Posts by cactus_bob

Don't get me wrong--I firmly believe that food packaging is filled with lies that have barely escaped the FDA (see Splenda).

But your instant noodles probably have a ton more ingredients than wheat flour and oil. Stuff you can barely pronounce, add-ins and preservatives, you know. These ingredients may have a lower calorie density than flour and oil, thereby lowering the overall calorie density of the instant noodles.

If you're really concerned, compare the calories in the package to the calories of other instant noodle packages. If there isn't much of a difference, the packagers may not be lying to you--you may just not understand everything that goes into what you're eating. If there is a big difference, then it's just a few hundred calories for one day, so don't worry about. Next time, though, it would probably be less frustrating to just eat normal noodles.

Ja ne,
Sam

I say go ahead and be inaccurate. A few extra calories that you didn't really eat will make up for any calories you're underestimating.

The fact that your face has gotten a little more puffy might have less to do with the five pounds and more to do with the kinds of foods you're eating. During the winter, many people tend to eat a lot of soups and sweets--in other words, salt and carbs. Both can easily cause you to gain water weight, which shows itself a lot in the facial features.

I understand the struggle to lose those five pounds. I would recommend a few tips to help you get back your facial definition:

1. Watch the carbs, especially refined sugars and starches. This past week I gained five pounds of water just because I started eating bread again.

2. WEIGH EVERYTHING. You'd be astonished how amazingly inaccurate your calorie-counting can be if you don't. I was eating about 300 calories more than I estimated until I started weighing my food--which translates to 30 extra pounds at the end of the year.

3. Don't take weekends off. Free weekends are for maintenance, not for weight loss. They can destroy everything you accomplished during the week easily.

4. Don't stop smiling! If you're unhappy, you're more likely to emo-eat.

I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.

Best of luck,
Sam

P.S. - Don't forget your fiber and water! It may not help with your face as much, but a good clean out will take off some pounds and probably help flatten your stomach a bit.

You're putting too much pressure on yourself! What makes you think you have to wear a bikini on vacation? Embrace modesty and wear something that shows a little less of yourself, and stop freaking out about this bloody holiday, ok?

Now, just keep losing weight at a steady, slow weight with a deficit of about 500 calories per day. Eat regularly. Eat healthily. Don't starve yourself. And for heaven sakes, don't let yourself wallow in self-abuse and guilt! It isn't attractive.

I do this all the time. Almost every weekend, I eat like 3000 calories on Saturday and Sunday. I maintain on about 2000, so during the week, I restrict my calories to about 1300.

I did have a week when I went over my maintenance calories for like four days a week... and then only had a deficit of about 300 the next three days... I gained a pound when I weighed in for the week, but took it off the next week pretty easily.

I can't answer any questions about what happens when you eat the same calories for day after day. I haven't been able to manage it.

~Sam

In response to your question:

1. You are at a healthy weight for your height. You don't need to lose anything. So why are you trying to maintain such a large deficit between what you burn and what you eat?

2. You are not losing weight because you are eating much too little. 7819 calories a week isn't even healthy for someone who's short and sedentary, much less someone of your height and activity level. I would recommend increasing calorie intake to at least 9000 or 10000 calorie per week, especially in high protein foods.

Your low calorie intake is probably also preventing you from gaining muscle and toning up. Your body is reluctant to expend energy on building new muscle at the expense of its fat stores because it thinks you're starving.

3. If you want to build muscle and burn fat, you will need to do some resistance training in addition to eating more lean protein. This will be especially effective if you work the large muscle groups, e.g. booty and legs. You don't need weights or exercise equipment to do it; just a couple dozen squats and lunges every other day will work wonders. Looking to tone up arms? Push-ups are a tried and true way to work many of the muscles in the arms and chest.

I hope my advice will be of assistance. Congratulations on your progress so far; you're not far from healthy eating.

1. Anything with milk chocolate
2. Tea/coffee sweetened with real sugar
3. Anything from burger king or McDonalds (except black coffee)

Hi! I'm fifteen too. I used to be 185 pounds--struggled with my weight for most of my life--and reached my goal of 130 in March. I just wanted to wish you the best of luck! Cut down the desserts as much as you possibly can, work out lightly, and slowly reduce your portion size. You'll be at your goal in no time!

Honey, first of all I'm glad you realized that what you're eating is way too little!! I don't know if you're male or female, but females have to eat at least 1200 calories a day and males have to eat at least 1500 to be healthy.

Because you've been eating so lightly for a month, your stomach probably won't be accustomed to eating a regular amount just yet. Gradually try to increase what you're eating to a normal amount. Up your little bit of cereal to a half cup, and then a half cup with milk, and then a cup with milk. Use the same principle with your lunch and your dinner. Also, include some decent protein and fat into your diet. You sound like you're eating nothing but carbohydrates.

And, I hate to break it to you, but working out is a part of life. Don't worry about putting on muscle weight. The muscle will burn extra calories, which will, in turn, burn fat. Also, that muscle is going to keep you from being a little hunchbacked old grandma (grandpa) who can barely cross the street when you're seventy. Healthiness is far, far more important than weight, and you need muscle to be healthy.

Finally, you are technically in a healthy weight range. Losing weight should not be that much of a concern with you. Remember: Healthiness is more important than weight. Healthiness pwns weight.