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January 23, 2007
Upping Your Calorie Targets
I am so, so happy to see that some of our newbies are upping your calorie targets. As I wrote on many of your blogs, I was concerned that some of you (not all of you!) you were going too low too fast. I was lying in bed concerned that some of you would lose weight too fast, ruining your chances for getting life extension benefits (if we can follow the animal evidence.) Or that you would get hungry and frustrated and give up on CR. Or that you would faint while driving. You're doing such a great job of getting your nutrition into small packages that I was getting scared you just weren't eating enough! I lay in bed, sandwiched between a very warm slightly orange man and a purring calico cat (she likes to sleep on my pillow, so we call her Philo on the Pillow) and wondering how I should bring up the topic. I don't want to discourage you, my brilliant CR sisters and brothers, and I don't want you to feel like I'm a preachy old-timer trying to tell you how to live your life. So I got up and wrote (causing the calico to meow, MR to wonder where I went, and the giant tabby to think it was feeding time.)
Here's some of what I wrote:
It's three in the morning and I am literally up in the middle of the night worrying about the newbie CR bloggers.
You're doing so well on so many things. I love to see those pretty nutrition numbers pop up, and watch as you find out how to pack more nutrients into your day. You're doing great with CRON-O-Meter, and you're focusing on nutrition and health. I am so proud of your healthy attitudes, your funky fun style, your new recipes, the zest for life with which you are pursuing this quest. I just love you guys!!! But here comes the lecture: many of you are eating way too little!!!
I understand how hard it is in the beginning when you're so excited about CR to take it slow. It's possible, especially when you have a little fat to burn, to take your calories too low and still feel energetic, not hungry, and overall great. But if you go too low for two long, you will lose weight too fast. Remember the animal experiments: the ones who lost weight too fast because their calories were cut abruptly didn't get the longevity benefits. In other words: going to fast defeats the purpose!
The key to long term success is going very slowly, and eating enough to both get your RDAs and give your body enough energy. If you're feeling light headed or woozy, you must eat more. If you're feeling crazy hungry, you must eat more. As you gradually adjust to eating differently, you will continue to lose weight and feel better, but you have to trust the process and not push it too far, too fast.
I know you think I am trying to be your Mom, and I'm sorry if I sound a bit preachy. I got the same lecture from Mary almost three years ago, and at the time, I didn't pay enough attention. Until I realized that I was dropping weight so fast I ran the risk of turning into one of those dead rats! Then I started to eat more. And I still lost weight, and I still felt great. Mary was right. I got where I wanted to be, and I keep evolving... but slowly.
Getting adequate fat is also extremely important. It's easy to cut the fat from your diet and save calories because fat doesn't give you much volume and it's something that many of us are a bit phobic of since we were alive in the nonfat nineties. But getting enough fat is essential for just about every system in your body, especially your brain. You don't want to be skinny and stupid, so pour on some measured olive oil with the dinner salad and have 20 grams of almonds to get that nice vitamin E. The difference in how you feel: skin will be softer and not dry in the winter, hair will be shinier (yes, Haesel, shiny coat!) and your moods will be more stable. Not to metion the increased satisfaction from food and lack of hunger. I was sooooooo fat phobic in the early days, I had to learn the hard way that oil is not just something you put in your car. MR thinks my diet is still too low fat, so you see, I am still evolving and improving. I decided to follow my good advice and throw some almonds into my dinner to up my fat percentage in what has historically been my lowest fat meal of the day.
I am so proud of all of you and all your progress... I feel like I could spend all day reading your blogs and commenting. You can do this in the long term, and be healthier than everyone you know for years to come. But it won't work if you crash your calories and your weight down so low that you destroy the benefits you're looking for.
If you don't drink at all, you can go slightly lower on calories and still hit your RDAs and do pretty well. But for those of us who enjoy our glass of wine (and I know I'm not giving it up!), we've got to factor in however many calories that burn off faster than you can say "Frenchy cabernet." That means our totals need to be a little higher than they would be if we cut the wine out. I think it's worth it, but the principle remainds: must eat food!
Now as you know, I am working on gradually taking my calories lower. We'll see. But you can bet I'm monitoring my weight every day and going very, very, very very slowly! I don't want to lose more than a pound a month at this phase. Slow and steady wins the race. Even if you've got weight to lose, take it slow.
I want all of you to be around for a long, long time. Some of you have already upped your calorie targets, and good for you! Some of you still need to increase your fat intake in unsaturated fats (flax oil, olive oil, almonds hazelnuts!) And those of you who aren't bloggers, don't think you're immune! If you're following along at home but not posting, just imagine that I am still watching you and shaking my head if you skip your olive oil in an attempt to save calories. I will come get you and put flax oil on your salad when you least expect it. Then you'll say, "Wait, what happened to my chapped dry skin? I think that crazy April has been sneaking flax oil onto my salad! I knew something tasted buttery flaxy good!"
Don't make me come to your house with a big bag of almonds. I have enough trouble trying to meet my own fat targets without having to share my nuts.
There, that's my speech. I'm going back to bed.
