn roughly 1,610 calories per day, all by itself. But we do move, don't we? And when we use our muscles and move, we burn calories, right? SO. Now we will add those extra calories we are burning through our daily movement and activities, once again, giving us a number. Your BMR is 1,610. You have decided your activity level is sedentary, but that is still going to burn some calories. So we multiply according to the chart, X1.2... Our bodies BMR (resting calorie burning) TIMES (Calories we burn, extra) 1.2 Equals the approximiate calories our body burns just by existing PLUS what we burn off by activity. You said that was around 1,900 calories per day for you. Your body must USE 1,900 calories per day. If you eat 1,900 calories per day, you will provide the calories your body needs, and will burn off, and will stay the same weight. BUT. What if I only eat 1,400 calories per day? Where will my body get those extra 500 calories it needs to function? It will take that fuel from our fat stores, hopefully. Well if I eat 1,400 calories for 7 days, but my body actually NEEDS 1,900 every day, I have now required my body to use 3,500 calories of my fat, in order to function. 3,500 calories equals one lb! By eating less calories per day then my body requires to function, I've forced my body to use my fat, which results in weight loss. Muscles also can get burned, and this is quite a bit more complicated, but for our purposes, it gives us a rough number to work with. You can also lose weight by changing the number of calories per day your body burns. If your body needs 1,900 calories per day, normally, and you eat 1,400, as we know, 500 calories of fat is burned each day. But if we BURN another 500 calories per day through exercise, and by building up our muscle mass (more muscles means our body burns more calories), NOW we are burning 500 calories AND eating 500 calories less then the 1,900 calorie number, so we are using 1,000 calories a day of fat. In one week, that equals 7,000 calories of fat. That equals 2 lbs. It is crucial to remember, no matter what anybody on the Internet may tell you, these numbers are not accurate, or precise. You MUST consult a specialist in order to have your BMR tested more accurately, and your Daily Caloric Needs more accurately determined. But it gives us something to work with. BMR is NOT the number we work with, though members on this site suggest it is. BMR (Calories burned by the body for its various processes) needs to be multiplied by at least 1.2 (Sedentary activity) to provide us with our Daily Caloric Needs, which for you is around that 1,900 mark, right? Not that complicated. Be tough. Jen |
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Oct 29 2008 01:57 (UTC) |
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I am logging in for the first time in months, and it was interesting to see what was added to this post. Don't be confused, fairydust. just write down the formula above, grab a calculator, and input your information in the blanks. The big deal is remembering that apx 3,500 calories equals one pound. The most important thing to remember is this sort of sites might attract people who will make absolute statements, that may or may not be accurate. I believe the science of weight loss seems to be ever-changing, as new things are learned, and old assumptions must be discarded to accommodate the new theories. It seems to me only one's doctor, and a trusted doctor, at that should be dispensing super personal instructions about one's health. Best, Jen |
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| Weight Loss | NM | Feb 12 2008 05:15 (UTC) |
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Yes, I believe I have a good understanding of what I have posted The internet offers a very exciting variety of information. One is able to research and compare and contrast varying points of view, and decide based on the sources of these studies, along with some solid common sense, what seems to be most logical. Would you prefer I do what so many of you do, and make absolute statements, without any sort of basis in fact, or commonly accepted science? What good does this sort of thing do anybody? Copying and pasting invites you to reject emotional evaluation of information, solely, and research these links on your own. Your post is hardly threatening to me. We show a great deal of ourselves in the words we choose to use, whether they be cautious and thoughtful, or in your case, perhaps something quite the opposite. Best to all. Jen |
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| Weight Loss | NM | Feb 09 2008 06:53 (UTC) |
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Here is some easy info about BMR and Daily Caloric Needs: This isn't too hard to calculate using a BMR calculator. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ OK, so now you have a number. That number roughly estimates how many calories your body will burn if you lay in bed all day. Now, we just multiply that number X the number that matches our activity. We use this chart to find that number that we multiply times the first number we got from the calculator. Harris Benedict FormulaTo determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
No big thing, just BMR X the number that matches our activity. Now you have the number we actually work with: Daily Caloric Needs. This is, roughly, the amount of calories our body will burn on one day. In order to lose weight, one must create a deficit. You can accomplish this by: Consuming less calories, or, exercising, which will burn calories. If I find my final number, (Daily Caloric Need) to be 1,800 calories, that will mean that if I eat 1,200 calories, I will have created a deficit of 500 calories. A deficit means my body will be short the calories it needs to function, and thus will utilize the body's stores to function, hopefully made up of more fat then other things. If I do that for 7 days....I multiply 7 times 500, right? That number equals 3,500 calories. 3,500 calories equals one pound, so theoretically, I will lose one pound of weight from my body. I could do the same thing by burning 500 calories a day, right? It is very important to understand that these numbers, calculated in this way, must be inaccurate, as they do not take in to consideration your personal muscle mass, accurate activity level, whether you are sick, or well. There are many variables to consider. However, it seems to be a respected guideline to utilize for the purpose of creating a plan of action, as long as we pay attention to what is occuring, and realize we may need to adjust depending on how our body is reacting. BMR is thrown around a lot, but it is not a useful number for us, and is NOT the number we should be working with. BMR times the appropriate figure in the above chart is what will give us our daily caloric needs, or, the amount of calories we roughly burn in one day. THAT is the number from which we should create the deficit. Best, Jen
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| Weight Loss | NM | Feb 05 2008 05:31 (UTC) |
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Here is a link to a previous discussion http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/761 04.html BMR is not the figure to work with, but rather, only a measure of how many calories, ROUGHLY, your body would burn should you remain entirely still all day.
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| Foods | Walden Farms products..what do you think of them? | Feb 04 2008 06:49 (UTC) |
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I have tried several of these products, and even taking into consideration that one may need to expect a change of taste, they were absolutely awful. Yuck. Inedible.
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 31 2008 08:22 (UTC) |
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Hey Dawn! My husband and I operated the card room out of the Fern Restaurant, Tillamook, while social gaming was still legal in Oregon. I hate the rain more then I can say, and I, too, spent many years of my life traveling the country. I was born in Miami, and I have lived in Newport, Depoe Bay, Netarts, Salem, Portland, Canyonville, Lincoln City, Cannon Beach, Wheeler, Bay City, Brookings, Oregon, Las Vegas, Elko, Reno, Wendover, Sparks, Winnemuca, Spring City, Nevada, Seattle, Marysville, Renton, Federal Way, Lakewood, Spokane, Tacoma, Renton, Washington, as well as San Francisco, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monterey, Carmel, Campbell, Almaden, Sacramento, Paso Robles, Aptos, Santa Cruz, California. I went to boarding school in Salem, New Hampshire, Arizona, Monterey, and attended school in New Jersey. I lived for several months on Clearwater Island, Florida, recently. And I have visited, most for over 6 weeks, every state except Alaska, and I am pretty sure I have not spent time in Tennessee, though I have driven through it. So I am with you on the travel. I grew up in the cities in California, and I very, very much miss the weather. I have been tossing around the Flax Seed, as well. It sounds as if studies are pretty consistent in there support of it. I just started taking Chromium, as well. Thought I'd add a note to you, as I forgot to do so on my last post. Best to All! Jen |
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| Foods | Low Glycemic Foods? Which are High? | Jan 31 2008 07:48 (UTC) |
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OK, I'm going to jump in here, because I see no one else has. I'm not a biologist, here, but because my family has a high incidence of diabetes, I have been researching the GI and GL studies for a couple of years. PLEASE promise me you will visit, and finish reading, the last article I left a link for, as it is interesting and thought provoking. The utilization of the GI is generally not considered to be accurate or useful, if one believes the numerous universities that have released studies in the last several years. Australia is about to require manufactures to include a "GI" symbol on its foods, and that has brought out a lot of discussion about the GI fad. The problem seems to be the accuracy. The GI changes drastically as it is added to other foods, so it ends up being incredibly complicated to accurately calculate the true GI. It ends up many people still do well on it, however, because they are tending to avoid higher sugar foods, and are of course lowering calories as a result of making better food choices, and thus experience weight loss. So that is a good thing just all by itself, but it is just a personal opinion that we should all know the truth, as best we can, by utilizing all possible avenues for researching as many articles and studies from as many reputable sources as are available to us. I'm not trying to sound negative, but we need to really research things before we believe them to be gospel, don't you think? Utilizing a search engine (Google) will reveal numerous articles, (NOT from the authors or publishers fad GI books) that give some great information. I've thrown a couple of lead paragraphs down below, with a couple of links I found in a couple of seconds.
