There’s a fat bloke where I work who claims he’s eating very little, just a bowl of porridge for breakfast, a 250 Cal Weightwatchers meal plus an apple and orange for lunch and salad for dinner.

I know he’s telling the truth about his lunch but what about the rest?

What size is the bowl of porridge? How much sugar does he add to it? Is it made with full cream milk or water?

If he really does have salad for dinner, how much mayonnaise does he have with it?

I notice he’s often first in line for the doughnuts when it’s someone’s birthday so he obviously eats too much but won’t admit it.

I’ve reminded him about the laws of physics before and he’s an engineer so should understand.

Maybe next time we discuss it, I’ll email him a link to this article.

Everyone wants to be special

I’m really trying to nail down my daily maintenance requirement. I’d like to make a tentative spreadsheet based on my caloric requirement, changing my intake accordingly with ensuing weight loss.

I’m 6’2″ and 350 lbs. I estimate my lean body mass to be roughly 180-190 lbs. Does this mean I have a higher daily maintenance requirement than that 300 pound person? I’ve tried different calculators on the net, but they give wildly varying results. I’ve read on this site that you should multiply body weight times 10 or 11 to get a rough outline. Is that an accurate estimation tool in my case?

I’d just like to know this number as close as is practical. You know your stuff, so I come here first.

The same goes for hyperthyroidism but in the opposite direction, since metabolic rate is artificially elevated, hyperthyroid folks often can’t gain weight (even if they want to). But it’s not through any magic, the energy balance equation has just been shifted on the output end so that they burn off everything coming in.

So it still comes down to balance, mind you, just the numbers are shifted up or down (and the water retention makes everything screwy).

I was just curious about how somebody affected by hypothryoidism (or hyperthyroidism) would be affected by all of this. Assuming they are taking medication to bring their metabolism up to an acceptable rate, would their bodies still function normally given they were in a state of under or over feeding?

Any response would be much appreciated. Thanks!

By effect of undereating, I’m referring to how we adapt to fewer calories. No need to say what we know. The only time I ever felt chilled, for instance, was during an IF. My sleep is 7-8 hours a night, I seldom nap, and my mental acuity is sharp. (Some might disagree!)

Water weight surely balances out over a two month span.

If, indeed, I am at an energy balance, then every BMR, RMR, and calorie expenditure out there is off by some 25-50%. And I know that isn’t possible.

The most probably answer, I am convinced, is that I’m in The Diet Twilight Zone. It makes as much sense as anything else……

I started out losing 10+ lbs. per month and it stopped before the end of month three. By the most conservative of calculations, I’m burning 2,700 cals/day. http://www.caloriesbythehour.com says 3,300. My exercise is modest, mostly walking 6-8 miles per week on the beach. I have recently added bicycle sprints.

I have used a digital scale and Fitday for months. Most of the time my daily calorie deficit was about 1,000. At the absolute minimum (alleged max burn, minimal feed), it’s much more. Most days and in the long run I’m doing 60% fats, 30% protein, and 10% carbs, rarely even 50 g. per day.

I don’t experience (well, very seldom) the effects of under eating. I’ve tried a bit of IF’ing (painful!), carb reloading, screw it all for a couple of weeks, you name it.

No, I’m not saying I’m different. I’m saying I’m perplexed. To coin a phrase, WTF?

I had a friend of mine try for years to convince me that I could get lean doing minimal cardio. After all, he was lean, and he did very little cardio compared to most lean weight trainers. Problem is, he was naturally lean, and was so before he ever touched a weight. I, on the other hand, am not, and thus I require more physical activity and less food to get to the same place. So while I agree that many people use “different” as an excuse why they’re not succeeding at their goals, the devil is in the details of the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy.