295lbs how many cals ?

verityjane87
verityjane87 Posts: 26 Member
in Getting Started
Hi all,

I am 295lbs and wanting to lose my excess weight but I can't imagine only eating 1400 cals that MFP recommends to lose 2lb a week

Any advice or personal experience ?

Thanks guys in advance

X

Replies

  • nooblet86
    nooblet86 Posts: 2
    I got up to 280lbs (down to 235 as of today) and I'll be honest you will probably be hungry for the first week or two. After that your body will adjust and the rest is mostly mental. I found that loading up on high volume low calorie foods were the way to go for me. One trick that worked really well for me was eating a large salad before I ate the main course. I also started drink A LOT more as I ate. After almost every bite I'd take a few sips of water or diet coke. Helped me to feel full much faster. You can do it! Even if it feels overwhelming you can do it!

    Feel free to friend me!
    Jess
  • ragan4bama
    ragan4bama Posts: 58 Member
    That 1400 doesn't take into account your exercise calories. Like nooblet86 said the first few weeks are the hardest of any diet change but the longer you do it the more second nature it becomes.
  • Shell_1384
    Shell_1384 Posts: 80 Member
    I started at 200 lbs and MFP calculated 1270 calories per day for me. After 2 weeks I found myself binging because I was so hungry, so I changed my goal from 2 lbs to 1 lb loss per week and it upped my calories to 1480 (I am also set as sedentary activity and eat back all of my exercised calories burned and have still been losing). Give it a try for a while and then reassess how you are feeling and you might want to change your goal like I did.

    Feel free to add me as a friend. I log daily and my diary is open to friends. I believe a strong support system is essential to succeed at this and I have found some great people on here. Best of luck :)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • sloth3toes
    sloth3toes Posts: 2,212 Member
    You can start slower, and eat 500 calories more per day, to lose 1 lb per week. You have to do what's right for you. There are lots of lower calorie / nutrient dense foods, that you can eat a lot of... but you may not find them particularly satisfying or enjoyable. You get to pick what you eat, and how much, as long as it's within your calorie budget. If you can exercise a bit, you can also eat more.
  • UnoDrea3732
    UnoDrea3732 Posts: 342 Member
    I'm close to your weight and I'm eating 1,800/day.
  • kayla_who
    kayla_who Posts: 540 Member
    If you want to stick with MFP's calculations then I agree with everyone so far. Your body will adjust. Also drinking lots of water all day will help you eat less as there will not be as much room in your stomach. Don't forget you get to eat back your exercise calories.

    If you would rather have a higher calorie limit everyday you could try the TDEE method. You punch in your stats and a calculator will tell you how many calories you can eat daily to maintain your current weight, then you just subtract 20-25% of that and that is your daily calorie limit. With this method you do not eat back your exercise calories as they are already calculated into that number.

    Here is a great TDEE calculator
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    Don't forget to recalculate every 10 pounds or so since your body will not be burning as much as you get smaller.

    Feel free to add me if you like. :)
  • Lleldiranne
    Lleldiranne Posts: 5,516 Member
    Going to leave this here for you. Check it out.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants


    You can set the goal to lose 1 pound instead of 2/week, and that would give you 1900 calories. But read the link :smile:
  • khoshgeleh16
    khoshgeleh16 Posts: 150 Member
    I started on MFP at 267 (having been at 281 six months previous) and eating ~1860 a day, and I'm now eating 1600 (+ exercise calories, so usually around 2200-2500) a day at 232lbs. You absolutely don't need to start out at 1400; there's no need to restrict yourself quite so severely, and in fact unsustainable restrictions like that can backfire and lead to bingeing. Choose a more moderate plan to ease in - the weight will come off just the same!
  • sjcook23
    sjcook23 Posts: 87 Member
    Start with a number that seems comfortable to you. See if you lose weight. If not, lower it by 500 cals. Adjust according to how many pounds you want to lose. Remember to figure in exercise.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    I started on MFP at 267 (having been at 281 six months previous) and eating ~1860 a day, and I'm now eating 1600 (+ exercise calories, so usually around 2200-2500) a day at 232lbs. You absolutely don't need to start out at 1400; there's no need to restrict yourself quite so severely, and in fact unsustainable restrictions like that can backfire and lead to bingeing. Choose a more moderate plan to ease in - the weight will come off just the same!

    YES...sensible! I don't know your height, OP, but 1400 seems very low for a 26 yo who weighs 295. You should be able to have many more cals and still lose weight. Let's be honest...you didn't reach your current weight eating only 2000 cals a day. You just didn't. At this point, any deficit you create will help, but in order to sustain this effort you must set reasonable goals. Also remember that as you lose weight you are supposed to readjust calorie goals downward because you burn fewer calories when you weigh less. I guess in my mind the objective is to find the spot where I can eat as many cals as possible and still lose at a moderate rate. This will make life better when I hit maintenance cuz I'll should be able to eat a decent amount and not gain.
  • Eli716
    Eli716 Posts: 262 Member
    Hmm... I weighed 295.5 (at 22 years old) when I decided I needed to lose weight. But I didn't learn about this sight until the next month, and I was about... low 280's? I remember putting myself at a sedentary state, and MFP suggested 1460. For me, it was hard to meet that standard as I was eating too little. But with help and great suggestions, I'm 23 and just a few pounds short of not only getting into the wonderful onederland, but close to losing 100 pounds!