Today, an article about the study is found in The State that opens with "It’s trendy, it’s diet-y and it’s hard to understand. So naturally, the glycemic index has inspired all kinds of “expert” commentary and plenty of confusion among consumers. But a USC researcher says the glycemic index is so flawed, it’s pretty much useless for people trying to lose weight." The website if that article is: http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/2006/ 03/revisiting-glycemic-index.html From Australia: How useful is GI? In a nutshell, not very. This whole article can be found, and is worth finding, at: http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/gi-blues.htm l Best to all, Jen
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| Motivation | Tact | Jan 31 2008 07:11 (UTC) |
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OK, so I must confess I removed all men from my life 3 years ago, and I live single, now. However, I have been married, and my best friend is married to a man that I have known for 25 years, and I wanted to throw some thoughts out. I've found, sometimes, and been told by many men that they sometimes become confused as to how we would like to be supported in our efforts. The way a man would support another man is pretty straight forward, and direct, whereas, for us, what we would like is not to feel judged, or coached, or to be looked at when we are eating a damn cracker, but rather, we would like to tell our guy that we are working on our weight, and feel that they trust us to know how to manage and conduct that weight loss. A comment or dirty look when we eat ice cream means to us that we are not being trusted, we are a child, we are being controlled, and we are being told that maybe he really doesn't love us, even if we are overweight. Suggestion to the husband from Jen "the trainwreck" from Seattle. Stop policing your wife's food, you are making her feel less competent, and capable, and thus taking away from her the feelings of success that come from making personal changes. What she eats is simply not any of your business, nor would you want anybody to treat you as a child, either. Add daily comments, genuine in nature, that show that you are noticing the changes she is making, and that you admire her and feel proud of her. Make these comments have nothing to do with her weight. Encourage her by ASKING her HOW she would benefit from your support. "Wow, I think it is great you are going to make some changes for your health, what can I do to be supportive?" Wife needs to give direct, specific instructions as to WHAT constitutes support for her. You just can't realistically expect a man to know what support means to you unless you tell him. A list made up of: "When you say/do this, It is not supportive because it makes me feel...................." and "When you say/do this, it makes me feel loved and supported because.............." Be direct, be prepared, be honest, be respectful, do not raise your voice, speak with respect, and do not call names,assume that he loves you, and truly wants the best for you, and that he is making some mistakes because he has not yet come to understand what the results of his words and actions are. Husband, if you want change in another person, the best way to support it is to accept the person exactly as they are. Genuine compliments that have nothing to do with looks, which will increase your wife's sense of security and confidence in your UNCONDITIONAL love and acceptance will allow her to find the courage to make a change. This is important that you understand this. When we feel loved, we feel brave, and we can let go of what we are clinging to that isn't working anymore, and make a change. It is not YOUR change to make or control, it is your wife's. If she does not wish to lose weight, and you are not happy with that, you can accept it, or make a decision to leave the relationship, but you cannot control another person without damaging that person's feeling of competence. You don't want a wife who does not believe in her own ability to do things, do you? If husband really wanted to jump on the support bandwagon, wouldn't it be great for him to say, "Wow, healthy eating would be a good choice for me, too, how about we both make longterm, life long changes?" What about healthy fun activities that you might do with your wife to support her changes? Bicycling? Frisbee in the park? I wish you good luck. Jen
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| Fitness | opinions on Tony Little's Gazelle Edge?? | Jan 31 2008 06:42 (UTC) |
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Doesn't the new Gazelle have resistance bands that you can attach in order to increase the difficulty? I just inherited a Gazelle from my best friend, and it seems to me that one could make it much less easy by adding weights in some way? Easy and low impact can be a good thing, initially, even for the young couch potatoes, but buying used, through cragslist, ebay, etc, is a good way to pay half or less from new price. Let's face it, paying less is always better then paying more, especially when you are buying a piece of equipment you may or may not wish to keep long term, right? Good Luck all, Jen |
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| Motivation | Anybody a Night Snacker? | Jan 31 2008 06:37 (UTC) |
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Kindred spirits, all. If I went to sleep before 9pm, I would simply not have had a problem with my weight to begin with. I worked in Nevada, as a pitboss/dealer for 15 years, and always worked swing shift, so I generally ate dinner between 2am and 3am. Unfortunately, when I left the business, I worked shifts that were much earlier, but still stayed up very, very late, and ate most of my calories after 9pm. I will keep checking this thread, because this is still rough for me, and I will be interested to see what others do to conquer this. Right now, I am simply saving 400-700 calories for night time, but this can't be good, as I do not eat enough during the day. Brie...who doesn't love Brie..Brie in puff pastry...ahh...ok, back to reality. It tasted good, but the price has become too high, for now. I'm thinking of going to the YMCA at night, meet my best friend, work out and talk. If I sit in front of the tv, I am deadmeat. Good luck, all, and I'm looking forward to more ideas. Best, Jen |
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 30 2008 09:33 (UTC) |
