Are the rules different for obese people regarding calories,

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SolidGoaled
SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have about 80 lbs to lose - 100 if I want to get into the lower end of my "normal" weight.

What rules might be different for the folks that have so much to lose? Can we shoot for more than 2 lbs per week? Can we create larger defecits without risking "starvation" mode? Should we avoid "cheat" days? Is it more or less important to eat the exercise calories? Are we more or less at risk of plateauing?

I get a little confused when I read a lot of the info on here - Often, I'll be following along a thread and then read "Unless you are very obese, then that changes things a little and we won't get into it now"

So, I am looking for info specifically for the 80+ to lose people.
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Replies

  • kngarber
    kngarber Posts: 227
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    I want to lose 135 and I followed my calories and lost way more than 2 pounds, so I am just going with it....lol...
  • DaisyMoo86
    DaisyMoo86 Posts: 43
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    I have over 100lbs to lose so i know where you are coming from. My plan lets me eat 1650 cals a day, i have lost 26lb in 6 weeks so only goes to show that 2lb a week doesnt come into it.....add me as a friend. ill help anyone out x
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
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    I want to lose 135 and I followed my calories and lost way more than 2 pounds, so I am just going with it....lol...

    Same here!
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
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    I do believe the more weight you have to lose the more you can lose per week at least initially. Once you are out of obese into overweight it will probably slow to around 2 pounds a week. You need to make sure you are eating enough to fuel yourself though and eat the right kind of foods - lots of lean protein, whole grains fruits and vegetables. These are the foods that will not only help you lose fat but be healthy!
  • hop3
    hop3 Posts: 61 Member
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    I had 80 pounds to lose and it had me at 1360
  • ChelDM
    ChelDM Posts: 145
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    As far as I know the rules aren't different...I am in a pre-op group at the hospital...There are about 20 of us in the group and honestly from what I have learned it is the same as what I see everyone else post here aside the pre-op surgical piece which doesnt apply.

    ...And I have 85 pounds to lose.
  • BreakingUpWithObesity2013
    BreakingUpWithObesity2013 Posts: 276 Member
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    I personally don't believe in "cheat days." You are just cheating yourself in the end. Why have cheat days and realize what foods you miss eating and how much you miss eating. Just stick to a certain amount of calories a day and don't have any cheats...in the end you'll reach your goal faster and know that you did it all the right way =) I have 110 lbs to lose and when you first start you will lose a lot of water weight...making it more than 2lbs a week. That won't last long tho. Then you should aim for 2 lbs a week if that's your goal.
  • ngr1973
    ngr1973 Posts: 334
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    I've been having the same experience - only first 10 days into this but 7 lbs lost.

    The problem I'm having is - if I go even a little bit over my calories for the day - I will be .5 lb heavier the next morning OR if I don't eat a lot more protein. I've already gauged that my little protein/carb/fat goals are not for me- but it might be because I'm pre-diabetic but I seem to lose and feel better when I eat a lot more lean protein than it tells me to and very few carbs (and by carbs - really I mean veggies).

    Any advice or anyone who is trying to lose about 100 lbs want to exchange tips and inspiration - I'm open to becoming friends!:smile:
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
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    Regarding cheat days... I imagine it depends how you think of them.

    Some people use them as a means to "confuse the body." If that's how you think of them then I'm not sure of their necessity in the obese person's journey. In my head, cheat days are used in an effort to prevent bigger, more frequent cheats... it's a way to help make these lifestyle changes life-long rather than short-term. If you think of them in that light, then I think they important for people of any size.

    Best of luck in you journey! :flowerforyou:
  • cahira
    cahira Posts: 163
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    I've also read that you shouldn't lose more than 1% of your body weight per week. So for someone in say the 170's that's less than 2 lbs. per week. But for someone like me that's nearly 3 lbs. per week. Right now I am just seeing how it goes.
  • xerinx2011
    xerinx2011 Posts: 222
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    I have about 15olbs to lose initially then maybe more depending on how i feel! So far ive lost 17lbs in 3 weeks - week 1 9lbs,week2 5lbs and week 3 4lbs. I do expect it to level itself out eventually however.

