This is for Aristomaniac....and Peeon Me

[PrinceCory]

Thanks for the recent responses.

Rareboy I'm confused by your statement:

"Now my calorie intake has to be 1600 or lower per day. What I would note though is that I really can only consume about 1200 calories per day in order to maintain my current weight."

Seems like you have those numbers reversed. Seems like you would need to higher number to maintain, and the lower number to lose.

I'm currently using a 1236 calorie goal per day. That averages out for me to lose a pound per week. I'm not very active at all (I'm retired and lazy) so I'm sure that is why my intake goal is so low...actually my average must be more than a pound a week because in checking further I lost 18 pounds in 10 weeks.

Aristomaniac - When I mentioned that I don't change my type of food intake (fats - carbs - proteins) it's because I don't really know what i should be shooting for percentage wise. The app suggests a gram range considering your age but it doesn't tweak itself as you lose weight. I need to do some research to figure out a percentage of fats/carbs, etc. Whereas for each pound you lose the app adjusts itself in how many calories i can eat the next day. I know enough that if I eat less carbs I have must more calories to spend on protein. A couple months ago I bought an electronic scale. It has taught me how many hundreds of calories are in small amounts of nut and peanutbutter! I thought I was snacking reasonably healthy.

 

[PrinceCory]

Thanks for the recent responses.

Rareboy I'm confused by your statement:

"Now my calorie intake has to be 1600 or lower per day. What I would note though is that I really can only consume about 1200 calories per day in order to maintain my current weight."

Seems like you have those numbers reversed. Seems like you would need to higher number to maintain, and the lower number to lose.


Aristomaniac - When I mentioned....

^Bump

 

[rareboy]

Sorry, I missed this.

If I take in more than 1200 cals a day, I am gaining weight (not much).

I guess my metabolism is set to a 1200 cal. limit.

Of course, I shouldn't drink my calories.

I still only try to eat complex carbs and proteins.

Today I did a good 2 hour hike though, so I feel entitled to dessert.

But we had homemade Calzones yesterday.

So there's that.

 

[Dominus]

Sorry, I missed this.

If I take in more than 1200 cals a day, I am gaining weight (not much).

I guess my metabolism is set to a 1200 cal. limit.

Of course, I shouldn't drink my calories.

I still only try to eat complex carbs and proteins.

Today I did a good 2 hour hike though, so I feel entitled to dessert.

But we had homemade Calzones yesterday.

So there's that.

Ok, I have been holding this back for a while. But I can't stand it anymore.

Based on everything I have read about metabolism, it is not what most people think.

See, most people think metabolism is this mystical thing that burns your food or turn your food into fat. But in reality, metabolism is simply the totality of energy expenditure that keeps your state of being. Every part of your body requires energy to just simply be. Even your body fat requires energy to exist.

See, the misunderstanding people have is that fat people have a lower metabolism than thin people. But in reality, fat people have a much higher metabolism than thin people because it cost real energy to maintain all that body fat.

This is why weight lifting is actually so effective as a leaning strategy. Muscle is calorically expensive because it is much denser than fat.

Anyway, I find your case interesting. You say if you eat anymore than 1200 cals a day you gain weight. There's got to be something more to this than just basic calories you are counting.

 

[rareboy]

https://www.google.com/search?q=met...i433l2j0l7.7905j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I don't think you gave the answer you think you were giving.

At the end of the day, metabolism is, in fact, a very complex and individualized chemical process. And much about metabolism still remains unknown and unresearched.

https://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss

My basal metabolic rate, as I age, appears to require around 1200 healthy calories per day to maintain a steady weight. It is that simple.

 

[Dominus]

https://www.google.com/search?q=met...i433l2j0l7.7905j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I don't think you gave the answer you think you were giving.

At the end of the day, metabolism is, in fact, a very complex and individualized chemical process. And much about metabolism still remains unknown and unresearched.

https://www.vox.com/2016/5/18/11685254/metabolism-definition-booster-weight-loss

My basal metabolic rate, as I age, appears to require around 1200 healthy calories per day to maintain a steady weight. It is that simple.

Well, I guess I'm also basing my knowledge on a combo of personal experience and observation.

For example, I knew a guy that was 500 pounds or so. He had surgery to reduce his stomach down to the size of an egg. He then lost like 200 pounds. Then he started gaining it all back. We had a conversation about this and he said his metabolism is screwed up so doesn't matter how little he eats he still gains weight. Nowadays, he has given up on life, I think. I kept hearing him say "we all gotta die some day". He kept repeating this sentence in conversations on the phone and in person.