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Hey Everybody! Stellajo! I know how you feel about that plateau. Unfortunately, the cause of mine can be quickly identified as not doing what I need to in order to lose weight! Stay with it, and recommit to yourself every morning that you are going to have a great day. I'm trying that, and following another member's advise to kind of see it as AA members do-one day at a time. To imagine all the work we need to do for the rest of our lives is a heck of a lot more overwhelming then 24 hours, don't you think? Patricia, you rock! Seeing that you exercised, I am going to exercise first thing in the morning. Molly, do you think if I drink a bottle of hot sauce every morning, I could just skip the exercise altogether? Imhof, you DO want this bad enough, this time. That is why you are here, with us, because you are ready. NOW is the time for all of us. Maybe on your lunchbreak, tomorrow, you could just walk ONE time around your building? Or maybe just up ONE flight of stairs? Today, I just did a quick, 15 minute walking video, but heck, it was 15 minutes, right? Andrea, you remain an inspiration for me. You are going make it happen. We're all pulling for you, I'm sure of it. Thanks, Dawn. I see you have kids. I must confess it drives me nuts to see kids run around in circles for hours without losing there breath while I procrastinate walking to the kitchen to fill my coffee cup. I need all of you to give me some ideas to help me beat my downfall-coffee with cream and sugar. I LIVE on this, and I have for 20 years. I'm just not shaking it. I'd like to tell all of you that after reading all of your posts on Sunday, I hopped right back to eating the correct amount of calories on Monday, and repeated that today! Thanks to all of you. I'm drinking too much coffee, though, which is using up too many of my calories that I need for food. I hesitate to tell you all how bad it is...73 calories per cup, at least 4 cups a day. I know, I know, it's horrible. I'm fortunate that I am almost 5'11'', and 267lbs, so I can afford a few calories, but I wonder, of course, how much more of a deficit could I create without the coffee? I'm waiting for your suggestions while I sip on my coffee at 1:30 in the morning! I really enjoy this point in the biggest loser, forward, as the weight loss becomes more visible. I know a couple of you watch it, what about the rest? Horseleanna and Theresa, where are you, and how are you doing? Let's make Wednesday a good one for us, huh? Best to all! Jen |
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 28 2008 08:17 (UTC) |
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Hey Guys! Molly, seriously..78lbs??!! You Rock. Ooo...out of town is scary..I hope you made it unscathed! Achieving your exercise goals is a HUGE deal, too. Rock on. Wow! Lots of new folks since I was on last. imhof, sounds like you have a great start! It's great you are here, with us, since you are a CNA, I'll bet you take better care of others then you do yourself. I just turned 41, and I have suffered from the taking care of everybody else syndrome/excuse for a long time, and I hope I can turn that around for the first time. Hey Andrea! I am WAY not the right person to be saying much of anything, but I wonder if you have had some bloodwork done, just to make sure you are not fighting a thyroid or other medical situation? We always think, "not us", but who knows? Trisha, I seriously admire the no-smoking...I have not yet quit successfully. I know what the exercise difficulty is like, too. I have not exercised in a couple of weeks, now, but I am not going to quit like I always have. I'm going to keep coming back to all of you guys, and refocus as many times as it takes. Dawn, welcome from a fellow Pacific Northwester! I am living in Marysville, WA, right now, apx 35 miles north of Seattle, but I have lived many years in Oregon, including in Portland, Salem, Canyonville, Lincoln City, Tillamook, Newport, Brookings, and a few more, probably. Jakes retaurant and Powells Bookstore...gotta love them. 261lbs! Nowhere to go but down, is there? I fell to 268lbs, and stayed there a few weeks ago. I totally hear you when you talk about using the weight as a protection. Does anybody else relate to that? I, too, am so self-conscious that it is horrible to leave the house. BL is inspires me, too, I keep watching to remind myself that as horrible as I look now, it really CAN change if I do what I need to. Theresa! Do not feel badly! Get that Gazelle out! Let's do this thing and follow the great example of coach_k and others on our thread! We can do this! oilpaintlady! This is the place for you! My mom, who is 78, lives with me and is also an artist. It will have been a few days since you posted here, let us know how you've done this week! Coach-k, you are an inspiration with a healthy BMI. I went away for awhile, and as much as I didn't want to log back in and say that I had lost my determination SO quickly, I am too fat and too old to pretend that I don't need to get my weight reduced. Nearly everyone in my family has had diabetes for the last 4 generations, so it's only a matter of time for me if I don't get this done. My knees are killing me, too! To hear you say it IS possible means more then you can imagine, because it seems like it is not, at times. I am brutally competetive, and the idea of trying to do something, and failing is horrifying to me.Gosh, it is great to see all of you, here. Report in and let us know how you are doing. I am recommitting, tomorrow, and going to stick tightly to my eating plan, again, and try to get some cardio in tomorrow. Stay tough, all of you, I need you! Jen 
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| Weight Loss | what goes in YOUR salad? | Jan 21 2008 05:40 (UTC) |
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This thread was the greatest idea! salsa on pasta...yum I also love ponzu.. I've just gotten some great ideas! Thanks posters!! Jen |
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Jan 21 2008 05:35 (UTC) |
