Weight loss: hazards of extreme dieting

Since Nikki 'came out' in July my eating/drinking habits have changed radically. The 'overweight' goes back to 2006, and finally my head arrived at a place where I didn't have to keep stuffing my face to feel ok.

BUT, I went from probably 2,500-3,500 calories a day to as little as 600, and although the weight fell off, after a month or so I began to experience strange physical pains and an increased heart rate. The slightest exertion sent my pulse rocketing, and what was equally disturbing- the slightest emotional stress had the same effect.

I began researching anorexia symptoms and found I was a prime candidate. I began carrying my mobile on me 24/7, fearing a heart attack (I'm 53), and upped my calories to about 1,000-1,400 a day. I still felt more emotionally vulnerable than normal, and although the pressure on my heart had reduced, it still didn't feel right. Now I'm on 1,400-1,600 a day and I feel good again. According to the Body Mass Index scale I'm 26.5 and considered overweight- it indicates I should be 18.5 - 25, and I agree that I would like to lose about another 15lbs.

I'm now noticeably less strong, but that is acceptable to me- I want to be able to fit into dresses in the 14-16 range and I can't do that with these shoulders.

For my age and size I would need 2,400 cals to maintain weight, so I'm on track to keep losing, but I want to warn any of you out there contemplating radical weight loss programs not to ignore the warning signs.

I went down to 1100 cal a day. I'm a size 7 or 8 at most now. Its not good I feel dizzy and my body doesn't like it. I have lost alot of muscle mass but that was kind of my goal. I just want to look good in a few things. Do it the healthy way exercise and eat lots of protein and fiber .

Dropping calories just means your body eventually burns protein scavenged from your muscles. It is meant as a stop-gap measure and trying to live on it will result in a number of horrible conditions. The elevated heart rate is a disrhythmia caused by your, quite frankly, foolish diet. Also, the BMI is a load of rubbish as it does not take into account a person's build type.
If you want to lose weight, extra exercise is the only way to go - burn off extra weight and raise your metabolism. This will keep it off combined with a good diet. Fasting alone will simply guarantee that it comes back with a vengeance as you are telling your body to burn calories more slowly. Did you know that you can burn up to 400-600 calories per hour of moderate cycling? I generally burn 800/hr and therefore may eat as I please and still stay trim, as well as enjoying the benefits to the cardiovascular system.

I agree but I wanted to lose muscle to look more like a girl. Things feel heavy now. I dont know what I want.

I can't add more than what Angela wrote . . . wise advice. I also agree on the BMI as being rubbish as we used to have it in the military (many years ago) as a marker of fitness. Back in the day when I lifted a lot of weights I was 178 lbs at 5'6" but all muscle and was almost released due to being overweight . . . pure rubbish as it does not take into account build, bone density and so forth. Exercise wisely, cardio is your friend and still do strength training because you are going to need it as you age and flexibility is a must as you age.

Hugs

Isha

yes you have to be VERY carefull....I too lost ( and still am ) losing muscle mass, and weight..but 600 calories......wow thats low..and not healthy or safe at all. Chosing a healthy lifestyle of eating right, and the right portions , have been the route I have taken, but the results do not happen overnight...it is a safe bet though.....be carefull.....

Regarding 'Eating Healthy'. No one really knows what that is. The only thing we know for sure is the minimum daily requirements to avoid deficiency states of disease, such as you will get scurvy if you do not consume a minimum amount of vitamin C. And, people vary. For one person, 1400 calories a day might be too much, while for another, 3000 might not be enough. The cholesterol and high fat diet scares are nearly over; so many studies have been done that failed to show links to disease (other than making you fat, with all the health problems that might arise from that). But they keep trying, and when I say they, I mean the companies that sell you drugs to lower your lipid levels.
Any extreme diet is potentially risky. Eat a combination of things, cover all bases, and don't over or under eat. how do you define that? Easy. Don't eat when you're not physically hungry. Don't stuff yourself when you DO eat. And remember that your body needs a minimum amount of nutrition. If you're not fat and are losing weight, eat more. If you're not slender and are gaining weight, eat less. Cover your ass and take a multivitamin every day, or maybe every other day.
This is not complicated. Why make it so?

Lexi's posts are alarming. This is exactly why I started the thread.

Since I plan on being a healthy centurion, I've dialed in my personal health profile. It's easy and you just have to be honest with yourself. Along with good nutritional intake you have to keep moving. Your body is just a collection of pumps, filters and processors. Good stuff in, bad stuff out. The multiplier factor is stress reduction. Get everything tuned in and you'll live forever. Maybe.

Yes, 600 calories is quite scary!! I have been loosing weight since last August. Very slowly, with an increase in exercise and watching what I eat. Smaller portions, everything in moderation. For sure, I would like to loose weight faster, but I want to do it safely as well. I have been able to get back running since the fall, so that really helps. 5km runs three times a week, some stretching and yoga 2 or 3 times week, so nothing fancy. I am also trying to snack more, versus just eat three meals. Take the calories from those three meals and spread them out into 5 or 6 small meals & snacks. That all helps to keep the metabolism going to burn calories. Slowly but surely....

