Struggling to eat less than 2000 calories

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geral4479WECHANGED
geral4479WECHANGED Posts: 49
in Motivation and Support
I am struggling to eat less than 2000 calories per day because I know 2000 calories is too much if I wish to lose weight. I am obese and I would like to lose about 70- 100 pounds, so do you have any advice on where I should begin? Right now I am planning to consume 1600-1700 calories per day. I would like to lose 1-2 pounds per week. I would also like to restart my exercise program.

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  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    Eat protein and fiber and drink lots of water. These things will keep you full for longer periods of time.
  • RadioactivePirate
    RadioactivePirate Posts: 212
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    It's much easier to cut your caloric intake down by smaller increments. You might try gradually tapering down to the intake that you want. 1600-1700 is pretty difficult to do if you're not used to it, and it may be even rather low for someone your size (just guessing based on the fact you said you'd like to lose 100 pounds). Start by cutting back a little bit, log and keep to that number, then after you're comfortable with it cut back a little more.
  • shauner03
    shauner03 Posts: 21 Member
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    Why not start at 2000 calories? Your sedentary TDEE is around 2450 so you will lose on a 2000 calorie per day diet and thats before any exercise calories you may burn. Get used to the 2000 level and then start reducing a little more. Shocking yourself into a much lower calorie diet than you eat currently will make it much harder to stick with in the long run.

    Lots of small changes will yield big results over time!
  • PrettyPearl88
    PrettyPearl88 Posts: 368 Member
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    I am struggling to eat less than 2000 calories per day because I know 2000 calories is too much if I wish to lose weight. I am obese and I would like to lose about 70- 100 pounds, so do you have any advice on where I should begin? Right now I am planning to consume 1600-1700 calories per day. I would like to lose 1-2 pounds per week. I would also like to restart my exercise program.

    I don't think anyone can really help you unless we know WHY you're struggling to eat less than 2000 calories/day. There's always a reason, and you need to figure out what that reason is.

    First, you should search for TDEE calculators online and plug your info into several of them to get an estimate of your TDEE, BMR, and a healthy number of calories you should consume each day to lose weight the right way. It's entirely possible that the reason you're struggling to eat less than 2000 calories/day is because your body requires more than that to perform its most basic functions. 1600-1700 calories/day may be an unhealthy goal for you; your body might need more calories in order to lose weight the healthy way. This may be the case if you're very tall and significantly overweight.

    However, if you've ruled out that possibility and it turns out that 1600-1700 calories/day IS a healthy goal for you, then you need to figure out WHY you're having so much trouble sticking to that goal. To start, look at your food diary. Where do most of your extra calories come from? Do they come from your main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) or do they come from a lot of snacks? If they come from your meals, try cutting your portion sizes and/or choosing healthier foods. If they come from snacks, choose lower-calorie snacks and/or cut down on the snacks. Next, identify what time of the day you consume most of these extra calories. Are they spread out throughout the day or do you binge at night? If they're spread out throughout the day, you simply need to work on portion control and/or eat lower-calorie foods. If you tend to binge at night, try spreading your snacks throughout the day little bit more and reserve some extra calories for a late-night dessert. Finally, ask yourself WHY you feel you need to eat those extra calories. Are you truly hungry or is it just cravings? If you're truly hungry, spread out your meals and snacks more evenly throughout the day so that you make sure to eat something every 2-3 hours and never feel "starved." If it's just cravings, try to eliminate as many unhealthy, tempting foods as you can from your house, replace those with healthy but yummy snacks, and keep yourself occupied so that you don't think about the cravings.

    A couple more tips: Make sure to exercise regularly so that you'll have the room to eat back those calories as well. And if you don't already, pre-planning your meals and snacks and logging them in the night before helps A LOT!

    Hope this helps! :smile:
  • skadoosh33
    skadoosh33 Posts: 353 Member
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    I can't eat under 2000 calories either. That is why I run and burn 1-2k calories so I can eat more.
  • Ainat266
    Ainat266 Posts: 12 Member
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    I was going to write out a post, but PrettyPearl has basically outlined the key points you need to think about already. :-) Think about her advice and take it from there.

