Here's what 1000 calories per day can look like.

[WilliamAnderson]

Have you thought that 1000 calories per day would be miserable? Think again. Here's a link to an article describing it. And just to be clear, I am not suggesting that everybody consume 1000 calories per day. Some of the patients referred to me are prescribed that, but it by no means is for everyone. This is just to illustrate that it may not be what you've thought. https://journal.thriveglobal.com/this-is-what-1-000-calories-looks-like-e8bc84a639fc cThis is what 1000 calories per day can be.

[morningReign]

I've been reading through this and I find it kind of funny... I started with a 1000 calories because it was a nice round number and the pile of food had gotten pretty high: a salad, 150 grams of chicken, low cal Greek yogurt, a couple of fruit cups and a can of greens.

But I do agree, it really is amazing how much food a 1000 calories can be. The other thing I realized is when I eat the right things, and stay hydrated I don't feel hungry, and the pounds come off with relatively little effort.

I'm not really committed to the 1000 calories long term, but I am to using my food app (the bar code thing is amazingly useful). Assuming I get to my target weight, I am going to have to start eating the actual calories the program recommends. I have noticed as my fat percentage falls, my crave for carbs and protein has gone up.

I think another key to this has to be exercise too, but I have no patience for it. The H.I.I.T. method seems to work best for me. I bike for a couple minutes hard enough to get to peak heart rate then ride a casual rate for the rest of ten minutes, then I walk until my heart rate falls back to near normal. I'm usually done in 15 minutes. I think beyond weight loss, the resting heart rate number and cardio fitness level are the most interesting to me. I started at 92BPM and am now oscillating around 68 (65-71). My cardio fitness started at fair to average and is now at good to very good

[WilliamAnderson]

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@morningReign wrote:

But I do agree, it really is amazing how much food a 1000 calories can be. The other thing I realized is when I eat the right things, and stay hydrated I don't feel hungry, and the pounds come off with relatively little effort.

I'm not really committed to the 1000 calories long term, but I am to using my food app (the bar code thing is amazingly useful). Assuming I get to my target weight, I am going to have to start eating the actual calories the program recommends. I have noticed as my fat percentage falls, my crave for carbs and protein has gone up.

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Thanks for your message. You are doing great! Have you read my book? It details the therapeutic method I teach. Using it creates the results you refer to, such as leading you to automatically improve the quality of your nutrition, just by following the behavioral techniques. You are right, 1000 per day is not OK for the long term, for maintaining the goal weight. My method teaches you how to maintain your goal weight for life. 

[morningReign]

>> Have you read my book? 

No, that is a question I hardly ever get asked . I have read a fair number of your posts though, and I do appreciate the content; definitely a fan.

I think Fitbit has left some important aspects of being healthy on the table. They tend to focus on exercise and diet (which are important), but there's very little about modifying ones behavior, which I think is the key to sticking with the diet and exercise in the first place. Odd as I think a watch face version of the snapped rubber band would be pretty effective.

Even the badges congratulate on being able do anything you "set your mind to". In my experience, diet isn't about willpower though. Willpower gets me the food I want rather than the food my body actually needs. Granted, this works for some, but I think it actually leads to binge behavior, rather than an actual shift towards healthy habits.

I am following some behavioral techniques through an app called 2Morrow. Mostly it's based on becoming aware of urges as they happen, recognizing them for what they are and letting them pass as such things will. Frankly though, as long as I stick to the calorie counting healthy diet/exercise plan I have, the hunger is minimal and rare, which does make sticking to it a whole lot easier.

On the other hand, eating crap inevitably leads to feeling hungry, while getting fat (looking for the vomit emoji). I noticed none of your 1000 calorie photos came from a fast food menu.

Regards 

[WilliamAnderson]

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Thanks for the nice compliments! Glad you like my posts, and happy to have you as a fan! You have a very good handle on the behavioral science behind the method.

My articles in Medium and elsewhere have to be very limited in length. They are supposed to be 500-750 words, though I can't keep to that and still say what needs to be said on even the simplest ideas. There's no way I could teach all that needs to be known about the behavioral training that achieves the result we want in that short an essay. The book almost 50,000 words! And it's written to be as short and easy as possible! 

I'll keep posting articles. I know they do help people, even as limited as they are.

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@morningReign wrote:

>> Have you read my book? 