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Hey All, udokier, I wonder if some folks are relying on the BMR figure as there final figure... one needs to multiply that times AT LEAST 1.2, in order to get the figure we can work with somewhat, and that is NOT the BMR, but rather, the second figure we obtain from multiplying the BMR times the activity value we pull from the Harris Benedict chart... I did not mention, that I, too, think the "starvation mode" term is thrown around a bit too much, and is often accompanied by alarmist language, such as "You're going to kill yourself!!!" Eating at just one's caloric needs is actually a movement which has been featured on several major news shows. It is called something like very low calorie, it is NOT being used for weight loss, but by some folks who are wishing to be healthy. Some preliminary studies had actually shown some of these folks to be very healthy, though it goes against what is currently touted as healthy. Dee, it is great to hear you're going to see a doc and a nutritionist. I love this site, but I would not take medical advise from anybody who is not qualified to be giving it, and that would be the majority of the members of this site, and all others, I guess. People often mistake there own personal success, and what they have read somewhere, as fact, and offer it up to others as such. I, personally, would not even follow the advise of just one professional, but would make certain I've researched as much as I can, with the limitations inherent in being a layperson, before I took action on an important matter. Just to reiterate, I think we need to make sure that we are using our daily caloric requirements as our working figure, and NOT BMR, as I hear folks refer to, here. BMR refers only to an estimate of how many calories your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day.. Daily Caloric Requirements refers to the estimate of what our body will burn, with activity taken into consideration. Best to All, Jen |
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| Weight Loss | what goes in YOUR salad? | Jan 20 2008 08:54 (UTC) |
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Fabu dressing with virtually Zippo calories... big scoop of salsa big squeeze lemon juice, or vinegar one teaspoon sour cream, or lite sour cream or, leave out. Amazing how good it tastes, and how one does not miss the fat..it flavors the salad really well. |
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| Weight Loss | what goes in YOUR salad? | Jan 20 2008 08:50 (UTC) |
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Chopped Green apple, walnuts, baby greens, crumbled gorgonzola, fresh blueberries, apple smoked turkey chunks, heirloom yellow tomatoes, finely diced red onion. Huge squeeze lemon juice....bit of olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, yum. |
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Jan 20 2008 08:30 (UTC) |
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I hope you all scroll up to my other posts...it seems that as maddprofessor put it, "trusting" the BMR, then the Daily Caloric Reqirements number we get after that, is not going to give us a very accurate number. There are several factors, it seems, that cause this number to be higher or lower, right? I am using it, as well to calculate my deficit...I'm trying to create a deficit of 500 calories per day, but I'm a really tall, really big person, so I have some wiggle room. I'm worried about the small folks who are using this figure, and not realizing that the accuracy of this number can vary, quite a very large bit..some doctors are suggesting as much as 20%, up or down. SO....though the bmr calculator, and the Harris Benedict Equation appears to be well accepted for a rough ESTIMATE for us to work with, made possibly even more accurate by our doctors who might be able to help us tweek it. mxo62xo...after using the BMR calculator, you will get a number. That number ROUGHLY estimates what your body will burn if you lay in bed all day. If you are sedantary, you would multiply that number times 1.2. The resulting number would estimate what your body burns in a day. This would change, or course, if you exercise more, see above posts about BMR ..rough estimate with the tools we have just used. 3500 calories equals one pound. Let's say the final number you got was 2,000 calories. 2,000 calories are the calories your body uses in one day, roughly. If you only eat 1,500 calories, or if you burn 500 calories, you have created a 500 calorie deficit. If you do that for 7 days in a row, you will have a deficit of 3,500 calories for the week. 3,500 calories equals one pound. See how that goes? The thing is, of course, is that if one believes the numerous reputable medical sites, we must ONLY use this as an estimate, so it is not going to be as perfect as the example, but it is darn worth using as a tool, no matter what anybody else says. We don't treat it as some sort of biblical absolute, though,we'll just use it as another tool, right? Somebody posted that the BMR is an "average". It isn't an average, is it? The BMR gives us one number that then allows us to estimate our daily caloric requirements, so "average", is quite different. Dee2139..Any opinion I have comes from a person who is over 100lbs overweight, and has not yet taken it off, but here it goes. You have 10lbs left to lose (first of all Whoo-Hoo!!!). Secondly, are you sure your body really wants you to lose that 10 lbs? I'd just recently read some stuff on "setpoint", or a number the body may seem to like to be. It sounded as if this was in the process of being researched, so still a theory right now, but interesting, and worth a google. Did you multiply the number you got from the BMR calculator times the figure in the Harris Benedict Chart? 1493.75 sounds very low... BMR ONLY represents the number of calories your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day....you need to multiply THAT number times AT LEAST 1.2 for sedentary activity, to get your body's daily caloric requirement. It is that number that you would subtract 599 from. How long has it been since you have had a physical? I think when you are experiencing symptoms such as weakness, it is time to make an appointment, have your blood drawn, tell your doctor you have felt weak, and let him make sure that something entirely different isn't going on. Anybody who doesn't give you that advise to begin with is not being responsible. Go to the doctor and make sure your bloodwork is all normal. Go now. Then come back and post and see what folks here have done to get off that last stubborn bit. erica1649...did you calculate your bmr, then multiply times one of the numbers in the Harris Benedict Chart in order to get your Daily Caloric Requirements? Find the BMR calculator link in the above posts. I have freckles that weigh more then 108lbs. Wouldn't somebody around 4'11" look pretty darn slender at 115lb, or so? Being short must be tough..I am, unfortunately, 5'10-1/2", and only spent a life dreaming of being small. Be tough, I'm frustrated, too, but they can't say we've failed until we give up, can they? Best to All, Jen
