1200 calorie question

kchuch77
kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
in Getting Started
Hi guys!

I am starting over again today. I have a few questions...

1. I have 75 lbs I want to lose. Anyone who has/had this much to lose...what did you set your calorie limit at to start? Is it ok if I set mine at 2 lbs per week loss? (Which would be 1200 a day for me at 41 yrs old, 5’2”)? My husband tells me that is too low & I will stall & have to cut back even more?
2. Anyone watch my 600 lb Life? How do these people start out at 1200 calories a day?? And why does the doctor recommend low carb/high protein to them if only calories matter?

Thanks for any input! :-)
«1

Replies

  • BlondeRunner615
    BlondeRunner615 Posts: 12 Member
    edited April 2018
    Do you know how many calories you've been eating daily before starting to diet? High protein/decent fat levels promote satiety so that you eat less overall. A high carb diet leaves you feeling hungry faster & more often.

    I would recommend you figure out how many calories you've been eating daily and then cut 500 calories off per day. 1200 is too low for most people.
  • juliegilburd
    juliegilburd Posts: 145 Member
    With 75 lbs. to lose, you can safely lose 2 lbs. a week, for a while anyway. However, there's nothing wrong with losing slower, and you may find that doing so is more sustainable. The drastic drop in calories from your usual to 1200 can be quite a shock. There's no need to feel starving when you're losing weight. You can always compromise and lose at the 1.5 pound a week range, too. As you get closer to goal, you should reduce how much you expect to lose to 1 pound a week, and for the last 10 or so pounds you may be happiest if you lose at 0.5 lbs. a week. Experiment as you start out and see how you feel with the different calorie amounts.

    The low carb thing on My 600 Lb. Life helps reduce water weight, and high protein helps with satiety (fullness). I've never understood why they drop all the way down to 1200, myself, but I'm sure it's in part because the patients have to lose X amount of pounds in a relatively small time frame in order to qualify for the surgery. In addition to that, they have to get used to eating less because after surgery, a typical diet is about 800 calories a day. I guess the huge drop would help prepare patients for their post-surgery diet.
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    BlondeRunner615 wrote: »
    Do you know how many calories you've been eating daily before starting to diet? High protein/decent fat levels promote satiety so that you eat less overall. A high carb diet leaves you feeling hungry faster & more often.

    I would recommend you figure out how many calories you've been eating daily and then cut 500 calories off per day. 1200 is too low unless you're basically bedridden.

    I’m not sure how many calories I’ve been eating, but I’m sure its way too many. I feel like I eat from boredom just because the food is there, not actual hunger. I think mfp is exactly what I need because I eat a lot when I eat because the food tastes good, not because I’m hungry. I’m a stay at home mom, so most of my activity now is just back & forth with laundry, cooking, dishes, etc, nothing thats actually getting my heart rate up
  • Pipsqueak1965
    Pipsqueak1965 Posts: 397 Member
    I would suggest that you work out what your calorie TDEE is for the weight you would like to be, and go for that.
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    juliegilburd wrote: »
    With 75 lbs. to lose, you can safely lose 2 lbs. a week, for a while anyway. However, there's nothing wrong with losing slower, and you may find that doing so is more sustainable. The drastic drop in calories from your usual to 1200 can be quite a shock. There's no need to feel starving when you're losing weight. You can always compromise and lose at the 1.5 pound a week range, too. As you get closer to goal, you should reduce how much you expect to lose to 1 pound a week, and for the last 10 or so pounds you may be happiest if you lose at 0.5 lbs. a week. Experiment as you start out and see how you feel with the different calorie amounts.

    The low carb thing on My 600 Lb. Life helps reduce water weight, and high protein helps with satiety (fullness). I've never understood why they drop all the way down to 1200, myself, but I'm sure it's in part because the patients have to lose X amount of pounds in a relatively small time frame in order to qualify for the surgery. In addition to that, they have to get used to eating less because after surgery, a typical diet is about 800 calories a day. I guess the huge drop would help prepare patients for their post-surgery diet.

    Thank you juliegilburd! Makes sense! :-)
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you all for your replies! I have another question! (Yikes, sorry, haha)..