No, that is a question I hardly ever get asked . I have read a fair number of your posts though, and I do appreciate the content; definitely a fan.

I think Fitbit has left some important aspects of being healthy on the table. They tend to focus on exercise and diet (which are important), but there's very little about modifying ones behavior, which I think is the key to sticking with the diet and exercise in the first place. Odd as I think a watch face version of the snapped rubber band would be pretty effective.

Even the badges congratulate on being able do anything you "set your mind to". In my experience, diet isn't about willpower though. Willpower gets me the food I want rather than the food my body actually needs. Granted, this works for some, but I think it actually leads to binge behavior, rather than an actual shift towards healthy habits.

I am following some behavioral techniques through an app called 2Morrow. Mostly it's based on becoming aware of urges as they happen, recognizing them for what they are and letting them pass as such things will. Frankly though, as long as I stick to the calorie counting healthy diet/exercise plan I have, the hunger is minimal and rare, which does make sticking to it a whole lot easier.

On the other hand, eating crap inevitably leads to feeling hungry, while getting fat (looking for the vomit emoji). I noticed none of your 1000 calorie photos came from a fast food menu.

Regards 

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[WilliamAnderson]

---

@morningReign wrote:

>> Have you read my book? 

No, that is a question I hardly ever get asked . I have read a fair number of your posts though, and I do appreciate the content; definitely a fan.

I think Fitbit has left some important aspects of being healthy on the table. They tend to focus on exercise and diet (which are important), but there's very little about modifying ones behavior, which I think is the key to sticking with the diet and exercise in the first place. Odd as I think a watch face version of the snapped rubber band would be pretty effective.

Even the badges congratulate on being able do anything you "set your mind to". In my experience, diet isn't about willpower though. Willpower gets me the food I want rather than the food my body actually needs. Granted, this works for some, but I think it actually leads to binge behavior, rather than an actual shift towards healthy habits.

I am following some behavioral techniques through an app called 2Morrow. Mostly it's based on becoming aware of urges as they happen, recognizing them for what they are and letting them pass as such things will. Frankly though, as long as I stick to the calorie counting healthy diet/exercise plan I have, the hunger is minimal and rare, which does make sticking to it a whole lot easier.

On the other hand, eating crap inevitably leads to feeling hungry, while getting fat (looking for the vomit emoji). I noticed none of your 1000 calorie photos came from a fast food menu.

Regards 

---

Thanks for the nice compliments! Glad you like my posts, and happy to have you as a fan! You have a very good handle on the behavioral science behind the method.

My articles in Medium and elsewhere have to be very limited in length. They are supposed to be 500-750 words, though I can't keep to that and still say what needs to be said on even the simplest ideas. There's no way I could teach all that needs to be known about the behavioral training that achieves the result we want in that short an essay. The book almost 50,000 words! And it's written to be as short and easy as possible! 

I'll keep posting articles. I know they do help people, even as limited as they are.

[SinisterFoxxx]

i think the problem with your, and most people that disagree with the authors, weight loss plan is that you foolishly assumed that you could go on a very low calorie diet while still maintaining large amounts of exercise. On very low calorie diets (like 800) you lose small amounts of muscle mass. This, as well as a drastic calorie reduction, means you probably shouldn’t be going on 3-5 mile walks everyday and having a job where you are constantly moving. 

Also of course you’d get nauseous and feel like **ahem** if you’re on a 3000+ calorie deficit. You shouldn’t even go past a deficit of 1000 a day since it’s unhealthy to lose more than 1-2 lbs a week. Feeling the way you did was your fault, not the low calories fault

[SinisterFoxxx]

I’m no expert, but i think the reason you got seriously ill is because you probably  continued to do cross-country while on said diet, and thus created far too large of a deficit, while also losing muscle mass from the extreme calorie loss which would only make it worse

[WilliamAnderson]

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@SinisterFoxxx wrote:

i think the problem with your, and most people that disagree with the authors, weight loss plan is that you foolishly assumed that you could go on a very low calorie diet while still maintaining large amounts of exercise. On very low calorie diets (like 800) you lose small amounts of muscle mass. This, as well as a drastic calorie reduction, means you probably shouldn’t be going on 3-5 mile walks everyday and having a job where you are constantly moving. 

