I can eat HOW MANY calories???
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Hi All,
I'm new to this site, once again embarking on a weightloss journey that I pray will be successful. I'm now 36 years old and I feel that if I don't do this now, I won't be here in 20 or 30 years to talk about it. I'm 333lbs and I've been over 300lbs since age 15. I can wear the same pants/shirts now that I wore back then, although recently the fat has started to concentrate more in the center (which is very uncomfortable, BTW).
Anyway, I need to do this. This website has recommended that I eat over 2100 calories a day. For me, that's a normal non-weight-loss amount of food. If I calculate a typical day, even a heavy day is no more than 2500 calories for me. I feel that 1500 calories or fewer is better for me. If I eat 2100 calories, I'll maintain weight. Well, I've maintained 330-345lbs weight consistently for 20 years. That's not helping. My goal for my 6'1" self is 200lbs. I feel that I can feel very satisfied and not hungry at 1500 calories, if I simply choose foods wisely.
Thoughts on total calorie count daily?
-Michael
Hi Michael,
First let me congratulate you on this decision, I too was over 300lbs when I started (currently at 285) and I'm also on my 30's and felt similar. Let me address something I can see from your words to start with, Michael, you don't pray it will be successful, you KNOW it will and will do anything and everything to make it happen, that's the frame of mind you need to be in. It can't be a SHOULD, it has to be a MUST.
Secondly and in regards to your question, at 333lbs your BMR is probably on the region of 2900cals a day(if not more), BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is the rate at which your body burns calories if it was on a comatose state. 2100 calories is a pretty decent deficit to loose weight, I would stick with it and you'll see that you will loose weight for sure. As you progress your BMR will change and so will your sugested intake of calories. Based on my stats and lifestyle the program currently sugests that I intake about the same as you 2070 calories is my current intake and although I'm usually a good bit under this due to very regular exercise I'm also eating more then 2070 calories gross on most days.
As you can see from my signature bar, it is working pretty well as I've lost over 56lbs so far.
Good luck on your quest.0 -
You eat 1500 calories a day and you will go into starvation mode sorry mate but you will you wont loose a thing.
Now I agree with others go see GP for safe exercise. I would recommend swimming gentle all rounder there and walking but slowly to start with and build up dont want to damage thought's joints any further.
Weigh everything and I mean everything dont cheat cos thats just cheating yourself.
who cooks you or someone else cos I would be doing the cooking just to see what you really are eating. look for alternatives that are low in fat but dont completely deprive yourself either.0 -
Try tracking your actual caloric daily intake for a while.. you might be consuming more than you think.
Agree!!!! I think 2100 sounds about rite to lose...0 -
This is what my favorite source recommends -
How much to eat -
Take your goal weight times 10. My goal weight is 160 so I average 1600 cal/day
How much you burn-
Add 9.5 to the about of hours of exercise you plan to get per week. For me this is 9.5+5 = 14.5. Multiply this number by your current weight. For me this comes out to 2595.5. So if I take 2595.5 - 1600 I have a daily deficit of almost 1000 calories.
My guess is that you are under estimating how much you eat a day. Most people do. Get a food scale and measuring cups to make sure you are adding everything up right.
I'll start measuring and counting better in terms of what I eat.
I have no time to exercise. I'm a principal of a school... I work 10 hours a day (sometimes 12-14) and my campus is 52 miles from my house, so I spend 2.5 hours a day in my car.... when I get home, I'd like to have a conversation with my wife or children now and then... I am barely even able to get 6hours of sleep. I'd rather increase my sleep discipline, because I tend to feel better and lose weight better when I'm getting 8 hours.
You really need to find a solution for this lifestyle though, your day should start with at least 30 minutes for yourself... make it a MUST!
My mother is a school principal and I know what it takes, but the school isn't going anywhere and if you're not there 10 hours tomorrow but only 9.5 nobody will die either.0 -
Hi Michael, and welcome to the wonderful world of MFP!
How have you been calculating your "normal" calorie intake? How do you think you've put on weight?