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Jan 19 2008 06:39 (UTC) |
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Last post on this from me... Some folks seem confused. This isn't too hard to calculate using a BMR calculator. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ OK, so now you have a number. That number rougly estimates how many calories your body will burn if you lay in bed all day. Now, we just multiply that number X the number that matches our activity. We use this chart to find that number that we multiply times the first number we got from the calculator. Harris Benedict FormulaTo determine your total daily calorie needs, multiply your BMR by the appropriate activity factor, as follows:
No big thing, just BMR X the number that matches our activity. I hope you read the last two posts, though, so you don't take the figure to be absolute. I'm going to take my numbers to my Doctor next month, and see if he can work with me to try and tweek it to match my body, or at least give me his medical input. One would think a well-educated fitness or nutritional expert would also have some great advise, too. Good Luck, all. Jen |
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Jan 19 2008 06:28 (UTC) |
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Here is another: Because of the increased activity of cells undergoing division, the younger the person, the higher (faster) the metabolism. And the taller and heavier a person is, the faster their metabolism. Because of the greater percentage of lean muscle tissue in the male body, men generally have a 10-15% faster BMR than women. Restrictive and traditional diets may cause your BMR to drop as much as 20%. People living in tropical or very cold environments generally have BMR's 5-20% higher than those living in more temperate climates. In general, depending on the intensity and duration, consistent exercise will also increase your BMR. Note: BMR calculators should only be used to provide a rough guideline on daily energy expended. Actual values cannot be attained using such calculators, and may be quite inaccurate depending on several factors such as geographic location, body-type, diet, body composition, supplementation and some genetic factors. Values which extend +/- 15% above and below your calculated BMR may be a more accurate representation of your actual BMR range as daily fluctuations are constant and your BMR is rarely the same on a daily basis. http://preventdisease.com/healthtools/article s/bmr.html
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| Weight Loss | at least 1200/day is BULL!!!!..for most people | Jan 19 2008 06:11 (UTC) |
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| Hello All,
I just wanted to hop in here with what might be an important point for us to consider when we use these tools.
I've copied from:
http://health.drgily.com/basal-metabolic-rate -calculator.php
How Accurate Is This BMR Calculator? While these formulas are widely used to predict the basal metabolic rate, please keep in mind they only provide an estimate, as there is significant variability in basal metabolic rates between similar individuals, and even in the same individual, bmr can vary from day to day. For the basal metabolic rate estimation to be accurate, several assumptions must be true at the time of measurement: absence of gross muscular activity - i.e. you MUST be resting, and your muscles MUST be relaxed post-absorptive state - i.e. 12 hours or more after the last meal thermal neutrality - i.e. ambient temperature variations should be minimal emotional disturbance must be minimal, as studies have shown that emotional upset, particularly apprehension, may result in rises in BMR of from 15–40 percent awake state, as sleep tends to depress BMR by approximately 10 percent If you want to read more about BMR variability, J.V.G.A. Durnin from the University of Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland, has published a very interesting paper on this topic, entitled BASAL METABOLIC RATE IN MAN. Here is the address of that study: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/004/M2845E/ M2845E00.HTM From Kristensguide.com, here is another factor to consider: Be forewarned, the rate you calculate may not be accurate. If you are muscular, your BMR will actually be higher than the calculated rate because muscles are always using energy and burn calories even when they aren't doing anything. If you are fat, your BMR will actually be lower than the calculated rate because fat cells store energy rather than use energy. Either way, at least you can get an idea of your maximum or minimum BMR depending on your situation. Women generally have more fat, and men generally have more muscle, so there are two separate equations for the calculation. Here is the address for that site: http://www.kristensguide.com/Health/Weight_Lo ss/bmr.asp This also discusses the difference between the equation used for men and women. Just thought before some folks start using the number they get from the calculators, both BMR, and Daily Caloric Requirements, which is really the number we care most about, as if they are gospel, and absolute, we need to make sure to include this information while we are creating a nutrition/exercise strategy for weight loss. Good Luck All, Jen |
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 19 2008 05:49 (UTC) |
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You speak the truth, Molly. Molly, what do you currently eat in the morning? Happy Birthday Teresa!!! 3lbs is fabulous! Wow!! Nice Job! I've decided to weigh every Wednesday morning from now on. I was doing that obsessive weighing thing, and I've really got to reign it in. Exercise. Yes. I must confess circumstances combined with a lack of discipline has also left me not really dig into that, yet, either. I think there's no question that we really have to, though. I started a thread about my experience last week-Help I'm going in reverse-under weight loss, which was intended to be somewhat tongue in cheek, but also holds some truth. I went up to 268lbs, from my initial loss down to 264lbs, which naturally freaked me out, so I'm not looking forward to next Wednesday. I very much enjoyed the part about eating more, earlier, too, Teresa. I don't think I can eat a huge breakfast, but I'm tempted to make lunch quite large, and make dinner very modest. I wonder if eating oatmeal for dinner would be too strange? If one simply follows one's common sense, eating more, earlier, when one requires more calories for energy to utilize throughout the day, and then reducing calorie intake as activity drops, seems to make sense. The trouble, or course, ends up being our lack of full knowledge of all the variables of this sort of thing. Sometimes what seems logical, really isn't when one learns more about the subject. Best to all of you, Jen
