Beginner

[Tonya]

Wow!!! That was a lot of information....maybe I need to go back and read the FAQ stuff again!

Thanks Allison....


does it really take 3500 calories=1 pound? Geez!!! No wonder it's taking so long!

[elle4nelly]

Alison was right!

This is straight up biology!
The smaller one is the lesser the weight loss speed. And here's why!
Person 161 lbs that are moderately active (exercising 3x a week) need roughly 2200 calories to MAINTAIN the current weight of 161 lbs. In order to loose a lb, you need a deficit of 3500 calories. If you drop your intake from the 2200 calories needed to keep you at 161lbs down to say 800 calories (5 shakes and lean+green), you would be creating a deficit of 1400 calories per day. That's a 9800 calories deficit over the course of a week or roughly 2.8 lbs loss per week. Again, this is taking in consideration that you are moderately active and a female between age of 25-25 and an average height of 5'5". If you are older, your basic metabolic rate will be slower thus you'll need less calories to maintain your current weight, and your weight loss will be lesser than the 2.8 lbs average above. If you are petite, say 5'1" the same will be true also. And if you are not active the weight loss value will be smaller too.
Therefore, a female 5'5" 250 lbs on the same 800 calories diet would be creating a deficit of 1998 calories per day since it takes 2798 calories to keep her at a weight of 250lbs! Do the math, and that's a weekly deficit of 13986 calories!!!! Or 3.99 lbs loss per week!
Get the picture? So if you are not too overweight..Say 140lbs wanting to be 125 lbs. Your Basic metabolic rate is of only 2070 calories per day in order to keep you at 140lbs. Go on a 800 calorie diet and your deficit will only be 1270 calories per day or 8890 calories a week which translate into 2.5 lbs of weight loss per week. This taking in consideration that you are 25-35, a female of average height and exercising 3x per week.

And that is the mathematic of weight loss! Period! Men will lose weight faster based on several factors. The most important one being that they have a greater lean body mass than women. Your lean body mass is what you weight if you were strip of all the fat leaving just the muscles and bones. And since muscle burns more energy than fat, men who have a higher lean body mass than women, will naturally burn more calories than we (women) in general.

So here you go..Now you have the little neat facts...just keep shaking and don't obsess with the scale! Sorry for the long 2 cents here ..But as a Bio-Chem major in college...I thought I'd pass on some info..

Your Shakin Pal and conductor,

Nelly

[explorthis]

[Guest]

Thank you Mike!
Just wanted to help, because I know how women love to compare. How come Annie is losing 3 lbs a week and I'm only doing 1lb etc..etc..
Understanding the little "why " helps us put things into perspective and keep us focused on what matters.
I tell you though...you are Lucky to be a man when it comes to this.
Not only do you lose faster but also it takes more calories for you to maintain your current weight.

A man 6'4" and weighing in at 224lbs, exercising lightly (no moderate or intense workouts) and in general good health need the following caloric intake to maintain his weight:

At 35----- 2844 calories per day
At 40------2800 calories per day
At 45------2756 calories per day
At 50------2711 calories per day

A woman 5'5" who barely exercise needs the following calories to maintain the same 224lbs.
At 35------2273 calories
At 40------2242 calories
At 45------2212 calories
At 50------2181 calories

See why you lost weight faster?

If you noticed, the caloric intake to maintain your current weight does decrease with age. One of the reasons for that is that as we get older we lose some lean body mass thus the importance of including strength training in your exercise routine. If you're 50(man for example) and not maintaining your lean body mass or increasing it via strength training or weight lifting...you cannot continue to eat the amount of calories a 35 years old man does. That little daily 133 calories difference would add up to an excess of 48545.00 calories in one year or a weight gain of 13.87 lbs in one year!!!!!!!!!!! (1lbs = 3500 calories) Yet 133 calories is so small...like 1/2 a candy bar??
Do you see how easy it is to gain weight, if you do not know where your limit is?
Keep in mind that the amount would vary based on other factors but nonetheless; you'd still gain weight.

Knowing your limits is a very important part of staying healthy. I 've always known my limit but chose to ignore it thus here I am. This time though, I am armed with common sense. I'll do a better job at keeping my weight off when I reach goal.

Anyway...Thank you guys for the thread and see you in Thinville USA!


Nelly

[explorthis]

[Jeanette]

AAHHHH!! Too much math and science!!!! Both subjects I stunk at!

Good info though! thanks!

[Guest]

Hi Mikey!

