Interesting...

I was worried about restricting myself to a 1200 calorie diet and so I did a little research. I came across this article and found it very interesting.

http://www.fitnessland.com.au/news/pdf/Strong %20Women%20Dont%20Starve.pdf

I would love to know your thoughts!

I think 1200 is too low for most people.  If CC recommends 1200 ever it's either because the person is already very small or because they claim to be completely inactive.  If someone's very small they probably don't need to lose weight.  And if they're completely inactive that has more health implications than a spare tyre.

I personally prefer a gentler combination of slightly reduced calories and a little more exercise for weight-control...  But then again, I'd rather be a healthy weight than 'thin'.

wow!!!

what an inspiring and very true piece of info.

Think that every word is true and should be taken on board.

Thanks!!! Really glad i read that

Original Post by gi-jane:

But then again, I'd rather be a healthy weight than 'thin'.

Well that's just crazy talk, jane.

Positively loopy....

I liked it!

Thank you so much for providing this information.I just bookmarked the article. I t is ver informative and definitely makes sense

I have been doing this wrong my whole life! I do eat the right things, fresh, whole, unproccesed... I need the weight training. I definetly am eating too few calories. That was a Great article and it really isn't anything we haven't heard. but it's one of these things to get you to realign your self, your way of thinking. I'm going to print it and highlight the things I most need reminding of.

Thanks Ineeded that.

It seems to make sense but also seems to go against what CC says... I hear all these things, all this conflicting information. I know you can't just eat as much as you want and still lose; not if you're me. I just lowered my limit to 1300 after weeks of not seeing results at 1500... And I work out for almost every day. It's an hour of cardio then arms or abs. Now I'm just more confused.

Original Post by penkwin:

It seems to make sense but also seems to go against what CC says...

Really? As far as I read, it's completely in line with what a lot of us on CC have been promoting for a while. Slow, healthy weight loss. Move more, and control your diet. She doesn't say eat as much as you want - but that you shouldn't severely restrict your diet.

To lose weight, you have to eat less than you burn. The question is how much less do you try for - and more and more, people are finding that aiming for a small deficit is better for successful weight loss than a drastic cut in calories.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Really?

Well, yes. CC advised me to eat 1350 calories a day, which, according to the author of this article, is too few.

Yeah, depending on the info you put in, the calorie count tool doesn't always provide the best advice - mostly because people say they are sedentary when they aren't.

What are your stats?

I had posted my stats but then kind of felt uncomfortable having that info out there... I will just go with trying to create the highest healthy defecit.

Very motiviating and inspiring article.  Really reinforced that I have to put the time into developing a weight training program.  Cardio is good, but it can only take you so far.  Thanks for sharing! 

Original Post by penkwin:

I had posted my stats but then kind of felt uncomfortable having that info out there... I will just go with trying to create the highest healthy defecit.

Interesting.  This is the only place I feel comfortable giving out my stats.  But I don't post a picture of myself, so that probably makes a difference.

Obviously you should do what you're comfortable with, but understand that the CC calorie target tool is simply a computer program.  The program gives it a bottom limit of 1200 calories, but other than that, if you give it a target date and an activity level, it will pick a calorie deficit that will accomplish that.  If you don't give it a date, it will pick a 500 calorie deficit per day.  If you tell it you're sedentary, it will give you a deficit based on that. 

It's not good to be sedentary.

That article had very sound advice.  I feel like she was telling the story of my childhood.  When I was 13, my mom offered me a deal: For every 4 pounds I lost, I could have a horseback riding lesson, something I really wanted (we didn't have much money, so that was a splurge).  Then, she sent me to Jenny Craig to help me accomplish that goal.  You know what?  Looking back, I realize now that while I was plump, I was at the top of the healthy BMI range.  And Jenny Craig thought I should lose 30 lbs, a goal I never reached.

I've dieted my whole life, and now at 32, I've finally realized that the only time I ever actually see real results is when I'm doing some sort of weight training.  The weight comes off slowly, but everyone comments on how much weight I've lost.  They started commenting after I'd lost 3 lbs. and my goal is to lose 40.

Loved it! I had read a book with a similar message a couple years ago that completely changed my outlook, and now I'm just busy collecting the evidence (i.e. weight loss) to support it : )

Lifting weights has completely changed my outlook on exercise, so I was happy to see it so recommended. I love getting stronger. Not to mention, for those of us obese, it's a great place to start because in many cases we're already ahead of the beginner pack! A perk to my body carrying all this weight I guess : )