Hi,
I am 16 years old and I'm going to start school in 19 days. So, I have decided to start a very strict diet today, because at this point I am just completely desperate to lose this weight asap.
All my life I have been a twig, always around 115 lbs. But, it is not easy for me to maintain this weight, so I have always been on a diet since 8th grade (I am quite the yo-yo dieter). Every winter I gain 20 pounds, and when the summer rolls around I usually drop the 20 pounds in a month. But, this time I didn't gain 20 pounds, I gained 38, and it wouldn't go away... ughhh!
I am 5'5" and 156 lbs, and I am going to go on an insane unhealthy diet--but I know it will work.
The plan:
To eat only fat free chicken breast and drink 8 cups of water for 19 days.
The result:
I hope to lose 27 pounds (making me 129 lbs by September 8th)
RSS Feed
Follow @DietBlog on Twitter
Don't do this to yourself.
I am sure you hate feeling the weight, but your plan is only going to backfire on you. When you fail to give your body the proper nutrients, you force it to go into "starvation mode," where your muscles will waste away and your metabolism drops and becomes less efficient to save calories. You won't be burning fat, but muscle. And when you resume eating, since your metabolism has been lowered, you'll gain MORE weight. Not to mention the fact that you won't even be able to think if you are depriving your system of what it needs: not an ideal condition for learning at school.
Why do you "have" to lose this weight by the first day of school? Are you afraid your friends won't like you at this weight? What if you decide to lose weight at a sensible rate and it takes you until December or January? If you lose weight at a sensible rate, you are much more likely to KEEP it off.
What you need is SparkTeens. This is a FREE program with a marvelous array of tools to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle, including losing weight. It has tools to allow you to track your food and count calories and keep track of your exercise, as well as message boards where you can talk with other teens just like you who are also trying to lose weight. You can join a team, ask for help, get a workout buddy. This marvelous website is a spin off of SparkPeople.com, which was started by a guy who made an immense pile of money when he sold a company he'd created to eBay. Since he didn't need money anymore, he decided to devote his talents to creating SparkPeople.com (and eventually SparkTeens) and making them FREE to everyone. There is no hidden malware and no fees. All you need is a user name and a password and you're good to go.
Please check it out. It will give you all the tools you need to be successful:
http://www.sparkteens.com/
ReplyAre you aware of how stupid what you are about to do is? Almost a pound and a half a day is pretty much impossible unless you're exercising non-stop (since one pound of fat is 3500 calories). You're probably going to be in for a lot of muscle loss with some fat and water loss, since I don't think you're going to have enough energy to do any exercise. If you always gain twenty pounds in the winter, your body may be saying that it does not like you staying at 115 pounds, which isn't a really good idea at your height anyway.
Eat properly (protein, vegetables, fruit, whole grains if you think they're appropriate) and exercise, then stop doing whatever it is that makes you gain those twenty pounds every winter. If you know you'll gain them, then you can easily prevent them.
ReplyPlease don't try to do that to yourself. 115lbs is very light for someone of 5 ft 5 (I'm about 117 and I'm 5 ft 2.)
Could it just be that you've put on more weight this year because you're going through puberty?
Yo-yo dieting can screw up your metabolism: when you start eating normally again, your body packs the weight on because it's preparing for the next "famine". That could be another reason you put on more weight this year.
Please talk to someone - your mom, your doctor, or another adult who you can trust. It's not worth causing long-term or permanent damage to your health just for the sake of losing a few pounds.
ReplyThere's an article for you Ali. What IS "yo-yo dieting"?
Body builders and other athletes whose sports depend on both muscle and staying lean "yo-yo diet".
It's also known as bulking and cutting.
ReplyThat's ok, but you're asking for a heart attack with the stress that yo-yo dieting puts on the internal organs.
ReplyScientific references please.
ReplyYou're kidding right? Being slightly overweight is MUCH heathier than using extreme diets to maintain a low body weight.
Replyhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T0P-485RRRB-10F&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=9262c8a4abe22429818097ec464b274f
Yo-yo dieting destroys the heart muscle:
http://www.lifeclinic.com/fullpage.aspx?prid=511643&type=1
ReplyYou do realize you're going to gain that weight back and then some, right?
ReplyOh hunny, please don't do this to your growing body. You can do irreprable damage at your age. What you're planning to do could effect your brain, reproductive system, growth, and many other things. Could your doctor refer you to a nutritionist so you could learn how to eat in a way that will allow you to acheive and maintain a healthy body permanently?
Even if you're not worried about your health now, strictly for vanity, don't do this. You will lose mostly muscle. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so when you start eating normally again, the weight will come on faster than before and be even harder to lose. You will also have less muscle tone and look flabby, even if your weight is low.
ReplyHe won't lose muscle if he lifts heavy weights.
Look, the guy is obviously not doing this the right way and probably doesn't need it at all but let's get our facts straight when we talk about rapid fat loss.
ReplyRapid weight loss is unsustainable and will most likely come from muscle and fluid!
