649lbs and 3790 calories
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spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
in this case i would listen to the doctors. 2000-2500 is plenty of food, you just need to get used to it. you can always start with 3700 and reduce it by 100 cals a week if that would feel more comfortable.31 -
if you've been told 2000-2500 then it seems to be the primary concern is to get your weight down quickly to begin with due to health concerns of your size being greater than the risks of losing quickly.
The higher number I am assuming comes from you telling MFP you want to lose 2lbs per week (which is the maximum on the site).
So perhaps run it by your doctor but you could always shoot for a range between those numbers to get you on your way.15 -
Congratulations on starting a lifestyle change. Stick with it and start excersizing, at least take a good walk.3
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I think that 3500 calories equals one pound, so I would think to actually lose weight, you'd have to be eating under that amount. But, I'm also pretty much winging it for myself, so I don't really know as much as I'd like to think I do24
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starsofmotown wrote: »I think that 3500 calories equals one pound, so I would think to actually lose weight, you'd have to be eating under that amount. But, I'm also pretty much winging it for myself, so I don't really know as much as I'd like to think I do
You lose weight when your average intake is under your average output, so if you burn 4000 calories, you'll lose weight if you only eat 3500. The fact that 3500 is the estimate calories per pound is just a coincidence here.10 -
starsofmotown wrote: »I think that 3500 calories equals one pound, so I would think to actually lose weight, you'd have to be eating under that amount. But, I'm also pretty much winging it for myself, so I don't really know as much as I'd like to think I do
This wouldn't be accurate. To lose weight, you have to eat under the amount of calories that your body uses per day. Estimating how many calories your body uses per day is completely independent of how many calories it takes to lose one pound.4 -
Congrats on starting.
Get a food scale and weigh your food. Doctors often give lower amounts due to assumption people will not weigh correctly log and thus go over.
MFP maxes at 2 lbs a week loss calculated. You can afford to if you want to be more aggressive aim for 3 or 4 lbs. That would be 500 or 1000 less per day.
Persistence will pay off.7 -
VintageFeline wrote: »if you've been told 2000-2500 then it seems to be the primary concern is to get your weight down quickly to begin with due to health concerns of your size being greater than the risks of losing quickly.
The higher number I am assuming comes from you telling MFP you want to lose 2lbs per week (which is the maximum on the site).
So perhaps run it by your doctor but you could always shoot for a range between those numbers to get you on your way.
@spagano8888 yes, MFP will not give you a calorie goal for losing more than 2 pounds per week. At your weight, you can safely lose more. But starting at two pounds per week might be a good way to change your habits. And it is over a 100 pounds per year.
I think it's better to start conservatively and be able to sustain it, than try to lose too quickly and get burnt out.
Keep us posted!14 -
spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
The deficit you are able to do, and be happy, is the right number. It will change over time, but the main thing is to focus on the process (tracking calories well) eating good foods, and the weight will take care of itself. If 3790 is working in two weeks, stick with it.
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TavistockToad wrote: »spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
in this case i would listen to the doctors. 2000-2500 is plenty of food, you just need to get used to it. you can always start with 3700 and reduce it by 100 cals a week if that would feel more comfortable.
This.
Also, remember that one of the most important things is how your calories average out over a week.
Although you've been recommended various figures, there's no point jumping right in at the low end of say 2,000 if you could only stick with it for 5 days, then spend the next 2 days rebelling and eating way higher, meaning that your weekly calories came in at well over 14,000.
It's probably best to start with a figure that you can consistently achieve, and then work down from there.
So I think the advice to start at something like 3,700 is probably quite sensible.
Massive good luck with it. Sometimes you need to do a bit of filtering on these forums, but fundamentally there's a lot of good hearted people who want to support you as best we can!9 -
spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
If there is a conflict between the site and medical advice, I'd err on the side of medical advice.
That being said, if you don't think 2500 is sustainable for you, there's nothing wrong with starting at the higher number and working your way down to lower calories over time, as you get a hang on the whole weight loss thing. It's still a deficit.
