I solved my weight problem. I'll help you if I can. Ask me anything.

[WilliamAnderson]

I'm a Licensed Counselor who was obese and a failure at diets and exercise for 25 years and solved the problem with what I learned as an addictions counselor, together with what I learned all those years of failure. I lost 140 pounds in 1984, have kept it off for 30 years and have been helping others since. I'm new to this Fitbit discussion community and very low-tech (I'm old!), so please forgive any mistakes I make, and let me know if you see me make one. Ask me anything. I'll help you if I can.

[E_Abernathy]

Hi William, I can see where your skills and past experience will be of great help to those who reach out to you! Nice meeting you!

[WilliamAnderson]

I got your message and it’s nice to meet you too! If I can help you, let me know!

[WilliamAnderson]

Nice to meet you too! If I can help you in any way, let me know.

[Starryeyes]

Please help me!!!!😌

[Dominique]

@Starryeyes: it would help if you provided more information about the problems you are facing. Unless you wish to hire @WilliamAnderson as your personal coach and solve them directly with him in private. The spirit of the community is to share information, so we can get help from as many people as possible, and also make ensuring it benefits the entire community.

[WilliamAnderson]

@Starryeyes and @Dominique - Actually, there is no need to begin counseling with me. People can read all the articles I've written or read my book. The articles are at my website with the table of contents at the lower left of the page, at The Huffington Post and also at Thrive Global. Google "William Anderson, LMHC" and you should find it easy to find all of them. People can ask me questions here too. All the articles are free to read and you can go to the library to read the book if you can't afford to buy it. Reading is free!

[WilliamAnderson]

Absolutely, I will help. Start by reading what I have written. All my articles are free to read on the Internet, and my book can be purchased or the libraries can lend it to you if you are unable to purchase it. The articles are at my website with the table of contents at the lower left of the page, at The Huffington Post and also at Thrive Global. Google "William Anderson, LMHC" and you should find it easy to find all of them. Feel free to ask me questions here. 

[Dibbies]

Hi William,

Well I have read some of your articles on the internet

But unfortunately they do not help me 😞

As my figures just don't work out, in one article you say "Eat fewer calories than you use, and you’ll burn up stored fat and lose weight."

I have found this not to be the case.

I can honestly say with hand on heart, I consume 2,100 calories a day, all from real natural clean food.

My BMR is 2,400 calories a day, and with my activity level takes that unto usually 3,700 - 4,100 calories a day.

I have been this way for the last 8 months and my weight has fluctuated between 129Kg to 132 KG up and down , never higher never lower for the last 8 months.

Please explain that ???

[WilliamAnderson]

Just as we have never found perpetual motion to be possible, it is not possible to maintain your weight if you live with a negative energy balance, a caloric deficit. There must be something off in your calculations. Either you are consuming more than you think you are, or you are burning less than you think you are. What is your estimated burn, using the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation? You can use the device at calculator.net to find that. Most of the men using my method consume an average of 1500 calories per day. In 30 years, I have never had a client not lose weight following my method. In any event, if you are maintaining your weight for the last 8 months consuming the way you are, you need to reduce the amount you consume. 

[Dibbies]

Hi William,

Thanks for your reply, and information.

I have taken care to check and monitor all of my food and activity to make it as acurate as I can, however I know it will never be 100% correct, but try to limit the amount of variations as much as I can.

I used the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation on the site you mentioned, and it says to maintenance level to be 2207, 1,007 above what I have it at.

So with my activity level at the level I mentioned before my deficit is approx 1493 to 1892Cal per day.

Taking the lowest fig makes 10,451 cal deficite over the week, and as 1Kg of fat equates to 3500 cal, by my calculations I should be losing just under 4Kg a week.

My activity  and intensity is closely monitored by myself, with the help of a personal trainer every 2 weeks, I use my fitbit, but however double check that against a chest heart rate monitor I use at the gym.

I check and record every piece of food and drink I consume every day, I have had my nutrition plan checked by 2 dieticians in the last month, with no concerns found, and no ideas as to why I am not losing weight.

So to go back to my figures, even if I am out on my results by 50%, which I doubt I am, I should still be losing 2Kg a week, so why is it that this week, I put on 1.4Kg

?????????????

And before you ask, I have some industrial scales I use to check my weight, which are calibrated to a accuracy of 1% every month.

