@jym626, fascinating article. One correction though; that 800 calories was that he must eat 800 calories less per day than would be predicted for a person his size to avoid gaining weight, not a total of 800 calories. But the article and study is very thought provoking about how radical weight loss approaches can permanently alter your basal metabolism without you ever realizing it. When you think about the bizarre and dangerous extreme’s to which the contestants on the Biggest Loser go, it’s no wonder that they somehow seriously damage their body’s metabolic systems and controls. It will be very interesting to see where this research all goes and how it applies to people who use a much more moderate and slower approach to weight loss through nutrition and exercise. I know many people who have lost up to 20% of their body weight over a period of a year or more and who have successfully kept the weight off for many years through nutritional planning and structured exercise. It will be interesting to see how the science explains and differentiates the experience and long term outcomes of these two radically different approaches.
Yes, misread the 800 cal thing on my phone. But still, that seems like a lot to have to stay below for a person his size. Can you use your calculations, if you can estimate or read somewhere his metabolic rate or basal metabolism is, what he (now probably age 44, 5’11, now 295#, up from his low of 191 lbs, and assume he is, hopefully, very active) what he should be able to consume calorie wise to maintain his weight. What percentage for him is the loss of 800 calories? That seems like a lot to me, but maybe he can consume a few thousand calories to maintain. Dunno.
Reading more in that article, one of the females, Amanda Arlauskas who weighs 176 # at 5’6", has to burn 591.1 calories a day less to maintain. That seems like a lot, even for an active lifestyle.
800 calories less per day is not necessarily a lot of food-that’s one large McDonald’s milkshake (which I don’t drink because it goes against my “don’t drink your calories” habit, but I did look it up on the internet).
According to this website (again, it’s the internet, take it with a grain of salt), with the guy’s stats input and “moderately active” chosen, to maintain his weight he’d be doing:
http://www.thinandhealthyforever.com/CalorieRequirement.asp
Daily Calorie Requirement Calculator
To maintain a weight of 289 lbs. (131.5 KG). you need 3,161 calories per day (22,127 calories per week).
To lose one (1) pound per week, you must consume 2,661 calories per day (18,627 calories per week).
To lose two (2) pounds per week, you must consume 2,161 calories per day (15,127 calories per week;).
Minus 800 calories is still a 2,000+ calorie intake, which is not anything close to privation or starvation.
So I still think something else is going on.
Point is, he, and most of the other contestants, have been unable to keep the weight off, despite exercise (some are now trainers/coaches/motivational speakers). Sure most no longer have the trainers, the chefs, the psychologists, etc. and don’t weigh in on national television weekly for a potential huge payoff, but still. Did the show offer them any continued support after they left (the winners and the losers) or did they just cut them loose? Hope the former, not the latter.
The article is very interesting @MotherOfDragons. Talks about changes in hormones (leptin) biological predisposition, etc.
^^Yeah I agree that those poor people were fodder for that show, and that now they’re dealing with the aftermath of it, and it’s awful. I wonder if they can figure out a way to reset their metabolism. I’ve read some about leptin and ghrelin (I think from Scientific American since we have a subscription to it), but I’d say my take-away from it is that the body is incredibly complex, and it’s hard to pinpoint one thing that they did that “broke” them.
Yup. That NYT article is really depressing. Another female contestant, Erinn, has to consume 552 cal less to maintain. (And typo above-- Amanda has to consume 591.1 cal less, not burn less-- she has to burn more, if she can). It seems so paradoxically unfair.
@jym626, it’s really tough to make that calculation without knowing his % lean body mass. General estimates would be in the range of 1750 -1800 calorie BMR @ 191 lbs and 2200 -2250 calories BMR @ 295 lbs. at “sedentary” activity levels (little or no exercise), estimate 2100 - 2200 and 2650 - 2750. At “very active” (hard exercise 6-7 days/week) estimate 3000 - 3100 and 3800 - 3900. But these are very general formulaic estimates that don’t take into account body composition.
I played with this with Amanda’s stats.http://www.lifespanfitness.com/fitness/resources/calories-calculator Is it useful for a general ballpark estimate/guesstimate?
One of the winners was a good friend of D’s in high school (and spent time at our house), so I follow her on Facebook - we have even exchanged a few PMs when we were looking to move because she lives in a town we were considering. She loves the town because she finds more people who are making healthy choices than other places she considered (lots of gyms/yoga studios/healthy grocery store choices/healthy restaurant options, etc.). She continues to do motivational engagements, such as being present at gym openings across the country. So I know she continues to be quite active (again, this is following her on Facebook) and from pictures, she seems quite healthy… maybe a few lbs. (10?) heavier than when she won, but I think she was too thin then, even though she looked so much healthier than when she was in high school. I do believe she made changes that she intends to keep for life. Anyway, she does still often credit the guidance of Jillian Michaels in particular when talking about her journey, so I suspect she continues to have ongoing communication with her. No proof. Just speculation.
Getting back to issues with losing weight in menopause - I had to learn what worked for me. Nothing I read from experts seemed to give me the results I wanted.
