Advice - First post...

jazzguy4him

MFP Friends-

Here's the scoop. Been here since 1/3/12 and have dropped 43 pounds since. I've been set to lose 2lbs per week for all of that time. Calories started at 2000 goal and have gradually dropped to 1670/day. Hit the gym 4 days a week, cardio and iron. Just this week I'm noticing that my body may have hit the wall a bit with the weight loss. I'm considering adjusting my goal to 1 1/2 pounds per week, which brings my calorie goal up to 1920. My BMR is about 2100.

I read all of the stuff about eating at least 1200/net per day. I've always wondered if 1200/net for a 130lb woman is the same for a 250lb man. So... is it? Is 1200 a magic number for everyone or does it differ? I think that I need to start eating a little more to give my body a boost, since I've lost so much weight so quickly... hence changing my goal from 2lbs to 1 1/2 lbs. I do not always eat all of my exercise calories back, but I always make sure my net is above 1200. Again... is it a magic number, or can that number be different for everyone?

By the way... I love this place. Thanks in advance.

Thoughts?

juicemoogan

if you are a 250lb man, i can safely say that 1200 calories is WAAAAAAY to low for you.
I'm a 187lb woman and i eat 2000 a day. (for weight loss)


Everyone is different, there is no magic number that everyone should follow.

Adjust your goal to 1lb a week, and see how that goes - its a little more reasonable.

Congrats on your 43lbs!!

Do some research int he threads about TDEE/BMR and check out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less for more information if you want to go that route.

jazzguy4him

I might need to clarify. I was eating 1700 calories/day... after changing to 1 1/2 per week weight loss goal I will now be eating 1920 calories/day. My BMR is 2100ish.

Thanks.

jazzguy4him

And... I'm 30... 6'1...247lbs.

jofjltncb6

I like the direction you are taking your calories. (I believe far too many people on MFP are eating unsustainable, unrealistically low calories.) That said, you haven't told us what type of calories you are eating or what type/how much movement you are doing.

Also, unless you have some arbitrary goal/deadline, slow progress towards your eventual goal is still progress towards your eventual goal. It is very common that your rate of progress will slow as you near your target. My approach would be to bump up your daily calories as you mentioned and leave it there for at least a couple of weeks, check your progress. If still progressing, bump them up again. (This is a great way...perhaps even the *only* way...to get a good estimate of your BMR...) You may be surprised that you still make progress and feel so much better by eating a little more (again, depending on what you are eating and how you are moving/exercising).

(And for what it's worth, arguably not much since it's just n=1 and I'm no longer on a loss plan, but I have been at ~2,800 calories for several months at 40 yo, 6', ~160 pounds. Was originally supposed to be in a gaining phase as I build back from 153ish at the beginning of the year (having lost to that point from 188ish in July 2011) but have hit a plateau in my efforts so am adjusting my cal levels once again. It is amazing how much good clean food your body will burn to function optimally once you regain/restore your metabolism.)

Good luck, and don't stop learning/evaluating what you do (and why you do it).

jazzguy4him

Thanks for the responses thus far.

I do approximately 2-3 miles on the treadmill (jogging mainly) and lift 4 days a week, different muscle groups per day.

I eat very clean. Whole grains, lean protien, lots of fruit and veggies. Not low carb, but take it easy on the bread and pasta. Hardly ever have dessert... etc.

ahamm002

It sounds like you've been doing everything right. But, after losing two pounds per week for 4-5 months straight, you shouldn't be surprised that your body has slowed down it's metabolism. Definitely avoid a starvation diet. One study showed that women who used a starvation diet (500 cals per day w/o exercising) ended up with permantly elevated levels of hormones that make you hungry, even years later.

So take a few weeks to stop losing weight. Focus on your resistance training, and try to put on some muscle for a few weeks. Then go back to cutting down again. Now that you've lost quite a bit of weight, it'll probably be better to shoot for 1 pound per week instead of two. That will keep your metabolism healthy and maintain your lean body mass.

70davis

bump

jazzguy4him

bump

juicemoogan

I might need to clarify. I was eating 1700 calories/day... after changing to 1 1/2 per week weight loss goal I will now be eating 1920 calories/day. My BMR is 2100ish.

Thanks.

Sorry I guess I wasn't reading very clearly either..
I upped my cals recently but didn't have any success with the weight until i was at my TDEE - 15% rate..
If you are upping, you should be above your BMR.

jazzguy4him

Gotta be honest, I don't totally get the whole TDEE thing. Mine is somewhere around 3500. Am I supposed to really eat 3500 calories per day because that's what my TDEE is? That seems a little crazy... I was probably eating that many cals before I ever made this life change..

jazzguy4him

Fat2fit says that I should eat 3396 cals per day for exercising 3-5 times per week. That just seems nuts! As I said above, how could I eat that many calories now when I was close to that before I started?

Eating clean... How do you even eat that many calories while preparing low cal foods?? I know it's about quality too, but with that many cals McDonalds would be easier.

jazzguy4him

Any other thoughts on the above are very welcomed...

juicemoogan

Subtract 15_20% from your tdee. Find calorie dense good foods, not junk or fast food. Nuts. Cheese Greek yogurt. Make sure you are hitting your protein and macros. Join the eat more to weigh less group if you have more questions.
It is possible.

ahamm002

Gotta be honest, I don't totally get the whole TDEE thing. Mine is somewhere around 3500. Am I supposed to really eat 3500 calories per day because that's what my TDEE is? That seems a little crazy... I was probably eating that many cals before I ever made this life change..

I lost a pound per week for awhile eating 3000 kcals / per day. If you exercise a lot, then you burn a lot of calories.

Edit: and do you really think it's hard to eat 3000 kcals per day of healthy food??? Yeah right!