Also of course you’d get nauseous and feel like **ahem** if you’re on a 3000+ calorie deficit. You shouldn’t even go past a deficit of 1000 a day since it’s unhealthy to lose more than 1-2 lbs a week. Feeling the way you did was your fault, not the low calories fault

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Who are you addressing? I'd like to see what that person wrote.

[WilliamAnderson]

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@SinisterFoxxx wrote:

I’m no expert, but i think the reason you got seriously ill is because you probably  continued to do cross-country while on said diet, and thus created far too large of a deficit, while also losing muscle mass from the extreme calorie loss which would only make it worse

---

Who are you addressing? I'd like to see what that person wrote.

[morningReign]

Yeah, no idea....

There's another really cool thing about living off of 1000 calories a day for a couple of months... it makes 1500 seem positively luxurious. 

I'm really liking the upshift to Fitbit. I got the Aria scale to go with my Ionic and they're just making it very easy to keep track of my health (and it's been measurably improving).

I do think it would be interesting/easier if the food applet tracked fiber. This does seem to be the major difference between c#@p fast food and just about any healthy alternative.

[WilliamAnderson]

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@morningReign wrote:

Yeah, no idea....

There's another really cool thing about living off of 1000 calories a day for a couple of months... it makes 1500 seem positively luxurious. 

I'm really liking the upshift to Fitbit. I got the Aria scale to go with my Ionic and they're just making it very easy to keep track of my health (and it's been measurably improving).

I do think it would be interesting/easier if the food applet tracked fiber. This does seem to be the major difference between c#@p fast food and just about any healthy alternative.

---

Yes, the play between the tension of the low-calorie days and the relaxation to the higher-calorie days is one of the powerful factors and forces in creating the behavior and experience that solidifies our permanent weight control habits. It is behavior therapy at its finest. I introduced this technique of the 5-day/2-day pattern in 1985 in my first edition of The Anderson Method, and I explain the principle of the tension/relaxation basis of pleasure behind it in all editions.  This lifetime habit of austerity during the week and healthy relaxation on the weekend, returning to austerity every Monday, causes us to have extreme pleasure with what used to be little food, and at the same time conditions us to new norms with the the foods we prefer. You have discovered an important effect of my approach. However, going for months at the 1000 and then returning to old habits will not retain its power. Only by using the 5-day/2-day pattern for life will you retain its power and pleasure, and it never fades. It's one of the most powerful behavioral techniques in my approach that allows us permanent easy weight control, which I have enjoyed for 35 years now. 

[morningReign]

Yes sir,

In order to condition a different response to the hunger urge, one has to feel... hungry. Hunger isn't necessarily bad, I've found it's just really important to react to it in a way that doesn't reinforce binge eating (like drinking water for example). I currently find myself seeking out something to drink when I'm hungry, where I used to graze... well... anything...

I've also find that as I've become more aware of what I'm eating, my choices are affected by how I want to feel the next day,... so I don't feel excessively hungry. When I've done that, maintaining a calorie deficit has been fairly painless.

I bought your book, I am reading it now, and I really like it.

[WilliamAnderson]

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@morningReign wrote:

Yes sir,

In order to condition a different response to the hunger urge, one has to feel... hungry. Hunger isn't necessarily bad, I've found it's just really important to react to it in a way that doesn't reinforce binge eating (like drinking water for example). I currently find myself seeking out something to drink when I'm hungry, where I used to graze... well... anything...

I've also find that as I've become more aware of what I'm eating, my choices are affected by how I want to feel the next day,... so I don't feel excessively hungry. When I've done that, maintaining a calorie deficit has been fairly painless.

I bought your book, I am reading it now, and I really like it.

---

Glad you like it!

Remember that everything you experience is a creation of your mind, often the response to some stimulation by input other than your thoughts.  Since most of our requirement for water, one of the six essential nutrients, comes from the solid food we eat, our need for water is often interpreted as a need for food. Then the message we get is hunger, the experience in our brain that results in the drive to eat. The message we should get is thirst, but that's not what our brain learned. What you are doing is retraining it. 

Good work!

[morningReign]

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@WilliamAnderson wrote:

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... our need for water is often interpreted as a need for food.

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Never thought about it that way, but it does make sense. If my need was actually for food, drinking wouldn't fix it; so I wasn't actually hungry, was I? Still the experience was real, even if it was just my mind making it so.