I refuse to jump on the low fat wagon. I don’t feel satisfied. So I eat meat and put butter on veggies if I want to. It’s also about portion control. I don’t do well if I am feeling deprived, but I can function if I watch portions at meals and divvy out the bad stuff, like the peanut butter chocolate fudge my daughter gave me. I also know my trigger foods and stay away from them.
Another thing I learned is that my body is very slow in responding to a difference in caloric intake. So if I start eating 1,500 calories a day, I shouldn’t expect any weight change for 2-3 weeks. It can get discouraging. It happens in the reverse, too, so it gives me a false sense of security when I start to overeat since it doesn’t show up on the scales for weeks.
I don’t think it is that hard to cut out 500 or even 800 calories from one’s diet- unless you are already under 2000, which few people really are. In my case, if I didn’t walk through my office and dip my hand into the bowl of Hershey’s Kisses, take a donut when people bring them in or have an extra roll at the restaurant that would do it!
I have to stay under 1200 to lose weight. 500-800 would kill me.
After turning 50, the weight crept up on me too. Our metabolism slows and we have to do a lot more in every way to keep the pounds off. There is just no way around it. I began the new year with intention to shed the 22 lbs. that had gained over the past 8 years. I was ready. I was determined.
I came upon the ketogenic diet. High fat, yes fat, moderate protein and no more than 20 grams of net carbs ( the sugar content, not the fiber content) a day. I consumed 1250 calories a day. Going below 1250 calories daily puts your body into starvation mode and sends a message to hold onto the weight, readjusting your metabolism to survive on fewer calories. My diet consisted of 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% net carbs. Because I was taking in minimal sugar in the form of green, non starchy vegetables, my metabolism switched from using glycogen as it’s fuel and instead began to burn ketones (fat) as it’s fuel. Check out the website keto karma. Suzanne is such an inspiration. She has lost over 100 lbs. over the past 68 weeks. Google ketogenic diets. There are some other great websites as well.
Today, five months later, I am within 2 lbs. of my goal. My diet has consisted of eggs, fish (I don’t eat meat, but you certainly can), plenty of non starchy vegetables and generous servings of fat, including saturated (butter, ghee, coconut oil, sour cream, cream, cheese) mono-unsaturated (olive oil, avocados) and a small amount of poly-unsaturated (nuts, nut butter) fats. Fats are satiating. I haven’t felt deprived or hungry. How satisfying it is to be able to put homemade, non sweetened dressing on my salads, to drizzle oil or ghee on my steamed broccoli or grate some cheese on my morning eggs. I snack on celery stalks filled with almond butter, or a small handful of nuts or sliced cucumber tossed in a bit of sour cream, salt and vinegar. My skin, hair and nails have never been healthier.
In addition to the diet, I began exercising everyday. At first I kept it simple. An early morning hour long walk that took me up and down three hills. After a month I began to switch it up. I created the 20/20/20 for myself. 20 different moves repeated 20 times each taking a total of 20 minutes to some fun workout music and using light 3 to 8lb. weights. Sit ups, push ups, leg lifts- all of the basic exercises you’d get on a Jane Fonda work out tape, but done one after the other to keep my heart rate up and my body really perspiring. My third workout is an hour and a half vinyasa flow yoga class. It’s important to mix it up and to keep your muscles from getting too contracted.
My commitment to my New Year’s intention has transformed my life. I have never felt healthier. No more low blood sugar crashes. My energy is even throughout the day. I’m sleeping better. I feel toned and fit. I’ve had to buy new jeans, 2 sizes down. At my age there is no such thing as getting in shape anymore. If you don’t make the daily commitment to be mindful of what you are eating and to just get up and exercise, even if its just for 20 minutes, then don’t expect to be able to maintain the weight loss, no matter what kind of diet you put yourself on.
Under 1200 has to be with no exercise at all.
@FlyMeToTheMoon – I agree with this 100%.
It happens in the reverse, too, so it gives me a false sense of security when I start to overeat since it doesn’t show up on the scales for weeks.
Plodding merrily along, amazed at no weight change, and then BOOM! It is as if a dam has burst. You think I would learn after all these years…
Hiislandmom, I have an employee following this type of diet, and she says she feels very much better than she did before. She didn’t need to lose weight, so I believe she is following this for other reasons… Our understanding of fat is definitely changing!
I think I have high metabolism relative to most people. I eat full 3 meals, but I do not snack or eat sweets in between. I actually get fairly upset (hangry) when I do not get food when it is meal time. I have never counted calories. I use real sugar, butter, eat meat, fish, seafood, etc. When I have a steak I eat less than half a pound, but I buy the best piece of meat I could get. When my palate is satisfied, I find myself thinking less about food. When I feel deprived then I am constantly thinking about what else I could eat.
Even with moderate exercise I do not lose weight unless I keep it under 1200 cal. Then again, one’s definition of moderate exercise may vary. Today I did 3.1 mi on the treadmill (45 min walk/run) and some upper body stuff. Then came home and cleaned patio furniture. That’s moderate to me. Maybe over months if I consistently ate maybe 1300 cal or less I might lose a little over that month, but that has not been my experience.