morbidly obese, 300+lbs to lose - calories/day?

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  • SolitudesMuse
    SolitudesMuse Posts: 67 Member
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    At sedentary to lightly active, right now to maintain your current weight, you'd need almost 4000 calories a day... So cutting down to 2500-3000 isn't as insanely high as you'd think.
  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
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    Thanks everyone! MFP has me set at 3400 cals / day, will give it a try for awhile and see how things go.

    Yeah, I'd stick with what MFP recommends. You have a lot to lose, so you get to eat, what may seem like a lot, to start off. MFP will lower your calories as you lose weight. Make sure you get a digital scale so that your logging is accurate. And congratulations on taking the first step in getting healthy, good luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • hastingsmassage
    hastingsmassage Posts: 162 Member
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    Listen to MFP ...You can't go straight to 1200. You start eating slightly less at the start, It's a long process, good luck, you can do it!!!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    The only thing this thread needs is someone telling her to "lift heavy and do HIIT workouts".
  • shearnerve
    shearnerve Posts: 36 Member
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    Go get a check up & ask the doctor what he/she thinks.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    What you really need right now is to make realistic lifestyle changes and build on success. At your weight, you don't really have to be precise about determine the amount of calories. It is more important that you measure and count what you are taking in.

    In your case, the daily calorie choice should be based on maintaining adequate nutrition and containing enough food that you are more likely to stick to it. People don't realize that MFP is more of a series of databases and calculators than anything else. It does not take into account different individual conditions. In your case, the daily calorie recommendation from MFP does not have any real authority.

    You will likely do well at 2000-2400 calories per day. That is plenty of food, will lead to weight loss that is steady, and will not require radical changes down the road. Again, in your case, amount is not as important as your consistency. You will not go into "starvation mode" and you can ignore the "metabolism alarmists". This is going to be a long process and your body will undergo a number of changes if you are successful. It will likely be necessary to adjust your program several times along the way--and no one can predict exactly what will be necessary, so I would worry about it.

    If you have the resources, I would highly recommend that you seek professional advice from a registered/licensed Dietitian. There may be some other physical/health concerns involved with this and an RD is best equipped to address them.

    Congratulations for taking the first steps. I wish you all the best in your journey.
  • chickidee87
    chickidee87 Posts: 63 Member
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    Thanks for the responses everyone! I'll be seeing a nutritionist on Monday that's at my gym, so they'll tell me the definitive answer. Right now though, going to try to aim for 2500-3000 a day, just had to get some good healthy foods that will add up to that!
  • youdontknowwhatyousaw
    youdontknowwhatyousaw Posts: 221 Member
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    A really simplified formula for calories, when you have a lot of weight to lose, is your weight multiplied by 7 to get your daily calories. Most (not all) lightly active women need between 10 and 12 calories per pound of body weight to maintain weight. So 7 calories per pound will give you a nice steady weight loss without restricting yourself to much.

    This worked really well for me, and every 10 lbs lost I would lower my daily calorie intake by 70 calories, unless I was still seeing big losses with my current calorie intake. Cutting out 70 calories every couple of weeks is much easier to do and keep doing then immediately restricting.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
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    Thanks for the responses everyone! I'll be seeing a nutritionist on Monday that's at my gym, so they'll tell me the definitive answer. Right now though, going to try to aim for 2500-3000 a day, just had to get some good healthy foods that will add up to that!

    Good luck, sweetheart. Just remember to stay focused and recognize that you are WORTH IT. As anyone who embarks on a journey with goals, they are faced with challenges, surprises and roadblocks that either stalls them or throws their focus off. Stay focused. Don't get discouraged or diverted off the path. You can do it.
  • lcfairbairn74
    lcfairbairn74 Posts: 412 Member
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    I would eat the calorie amount that MFP gives you. When I started I had about 200 pounds to lose and I had about 2000 calories a day, to lose 2 pounds a week. Your body needs more calories when you're heavier, and if you drastically cut them, you'll probably have problems sticking to the plan.

    Best of luck!
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    MFP told me something crazy, like 3000 cals/day.

    I used to do metabolic testing in a hospital, and it's very common for someone your size to have a BMR of 2500 to 3000. If you're even slightly active, you certainly could eat 3000 calories and lose weight.

    As your weight decreases, your BMR will decrease and you'll need to scale back on calories. You don't want to restrict yourself too severely as this just leads to binging, feeling crappy about yourself for binging, and quitting. Try 3000 calories for a couple of weeks and see what kind of results you get before you go slashing your calories.
  • PinkyFett
    PinkyFett Posts: 842 Member
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    Honestly, I would ask my doctor or someone who's educated in stuff like this. I would think too much of a drastic change could somehow startle your body. Wouldn't want to see you end up sick or something from it. 1900 sounds like a good start though. I'm not sure I'd listen to MFP's 3000!! Just make sure to do your best to make those 1900 healthy calories. :)
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    Thanks everyone! MFP has me set at 3400 cals / day, will give it a try for awhile and see how things go.