I've been overweight since the age of 6.... I reflect on what I eat/ate and what others eat/ate and I do not think I over ate that much as a child. I think it's a combination of somewhat bad (but not unusual or particularly bad) food choices + a slow metabolism. My father is over 300lbs, formerly over 460lbs. 300lbs is post-weightloss surgery, done in the 1980's... his stomach is tiny. He eats an average amount of food for an adult male... I cannot eat an average amount of food.
I realize I eat poorly many times, but people who disregard metabolic differences between individual human beings are morons. No offense to morons.
Pleae don't take this the wrong way, but unless your family has a history of actual medical problems that cause weight gain (hypothyroidism, hormone imbalances, etc), you CANNOT put down your weight as being due to a slow metabolism.
If you maintain your current weight @ over 300 lbs eating only 2500 calories, then you should see a doctor.0 -
You really need to find a solution for this lifestyle though, your day should start with at least 30 minutes for yourself... make it a MUST!
My mother is a school principal and I know what it takes, but the school isn't going anywhere and if you're not there 10 hours tomorrow but only 9.5 nobody will die either.
I definitely don't disagree there.... Last school year was my first year in this job, so I'm hoping the coming school year will be a little bit better. I'd rather be here for my wife in 20 years, you know? I hate how I feel. I hate it. I am 36 and I have severe varicose veins in both legs from having jobs where I stand up 5+ hours a day (retail, then school teacher, now principal), and I worry about that and other things I'm damaging.0 -
Pleae don't take this the wrong way, but unless your family has a history of actual medical problems that cause weight gain (hypothyroidism, hormone imbalances, etc), you CANNOT put down your weight as being due to a slow metabolism.
If you maintain your current weight @ over 300 lbs eating only 2500 calories, then you should see a doctor.
I have. He said eat 1200 calories a day. I said that's hard. He said yes, it is.0 -
Hi Michael, and welcome to the wonderful world of MFP!
How have you been calculating your "normal" calorie intake? How do you think you've put on weight?
I've been overweight since the age of 6.... I reflect on what I eat/ate and what others eat/ate and I do not think I over ate that much as a child. I think it's a combination of somewhat bad (but not unusual or particularly bad) food choices + a slow metabolism. My father is over 300lbs, formerly over 460lbs. 300lbs is post-weightloss surgery, done in the 1980's... his stomach is tiny. He eats an average amount of food for an adult male... I cannot eat an average amount of food.
I realize I eat poorly many times, but people who disregard metabolic differences between individual human beings are morons. No offense to morons.
Pleae don't take this the wrong way, but unless your family has a history of actual medical problems that cause weight gain (hypothyroidism, hormone imbalances, etc), you CANNOT put down your weight as being due to a slow metabolism.
If you maintain your current weight @ over 300 lbs eating only 2500 calories, then you should see a doctor.
Agreed. At 6'1'' and 333lbs your BMR alone is roughly 2200 - 2500. I think you are drastically underestimating what you eat.0 -
Pleae don't take this the wrong way, but unless your family has a history of actual medical problems that cause weight gain (hypothyroidism, hormone imbalances, etc), you CANNOT put down your weight as being due to a slow metabolism.
If you maintain your current weight @ over 300 lbs eating only 2500 calories, then you should see a doctor.
I have. He said eat 1200 calories a day. I said that's hard. He said yes, it is.
Listen to him then, not MFP. 110% of the time, do what your doctor says over what a website says.
All in all though, best of luck on your journey though! No matter what, it won't be easy! Just stick to it!0 -
OP-
Normally I would say that you should get your diet in check FIRST, and then worry about exercise because your diet is #1 priority right now. However, you should do roughly 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week IMO right now to get started.
You also need to think about your entire daily lifestyle for calorie burn, not just inside the gym or at work. There's a reason TDEE means Total Daily Energy Expedenture.
Let's face it. Eating 1500 cals a day is too low for your stats, I will guarantee you this. You may lose some weight, but not only will you come to a screeching halt and plateau but you'll deprive your body of the macro and micronutrients it needs.
Do this the right way, not the quick and easy way.
Monitor your intake daily for 2-3 weeks at MINIMUM. Then go with a 1000 calorie deficit. The formulas that are known for being accurate do NOT work well for morbidly obese people. You have to find other ways to get your MAINTENANCE. What I as well as others have suggested is the way to go for you. Please trust this.0 -
OP-
Normally I would say that you should get your diet in check FIRST, and then worry about exercise because your diet is #1 priority right now. However, you should do roughly 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week IMO right now to get started.
