So Confused

Alinos31

Hi Folks...I have a strange situation and dont know what to do next. I am 45, female, 5'5 and currently at 160lbs. I lost about 20lbs a few months ago on a low calorie diet - averaging about 1000- 1200 calories a day. That was about 5 months ago. Since then I have pretty much eaten what I wanted and when I wanted. Not really over eating but any where between 1300-1700 calories a day. And strangely enough my weight has not gone up thankfully.

The question I have now is what next? I need to lose atleast 20lbs more to be healthy and i dont know where I should peg my calories. Just as fyi.... I wasnt exercising during the last 5 months. I thought about going the TDEE route but havent done that so far. One reason for that is that I have Type 2 diabetes and dont want to aggravate that by excess calories.

Any advice would be very helpful. Thanks!

Showcase_Brodown

So, it sounds like you've been maintaining your weight for about 5 months eating what you feel like eating. This is good. Lots of people would be jealous of that.

If you want to continue weight loss, you need to get a calorie deficit again. Count them up and aim for 20% less than what it would take to maintain weight. Since you've been maintaining, it probably only means a few small adjustments to your diet.

For the diabetes part of that, talk to your doc. Watch out for the simple carbs. Exercise would also probably be helpful.

megsmom2

It would be pretty unusual for you to gain weight if you're eating 1700 cal a day or less...you could probably continue to lose very slowly at that level, especially if you up your exercise just a little. Weight loss is all about the calorie deficit, so now you know a comfortable maintainance level for you...just create a deficit level below that. Consult your doctor though, since diabetes does change the picture a bit.

Lizzy622

You may want to start by just longing and eating as you are without worrying about calories. This will give you a better picture of where you are starting from. When I guess my calories I am usually 200 to 500 off for the day. I also agree you should consult your doctor or nutritionist who specializes in diabetes patients.

Alinos31

Thanks for all the comments. The question I am still struggling with is that I lost 20lbs by being on a 1000 calorie diet and didnt gain anything on 1500 calories. Should I go back to 1000-1200 if I want to start losing again?