320 and on 900 calories a day. Still gaining! HELP!
- Thread starter TammyCat
- Start date
Listen, you can stop it now. You've completely misread me and my intent. If you can't accept that... so be it, and I promise to stay out of your way. But enough of the theatrics.
DCarr10760
New member
I read through the whole thing and I think you misread Steve. What he meant by the fusion reactor comment was that if in truth you are gaining weight on 900 calories a day then you have a system that is storing fat (weight gain) on less calories than you would need for basic functioning.
A fusion reactor is extremely efficient and generates a lot of energy by fusing Hydrogen atoms. So his use of the phrase in your case was to describe a metabolism that can store energy (fat) from an extremely small amount of fuel (900 cals/day).
I do not believe he meant any disrespect and wasn't making fun of you.
Nobody thinks you are Stupid. But the reason why food recording and diet logs (like FitDay) are so important is very often, people aren't always very accurate in their reporting.
My office assistant couldn't understand why she wasn't losing weight on a diet she was on. I showed her Fitday and she tried it. Turned out her actual calories were twice what she assumed she was eating. One example, each morning she had a bowl of Wheat Chex, she looked on the back of the box and it said 160 calories per serving. But when she measured the amount she normally puts in the bowl, it was just shy of 2 cups, which is more than twice what the suggested serving is.
She's a very smart Woman, but was just incorrect in her measuring. It can happen to anybody.
So when somebody comes along, eating a tiny amount of food and still is gaining weight, the only possible explanations are:
1. The amount of food being consumed is inaccurate and more calories are being consumed than are being recorded leading to legitimate weight gain.
2. The metabolism has adapted to tiny amounts of food.
3. Some medical condition causing weight gain not directly related to food intake.
Between Trevor and Steve they've covered all of the bases.
It's good that you have sought out a second opinion, I hope that they and you get it all sorted out. It must be extremely frustrating to work hard and not see results. You are to be commended for keeping at it.
Best of Luck!
David C
A fusion reactor is extremely efficient and generates a lot of energy by fusing Hydrogen atoms. So his use of the phrase in your case was to describe a metabolism that can store energy (fat) from an extremely small amount of fuel (900 cals/day).
I do not believe he meant any disrespect and wasn't making fun of you.
Nobody thinks you are Stupid. But the reason why food recording and diet logs (like FitDay) are so important is very often, people aren't always very accurate in their reporting.
My office assistant couldn't understand why she wasn't losing weight on a diet she was on. I showed her Fitday and she tried it. Turned out her actual calories were twice what she assumed she was eating. One example, each morning she had a bowl of Wheat Chex, she looked on the back of the box and it said 160 calories per serving. But when she measured the amount she normally puts in the bowl, it was just shy of 2 cups, which is more than twice what the suggested serving is.
She's a very smart Woman, but was just incorrect in her measuring. It can happen to anybody.
So when somebody comes along, eating a tiny amount of food and still is gaining weight, the only possible explanations are:
1. The amount of food being consumed is inaccurate and more calories are being consumed than are being recorded leading to legitimate weight gain.
2. The metabolism has adapted to tiny amounts of food.
3. Some medical condition causing weight gain not directly related to food intake.
Between Trevor and Steve they've covered all of the bases.
It's good that you have sought out a second opinion, I hope that they and you get it all sorted out. It must be extremely frustrating to work hard and not see results. You are to be commended for keeping at it.
Best of Luck!
David C
pennybear09
New member
Hmm...from my general experience with Lean Cuisines, they can contain from around 250-400cals. So say each one is 300cals each and you have three of them, that's your 900 calories right there. Additionally, I thought SlimFast snacks were supposed to be used as meal replacements so they're probably very high in calories, but I'm not there reading the label. All this could add up to serious calories eventually though. I agree with the others, keep a calorie journal and record everything that you eat, even if it's just a spoonful of something to subside a craving.
Also, Steve is a highly valued member of this community and gives some excellent advice. He wasn't being offensive when you kind of jumped at him.
Welcome to WLF Tammy! Glad you stopped by to ask us for help 
. We're all here pulling for one another so try not to misread as negative any responses that you get back from us.
I agree with getting some medical tests done to rule out anything like thyroid or something like that. But in the meantime, if I were in your shoes I would be looking hard at my food and lifestyle and at how I got to where I was. Maybe the answer lies in something outside my fault completely and maybe not. But I should not be afraid to go there, to be honest with myself and have a very detailed look.
