# My weight loss journey



## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

I have used Google, fitness forums, and was unable to find my question (with an answer) asked by anyone else, so I'm posting it here hoping to get it resolved.

I got off my Celexa last fall after I noticed a 30/40lb weight gain in 11mos. I was 145 (on the way to 130) before I started taking the pill in 2011.

I am now at 180 and am ready to finally aim for 130 again. Of course, right now I'm settling for 160, then to 145, then 130 eventually.

I have a workout DVD (Mel B - Totally Fit) which has helped me shed 20lbs back in 2011 with rationed eating. I plan to do this every other day... doing it every day will get me bored of it and want to stop.

I started that up again last night, and have also decided to cut carbs, sugar (except fruit) and salt from my diet.

I plan on eating oatmeal (100cal) for breakfast, a yogurt (90) or apple (40) for snack, a salad (lettuce; carrot, 50?) for lunch, and two eggs (140) for dinner. I plan to switch it up with a soup (150) in place of the same lunch or dinner every day. I plan on having my 8 glasses of water a day, and maybe a half serving of orange juice or soy milk.

This gives me a total of 400-500cal eaten per day.

I know it is suggested to eat over 1000cal per day but I don't want to add anything else to my diet if I am eating my 3 meals and having a snack daily.

Now I can finally ask the question: If my body FEELS full, will it go into starvation mode even though I'm only eating 400-500cal a day? Does it pay attention to the amount of food eaten, or the amount of calories? What determines whether or not my body will hold to to the food and store it on my thighs, butt, and stomach? It is not like I am depriving myself of a meal. I am putting food in my body throughout the day, but the calorie intake is really low.

As long as I feel full, does my body also decide "OK, my stomach feels full too so let's burn these calories off"?

Thanks for any help you can offer.


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## PurrPanther (Nov 16, 2012)

I'm not too sure how if your body will go into starvation mode with 500 calories. I think it might. But I do know that you won't build muscle or get toned with only 500 calories. Just saying  If you're working out intensly you really need to eat good plant-based carbs and proteins. Just don't go over 2000 calories maybe? You need those calories (if they come from healthyfood) if you are working out or else you will start having deficiencies. 500 is definately not enough for anyone working out or not 

goood luck


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## tieffers (Jan 26, 2013)

I don't know, but I hope I can at least answer your question in part? Your metabolism will slow less drastically if you have some fat storage you need to lose. Your body is going to burn through any excess fat before your metabolism is slowed much.

I'm taking in way too few calories myself, sometimes in the negatives, but usually hovering around 400-700. I do eat when I feel hungry. And I get hungry just as much as I did when I was taking in 1,200+ calories a day, which I'd like to believe is reflective of my metabolism not slowing. I think my body has gotten much more efficient at utilizing nutrition in food because it recognizes that it's kind of scarce.

I honestly think people assign too much value to caloric intake. Obviously extremes in either direction aren't good, but we shouldn't get too hung up on the numbers when really it's more about the quality of food you're giving your body. If the food you eat gives you enough energy to sustain your lifestyle, I really doubt it would slow your metabolism.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Thank you both for your help!

I've decided 500 was too low for me, so I'm letting myself eat two slices of whole wheat toast a day (mmm, it can soak up egg yolk!). The body needs carbs supposedly, so I might as well put the right kind in while feeding it food.


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## PurrPanther (Nov 16, 2012)

itsjustin said:


> Thank you both for your help!
> 
> I've decided 500 was too low for me, so I'm letting myself eat two slices of whole wheat toast a day (mmm, it can soak up egg yolk!). The body needs carbs supposedly, so I might as well put the right kind in while feeding it food.


Glad to hear you realized 500 is way to low!! Yes your body definately needs carbs. It's not really true that carbs make you fat. It's just that alot of high carbs food also have alot of fat in it. It's actually hard for your body to convert carbs into fat. I use to be scared of carbs myself but since I started eating alot of plant-based ones every meal I've had more energy, didn't gain a single pound but getting my muscles back!! Good luck!!