    I am a stay at home mom & my physical activity right now is basic stuff like laundry, dishes, cooking..would my activity level be “lightly active”? or “sedentary” as this activity doesn’t get my heart rate up? I plan to start walking on the treadmill before the kids wake, and even lifting, should I adjust activity level to moderate then? Or is your activity level based on non exercise activity?
  • deepwoodslady
    deepwoodslady Posts: 12,083 Member
    Let me add to my post above. You do not have to use the keto diet I am using to lose weight. Most any diet will work (low carb high protein, low calorie, low fat etc.). The secret is sticking to it. I use keto because I am not hungry on the diet due to the high satiating fat intake. It has also done miracles for my type two diabetes (because of the low carb intake). I am already off of 4 of the pills I take. Now I am working at getting rid of the meformin too. I started keto on Jan 11th and am down 34 pounds. Best of luck in whichever method you chose. We are rockstars and we can do it!
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    edited April 2018
    deepwoodslady wrote: »
    Here is a link to the myfitnesspal calculator I used. I needed to lose 90 pounds. https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ When asked I chose a sedentary lifestyle (somedays it is more than others!) I chose 20 net carbs , I chose the amount of 79 g protein and a 30% deficit of fat. These imputed numbers got me as close to the keto macros as possible which is 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat. Imput your own information and play around with the chart until you get as close to the proper keto macros as possible. In doing this, it told me how many calories that I would be eating a day (in my case 1270) or I would not hit my proper keto macros. I bookmarked this chart on my PC. I go back in and change the weight part periodically as I lose and it will give me my new calorie intake goal as I go along. Even regular diets are around 1200 so don't worry that it is too low. It is not too low for a woman on a diet. Men are higher and maintenance is higher. Keep your chin up, you will get there! This keto diet really works and if you get that fat in, you will not be hungry and 1200 will not be at all uncomfortable. I am very proud of your attempts and your desire to be heathly and at your best self!

    She didn't ask for keto, and keto is a very restrictive plan. That "calculator" is not affiliated with Myfitnesspal, so not sure what your point is.
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Thank you all for your replies! I have another question! (Yikes, sorry, haha)..

    I am a stay at home mom & my physical activity right now is basic stuff like laundry, dishes, cooking..would my activity level be “lightly active”? or “sedentary” as this activity doesn’t get my heart rate up? I plan to start walking on the treadmill before the kids wake, and even lifting, should I adjust activity level to moderate then? Or is your activity level based on non exercise activity?

    I would use "Lightly active." Log everything you eat for 4-6 weeks. If you do any intentional extra exercise, log that in the Exercise tab and eat more on that day to offset that exercise. You may find you are even in the next category up from lightly active. I'm retired, tiny house, live alone and my activity level is way higher than what Myfitnesspal would suggest.

    Your food page will tell you what to do. Just eat until you hit "0" at the bottom.

    At the end of those 4-6 weeks adjust as your results suggest. Making changes more frequently will make it difficult to pin down your calorie needs.

    The only way to know is to run the experiment, being as accurate as possible. It's what we all did.


  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    deepwoodslady wrote: »
    Here is a link to the myfitnesspal calculator I used. I needed to lose 90 pounds. https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ When asked I chose a sedentary lifestyle (somedays it is more than others!) I chose 20 net carbs , I chose the amount of 79 g protein and a 30% deficit of fat. These imputed numbers got me as close to the keto macros as possible which is 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat. Imput your own information and play around with the chart until you get as close to the proper keto macros as possible. In doing this, it told me how many calories that I would be eating a day (in my case 1270) or I would not hit my proper keto macros. I bookmarked this chart on my PC. I go back in and change the weight part periodically as I lose and it will give me my new calorie intake goal as I go along. Even regular diets are around 1200 so don't worry that it is too low. It is not too low for a woman on a diet. Men are higher and maintenance is higher. Keep your chin up, you will get there! This keto diet really works and if you get that fat in, you will not be hungry and 1200 will not be at all uncomfortable. I am very proud of your attempts and your desire to be heathly and at your best self!

    She didn't ask for keto, and keto is a very restrictive plan. That "calculator" is not affiliated with Myfitnesspal, so not sure what your point is.
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Thank you all for your replies! I have another question! (Yikes, sorry, haha)..

    I am a stay at home mom & my physical activity right now is basic stuff like laundry, dishes, cooking..would my activity level be “lightly active”? or “sedentary” as this activity doesn’t get my heart rate up? I plan to start walking on the treadmill before the kids wake, and even lifting, should I adjust activity level to moderate then? Or is your activity level based on non exercise activity?