At this point, that #1 most important thing for you to do is ANYTHING that will allow you to reach a sustainable deficit. You can increase that over time. IMO, you should still talk to your doctor about the higher number.12 -
Welcome! MyFitnessPal is a wonderful tool. Stick with it and you will see results. I think that the calorie estimates can be high for people with a lot to lose, so following the doctors advice may be best in your situation. Of course, it will take some trial and error, but the most important thing is to start logging (accurately) so you know what your intake is and stick to it.4
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Why would you not listen to the doctors and the hospital?
2000-2500 is sufficient. Your weight is life-threatening. You have 500 pounds of body fat to use as fuel.
This site and any other online sites use an algorithm that is meant for the mean average of users. Someone who is an outlier really needs to listen to their medical team.15 -
I guess my question is did the doctor give you a plan, and are they having you come in on a regular basis for follow up, or did they just off hand say 2000 or 2500? How engaged were they in the conversation?
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My advice would be to try that for a week or two and then decrease it down to 3500. The first 10 to 20 pounds will come off fairly easy and then it will get more difficult. I weighed 381 when I started and my calculated calories for 2 lbs of weight loss per week was around 1900. After that first 15 pounds came off it was really difficult to loose weight. I found that I only lost weight if I reduced my calories to below 1400. I saw several doctors and decided to have bariatric surgery. My surgery is in one month and I'm hoping to loose another 20-30 before the surgery. I started a super strict 1000 calorie a day diet on Monday to accomplish this (under my doctor's supervision). After 3 months of a plateau I've lost 3.5 pounds after only 2 days on this new diet. I highly recommend going to a doctor and getting his advice. Once I did so, I found out that I had high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea. Loosing weight became much easier once I got these other issues under control. Good luck to you on your journey. I know how hard it is but once the weight starts coming off you will be amazed at how much better you feel with each 20 pounds that come off.2
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Tacklewasher wrote: »I guess my question is did the doctor give you a plan, and are they having you come in on a regular basis for follow up, or did they just off hand say 2000 or 2500? How engaged were they in the conversation?
Yes I wonder too b/c you would expect a bariatric medicine doc to give a very specific calorie count calculation not such a rounded number.4 -
spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
The deficit you are able to do, and be happy, is the right number. It will change over time, but the main thing is to focus on the process (tracking calories well) eating good foods, and the weight will take care of itself. If 3790 is working in two weeks, stick with it.
I really don't think that anyone should be telling him to go against his Doctors orders. As it ha's been pointed out, his weight is at a critical stage. The stress on his heart just to pump the blood around his body is life threatening.
Again, there are amazing people on this site who will be able to answer lots of questions on nutrition, calorie counting, etc. But stick with your Doctors advice on the calories. It sounds like he wants you to lose quickly to relieve the stress on your heart.6 -
starsofmotown wrote: »I think that 3500 calories equals one pound, so I would think to actually lose weight, you'd have to be eating under that amount. But, I'm also pretty much winging it for myself, so I don't really know as much as I'd like to think I do
3500 calories is how much you need to burn . So for example if your body requires 2500 calories just to function and you subtract it by 500 you'll be in a decifit eating only 2000 . 500x7 = 35002 -
spagano8888 wrote: »Had went to a hospital they said 2000. Went to doctor I believe she said 2500 calories... but she didn't calculate anything.... mfp says 3790, of course I like the higher number. I just don't know what number to use! They all say different things.
Listen to your doctors. Either number - 2000 or 2500 - will work for you. MFP's number is based on math that is *known* to be grossly inaccurate for those obese and higher - ignore it.
You have the answer you were asking for. You can do this!10 -
spagano8888 wrote: »Does 3790 calories for a day seem like too much for a person of my size?
No, it sounds reasonable.
Try it for a month and then tweak according to results.
Edit: I should really read the whole thread. I expect you will experience a steady rate of loss on 3,790 cals per day but given your high starting weight a more dramatic deficit where you eat at 2,000 - 2,500 cals per day would also work (the rationale being getting weight off quickly for overall health concerns justifies a steep calorie deficit.)4
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