Help Please

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LinDiSm26262
LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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My son is about 470 pounds and has been ill for a long time. He wants to lose weight so I am trying to help him figure the amount of daily calories he needs. He is going to try to begin walking 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes. He is 6' 2". Would someone please figure the amount of daily calories he needs. Thank you.
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  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    How old is he?
  • AlysonG2
    AlysonG2 Posts: 713 Member
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    Is it possible for him to make a profile here so that he's able to log what he's eating and drinking? I know I personally wouldn't be able to do this without logging daily. Is he not open to that yet?
  • BreederUK
    BreederUK Posts: 60 Member
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    Firstly what illness did he recover from? This may affect the answer to your question.

    There is no correct answer to the question. Personally I would aim for 2000 cals but I'd only set a realistic goal that he's going to be able to adhere to.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    If he's under 18, his body is still growing and changing. Sparkteens.com is designed specifically for this situation. I assumed that's why you were asking instead of him setting up an account here. Nice that you are concerned and supportive, and nice that he is taking an interest to make changes. Best of luck to him.
  • amagus
    amagus Posts: 71 Member
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    If he has been under a doctor's care, ask the doctor those questions. Also, before beginning any exercise plan, even a very moderate one, a doctor should be consulted.

    He is more likely to have success, if he is the one getting the information, but I think it is great that you are helping him get started.
  • LinDiSm26262
    LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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    He is 34 years old.
  • LinDiSm26262
    LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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    Yes he will make a profile.
  • LinDiSm26262
    LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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    He is severe bipolar, suicidal on most days, has been under psychiatric care off and on since he was 8 years old and continually got worse until he had a breakdown six years ago. He takes over 1,000 mg of medication a day which helps him sleep most of the time but has contributed to the weight he's gained. His psychiatrist thinks if he lost some weight it may help him cope better with everything and then the medication could be lowered. He has other medical issues that are private. I want to do everything I can to help him and he wants to try to lose weight too. He is 34, was a muscular weight of 210 at one time and is 6' 2".
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    Best wishes for your son. Bless you for taking care of him so :flowerforyou:

    Edited to remove most of my post and to add: Did you ask his doctor for help regarding setting up a weight loss plan? Perhaps a referral to a registered dietician would be appropriate too. Given his medical conditions it would be best to make sure his medical team is involved as much as possible.
  • jl_miller11
    jl_miller11 Posts: 4 Member
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    Definitely talk to his doctors to establish a plan. MFP helps establish a plan and keeps him accountable. I recently purchased a fitbit flex and love this thing. It tracks my activity, sleep, and connects with MFP. It also adjusts my caloric intake based on my activity through the linking of the two. Good luck!
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Best wishes for your son. Bless you for taking care of him so :flowerforyou:

    Edited to remove most of my post and to add: Did you ask his doctor for help regarding setting up a weight loss plan? Perhaps a referral to a registered dietician would be appropriate too. Given his medical conditions it would be best to make sure his medical team is involved as much as possible.
    I concur with this. Fantastic that you are looking into this for him. Good luck
  • aimrio
    aimrio Posts: 1
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    x
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    You are a wonderful advocate for your son. Because he has some medical issues & is on medications, it would be better if you work with his medical/mental health team to do this.

    Best of luck to him and to you. :flowerforyou:

    ETA: I think walking would be a great first step. Exercise has many benefits.
  • LinDiSm26262
    LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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    Thanks for the information I will check with his doctors to see what they suggest.
  • kirili3
    kirili3 Posts: 244 Member
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    This might serve as an inspiration!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1202069-how-i-lost-360lbs-in-15-months-with-photos

    Best of luck for you and him.

    Getting him on board with logging food, regardless of calories, could be a good step. Getting into that habit helps because you start to see the nutritional values of food.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    why not have him start out by keeping a food diary - even on paper - to see how many calories per day he eats regularly? once he has that info, he can cut back a little at a time, which is important since he's on medication and also if he has blood sugar issues, any changes should be very gradual.. he should definitely keep his doctor in the loop in case meds need to be adjusted, and a dietician could be of help, as already suggested.

    best of luck to him!
  • LinDiSm26262
    LinDiSm26262 Posts: 234 Member
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    Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your input.
  • kp1439
    kp1439 Posts: 343 Member
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    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/


    might help ... also might wanna talk to his doc and see if he/she can show him the right direction ...
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    My son is about 470 pounds and has been ill for a long time. He wants to lose weight so I am trying to help him figure the amount of daily calories he needs. He is going to try to begin walking 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes. He is 6' 2". Would someone please figure the amount of daily calories he needs. Thank you.

    Get best estimates of everything, and track progress, and get recommendation based on what he can really do and amount to lose.

    Spreadsheet on my profile page. Get BF% estimate, BMR based on that, TDEE based on actual exercise type and time and other daily activity.

    Stay on the Simple Setup and Progress tabs only.

    3 that I know of in the mid-300 range started higher and still losing through this range.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8SbXgQqbOoU

    This video inspired me to run. And to keep going. It's awesome!

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