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## Sacrieur (Jan 14, 2013)

That's due to the fiber and GI involved, Purr.

500 is definitely too low, you should do your best to stick around 1500, 1250 perhaps at minimum. It's odd that you wouldn't be hungry after eating so little.

I predict that small of an amount would wear you out quite quickly, and you'd become sluggish and tired. You can feel starvation mode kick into gear, and that's after a good bit of time. Really though I'm confused. You'll get really hungry before you go into conservation.


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## Barette (Jan 17, 2012)

I can't really answer your questions since I'm no expert, but I'm gonna anyway. I never let something silly like whether or not I know what I'm talking about, stop me from talking.

I've done a lot of reading on dieting so I can give my guesses. The body definitely pays attention to the amount of food, because it tells you when it's full or not, which is why the caloric amount of the food is important. Cause you're full either way, but a bowl of spinach is better for you than a bowl of chips. And you're gonna get hungry later regardless of how many calories it was, cause you're stomach has finished digesting and the brain's starting to tell you to have more. So I think the body cares more about volume than calories. And I think what determines if your body holds onto the food is if it's an excess amount of calories, and it stores it wherever your body is prone to storing it. 

And I agree that carbs are good! I don't know how this whole idea that carbs are bad for you got started, but they're great! The body loves carbs, it's the ideal energy source. But the trick is what kind of carbs, and if you're eating whole wheat, then that's okay. Processed carbs are bad, but good carbs (wild rice, whole wheat, sweet potatoes, beans, etc) are super good. People have actually gotten super sick, or even died, on the Atkins diet because it completely cuts out carbs, and it just messed with their bodies. (I'm a carb wh*re apparently, I never knew I had such strong feelings about it haha)


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## Switchsky (Nov 6, 2012)

You need about 2000 Cal a day, roughly 8.4k KJ (i'm a dietician sorry for using KJ instead of cals )
If you plan on loosing weight, then you subtract about 2000kj daily from your needed energy intake.

If you ignore hunger or get used to it, you might like me, just forget hunger signals.
I'm trying to eat a lot more nowadays, because i train hard, about 2-3 hours a day, but no amount of training will help, if your body doesn't have access to energy stores to increase your muscles etc. etc.

If i just don't feel like eating because i don't feel it, then i can go an entire without eating anything at all, which is pretty god damn unhealthy.

If you eat right, but supplement with proteins you can have a longer last feeling of fulness, which can help you diet easier, don't overdo it though, if you reach double, or triple digits, whichever i can't remember off the top of my head, you will probably experience explosive bowel syndrome, a.k.a. the ****s. Unless you train very hard so as to use it.

Carbs, are what you need most of in a normal meal, however i would recommend eating more protein and fat (non-saturated) if you plan on just loosing weight, Carbs bind fat and are the biggest factor in taking weight on.
Fat in itself doesn't actually make you put on as much weight.
And as stated before proteins will give you a longer feeling on fullness after a meal.

Hope it helps, even though you posted 5 days ago


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## Switchsky (Nov 6, 2012)

Barette said:


> I can't really answer your questions since I'm no expert, but I'm gonna anyway. I never let something silly like whether or not I know what I'm talking about, stop me from talking.
> 
> I've done a lot of reading on dieting so I can give my guesses. The body definitely pays attention to the amount of food, because it tells you when it's full or not, which is why the caloric amount of the food is important. Cause you're full either way, but a bowl of spinach is better for you than a bowl of chips. And you're gonna get hungry later regardless of how many calories it was, cause you're stomach has finished digesting and the brain's starting to tell you to have more. So I think the body cares more about volume than calories. And I think what determines if your body holds onto the food is if it's an excess amount of calories, and it stores it wherever your body is prone to storing it.
> 
> And I agree that carbs are good! I don't know how this whole idea that carbs are bad for you got started, but they're great! The body loves carbs, it's the ideal energy source. But the trick is what kind of carbs, and if you're eating whole wheat, then that's okay. Processed carbs are bad, but good carbs (wild rice, whole wheat, sweet potatoes, beans, etc) are super good. People have actually gotten super sick, or even died, on the Atkins diet because it completely cuts out carbs, and it just messed with their bodies. (I'm a carb wh*re apparently, I never knew I had such strong feelings about it haha)