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 18 2008 06:56 (UTC) |
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Teresa, that is too funny.. I printed out that particular post last night because I thought it was great! I know, I know, we just have to eat breakfast, darn it. There is just way too much evidence out there on he side of the breakfast-eaters, and not too many credible-sounding studies on our non-breakfast-eating side. Leanna, welcome! I've spent a good part of my adult life in numerous towns in Oregon, where are you living? It's great to have you here. It's way too boring a story, but after I left the bad man that I ended going back to 3 years ago for a few months, and then leaving again, I moved to the gorgeous Clearwater Island, FL, with my brother, jumped on Atkins, and lost 75lbs. It was disaster after that. I gained a little back, dieted, lost some, gained back more, dieted, lost more, gained back even more. Beyond scary. So I know what you mean. I am also a smoker, but I just don't think I can bare trying to lose weight, and quit smoking at the same time. It sounds like we all need to make this the time for us to really change our lives, instead of justing changing for the duration of a diet, and then going back to the same old eating. Teresa, did you find the break down of what a 1500 calorie a day diet looked like as cool as I did? I mean, it is obvious, if one thinks about it, but I hadn't really. I loved that article, and printed it out for my stubborn best friend who won't join this site, yet. I'm still going to keep my eye out for the Harvard, or Princeton, or Oxford, 85 year study of one million people called, "Weight loss efforts and general health indisputably compromised by the eating of breakfast"...I think we'll see that released right after the, "Dieters lose 98% more body fat when potato chips and cake are staple of eating plan". Best All! Jen |
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| Weight Loss | Help!! I'm Moving in Reverse! I'm in the "Twilight Diet Zone" | Jan 18 2008 06:34 (UTC) |
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Ah, a kindred spirit. 183lbs doesn't seem like much weight to me, Helene! I look nearly slender at that weight! My best friend, Edwina, however, who has embarked on this journey along with me, but hasn't been to the cc site, yet, is also 5'3", and 50 years of age. She weighed, perhaps, 130lbs when I met her 15 years ago, and when she weighed at our start, she was horrified to see 218lbs. She has thus far dropped to 212lbs, which is a huge deal for her, as she loses slowly. I've been trying to shove her into the doctor's office so she might have her blood tested, but she is a stubborn Australian, so I'm going to have to keep trying. She has not struggled as I have thus far with putting together, and sticking to a plan. What sort of plan are you following, and what sort of luck have you had thus far? I must confess I don't quite feel as if I have really dedicated myself to a complete change, yet. I'm still drinking coffee (with cream and sugar), and I am not really exercising. Are you native to Vietnam, or are you a transplant? What part of Vietnam are you in? Magical thinking. Interesting, that. I feel particularly vulnerable to this sort of thing, I think. Whether it is men, or my weight, I have had a way of simply not seeing that which I do not wish to see. I rid myself of that last man 3 years ago..if I could conquer the weight, heaven knows what I might be able to accomplish. I have small, modest dreams of doing a couple of things that I, strangely, believe I would attempt if I could bring my physical appearance more in line with what I think matches, well, the real me. On the topic of thinking about food, I'm currently writing out an actual menu that I can follow. I think this sort of detailed planning, applied to this sort of problem, is more a match to my temperment then just winging it. Conversely, Edwina is doing great just grabbing the right thing at the right time, or throwing together a correctly portioned meal. This is odd, as I am the gourmet cook, and she despises all things kitchen. It's great to meet you Helene, my name is Jennifer, and I live in Marysville, Washington, about 30 miles north of Seattle, along the I-5 corridor. I enjoy your concise, intelligent writing. Too much solitude with little communication outside of work, and even less in writing means I'm going to have to practice a bit before I find this skill, again. Best, Jen
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| Weight Loss | Help!! I'm Moving in Reverse! I'm in the "Twilight Diet Zone" | Jan 17 2008 09:17 (UTC) |
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Thanks for that! Interesting. After reading your post, I popped on to a site and figured my BMR, as well as my daily caloric needs, and found that it is about 2,641 calories per day. I'm 5' 10-1/2", 268lbs, and 41 years of age, with light activity. I started out eating 1,200 to 1,300 calories per day, and had a few busy days that only added up to 600 calories or so. I appreciate the prompt to really look at some numbers. I, like so many others, am guilty of watching, "The Biggest Loser", and even though I know the conditions under which they are dropping such large numbers per week, I seem to have the residual thoughts that a pound or two a week is not real weight loss. I am trying to get my head really accepting an approach that more follows a lifestyle change, instead of the quick fixes that worked so well in my 20's, (at least in the short term), but I must confess it is a struggle. Thank you, once again. It is this sort of much-appreciated input that I hope is going to guide me to the life I dream of living. Thanks for noticing the trainwreck image, too! If we can't have a good life at ourselves, and the world, it just makes the whole thing drudgery, doesn't it? Jen |
