Under-eating...?

Just remember, the bigger your deficit from your TDEE, the harder it may be to maintain it. Also, realize that your body weight fluctuates by a couple of pounds due to water retention and the like. You did not actually lose 2.6lbs of fat from one day of eating 1100 calories. Personally, I would try eating the 1700 you were originally shooting for and see how that works. That is more than 500 calories. After a month, if it isn't helping or if you want to increase your deficit, then you can lower your intake more.

Yesterday I ate around 1000 calories, and lost 2.6 pounds in one day. I'd like to keep my calorie intake around 1100/1200, and I'm just wondering, is that too much?

Welcome to MFP!

Let's do a little math. One pound of fat is 3500 calories, so 2.6 pounds is 9100 calories. There's no way you ran a 9100 calorie deficit from one day to the next. The only conclusion is that most of that 2.6 lb. difference is water weight, and possibly fewer waste solids in your digestive tract because you didn't eat as much food. It's not long-term loss; it's short-term fluctuation.

It's dangerous to draw the conclusion that because you ate 1000 calories and "lost" 2.6 lbs., you should eat 1100-1200. That's way too low, and even if it wasn't unhealthy, it would be very hard to stick to that number in the long term. I'm currently aiming for 1370 net and that's very hard.

Stick with a more reasonable goal, and if you carefully measure and weigh what you eat, and record it faithfully, you'll achieve success over the long run, and it will be much easier to transition to maintenance without a major dietary change.

It's dangerous to draw the conclusion that because you ate 1000 calories and "lost" 2.6 lbs., you should eat 1100-1200. That's way too low, and even if it wasn't unhealthy, it would be very hard to stick to that number in the long term. I'm currently aiming for 1370 net and that's very hard.

An adult male shouldn't be sticking to 1370 either so both of you are undereating.

The BMR calculators get a bit skewed when you get to either end of the spectrum. Being obese throws the numbers off because it's assuming a normal ratio of lean body mass to fat and at your weight your not in that criteria. I'd start off about 1800 calories and see how it goes. In the beginning you'll probably lose just as much as that as you will starving yourself at 1100 and you'll feel much better in the long run.

I am late to the party (sorry) but basically, everyone has said everything.

I've been counting for about 3 weeks now and been pretty diligent. I went over by 200 the other day due to a restaurant misrepresenting themselves in a calorie count, but, I have found it to be pretty easy otherwise. Advice: Plan things out in advance so you have thing to look forward to and can indulge a bit. Like, if you know how many calories you are eating when you get home you can indulge on a candy bar now if you have enough left over. It helps me a lot.

I get about 1,240 cals a day, BUT, I am 5'7 and started at 200-205lbs with my activity setting on "Light Activity" with the intention of losing 2lbs a week. My BMR is about 1,678 a day.

I had a hard time sticking to other diets but find this one quite easy (in a sense) because as long as I stay around 1,240 I can eat whatever I want. And, it's a bit of a pain when I don't have a decent amount of time to plan, or I want to grab a quick snack and don't have the ability to measure my food (Like, when I am not home). The thing is, it won't work if you take the calorie count as GOD and are petrified about going a little over, or if you undereat. So, if you're not willing to trust the site with the BMR and such, feel free to ask a doctor. They can explain the numbers better to you. Just please don't restrict yourself too much. It most definite is counterproductive. I am a recovering anorexic, and I can tell you it's really not worth it. You think you binge on just diets, it's worse when you restrict that bad because your body feels like it just can't stop when you do finally eat.

Good luck!

Welcome!

Food is fuel for your body. The more you move (being in theatre and high school, I bet you expend a lot of energy), the more calories you need to properly fuel your body. The appropriate calories is different for everyone due to genetics, height, weight, and how much we do/do not move,

The only thing required to lose weight is to eat less calories than you burn. Even though MFP helps you set up your profile, it's all about us setting calorie goals and doing our best to meet them.

Have you set up your profile yet? Are you logging everything in, including exercise? The only way to figure out what works for you is through trail and error and paying attention to your eating and exercise trends.

As with a lot of people, I actually dont lose weight with a too low calorie def. I get stuck. Metabolism goes into starvation, and stops trying to burn the calories and fat. Also I don't have any energy to excersize. When I eat my minimum (sometimes a little over when I am overly active) I lose so much quicker. Now, these are HEALTHY calories. My breakfast is a while 350 calories, but it's a very healthy fruit/spinach smoothie, with added protein. Great for before school, as you can One thing I also do is drink water. Not a crazy amount, but before I would normally be so busy I would forget, and as soon as I started drinking more water (about 5-8 glasses a day) I was losing more weight and so much more energized. Something to think about.
About Toning, My Dr doesn't recommend any workouts with the "jack knife" motion for women. She says Squats, planks, and the sort are much better for women. You wont lose more weight in the specific area, but your muscles will be better tones, and as you go it will help out your other work outs having your core strengthened. (hense, more weightloss from excersize)

Say what? Prone jackknives, inchworms, and deadlifts have done more for my core strength (and loss in measurements) in a month than a year of planks did. I don't understand this reasoning at all.

ETA: as far as muscle and skeletal structure go, women and men aren't that different. Unless they are pregnant, there really isn't any medical reason that I have ever heard of that requires women in general to exercise differently than a man.

Hey, everyone! I'm new here. I'm a highschool student, and I've tried losing weight in the past, but I just really have sucked at it. I'll diet for a couple of days, and then totally binge the next. I'm insecure about this, but since I'm dieting I guess it's alright to mention.
I'm 5'11'', and currently 302 pounds (I started around 307 on Monday) and I want to get down to 160 or smaller. My current goal is just getting under 300, because in the past year I gained about 20 pounds by eating really unhealthy fast food -I was in theatre, and we had no time to eat, so I just got brought stuff.

When I started on Monday, I believe I'd average to about 1700-1800 calories, which really isn't too little, I know that. Yesterday I ate around 1000 calories, and lost 2.6 pounds in one day. I'd like to keep my calorie intake around 1100/1200, and I'm just wondering, is that too much?

Also, I want to tone my stomach. Any specific excersizes you guys would recommend?

Thanks loads! (: -Emma

Firstly don't get excited. the difference between 1000 calories and 1700 calories is 700 calories. which makes 1/5 of a pound. You lost the weight they took off your tdee (what I call maintenance, what it takes to run your ship for a day) together with 1/5 of a pound.

I don't think it's a good idea. I don't think it's worth it. You're setting yourself up to fail again. Don't do it!

If you have failed at low calorie diets in the past you will fail this time if you make it low calorie. If you've had a hard time dieting in the past I'd start out as gentle as I could get away with, not as harsh, because although when all fired up you can eat almost zero for the first few days, the huge binge you will have in about 3 more will leave you depressed, disappointed, feeling like a total fail and probably walking away from the whole deal.

If you don't want to go back to the bad place, don't take yourself there.

Your maintenance calories are definitely going to be high. Your BMR is going to be in the 2000's because as I just said in another thread, having found it out on a bbc documentary a little while ago, a pound of fat costs about 16 cals a day to run, and you have a spare 150 of them.

For you to go down to 1000 cals a day will take you so far under your bmr it'll send you out the back door. If I took as many calories off my bmr as you are trying to do I would be having to give food back.

This is why you fall apart when you do these diets. You're SO far under what your body needs to run it just can't take it.