    It depends on how active you are, and your opinion on it. You can always manually change the calorie count to something you think is more fitting to your style. If it doesn't work out, change something that you believe will be beneficial to your success at a better you. Everyone is different, and the same ideas and regimens are not for everyone. Once you find your gig, stick to it and don't look back unless it's to see how far you've come! :smile:
  • ptsmiles
    ptsmiles Posts: 511 Member
    I'm 211 lbs. and I used a calculator to figure out how many calories my body needed for my height and weight to function. It turned out to be about 1700-1800 calories. I dropped it down to 1550. It was so hard for me the first week or so. I even cried because I wasn't used to it. It has gotten a little easier and I've been drinking more water. I'm 3 wks into it and I have lost 4lbs. You can add me as a friend if you need some support.
  • DebSM2
    DebSM2 Posts: 62 Member
    I am 5'9". Started at 315 lbs, set at losing 2 lbs a week, lightly active, and was allotted 1860 calories. Now weigh 229 and get 1580 calories. With my last 10 lbs. lost I did not update because I am losing well at this number and don't want to reduce calories again. Started at the beginning of November. Didn't exercise with any sort of regularity until two weeks ago, and I eat back calories earned anywhere from half of them to nearly all.

    If you are set at sedentary, changing it to lightly active may increase you to a more manageable calorie limit. In all honesty I have not been perfect but have logged it all and have had not too many over days. Losing in excess of 2 lbs a week and am hypothyroid to boot. I know it is different for everyone, but I agree with previous posters that trying to restrict too much could lead to bingeing issues.

    Should add that I am by default likely more than "lightly active" with a 5 year old, 3 year old, and 5 month old. I started MFP after the birth of my youngest, with whom I reached 349 lbs. sheesh...


    Good luck while you are figuring out what works for you. I always like to see how others are making it work...keep checking things out!

    ETA...my start date was actually December but I started making changes prior to MFP
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Hi all,

    I am 295lbs and wanting to lose my excess weight but I can't imagine only eating 1400 cals that MFP recommends to lose 2lb a week

    Any advice or personal experience ?

    Thanks guys in advance

    X

    Here's my personal experience:

    I weighed exactly what you do 293 days ago. Now, I weigh 194. I set MFP to lose 2 lbs. a week and I've stuck to the calories it suggested to get there. I did little exercise last year other than walking my dog. This year I've added cardio/hand weights/pilates. I eat back half of my exercise calories. I don't eat "clean" or paleo or anything special. I make sure my macros are in balance as a weekly average.

    Here's my advice:

    It's tough at first, but it gets easier. Expect to be hungry at times. Learn to live with it. Take the time (via trial and error) to figure out what is effective and SUSTAINABLE for you. Read what others have done on MFP. Take what works for you and forget the rest. It's your journey, not anyone elses. Do it your way. And do not quit, ever.
  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    That seems quite low but then you did ask for 2lbs a week I guess.

    I started at 308lbs and ate 2100 a day. I set it for 1lb a week but lost more than this. I am now at 225lbs and still eating 2000 calories a day and losing weight.

    Try eating a higher amount and see what your losses are like. You may be lucky like me and end up losing 2lbs a week even though your goal should be giving you a 1lb a week loss. No point in eating so little if you can eat more and still lose like a pro. If your losses arent what you want decrease your cals slightly until you reach 2lbs a week.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    That seems quite low but then you did ask for 2lbs a week I guess.

    I started at 308lbs and ate 2100 a day. I set it for 1lb a week but lost more than this. I am now at 225lbs and still eating 2000 calories a day and losing weight.

    Try eating a higher amount and see what your losses are like. You may be lucky like me and end up losing 2lbs a week even though your goal should be giving you a 1lb a week loss. No point in eating so little if you can eat more and still lose like a pro. If your losses arent what you want decrease your cals slightly until you reach 2lbs a week.

    Excellent advice ^^
  • aziapatrick
    aziapatrick Posts: 33 Member
    I'm at around 330 now (I think...scale-less dieting) now and eating around 1750 per day, I started at 350 about a month ago. The best advice I can give you is:

    -Stop looking at numbers, measure your success by progress. Inches, endurance, etc.
    -Unless you already like diet drinks...don't drink them. Gradually wean yourself off regular drinks. Drink lots of water. Also, use a straw with your water. I'm not sure why but it helps you drink more. I have a 32 oz. cup with a straw that I use and during the day at work I will drink at least 3 of them.
    -Exercise. It is super hard at first. I almost died after 7 minutes on the bike my first week. Now I can get to 30-40 minutes. Also...the bike is the best! Annnnndddd headphones, mp3 player, and upbeat music is a huge plus!
    -Plan out meals in advance. It really helps with cravings. I pretty much eat the same thing every day. Most people will say they can't do that but it's easier for me. I know what I'm going to eat everyday lol.
    -Protein bars can be your best friend!! I eat one for breakfast everyday (Atkins advantage meal bar). I'm not one who makes time to sit and eat breakfast, so the bars are a great "on the go" option.
    -Lastly...you can do it!!! It's hard...you will struggle, you will trip up, you will get frustrated but in the end it's all worth it.
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