Actually it's a mind****, if you eat the same amount that you would normally, but on a bigger plate and normal utensils, you would be mind****ed into believing you didn't eat a lot.
If you need to eat less then you can mind**** yourself into believing you ate ****loads.
Smaller plates and small utensils will typically make you believe you ate a lot more than you actually did, your brain in the same process will get a greater sense of fullness after eating.
The same goes for drinking and deserts, smaller glasses and bowels will make you believe you got more, unless of course you're one of those "HE GOT MORE THAN ME OMFG" kind of people 

Fibers from vegetables combined with citric fruits like oranges, will also give you a more complete fullness, because of the vitamin's in citric fruits will bind fibers and fibers is a very good carb to get in your diet.

Carbs are good yes, but they are also the problem, you should definently almost ALWAYS, very rare exceptions, get most of your daily energy intake from carbs, but the amount can vary depending on your diet, the norm is about 50-60% of your daily energy intake should be carbs though.


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## Melodies0fLife (Sep 17, 2012)

My take on this; you don't have to agree or follow:

Deficient in calories can slow the metabolism; your body in starvation mode will hold onto every calorie you take in. You'll feel full but that doesn't necessarily mean your body is okay and that you are doing your body good. Eating healthy and exercising should be a lifestyle, not just for a one time losing weight situation. Ask yourself this: once you reach 130 lb goal, will you continue to eat that way every day for the rest of your life? Most likely not (I know I wouldn't want to) so its better now to devise a proper meal plan with many different types of food (rather than just "safe" foods) to ensure you have enough calories to focus throughout the day and proper vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy. Because after all, isn't that what we want for the rest of our lives? To have good health?


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Thanks again for more comments from everyone.

JSYK, I am 5'11 and [last time I checked last week was] 180lbs. I'm thinking I'll weigh myself every two weeks.

I'm a vegetarian so eating meat is out of the question.

I am eating around 800-1000cal a day now and just to be safe, I'm taking One A Day multivitamins. I'm working out every other day (can't stop yawning right now, so I'm going to double the workout tomorrow; I went to bed 2hrs late last night).

When I finally do reach 130, I'd really like to cut candy and desserts from my life and have them maybe once a week. I could eat a bag of M&Ms and half a family-size bag of Doritos in one day if I wanted to. Right now that, after only a week, I don't really have any cravings for the sweets at least.

I have always had whole grain pasta, brown or wild rice, whole wheat bread so when I do reach 130, I will reintroduce pasta into my diet again. Right now I just want to lose the weight and if I can replace pasta with two eggs and a slice of peanut butter toast, then I feel I'm saving myself a few cals. There's nothing like eating a box of mac & cheese by yourself!

The reason I got in this mess was portion control. And I've learned that personal pizzas should not remain personal, because I could eat one of those every day for lunch (and I have). One hearty slice and an all-natural fruit drink will do me just fine with a smaller body.

As for the amount of calories I should be getting (1500-2000), I can't bring myself to eat that much. Based on a BMI calculator, I burn approx. 1800-2100 cal a day just by being alive. If I were to eat 1500cal a day, that's only a 300cal (at least) loss a day and that's just not enough for me right now. I can't stand being fat any longer.

I will let you all know my progress every month. I started 2/20... so only 3/20, I'll post my new stats.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

Dude... First, 130lb is not a healthy weight for a 26 year old guy who is 5'11," second, you really shouldn't cut more than 1lb of weight in a week, because more than that is unhealthy. People who lose weight too rapidly have a greater risk of rebounding back up to their previous weight than those who lose weight gradually, and steadily, so there's that as well.


