Does it matter?

Shannon, how high did you up your calories during the losing stage?  The last few days I went up closer to 900 calories, walked more than since my injury, and gained a pound.  So freaking frustrating.  I don't have a clue where my eating/exercise range is.  I wish there was a magic formula because I would so be there!  Doesn't seem that anyone can tell me what to do.  I'm most afraid of screwing up my metabolism even more than it already is.  I'm not feeling the effects of upping my thyroid meds.  I'm more tired than I was before. 

*done whining*

It's totally not whining. I had to up mine over 1000. Now I am trying to figure out where maintenance is. I have done a million online calculators, and they are all different. Yesterday I ate really low calorie and worked out hard and gained too. Go figure. Also, we only burn about a third to half of what gym equipment tells us we burn. 

Have you considered getting one of those BodyBugg/FitBit/GoWearFit things?

I have noticed since I started wearing a pedometer for this program at work that my activity really varies every day even though I don't necessarily think I'm being more active. It can be something as simple as having two meetings that day on the other side of campus vs. not having any meetings and being at my desk all day.

Something that monitors how many calories you burn constantly could take some of guesswork out of the equations.

Oh yeah, I just read about the "Twinkie Diet". Some guy lost a bunch of weight in 2 months and his labs all improved by eating twinkies and junkfood. I think he had a protein drink and some veggies every day too. But, all he did was count calories and ate junk most of the day. Goofy stuff!

You know, I've been on so many diets in my life and read so much about health that I think it's all even more a mystery today than it was 20 years ago! Our bodies just do whacky things....and respond in weird ways to things. I am under the general thinking that what counts is calories in/calories out, but that certainly doesn't add up for me exactly.

As for the water, I would guess that it would be best to be spread out over the day, but not sure.

Carlea, I think that all of us on this board, cumulatively have read every diet book, every book from Write Yourself Thin to Adkins, South Beach etc and look where it got us all.  I have never been a quantity eater and still managed to successfully gain.  When I had the surgery, I said:  "I'm done thinking that I know it all and I'm finally going to have a surgeon that tells me what to do and I'll do it and be successful.  Finally!!".   Wrong, it didn't take me long to go off my surgeon's plan and add in a protein shake.   I have no clue how all of this works and I suspect that the medical professionals and researchers don't either or they would have figured out how to cure obesity in the same way that they figured out diabetes.    You're right, our bodies do whacky things.

Hi Shannon,
  I don't know, either!  I know that you work out at the crack of ***,  ;)  so you can do that fluid replacement then.  But a couple of questions for you:

Do you ever work out in the evening, though?  Because if you did, I would worry about not drinking then.  
Do you show any signs of dehydration?  (The lines in the skin are often my way of telling.  Incidentally, since my post the other day, my lines are gone!  I'm doing better.) 

Some related questions that I have:

1.  How much extra water should we consume from a heavy workout?
2.  Should we drink while working out?  
  This is a tricky one.  I used to drink constantly in my dance classes, at any break, and then I noticed that I was cramping up and my stomach was...er...engaging in inconvenient ways.  I've started drinking a bit before, and then about 40 oz after a class, and that seems to be helping.  But is it good? 
2.  When we are retaining water, should we drink more?

As for the Twinkie diet, who knows?  But a friend of mine posted this on facebook after he read it Monday:  

 This kicks a hole in the notion that people are fat because of lack of access to quality food...they simply take in more calories than they burn...it's THAT simple.

Ugh. He's an engineer and should know better than to draw enormous conclusions based on one person's experience.  My concern about the article is that it may help to fuel people's prejudices against people who struggle with their weights. 

Good post, Shannon.  I think you've got us thinking!

Rosa, my Sleeve goes nuts if I drink too much before or even right after a long hike.  It definitely doesn't want anything while out there on the trail.  I find the same in the gym.  I try to get in 32 oz at least an hour before exercise and wait awhile afterwards or else I get really nauseated.

I had a little swelling under my eye and it freaked me out because of all the people (older and younger) that I see with those packed bags under their eyes.  I aske my chiropractor the other day and he said it's from dehydration.  He said to use a great expensive cream.  I think otherwise.  It's it's from dehydration, wouldn't it be hydrating from the inside that would help?   I'm doing both, dabbing on the Obagi Eye cream and drinking more fluids.

Wow, Lee that is very interesting about the whole eye thing....I have bags under my eyes (everyone things I look tired all the time, most days I am not) I started using a Mary Kay eye cream but it doesn't seem to help, but I use it like crazy....but, I know I never get in the right amount of fluids per day. So maybe mine is not drinking enough???  I am always so full. If I do my proteins I just can't drink a ton. I never have counted calories since day one, I always say I should just to get a total to see. But for me the The weight came off so fast. (I didn't want it too, because I am a closest sleever). That even now, other than my daily job that does a lot up and down and steps and all I am a horrible person that doesn't exercise. I really need to, but I find myself on the go all the time so with the kids that finding a time for me is super hard. That being said.....I have even started eating a little more carbs because I am happy not going lower than 121. I started in on veggies and fruit too, instead of working so hard at my protein. With drinking 2 scoops or 4 scoops of protein now a day in my coffee I don't worry so much about my real food protein. Is it true if we are drinking coffee we need to drink that much more of other fluids? I know I am not....

There is the insulin resistant folks ( myself included)...who do not process unhealthy carbs very well at all....I read the article on the "junk food" diet....the man lost 27 lbs, eating junk....1800 cal a day.

I think I could process 1800 of cals on low carb diet much better than 800 cals on high carb diet...  and I don't know if we can ever correct this insulin resistance with time and correct eating...sure wish we could.... most of it comes from years of food abuse or PCOS, I think...

 

I supposedly don't have an insulin or thyroid problem, so I guess my metabolism is totally screwed up. All the calculators and charts say I should burn 1300 calories a day without any exercise. I work out really hard. So that should mean I lose...but I don't. I'm scared to death to up my calories too much.