Calculations for Significantly Overweight

grnice

I have about 200 lbs to lose and my doctor (amongst others) say I should be losing more than 1-2 lbs per week. My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064. I'm at a loss as to how many calories to be eating per day. I'm pretty sedentary, work at home a lot so don't get much additional day to day activity. I've been eating 1900 a day which will give me about a 1 to 1.5 weight loss a week.

According to the calculations I should be eating more but if I do I gain. I can pretty much look at food and gain weight so I'm not sure if I should stick with the 1900 or switch it up. I'm just wondering if the MFP calculations don't really work if you are that overweight.

KetoBella

1900 looks very realistic for a daily goal. Best of luck to you.

crzylizard99

I have about 200 lbs to lose and my doctor (amongst others) say I should be losing more than 1-2 lbs per week. My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064. I'm at a loss as to how many calories to be eating per day. I'm pretty sedentary, work at home a lot so don't get much additional day to day activity. I've been eating 1900 a day which will give me about a 1 to 1.5 weight loss a week.

According to the calculations I should be eating more but if I do I gain. I can pretty much look at food and gain weight so I'm not sure if I should stick with the 1900 or switch it up. I'm just wondering if the MFP calculations don't really work if you are that overweight.

A calculation should be thought of as a starting point. If you find yourself gaining at that number, lower the calories and/or increase your exercise.

noneya2010

I have close to 100 lbs to lose and have been following the 1200 but find I actually lose better if I keep it mixed up -- like one day stay at 1200; the next 1400. So I have been ranging from 800 (on the very low side) to 1700.

1.5 to 2 pound loss a week should be expected at that range.

Also I will say that I can eat 1200 calories of higher carb/higher fat content foods (i.e. processed type foods) and not lose but eat 1500 of lower car/lower fat choices ("clean foods" -- veggies, fruits, lean chicken, etc) and find I lose sooooo much better that way. Be sure to drink 1/2 your body weight in water too - -this will be very important to your loss!

misscristie

I started with about 180 to lose. With larger amounts to lose, you can eat at a greater deficit and lose at a faster rate. As you get closer (and closer) to your goal, those mystical, magical calculations will matter a lot more.

brandimacleod

If you are not active at all then you are eating about right. But if you go even for neighborhood walks you will increase your calorie burns and weight losses a lot without adjusting your eating.

tjmist

You don't have to use the 1200 figure they give you, I use 600 which ideally gets you 3 pounds per week. You can eat more than 600, but just have 600 as a net goal. Typically I try to eat 1200 and burn 600 so I end up netting around 600. For me that worked better than using the "recommended goals" they have on the site.

yougojo170

How tall are you and are you male or female? If you are female- I would suggest you start with 1900 calories a day and see how much you lose each week. You are on a long journey but the longest journey begins with 1 step. You should be really proud of yourself that you are trying to lose weight and become healthy. I would love to be your friend and support you. I think the site gave me more than enough calories to help me lose 1lbs a week. I've only been on here for 3 weeks now. I am almost 100lbs overweight but my first goal for right now is to lose 57lbs. Once I reach that I will set a new goal for myself. You should set your first goal at losing just 10% of your weight. That makes it more attainable. Then as you reach that goal you can set a new goal. Small baby steps. Don't overwhelm yourself. Don't look beyond today. Just get through today. Take each day as it comes. I've overcome many obstacle looking at it this way. You need to definitely add some exercise to each day. Dont' try to do too much if you have never exercised. Do 15 mins a day of just walking. After a few days of doing that add a few more minutes to it. Slowly you will add more time until you are walking 30 minutes a day. Then before you know it you will be walking 60 minutes a day. Work out 5 days a week like this. Do you access to a pool. Swimming or water exercise is great when you are very overweight. Less stress on your joints. As you lose weight and gain muscle you can expand your exercise. I'm not a doctor or a pro- but I've got a lot of experience at dieting. Its a life change you need. Try to eat more veggies and fruit. Cut down on breads, rice, and pasta. Dont make huge changes. Small changes over time will slowly change your life. email me any time if you want to chat. I would love to be friends and help you.