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## gopidevi (Aug 21, 2012)

too long so I didn't read but I feel I should tell you I read somewhere your body does not actually go into starvation mode until you hit I think it was 8 or 6% body fat. meaning, don't worry about your body not burning off body fat when you haven't eaten, because that's exactly what it starts burning after some time. at first it gets the glucose or something that is stored in your blood or liver or kidneys, idk, I forgot, but yeah. little food, little calories, means you will burn more body fat no matter what. unless you already have very low body fat, of course.


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## Switchsky (Nov 6, 2012)

lonelyjew said:


> Dude... First, 130lb is not a healthy weight for a 26 year old guy who is 5'11," second, you really shouldn't cut more than 1lb of weight in a week, because more than that is unhealthy. People who lose weight too rapidly have a greater risk of rebounding back up to their previous weight than those who lose weight gradually, and steadily, so there's that as well.


Weight and BMI isn't everything.
I weigh 210lbs at 6'1" and I'm not as suggested by BMI scale, a super obese person, his body type may just not hold weight well, off of his meds.
Lanky body maybe?

According to calcs, i should ingest about 21.000kj a day so, about 4000cal's, which is wholly unrealistic


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

Switchsky said:


> Weight and BMI isn't everything.


You're right, it isn't everything, but I think it is far more descriptive of healthy weight on the low side than on the high, because obviously high muscle mass will make you "overweight," however there is no healthy counterpart on the "underweight" side. I weighed that much when I was a *skinny *high school student, at 5'7".

While there certainly are lanky people who are normal, despite having a low BMI, those people tend to be unable to gain weight, in spite of having diets that would easily add weight to others - that's not the case with the OP. Instead, the OP did gain weight, and apparently feels the need to lose it ASAP, by starving himself, rather than losing in a healthy way, and not just losing weight, but losing so much that he falls bellow what is considered normal weight. IMO, all these things strongly hint at a body image problem, and while I could be wrong, there isn't anything that the OP has posted that indicates that health is a greater concern than simply losing weight...


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Meh. It's been 2wks and while I won't be weight myself for another 2wks (once a month), I am happy to say I can finally button the top of my pants without having to suck my stomach in!

The discouraging thing is that I've been taking pictures of myself every week, and I am still the same shape I was when I started. I just don't know how it's possible for my clothes to notice the difference, but I can't tell when comparing side-by-side pictures of myself.

I am averaging 900-1200cals a day now, and still working out for only 40mins every other day. Once we switch the clocks back next week, I plan on walking for an hour after work on the days I don't do my fitness DVD at home (I like to make it home by 6, have dinner, and do the DVD at 8).

Here is what I had for meals today:

Breakfast - Cheerios & soy milk
Snack - applesauce
Lunch - veggie burger on whole wheat bread with 7 Wheat Thins
Snack - granola bar with peanut butter
Dinner - two eggs, two veggie bacon strips, one slice of whole wheat toast
Drinks - water, 1 cup of OJ
Other - two One A Day multivitamin gummies (so incredible, I could eat them all)


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## ForeverStallone (Apr 4, 2011)

itsjustin said:


> Meh. It's been 2wks and while I won't be weight myself for another 2wks (once a month), I am happy to say I can finally button the top of my pants without having to suck my stomach in!
> 
> *The discouraging thing is that I've been taking pictures of myself every week, and I am still the same shape I was when I started. I just don't know how it's possible for my clothes to notice the difference, but I can't tell when comparing side-by-side pictures of myself.*
> 
> ...


You're severely under eating, your workout looks to be some sort of cardio aerobics thing so there's not much resistance being applied to the muscles which gives your body no reason to hold on to them. Basically you're losing weight but it's probably mostly muscle with some fat. Muscle is more taxing on the body to hold on to so it will burn it up before it burns the fat so even if you end up at 130 lbs you'll look like a smaller version of yourself. You need to weight train to give the body a reason to try to hold on to the muscle and so it starts burning the fat stores instead.

