Calorie cutting - feeling "out of it"?

[Anonymous]

I'm 2+ years into weight loss - lost 30 - lots of experimentation in the process

I follow Pegan diet - healthy fats, low sugar/carbs, lots of veggies, low animal protein - Dr. Mark Hyman has a podcast

I'd reduce the fruit and add air fryer veggies to breakfast, add avocado

Cream cheese is low nutrient - I'd have almond butter

I eat Ezekial english muffins - lots of fiber and filling

The more I have the healthy things, the less other things I crave.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Do not follow the calorie recommendations in MFP. It always goes for the lowest of lows. A better range is to use goal weight X 10-12. However, if you have a lot of weight to lose you should pick a closer goal weight at first and adjust down if you notice you are no longer losing weight. And I mean you have not seen the scale trend down over the course of a month not a few days or a week.

So lets pick and intermediate goal of 190 lbs. Which mean you should eat 1900-2280. This is a more sustainable approach. Only adjust calories down if you have been eating in this range consistently (90% of the time or 26 out of 31 days in a month, track with a calendar where you mark off the days you eat in your target range). To see if it is working weigh yourself every morning and TRACK THE TREND. Scale will fluctuate from day to day buy you need to trust the process and what matters is that the trend line is going down.

Good luck you can do this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your body is shocked and going into starvation mode. You’ll adjust but you may consider and wind down to your target calorie intake instead of a shock to your system.

Good luck!! I hope you reach your health and weight goals.

You don’t go into starvation mode in one day and you don’t with this number of calories.

[Anonymous]

This has got to be a troll

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do not follow the calorie recommendations in MFP. It always goes for the lowest of lows. A better range is to use goal weight X 10-12. However, if you have a lot of weight to lose you should pick a closer goal weight at first and adjust down if you notice you are no longer losing weight. And I mean you have not seen the scale trend down over the course of a month not a few days or a week.

So lets pick and intermediate goal of 190 lbs. Which mean you should eat 1900-2280. This is a more sustainable approach. Only adjust calories down if you have been eating in this range consistently (90% of the time or 26 out of 31 days in a month, track with a calendar where you mark off the days you eat in your target range). To see if it is working weigh yourself every morning and TRACK THE TREND. Scale will fluctuate from day to day buy you need to trust the process and what matters is that the trend line is going down.

Good luck you can do this!

This is great advice!!!

[Anonymous]

Another person two years into weight loss here, down about 45.

It is really hard to make a DRAMATIC change cold turkey. You need to pick something sustainable. For me, extreme restriction would never have worked. But the way I eat now IS an extreme restriction to what me two years ago did. I got here on a slow gradual path though. So pick 1/2 changes and make them a habit and just add more as you go.

As for your breakfast, you are eating way too much sugar/bread and not enough protein. Protein is where its at in terms of being filling. A bagel with cream cheese (which is not THAT much different to an English muffin) has nothing in there to fill you up and last.

I would try a yogurt, or some nuts, or 3-5 slices of turkey bacon and maybe 3 eggs instead of 2 and put a little butter or avocado on the english muffin. Personally I'm not a fan of giving stuff up, but I want to make something work in my new lifestyle. So if you really like the cream cheese and that is what you want to 'keep' then make it an english muffin and cream cheese with smoked salmon on top. You just need more filling protein in there. It is never going to work without that.

For being lightheaded, get some nuts, they are very filling. And maybe keep a banana with you. The berries are fine but they aren't really doing anything in terms of keeping you full and the goal should be about keeping you full with less calories. To do that, you need protein. You need some carbs too but without protein carbs will just make you hungrier in an hour.

ALL that said, the first two weeks are the hardest. My first 'change' was adopting an IF schedule and the first month was the hardest, I was racing for food when my window opened and shoving it in my mouth before it closed. You gotta build a habit, so just pick one or two changes and commit to doing them for a month, and then next month add something else in (or take something else away!).

[Anonymous]

OH and hey, if you usually stop at starbucks you need to still be drinking coffee. You will be all out of it on a caffeine withdrawal if you don't. Maybe start with half the sugar in your latte, or drink a diet coke instead, but you can't cold turkey caffeine without feeling like total crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not going into starvation mode in one day!

Maybe low blood sugar, though, depending on what and when you were eating.

breakfast:
English muffin with cream cheese
1 cup grapes, 1/2 strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries
2 eggs

I felt shaky by the time I got to work.

Ok- I would lose the grapes since they have a lot of sugar and not much fiber. Add more berries if you like. And swap out the cream cheese. It’s so processed and has no nutritional value. A slice of cheddar at least has calcium and protein.

really? I always thought cream cheese was a pretty decent thing to add more protein/fat to breakfast. and ok. I'll probably just do strawberries and blueberries then.

You guys are helpful! THANKS!!

Adding fat is great, the issue is mixing it with a simple carb like a bagel and a bunch of sugary fruit. Lose the english and the grapes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not going into starvation mode in one day!

Maybe low blood sugar, though, depending on what and when you were eating.

breakfast:
English muffin with cream cheese
1 cup grapes, 1/2 strawberries, 1/2 cup blueberries
2 eggs

I felt shaky by the time I got to work.

I would feel shaky as well if I ate all those carbs in one sitting.

Try the 2 eggs, 1/2 cup blueberries, handful of almonds, and 16 oz water..

And English muffin and some fruit is not “so much carbs” and unless you are diabetic, your body should have zero issue processing. Omg people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another person two years into weight loss here, down about 45.