For example, how much walking do you do on an average basis? How much exercise do you do? What kind of exercise is it? It may be really hard to work out at your weight, and I understand that, but nevertheless the answer may lie partly there. I think its hard to jump start the metabolism without exercise, though you could very well be exercising so I'm not making any assumptions.
Can anything healthier be substituted for Lean Cuisine? Obviously that chemical-ridden food is not working for you. Its got a ton of sodium and nasty preservatives among countless other stuff. I'd rather buy a pack of chicken breasts and broil that in some italian dressing or something and boil a few new potatoes with some veggies and some butter. I'm not going to say I eat healthy all the time because I dont, but as an example, here's what I got at the shop today:
2 boxes strawberries
canteloupe
apples, 2 bananas (for la nena)
ice cream (for papi but I'll steal a bit)
bag of Thomas whole grain mini bagels
steaks
low carb/low cal Hood 2% milk
2 Yoplait light yogurts
Maybe if you tried eating simpler, less processed food like that you would get your metabolism going a bit more??
It also sounds like your metabolism is stuck from eating so little so maybe you should try increasing your calories for the next few weeks but AT THE SAME TIME add in some exercise to burn some more calories. Maybe the combination of more food and more exercise might get things started?
Also, check in your area for the resting metabolic rate test (RMR). Insurance will often cover it and it tells you exactly how many calories your body is burning at rest and how many calories are burned on average doing daily lifestyle activities. You just breathe into the machine and it can give you some very precise information. So if it says you're burning 900 calories, and that's what you're eating, then you can see there's a problem with your metabolism that needs to be addressed.
I'm no expert but these are some of the things I'd be trying. Good for you that you're trying to solve the problem. Let us know if you have any more questions.
. We're all here pulling for one another so try not to misread as negative any responses that you get back from us. I agree with getting some medical tests done to rule out anything like thyroid or something like that. But in the meantime, if I were in your shoes I would be looking hard at my food and lifestyle and at how I got to where I was. Maybe the answer lies in something outside my fault completely and maybe not. But I should not be afraid to go there, to be honest with myself and have a very detailed look.
For example, how much walking do you do on an average basis? How much exercise do you do? What kind of exercise is it? It may be really hard to work out at your weight, and I understand that, but nevertheless the answer may lie partly there. I think its hard to jump start the metabolism without exercise, though you could very well be exercising so I'm not making any assumptions.
Can anything healthier be substituted for Lean Cuisine? Obviously that chemical-ridden food is not working for you. Its got a ton of sodium and nasty preservatives among countless other stuff. I'd rather buy a pack of chicken breasts and broil that in some italian dressing or something and boil a few new potatoes with some veggies and some butter. I'm not going to say I eat healthy all the time because I dont, but as an example, here's what I got at the shop today:
2 boxes strawberries
canteloupe
apples, 2 bananas (for la nena)
ice cream (for papi but I'll steal a bit)
bag of Thomas whole grain mini bagels
steaks
low carb/low cal Hood 2% milk
2 Yoplait light yogurts
Maybe if you tried eating simpler, less processed food like that you would get your metabolism going a bit more??
It also sounds like your metabolism is stuck from eating so little so maybe you should try increasing your calories for the next few weeks but AT THE SAME TIME add in some exercise to burn some more calories. Maybe the combination of more food and more exercise might get things started?
Also, check in your area for the resting metabolic rate test (RMR). Insurance will often cover it and it tells you exactly how many calories your body is burning at rest and how many calories are burned on average doing daily lifestyle activities. You just breathe into the machine and it can give you some very precise information. So if it says you're burning 900 calories, and that's what you're eating, then you can see there's a problem with your metabolism that needs to be addressed.
I'm no expert but these are some of the things I'd be trying. Good for you that you're trying to solve the problem. Let us know if you have any more questions
.I looked up thermodynamics and nuclear reactors and Steve's comment was indeed a slam at me. A nuclear reactor produces fuel at a greater rate than it consumes fuel. I looked it up. Steve was mocking me.
The Lean Cuisines I'm eating are 250 calories that is 750.
I read about thermodynamics and if I understand it correctly Steve is calling me a liar. He is saying that I am creating fat out of thin air.
pennybear09
New member
He was merely stating the improbability that you can gain weight while eating this amount of calories, especially if you just started this regiment. It might have been sarcastic, and I understand not everyone can appreciate the humor in sarcasm, but it wasn't meant to be offensive. It's unfortunate that you took it this way.