Anyway, my point is this. I started paying attention to this guy. We worked together for a while before I went off on my own with my business. What I noticed was this. While he ate very little during lunch time, he was constantly eating throughout the day. He never really moved from his chair. Very sedentary.

In other words, while his egg sized stomach prevented him from eating a regular size meal at any one time, he (whether consciously or subconsciously) had figured out a way to cheat this by eating constantly throughout the day.

You should look up the show secret eaters. What they do is they put cameras all over and also have their people spy on the "contestants". The result is always the same. People always consume a lot more than what they consciously keep track of. And they eat constantly throughout the day but they subconsciously only count what they eat at the main meals.

Anyway, I guess what works for you works. I'm not going to contest that. I just have a difficult time understanding the mechanics of it. 1200 calories is awfully low. Hard for me to imagine anyone's basal metabolic rate being that low.

I'm 5'8 at 160-165 pounds. While I don't count my calories anymore so I can't even tell you about how much I eat. I just know that I easily down 2000 calories in one sitting.

PS - I give a weight range because my weight fluctuates by as much as 7 pounds throughout the day.

 

[rareboy]

While you are using personal experience and observation....so am I.

And because I track calories and nutrients daily, I have several years of real data at hand. And no 'secret' eating. I record everything. Even the junk and the alcoholic drinks.

And I record any moderate to very vigorous physical activity.

I can look back on two years to see if there is any seasonal variation.....and of course, except for shovelling snow in the winter, I don't get much of a work-out.

So while 1200 calories may seem very low, it reflects a low activity level since I spend my days behind a desk for the most part.

Looking forward to the good weather though. There's tons of brush clearing and gardening to be done. Then I will be able to increase my caloric intake.

 

[Dominus]

^ Ok. What's your age range?

LOL I'll tell you this if I have to live on 1200 calories a day you won't see much of me in a few months. I'm currently bulking muscle so I easily eat around 3500-4000 calories a day. Good god 1200 calories a day...

I guess this just proves how wildly different we all are from each other.

Say, what does your doctor say about your low calorie intake? Does he have any concern?

 

[rareboy]

When I was actively losing weight, I ate 800 calories (all healthy) each day.

With my Doc's knowledge. While he was aware of this...he also knew that I would not do anything stupid or self-destructive.

At the end of the marathon, I beat back diabetes (which you did as well), dumped 3 or 4 prescriptions, lowered my BP meds (genetic), have perfect cholesterol, beat the shit out of my stress test and got a 2 year warranty from my super-star cardiologist.

So I'm good.

I still drink too many of my calories...but it is a long pandemic and I love fine wine and scotch.


....oh and I'm between 60 and 64. Wait until you hit 40. and then 50.

 

[Dominus]

....oh and I'm between 60 and 64. Wait until you hit 40. and then 50.

Why do you think I'm working so hard to build muscle? I'm working as hard as I can to keep my metabolism from slowing down too much when I hit 40, 50, etc. Muscle is calorically expensive to maintain, so I'm hopin' that by having a lot of it I can still enjoy food then as I do now.

I'm rained in today. If it wasn't raining, I'd be taking my dog on 5-10 mile hike at the local state park.





I used to work as a design engineer, aka sitting behind a desk all the time. This was when I became overweight and developed diabetes. Part of my lifestyle change to beat diabetes was to transfer out of the design department and into the field. That helped a lot.

Now that I own my own business, it's hard for me to imagine ever going back to working behind a desk all the time.

One more thing. Most people don't know type 2 is 100% reversible. I feel like it's our job (as those who have beat type 2) to raise awareness that anyone can reverse their type 2.

 

[rareboy]

Yes Type 2 should be reversible.

Stay active. Eat well.

And no. I am not trying to build muscle. But that is not to say that this isn't a good goal.

Stay healthy.

Be well.

Enjoy these years.

 

[Dominus]

So, I have been trying to get over my fear of gaining any weight.

I used to be overweight. My body fat percentage at one point was 25% or so. I topped out at 196 pounds. That was when I had all kinds of health problems associated with weight like diabetes, leaky gut, etc. Being diagnosed with type 2 in my late 20s was definitely a wake up call. I completely changed my lifestyle. Brought my weight down to around 150 or so. Been hitting the gym and getting into lifting/bodybuilding ever since.

After all these years, my brain still has an innate fear of any weight gain. See, I am now back in my bulking phase. Chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli! My weight was about 160 pounds for a while at around 12% body fat percentage. I'm starting to gain muscle mass again. Yesterday, I weighed myself and I was up to 166 pounds. I literally panicked. Then I had to tell myself that I'm bulking so I literally have to gain weight. That's literally the point of bulking.

