Suggested Calorie Limits While Dieting

noobinboston
noobinboston Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My dietician suggests I limit my caloric intake to 1600 cal per day when not exercising and 1800 when exercising. I am 5"8 weigh 245. I just can't seem to adhere to this suggested strict regimin of strict caloric suggestions. My Fitness Pal suggests 2380 calories per day. Any advice?
246. Thank you. NoobinBoston.

Replies

  • intangiblemango
    intangiblemango Posts: 38 Member
    Personally, I would trust a dietician over MFP since MFP only gives generic information, BUT you might find it easier to start at a higher number and slowly cut back rather than going straight from what you are eating now down to 1600 calories.
  • noobinboston
    noobinboston Posts: 17 Member
    thank you!
  • oxers
    oxers Posts: 259 Member
    I'd say mess around with it. Get an estimate for your BMR and TDEE, and pick a very reasonable deficit to start with. Exercise, log accurately and stick to it for at least a month. Check your progress. Not losing? Eat a little less. Losing too fast? Eat a little more, or modify your workouts. There's no one number that works for everyone of a certain height/weight, and that number is gonna change as your body changes. Be patient, keep an eye on your progress and keep experimenting. You'll find the right balance.
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    Honestly 1600 can be a lot of food if you are eating fruits, veggies, lean protein and not filling your diary up with junk food (chips, soda, ect), not saying junk food isn't allowed but you will find if you are making a healthier at home dinner it's a lot less calories then if you order takeout. I personally would take your dietitians advice, I mean you did go to him/her for a reason, right?
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    How much do you lose at 1800 per week? If more than 1 or two raise it up a few hundred.
  • mathandcats
    mathandcats Posts: 786 Member
    Something that results in slower loss but is sustainable is better than something more restrictive that makes you give up. That being said, if you do start at the 2300, know that you will probably have to lower it as you lose weight. You should start looking for ways to be satisfied at a lower calorie goal for down the road, but there is no harm at starting with a higher goal first.
  • onefortyone
    onefortyone Posts: 531 Member
    I think 1600 is pretty drastic. I am 5'8", 197 and losing 1.2lbs a week on 1620 or 1900ish with exercise. But if your goal is to lose 2+lbs a week, 1600 might be what is needed for that.

    I agree with the PP. Try 2k a day and see how you feel for a week, and from there you can reasses. If 1600 is way too low for you to stick with, and you still lose on 1800-2k, let your dietitian know - they must have some level of flexibility.
  • SlimMe37
    SlimMe37 Posts: 133 Member
    I'm the same height as you and on 1650 a day. I weigh a lot less than you so I don't know if that makes a difference. Perhaps you can ease yourself down from say 2000 etc so it isn't difficult for you x
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    You paid to consult a dietician, why don't you try their advice for a month, if you feel its not sustainable, after a go, then up your calories.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    I agree with both the above posters. Particularly that you have to find a balance between discipline and enjoyment that works for you. You need a plan that gives you results (not necessarily fast results!) but also that you can enjoy / not hate enough that you can stick with it long term.

    Also, has your dietician spoken with you about what rate of weightloss you should expect following that plan? Maybe the difference is just in how aggressive each plan is.

    FWIW, when I started at over 335 lbs (down 140+ lbs so far!) I quickly figured out that for me, getting a little exercise so I could eat a couple hundred more calories was a massive improvement in my ability to diet happily. That 200 calorie difference may not sound like much, but really, it's the difference between getting a glass of wine with dinner and a piece of chocolate afterwards or not. Big psychological difference in terms of how I felt about my diet. Sure, for about 4 months I truly dreaded the exercise, but stuck with it anyway and eventually got over it: I'm a regular gym bunny now.
  • NK1112
    NK1112 Posts: 781 Member
    noobinboston wrote: »
    My dietician suggests I limit my caloric intake to 1600 cal per day when not exercising and 1800 when exercising. I am 5"8 weigh 245. I just can't seem to adhere to this suggested strict regimin of strict caloric suggestions. My Fitness Pal suggests 2380 calories per day. Any advice?
    246. Thank you. NoobinBoston.

    It might be that the dietician is giving you a standard to start out with, one that perhaps takes into consideration your lean body mass instead of your total weight. MFP only looks at the total weight you put in and how much you want to lose each week. It really doesn't have any info on your lean to fat composition, nor does it know your metabolism issues, if any.

    Everyone has said pretty much the same thing ... 1) you paid for advice, perhaps you should follow it for a while to see how it works for you before you make changes and ...2) do your own experiment with what you think is more doable for you and then make adjustments as you find out more data.

    Good luck.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I'd do what the dietician said to do.

    There are so many healthy, low-cal foods to fill up on, so there is no reason to be hungry.

    Why exactly do you have trouble with the 1800 number?

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