How much should i cut back when dieting??
In the past I’ve struggled with anorexia. I’ve gained weight and I don’t want to go back to the unhealthy and destructive lifestyle. I’m 18, 5’2 and Im around 120-130 pnds. I want to lose 10-20 pnds which would put me at a healthy weight which i could be happy with. I want to diet and excersize but I’m not sure how much is too much?? I eat around 1600 calories a day which was recomended by a nutritionist when I was severely underweight. I want to reduce the amount of calories but I dont know what is too much. Any advice on how to lose in a healthy way??
September 6th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Willy you are perfect for you height and weight now and well within the BMI range, I think you need to take a look again at how much you want to lose as its far too much and will put you under what you should be, I know how hard it is for people who have suffered with eating disorders as I have two friends who struggle with the same thing, I think you should talk to either your GP or nutritionist before you start to think about losing that amount of weight, please be careful you have done so very well and I would hate to think of you been ill again, be proud of yourself but please seek expert advice before you indulge in a diet, the best of luck to you.
September 6th, 2010 at 7:19 am
I read that a person should never go less than 1200 calories a day. You might just cut 200 calories along with your exercising. That should take care of any excess weight. Some light weight training can also boost your metabolism. Whatever you do, don’t get carried away worrying about it. At one point I was cutting calories like crazy and exercising all the time but I ended up losing muscle not fat. It took awhile, but I finally realized I looked like hell and very unhealthy. Also another very important thing to consider is to just look at how you look in the mirror and not worry so much about what the scale says.
September 6th, 2010 at 7:27 am
I believe it’s simple.
Cut down on sweets, soft drinks, crisps, fried food, yellow chesses, ice creams… junkies.
Drink plenty of water (2 to 3 litres a day) eat as many raw vegetables as possible, salads (no dressings) and fruit.
Example of a menu providing 1000 calories, 60g protein, 145g carbohydrate, 21g fat.:
Breakfast
Banana sandwich made with 2 small slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana.
200ml glass of orange juice
Morning Snack
100g pot of low fat fruit yoghurt
Lunch
1 wholemeal roll (45g) filled with 70g tuna (canned in brine) and 10g reduced calorie mayonnaise
Mixed salad of 50g lettuce, 50g red or yellow sweet peppers, 10g spring onions.
Afternoon Snack
One Apple
Dinner
70g Roast Chicken breast (without skin)
80g Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk
60g Broccoli, steamed or boiled
50g Carrots, boiled
100ml Gravy (made from granules)
Evening
1 serving of low calorie Hot Chocolate Drink made with powder and water (eg. Cadbury’s Highlights)
This menu provides 1000 calories, 60g protein, 145g carbohydrate, 21g fat.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Your diet is probably fine as you are already on quite a low calorie intake.
The best way to lose weight is exercise, but the right type of exercise. the most effective way to lose the pounds are walking and swimming, but don’t work to hard in the pool.
The idea is to exercise without getting out of breath or raising your pulse to high, this allows the body to burn the calories without a build up of lactic acid in your muscles, therefor you will burn more carbs and fats.
I would recommend shopping because you can walk for miles without getting bored.
remember if you exercise to enough you will shrink but weigh more as muscle is heavy.
if your weight goes up its not the end of the world you may just becoming athletic.
good luck
September 6th, 2010 at 8:39 am
They say 1200 a day is what you want to be on to lose weight. You dont want to stay on that amount long term or you will slow you metabolism down too much and be unable to lose weight. Then when you try increasing your calories back to a normal intake of 1500-1700 a day you will gain weight easier. Its definately about burning off more than your taking in.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Rather than cutting back, which might be dangerous, why dont you concentrate on finding replacements? Have fruit for a snack instead of chips, have a salad with light dressing before dinner to help curb your appetite. I think if you simply replace higher calorie foods with healthier options, then your focus will have shifted from cutting foods you like to simply being healthier.
Best of luck to you!