One of the issues not discussed here, Is the fact that when you go on a VLCD or " very low calorie diet” Your body in an attempt to keep itself in a state of balance will decrease its metabolic rate. It's a known fact and any nutritionists, Diet Guru and the likes of them would tell you that. Thus, the reason why not every doctor or nutritionist out there is super thrilled with the 500 calories diet and tells us to stick to the 1200 calories one. You Mike, have slowed down your metabolism by being on a very low calories diet. And let me tell you that I do not care how much protein Medifast contains.... at 500 calories per day.... your body will eventually break down your muscle for fuel...even if you exercised. Unless that exercise routine includes heavy strength training, which cannot be sustained on this low calories diet. Therefore, that caloric value you should be on at 40-45years of age, can’t work for you because you have lost lean body mass and lowered your metabolism by going on what is considered an extremely low calorie diet.
So, now you have to eat like a little delicate flower and unless you start including weight training into your routine to increase your lean body mass even “that 1500 calories daily value” you’re on actually will not work at maintaining you at this weight for another couples of years or so. Because it is an indisputable fact that our metabolism drops down with age.
The whole idea anyway, was for us to understand the larger picture of why one can lose faster than another and also how easy it is to gain weight if you do not know your limits or inform yourself enough.

Now Jeannette, you are on the right track with curves, which includes strength training and cardio. I do the same too, by including strength training so that when I get to goal my metabolism will have slowed down but not as much as if I was doing cardio. And when I come off Medifast, I will increase my strength training regiment. Muscle burns more energy than fat and that's a fact! So if we are on medifast we need to include strength training either while on it or during maintenance. Otherwise, expect to eat a low calorie diet for the rest or your life for your body will not be able to bring its metabolism up to its ideal level. The body is a wonderful machine that fights to keep you in a state of balance. Eat 500 calories a day for a few months and your body will never go back to letting you eat 2000 calories without you gaining weights unless you do something about it like upping the intensity of your workout and strength training. Understand how your body works and it will be your friend and not a foe! That’s the bottom line!

So Mike...Pick up some weights or dumbbells..Go workout with the boys for 45 hard minutes 2x a week and you will need the caloric values indicated earlier to maintain you.
Wanna bet? Take me on this one...Can't wait to prove you right!



Your buddy and shakin' pal Nelly

[explorthis]

Bio-Nell..

[Marseilles]

A question for bio-Nelly...

My intent has always been to reach my target weight through medifast and then during a period of re-elementation and with the introduction of food back into my diet ( I do a complete medifast, 5 a day and no lean/green), resume my daily fitness regime. Prior to medifast I walked/ran 4 miles a day on the treadmill and did no less than 30 minutes of pilates daily. I was told to stop the exercise during medifast as my body was just -not- getting the calories it needed and would cause me to rapidly burn lean muscle mass.

My question is this:

What would be the ideal caloric intake/physical output for a 35 yr old female who is 5'5" and intends to weigh in the neighborhood of 130lbs? I believe I can eat sensibly..when not doing a VLCD and maintain this weight with the lifestyle changes I have made..ie: I have quit smoking after a 22 yr/pack a day habit, had thyroid removed and have proper levels of synthroid and feel really good for the first time in years... I should mention as well, that I started medifast with the blessing and under the care of my Endocrinologist...

I would be devastated if I proceeded to gain it all back due to ignorance!!!

Your advice/input would be appreciated...everyone!!

-M.

[Nancy]

Bot,

If you are having but 2-3 ounces of chicken, that is NOT enough - you NEED to have more. The Five and One weight loss program for males is 6-7 ounces of protein per day; 5-6 ounces a day for females. Don’t cut yourself short – it is not good for your body and that may very well be the issue for you. Some people do not release their weight at the same rate. Give your body a few days to get settled in.

As one becomes closer to their goal weight, typically weight loss does slow down a bit but not much. After all, those last few pounds have been there the longest and they like it there! Medifast works for those who want to lose a lot of weight and for those who want to lose a little. We do recommend the Take Shape drinks for those who have 15 pounds or less to lose but it really is a matter of personal choice.

I love the shakes and use them every day because I have lousy joints - after hauling around excessive weight for so many years the cartilage and bursa sacs in my joints has been ground away. Totally my fault. I am menopausal – the soy is a natural way for me to eliminate the moments of uncoolness. I do not like to take drugs – they are costly, have many side effects and I prefer a nutritional approach to dealing with my issues rather than a pharmaceutical approach. I would rather have a shake three times a day than to pop pills and pay a lot of $ for Celebrex and estrogen.

