Morbidly obese... Do I need to eat more? LoL

Just don't be way under every single day for a long period of time and don't get upset if you are over some days. Your metabolism doesn't work on a 24 hour basis what you are eating one day means nothing. What you are eating over the course of a couple weeks is very important. It will balance out unless you become obsessive about starving yourself - don't do that.

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

Cool! You don't happen to know at what point she was advised to eat more calories do you? Was it once goal was reached? Or within a certain poundage away from goal?

It's also a really good way to establish an eating disorder.

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

A Doctor required very low cal diet following surgery with close monitoring is not the same as someone simply choosing to eat 600 cal per day as they feel they will have faster weight loss. Promoting a VLCD for a "normal" person here on MFP will get you a strike as it isn't a healthy way to lose weight if you are not under close Doctor supervision. Eating too little will deprive you of nutrients, cause muscle loss, deprive you of energy, make you hangry, set you up for eating disorders etc etc.

OP: Eat what MFP tells you to, or as close to it as you can. 2 lb per week is considered a "safe" rate of weight loss (and remember, you didn't put the weight on overnight, so it isn't going to fall off overnight either). Monitor your weight for a few weeks*, then adjust accordingly if needed.


* where a few = 2 to 5: http://xkcd.com/1070/

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

Just because something worked for your sister under her doctor's supervision doesn't mean you should advise other morbidly obese people to follow the same guidelines. Suggest, sure, but also advise them to check with their doctor before trying to follow a VLCD. Otherwise you are also spreading nonsense.

While generally folks who are truly morbidly obese can do ok with a more restrictive daily calorie goal, there is a limit. Please don't self diagnose. Ask your doctor what they think. One can't go by BMI charts alone as they're not accurate for all.

OP, I would advise you to eat at least your daily calorie goal and at least half of earned calories. Better to be healthy by losing slow and steady and making sure you get enough calories/nutrients, than to lose quickly and risk issues with your metabolism and other possible health risks. Unless, as stated above, you are advised otherwise by your doctor. Also, the more restrictive you are through weight loss, the harder it can be to maintain once you reach your weight loss goal. To up calorie intake without eating more food, skip the diet/light foods and eat the regular version instead. including calorie dense foods such as whole eggs, lean protein, nuts, seeds, avocado can also help.

FYI, I have lost my weight by eating to goal plus exercise calories as determined by my HRM (Polar heart rate monitor)

First of all, I am just going to echo how important it is to be eating the *right* foods. I was EXACTLY where you are right now. As soon as I had made my mind up that I wasn't going to keep hurting myself and really watched what I was putting into my body, it started melting off. I've really noticed that when I have a week where I eat closer to my recommended caloric intake, it's a lot slower coming off. If I cut it back a bit, it makes a huge difference. That said, I can only suggest actually eating more. LOL By that I mean smaller portions and more often. And have a cut off time. I don't know how many people I've heard/read/seen saying that "it doesn't matter - your body isn't on a clock" and I wanna smack them. As much as possible, I make sure I'm eating dinner no later than 7 pm, and really try not to be snacking after 8. When I stick to it, I really see results.

Well then I guess you will have to smack me, lol cause I personally took a snack to bed every night and lost a few pounds in the process, OP I am in the camp of meal frequency will have no bearing whatsoever on weight loss as long as you are eating in a calorie deficit and hitting your macro's. On the original question I do not agree with running a large deficit just because you are obese. Faster isn't always better, I was off the charts at 560 lbs. and never once did we sit my weight loss goals any faster then losing 1 to 2 lbs. a week... I lost the vast majority of my weight eating over 3000 calories a day so I read stuff like these severe low calorie diets and just shake my head, if you make this a lifestyle change and just commit to it then what difference does it make if it takes you a little longer to get to your goal.? Atleast by taking it slow and steady by the time you reach your goals you will have established a plan that is sustainable for the long term and there would be no reason to worry about any relaspes in my opinion...... Best of Luck to you..........

Just double checking with the more experienced folks on here, is there a reason I should be trying to eat all of my target calories daily? I'm 5'4" and over 300 pounds, am just starting exercising again very lightly, and was thinking unless I'm feeling deprived or tempted to binge there wasn't much reason to eat all those calories? But my sister was concerned so I thought I'd ask.

OP...I rarely give advice on what someone should do...I am still trying to figure this out for myself.

I would try at what MFP suggests...see it gives the weight loss that you want...2lbs...a week to start with. Pay attention to your body...do you feel good...do you have enough energy to exercise. See if you are hungry at 1600 calories. Give it 3 or 4 weeks.

After losing almost 50lbs I still adjust my eating along the way. If I hit a period of time (2 or 3 weeks) then I check my food intake to make sure it is accurate...assess my exercising. I do some minor adjustments and the the weight seems to start dropping again.

I started at 1200 calories...it wasn't enough...so I upped it to 1400 - 1500 (depending on my workouts) and I am still averaging losing 2lbs a week. I feel so much better now.

The longest that I have ever gone and not lost is three weeks...I made MINOR adjustments and then dropped 7lbs in one weeks. So you might hit a period that you don't lose...just make sure that you are recording your calories accurately...maybe increase your exercise by a few minutes daily and .... just be patient. The weight will catch up.

If you start off with very few calories...then you have no where to go except up or to a calorie level that is unhealthy.

Good luck...I know it seems like an insurmountable task...just take small steps...5 10 15 pound increments. You will get there is you just hang in there.

