Weightloss and meal replacement shakes. Help please!

Amanda - posted on 11/09/2011

Ok First off your calorie intake is WAY to low. When the body thinks its straving it will turn ALL food into fat. The avg woman should be on a calorie intake of 1200 daily at least. Please eat more, and stop eatting processed junk food like meal replacement shakes, and bars. This will do you no good.



Good calories will NEVER hurt you. No one ever got fat eatting veggies. You can eat as much as those as you want a day (except potatoes).

Stifler's - posted on 11/09/2011

Not enough calories!

Tracy - posted on 11/09/2011

try taking a rest.relax.you may be stressing out.there has been times when I pushed myself so hard,one day I decided to just rest. I got on the scale and lost some pounds. However, if the scale is your problem stop and check how your clothes are fitting. that is what I get told too.

Jodi - posted on 10/17/2010

Renae, don't only focus on yoru weight. Take some measurements (waist, hips, thighs, etc) and use those as comparisons. Sometimes weight may redistribute a little, so weight alone isn't indication that you are *losing*.

Tyrae - posted on 10/17/2010

Also remember that because you might not have a lot of muscle left if you are in starvation mode while you are eating and working that muscle back you will gain weight before you lose it. Muscle is leaner looking but weighs more than fat does, so for the first little bit you'll probably put on a bit of weight before you start losing it again!

Iridescent - posted on 10/17/2010

It does sound like you've really been struggling. It could take a while, and a bit of weight gain, to get on the right track. But wow with your will power and motivation, you will do it and feel better than ever! I wish I had the same to be able to follow my own advice!!!

Renae - posted on 10/17/2010

Thank you ladies. I will follow all of your advice. I have always eaten a low calorie intake, high protein, no processed sugar, no complex carbs (only carbs from things like milk and vegies) because I have always thought that I had to limit my calories in order to stay a normal weight. If I ate 1500 calories a day I would gain weight, even if there was very little fat in my diet. It sounds like my body has been in starving mode for a long time. Its becoming clear I have been doing all the wrong things for a long time. This isnt something I know a lot about and sometimes a little information can do more harm than good. I will also get my thyroid checked. It was checked by a GP when I was about 21 and I told her how much exercise I was doing and how little I was eating but the test came back fine and she said I just had a sluggish metabolism. Perhaps I should ask to be tested again.

Please keep the advice coming. I will take all of it on board. Thank you !!

Iridescent - posted on 10/17/2010

Oh! Also get your thyroid checked! It's commonly missed despite it being a very common complication of pregnancy. You'd need T3, T4 and TSH drawn, and won't have a complete picture of whether your thyroid is working correctly or not without all of those.

JuLeah - posted on 10/17/2010

Avoide all trans fats (they make you gain weight) avoide all sugar, and artifical sweeteners ... all soda, and fast foods too.
Get enough sleep (you gain weight if you don't sleep well) drink enough water .... if your body does not get enough food, it will think you are starving and store fat, so make sure you eat enough and never skip meals.

Iridescent - posted on 10/17/2010

You've cut too far. The absolute minimum any person needs (except infants) is 1200 calories per day. 1500 calories per day is generally the lowest you can safely go and count on regular weight loss, so going lower will cause problems for you. When you cut your calories too far, your liver tells the rest of your body you are starving to death and must preserve every bit of energy you can.

Increase your calorie intake to at least 1200, closer to 1500 would be better. Some studies show that if you exercise, calculate the calories burned for that period and eat them immediately after to prevent the liver famine crud preserving calories. Drink a TON of water! Your body does better with fresh foods throughout the day, so use them. Morning fruit on an empty tummy is excellent for weight loss, and whole grains (such as oatmeal) after the fruit can make you feel full longer while being low in calories. They're also high in fiber and will prevent constipation as a result of weight loss. There are many types of diets, but the ones that last are the ones you continue with once you're done "dieting" - it's a lifestyle change. Most suggest 5-6 small meals throughout the day vs 3 large meals, to prevent hypoglycemic rebound. Small amounts! My husband was doing this and started great, then decided he needed a full meal at each time. NO! Ugh. Very little (3 ounces) if any meat, but if you completely cut out meat, replace it with balanced proteins (seek a dietitian's help for this or look them up on vegetarian sites). Always, the more "whole" a product is, the less you absorb from it and the more calories you burn digesting it. This is a good thing! So 1 serving of oatmeal instead of a slice of toast. You want unprocessed foods as much as possible. And wash your foods well, or get your Hep A shot.

Amy - posted on 10/17/2010

If you don't get your body enough calories it will not burn through the fat. That's why when you speak to most people about losing weight they tell you to eat smaller portions throughout the day.

•When your body stops getting food it goes into a starvation mode and saves fat. The weight you will lose (not much) will be mostly water and muscle tissue. This is bad because not only will you have to start eating again but since you now have less muscle, and therefore a slower metabolism as opposed to when you began fasting, you will gain even more fat on top of the fat that your body stored while you fasted.
Here is the website I got the information from:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_weigh...

I snack on fruit and veggies in between meals and try to limit my carb intake to one cup a day. I have lost 20 lbs. in 2 months by doing just that. Good luck!