By the way, Leopard Woman is back to her weight goal!

[Landylue]

I saw that little-bitty comment! You're at goal weight! MAH-velous! Congratulations, Nancy!

As always, you are an inspiration to the rest of us.

You go, girl!

Landylue

[elle4nelly]

This is for Marseille!

Hi Marseille!

What is your weight right now? You asked what would be a caloric intake for you at?? Which weight? Actual weight of..... Or Goal weight of 130lbs?
If you're going to be sedentary at your goal weight, you will have to work yourself to a daily caloric intake of just roughly 1672 calories per day.
With light exercise it will be 1739. With moderate exercise it will be 2007 and with heavy exercise it will be 2274.


You are right to be concerned here about life after Medifast. Now is the moment to ponder on how we will keep this weight off. Because soon or later we will have to resume living outside of Medifast. And after months or VLCD, the body will have to be reintroduced back to normal food in baby steps. And the Medifast maintenance phase is designed for just that. BUT we will also have to exercise and strength train to rebuild the loss of lean body mass and "up" our metabolism from the lower level it is now in order to sustain us at this very low calories intake.
That is why when people diet and suddenly cheat and or have a larger caloric intake for a couple of days the scale goes jumping up. That's because the body metabolic rate has gone down in order to adjust to the low food intake value. So any sudden jump in the food intake will show on the scale since the body is on slow mode. Right now, while on Medifast, you cannot exercise HARD. Your food intake isn't enough. It can be even dangerous to overdo the exercising. A brisk 30-40 minute walk is plenty with or without lightweight training if you wish. Anything more and you put the body into starvation mode. You will begin to stall. See, it's more complicated than one might think. And all we need to know here is the basic. Just enough to be informed.
Bottom line is that the body is like a Thermostat, It Needs and wants to be in a state of balance. Give it too much food and it will store the excess. Give too little and your metabolism will slow down in an effort to do by with what you give it.
Let me see how to put it in plain language. If you were placed in a cell and given each day 3 subway sandwiches and you could bank on getting them each day. You'd most likely eat one for breakfast lunch and dinner, and you'd be adjusted on the 3 subways a day. Now, if you were suddenly given just one subway sandwich per day... you'd have to spread that sandwich over the course of a day. 'Cause if you ate all of it at breakfast, it would be 24hr before you saw food again. So in order to do by with the sudden one sub a day, you'd adjust your feeding so as not to go too long without food and eventually get full on just that sub a day.
Now a few months later, the Cell keepers come around and start giving you 3 subways Sub again. It would take you a little while to manage to eat all 3. And you'd most likely store away 1 or 1.5 aside for a little while because you got used to the 1 sub a day! The body functions that way.
I know it's a very simplistic way of explaining this. Especially since it is far more complicated than this...but this is a simple way to put it all.

Bottom line again, will be to exercise properly and STRENGH train to rebuild all lost body mass so that you will be able to keep all this weight off and be able to consume an adequate caloric intake for your age, gender and physical output. All of this given that you do not have any health problem, like slow thyroid, or taking hormone therapy and so many other factors that will make it hard for you to lose or keep the weight off.
Anyway..didn’t mean to start this long thread on the issue. Just wanted to help by passing a little bit of info to al my friends here.

Hope I helped.

[Marseilles]

hehehe...no need to apologize, at all.

I was asking about target weight, in answer to your question. I dont generally have any trouble doing the exercise or strength training and like I mentioned, I have stopped all of that while on medifast as I follow the full fast and have 5 shakes a day. Just no extra calories to burn..I am active enough in daily life that it makes up for a brisk walk..I am interested in life after medifast. I want to know on the outset that I need to exercise in a specific manner so many times a week..and yes, you have answered that. thanks much.

As far as slow thyroid or anything else..well, I have NO thyroid (as I had it surgically removed a year ago) and I am on daily synthroid..thankfully, the dose is regulated and I am under the care of a FABULOUS endocrinologist who works with me as opposed to against me..thankfully, he is also one of my biggest supporters. He, by the way, gave me his whole hearted blessing with regards to medifast..just for the info of those curious.

As far as the ideal caloric intake vs output to maintain my goal weight..it seems very doable to me, so cool!

best wishes to all;
-M.

[marrabou]

we have a bunch of smarty pants's in here, i am impressed