The way you're going about this isn't healthy either. You should do a normal 500 (maybe a little more at a maximun) calorie deficit and lose the weight at a slower, healthier rate.

You also risk damaging you're metabolism and just gaining all the weight back.


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## ForeverStallone (Apr 4, 2011)

Switchsky said:


> You need about 2000 Cal a day, roughly 8.4k KJ (i'm a dietician sorry for using KJ instead of cals )
> If you plan on loosing weight, then you subtract about 2000kj daily from your needed energy intake.
> 
> If you ignore hunger or get used to it, you might like me, just forget hunger signals.
> ...


http://aventadores.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/brad-pilon-eat-stop-eat.pdf - go to page 43, don't worry it's not unhealthy at all.

Carbs aren't even essential - http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/75/5/951.2.full
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/how-many-carbohydrates-do-you-need.html



Switchsky said:


> Actually it's a mind****, if you eat the same amount that you would normally, but on a bigger plate and normal utensils, you would be mind****ed into believing you didn't eat a lot.
> If you need to eat less then you can mind**** yourself into believing you ate ****loads.
> Smaller plates and small utensils will typically make you believe you ate a lot more than you actually did, your brain in the same process will get a greater sense of fullness after eating.
> The same goes for drinking and deserts, smaller glasses and bowels will make you believe you got more, unless of course you're one of those "HE GOT MORE THAN ME OMFG" kind of people
> ...


Why when they aren't even needed for survival? I've been eating at most 150 grams of carbs (most days less than 80 grams) for 8 months while many others have done it much longer without any problems. Most of my energy is from fats and protein. Have not noticed any changes mentally, and physically my IBS symptoms have disappeared (probably due to cutting out grains/gluten).

Plenty of doctor's who also follow the diet and recommend it to their patients - http://www.youtube.com/user/eenfeldt?feature=g-user-u


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

I'd recommend 1500+ calories, lots of veg+fruit, and a decent bit of exercise.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Do you have suggestions for weight training that doesn't require machinery?

The last thing I want is to develop muscles that make my legs and arms bulkier, but I would like to have some definition, and not lose muscle when I could be losing fat.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

I ate two eggs and two pieces of toast today. My stomach isn't growling. Slept for most of the day. I don't feel hungry. Crying as I have my dinner cooking. Eating when not hungry is the worst feeling.


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## Switchsky (Nov 6, 2012)

Only weight training without machinery i can think of, that would also tone you.

Just do push-ups really.
and i guess you could lift a gym bag with some weight in it, if you grip it the right way and arch your back, the correct way.
Otherwise you will severely **** up your back.


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## ForeverStallone (Apr 4, 2011)

itsjustin said:


> Do you have suggestions for weight training that doesn't require machinery?
> 
> The last thing I want is to develop muscles that make my legs and arms bulkier, but I would like to have some definition, and not lose muscle when I could be losing fat.


Body weight workouts are your only option without machinery or barbells. Some equipment you might need to get is a pull up bar (or somewhere to do pull ups ie a tree branch), resistance bands, maybe adjustable dumbbells, or just use whatever you have around the house to add weight to some of the exercises.
Here are some routines:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw2.htm
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/200...ight-workout-warning-this-will-kick-your-***/
http://www.fitwatch.com/ebooks/Turbulence_Training_4-Week_BWW_FitWatch.pdf
http://www.strengthessentials.net/bodyweightworkouts.html

Don't worry about getting bulky. At your calorie deficit the best you can hope for is minimising muscle loss. And I'm not sure how effective bodyweight workouts will be for that but they're better than the one you've been doing. You definitely won't bulk up.


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## Zil (Feb 5, 2011)

If you want an easy way in, make three-weeks worth of spaghetti sauce. Eat it with fresh pasta everyday and devour fruits right after.