It is really hard to make a DRAMATIC change cold turkey. You need to pick something sustainable. For me, extreme restriction would never have worked. But the way I eat now IS an extreme restriction to what me two years ago did. I got here on a slow gradual path though. So pick 1/2 changes and make them a habit and just add more as you go.

As for your breakfast, you are eating way too much sugar/bread and not enough protein. Protein is where its at in terms of being filling. A bagel with cream cheese (which is not THAT much different to an English muffin) has nothing in there to fill you up and last.

I would try a yogurt, or some nuts, or 3-5 slices of turkey bacon and maybe 3 eggs instead of 2 and put a little butter or avocado on the english muffin. Personally I'm not a fan of giving stuff up, but I want to make something work in my new lifestyle. So if you really like the cream cheese and that is what you want to 'keep' then make it an english muffin and cream cheese with smoked salmon on top. You just need more filling protein in there. It is never going to work without that.

For being lightheaded, get some nuts, they are very filling. And maybe keep a banana with you. The berries are fine but they aren't really doing anything in terms of keeping you full and the goal should be about keeping you full with less calories. To do that, you need protein. You need some carbs too but without protein carbs will just make you hungrier in an hour.

ALL that said, the first two weeks are the hardest. My first 'change' was adopting an IF schedule and the first month was the hardest, I was racing for food when my window opened and shoving it in my mouth before it closed. You gotta build a habit, so just pick one or two changes and commit to doing them for a month, and then next month add something else in (or take something else away!).

What op is describing isn’t extreme restriction. I weigh 120 and I could never get down all the stuff she described as her “diet” breakfast in one sitting first thing in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OH and hey, if you usually stop at starbucks you need to still be drinking coffee. You will be all out of it on a caffeine withdrawal if you don't. Maybe start with half the sugar in your latte, or drink a diet coke instead, but you can't cold turkey caffeine without feeling like total crap.

This is what I came to say. There are tons of great suggestions above, but there are people in great shape and with no diet change who feel that way without their morning black coffee.

[Anonymous]

Yes, OP, could it be caffeine withdrawal? That’s immediate. As for your breakfast, it looked good to me. Agree to swap cream cheese for a serving of yogurt or sliced cheese.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another person two years into weight loss here, down about 45.

It is really hard to make a DRAMATIC change cold turkey. You need to pick something sustainable. For me, extreme restriction would never have worked. But the way I eat now IS an extreme restriction to what me two years ago did. I got here on a slow gradual path though. So pick 1/2 changes and make them a habit and just add more as you go.

As for your breakfast, you are eating way too much sugar/bread and not enough protein. Protein is where its at in terms of being filling. A bagel with cream cheese (which is not THAT much different to an English muffin) has nothing in there to fill you up and last.

I would try a yogurt, or some nuts, or 3-5 slices of turkey bacon and maybe 3 eggs instead of 2 and put a little butter or avocado on the english muffin. Personally I'm not a fan of giving stuff up, but I want to make something work in my new lifestyle. So if you really like the cream cheese and that is what you want to 'keep' then make it an english muffin and cream cheese with smoked salmon on top. You just need more filling protein in there. It is never going to work without that.

For being lightheaded, get some nuts, they are very filling. And maybe keep a banana with you. The berries are fine but they aren't really doing anything in terms of keeping you full and the goal should be about keeping you full with less calories. To do that, you need protein. You need some carbs too but without protein carbs will just make you hungrier in an hour.

ALL that said, the first two weeks are the hardest. My first 'change' was adopting an IF schedule and the first month was the hardest, I was racing for food when my window opened and shoving it in my mouth before it closed. You gotta build a habit, so just pick one or two changes and commit to doing them for a month, and then next month add something else in (or take something else away!).

What op is describing isn’t extreme restriction. I weigh 120 and I could never get down all the stuff she described as her “diet” breakfast in one sitting first thing in the morning.

Extreme restriction is a relative concept. It feels extremely restrictive in comparison with where she was. If she reduces her calories more slowly, she's likely to make more permanent changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP was that really your breakfast every day? That has to be about 1800 calories for breakfast alone. It’s going to be very very hard to go to 1800 per day immediately and may not be sustainable.

only on days I went into the office (Tuesday and Thursday)

[Anonymous]

Good for you recognizing that you may need to make some dietary/lifestyle changes to be healthier! Before making huge changes I suggest meeting with a registered dietician (they have to go to college, often they're board certified etc - versus a nutritionist who just has to have an "interest" in the subject and can be self taught about nutrition). I follow a local dietician on instagram (stephgrassodietician is her handle I believe) and even just watching her instagram posts I've learned some tips about varying my diet, adding healthy things to meals etc.

Use the my fitness pal app to guide you on your carb/protein/fats split. Pay attention to your sodium levels (makes you retain water/fluids) and also your sugars (it seems that EVERYTHING has sugar in it). Also, try to limit "drinking your calories" - I used to love sodas and starbucks but have cut out soda almost completely and starbucks is a treat now and again. Still have coffee - but control my calorie intake with drinks through stevia use, controlling how much creamer I put in and drinking either water or carbonated water (if I want something fizzy). I also don't drink wine/alcohol frequently as those items, while delicious, are also extra calories.

Most of all - try to give yourself a little grace and remember it likely took you a while to get to this point and it will take you a while to get to where you want to be. Everything doesn't have to be so severe so fast - celebrate your "wins" and try to make small improvements in your daily diet- remember, it is OK to celebrate and have that cupcake if you're at a party etc. Best advice I can say is just try to keep moving/keep active and plan for the long game.

Good luck!