The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Hi, I've just started dieting down (at the beginning of the week) and want to make sure I don't have a repeat of a diet meltdown I had last year. I'm 5'3", 120-124 pounds (not sure, no scale at home), and want to get down to 107-105 (I'm small-framed) before I switch to maintenance.
Am doing 1300-1500 calories a day right now, and I'm not sure what maintenance is, but I suspect at least 2000, maybe more (don't own a car).
About a year and a half ago, I was doing about 1300 kcal/day plus IF and got down to 107 and then I could not stand it anymore. My hunger got so bad that I could not care anymore. I couldn't think of anything but food! I tried to just eat a maintenance level, but I craved heavy, heavy food like never before (I eat clean, so this was things like nut butter). I gained almost 20 pounds back and couldn't fit into all the new clothes I bought. Since then, I've bounced between 115 and 125 but haven't wanted to restrict myself again since the hunger was SO bad.
Now I really want to lose some weight--as stress and sleep deprivation increase, my intuitive eating has eaten me out of clothes that fit and I'm tired of it. But I'm wary of a repeat of last year. Reading FLT helped a LOT because she acknowledges all the crazy hormonal stuff going on.
Here are my guesses for why I got a hunger I could not avoid:
-IF+low calories (1300 may have been as much as a 1000 calorie deficit for me, looking at how I ate before and how quickly the weight came off)=bad. Do one or the other.
-No scheduled refeeds=bad. Have refeed week every 8 weeks.
Do you agree with my thoughts? Is there anything I'm missing? I didn't have any nutrient deficiencies. I don't eat as much protein as many here suggest, but I'm sticking with that because I'm miserable on a high protein diet--just don't like it (feel unsatisfied). I do up fat to around 30% when calories are low. Thanks!
Just wanted to share that our stats are kind of similair. I 5'4 and I was on a very low calorie diet 1200 or so. I also got down to about 107. Looking back on it now however, I've realized that was just too skinny for me (and like you I also have a small frame).
I started working out with weights and going hard at the gym. That's when I noticed a huge appetite increase. Since then my calories have gone up to about 1700-1900 a day. I'm in about the same spot as you, I'm about 118 pounds and I would like to decrease body fat but I NEED to eat! I'm not eating garbage carbs or trans fat and all those yucky things, but I do like to eat about every 2 hours or so!
I'll be interested in seeing people's comments and suggestions!
I think you probably haven't missed anything. My suggestions are:
1) I know you said you don't like eating too high protein %, but you could try 40-30-30 (zone proportions) - I find that anything under 35% protein when I'm in a deficit I just get too tired and hungry.
2) Have you taken the activity/BMR quiz in the FLTS? It may very well be that 1300 is way too low for you given all your activity. This is probably a trial and error thing but maybe you should go up to 1500-1600 or just play with it a bit....
3) Is it possible for you to build in a treat for yourself every day - i.e. full fat ice cream (weighed on your food scale of course or regular peanut butter and a tablespoon of chocolate chips? I do this and I really really savor it. This seems to help me feel like I don't want to eat everything. Some people can't keep this kind of food in their house because it can lead to a binge, but if that's not you, you might try it...or you don't have to keep it in your house, but just pick up a single serving of something - pre-planned.
4) In general - and going back to #2 - you may just want to try to lose weight more slowly this time so that you don't feel like "whoohoo, I'm off my diet, I'm going to eat everything in sight" because it will be more gradual.
Calorie needs: Based on the activity quiz, maintenance calories are 1800/day for me. I suspect it is higher though; maybe I am underestimating my NEAT or maybe my RMR is just higher than others. A year ago, I also did much more NEAT, at least an extra hour's worth of easy activity (bigger city=much more more biking/walking). I wouldn't be surprised if I was burning 2200-2500/day, depending on the day. Now, not so much.
Weight: I agree the number 107# doesn't mean anything, it just happened to be my breaking point. I looked really good then, and no one thought I looked too skinny (except for my dad, who says I'm too skinny unless I'm about 130--which looks chunky on ME). I'd be thrilled with 112# as well, and 107# might well translate to 112# after switching to maintenance, so as long as I don't feel burned out, I'll aim for around there. I gain all my weight in my stomach, which is good because I always look slim (ie, not top-heavy), but to get a slim-looking stomach, I have to lose more fat than others.
For proportions: I have been doing 30% fat, 55% carbs, 15% protein on a vegan diet minus protein powder. Lots of veggies, nuts/seeds, fruit, and beans.
The thing is, eating ad lib, I would rather eat a diet of 50% fruit. Currently I have been having 2-3 servings/day and don't want to go lower, because I love it so much. But I could replace beans with protein powder and that ups the protein and lowers the carbs a LOT (since 1 cup beans=230 calories, depending) to about Zone proportions. I'm not sure though... I'll change out 1/2 cup beans for an eqaul caloric amount of protein powder, and switch out the other 1/2 cup if I feel I need to later.
So basically, now my NEAT is lower and my stress is higher (having gone back to school), so this might be okay. I will try sticking to the 1300-1500 range (I aim for 1300 but allow an extra 200 if strongly desired) and watch out for signs that I need to up protein or refeed, or lose weight more slowly.
IF was nice because it led to such quick results--but is that a bad idea here? Right now, I look forward to my meals (yes, for entertainment and enjoyment) and would rather do low calories than IF, but if I feel motivated to do both, should I ignore that idea?
For maintenance remember to break out the manual for that. It helps with being a lot more realistic about where that "stopping point" might be.
IF'ing isn't a bad strategy if it works for you. If you are keeping your strength and liking your body comp then go for it.
I think you have good base and we can only optimize so much before it is nuts and oc. My advice is you seem to have a good head and can't accept to some degree that it can be "that simple." It can, let it be, and go do your thing.
My only secondary advice is school and studying is a recipe for higher stress and you have to combat that. Everytime you get that stress hunger craving try and stretch, literally, for 5-10 mins. Start to foam roll, and focus on a postive stress release.
When you know you have sedantary stress, battle it with not being still when you can. It will make you weak to binges much less.
So, it's been a little under two weeks, but I decided to have a maintenance calorie day after listening to Leigh's follow-up on binging on FitCast, based on a) that I may have close to 1000 calorie a day deficit b) she said that two weeks is a common time to "breakdown" c) my mind keeps wandering towards food and I feel unusually tired despite having upped my protein considerably. I feel SO good, satisfied, calm and not binge-y at all--and I know I am still going to lose weight this week.
Now off to stretch and go to bed... rest and sleep to soak in the benefits of my extra meal. Thanks to everyone!
How to avoid repeat of hunger meltdown
or regular peanut butter and a tablespoon of chocolate chips? I do this and I really really savor it. This seems to help me feel like I don't want to eat everything. Some people can't keep this kind of food in their house because it can lead to a binge, but if that's not you, you might try it...or you don't have to keep it in your house, but just pick up a single serving of something - pre-planned. 
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