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 17 2008 04:37 (UTC) |
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Thanks Teresa, for the encouragement! I know how that goes with the husband who is just a little worn out with the diets.. It is definitely going to be more fun to just have him notice the difference! Wow, Stella (Stella Jo?)! You are just an inch away from being under 200lbs, though, aren't you! That is fantastic! Keep going! I'd never thought about a Gazelle, either, but the price of "free" has also made me a sudden enthusiast. I should have the darn thing in my living room this weekend, so we'll see how it goes. My knees have just about gotten tired of my vastness, so I really like what appears to be a low impact kind of machine. I had a pretty good day as far as my food, went. Lots of vegetables, and enough protein, I think. I don't know about you girls, but my big food issue is eating enough food, often enough. Since I've been given an unexpected vacation, I sleep pretty late, probably because I'm kind of blue, and I will not eat for several hours when I wake up. I then will tend to eat in the evening, and even late into the night. So a big thing for me is to wake up, and eat some oatmeal pretty quickly. Trying to eat correctly, for me, requires an absurd amount of focus. I started this thing a couple of weeks ago, and it feels like months and months. Well, it is nice to hear from all of you, and I hope you have a great night. Most Warmly, Jen |
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| Motivation | 200lbs PLUS and Over 35 Years of Age? | Jan 16 2008 06:06 (UTC) |
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Hello! Thanks for the reply! I think my thread got lost in the shuffle. I did get a few replies on the 200lb thread already created. It's nice to meet you, and you are not going to believe this.. My best friend was cleaning out her garage yesterday, and she asked me if I wanted the exercise machine that was hidden behind a bunch of other stuff. I told her that I would, and asked her what it was exactly, and she said it was the Tony Little machine! I looked it up, and it is a Gazelle! So here is what I say about the space situation, which I totally understand, and you'll see why. I was fired around Christmas, and an unfortunate financial situation required me to move my mom and I into what I'm calling a "remotely constructed movable housing unit". Yes, I am in a single wide mobile home...from 1,400 square feet to 766 square feet.. Leaving aside the stigma, this little place is very small for the two of us.
We are in a tiny park with 15 other mobile homes, and we have this great backyard with pretty little gardens, and big decks for the summer, so that part is great. It is also strangely situated in a residential neighborhood with very nice houses all around, so it is very safe. I have decided that I am going to put this piece of equipment right in the living room ,darn it. I'm very fat, but I have been single for the last 3 years, and after deciding I was tired of living my life for a man, I took in my 78 year old mother, who I adore, and still accomadate someone else over myself. So I am putting it in the living room. I am far too fat, and for once, just once, in my life, I want to get down to a weight that lets me leave the house without feeling uncomfortable. Happy Birthday in advance!!! How exciting! I have the tiniest bedroom you have ever seen in your life, and I'm going to replace my queen size bed for a smaller size, so I, too can have a space of my own. I only use a little bit of the bed, anyway. I never have gotten used to sleeping alone. 25th anniversary is also very exciting! Is your husband supportive? Will he be able to accept the new and slender woman you are going to become? I must confess I am struggling with motivation. It seems the last few times I have attempted to change, I last a very, very short time. I wonder what we do to stay on track, and keep our eyes on the goal? I really want this, as I bet you do, too. I can't figure out what the roadblock is for me. I don't mind working hard. I can be disciplined in other areas of my life. Weird. If I don't talk to you before your birthday, I hope it is a really fun day for you!! Let me know your first name next letter.. Best to you!! Jen |
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| Motivation | 200 + weight loss buddies | Jan 15 2008 05:31 (UTC) |
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I'm game, Kate. Throw a few times out there, past 11am PST, and I'm there. I threw out a new thread for an over 35 and 200lbs with no replies, so I'm glad for your responses. Stress of holidays on top of grieving. Wow. Too much for one little body to handle without something giving. Just imagining trying to eat healthy and exercise with a child of any sort in the vicinity seems overwhelming to me. It's great you've hopped right on the increase instead of allowing it to snowball out of control. Thanks all, Jen |
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| Motivation | 200 + weight loss buddies | Jan 14 2008 06:20 (UTC) |
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Hello. Can I join? I'm 41 years of age, 5' 11", up from 264lbs, to 266lbs, and already having those bummed thoughts we end up having right before we slip back to the old way that doesn't work. I started about two weeks ago, at an all time high of 287lbs. I lost my job at Christmas, and I'm the most likely NOT to post something anywhere. I am very antisocial, and never meet anybody new, since I mostly feel as if, though wrongly, at times, that I should be able to work through everything either by myself, or with the help of my best friend, but nobody else. I've posted a couple of times, here, as some way to do something different. Sometimes I'm just too much of a loner, I think. My best friend, Dweens, started the same time I did, but I haven't gotten her to join this site, yet. She is 51, really short, started at 218lbs, and lost 5 lbs last week, and a bunch of inches. I'm really proud of her, and thought I'd better mention her right up front, since besides my 78 year old mom who lives with me, she is the only other person in my life. OK, so I hope you guys might let me join in, as I think I could learn a lot, and make some good contributions, as well. I try to be a thoughtful, supportive person. Thanks, all. Jen |
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