You also need to think about your entire daily lifestyle for calorie burn, not just inside the gym or at work. There's a reason TDEE means Total Daily Energy Expedenture.
Let's face it. Eating 1500 cals a day is too low for your stats, I will guarantee you this. You may lose some weight, but not only will you come to a screeching halt and plateau but you'll deprive your body of the macro and micronutrients it needs.
Do this the right way, not the quick and easy way.
Monitor your intake daily for 2-3 weeks at MINIMUM. Then go with a 1000 calorie deficit. The formulas that are known for being accurate do NOT work well for morbidly obese people. You have to find other ways to get your MAINTENANCE. What I as well as others have suggested is the way to go for you. Please trust this.
Thank you very much, I appreciate this. Yes, I agree that 90% or more of weightloss ideas out there do not apply to obese people like me. Most people "got fat." I've always been fat. I don't remember a time of not being fat in my entire life. Never. Always. This is a concept people really, truly don't grasp. I didn't grow up thin/average then start eating badly, etc, I simply don't even remember a time of not being fat. I was over 200lbs by 6th grade. I ate the same school lunch that my friends ate, no seconds. I ate the same breakfast cereal (one bowl) that others my age ate.
I'm not saying experts don't know their stuff, but people who believe that all human bodies are the same are rather pompous. I had a check-up a couple of years ago and my doc freaked out about one of my blood counts (platelets), took the test another two times, then sent me to a specialist... who told me "Yeah, the average range covers about 80% of people, but 20% of people fall outside of that range and most of them are healthy." Thanks for freaking out doc. The blood specialist says don't worry about it, normal/average in medical terms is really just a lie.
My thyroid numbers are normal, but that's not the only aspect of metabolic burn... even common sense tells you that. Nutrition expectations for post-adulthood weight gainers who want to lose weight isn't the same for life-long obese people.
I'm gonna give it a go, count my calories for 2-3 weeks, see whether I'm losing and if at the desired rate (2-3lbs/week) and go from there. I'll ask questions as I go
-Michael0 -
Unfortunately, we ASSUME we are eating fewer calories when we are actually eating more;
For example, I would just pour a bowl of cereal and add milk to my liking. When I actually measured the cereal and the milk it was a lot less than what I was consuming.
Yep! Cereal is a great one to bring it home how different an estimated portion is to an actual recommended portion. Before I started weighing foods I'd have a bowl of cornflakes and assume it was about the right portion. Once I started weighing, I realised I'd been eating about 3 portions in one bowl! Muesli even more so as it's denser so I was probably eating 150g and taking the calories from the 30g portion size recommended on the side of the box. lol!
Weigh and measure all foods always!0 -
Sounds like a plan. I'm interested in your progress. Adding you as friend if you want.0
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Sounds like a plan. I'm interested in your progress. Adding you as friend if you want.
Sure, thanks!0 -
OP-
Normally I would say that you should get your diet in check FIRST, and then worry about exercise because your diet is #1 priority right now. However, you should do roughly 30 mins of cardio 3 times a week IMO right now to get started.
You also need to think about your entire daily lifestyle for calorie burn, not just inside the gym or at work. There's a reason TDEE means Total Daily Energy Expedenture.
Let's face it. Eating 1500 cals a day is too low for your stats, I will guarantee you this. You may lose some weight, but not only will you come to a screeching halt and plateau but you'll deprive your body of the macro and micronutrients it needs.
Do this the right way, not the quick and easy way.
Monitor your intake daily for 2-3 weeks at MINIMUM. Then go with a 1000 calorie deficit. The formulas that are known for being accurate do NOT work well for morbidly obese people. You have to find other ways to get your MAINTENANCE. What I as well as others have suggested is the way to go for you. Please trust this.
Thank you very much, I appreciate this. Yes, I agree that 90% or more of weightloss ideas out there do not apply to obese people like me. Most people "got fat." I've always been fat. I don't remember a time of not being fat in my entire life. Never. Always. This is a concept people really, truly don't grasp. I didn't grow up thin/average then start eating badly, etc, I simply don't even remember a time of not being fat. I was over 200lbs by 6th grade. I ate the same school lunch that my friends ate, no seconds. I ate the same breakfast cereal (one bowl) that others my age ate.