    I would use "Lightly active." Log everything you eat for 4-6 weeks. If you do any intentional extra exercise, log that in the Exercise tab and eat more on that day to offset that exercise. You may find you are even in the next category up from lightly active. I'm retired, tiny house, live alone and my activity level is way higher than what Myfitnesspal would suggest.

    Your food page will tell you what to do. Just eat until you hit "0" at the bottom.

    At the end of those 4-6 weeks adjust as your results suggest. Making changes more frequently will make it difficult to pin down your calorie needs.

    The only way to know is to run the experiment, being as accurate as possible. It's what we all did.


    Awesome! Thank you very much! :-)
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    deepwoodslady wrote: »
    Here is a link to the myfitnesspal calculator I used. I needed to lose 90 pounds. https://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/ When asked I chose a sedentary lifestyle (somedays it is more than others!) I chose 20 net carbs , I chose the amount of 79 g protein and a 30% deficit of fat. These imputed numbers got me as close to the keto macros as possible which is 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fat. Imput your own information and play around with the chart until you get as close to the proper keto macros as possible. In doing this, it told me how many calories that I would be eating a day (in my case 1270) or I would not hit my proper keto macros. I bookmarked this chart on my PC. I go back in and change the weight part periodically as I lose and it will give me my new calorie intake goal as I go along. Even regular diets are around 1200 so don't worry that it is too low. It is not too low for a woman on a diet. Men are higher and maintenance is higher. Keep your chin up, you will get there! This keto diet really works and if you get that fat in, you will not be hungry and 1200 will not be at all uncomfortable. I am very proud of your attempts and your desire to be heathly and at your best self!

    She didn't ask for keto, and keto is a very restrictive plan. That "calculator" is not affiliated with Myfitnesspal, so not sure what your point is.
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Thank you all for your replies! I have another question! (Yikes, sorry, haha)..

    I am a stay at home mom & my physical activity right now is basic stuff like laundry, dishes, cooking..would my activity level be “lightly active”? or “sedentary” as this activity doesn’t get my heart rate up? I plan to start walking on the treadmill before the kids wake, and even lifting, should I adjust activity level to moderate then? Or is your activity level based on non exercise activity?

    I would use "Lightly active." Log everything you eat for 4-6 weeks. If you do any intentional extra exercise, log that in the Exercise tab and eat more on that day to offset that exercise. You may find you are even in the next category up from lightly active. I'm retired, tiny house, live alone and my activity level is way higher than what Myfitnesspal would suggest.

    Your food page will tell you what to do. Just eat until you hit "0" at the bottom.

    At the end of those 4-6 weeks adjust as your results suggest. Making changes more frequently will make it difficult to pin down your calorie needs.

    The only way to know is to run the experiment, being as accurate as possible. It's what we all did.


    OP, people with 10's of thousands of posts tend to know what they're taking about...
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The other thing you can do since up to 2 lbs weekly could be reasonable for you (if body not fighting a disease or sickness anyway).

    If you have a day where the exercise done increases the amount you can eat (which is correct) - but you just don't feel like you need it (not talking about "listening to your body" nonsense) - always know you can be under your calorie goal another 500 without any issues right now.

    That will increase amount lost by a little bit extra.

    This is following cmriverside's excellent advice otherwise.

    Which frankly at this point, merely carrying the extra weight is the biggest health risk for you, so a tad faster while having enough protein and resistance training is just fine barring other health factors.

    Down at 50 lbs left to go, then 1.5 lb weekly would be max to go for.

    Which means you can still do above method to get just a little extra.
    At 30 lbs left you'd want to stop that method.
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    The other thing you can do since up to 2 lbs weekly could be reasonable for you (if body not fighting a disease or sickness anyway).

    If you have a day where the exercise done increases the amount you can eat (which is correct) - but you just don't feel like you need it (not talking about "listening to your body" nonsense) - always know you can be under your calorie goal another 500 without any issues right now.

    That will increase amount lost by a little bit extra.

    This is following cmriverside's excellent advice otherwise.

    Which frankly at this point, merely carrying the extra weight is the biggest health risk for you, so a tad faster while having enough protein and resistance training is just fine barring other health factors.