Erin

My experience with the BMI calculator is it rubbish. I've yet to find a physician who counsels patients based on his or her BMI. According to the BMI calculator I'm 26.2. That makes me overweight. Looking at myself in a mirror I'd say I could shave off a little here and there, but, I'm not overweight. I found a chart that reflects body sizes" small, medium and large. Life insurance companies usually use it instead of the BMI calculator. It also factors in age (men, 25-59) and the weight of clothing estimated at five pounds and wearing a one inch heels. I take my weight in the morning sans clothing. The chart indicates a male with a small bone structure should weight 149-160; medium, 157-170; large, 164-188. People are individuals.

Awhile ago, like decade or two, the clerk at the motor vehicle license office suggested I may want to change my weight (175) to something more credible. How about 215, yikes!! My mid twenties military weight was 175. At 215 I felt sloppy, and, I started to look sloppy. At six foot one at the time I was not terrible looking, but, I could have looked better. I started to read the back of soda and beer cans. Well, with changing nothing but soda and pop I started to drop excess weight. We have always eaten wisely. With some more exercise after i retired and the natural weight loss due to aging I have dropped down to 190-193. It has made a big difference to my physical well being. I had not noticed I had slipped into the low end (glucose reading) of being diabetic. Over the years with even eating wisely I had become diabetic. I have been able to lower my glucose readings to pre-diabetic and sometimes normal, but, the effects have not been reversed.

Recently I had a serious operation and my post-op weight dropped to 185. The BMI calculator liked it, but, I felt like crap. Some people told me I looked to thin. They were nice! Fortunately, as my systems adjusted after the operation I regained the weight my body feels well at. I may look better in a dress at 175, but, health rules over beauty.

For you who are young and pudgy or overweight please watch what you eat. Dump the sugars. Dump the corn syrup. A well balanced diet with portion control and exercise will lead to a healthier body. Once I was six foot two and 138 pounds. I was eating like a horse. I was trying to gain weight. My metabolism ate it all up. My wife saw some pictures of me at that height and weight and thought I was ill. See said it looked as if I had been in a concentration camp. She was right. Do I ever want to be 138 again-NO. My natural weight now is 190-195. My body feels in balance. So, I find clothing that fits my natural body.

Some of the things I've learned from a lifetime of battling my weight.

BMI is crap. I have never in adulthood been within the proper BMI. My ideal BMI says I should weigh between 125 and 169. Yet during my body building years, I weighed between 190 and 195 for a BMI of 28+ but my waist was never more than a loose 32". I had to buy Baggy Levis because the regular and relaxed fit styles wouldn't fit over my thighs. Right now, post body building, if I could get down to 190 I'd still be fat.

Exercise for weight loss is crap. Exercise is good for fitness but it makes me hungry. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life doing hours of squirrel cage exercises each day to burn off the excess calories that you could have just not eaten in the first place? Believe me, you will quit exercising before you quit eating. Exercise moderately for fitness, not weight loss.

You can loose weight on any diet if you lower calories enough. I lost weight on a low fat/low cal diet but I was hungry all the time. It took extreme will power to succeed. I also lost weight on a low carb/low cal diet. Although it was hard at first (I love my carbs!), after a couple of weeks I would have days where I would just forget to eat. For me, it was extremely easy to lose weight on a low carb diet as long as I could stick to it. Other benefits of the low carb diet were my blood pressure went down, my triglycerides went down, my HDL went up, A1c went down, GERD went away, my skin cleared up, even my hemorrhoids disappeared. When I went off it, all those conditions reversed. {sigh}

Among other things I noticed was that although reputable sources say that I can maintain my weight at about 2500 cals/day, I have to lower my caloric intake below 1800 cals/day to even start losing weight. Theoretically, I should loose weight eating 2400 cals/day but it just doesn't seem to work in a linear fashion.

What seems to work best for me is a low carb diet with anaerobic exercise (like weight lifting, etc.) to preserve muscle mass and only enough aerobic exercise to preserve fitness.

I really should follow my own advice.

Am I reading a lot of denial here? Discussing your BMI and ideal weight makes no sense if u don't list your actual height and weight? I weigh 150 and am just under 5' 10". No idea about my BMI. What I care about most is looking good in my mirror!

Crash diets r dangerous and don't work in the long run. You're better off losing a pound every 2 weeks. Weight training excersize is counterproductive. It always made me very hungry and toned muscles aren't fem.

If u don't care about your looks, care about your health! Get rid of those guts and spare tires. You'll live a lot longer and BETTER life!

And, I'm sorry, Nikki. No amount of weight loss will change your shoulder width. You'll have to wear tops that disguise that.

Losing weight for health reasons is a great thing, but losing weight solely to fit into something is not healthy. I've always been disturbed when women do it, and I'm not any less so when crossdressers do. Hey, I'd love to be able to fit into regular sizes and not sweat it, but while I am working on losing weight I'm not doing crash diets. I've improved the quality of my foods (more produce, less carbs, zero sodas and alcohol), and I'm walking at least an hour four days a week. Starving yourself will make you lose weight, but that won't make you happy on its own. Even losing weight I'll be lucky to ever fit into anything lower than an 18, and I'm ok with that. Accepting your own physical limits is essential to good body image in the long term.

