Not enough Calories??

paxtonphat

I am new I just started MFP on Friday. MFP says that i need almost 3300 calories to maintain my current weight of 370. I want to lose as much weight as I can because i am getting married in September.I used to drink alot of soda which now that I am counting calories used to be like 1200 calorie intake a day just for the pop. I have started exercising using Wii Fit Plus and I burn around 400 calories a day yesterday was almost 600.I have always been over weight but I have been gaining weight steadily,70 lbs in the last two years since becoming a SAHD. My question is this: By cutting my net calories down to 1500 a day am I going to lose the weight or do you think by doing that it will shock my system to much?

erickirb

that will be too much of a shock, and it is not recommended to have caloric deficits that large. Use MFP as it is intended and set your goal at 2lbs/week, this will give you 2300 calories to eat. The more weight you lose the more this number will go down. Good luck and remember slow and steady wins the race.

Zigra60

Hello I had the same problem when I first started about 4 weeks ago I was gaining or only losing a .2 or .4 lbs. So I decreased my calories and I think it is working better but I only decreased by 400 cal a day so take it down slow and see how it works I think it is always best to adjust to your own personal needs. just make sure to get all your nutrients in. Good Luck

kappyblu

Set your settings to lose 1, 1 1/2, or 2 pounds a week. I started out heavier than your current weight. When I first started, my settings were to lose 1 1/2 pounds per week and I had about 2500 calories I could have. Now I've lost 43 pounds and to lose 2 pounds per week I have 2120 NET calories per day. Eat your exercise calories most definitely. Think about it this way: if you went hiking and carried around a backpack that weighed 100 pounds, you would need more energy to carry that around, right? So, the heavier you are, the more calories your body needs. If you cut your calories down to 1500 a day, your body will not like it. The more weight you lose, the lower the net calories will go. Trust MFP. The formula is accurate and it works if you follow it. Good luck!

Btw, great job cutting out the soda and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!!

1horsetown

A couple of questions: Are you planning on a healthier way of life for good? Or just hoping to wear a smaller size by your wedding?

Quite frankly, the way you're going, you won't be here to see your kid graduate. I vote for your making this a lifetime commitment, your family needs you.

What did you put in as your goal weight? What ever # it gave you would be where you need to be. I'd make a point of eating at least half of my exercise calories, too.

Every person's body has it's own preferences. 1500 might be too low for you right now. You might try the 2300 and see how your body takes to it. There's a point where the body stockpiles instead of shedding. You have to find yours.

This stuff is scientifically proven and it works if you use it like it's meant to be used.

Good luck.

IsMollyReallyHungry

I am new I just started MFP on Friday. MFP says that i need almost 3300 calories to maintain my current weight of 370. I want to lose as much weight as I can because i am getting married in September.I used to drink alot of soda which now that I am counting calories used to be like 1200 calorie intake a day just for the pop. I have started exercising using Wii Fit Plus and I burn around 400 calories a day yesterday was almost 600.I have always been over weight but I have been gaining weight steadily,70 lbs in the last two years since becoming a SAHD. My question is this: By cutting my net calories down to 1500 a day am I going to lose the weight or do you think by doing that it will shock my system to much?

At your size this will not shock your system at all. Stick to lean meats, not fried. Veggies and fruits and you will be fine at 1500 to 1800 calories. If you put in MFP you want to lose 2 pounds a week it will give you a recommended calorie intake for the day.

Again, I recommend not listening to all the stuff on this site about eating your exercise calories in the beginning. Until you hit a plautuea or stall. At your size you don't have to worry about starvation mode for a while. When you get under 230 and you want to worry about starving or eating back calories then do so. but until you are really stalling for weeks or something and exercising good you have a while to go before concerning yourself with eating calories back and starvation mode. You will see a lot of stuff on this on this site and much of it is crap for a person morbibly obese. Ask your doctor or a good experiened dietion and they will confirm this. Hopefully someone who has worked with morbibly obese patients.

If you need or want to lose a 100 pounds by September eat about 1600 - 2000 per day and try not to eat too many of your exercise calories back and you can get very close or even reach this goal.....:-)

I agree with poster on doing it for life. Maintenance can be just as hard as losing it if not harder.

IsMollyReallyHungry

And one more thing, if you don't have a heart rate monitor many of the exercise calories on MFP are general and inflated a lot or under estimated so you are not getting a true picture. Even a HRM is not perfect but it would be better than the estimates on MFP for sure. They have to use estimates or a general number because they can never indvidualize like a HRM can.