[Esya]

@Dibbies

I believe you are eating too little in order to lose weight. I know this sounds counter intuitive. But it is not advised to eat below your BMR. The BMR is the calories your body needs to just stay alive during rest. When the body gets too few calories, it might hold on to the weight and fat as a survival instinct. I would suggest to try to increase the amount you eat slowly to see what impact that has on the scale.

[WilliamAnderson]

Dibbies - I think you are making mistakes in your understanding of the thermodynamics and calculations. If the Mifflin-St. Jeor figure for your metabolic rate (the amount to maintain) at the activity level you assigned it is 2207, you'd have to keep your intake to 1500 per day average to lose approximately 1.5 pounds per week. And remember that the scale is not an accurate measure of the tissue on a day-to-day, week-to-week and even month-to month basis. Over a year's period of time, the 1500 calorie per day average would result in a 75 pound loss for the year. 

If you want a real laboratory check on your metabolic rate, you need to use direct or indirect calorimetry, which can be arranged in a hospital or university setting, or perhaps with an endocrinologist, like Dr. Lupo, who wrote the forward to my book. The heart rate monitors are not a valid way to determine metabolic rate. Also, a complete medical evaluation is always a good idea to make sure thyroid and all other functions are normal. 

I hope that helps. 

[WilliamAnderson]

@Dibbies - I think you are making mistakes in your understanding of the thermodynamics and calculations. If the Mifflin-St. Jeor figure for your metabolic rate (the amount to maintain) at the activity level you assigned it is 2207, you'd have to keep your intake to 1500 per day average to lose approximately 1.5 pounds per week. And remember that the scale is not an accurate measure of the tissue on a day-to-day, week-to-week and even month-to month basis. Over a year's period of time, the 1500 calorie per day average would result in a 75 pound loss for the year. 

If you want a real laboratory check on your metabolic rate, you need to use direct or indirect calorimetry, which can be arranged in a hospital or university setting, or perhaps with an endocrinologist, like Dr. Lupo, who wrote the forward to my book. The heart rate monitors are not a valid way to determine metabolic rate. Also, a complete medical evaluation is always a good idea to make sure thyroid and all other functions are normal. 

I hope that helps. 

[WilliamAnderson]

Dibbies is confused. I'm sure 2400 is not his BMR, and advising him to eat more to lose weight is a mistake. He will end up gaining again instead of maintaining, and will get addicted to the new habit of eating more and gaining. It is only with starvation diets, like 500, that the body will experience big drops in metabolic rate, among other symptoms of starvation. 

[Esya]

How can you state that he is confused when you have no data on him? He clearly states his BMR is 2400 and what is total burn is due to activities. If his BMR is about 2400 then eating only 1500 is too little. And I did not suggest to go eat 2400 all of a sudden, I suggested to slowly increase the calories in to see what effect it has on the scale.

[Dibbies]

Thanks to everyone who has left comments and suggestions, but to clear things up.

My BMR is approx 2400, tested at my local hospital.

The Mifflin-St. Jeor equation maintenance level = 2207

My current intake level is approx 1493 to 1892Cal per day.

Intake 8 weeks ago at start of this current situation was 3500 Cal per day, cut by 500 cal per day every two weeks.

I have had a complete check up for my GP, inc thyroid check

Been on current intake level for last two weeks - resulting in a weight increase of 1.4Kg

[WilliamAnderson]

If you read what he has written, you can see that he is confused. He writes that 1 Kg is 3500 calories and he should be losing 4 Kg per week. These are just wrong confused ideas. There is so much confusion regarding BMR and RMR and the use of these formulas. Even the so-called authorities like calculator.netget them confused. The Mifflin-St. Joer does not even relate to BMR, but to RMR. To lose weight, people need to create a substantial caloric deficits on a consistent basis. That means that many women with normal activity habits will need to consume less than 1000 per day and men, less than 1500. I have been working in this field for 30 years. The science of thermodynamics and nutrition has not changed in any significant way in all that time.

Moderator edit: removed personal info

[Dibbies]

William you wrote :-

"you'd have to keep your intake to 1500 per day average to lose approximately 1.5 pounds per week."

So if I have been on a intake of 1600 per day average, and gained 1.4Kg this week

Does 100 cal make that much of a difference ?

[WilliamAnderson]

If your maintenance level is 2207/day and you consume 3500/day you will gain.