    Down at 50 lbs left to go, then 1.5 lb weekly would be max to go for.

    Which means you can still do above method to get just a little extra.
    At 30 lbs left you'd want to stop that method.

    Ok, thanks, so let me make sure I understand you correctly...set my weekly goal at 2 lbs loss for now at a lightly active level, then reset to 1.5 lbs loss after I am down 20 or so lbs, right?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    No - follow advice others gave to set to 1 lb loss. Or 1.5 lbs for now, until 50 left.

    With the knowledge on exercise days when you would normally eat more - but you don't feel like you need it - you can be under goal by 500 and still be alright.

    If you start some good hard workouts - body is going to want that extra nurishment to make improvements.
    Those improvements could easily make it look like you've lost more than scale shows.
    And since people see you but not the scale - support that transformation.
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    No - follow advice others gave to set to 1 lb loss. Or 1.5 lbs for now, until 50 left.

    With the knowledge on exercise days when you would normally eat more - but you don't feel like you need it - you can be under goal by 500 and still be alright.

    If you start some good hard workouts - body is going to want that extra nurishment to make improvements.
    Those improvements could easily make it look like you've lost more than scale shows.
    And since people see you but not the scale - support that transformation.

    Got it, thanks again!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    BlondeRunner615 wrote: »
    Do you know how many calories you've been eating daily before starting to diet? High protein/decent fat levels promote satiety so that you eat less overall. A high carb diet leaves you feeling hungry faster & more often.

    I would recommend you figure out how many calories you've been eating daily and then cut 500 calories off per day. 1200 is too low for most people.

    This assumed OP has been maintaining at current intake. Why do you assume that?
  • Gretaholden1
    Gretaholden1 Posts: 18 Member
    edited April 2018
    I joined my fitness pal and originally did the recommended but I like you had a lot of weight to lose. After about 6 months I had had enough and threw in the towel. I gained all the weight back quickly. This time I restricted myself to 1000 calories a day. The first month I lost 26 pounds, the 2nd month I lost 18. I only weight once a month so I'm not sure how much I have lost this month for a few more days. Occasionally I eat more protein when I get really hungry, not all the time. I eat natural foods, no processed junk. My original intention with the low calorie restriction was to kick start my diet, but I fell into a routine I can live with so just stuck with it. I eat fish twice a week. Unfortunately, something was wrong with the fish I had last night and I have been worshipping the porecelian god. So all my calories yesterday and today are off. I was wondering how to log these abdomenal exercises. I am sore from my heart to my belly button. LOL Good luck and I hope this helps.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    you arent going to gain much if any muscle on 1200 calories. you may get some newbie gains if new to lifting,or obese and have a lot of weight to lose, buts its not going to be a lot and its definitely not going to be enough that you will plateau and need more calories. most muscle is gained in a calorie surplus. you can gain muscle doing a recomp but that takes a long time and eating at a very small deficit(250 calorie deficit or less) or at maintenance. its also not going to cause weight to stop either.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited April 2018
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I am starting over again today. I have a few questions...

    1. I have 75 lbs I want to lose. Anyone who has/had this much to lose...what did you set your calorie limit at to start? Is it ok if I set mine at 2 lbs per week loss? (Which would be 1200 a day for me at 41 yrs old, 5’2”)? My husband tells me that is too low & I will stall & have to cut back even more?
    2. Anyone watch my 600 lb Life? How do these people start out at 1200 calories a day?? And why does the doctor recommend low carb/high protein to them if only calories matter?

    Thanks for any input! :-)

    Hi OP! Just wanted to basically agree with what some other posters have said. Start with 1 lb per week and lightly active. (You could probably get away with 1.5 lbs for a little bit, if you really wanted to, but those lower calorie ranges can be tough). You can eat whatever you want and what you feel is healthy for you. I always suggest starting with what you usually eat, then make a note of what foods fill you up, and what foods leave you hungry and make it difficult to stick to your calorie goal and tweak from there. Really focus on logging accurately and consistently at least in the beginning - even if the item seems like nothing, even if the day is going way off plan. This way you have some nice hard data to work with, and can tweak your numbers or your method from there.

    Good luck!
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I am starting over again today. I have a few questions...

