Use to living with a messed up idea of calories and I'm afraid to change

xmissxamyx

So here's the thing. (Bit of a long ride this one so make sure you're comfy)
I have had a pretty messed up view about food for awhile now, and when I say messed up I mean being a member of several different pro-ana websites and using them as my 'guide' kind of messed up. I spent years living ("living") on a diet of 800cals or less and considered that to be a generous amount.
Now I know that's wrong and that's no way to go about losing weight but that's been my habit for so long it's hard to break it.I tried to do it on my own but gained A LOT of weight! ("Fun" fact: eating your regular binge diet without the purge leads to A LOT of weight gain...who knew?! ) I have managed to get that a little bit more under control and am now trying to eat more normally eg: eating normal amounts, not fasting for days or other nasty things I was doing.
Originally I thought that a calorie limit of 1000-1200 seemed like a good place to start but when I keyed that in to MFP it told me that that was far below what I should eat and suggested for my weight loss goals I should be eating 1600cals.....now that to me seems like a HELL OF A LOT of calories for one person to eat when they're trying to lose weight. Which I obviously am trying to do, Ideally I'd like to lose 20-25kgs (44-55lbs) currently I'm 170cm (5'7") 94kg (208lbs)(I did say I gained A LOT)

What I'm kind of after here really is a bit of guidance, can a person really lose eating that much? Will I need to do a lot of exercise along with it? Will I end up gaining eating that much for a long time? I do have to say, I'm honestly sick of being so tired and completely consumed by the constant worry about calories and all the guilt and self hatred that goes along with it all! 800cals a day is no way to live but 1600 just seems so greedy and excessive. I just want to find a way to exist with out the constant unease I feel whenever food is involved

malibu927

1600 sounds like a good goal for your size. Your body burns more than that just to live. Few people need to eat 1200 to lose, and it's usually older, shorter, more sedentary females.

Seconding speaking with a professional about your thoughts, though.

stanmann571

TL;DR

Yes, eating a reasonable and appropriate amount is more sustainable long term than binge/purge feast/famine deprivation cycling.

diannethegeek

To give some perspective, you and I have similar-ish stats. I'm 5'8" and I started at 215 pounds. I lose steadily at 1700-1800 calories and aiming for anything below 1400 makes me want to gnaw my own arm off.

And I'll third speaking to a professional - even if it's just for a few sessions. My binges are too infrequent to be classed as BED and I don't have the purging part, but being able to sort through some of those feelings with a professional and have her give me some insight and coping strategies has really helped.

serindipte

I am 5'4", 43 yrs old and generally sedentary and I am steadily losing at 1600-1700 calories per day.

ETA: SW: 216, CW: 206 - Two weeks in this time.

emmarrgh

I'm afraid to change too, part of the journey to become healthy is making big changes, and we have no idea what our life could be like if we succeed. No matter what our story is.

I'm 230lbs, never had an issue with UNDEReating, only over-eating. I can lose weight very rapidly on 1600 cals. I don't exercise like crazy - 30 mins cardio most days, and a long walk to clear my head.

I know greedy and excessive - it's a buffet lunch, 3 plates @ 1k per plate, then feeling too full for dinner but eating a family size bag of chips while watching a movie before bed anyway. That's 4000 calories already, not counting drinks. 1600 calories is not greedy and excessive.

Good luck on our journey!

stanmann571

There's an old MFP saying.

(S)he who eats the most and loses. Wins!

88olds

That’s your number to start.

Despite all the gadgets, calorie counting remains both an art and a science. Over time we all encounter many cal counting gray areas. And even if you ate every single bite prepared yourself from scratch, the calculators are all based on averages. Few folks are exactly average.

Long way to say the only way you will know if you lose at 1600 calories is to test it. But a real test. 3 weeks at least. Not a day or two.

And if the result is a loss, say 1 lb in 3 weeks. It’s still a loss and the number therefore works.

Another idea- embrace the weight loss process. You can start your new lifestyle now.

You considered counseling? Only reason I ask is you are, wisely I think, suspicious of your own thought processes. And even if MFP works like charm for you, your own brain is going to dredge up the past to mess with you. Purging our own heads of WL nonsense is a tough fight. Happens to everybody.