ReplyThere's been quite a few of these "desperate" and apparently extreme people posting lately on here that I'm beginning to wonder if maybe some or most of them aren't trolls looking to get the folks here worked up at their foolishness?
ReplyYou know I think you are right Duane.
ReplyAnyone who starts their posts with "I know what I'm going to do is stupid and dangerous but I'm going to do it anyway" shouldn't even be responded to. It's a waste of time to even try - they won't listen. And 10 years from now when they're 50 or 80 or 120 lbs overweight because they've crash dieted themselves into it, they'll look back on these days and ask "how could I have been that stupid". Until then, there's no talking sense to them.
ReplyWhile I'll agree that you don't need to lose weight, and very probably have something that may be approaching an eating disorder, there is nothing inherently "stupid" with the diet you are about to do, except that you didn't mention essential fatty acids. You need to take 3 grams total EPA/DHA daily with an extreme diet like this. Also, I'd be eating lots of fiberious veggies like broccoli and the like. A magnesium and potassium supplement as well as a multivitamin would also be wise.
At least you realize that an extreme diet like this shouldn't be done for very long. 19 days may be pushing it depending on how lean you are.
Obese individuals can do a protein sparing modified fast (which is what you're doing) for up to 12 weeks at a time before requiring a break.
ReplyFolks, there is something called a PROTEIN SPARING MODIFIED FAST. Medical doctors prescribe it all the time to very obese patients.
There is nothing "insane" or "unhealthy" about a PSMF if it is done properly.
Please stop spreading this mindless nonsensical myth that rapid fat loss is inherently bad. It's not and most of you do not know what you're talking about.
ReplyHonestly, Tell us what you do know about a Very Low Calorie diet as prescribed by a physician. If you can cite real understanding of the nutritional knowledge of how it works and what it is supposed to do then you can make this type of statement.
Any crash diet leeches the body of it's vitamins and minerals as well as causes a reaction the body to STORE FAT because the body is in starvation mode. So these types of diets result in loss of more lean mass from the body than fat mass. In the end a person will lose weight but will be even fatter than they were before, just weight less.
So get your facts straight before reacting to others. If you want to provide information that actual will benefit someone do so, otherwise you're just blowing smoke up their arse.
ReplyIt's not a Very Low Calorie Diet, it's called a protein sparing modified fast diet and it's very effective for short term purposes. The person who started this thread has the right idea, except he/she needs to add a few things, like lots and lots of fibrous veggies, 4-6 grams of EFAs, and vitamins and minerals (potassium, calcium, multi-vitamin, etc.). You should also do some MODERATE exercising twice a week.
To think that the body will actually STORE FAT when at a severe caloric deficit really makes me question who is the one who should be getting their facts straight. A sustained, caloric deficit will over time, SLOW DOWN one's metabolism thanks to hormonal changes, but to think the body will STORE FAT in response to a high-protein, PSMF is absurd.
With that said, a PSMF should only be done if you've really done the research or under the supervision of a dietician or doctor who is familiar with the program. I studied the program and all its requirements for a month before trying it (it works very well, BTW). Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.
ReplySo you think that by slowing down the body's metabolism it won't cause the body to end up storing fat? In the end she'll end up with a metabolism that is completely shot and everything she eats will only make her gain more fat than she had before! If we're talking a controlled ketogenic diet maybe in the short term but what this girl is wanting is to drop 27 lbs in less than three weeks, which would require a low caloric intake no matter if it is defined as a protein sparing modified fast or not. This cannot be done without lean tissue loss especially with a 16 year old who has no clue what they are doing. This is a short term solution for a long term problem and I would not recommend it. At least you're right in suggesting she consults a doctor and/or a dietitian. Undertaking any such diet is just a BAD IDEA without consulting a professional!
ReplyRob, I've used a PSMF diet before. Google "barry's body transformation" and look at my latest photos. I'm at around 10% body fat. I know what I'm talking about. The diet works and is perfectly safe IF done CORRECTLY.
ReplyRob,
In the short term? No, I don't think resting metabolic rate will be affected too much.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2613433?ordinalpos=13&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
ReplyRob, you don't know what you're talking about sir. A PSMF if done correctly results in NO MUSCLE LOSS at all.
Again, I speak from experience as someone who lifts weights and would not tolerate a loss in strength. I've done a PSMF and didn't lose a drop of strength.
ReplyVirtually no muscle loss does not equal no muscle loss. I don't care what your calipers say, it's not something to recommend to just anyone. Either way NO 16 year old should crash diet in any fashion and your attempts to help her do so are just ill advised unless you are a doctor with a lot of malpractice insurance. BTW 10% is like a typical pre-diet percentage for most body builders. Use it to get down to 4% bodyfat and I'll think something of it.
ReplySomehow, I doubt a doctor would be prescribing a protein sparing modified fast to a 16 year-old girl who would like to be at the cusp of being clinically underweight. And even if quick fat loss is not inherently unhealthy, the way that most people will go about it will be. In that case, it's better to error on the side of caution in recommendations.