ArtemisMoon

Start at a number that seems reasonable and watch patterns for at least a month, then adjust. Listening to your body is the single biggest thing you can do to help yourself. No one knows your body better than you do, and no one has the one perfect number, secret, or calculation that works for everyone. Calculators might be a good starting point, but you have to adjust from there. Just don't starve yourself. I know someone who needs to lose about that much, and she thought she was supposed to be eating 1200 cals a day. Every single time she tried to buckle down and lose weight she would come down with severe bronchitis, so eating so little even with supplements was obviously shredding her immune system. So just try to find the right balance for you.

sun33082

I would look at what you're eating instead of how much you are eating. 1900 may very well be a good goal, but if you're eating a lot of carbs and processed foods, you may not lose as easily. Especially if you are insulin resistant (which most extremely overweight people are, whether they know it or not). So like someone else suggested, look into eating a lower carb, higher protein diet with lots of clean foods, fruits, and veggies. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want

MorganLeighRN

1900 calories sounds like it is a good start. I know that you said that you work at home so it is hard for you to get out an exercise. You have to make time. Start by walking around the block. Wake up 5-10 minutes earlier or go on your lunch break or before dinner. You have to commit to loosing weight and becoming healthy. Try eating more protein and fiber-they will keep you filler longer. If you are hungry, try drinking water first. A lot of the time hunger comes from being thirsty. If you are truly hungry eat fruit or vegetables. Your body needs time to adjust. Good luck!

yarwell

My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064.

Sorry, that make no sense at all.

rchambers2072

I don't have anything helpful to add, except that I do log daily and had, at the beginning of my journey, 150 pounds to lose, and am exactly halfway there. It absolutely can be done. Feel free to add me, supportive friends are soo important.

AllTehBeers

My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064.

Sorry, that make no sense at all.

This. If your bmr is actually 2668, that's the LEAST you should be eating. It would make more sense if that was your TDEE.

Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim

Bump

SilkyHotspur

I have about 200 lbs to lose and my doctor (amongst others) say I should be losing more than 1-2 lbs per week. My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064. I'm at a loss as to how many calories to be eating per day. I'm pretty sedentary, work at home a lot so don't get much additional day to day activity. I've been eating 1900 a day which will give me about a 1 to 1.5 weight loss a week.

According to the calculations I should be eating more but if I do I gain. I can pretty much look at food and gain weight so I'm not sure if I should stick with the 1900 or switch it up. I'm just wondering if the MFP calculations don't really work if you are that overweight.

I would say that you are using the wrong number to calculate your BMR. Your BMR is what it takes your body to exist for one day...ogran and muslce functions, etc. Fat does not calculate into your BMR. Take your Body Fat %, and calculate what your Lean Body Mass is, then use that number to calculate your BMR. Why would you feed the fat?

Example....my weight is 178, with 12% body fat, so instead of 178, I use 157lbs as my lean body mass. The difference in BMR is 1765 to 1634. Granted, not much for me, as i have low BF%, however, if I were at 22%., it would only be 139lbs lean mass, and a BMR of 1515, a much bigger difference. For someone how is overweight with a lot of body fat, the difference will be greater.

good luck to you.

grnice

My BMR is 2668 and my RMR (had it tested) is 2064.

Sorry, that make no sense at all.

This. If your bmr is actually 2668, that's the LEAST you should be eating. It would make more sense if that was your TDEE.

I'm just using the BMR calculator on this website and it calculates as 2668. I went to the gym and had my RMR tested and it was 2064. I'm not sure what to tell you, that's why I'm questioning these calculations on this site. I don't think they apply when you have that much weight to lose.

SlvrStarr

1900 Sounds like a good place to start. Adjust it up or down depending on what is working for you. I too have a large amount to lose and have been working with a nutritionist. They want me to be around 2000 calories. If I were to go by the calculations on the site, it would have me eating 2700 calories a day.

AbbsyBabbsy

Do you have a doctor or nutritionist you can work with? My opinion, coming from a formerly morbidly obese individual, is it would be safe for you to lose at least 2 lbs a week. I wouldn't worry about calculations like BMR or TDEE, and only worry about what number you need to hit those 2 lbs. You'll find that from a couple weeks of experimentation. Start with a nice, round number you feel comfortable with and adjust from there. And honestly, I'd go as low as I could without feeling hungry or starved. Experiment with adding exercise, and try eating back and not eating back those calories and see what works for you. If you still need some guidance, I'd consult a medical professional. It's not a popular opinion on MFP, but I believe the morbidly obese is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. It's ok to eat below your bmr, and ok to lose more than 2 lbs for the first couple of weeks.

Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim

Do you have a doctor or nutritionist you can work with? My opinion, coming from a formerly morbidly obese individual, is it would be safe for you to lose at least 2 lbs a week. I wouldn't worry about calculations like BMR or TDEE, and only worry about what number you need to hit those 2 lbs. You'll find that from a couple weeks of experimentation. Start with a nice, round number you feel comfortable with and adjust from there. And honestly, I'd go as low as I could without feeling hungry or starved. Experiment with adding exercise, and try eating back and not eating back those calories and see what works for you. If you still need some guidance, I'd consult a medical professional. It's not a popular opinion on MFP, but I believe the morbidly obese is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. It's ok to eat below your bmr, and ok to lose more than 2 lbs for the first couple of weeks.

This^^^^