# I need help!!!!



## dvcowboy (Jun 24, 2005)

I found out from my doc that the reason I have gained so much weight (30lbs) is that I am not eating enough............augh. I get around 500 to 800 cals a day......never knew that that would cause you to gain weight. 

I come from a family where grease and gravy are all over everything  and had completely broke away from that mentality due to my son's illness. Now I need your help. What are some GOOD ideas for healthy meals that won't starve your body?? 

You don't have to post recipes, I can find them on the net maybe, but just ideas for GOOD meals. Or if you know good websites with recipes??

I love Chicken......but unfortunatly....lol, my family gets tired of it I'm sure 

Thanks in advance for any help you could give me!


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

dvcowboy said:


> I found out from my doc that the reason I have gained so much weight (30lbs) is that I am not eating enough............augh. I get around 500 to 800 cals a day......never knew that that would cause you to gain weight.
> 
> I come from a family where grease and gravy are all over everything  and had completely broke away from that mentality due to my son's illness. Now I need your help. What are some GOOD ideas for healthy meals that won't starve your body??
> 
> ...


If your doctor told you this. It is time to get a new doctor.

Your body operates by burning calories. It does not matter if those calories are from fats or carbohydrates. You body does not know this any more than a wood stove knows if it is burning oak or hickory.

A resting metabolism for a male is requires about 2100 - 2600 calories. For a woman about 1500 -2000 (varies from person to person). This is science. It has nothing to do with what you eat, when you eat, etc. 

If you are eating 800 calories a day, even if you you lying in bed 24 hours a day you would be losing weight. If you are gaining weight at that calorie level then most likely there is something else terribly wrong, like the growth of a tumor. Or perhaps you are misjudging how much you are really eating.

Donsgal


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## dvcowboy (Jun 24, 2005)

After the doc told me this I did research.........yes your body goes into "starvation mode" and saves everything it can......When I ate Well over the right amount of cals I was 107lbs and healthy......now I am 140 lbs.......active, but overweight for my body type.


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## okgoatgal2 (May 28, 2002)

dv, your dr told you correctly. BUT, there may be another underlying cause, you need to have some tests run to rule out any physical problems (thyroid, etc).

fruit veggies, meat, and carbs you need daily, along with a little fat. keep working on it. it's not that hard to eat enough.


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## dvcowboy (Jun 24, 2005)

I had all the tests........no problems. that was when he asked me about my eating habits.......

I'm a very unimaginative cook, that's why the need for recipes......I used to be a very good cook, but it was mostly unhealthy stuff


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## okgoatgal2 (May 28, 2002)

fresh foods are best of course. salads with grilled chicken, boiled eggs, mixed nuts, sunflower kernels, cheese and bacon....wonderful, filling, and healthy.

chili is always good, and when made with dry beans, ground turkey, and homegrown tomatoes, very healthy. cheese on the side, fruit for dessert.

i dunno. i just cook what sounds good. there is a cookbook, if you can find it, called the busy mom's cookbook. has good recipes that have 5 or fewer ingredients. fast and easy, and when done right, healthy.


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## oberhaslikid (May 13, 2002)

If you eat something every 3 hours it keeps your matabolizm steady instead of up and down and in starve mode.you will burn more calories keeping it steady.


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## RedneckPete (Aug 23, 2004)

Why not try a scientific experiment? Find every scrap of food you can and stuff it down the hatch. It should make you loose weight.

Donsgal hit the nail on the head. Weight loss is science, not art.

Pete


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## GeorgeK (Apr 14, 2004)

Keep a 3 day diet record. Record EVERYTHING (solid, liquid, whatever) that goes in your mouth for those 72 hours, include measurements, not guesses or estimates. Record what fats or oils they are cooked in and take it back to your doctor.