    :flowerforyou:

    I am sending you a friend request as I want to be a part of your journey. I am excited to see what you are going to achieve.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    What you really need right now is to make realistic lifestyle changes and build on success. At your weight, you don't really have to be precise about determine the amount of calories. It is more important that you measure and count what you are taking in.

    In your case, the daily calorie choice should be based on maintaining adequate nutrition and containing enough food that you are more likely to stick to it. People don't realize that MFP is more of a series of databases and calculators than anything else. It does not take into account different individual conditions. In your case, the daily calorie recommendation from MFP does not have any real authority.

    You will likely do well at 2000-2400 calories per day. That is plenty of food, will lead to weight loss that is steady, and will not require radical changes down the road. Again, in your case, amount is not as important as your consistency. You will not go into "starvation mode" and you can ignore the "metabolism alarmists". This is going to be a long process and your body will undergo a number of changes if you are successful. It will likely be necessary to adjust your program several times along the way--and no one can predict exactly what will be necessary, so I would worry about it.

    If you have the resources, I would highly recommend that you seek professional advice from a registered/licensed Dietitian. There may be some other physical/health concerns involved with this and an RD is best equipped to address them.

    Congratulations for taking the first steps. I wish you all the best in your journey.

    Great post. I'd agree 2000-2400 calories per day is almost certainly plenty. To me the question isn't "can you lose weight at 3000 calories/day" but rather what's the minimum healthy caloric that you can sustain for the long haul. Just my $0.02, but 2lbs/week is not aggressive enough when you weigh 500+ lbs. If you aren't going hungry on 2000 calories/day, you will lose weight faster than at 3000 calories/day - rough math would indicate approximately 2lbs/week faster. I'd personally find the faster weight loss more motivating than just getting to eat more food every day, but you need to find the right balance for you. The most important thing is to stick with it long term, so if you find 2000 is too few, by all means go a bit higher.
  • SapiensPisces
    SapiensPisces Posts: 992 Member
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    What you really need right now is to make realistic lifestyle changes and build on success. At your weight, you don't really have to be precise about determine the amount of calories. It is more important that you measure and count what you are taking in.

    In your case, the daily calorie choice should be based on maintaining adequate nutrition and containing enough food that you are more likely to stick to it. People don't realize that MFP is more of a series of databases and calculators than anything else. It does not take into account different individual conditions. In your case, the daily calorie recommendation from MFP does not have any real authority.

    You will likely do well at 2000-2400 calories per day. That is plenty of food, will lead to weight loss that is steady, and will not require radical changes down the road. Again, in your case, amount is not as important as your consistency. You will not go into "starvation mode" and you can ignore the "metabolism alarmists". This is going to be a long process and your body will undergo a number of changes if you are successful. It will likely be necessary to adjust your program several times along the way--and no one can predict exactly what will be necessary, so I would worry about it.

    If you have the resources, I would highly recommend that you seek professional advice from a registered/licensed Dietitian. There may be some other physical/health concerns involved with this and an RD is best equipped to address them.

    Congratulations for taking the first steps. I wish you all the best in your journey.

    ^ This is superb advice.

    OP, congrats on taking your first steps to a healthier life! It's never easy, but it's totally worth it! Best to you!
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
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    What you really need right now is to make realistic lifestyle changes and build on success. At your weight, you don't really have to be precise about determine the amount of calories. It is more important that you measure and count what you are taking in.

    In your case, the daily calorie choice should be based on maintaining adequate nutrition and containing enough food that you are more likely to stick to it. People don't realize that MFP is more of a series of databases and calculators than anything else. It does not take into account different individual conditions. In your case, the daily calorie recommendation from MFP does not have any real authority.

    You will likely do well at 2000-2400 calories per day. That is plenty of food, will lead to weight loss that is steady, and will not require radical changes down the road. Again, in your case, amount is not as important as your consistency. You will not go into "starvation mode" and you can ignore the "metabolism alarmists". This is going to be a long process and your body will undergo a number of changes if you are successful. It will likely be necessary to adjust your program several times along the way--and no one can predict exactly what will be necessary, so I would worry about it.

    If you have the resources, I would highly recommend that you seek professional advice from a registered/licensed Dietitian. There may be some other physical/health concerns involved with this and an RD is best equipped to address them.

    Congratulations for taking the first steps. I wish you all the best in your journey.


    I think this is, hands down, the best advice I have ever seen posted in the MFP forums.
  • DannyProsser
    DannyProsser Posts: 3 Member
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    1200 calories is insanely low for your size. Work out your BMR and reduce it by 1000 that will give you results.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    1200 calories is insanely low for your size. Work out your BMR and reduce it by 1000 that will give you results.
    You are mistaken in this advice.:smile: You don't reduce calories from your BMR, your reduce from your TDEE. You can find one of the calculators here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • JohnDowding
    JohnDowding Posts: 46 Member
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    Also, talk to your doctor.
  • violetgb
    violetgb Posts: 1 Member
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    I started at 323 and have been keeping my calories between 1800 and 2200 and have been losing weight quite well. I think you should go with at least 2000, but it would probably be best to try the amount MFP told you for a month and see where that puts you. There's no point in making yourself miserable with a super low calorie count when you can probably lose weight quite well without going so low.

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