    If you have a large amount to lose (I do too) it can be a little daunting I find. I've not been on this site for that long, but I am finding that logging is really helping to make me aware of what I am eating. I've lost 8lbs so far (in about a month - and it's weighing day tomorrow so hopefully the scales have gone in the right direction) and I'm finding this steady weight loss is pretty much all down to me being more aware or food. It's all stuff I knew before I just somehow chose to ignore it for way too long. Logging really does raise that awareness rather than it being hidden in a cobwebby corner in the back of your mind somewhere.

    And of course, as PrettyPearl has said - the reason you may be struggling to eat under 2000cals is because your body may need more than that. Once you figure out what your body needs and the best steps for YOU for healthy weight loss you'll be well on your way in no time I'm sure.

    x
  • Answrtek
    Answrtek Posts: 1 Member
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    2000 - 1800 calories will maintain your weight as it is. At 1500 - 1600 calories you will most likely begin to loose a 1/2 pound of weight a week. The most important thing to watch is total carbohydrates, these are sugars your body uses. I personally eat three meals a day and a snack, 1300 calories a day and 45 - 60 carbohydrates per meal. I loose up to 2 pounds a week and do no excersize, because I am not able to. The hardest part I have found is to reprogram your mind from what you want to eat to what you need eat. If you do not buy things that will make you fail, then you have a better chance at success. Do not try and do it all at once. Slowly cut back high carbohydrates and high calorie items from your diet. This takes time, reprogramming your habits is not easy, you have to have motivation, a reason to loose weight other than just loosing weight for weights sake. Water is and important part of my weight loss program, and I will tell you why; which no one ever does. Water is a replacement therapy, it keeps your stomach from being empty. To help you eat less food during the day. It is also important to get plenty of rest, when you are asleep, you do not eat. Realize these are only my options of things I have learned from diabetic classes and personal experience. Good luck, have faith in yourself. You can succeed if you really want to.
  • FittingIn
    FittingIn Posts: 162 Member
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    The best information I've found comes from Wayne Wyatt at Teamripped.com. He targets a 1,900 calorie Fat Shredder diet in combination with the P90X exercise program. However, is is really the P90X diet that is dumbed down to become practical.

    You can do it without exercise but exercise absolutely helps.

    http://teamripped.com/nutrition-all-in-one/
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    When I first started doing this, I found it challenging to net 2000 per day. I just could not see how others were doing it so easily. I think your body just somehow adjusts itself over time because now I work out 5 days per week and on average net about 1600-1700 easily, and that is including my groggy, middle-of-the-night sleepwalk snacking.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    I just wanted to thank you for coming here with the intention of losing your weight in a nice, sustainable manner!! You've gotten great advice already.
  • MuseofSong
    MuseofSong Posts: 322 Member
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    I am struggling to eat less than 2000 calories per day because I know 2000 calories is too much if I wish to lose weight. I am obese and I would like to lose about 70- 100 pounds, so do you have any advice on where I should begin? Right now I am planning to consume 1600-1700 calories per day. I would like to lose 1-2 pounds per week. I would also like to restart my exercise program.

    At 290 (according to your profile) you should still be losing, no problem, with 2k calories per day, even if you're not doing any exercise, as another poster pointed out. Even by just cutting 500 calories a day, you could shed a couple pounds per week because when you have ~100 pounds to lose, like me, it just comes off quicker at first.

    Eat your 2k a day.

    If you are sedentary, I'd urge you to try to move more when you can, even the occasional 10 minutes of on purpose, light activity can start to build your endurance for better activities. Exercises that I could barely do 2 months ago are quicker and easier for me now. The changes will happen. Don't be worried if the steps are small. These are the some of the best non-scale victories. I couldn't do X and now I can! Ya know?

    And more exercise unlocks more calories, it feels like winning. ^_^

    As other posters rightly mentioned get more protein, more fiber rich carbs (whole fruit, whole grain), non-starchy vegetables that you enjoy to help you feel full, and lots of water or tea, whatever you enjoy. Eat what you LIKE, but make GOOD choices with the foods you enjoy.
  • pkteen
    pkteen Posts: 121 Member
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    Reduce or remove all refined carbs from your diet. Use everything wholewheat that will remove lots of calories from your diet and also have lots of fruits and veggies... You can check my diary out to see how im eating a lot to bulk up but still managing 1500 calories. If you need any help, you're free to contact me.

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