What I do now is hitting the gym 5 days a week. Walk 4-5 miles 5 days a week. Chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli! I actually don't have a goal weight. As the old saying goes, I just want to look good naked LOL.

 

[rareboy]

I don't care at my age if I look good naked...after nearly 40 years with my partner....we are used to all the sags and wear. And the cats don't seem to care.


I just care about being the same weight as when I was in my 30's/40's for health reasons.

And wearing a 32 inch waist pant.

Tonight after a busy day of gathering/carrying/burning brush and raking out long grass areas, I am so up for Risotto with a brilliant Chardonnay.

 

[PrinceCory]

^ Ok. What's your age range?

LOL I'll tell you this if I have to live on 1200 calories a day you won't see much of me in a few months. I'm currently bulking muscle so I easily eat around 3500-4000 calories a day. Good god 1200 calories a day...

I guess this just proves how wildly different we all are from each other.

Say, what does your doctor say about your low calorie intake? Does he have any concern?

I'm in the same age range was rareboy. I'm also at the 1200 calories a day which will let me lose 1 pound a week. When I started using the app to count calories in May 2020 I was using the app's suggested calorie goal of just under 2000 calories to lose a pound. But over a few months I struggled to even lose a half pound. Eventually I adjusted the app to subtract 50 to 100 calories (per day) until I was regularly losing 1 pound. So the "magic" number for me was 400 calories less per day that what the app said my basic metabolic rate should be for my activity level.

My doctor suggested I not go below 1200 calories per day and he said that is for a male or female. He also suggested my ultimate weight goal should be to not go BELOW the overweight BMI due to my age. I thought i wrote it down but he just used an online calculator to figure out a not-less-than weight. It seems like he said a BMI of 25 should be my goal which is the cut off level between "normal" and "overweight." A BMI of 30 plus is considered obese. He said studies have shown seniors live longer on the slightly heavier end of the normal BMI scale.

 

[PrinceCory]

Yes Type 2 should be reversible.

Stay active. Eat well.

And no. I am not trying to build muscle. But that is not to say that this isn't a good goal.

Stay healthy.

Be well.

Enjoy these years.

It is important to note that while Type 2 should be reversible that might only be if it is caught early enough. I was told by a certified Diabetes instructor that on average a person has type 2 for 7 years before it is diagnosed. By then a lot of irreversible damage has been done to your organs. It's likely a persons organs are so damaged that they can no longer function normally even if healthy habits are followed closely. I was fortunate that mine was caught within 6 months because I was testing every year or two due to my weight.

 

[Dominus]

It is important to note that while Type 2 should be reversible that might only be if it is caught early enough. I was told by a certified Diabetes instructor that on average a person has type 2 for 7 years before it is diagnosed. By then a lot of irreversible damage has been done to your organs. It's likely a persons organs are so damaged that they can no longer function normally even if healthy habits are followed closely. I was fortunate that mine was caught within 6 months because I was testing every year or two due to my weight.

There are definitely obvious symptoms of type 2. There is no way in hell one can live for 7 years without noticing these symptoms. Having gone thru it all, I know exactly how it feels to have my blood sugar go out of whack.

 

[bendted]

Dr. said I had diabetes, come in and lets discuss. In a panic, I lost (still losing?) 21 lbs. and he said forget about it, you're fine. I now have boundless energy. It was easy I suppose, but I had a head start because I ditched alcohol for good more than 3 years ago and I've been on a pescetarian regimen for many years now, and I drink coffee black. You guys usings apps, counting calories, dieting, excessive exercising, gym-goers are obsessive and add unnecessary complications and stress in your lives. They only work for the short term - a sugar high, if you will.

The bad: I still have the aches and pains of an old man that I am. Also, fat hides wrinkles, so I look like an old twink, not attractive at all. No, I'm not underweight and my goal is not to look like a waif.

I'm on a low dose of a statin, so I am wondering if I can now get off that. I will have to first get a lipid panel done of course, but it would be epic if that works out.

Diabetes is something you absolutely want to avoid at all cost.

 

[Dominus]

Might as well update here in this thread.

I used to be overweight. I changed my lifestyle and lost a bunch of weight. Then I worked on transforming my body composition. So, while I maintained my body weight at about 160 lbs, I gradually became denser and denser.

When I started out my journey, I was wearing a size large shirt and waist size 36 or so. Then I went down to medium size for a long time. I am now happy to report while still maintaining my weight at 160 lbs, I now wear shirt size small. Feeling pretty dense. It's been quite a journey coming from shirt size large.

And here is what I look like now wearing a size small shirt.



I still have some ways to go to look like one of those guys in porn, though.

 

[Cormac135]

Keep up the good work.