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## dunroven (Dec 6, 2004)

Your body uses fat to turn up its furnace "metabolism." Add a little fat to your diet and see what happens. I'm not saying go high fat here folks, but I am saying, a little fat. If you take some mayonnaise and add some mustard, it makes a wonderful dip for most everything, adds the fat you need, and it has the added benefit of getting rid of your hunger. You can also use this as a gravy for your meats in the little bit of juice you have in the skillet and get rid of some of the white flour this way, just make it as thick or thin as you want. We love it. You need to give it about 3 days though before you decide it isn't taking away your hunger, but it will! And yes, the starvation mode is true. Your body was built to see you through the bad times, so it stores up everything it can when you start going through those bad times, and it keeps right on storing it when you eat the wrong things, like tons of pasta and starchy foods.


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## Nancy in Maine (Jun 24, 2002)

I don't know as I totally buy the concept that you are eating too little. Last year I was told that, but not by a doctor, t was by some people who were trying to be helpful on another board. They said Absolutely do not drop below 1200 calories! So I tried eating 1500 calories and tried to get more exercise, but I gained weight. 

I understand the concept of the body going into starvation mode, but does it really? People do actually starve to death. There is a doctor's column in our local newspaper. He's syndicated, but I don't recall his name. ANYWAY, years ago my mother sent for his booklet on weight loss. He said that if you eat less you will lose weight. Look at the people in the Nazi concentration camps. They ate very little and there were no fat starved prisoners there. You've seen the photos of those poor people, right? That's reality. 

Are you sure, really really sure you only eat that much? 500-800 calories is a very small amount! Are you counting sodas and all? 

I know that I have to limit my calories to around 1000 per day in order to lose weight. Any less and I'm too dang hungry. Any more and I just don't lose fast enough to stay motivated. Or I eat too much and don't lose at all, sometimes gain!

I'm not trying to be a meanie, really. I don't claim to know everything and your doctor has had way more medical training than me. I have like zero training. I'm just wondering if that isn't more fad than fact, that a person can eat too few calories and not lose weight. 

I have a dear friend who swore she only ate a very small amount of food every day. She really thought she did too. But she was fooling herself. She weighed over 300 pounds and eventually had her stomach stapled. She could then only eat 3 ounces of food at a time and she did lose a lot of weight.


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## cssc (Jun 19, 2006)

Perhaps Candida yeast infection is your problem. It's impossible to lose weight with that. But some people don't believe in it.
Otherwise I'll go with tumor, or you being unrealistic.
I've been on the Candida diet for a few months, I cheat on the carbs but 've lost 10 lbs. And by accident because of this I am following fairly closely the 30/30/40 diet, so maybe that's why I was finally able to lose weight. I am no longer afraid to eat fat. It's the carbs that do me in.
My carbs are sweet potatoes & fat free refried beans (not together). I can put coconut oil on both of these & have good fat that way. Sometimes I have quinoa. I eat chicken thighs, browned, then simmered an 1 1/2 hrs, then when I want some I take 2 out & crisp them up slowly in a pan. Mmm. Yesterday I made summer squash i bought at the store. I decided to put my soaked dried tomatoes in it, a pepper, & an onion with a bunch of italien seasoning & sea salt. Very good. I made cabbage the other day with just ground ginger & curry, enough to yellow it. That was pretty good, too.
I'd be happy to give you some recipes if you PM me.
Track your numbers & give us an update. I'm worried about you now.


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## Nancy in Maine (Jun 24, 2002)

...........but if you're looking for good healthy recipes....try a stir fry with lots of veggies and a bit of lean meat. Serve it over a bit of rice and you're full. Homemade soups like chicken vegetable and beef stew are good choices. They are low in calories if you go light on the meat, heavy on the veggies and stay with a water based broth, not a cream or milk broth. Try to use lean meats, or skim the fat off the top of a cold soup and discard. 

Most fish is low in calories, compared to other meats. A bit of grilled slamon or other fish served with rice and/ or a salad is a good choice.

Beware with salads though. While the vegetables are good choices, don't load up too much on meats and cheeses. And the total caloric count of a salad is mostly the dressing. Go light on the dressings, or choose a low or non fat dressing. 

Good luck to you!


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## Nancy in Maine (Jun 24, 2002)

........also, the lowest calorie breakfast I've found that also fills you up is oatmeal.


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