Calling all 100 poundish losers...

You will probably be starving by Noon with that goal LOL
Try setting yourself up for a smaller attainable goal. Like a pound or a pound and a half.
It will come off, you just have to give it time.

I'm 5'3" and started MFP at 236. It gave me 1200 calories/day which I knew was too low. I changed the setting to lose 1lb/week and it changed to 1600/day which is much more reasonable. Since then I haven't felt hungry, deprived or like I'm on a diet.

I'm almost a month in and still doing great on 1,540 calories. After another month, I'll try 1400 or 1200. Not for now, though.

1200 calories a day can be adequate for those who have this much to lose and who are sedentary - you just have to do it right.

<ingest real foods and not filler.>

you can do it.

I too have over 100lbs to lose, and was set at 1200 calories. I tried it for a few days and I was ravenous, cranky, and generally not a nice person to be around. I changed my goal from Lose 2 per week to 1.5 and upped my activity level from Sedentary to Lightly Active, and I am now at 1,910 calories per day. I rarely reach that exact number so I feel it'll be easier the more pounds I lose to eat less calories. Feel free to add me for motivation and support.

Another 100 pounds to lose over here. When you have so much to lose, sometimes it just can't fall off fast enough. But we have to remember that we didnt gain 100 pounds overnight or even over 3-6 months. I recently changed mine to be a 1 pound per week loss and changed it from sedentary to lightly active and it went to 1560 which has been good for the last week. You will find what works for you, just try not to get discouraged and quit. Logging in everyday has been a huge motivator for me.

That's seems quite low. My starting weight was 252 lbs, I was eating about 1,400-1,600 calories a day, a little more with exercise. I stayed at a steady 8-10 lb loss per month. I hit my 100 mark in 11 months.

Healthier eating, Portion control, Moderation, and exercise. Follow those keys, and you'll be successful!

Hello Kim

I would suggest going here http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

Plug in all your info and find your tdee, based on your activity level it will tell you how many calories to eat a day. 2 pounds per week is really aggressive, I would aim for a pound per week and go from there. 1200 may be a little low for you...

Also buy a food scale and weigh EVERYTHING, accuracy logging is essential for weight loss.

Good luck

Exactly this. Working for me

Highly recommend the Scooby calculator above ^^

Or, change your settings to 1lb per week loss - do this for several weeks and check your progress then lower or lift your calories as necessary. Oftentimes people set extremely ambitious weight loss targets (which is fine) but going into such severe calorie restriction does not help with adherence - you're more likely to stick with it if you're eating enough

Definitely agree with the previous comments about a gentler start. I'm 5ft 7 so my 2lb loss a week calories at a sedentary level is set to 1,660. I would have felt very discouraged trying to hit 1,200 in the beginning. It's a big adjustment!

I am 62.
I did the 1200 calorie thing for the first 18 months. (3/12/14 was my 2 year anniversary on MFP)
Upped it to 1600 6 months ago. I am still alive, and by all accounts (most importantly my doctor) very healthy.
Get advice from your health care professional and do what is right for you.
Best of luck!

I've lost 106lb (then put 15 back on, took 10 back off, put 10 back on, and taking it back off again now :-) and I still have about 40lb left to lose. I acutally starting on Weight Watchers and then switched over to MFP. I use the MFP goal and make adjustments as needed. For instance, I start with what it gives me and if I find that I am not losing, I may only eat back half of my exercise calories. Or, if I am losing but I find that I am hungry all the time, I may adjust my caloire goal for a slower weight loss and go from there. The best general advice I can give you:

-Know your activity level. If you are using MFP, it is set up for you to select a level of general activity and then add exercise calories back on top of it. Do not lie to yourself about this. If you aren't at least standing and walking around most of the day, you are sedentary and you should select that, not lightly active.

- Be patient. It takes time to lose this much weight. It also takes time for your body to adjust to what you are doing and show you results one way or the other. So whatever calorie goal you set, make sure you stick with it for several weeks to see if you will gain, lose, or stay the same. Then adjust accordingly and give it a few more weeks.

- Be realistic. Pick a goal that gives you enough calories to work with. Make food and exercise choices that you can live with. Don't do anything to take the weight off that you aren't willing to keep doing for the rest of your life to keep it off.

- Be honest with yourself. If you aren't losing weight (which happens to almost everyone at some point or another), it is most likely that you aren't running the calorie deficit that you think you are. Evaluate what you are doing and determine if you are underestimating intake, overestimating output, aren't measuring food accurately, etc. Be truthful with yourself about your choices so that you can figure out where you are going wrong and fix it.

- Keep moving. Pick things that you like to do so that you will want to do them. On days when you don't feel up to much, at least go for a walk. Be aware that MFP sometimes overestimates calorie burn, so you may need to adjust how many of them you eat back. I suggest starting at about 75% and adjusting from there.

- Make lifestyle changes gradually. Pick one thing at a time and stick with it for a few weeks until it becomes habit before you start trying to change something else. I suggest starting with tracking everything you eat for a few weeks without worrying about calories limits or what you are eating. After a few weeks you will both have a habit of tracking your food and a better picture of what you are doing right now. Then you can start trying to make small changes to get you down to your calorie goal. After that, you can start working on other goals -- adding exercise, making healthier food choices, etc.

I hope this helps and good luck!

I have over a hundred to go too. I'm 4ft 10.2 !! Currently 251 lbs.
My allowance is set to lost 1.5 lbs weekly, and I'm on 1490 cals daily. This seems good for me, I can still have treats so I don't feel deprived.
Feel free to friend, We're all here for support and motivation xx

I didn't even track my food until I had already lost over 80 pounds. I just cut my portions and started exercising at least 3 times a week. I also stuck to only drinking water and had my coffee in the morning. That was a big deal for this southern girl who loves her sweet tea
You body needs fuel. Make sure you are not putting your body into starvation mode. We want to be burning fat not muscle. Right?
You should be safe to go by what MFP sets you at to lose 2 pounds per week. (I'm sure that would still be above 1200)
Best of luck to you!! You can do it

I have lost 100lbs (on a good day!) and can categorically state that I will NEVER eat as low as 1200 calories a day. As I lose my daily calorie allowance drops in line with the calories my lighter body will expend, but I will alter my loss rate goal so that I can still live life comfortably and not come off the rails as I would if I was always hungry.

Basically I started "watching what I was eating" which entailed decreasing sweets, sodas and "white carbs" (white bread, white rice, potatos and pasta). I eventually gave up all sodas because whether they are diet or regular, I don't see any benefit in them at all. I also gave up all caffienated beverages. I began walking. Nothing too ambitious mind you, considering i started at around 450 lbs. Back then walking 1 mile was a pretty big deal. After my weight loss slowed down (approximately 1 year and 100 lbs lost) I joined a local gym and attended 2 days a week, then 3 days and now I'm "normally" attending 5 days a week. I lift weight M-W-F & do cardio on T-TH). There have been a few minor set backs along the way (broken foot, tendonitis in the left arm & a couple of pinched nerves), but I'm actually going for a skin removal consultation on Monday due to the excess amount of loose skin that's left over from the large amount of weight lost. Even though it was lost at a relatively slow pace, there is quite a bit of skin. Gastric surgery was not an option for me and since I have a loving wife and 3 young sons, dying at an early age wasn't the legacy and example I wanted to leave behind for them. Slow (sometimes it seemed excrutiatingly so!) and steady does win the race with your weight loss journey. Don't buy into gimmics and fads, just work hard and eat smart. Oh yeah, set short term goals that are attainable and have an ideal long term goal. I say "ideal" because it may change when you get closer to it. I wish you the best of luck!