eat the same things everyday for a long time, very healthy but only maintaining
okay so after years of being anorexic/orthorexic i've finally been maintaining a healthy weight for a couple years. the thing is i eat a very healthy restrictive diet due to ocd tendencies and also the fact i really dont like sweets or junk food anymore. i never eat less than 1400 calories or more than 1700 calories and although i don't exercise anymore i dont understand how im not losing weight. the fact i'm maintaining on this menu makes me nervous to go out to eat in case id start gaining rapidly. any thoughts?
heres a sample:
breakfast: black coffee, 1/2egg whites, whole container of frozer broccoli/spinach/green beans, laughing cow wedge (300ish calories?)
lunch: whole bag lettuce, salsa, veggie burger/can of tuna/chicken breast and more veggies
snack: piece of fruit maybe, more coffee, gum, sf hard candies
dinner: instant oatmeal plain,with 3tbsp egg whites, container of 0% greek yogurt
snack: 100 more calories of oatmeal or weetabix, another container of yogurt or sf jello pudding with frozen fruit or diet hot chocolate
could it be the tons of carbs at night even though i have none during the day? i found i gain a lot if i eat a lot of fruit but i eat a ton of veggies. also i know my diet is kind of high sodium but since sodium was such a fear food before im scared to start cutting thing out.. idk maybe its the fake sugars from the candies/gum?
my weight doesnt budge. which is fine im just curious on thoughts.
oh and my dinner and snack can sometimes add up to 800 calories so maybe night time eating is affecting it? i just cant go to bed hungry ... and i would really like to be more relaxed with my options but i feel like this is a weight loss diet and i get tons of protein even though i dont have a lot of fats...
heya, i was reading your post and i had the same question a long time ago, I found some info for you :P its a bit long, but i hope it helps..
Eat late, gain weight? This myth has been around for years, and although some people could swear that their late-night eating habits do make them gain weight, recent research has shown that your body doesn’t process food differently at different times of the day. The total amount of calories that you take in, and how much you exercise during the day, are what affect your weight. However, many people do tend to overeat and choose high-calorie foods as snacks at night, both of which will cause weight gain.
A study by scientists at Oregon Health and Science University examined the eating habits and weight-gain patterns of rhesus monkeys, which they considered to be a useful model for studying human obesity . The study found that the monkeys who ate most of their food at night were at no greater risk for gaining weight than those who chose to eat earlier in the day. Such evidence supports the claims of many health professionals and organizations, including the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), that it’s the amount of calories you take in, not the time of day you consume them, that affects the amount of weight gained or lost.
Under normal circumstances weight fluctuates over weeks and months—not hours—due to long-term patterns of eating and exercise. Although your metabolism does slow down at night, you are still using energy for basic bodily functions, and thus are still burning calories when you sleep. And many people are also quite sedentary during the day. Your body will not store more fat after eating the same meal at 9:00 pm as opposed to 6:00 pm—the calorie intake is the same. If you overeat, your body will store the extra calories as fat no matter what time you consume them.
ConclusionThis is a tricky one—technically, the time of day you eat doesn’t affect how your body processes food. What matters is your total calorie intake and how much you exercise during the day. However, people who eat late at night tend to choose high-calorie foods that their bodies can do without. If you are one of these people, avoiding food after dinner may help you deter weight gain—or even promote weight loss. But, if you miss a healthful dinner at 6:00, there’s no reason not to eat it at 9:00!
References:- Eating at night myth exploded. BBC News website. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3263249.stm . Published November 2003. Accessed November 6, 2008.
The 1917 study was designed to find out if humans could thrive mentally and physically on a low-calorie diet. During the study careful records were kept of the psychological and physical symptoms encountered by a group of young male volunteers who were put on reducing diets of 1400 to 2100 calories a day. They stayed at this level for a month, in order to lose an average of 10% of their starting body weight. After the initial weight loss, the men were kept on reduced-calorie diets for two months so they would keep their weight at this new level.