I'm not saying experts don't know their stuff, but people who believe that all human bodies are the same are rather pompous. I had a check-up a couple of years ago and my doc freaked out about one of my blood counts (platelets), took the test another two times, then sent me to a specialist... who told me "Yeah, the average range covers about 80% of people, but 20% of people fall outside of that range and most of them are healthy." Thanks for freaking out doc. The blood specialist says don't worry about it, normal/average in medical terms is really just a lie.
My thyroid numbers are normal, but that's not the only aspect of metabolic burn... even common sense tells you that. Nutrition expectations for post-adulthood weight gainers who want to lose weight isn't the same for life-long obese people.
I'm gonna give it a go, count my calories for 2-3 weeks, see whether I'm losing and if at the desired rate (2-3lbs/week) and go from there. I'll ask questions as I go
-Michael
Michael,
I have been obese my entire life as well, not quite as large, but still obese. It is hard for sure, but you can reverse the process. I would take joejccva71 advice and just start doing something extra for 30 minutes a day while very closely monitoring your food intake. It is true everyone is different, but core principles still apply, you need to eat less than you burn to lose the weight and the quality of food that you eat will also play a role.
Good luck.0 -
Hey I am 5'9" female who is 196.5lbs my daily calorie input is 1600 + I eat back ALL my exercise calories. I would say that the number is not too high and you will kill yourself trying to eat 1500.0
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Yep! Cereal is a great one to bring it home how different an estimated portion is to an actual recommended portion. Before I started weighing foods I'd have a bowl of cornflakes and assume it was about the right portion. Once I started weighing, I realised I'd been eating about 3 portions in one bowl! Muesli even more so as it's denser so I was probably eating 150g and taking the calories from the 30g portion size recommended on the side of the box. lol!
Weigh and measure all foods always!
Yeah, that's very true about cereal. Cereal is a weakness of mine, too. The good news is my preferred cereal is a whole-grain type of cereal, no sugar. I love that stuff. I do avoid the Fiber One cereals, because they cause painful gas. :P0 -
Michael, I love the way you're interacting with people on this site - people who all have a weight-loss story to tell, so they've been there, done that.
Remember that results are about 90% nutrition,and 10% exercise. So take our gratitude and respect that you are doing a really important job, spend some time with your wife and family, and take control of what goes into your mouth.0 -
Michael, I love the way you're interacting with people on this site - people who all have a weight-loss story to tell, so they've been there, done that.
Remember that results are about 90% nutrition,and 10% exercise. So take our gratitude and respect that you are doing a really important job, spend some time with your wife and family, and take control of what goes into your mouth.
Thank you! It's very true. I do often eat something and 30 seconds after eating it, regret it. Why did I do that? I wasn't even hungry. I guess some of you know that feeling?0 -
wow! people come here for support not for people to downgrade!Hi All,
I'm new to this site, once again embarking on a weightloss journey that I pray will be successful. I'm now 36 years old and I feel that if I don't do this now, I won't be here in 20 or 30 years to talk about it. I'm 333lbs and I've been over 300lbs since age 15. I can wear the same pants/shirts now that I wore back then, although recently the fat has started to concentrate more in the center (which is very uncomfortable, BTW).
Anyway, I need to do this. This website has recommended that I eat over 2100 calories a day. For me, that's a normal non-weight-loss amount of food. If I calculate a typical day, even a heavy day is no more than 2500 calories for me. I feel that 1500 calories or fewer is better for me. If I eat 2100 calories, I'll maintain weight. Well, I've maintained 330-345lbs weight consistently for 20 years. That's not helping. My goal for my 6'1" self is 200lbs. I feel that I can feel very satisfied and not hungry at 1500 calories, if I simply choose foods wisely.
Thoughts on total calorie count daily?
-Michael
Sorry, but if you were eating 2500 calories a day, you most likely wouldn't be over 300 pounds. Follow MFP's recommendations. They WILL work. Guaranteed.0
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