ReplyYeah, but she's not morbidly obese. She doesn't need a protein-sparing modified fast. She needs to find a way to eat that will allow her to maintain the same weight no matter what time of year it is. I'm not sure what the point is of starting the school year "thin" and then gaining weight all during the year and having to lose it all again. Doesn't make much sense to me.
ReplyWhile I essentially agree that this person doesn't need to be dieting, a PSMF isn't just for the obese. In short phases it can work great for even very lean people looking to get leaner.
ReplyBecause there comes a point when encouraging someone to take on a task in a healthy way is as bad as not giving any advice at all. Teenagers are still growing and should never be on crash diets, protein sparing or not.
ReplyI hope you guys realize that this girl DOES NOT weigh 115, she weighs 156 lbs, which is in fact, overweight. Now I don't think that this is healthy... but at least she's eating. She could be way worse, anorexic or bulimic. But she IS overweight, and the desire to lose weight is understandable. You guys are treating her like she's 115 and trying to lose thirtly pounds. She's not.
ReplyNo, the point is that for most women who are 5'5", it's likely to be unhealthy to be 115 and she wants to eat chicken breast and nothing else to get herself to that point. That would fall pretty close to "not eating" in my book.
Plus, the cycle she is describing is unhealthy: gain twenty pounds over the winter, lose them in one month over the summer. Repeated. Her desire to lose weight is not what irks me, but rather wanting to lose twenty-seven pounds in nineteen days.
ReplyA protein sparing modified fast (and yes, I've done one before) is NOT what this girl is describing.
PSMF means making sure you're getting sufficient protein for your body type and weight, supplementing with fish oil and a multivitamin, and eating unlimited veggies (with the exception of corn, carrots, and beets, which are high in sugars and starches). In fact unlimited leafy greens are a requirement of a PSMF.
Eating a couple of chicken breasts and drinking a few glasses of water is NOT a PSMF. It's a dangerous and stupid way to lose weight.
ReplyWhich is why more than one person, myself included, has tried to explain what a real PSMF is and how it's done.
This person is going to crash diet so why not help them do it safely?
ReplyYou do realize we are talking about a child here. And a child that clearly has a distorted image of her own body at this point. She is only sixteen and her body is still growing and changing. While I agree that 156 is probably over weight what disturbs me the most is that she thinks she should weigh 115! I am afraid to think of what her mindset will be like in 10 years if she's already stuck on the 115 number. Obviously if she gains weight rather easily she will be battling this her entire life and should be coached on a better long-term strategy for weight management.
ReplyWhile I won't comment on whether or not she should be attempting this diet or any of the modifications discussed, I will just point out that she said she used to weigh 115, but she is trying to get down to 129 with this diet. That is still a healthy weight for someone of her height.
ReplyFat free chicken breast for 19 days???? I hate to tell you, but you will be bored and you will be hungry and you will fail this loony diet. Go to a dietician or nutritionist who will teach you how to eat healthy to lose weight. Good luck!
ReplyMy daughter is 5'5" and used to weigh 150lbs. She is a beautiful girl who was miserable with her body.
I have always been a health nut, I exercise four to six days a week and stay away from processed food. Needless to say, it wasn't easy for my daughter to have a fit mom while she was anything but. However, once she decided that she wasn't happy with a BMI that was higher than it should have been she came to me for help. Today she weighs 128lbs, has tons of energy, and likes herself.
Getskinnyfast, let me tell you that diets do not work. The only way that you can lose weight and maintain it, while feeling good, is to eat a healthy diet and to exercise. Healthy doesn't mean boring, tasteless, or awful. Truthfully, healthy means that you can eat more and feel better. Instead of eating a bowl of sugary cereal in the morning, eat a bowl of oatmeal that is full of berries and put a sprinkle of brown sugar on top. For lunch you can eat a turkey wrap with a side of fruit that you like, just skip the creamy mayo and opt for mustard or a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. For dinner you should load up on lean protein, vegetables, and a whole grain like brown rice, baked potatoe (yes, that's right, they are not the evil fattening food that many make them out to be), qouina, or whole grain pasta. You can snack during the day too, actually, you should snack. If you like chocolate then eat a small piece of dark chocolate, or a Jello pudding cup. Better yet, stick with fruit. There is nothing better than a crunchy apple or a juicy slice of watermelon. They're full of fiber and will fill you up.
Finally, you need to move. Go for a walk, or better yet, a run. Do some push ups and sit ups to build muscle. Lift weights, it's been proven that you will continue to burn calories for hours after a good work out, so do it. There is nothing worse than being thin and mushy. Build up muscle and you will feel so much more confident.
You're only sixteen years old. If you develop a healthy lifestyle now you will take it with you into your adult life and reap the benefits. Dieting will only frustrate you, mess up your metabolic rate, and may cause potential health risks. Ask yourself what is most important to you. Is is weight or health? If your answer is health then you are on your way to losing weight and keeping it off forever. If it's weight, well, be prepared for a lifetime of ups and downs.
I wish you luck.
Reply