If you have ever been on a 'well balanced' reduced-calorie diet in order to lose weight, the results of this study will sound familiar to you.
Symptoms: The 10% weight loss occurred, as expected. However, the 12 men in the study constantly complained of a gnawing hunger, and they said it was almost impossible to stay warm, no matter how much clothing they wore.
Their metabolism slowed down so much that they would begin to regain weight if the daily calorie level went up over 2100 calories, even though they ate far more than that before the study started. Their blood pressure and pulse rate went down, they became anemic, they had difficulty concentrating, and physical activity made them weak.
One symptom must have been extremely upsetting to these young healthy men - their interest in sex was reduced, and in some cases it vanished completely.
Many of these symptoms occurred only a few days after beginning the low-calorie diet.
After the diet was over: Once the three month study was over, the volunteers were cautioned against over-eating, but they seemed unable to stop themselves from doing just that. They felt strong cravings for anything sweet, and indulged in every snack they could lay their hands on.
Within two weeks, these young men were back at their original starting weight, and then gained an average of eight more pounds, making them heavier than they were before their diet.
The University of Minnesota StudyThe University of Minnesota study had similar results. The purpose of the study was to document the physical and psychological effects of starvation.
Original Post by lolottvarsovie:
heya again, this one might help you more :D What really happens on a 'well-balanced' low-calorie diet? The Carnegie StudyThe 1917 study was designed to find out if humans could thrive mentally and physically on a low-calorie diet. During the study careful records were kept of the psychological and physical symptoms encountered by a group of young male volunteers who were put on reducing diets of 1400 to 2100 calories a day. They stayed at this level for a month, in order to lose an average of 10% of their starting body weight. After the initial weight loss, the men were kept on reduced-calorie diets for two months so they would keep their weight at this new level.
If you have ever been on a 'well balanced' reduced-calorie diet in order to lose weight, the results of this study will sound familiar to you.
Symptoms: The 10% weight loss occurred, as expected. However, the 12 men in the study constantly complained of a gnawing hunger, and they said it was almost impossible to stay warm, no matter how much clothing they wore.
Their metabolism slowed down so much that they would begin to regain weight if the daily calorie level went up over 2100 calories, even though they ate far more than that before the study started. Their blood pressure and pulse rate went down, they became anemic, they had difficulty concentrating, and physical activity made them weak.
One symptom must have been extremely upsetting to these young healthy men - their interest in sex was reduced, and in some cases it vanished completely.
Many of these symptoms occurred only a few days after beginning the low-calorie diet.
After the diet was over: Once the three month study was over, the volunteers were cautioned against over-eating, but they seemed unable to stop themselves from doing just that. They felt strong cravings for anything sweet, and indulged in every snack they could lay their hands on.
Within two weeks, these young men were back at their original starting weight, and then gained an average of eight more pounds, making them heavier than they were before their diet.
The University of Minnesota StudyThe University of Minnesota study had similar results. The purpose of the study was to document the physical and psychological effects of starvation.
This is quite demotivating. When I'm sedentary, I have 1500 cal a day. Does that mean that those who do will get this?
That meal plan doesn't look like it adds up to 1400 calories. Maybe 1,000. I think your ED may be messing with your objectivity...
nope its definitely at least 1400 calories thank you for those who gave me the info except im not sure it fits me i mean im not hungry a lt and i dont deny myself foods and i dont binge but yea maybe the eating time is bad idk it is scary but im not sure its universal since most people who eat healthy are thin..i think i just have to break my routine a lot more
ngemma, what're your stats? (Weight/Height/Age)
I would say it's because your metabolism is still suppressed. How many calories did you eat to regain to a healthy weight? From what I've read on here and from Hedgren's info, if you eat less than 2500 in recovery then your metabolism will remain suppressed and you will maintain on a lower amount. That's my understanding anyway.
Anyone feel free to add to this or correct me, there's a lot of people more knowledge than me haha.