It's kind of like the nicotine thing. Physical withdrawal symptoms are measurable and minimal, the urge that builds is largely the mental amplification that comes from 'fixing' that urge by smoking; it isn't the smoking that makes us addicted, it's the quitting(if part of quitting is smoking). 

I just realized that I never actually eat when hungry any more. My evening plan when I come home from work is to do 10 minutes of quick exercise (H.I.I.T.), shower, weigh in, and prepare my evening meal. I drink soda (calorie free) while preparing the food. By the time I start eating, the peak in hunger I had from exercising is gone. I have been unintentionally subverting my hunger response and that has made controlling my appetite throughout the day easier.

I am half way through your book and I agree with much of it, though I do seem to have come to some similar ideas by backing into them. My background is automation, control and interface design, which may explain a bit. One of the first things I did with my Ionic (love that thing) was to modify the watch face to show all the metrics I use for daily feedback. The systems we have today make health management so much easier than it was 20 years ago, but the ideas that work are still the same, and often just as poorly understood.

Thank you for feedback and your time. I appreciate it.

[WilliamAnderson]

Thank you all for your kind words. 

[morningReign]

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@WilliamAnderson wrote:

Thank you all for your kind words. 

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Thank you for writing 'The Anderson Method'. It really helped solidify the things I've been doing. I finished reading it a few weeks ago. I received my 55 pound badge recently, and the process seems to be ongoing.

Things I learned while reading your book:

• Not being perfect doesn't mean you can't be successful. My daily goals are usually met, but occasionally not, and the next day I start again regardless.
• Any diet where one does things that aren't for a lifetime will have results that are just as temporary.
• Thermodynamics wins. I averaged an 1800 calorie deficit for 90 days and lost 49.8 pounds. [49.8 * 3500 / 90 = 1937 calories per day], which is remarkably accurate.
• Things that work work even when done accidentally, or when done without understanding, but they do work better when you do.

Regards,

Reign

Shameless plug follows

App gallery is at https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/bda6f514-3946-49ba-a4ed-75e8470ab034

[WilliamAnderson]

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@morningReign wrote:

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@WilliamAnderson wrote:

Thank you all for your kind words. 

---

Thank you for writing 'The Anderson Method'. It really helped solidify the things I've been doing. I finished reading it a few weeks ago. I received my 55 pound badge recently, and the process seems to be ongoing.

Things I learned while reading your book:

• Not being perfect doesn't mean you can't be successful. My daily goals are usually met, but occasionally not, and the next day I start again regardless.
• Any diet where one does things that aren't for a lifetime will have results that are just as temporary.
• Thermodynamics wins. I averaged an 1800 calorie deficit for 90 days and lost 49.8 pounds. [49.8 * 3500 / 90 = 1937 calories per day], which is remarkably accurate.
• Things that work work even when done accidentally, or when done without understanding, but they do work better when you do.

Regards,

Reign

Shameless plug follows

App gallery is at https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/bda6f514-3946-49ba-a4ed-75e8470ab034

---

Wow! What a great job you've done! Savor the success!

It is such a delight to see people benefit from what I teach. And there is so much in my book. You'll find that when you pick it up and read it again in the future, there will be even more there for you that wasn't there before! (or so it seems)

Thanks so much for your messages. 

[Lilibet]

Thank you for this. All the women in my family (small framed, different heights) gain weight at 1500.  I hear people spouting off their absolute number guidelines and telling us we must all have eating disorders because our bodies are efficient at using calories, but if we ate the way Americans all assume we need to, we’d be obese.  We all do different types of physical fitness, eat different diets, and are at different weights, but 1500 is above the baseline need for all of us. 

[WilliamAnderson]

Glad I was able to help. Yes, ignorant know-it-alls can be a real pain. Happy success comes from accepting reality, the cards we are dealt, and figuring out how to make a winning hand with them. With my method, that's what my clients and readers do!

[morningReign]

Hello @WilliamAnderson,

Checking in, hope you are doing well. 

One of the things I found most striking about your news reports was that your test cases were normal people, not anorexics; healthy, but not athletes and they had history,... months and years of maintaining that.

I just checked and my average weight for the past 365 days is now 2 lbs less than my original target,... and dropping.

Thanks,

@morningReign