Question, why did you get fat?

This topic contains 7 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Lichtle 10 years, 4 months ago.

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tombaron

9:16 am
24 Jul 14
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With most of you being well versed in tdee tdee, I’ve found it useful to actually look back and estimate what I was actually eating before I worked on my weight and how my lifestyle led me to becoming so unhealthy.

So, why did you get fat?

Ill start:

I drove everywhere but I worked on my feet, I ate what I wanted and snacked whenever, I could take down a huge sandwich for breakfast and another with chips for lunch and a few coca colas, a mixed grill for dinner, 3 pints of cider every night with crisps and nuts. I reckon I was at a tdee of 2600 with working on my feet at my weight but exceeded that by at least 500kcal every day.

Lichtle

9:54 am
24 Jul 14
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My downfall is SUGAR – SUGAR – SUGAR. If I can/could eliminate sugar, I will/would not have any problems, Actual portions at meal times quite small – just love that “desert/chocolate” at the very end of the day (or/and in the summer that lovely ice cream in the middle of the day). It is both emotional and physical winding down for me. I can munch a bar of chocolate (100g)in one sitting but at a TDEE of a little under 1500cals this would leave me with just 300cals for each of the 3 traditional meals in the day. I have noticed that when fasting I don’t crave chocolate/sugar but want to eat meat and eggs (mostly eggs) and vegetables and pasta. Even though I am almost at my goal weight, I am aware that fasting might be the solution for my unhealthy cravings and that I will keep going for that reason and just increase the healthy food on non-fast days.

From a nutritional point of view, although I eat less calories when doing 4:3, I suppose I still have the same/similar nutrition overall because sugar has no nutritional value at all.

tombaron

10:28 am
24 Jul 14
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Thats a great conclusion. I dropped 42+ lbs and am fasting solely for vanity now. Im about 1st 7 off 15% bodyfat and a six pack for the first time ever. I found also with 4:3 that I crave whole foods also rather than sugary drinks or crisps. I read a lot that you can grow an addiction to sugar. I guess the craving meat and eggs is a proper natural hunger like our ancestors had when they really needed nourishment.

Do you find you can still enjoy a bit of chocolate on occasion?

Lichtle

2:40 pm
24 Jul 14
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Oh, that is great, what a success!!! Congratulations, keep going. Do you find it harder now that you are close to your goal? (nearly there)

I only have another 3-4lbs to loose and since the last couple of lbs are the hardest for me, I am giving it a big push at the moment as I can’t stand hovering around just short of my goal weight.

My last push is: 4:3 with only 300cals of fruit/vegetables in the evening (sometimes water fast only) and on non fast days I eat my TDEE.

I know people say you can eat whatever you want on up-days but not me. If you have a TDEE of 3000cals this might be so, but when your TDEE is only 1500cals you only save about 2000cals per week on 5:2 (that is 300g weight loss) and 3000cals on 4:3 (amounts to 400g). In an IF book I read that most people underestimate their daily food intake by as much as 47% and overestimate their activity level by as much as 51%. Lets face it a saving of 2000cals a week is easily negated/squandered by a couple of meals (Indian or Pizza) or a bar of chocolate on each of the up-days. I think as long as I need to lose weight I have to be careful, so to answer your question, no at the moment I think eating chocolate/sugar is off until I have reached my goal weight. I am an all or nothing person – once the packet is open I have to finish it – so I better don’t open Pandorra’s box. Sugar is after all my downfall so lets hope I can keep up the Fast Diet for maintenance, in order to lose my sugar addiction. This is the third summer I do 4:3 (always reach my goal weight by end of August). In the winter I find it harder, due to being so cold and gain about 5lbs by April but then lose it again in the summer. I will try and keep going this time.

tombaron

4:28 pm
24 Jul 14
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Sounds like you’ve done fantastically 4:3 with 300 kcal is impressive! I am a 7 mile + walking commuter so tdee is high, I find it easier now too, I know I don’t have too far to go and Im just losing waistline now as the rest of me is quite thin. What sort of timescale are you giving yourself for 4lbs?

SAMM

6:40 pm
24 Jul 14
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I was more of carb over eater with very little exercise.

I just wouldnt count calories. So I would eat untill I felt stuffed at least twice a day.

Amy C.

7:54 pm
24 Jul 14
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I exercised, but loved snack food and CHEESE! I would eat a meal’s worth of calories or more as snacks — right before dinner and then after.

I still have a challenge with going bonkers on the eating in the evening. It is a tough habit to break!

Lichtle

9:12 pm
24 Jul 14
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@tombaron. I, too walk 3 miles a day in my lunch hour and at the moment I walk another two miles after work in the evening. I have found out that an hour walking at my weight only burns about 170 cals so I only walk for health reasons (keep moving) but not to control weight. My reason is that I can alway control my food intake but what happens if I rely on exercise and get injured or sick? Fasting gets us in touch with what we really need and that is why it is so phantastic. Even though I don’t do 4:3 in the coldest months, I have given up breakfast during the week as a whole and start my day with either fruit at midday or a soup when it is really cold. But at weekends I have a naughty brunch late morning. Two meals a day means I don’t have to count calories constantly.

I plan to be at my goal weight early September (less than a pound a week). i have not made up my mind how I will continue after November though (5:2 or 4:3)