    1. I have 75 lbs I want to lose. Anyone who has/had this much to lose...what did you set your calorie limit at to start? Is it ok if I set mine at 2 lbs per week loss? (Which would be 1200 a day for me at 41 yrs old, 5’2”)? My husband tells me that is too low & I will stall & have to cut back even more?
    2. Anyone watch my 600 lb Life? How do these people start out at 1200 calories a day?? And why does the doctor recommend low carb/high protein to them if only calories matter?

    Thanks for any input! :-)

    Hi OP! Just wanted to basically agree with what some other posters have said. Start with 1 lb per week and lightly active. (You could probably get away with 1.5 lbs for a little bit, if you really wanted to, but those lower calorie ranges can be tough). You can eat whatever you want and what you feel is healthy for you. I always suggest starting with what you usually eat, then make a note of what foods fill you up, and what foods leave you hungry and make it difficult to stick to your calorie goal and tweak from there. Really focus on logging accurately and consistently at least in the beginning - even if the item seems like nothing, even if the day is going way off plan. This way you have some nice hard data to work with, and can tweak your numbers or your method from there.

    Good luck!

    Hi Kimny72! :-) this is awesome advice, thank you! I love that I can eat whatever I like, just within my calorie limit. I have tried restricting whole food groups in the last, but that obviously didn’t last very long. I had a delicious turkey, tomato, mayo sandwich for lunch today & tracked everything. Off to a good start! :-)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited April 2018
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    Because this site expects you to. It takes that into account when you are setting up your profile. And that blog says you may not want eat back all of your calories. But if you eating 1200 calories per day, and burning off 300, for a net of 900 calories, that's not good.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    3 times for emphasis!

    Because your eating goal on MFP will create weight loss with NO exercise, since it's not accounted for.

    And MFP is trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more, you eat more.
    You do less, you eat less (the kicker direction for most).

    To lose weight, a tad less in either case.

    And listening to your body is usually why most are here trying to lose weight.
    It speaks a foreign language to vast majority - and there is no understanding of what it is saying.
    Dizzy after a workout is more of a physical gesture than a language - meaning you didn't understand what had been said already, and it required that gesture or shove to get the point.

    And that blog also isn't taking into account what MFP is helping to do - track calories.


    You are probably thinking of every other site out there where your eating goals are based on planned exercise being done. That is different than MFP.
  • Shay4025
    Shay4025 Posts: 4 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    Because the calorie goal MFP gives you doesn't include exercise, and expects you to log your exercise and eat some of those calories back. Your calorie goal already includes the deficit you requested. If you exercise and don't eat those cals back, you will lose faster than you wanted and will probably be undereating.

    1200 is the minimum a sedentary woman should be eating. Many women who don't log their food accurately think they are eating 1200 calories and exercising and feeling fine, but once they start using a food scale and logging diligently they realize they were eating more than they thought. Which is fine if they are losing weight at their desired pace, but not fine if they are telling other women to eat 1200 cals and exercise. Because for most, that would be a recipe for disaster.

    Unfortunately for many of us, "listening to our body" is what got us overweight, and many beginners (myself included, back in the day) will be led off course by listening to our body and doing what "feels" right. The beauty of MFP is that with accurate and consistent logging you can learn and create new habits that will help you get that skill back.



    Ok good to know. Never suggested that anyone should be on a 1200 calorie diet and exercise. I was only stating what I did in the past and my results. I do recommend seeking a doctor or a nutritionist advice before beginning as everyone's health needs are different. For example, if you have limited mobility or if your lifestyle does not permit you time to exercise then reducing you calories will probably work for you. If not, then a higher caloric intake base on your activity level would work for you.

    Also, when I say listen to your body I meant along the lines of how does your body feel after exercising or when you don't get enough sleep. Do you feel sluggish or more hungry? The three factors that play a role in losing weight is diet, exercise and sleep. When one is out of balance you feel the effects. When I don't get enough sleep I tend to eat more and have no energy to exercise. Also when I increase the intensity of my exercise I also tend to be very hungry after my workout. Knowing this about myself, I know to walk with either a snack such as a yogurt or milk. As a result, I don't stop at a fast food restaurant on the way home.

    For me, I'm using MFP to track the kind of foods I eat. I am more interested in the amount as well as the type of fats, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, proteins and sugars I intake on a daily basis and adjusting my diet so that it can align with my health needs.

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