Morbidly obese...

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shg200
shg200 Posts: 2
in Getting Started
455 lbs.... Suggested calorie intake is 3250 for each day....

Why isn't it recommended that calories get cut to 1200 a day, this should get rid of the weight a lot quicker. Just curious why the recommended calories were that high

Just starting out, so any advice is appreciated.
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  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Because it's not necessary. Sure, 1200 will cause you to lose weight faster, but most people can't sustain that low of a caloric intake for any length of time. It's not about how fast you can take the weight off, it's about whether you can stay with it.
  • Napier_mum
    Napier_mum Posts: 88 Member
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    I am by no means even close to an armchair expert. BUT, my understanding is that the bigger you are the more calories your body needs just to function.

    I would start out by just making sure that you log everything you eat and drink honestly for the first few weeks (I honestly think I ate on auto pilot a lot) while trying to stay within those calories.

    1200 is pretty low!
  • Strongandhealthy1234
    Strongandhealthy1234 Posts: 52
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    The goal is not quicker. The goal is lose as slow as you can so that you can maintain in for the rest of your life. Also you will have less loose skin when you slow down. This is not a sprint it's a life change. You'll look back and think to yourself I'm glad I lost slowly.
  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
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    Give it a try. If you lose weight on those calories then that's great. If not drop it down to a lower one.
  • littlelexical
    littlelexical Posts: 146 Member
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    To do it healthily, you need a bascic amount of calories, comprising of a good variety of all macro/micro nutrients needed to keep your body functioning correctly. I am guessing that 1200 is WELL below your RMR requirements (the calories your body would use if you did nothing -at all - veritably commatose) So when you think about it - cutting your calories below what your body needs, just to function,probably isnt doing it any favours, right? You want to lose weight AND be healthy.

    *edited as i can't spell, apparently.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    You probably don't want to be too restrictive if you want to last. If you want your weight loss to be sustainable long-term you need to make permanent lifestyle changes, and not use drastic, temporary methods. As you lose weight, MFP will recalculate your calories down periodically. The loss should be fairly quick at first, but then it will slow down as your body adjusts. Just remember that if you take it slow and be patient it WILL happen. :flowerforyou:
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
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    Because most people who have eaten 3000+ calories a day for years and gained weight won't last from such a drastic cut all of a sudden. They'll end up binge eating either the next day, the end of the week, or a month down the road. Then they'll hate themselves and try again only to repeat the same mistakes.
  • darkrose20
    darkrose20 Posts: 1,139 Member
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    I'm just chiming in here to echo what these folks are saying. You *could* cut to 1200, but you'd be starving. Maybe not in the literal sense of the word, but going insane with hunger pangs and physically exhausted kind of starving...I'd listen to these folks. Try what MFP suggests, and if you notice in, say, a month, no loss, go a bit lower.

    You will most likely sabotage yourself by going that drastically low. I tried 1200. I wound up being below 1200 several days a week, and I was too lethargic to do much more than sleep and work (on loads of caffeine).

    Hope this helps...and best of luck to ya!

    (Edited for typos)
  • lucylousmummy
    lucylousmummy Posts: 348 Member
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    what everybody else has just said, plus if you lose it fast, your going to be left with some seriously saggy skin, if you lose it at a slower rate (ie not biggest loser style), you've got more chance of it shrinking with you
    good luck
  • DownsizingAaron
    DownsizingAaron Posts: 127 Member
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    Start with that and see how things go - if you are still feeling well and have enough energy, you can always cut a couple hundred calories per day each week and see how it goes. If you decrease your calorie intake 500/day, you'd lose another pound per week - but I wouldn't go any lower than that till you try it for a few weeks and see how things go. You are trying to build a lifestyle change that you will keep long term, so easing into it can make it easier to maintain.
  • willdb76
    willdb76 Posts: 41
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    Agree that 1200 cals might lead to binge eating but of course, if you really could stick to 1200, the weight would drop off (like someone with a gastric bypass). Here's an idea, why not reduce the cals incrementally each week so you get used to eating less gradually?
  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
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    If you drop weight too fast, gallstones can result.

    And there is no need to go that low now.

    After every 10lbs you lose, recalculate cals and you'll see that the thinner you get, the less cals you'll get.

    Right now, just focus on learning how to weigh, measure and log food.
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
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    Why would you want to lose weight quickly? Just think, it didn't take a night, a day, or even a few months to gain the weight so it won't come off quickly either. Sure you would lose a lot of weight restricting your calories, but like others have mentioned it wouldn't be sustainable in the long run.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    Why would you want to lose weight quickly? Just think, it didn't take a night, a day, or even a few months to gain the weight so it won't come off quickly either. Sure you would lose a lot of weight restricting your calories, but like others have mentioned it wouldn't be sustainable in the long run.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ^
    This. Good luck to ya! You've come to the right place to get started. :flowerforyou:
  • tedrickp
    tedrickp Posts: 1,229 Member
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    455 lbs.... Suggested calorie intake is 3250 for each day....

    Why isn't it recommended that calories get cut to 1200 a day, this should get rid of the weight a lot quicker. Just curious why the recommended calories were that high

    Just starting out, so any advice is appreciated.

    I started at 500+....and am now 327ish....I am currently eating 3200 calories per day.

    Here is the thing, let's say you cut to 1200 today. What do you do when you hit a plateau? Go even further under that? Also, 1200cals wouldn't leave you enough energy to exercise iMO.

    At 455 though, you can sustain a larger deficit than average people if you want to get a lot off earlier. Just remember weight loss is a progression.
  • aarar
    aarar Posts: 684 Member
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    Because most people who have eaten 3000+ calories a day for years and gained weight won't last from such a drastic cut all of a sudden. They'll end up binge eating either the next day, the end of the week, or a month down the road. Then they'll hate themselves and try again only to repeat the same mistakes.

    So much of this ^^

    (for the record in my case it wasn't a day/week or month, it was always 4 months that I could last on very low calories).
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
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    I may come off as being contradictory here because I normally restrict my calories a lot but calorie restriction is not fun. It has worked for me sure, but it's not easy or sustainable for long periods of time. I find that I can manage a couple of weeks on restriction with plenty of energy and feeling good but I always have to end up taking a day where I overeat, not binge... but just eat whatever I want which ultimately makes me feel guilty when I see the number of calories I ended up with, which ultimately makes me restrict even further the next day and on, and on, and on. I am torn because as I said, it works for me and there are things I like about it. Then again, it's no way to live and I'm struggling with an unhealthy and obsessive relationship to food as a result. Don't go down that path. Do it the right way with the recommended caloric intake and healthy foods, eliminating the crap from your diet e.g., fake sugars, snack foods with no nutritional value, etc.... If you stay on track in the beginning it will come off pretty quickly and then will slow down as you get thinner but don't worry about that now... just get yourself off to a good and healthy start and don't consume yourself with it every day. After a while healthy choices get easier, second nature and you learn the caloric and nutritional contents and values of the foods that you are eating. I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, this is just from my own personal experience. I am trying to lose another 10 lbs (people say I am crazy and should stop and maintain), and I am still restricting (except for today lol), and the 10 lbs isn't going anywhere and I know it's because I am not eating enough calories. Unfortunately I've gotten myself into the pattern of eating way less than what is recommended for healthy weight loss. Don't do that. It is hard to break away from that mind set once you are there. You might here things like "starvation mode" etc, etc... I have learned to ignore the nay-sayers (even though they are right).

    Welcome... Just do the right thing based on the information provided. The folks commenting here and the system is accurate and folks here have good advice.

    Good luck on your journey!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    I am by no means even close to an armchair expert. BUT, my understanding is that the bigger you are the more calories your body needs just to function.

    YES. This is definitely accurate. If you're over 400 lb and try to get by on 1200 cal/day it won't magically result in rapid weight loss. That would be nice and all, but it's not how it works.
  • JJHnIOWA
    JJHnIOWA Posts: 48
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    Find your healthy calorie range to eat, and eat at that calorie range.

    Try to restrict yourself all of a sudden, drop down to eating nothing, AND...

    You will fail.

    It IS a lifestyle change. Find your "healthy" calorie range and eat in the range, and eventually, you will become that healthier person.

    Starving yourself and going overboard is not sustainable.

    Consider it, eating yourself to weight loss.

    It's about the little things, eating better, knowing what and when to eat, manipulating the calories, so to speak.

    If you are at 455 lbs, you could probably eat 2500 calories a day and still shed weight like crazy.

    .02
  • RaeLB
    RaeLB Posts: 1,216 Member
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    I am by no means even close to an armchair expert. BUT, my understanding is that the bigger you are the more calories your body needs just to function.

    YES. This is definitely accurate. If you're over 400 lb and try to get by on 1200 cal/day it won't magically result in rapid weight loss. That would be nice and all, but it's not how it works.

    Agreed.

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