If you're feeling hunger then it's a bad sign, you should always feel satisfied.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

ForeverStallone said:


> Body weight workouts are your only option without machinery or barbells. Some equipment you might need to get is a pull up bar (or somewhere to do pull ups ie a tree branch), resistance bands, maybe adjustable dumbbells, or just use whatever you have around the house to add weight to some of the exercises.
> Here are some routines:
> http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wotw2.htm
> http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
> ...


Thanks. The only 'weight' stuff I am doing is push-ups from the DVD I'm using, which consists of minutes of different types of arm resistance. It's the last 4mins of this video (I do the whole thing, of course)... 




I have an 8lb medicine ball and do another DVD with that, but 8lbs now seems too light and need to look into maybe 12lbs?


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Zil said:


> If you want an easy way in, make three-weeks worth of spaghetti sauce. Eat it with fresh pasta everyday and devour fruits right after.
> 
> If you're feeling hunger then it's a bad sign, you should always feel satisfied.


I can eat pasta sauce all by itself. I have given up pasta and rice for a while, but I do have my own recipe for the sauce.

I usually just pick up the cheapest natural & chunky sauce off the grocer's shelf, and add in green beans, chickpeas, black beans and my vegetarian ground beef. I bring it to a boil and sprinkle some grated parm. cheese so it looks all classy. :teeth

It's filling and I less guilty than I would eating a bowl of mac & cheese.


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## John316C (May 1, 2011)

bring on the junkfood, sometimes i love being a masochist too


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Weighed myself this morning, a month after I started all of this. Lost 10/11lbs. I'm satisfied with myself if I can keep losing 10lbs a month. I won't want to stop. I am so sick and messed up. I want to be too weak to do things.


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## anarkee (Feb 27, 2013)

good luck with your anorexic goals of 2013


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

itsjustin said:


> Weighed myself this morning, a month after I started all of this. Lost 10/11lbs. I'm satisfied with myself if I can keep losing 10lbs a month. I won't want to stop. I am so sick and messed up. I want to be too weak to do things.


Are you serious, or are you kidding with this post? If you are serious, you might want to consider the idea that you could have anorexia nervosa... I really doubt you will, but keep in mind that it isn't some benign disorder that isn't a problem, but sort of an extension of OCD, that often leads to severe health and mental problems if left untreated and allowed to become overwhelming.

As for exercises, I'd recommend actual weight lifting using dumbbells. If your worry is about getting big, you aren't; you need to work out a lot, with a lot of weight, and eat a lot of calories and lots of protein to be able to bulk up, which you clearly aren't going to do. It also doesn't happen overnight, so it isn't as if you will be forced to continue to increase your workouts if you're your muscles are getting bigger than you'd like, and those muscles will simply go away if you stop working out for a bit.

Get some a set of 20lb and 30lb dumbells, which will allow you to do tons of different upper body workouts.



ForeverStallone said:


> Why when they aren't even needed for survival? I've been eating at most 150 grams of carbs (most days less than 80 grams) for 8 months while many others have done it much longer without any problems. Most of my energy is from fats and protein. Have not noticed any changes mentally, and physically my IBS symptoms have disappeared (probably due to cutting out grains/gluten).
> 
> Plenty of doctor's who also follow the diet and recommend it to their patients - http://www.youtube.com/user/eenfeldt?feature=g-user-u


I can't imagine that a low carb diet is perfectly fine so long as you don't have some sort of other underlying medical condition, particularly a kidney condition. As long as you're both getting enough protein intake without going completely overboard with it (which is hard unless you're getting all your calories from lean meat) and going into rabbit starvation, and if you aren't getting IBS anymore than even more power to you. There are lots of mixed results on the efficacy of low carb diets, which to me implies that it's a diet that isn't inherently significantly better or worse than than other diets.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Update: I let myself go around Easter with all of that candy and food, but I'm back on track.

I am now trying to walk 4mi a day. I don't have a problem with the distance, it's just doing it over and over day after day, but I am determined. Still doing my workout DVD, too, on days I choose not to walk.

