Monday, January 08, 2007

Is it just me?

I'm on a few various email lists around the Internet, naturally. On one "healthy" weight-loss list people post their daily weights and calorie intakes.

One guy reports that he has lost something like 9 pounds since January 1st, on a diet averaging 800 calories per day. That he intends to keep up until he's lost about 25 or 30 pounds.

I want to just scream, "Do you have any idea how screwed-up that's going to make your metabolism!? Not to mention your mental status!?"

But somehow I manage to pull my fingers off the keyboard, one by one. Chalk that up as one suppressed rant for the year 2007. Maybe I should keep a YTD tally of that. . . .

22 comments:

UltraMamaC said...

I've had to remove the "weight-loss" blogs from my blogroll over the last few months. The constant calorie-counting, mood swings connected to the scale readings, and general see-saw of the behaviors I saw there were making me realize that they were going about it all the wrong way. I have gradually added in more tri-bloggers, because I want to focus on the activity and the athletic endeavors and on becoming an athlete.

So, no, it's not just you.

Nancy Toby said...

Whew! I'm so relieved! Yeah, it's crazy-making.

21st Century Mom said...

Oh I so feel your resistance. I have the same problem. I read something recently by a person on the Glycemic Load diet or some such nonesens. She said, "Exercise reduces the insulin resistance of muscle cells caused by the glycemic shocks of high load foods -- but only for 48 hours." So tell me Dr. Nancy - isn't that just a crock 'o?

Nancy Toby said...

How 'bout "Exercise makes you feel better" and leave it at that?

I think using it as a justification for eating sugary foods (LIKE I DO) is probably a slippery slope. :-)

Not sure about the research on that... following blood glucose for over 48 hours would be a pretty tedious study to do.

Dr. Iron TriFeist :) said...

800 calories a day? I would die or hurt someone else. Makes no sense. Like he can keep that up forever. What happens when he goes back to normal eating?

Fe-lady said...

Good for you....people will do whatever they want regardless of what others say!
As for diet and food stuff...throw away the scale, eat when you are hungry, avoid the "garbage foods", and treat yourself in moderation, and MOVE, MOVE, Move! (And find something else to think about...if you are constantly blogging about food, calories and weight loss, then you are only thinking of your next meal!)
There's MY rant for 2007- the first of many! Thanks for letting me vent on your site, Nancy! :-)

Julia said...

Yeah, it makes you want to scream but...people really need to find their own way, even if it means doing it the wrong way a few times. Just be a good example!

Mojo said...

I am an eating machine. I must eat every three hours. The weight lifting has made my metabolism on fire.

I would ask this fella what will happen when he loses the 25lbs. Will he continue eating 800-1000 calories per day to sustain his weight? If he goes back to eating normally, he will put back on the pounds and maybe more. All the starving will be done in vain.

I doubt he will be able to ever got out to dinner on a 800 calorie per day diet. Life should be fun too. Everything in balance and moderation.

Born To Endure said...

I don't own a scale, I don't count calories, I have NO idea how much I weigh..I know how I look in the mirror, or how the way my clothes feel...that's enough for moi!!

Anonymous said...

800 cals is like starvation! He's probably lost 9 lbs of hair :-P

Habeela said...

As a frequenter of weight-loss sites as well, it's somewhat nauseating how crazy some people are! Congrats for withholding the rant.

Steph Cooke said...

I totally agree! Eating this few calories puts the body in 'starvation mode' and slows the metabolism!
What worked for me was adjusting to a healthier way of eating for life, still allowing treats, not skipping meals and making sure I actually eat enough on days I intend to train hard.
That guy is so sad!

SingletrackJenny (formerly known as IronJenny) said...

I agree! I have a girlfriend on the Mastercleanse detox... I have to jsut support her because her mind is made up. I hope it works out for her...
Jenny

Charles said...

I absolutely agree with everything said here, but I do feel the need to share that a friend of mine who became so overweight that she was confined to a wheel chair was put on a diet by her doctor where she was limited to around 800 calories a day. Her food intake was prescribed by a doctor and she was being monitored by her doctor on a weekly basis. This is probably not as bad as it seems because she basically got zero excersise because of being wheelchair restricted.

Last time I talked to her she was using a walker and had lost 80 pounds.

Extreme case - unless you are 5 years old or under medical supervision, 800 calories a day is dangerous.

Iron Pol said...

I'd like to meet the doctor in the comment above mine. Grossly overweight people can burn a ton of calories simply doing arm and leg lifts. Maintain a reasonable diet (pronounced caloric intake) and exercise by moving the weight already there.

I have to agree with txskatemom. I have no real diet. I eat primarily healthy foods in quantities that keep me from starving. I cut most soda out of my diet, and added more fruits and veggies. I am WAY over 800 calories a day, and I've lost more than 30 pounds in the past year. Lost for good, as opposed to the bounce that is nearly guaranteed when the 800 calorie machine goes back to eating.

Veeg said...

Maybe you can add it as a training category. ;)

I just don't get it -- there's so much good, useful information on health, easily accessible out there. And yet -- people still jump in for the fad quick-fix.

Ugh.

Dawn - Pink Chick Tris said...

I've been known to eat that many calories in one meal. That's just nuts.

Blink said...

I'm sure that limiting myself to 600 calories per day would make me Postal. I have no idea why he's doing it, especially since the guy is not especially heavy to begin with. I'm basically ignoring the list, those people are too obsessed, imho. The sad part, most of them appear to be within a normal weight range now.

Nancy Toby said...

I finally just un-subbed. It was too crazy-making to me.

Nancy Toby said...

Darn! I forgot to post a GOODBYE CRUEL LIST YOU ALL SUCK post!!

Heh.

Nancy Toby said...

That and the chick with a BMI of 20 that wants to lose weight... ack!!

Nancy Toby said...

And running 25 miles is a light week that we complain about... ack! ack!