Oh...and the exercising gets easier as the weight comes off. I felt like a wimp when I first started...I am now doing things that I didn't think that I would be able to do. I started with just walking...1 mile seemed to knock me on my butt. Yesterday I came close to doing 5 miles at a fast pace.

For strength training I bought a set of resistance bands. Started out using the lightest one...worked my way up to the heavy resistance. Just keep working at it...find things that your body will let you do...work toward the next level.

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

A Doctor required very low cal diet following surgery with close monitoring is not the same as someone simply choosing to eat 600 cal per day as they feel they will have faster weight loss. Promoting a VLCD for a "normal" person here on MFP will get you a strike as it isn't a healthy way to lose weight if you are not under close Doctor supervision. Eating too little will deprive you of nutrients, cause muscle loss, deprive you of energy, make you hangry, set you up for eating disorders etc etc.

OP: Eat what MFP tells you to, or as close to it as you can. 2 lb per week is considered a "safe" rate of weight loss (and remember, you didn't put the weight on overnight, so it isn't going to fall off overnight either). Monitor your weight for a few weeks*, then adjust accordingly if needed.


* where a few = 2 to 5: http://xkcd.com/1070/

Who said anything about 600 calories? At 300 lbs a 1400-1500 calorie limit would be "low calorie" for this person.

I don't care much if I have MFP "strikes", especially since I don't adhere to the MFP "right way" in my own walk.

A morbidly obese person can cut calories far below the typical 500 deficit, still get plenty of food and nutrients, while initially losing a lot of weight fast. That's my point. At that size he does not need to do modest and conservative deficits.

I would know, I WAS that size.

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

the long-term success rate is extremely poor. So while I agree that a lot of the hair-on-fire warnings of metabolic doom are overstated, the almost certain long-term failure of a VLCD pretty much makes them a non-starter IMO, except in the most dire cases. The fact that "doctors recommend (them)...all the time" is unfortunately more a comment on their lack of knowledge on this issue rather than an endorsement of VLCDs.

Unfortunately the long term success rates for ALL weight loss methods are poor.

Every single one. Including "slow and steady".

The idea that keeps getting perpetuated that slowly losing will give you an advantage for long term maintenance is a myth that is not backed up by any facts.

Most people who lose will regain a good portion, if not all (plus more) of their weight.

Well then if that is the case we might as well all throw in the towel and give up...... geez...... lol

I wish people would stop perpetuating such nonsense.

My sister was morbidly obese, had bariatric surgery, and is REQUIRED, by doctors, to eat well below her TDEE.

She, like most patients in this predicament, lost just fine on a severely calorie restricted program.

Doctors recommend these kinds of plans for obese patients all the time. When you're that size stripping away a ton of fat on a low calorie diet can be just fine for quite awhile.

the long-term success rate is extremely poor. So while I agree that a lot of the hair-on-fire warnings of metabolic doom are overstated, the almost certain long-term failure of a VLCD pretty much makes them a non-starter IMO, except in the most dire cases. The fact that "doctors recommend (them)...all the time" is unfortunately more a comment on their lack of knowledge on this issue rather than an endorsement of VLCDs.

Unfortunately the long term success rates for ALL weight loss methods are poor.

Every single one. Including "slow and steady".

The idea that keeps getting perpetuated that slowly losing will give you an advantage for long term maintenance is a myth that is not backed up by any facts.

Most people who lose will regain a good portion, if not all (plus more) of their weight.

Well then if that is the case we might as well all throw in the towel and give up...... geez...... lol

Ha! I know, I know, it sounds awful.

Just trying to be realistic here though, and dispel some myths. I lost a ton of weight back in my late teens/early 20s and swore I'd never, ever be one of those people who regained; I just loathed being fat so damn much, it was so incredibly destructive on my mind, that I didn't really think it possible that I could ever regain. Well I did regain the 70 lbs, plus another 70.

I'm in a totally different space with myself, and food, now than back then. But still I need to be aware to be ever vigilant and realistic.

As far as "slow and steady"? Been there, done that. Did it slow, did it fast. The only thing "slow" did was make me frustrated at how long it was taking, and disappointed at how quickly I could regain it. For me regains have never had anything to do with the rate of fat loss.

Unfortunately the long term success rates for ALL weight loss methods are poor.

Every single one. Including "slow and steady".

The idea that keeps getting perpetuated that slowly losing will give you an advantage for long term maintenance is a myth that is not backed up by any facts.

Most people who lose will regain a good portion, if not all (plus more) of their weight.

Well then if that is the case we might as well all throw in the towel and give up...... geez...... lol

That's the logical equivalent of saying "I'm going to die anyway, I may as well shoot myself now."'

I trust the fallacy is obvious and doesn't need to be pointed out...

I spent 3 days sitting in a recliner with a loaded handgun after being trapped in my house for over 2 years so the fallacy is very much obvious but even though at the time of having the aha moment and putting the gun down and asking for help, I was going from consuming over 10,000 calories a day to 2800. to me that was massively restrictive in and of itself and had I been put on a no calorie or 600 calorie diet there would not have been a chance in heck that I would of made that sustainable for even a day let alone til I had lose 2 or 300 pounds.... I lost the vast majority of my 312 pounds eating over 3000 calories a day which in my eyes aloud me to adhere to a long term plan that did not overly deprive me while letting me lose a couple pounds a week...