I am down to around 160lbs. I checked the scale last night and it said 155, but I don't believe it. It's different every time I get on, even 2mins later.

So in the 69 days I've been on this weight loss adventure, I've lost around 20lbs. I can now fit into my 32 size pants, and most of my 31 pants fit slightly loose. I'm noticing weight loss in my legs, arms and chest, but my stomach still looks disgusting. I guess that's where I have the most fat so it'll take very little to even out the rest of my body first.

Another 30 to go!


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Update! I am 149lbs now (180 back in Feb). I stopped my diet and exercise routine at the end of May when I went on vacation to Cali. I hopped back on the diet part of my endeavor recently, and just started to do my cardio again tonight.

I really hate that I went 3mos without any hardcore working out. Yes, I do crunches and pushups, but that doesn't really help me burn anything. I can only image how much better-looking I'd be if I hadn't stopped.

But 130 is only 19lbs from 149, and it seems doable to since I've already shed the 30. I'm excited.

I still maintain an average of 1000-1200cal a day, and have since Feb.

I was a size 34, and I can just about fit into a size 30 pant.

_Drug Info_
I'd also like to note that I got off generic Celexa about 1.5mos ago after only two weeks being back on it. I had gained 1lb in that time frame and I know the Celexa was to blame (as it was for the 40+lb weight gain that originally got me in this mess).

So I am now on generic Wellbutrin and have no abnormal food cravings at all. The only time I want food is when I'm hungry. I don't overeat, and all of my stuff is natural (except for the occasional Oreo). I started with 150mg, but I was still feeling down and anxious, so I upped the dose to 300mg. After being on three diff drugs in the past 3yrs, Wellbutrin is the best mix of effectiveness and side effects.


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## RiversEdge (Aug 21, 2011)

I enjoy reading your weight loss success.

I liked reading your meatless spaghetti idea. Congrats, keep up the good work.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

Sorry to bump this old topic, but I'm back on the weight loss kick again. I'm ready to kill the remaining 15lbs.

I have been so lazy, keeping a steady weight for the past 6mos. I'm 143/145 and 130 finally seems attainable for me.

I enjoyed losing the 40lbs last year by doing cardio workouts every other day, and keeping my daily caloric intake at around 1200. I wish I could work out tonight, but I have to get my haircut right after work, and then dinner and by then it'll be too late. Friday though - it begings. I already started watching the calories earlier this week.

I am still able to just fit into a size 31 waist, but another 15lbs and I hope to slip into a 30 with little effort. Wish me luck! 15lbs seems so easy, and less intimidating than 55! Weee.


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## Donnie in the Dark (Mar 15, 2011)

I'd _beg_ you to eat more calories.... it's very hard to meet the amount of nutrients you need to stay healthy on so little calories..... at least add a pile of vegetables to your diet, it wouldn't add too many calories but it would be so much healthier.....


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## poky (Mar 18, 2014)

In one of your earlier posts, you say you slept all day. Is that something you do frequently? If so, why? Because you want to, or because you just don't wake up?


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

poky said:


> In one of your earlier posts, you say you slept all day. Is that something you do frequently? If so, why? Because you want to, or because you just don't wake up?


I took a look at a calendar and that sleep-all-day post was made on a Saturday. I was pretty lonely and depressive back then so sleeping was the only thing exciting to do on the weekends.

I wish I could sleep more now. I get up at 7am for work, and go to bed around 11pm. I want to try to be asleep by 10... don't think that's gonna happen.


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## itsjustin (Oct 21, 2011)

I put off working out and now I feel like I'm gaining it all back, though the scale hasn't budged and my pants are looser than ever. Feeling so crappy looking at my disgusting that that drags on the floor as I walk.

Still in the 140s and my 120s goal continues & starts IN 20 MINUTES. Hoping to lose 2lbs a week by exercise (aerobics + walking, 1200cal intake per day) 3-4x a week.


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