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That's all I wrote. I took it down because I wanted to edit somewhat, to make sure I didn't sound harsh or critical. I take criticism pretty badly, even when it's constructive and meant to be for my benefit. In fact, if there's one thing people criticize about me a lot, it's how badly I take criticism. I think a lot of us are like that, especially women. We've got enough negative voices in our own head, we don't need extra ones from the outside. So I don't want anyone to feel criticized or singled out. And it makes perfect sense in the beginning to go low for a few days before and after a big meal out... that's still my strategy, I just do it less often because I find it wrecks havoc with both my nutrition and my moods. If you're planning to stay on moderate CR (which is great! health benefits, look and feel fab, decreased risk of disease -- what's not to love?) that's a very successful way to manage the competing goals of keeping calories low while still enjoying excellent meals out on the town. I was just getting worried as I saw day after day of very low calories on some of your blogs, and as some of you reported a lot of hunger.
Then I tuned in today to see that many of you are increasing your calorie targets! Yea! Very wise. Take this process slow. You can always cut later if you choose. You're doing great: getting your nutrition, focusing on health, monitoring and improving every day. You're doing so much better than I did when I was a newbie! So keep up the fantastic work, write or call if you have questions, and attend the event Chez L'Orange in March!
Posted by april at January 23, 2007 1:46 PM
Comments
I know you are proud and we (like I speak for all newbie's..hehe) really appreciate it. However, in my opinion, you and MR deserve quite a bit of praise and thanks! If you two were not easily tossing around advice and blogging about your own experiences, this process could be really tough. The aspects of your diet that have taken you years to understand and remedy, are handed to us on a silver platter. So in some ways, I can agree that technology is grand :)!
Thanks for being "mom" and for having such concerns. You are truly a caring person and we are all lucky to have you as a role model, CR example.
Posted by: carolyn at January 23, 2007 12:45 PM
You make excellent points April. I too wish that at first I had taken it more slowly, and the excitement just got to me too much. Although I never experienced any chronic hunger during the weight loss, and ALWAYS kept it under 1 lb a week (only once over this during heavy lifting work and not compensating enough calories and lost 1.2 lb in a week), I would have like to have kept it to the MINIMUM amount of weight loss possible. Younger people may be able to cope and adapt more well with more harsh restrictions then more older CRers... but its certainly not the best way to go about it all, best to play it really safe.
Also, get a good doctor to monitor your progress... one that understands CR and your goals and one that you can communicate well with. Also so important to get tests recommended on the crs website, especially tier 1 & 2 in the early stages of CR (especially in the first year).
It's amazing to see all the new blogs showing up and new people undertaking CR as a lifestyle. Be careful :)
Posted by: Matt at January 23, 2007 3:54 PM
Now this is a turn-around...Thanks Mom!!
I appreciate all that you (and MR AND all the others we read on the lists) have done. Basically what Carolyn up above said. Without a committed community like this Blogoshpere of ours, this kind of lifestyle change is very difficult to do sucessfully.
I hold up a lovely 5oz glass of Pinot Noir to you!
Cheers!
Posted by: Deborah at January 23, 2007 5:27 PM
April, that was a sweet and thoughtful post. You must feel a lot of responsibility for the health and wellbeing of all the new bloggers- who have been so inspired by you- trying in some way to emulate your lifestyle... I hope that that worry isn't too heavy for you.
I think you're making a positive difference in a lot of people's lives- new bloggers, those who comment on your blog, and all your blog readers who you don't even know about- I'm sure there are many- and that there will be lots more to come with all the publicity you're getting. Anyway- I appreciate your kind advice, and have already started to put some into practice.
Again- good (and important) post!- well appreciated. Take care!
Posted by: Hazel at January 23, 2007 7:56 PM
hi, I think your concern is awesome.
I myself am actually not a newbie.
I am only new to your blog. And I discovered C.R. because it was something I had been doing for years, I just didnt officially know that it was similar to C.R.O.N.
I was just a woman who kept my calories as low as possible while trying to keep my nutrition as high as possible, having no idea there was a CRON discipline out there!
but now I have support and know people who do what I do.
and a lot of us have gravitated to April for some reason, maybe because of her excellent writing skills, her optimistic and humorous outlook on life, as well as the way she can gracefully handle the "haters"
so of course April, we are all coming to you for feed-back.
You are a "mini-guru", you make this fun!
Oh, and as for losing weight, well...I have always been very skinny.
But I am used to low calories, and when I do go above 1000 a day its because of wine.
Thanks for your input, time and encouragement to all of us.
Sheila
Posted by: sheila at January 23, 2007 8:13 PM
I am one of those people who read your blog for inspiration while trying my best to follow a CRON diet. The blog has been a goldmine of practical information for me (like increase protein and fat intake), and this post just put the cherry on the top-- do it slowly and gradually! Today I have significantly increased my daily calories (still much lower than ad lib)and will take it easy and go lower from here. Thanks for the great post and great blog!
Posted by: Eme at January 23, 2007 8:38 PM
Oh, another thing,
I have actually been reading your blog for the last 2 years!
And...I really will have to work on trying to adjust my cron-o-meter to womens specifications.
like today for instance, its telling me I am at 245% of my folate intake! great! but I wonder if that is the needs for men, not women?
Well, the numbers look pretty good.
Sheila, (again)
Posted by: sheila at January 23, 2007 9:11 PM
I don't think this is too harsh at all - and it's really important. Next time I get hungry, there will be no freakout - I'll just eat extra almonds :)
BTW, I bought Grazia yesterday - nice article! You look beautiful and you're very well-spoken.
Posted by: Emily at January 24, 2007 3:28 AM