    Ive had 2 cheat days so far one was my sons 1st birthday and one was last night due to emotional eating. However last night was the 1st time i went over my calories (by 300) Im back in force today and am trying to be very clean today to get rid of the junk from last night!

    Feel free to add me if you want :D
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    Aim for 2 pounds per week. You may lose 10 pounds really fast but this is just your body getting rid of the junk. Any more than two pounds per week after the first couple of weeks, isn't considered healthy weight loss. As you get smaller, your suggested calorie intake will be smaller. That's because it takes fewer calories to maintain a smaller body than it does a bigger one.
  • Healthyby30
    Healthyby30 Posts: 1,349 Member
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    When I started, I wanted to lose around 155 lbs. I've lost almost 55 lbs now and I do not eat my exercise calories. I eat around 1400 a day (and it's been that amount since I started really). I was losing around 3-3.5 lbs per week consistently. I've slowed down a bit - still losing around 2+ lbs a week usually. I had a cheat day once, do not recommend it lol. It made me feel like crap and I had horrible cravings for days. However, if I do want something and my calories allow I eat it. I tend to not really do too bad though. If you fill up on good foods you won't be as hungry for other stuff anyway. I've never deprived myself of anything and I've lost 54 lbs since Oct 26, 2010.

    The best advice I can give you from personal experience is stop thinking about it so much. I was the same way. Do what your body tells you. At one point I was working out burning 600-800 calories a day and only eating 1200 calories a day. That's a net of 600-800. After about a week I was drained. No energy, headaches, etc. So I increased my calories a bit and cut back a bit on the workouts. I never stopped losing. Now I workout 5 days a week and eat roughly 1400 calories a day. I feel great!
  • megamom
    megamom Posts: 920 Member
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    I have been watching Heavy lately and they are all on a 1200 to 1400 calorie diet and working out around 4 to 5 a day. No eating back their exercise calories and they don't seem to worry about starvation mode. Why is that? Is it because they have so much to lose?
  • dunztar
    dunztar Posts: 45
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    Some foods make you lose more fat than others. Specially those that take more calories to digest than what they contain
  • Adsnwfld
    Adsnwfld Posts: 262 Member
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    The slower more natural rate you lose fat the better the chance it will stay off. 2 lbs a week goal is just fine, you may lose faster but it isn't a real big deal. I found that weight fell off of me the heavier I was. As I slimmed down it was harder to lose at a quick rate. I'm still losing but at a close to maintenance rate.
    Try to avoid fad weight loss methods. Eat what you plan on eating for the rest of your life. You'll quickly find out by strictly counting calories what food you should and should not be eating. Calories isn't the only piece but nutritional content is important also.
  • Levahna
    Levahna Posts: 132
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    I started with over 100lbs to lose and the site wouldn't let me lose anymore than 2lbs a week. Anything more would probably be unhealthy and possibly put your body in starvation mode. My calories allowed go down every 10lbs lost. Calories allowed are dependent on current weight, because it's what is needed to fuel your body.

    I personally don't do cheat days. This is a lifestyle change so why would I not change it one day a week? I don't deny myself if I want something. . . I just do it in moderation and plan how to not let it affect the bigger goal!
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
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    Personally when I started June 15th I started with 2000 cals a day and I worked out and concentrated on eating better. I didnt have any cheat days unless I dropped cals for another day. Tom Venuto says it best. His opinion is if you smoked 2 packs of cigs for 20 years would you have cheat cigs? It makes yah think. I think changing your lifestyle and be consistent is important but you have to find your groove too.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
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    Cahira - you know, they should give you a % of weight loss that is safe per week rather than pounds - that makes more sense to me, being 240 lbs.
  • SolidGoaled
    SolidGoaled Posts: 504 Member
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    Xerin - how many calories are you eating per day?

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