If you are only eating 600 calories, you are almost certainly deficient in many or most vitamins and minerals.
A year ago, I was having anxiety attacks, usually just as I was waking up in the morning. I was actually shaking for a few minutes. I googled anxiety attacks/natural remedys, and it turns out I was deficient in magnesium. I started taking my Cal/Mag/Zinc supplements again, and the anxiety attacks stopped the next day! The government "minimum daily requirements" are crap. Taking the "minimum daily requirements, will give you minimal health! There is a big difference between minimum and optimum amounts, and minimal and optimum health!

I'm targeting 2k to 2.5k calories a day. Any less and I get headaches and feel dizzy/weak. I walk, workout and cycle. Yoga is next. Most of my life I was powerlifting. Consequently, I am convinced I will never have a girlish build and am not trying for that effect. Besides, I am still strong enough to crush things that amaze my grandkids. That's more fulfilling at the moment.

I just started a weightloss plan because I'm pre-diabetic. You have to take it slow, or you're going to hurt yourself - either in one direction or the other.

I've started using a FitBit to track my activity and calorie intake. It's been a huge help because it tells me how many calories I have left to eat per day so I can stay on track. Tonight I had to force myself to have a big dinner because I hadn't eaten all day!

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Originally Posted by Adriana Moretti

yes you have to be VERY carefull....I too lost ( and still am ) losing muscle mass, and weight..but 600 calories......wow thats low..and not healthy or safe at all. Chosing a healthy lifestyle of eating right, and the right portions , have been the route I have taken, but the results do not happen overnight...it is a safe bet though.....be carefull.....

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your avatar is sooooo pretty and I want to have your figure. I'm at 5"6' I can do it. i do take vegetables and multivitamin with cardio 3 days a week

Crash diets are not advisable, you'll only end up putting it and more back on. Best to eat a sensible number of calories, and stick to healthy foods: lots of veggies and fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, legumes, good fats (mono and polyunsaturated). Eliminate or limit bad fats (saturated and trans), refined foods, high-sodium prepared foods, sugar, any type of soda, and drink alcohol in moderation. Plus exercise: aerobic, anaerobic, and stretching. You can do anaerobics without bulking up, just do more reps at less weight. Chocolate is OK (in moderation), I make sure it is more than 70% cacao. :)

My arms are so skinny I love it. No more biceps or triceps sticking out. forearms are flat. They still arnt soft though.... :(. My upper legs have shrank to wear there are almost lose stretch marks. I wonder if estrogen would make this better?

Just eat healthy is what it is about. Don't skimp on healthy food. And get some regular exercise. Regular exercise doesn't mean you will get muscly, just toned, and a toned lady looks great.

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Originally Posted by Nefer

Losing weight for health reasons is a great thing, but losing weight solely to fit into something is not healthy..

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Oh, I don't know. I think that if I can't fit into my front door, then losing weight might be a good thing indeed!

When my wife went through gastric sleeve barbaric surgery we went to several classes and workshops on diet and weight loss. The theory behind the gastric sleeve is that it reduces the size of the stomach from about the size of a football down to a banana so that at any one time you can only eat 4 to 5 oz of food. Since you are limited to such a small amount of food they recommend that you focus on protein 1st, then veggies and hard fruits like apples or pears. Carbohydrates are very low on the list. The other biggie is to drink a minimum of 64 oz of water each day. She has gone from 240 lb down to 130.

The interesting thing, at least for me, was that I went from 240 down to 195 lbs by controlling my portion size (no more seconds) and eating fish, chicken, and lean meat and basically few if any carbs and sugar. We both spend 90 minutes a day 5 days a week at the gym which helps firm things up. Unfortunately at 6'1" and 195 lb I am still a big girl and I don't think I will be able to get down much below 185 - so it looks like I will be wearing at best size 16-18 clothes :-( better than the 2-3X sizes I wore at 240. Less is More!

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Originally Posted by LexiNexi

your avatar is sooooo pretty and I want to have your figure. I'm at 5"6' I can do it. i do take vegetables and multivitamin with cardio 3 days a week

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I agree. Wish I had a Adriana Figure.
I have gone on major diets, no cardo, low calories and lots of working out.
I love working out.
But I have had limited success

But:

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Originally Posted by LexiNexi

"My arms are so skinny I love it. No more biceps or triceps sticking out. forearms are flat. They still arnt soft though.... . My upper legs have shrank to wear there are almost lose stretch marks. I wonder if estrogen would make this better? "

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I also want thinner arms and less biceps and tri's, But my legs are huge. YUCK.
I so wonder if estrogen would make them smaller?
But, I do not want to stop working out. Lots of anaerobic workouts.

Hi Nikki, One of the biggest hazards is having to spend a fortune on a new wardrobe.:daydreaming: