Morbidly obese...

Lesa_Sass

As everyone has stated, you need that many calories to sustain life and be healthy. You also want to be able to step down gradually, if you start out at 1200, you have no where to go from there.

Do not worry, you will not be eating that many for very long. As your weigh goes down, so will the number of calories you need to eat each day.

You will probably lose the first 45 to 50 lbs pretty fast, then things will slow down.

This is not a race, plus, the surgery to cut excess skin off the body when a morbidly obese person looses weight to fast is painful and expensive.

Enjoy it for now, it is not going to last long.

KHalseth

The site recommended 1200 for me. But I am a woman who is 4 foot 11. That is not so unreasonable. The nutritionist actually recommended 1400 so I figure I'm okay if I'm anywhere between 1200 to 1400. The nutritionist also figured out that for me to maintain my weight inside the ideal range, I will need to maintain at around 1450. This was pretty much the same as I found out with any of the online calculators. If you want a really good base number, pick the mid-range of your ideal weight and find out the basic amount of calories to maintain that weight. If you change your eating to that number, when you hit your ideal weight you are already trained to eat to maintain and maintenance should be easier.

parkscs

Wow I really have to say I disagree with a lot of the advice in this thread. I'm not saying 1200 is the magic number but you do not need to be eating 3000 calories for weight unless unless there is simply no way you can satiate your appetite with less (and I'd suggest that's not the case). The notion that you can't go below your BMR is preposterous, especially for someone at 455 pounds, as your body can easily pull the calories it needs from your fat stores. The notion that BMR is some magical line that, if crossed, results in your body shutting down is a myth. Your body doesn't recognize any caloric threshold that corresponds to your BMR. While there is a threshold amount of calories your body can pull from your fat stores, it's no where close to your BMR at 455 pounds.

Also, while someone suggested that if you eat 1200 calories then you can't go any lower when you plateau... I don't think that person understands how the body works. Plateaus are not inevitable, particularly when eating that aggressive of a caloric deficit. While you will see some metabolic slowdown when cutting weight, it's not so drastic that your body will adapt to only needing 1200 calories/day at a weight of hundreds of pounds.

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.

That's absolutely wrong. Yes, it WILL result in rapid weight loss. Is it sustainable? That's up to the individual. But will you lose more weight in the same amount of time on 1200 calories than 3000 calories? You definitely will. To suggest otherwise is preposterous.

So, my advice? Try to find a happy middle ground between 1200 (which is quite low and difficult to maintain without a very rigid diet) and 3000 (which is not nearly aggressive enough for someone 400+ lbs, in my opinion). That number might be 2500 calories if that's what it takes for you to feel satiated and happy with your diet, or it might be 1700 calories if you find you can feel satiated at this amount (tip: look to protein for help with this) and you enjoy seeing the weight come off quickly. Honestly there is no "right answer" and you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your diet. I'd encourage you to experiment and if you find 1700 calories is too few, don't give up - just adjust your routine and continue on.

Marcolter

I would log in what my 'normal' daily intake of calories would be without MFP program diet. Then you can compare what was your normal day eating like and see how many calories are being cut percentage wise. Maybe you were eating 8,000 calories a day.
Also remember start moving. Diet alone cannot work. Your body needs exercise but start low key. Just walking further by not getting the closest parking space or walk to a mailbox.

rml_16

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.

The heavier you are, the more you can eat and still lose.

I cna' timagine if you're eating enough to weigh 455 pounds that you will be able to stick to 1,200 right off the bat. That's a HUGE decrease. You'll give up pretty quickly if you try that.

CyberEd312

I never ate under 2500 calories a day and the majority of my weight loss was done eating over 3000 calories a day... I never was a believer in the running larger deficits because you are over weight and can withstand it.. Set yourself up with a modest deficit to lose a couple pounds a week and get moving.... Best of Luck

LifeJacketWaterJogger

that for healthy weight loss, that way you loose slow and you have time to build muscle and it gives your body time to adjust..it takes calories for us to breath

broox80

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! When I was on 1200, I lost a few pounds right away then stalled. It was hard for me to be full on that number so my binging got out of control. Thus putting my weight loss goals even further away. Now I NET about 1400-1600, sometimes more. Today I will probably net around 1900. I eat ANYTHING I want as long as I log and it fits within my calorie budget and I try to hit my protein and fiber macros too. Today is a spike day so my diary looks way out of whack, but thats kinda the 90/10 way of thinking!!! Today is my 10% bad kind of day I dont feel guilty when I eat "bad" foods. I dont fear food anymore. I exercise (intentional, not mopping the floor and saying I exercised) 30-40 minutes a day, and try to get in my water!!! That is all I have changed. The number one key in my opinion is PATIENCE!!!!!!! Its going to take some time, but who cares?!! If you are losing, you are immediately getting healthier and the rest will follow!!!

Lesa_Sass

Wow I really have to say I disagree with a lot of the advice in this thread. I'm not saying 1200 is the magic number but you do not need to be eating 3000 calories for weight unless unless there is simply no way you can satiate your appetite with less (and I'd suggest that's not the case). The notion that you can't go below your BMR is preposterous, especially for someone at 455 pounds, as your body can easily pull the calories it needs from your fat stores. The notion that BMR is some magical line that, if crossed, results in your body shutting down is a myth. Your body doesn't recognize any caloric threshold that corresponds to your BMR. While there is a threshold amount of calories your body can pull from your fat stores, it's no where close to your BMR at 455 pounds.

Also, while someone suggested that if you eat 1200 calories then you can't go any lower when you plateau... I don't think that person understands how the body works. Plateaus are not inevitable, particularly when eating that aggressive of a caloric deficit. While you will see some metabolic slowdown when cutting weight, it's not so drastic that your body will adapt to only needing 1200 calories/day at a weight of hundreds of pounds.

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.

That's absolutely wrong. Yes, it WILL result in rapid weight loss. Is it sustainable? That's up to the individual. But will you lose more weight in the same amount of time on 1200 calories than 3000 calories? You definitely will. To suggest otherwise is preposterous.

So, my advice? Try to find a happy middle ground between 1200 (which is quite low and difficult to maintain without a very rigid diet) and 3000 (which is not nearly aggressive enough for someone 400+ lbs, in my opinion). That number might be 2500 calories if that's what it takes for you to feel satiated and happy with your diet, or it might be 1700 calories if you find you can feel satiated at this amount (tip: look to protein for help with this) and you enjoy seeing the weight come off quickly. Honestly there is no "right answer" and you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to your diet. I'd encourage you to experiment and if you find 1700 calories is too few, don't give up - just adjust your routine and continue on.

Please ignore this advice, it is terrible. 1700 per day will come sooner than you think. I do not think people fully understand the importance of being able to live life and enjoy it while losing weight.

I repeat, you do not want to lose so fast that you will have pounds and pounds of excess skin to cut off of your body. It does happen when someone that is morbidly obese loses weight to fast.

YOU WILL LOSE AT 3000 PER DAY!

AllonsYtotheTardis

Because 1200 would be absurdly low for you, OP. I weight considerably less, and I still wouldn't eat as low as 1200, unless I was sick.

Kenazwa

I think you will get the most benefit by starting with the recommendation and gradually cutting that down.

1princesswarrior

I agree with the majority of what folks have already posted. If you significantly cut to 1200 a day you also risk losing a high amount of lean body mass along with a high amount of fat and that does affect your metabolism. You want to try and maintain as much lean body mass as possible, that's done by exercise and eating the right foods. But if you are not at the point where you can exercise a lot just walk or find a place where you can do water aerobics or water walk for now. Those exercise bands will also get you started to resistance training. And a lot of protein in your nutrition plan (I don't diet).

There are some very educated people on this site who can and will help you a lot. And some really informative information in the guide to sexy pants and in the welcome section. Good luck. Feel free to message me, I will always answer questions and not judge as I was new once too.

parkscs

Please ignore this advice, it is terrible. 1700 per day will come sooner than you think. I do not think people fully understand the importance of being able to live life and enjoy it while losing weight.

I repeat, you do not want to lose so fast that you will have pounds and pounds of excess skin to cut off of your body. It does happen when someone that is morbidly obese loses weight to fast.

YOU WILL LOSE AT 3000 PER DAY!

That you can lose at 3000 calories per day doesn't mean it's the right caloric intake. In theory I can lose weight by eating 1 calorie less than my TDEE - that's probably not a great plan for weight loss though. As for excess skin, people lose weight slowly and end up with excess skin all the time, even when they lift and do everything right. That's just an unpleasant reality of losing a lot of weight, particularly if your body carried that weight around for a long time. It's disingenuous to suggest it only happens to people who don't lose 2 lbs/week starting off at 400+ lbs, and it's premature to start talking about someone's excess skin and the unpleasant side of weight loss before someone's even gotten started.

Anyways, I never suggested the OP be miserable, but rather to be as aggressive as possible while NOT being miserable with weight loss. There are many health reasons why the OP should look to lose weight at a more aggressive rate, and while the focus should be on the long-term and a sustainable weight loss plan, it does not have to be as timid as 3000 calories/day. If 3000 calories is what it takes for the OP to sustain a diet, then fine, but otherwise the OP should aim to be more aggressive in terms of weight loss for health reasons alone. Just like 2 lbs/week is too fast for someone that's only 10 pounds over weight, I'd argue that 2 lbs/week is too slow for someone that's 400+ pounds.

Edit: Typo. Day, week, same thing right?

ZombieEarhart

You could lose fast on 1200 calories, but a lot of what you lost would be lean muscle. Take it slow, learn to eat at 3200 calories and you'll be setting yourself up for long-term success and a loss of fat, not muscle or bone mass.

ZombieEarhart

Please ignore this advice, it is terrible. 1700 per day will come sooner than you think. I do not think people fully understand the importance of being able to live life and enjoy it while losing weight.

I repeat, you do not want to lose so fast that you will have pounds and pounds of excess skin to cut off of your body. It does happen when someone that is morbidly obese loses weight to fast.

YOU WILL LOSE AT 3000 PER DAY!

That you can lose at 3000 calories per day doesn't mean it's the right caloric intake. In theory I can lose weight by eating 1 calorie less than my TDEE - that's probably not a great plan for weight loss though. As for excess skin, people lose weight slowly and end up with excess skin all the time, even when they lift and do everything right. That's just an unpleasant reality of losing a lot of weight, particularly if your body carried that weight around for a long time. It's disingenuous to suggest it only happens to people who don't lose 2 lbs/week starting off at 400+ lbs, and it's premature to start talking about someone's excess skin and the unpleasant side of weight loss before someone's even gotten started.

Anyways, I never suggested the OP be miserable, but rather to be as aggressive as possible while NOT being miserable with weight loss. There are many health reasons why the OP should look to lose weight at a more aggressive rate, and while the focus should be on the long-term and a sustainable weight loss plan, it does not have to be as timid as 3000 calories/day. If 3000 calories is what it takes for the OP to sustain a diet, then fine, but otherwise the OP should aim to be more aggressive in terms of weight loss for health reasons alone. Just like 2 lbs/day is too fast for someone that's only 10 pounds over weight, I'd argue that 2 lbs/day is too slow for someone that's 400+ pounds.

Are you seriously suggesting that OP should aim to lose 2 pounds a day? I hope that's some kind of crazy typo. But a 450 pound person can lose 2 pounds a week on 3000 calories, which could add up to over 100 pounds in a year, so either way I think you're offering bad advice.

kassidylynSanborn

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.

You want to be comfortable with the amount of food you are eating. You don't want to be starving yourself at the end of the day. Unless your planning on eating 1200 Calories forever I would stick with a higher amount. If your not losing weight fast enough try cutting 250 calories out every couple of weeks until you see results you want.

parkscs

You could lose fast on 1200 calories, but a lot of what you lost would be lean muscle. Take it slow, learn to eat at 3200 calories and you'll be setting yourself up for long-term success and a loss of fat, not muscle or bone mass.

You only see a drastic loss of lean muscle mass when you are eating such an aggressive caloric deficit that your body cannot pull enough energy from your fat stores to make up the difference, with other factors including your protein intake and whether you're doing resistance training. But, at 455 pounds, that threshold is not eating 1200 calories unless the OP is also doing hours of exercise each day. I'm not saying 1200 calories is the right number, but only your advice is not entirely accurate.

_Resolve_

Congrats on starting! and as crazy at it sounds eat the calories it suggests and like others have said if after a few weeks you see no results then slowly decrease. You will find the intake that your body likes to lose.

Good luck!

kassidylynSanborn

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! When I was on 1200, I lost a few pounds right away then stalled. It was hard for me to be full on that number so my binging got out of control. Thus putting my weight loss goals even further away. Now I NET about 1400-1600, sometimes more. Today I will probably net around 1900. I eat ANYTHING I want as long as I log and it fits within my calorie budget and I try to hit my protein and fiber macros too. Today is a spike day so my diary looks way out of whack, but thats kinda the 90/10 way of thinking!!! Today is my 10% bad kind of day I dont feel guilty when I eat "bad" foods. I dont fear food anymore. I exercise (intentional, not mopping the floor and saying I exercised) 30-40 minutes a day, and try to get in my water!!! That is all I have changed. The number one key in my opinion is PATIENCE!!!!!!! Its going to take some time, but who cares?!! If you are losing, you are immediately getting healthier and the rest will follow!!!

This is totally what I was trying to say good luck to you! We all believe in you!

Lesa_Sass

You could lose fast on 1200 calories, but a lot of what you lost would be lean muscle. Take it slow, learn to eat at 3200 calories and you'll be setting yourself up for long-term success and a loss of fat, not muscle or bone mass.

You only see a drastic loss of lean muscle mass when you are eating such an aggressive caloric deficit that your body cannot pull enough energy from your fat stores to make up the difference, with other factors including your protein intake and whether you're doing resistance training. But, at 455 pounds, that threshold is not eating 1200 calories unless the OP is also doing hours of exercise each day. I'm not saying 1200 calories is the right number, but only your advice is not entirely accurate.

Can you please tell us where you have received your education and what your experience is that you feel that you can give this advice and say that the rest of us are wrong and "not entirely accurate"? I am very interested in knowing where you gained all your knowledge.