How many calories are in these SlimFast Snacks? Blancita made a good point, perhaps your body can't metabolize these processed foods. A lot of the times they are high in sodium. I'd almost recommend some kind of cleanse, but it might be a shock to your system. Talk with one more doctor and see what they recommend. Good luck to you.
Now my body cannot not metabolize food? If that were the case I would be getting NO calories at all. Are you mocking me too? Are you saying my metabolism is working in reverse?
Sarcasm is not good humor. It is cruel humor.
Fat people do NOT eat too much. Most of us eat far less. Our set points get messed up with all the yo yo dieting we do. Our metabolisms have slowed to a crawl.
HA HA HA look at the drama queen. Is that it Steve?
CrunkChipmunk
New member
What do you drink with your meals Tammy?
On the forum its often been pointed out a lot of the calories we that are overweight consume are often empty ones found in drinks that put weight on us.
Like calories from soft drinks or juices loaded with sugar or alcohol basically too much of any drink loaded with calories.
On the forum its often been pointed out a lot of the calories we that are overweight consume are often empty ones found in drinks that put weight on us.
Like calories from soft drinks or juices loaded with sugar or alcohol basically too much of any drink loaded with calories.
Tammy, If you are indeed only eating 900Kcal a day, And i'm NOT doubting you, than this IS whats happening. See, if I explain for a moment.
The golden rule of thermodynamics states, something to the extent of. Energy is not created nor is it destroyed. Rather it is converted from one form to another.
The body can not "make" fat. Rather it converts one short term energy supply(calories) to long term energy supply(fat).
For your body to sustain life when in a calorie deficient. It goes on to fat stores. However, when your body is in an excess of calories it goes and is converted to fat.
Blancita, smartly referred to your RMR. OR, Resting metabolic rate, that is basically the number of calories you burn to sustain life at rest. Now, body continues to burn more calories as you do stuff throughout the day, above your RMR.
In order for you to be gaining weight. It means your body is living off of less then 900calories per day. because, out of 900 calories. There is some left over after all bodily functions have been "paid off". As to gain weight to a noticeable extent that means some of those calories are being stored.
Now, take your RMR and activity level combine them and they MUST fall below 900calories a day for this to happen. However, this isn't the case.
Not even "starvation" mode could trigger such a drop in metabolic rate. Nor could "set points".
Tammy, please don't take this the wrong way. But, as someone who is "in the know" on the science behind all this. I can tell you, this isn't true.
The body's set point does not change due to calorie restriction alone.
ST theory, state, when the body is in taking calories below the Set point. The body will down regulate metabolism and increase want for food. Obviously, the opposite is supposed to happen when you eat in surplus.
However, the down regulation is not instant nor is it a bombastic affect. Likely, between 25-30% would be the absolute max down regulation occurs. If your total daily calories needs should be around 2,500(arbitrary number, but around this). Than at the generally accepted max metabolic slow down from set point or starvation mode. That would equate to a reduction of 750calories a day to sustain life.
In your case, your metabolic slow down is around 80% (if my guess of your RMR, and so on is correct.).
Please understand, I am aware of NOTHING that causes such a reduction that one of your size (no offense) could gain weight at 900calories a day.
Again though, I NEED you to fill out the fitday.com if you want more help. I must see EVERYTHING you are EATING and DRINKING to continue to help you.
I have tea, black coffee, Crystal Light, water and diet soda.
I tried down loading their software but I guess I am too fat and too dumb to do that. Maybe crumbs from all the Ho Hos I eat got into my computer.
I did go to a calorie calculator and it says my RMR is supposed to be 3097 so that just proves my point that my metabolism is screwed up for dieting and Metabolic Syndrome (something my doctor says I don't have because I am not diabetic and my cholesterol is ok.
Thank you for not judging me.
Being diabetic and having your cholesterol be in check have nothing to do with it. Odd, that your doctor would say this...
Around 3,000calories is about where I would assume it to be.
Ahh, you don't need to download it. Simply click sign up. Enter a name and your birth date and you will have a free online account. The download is for people who wish to buy the software. Which is 20 bucks I believe and it has some more whistles and bells than the free version.
It hard to say but I have gained 11 pounds in the past two months.
That is correct.