am I aiming too high

Phoebe1970
Phoebe1970 Posts: 10 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss

So, I'm back with 40 to lose but I'd be happy with 30, I set my calorie intake at 1200, but feel deprived. ,

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    What are your stats? Did you set your goal to lose 2 pounds a week? That's going to be too aggressive, and you'll be better off with a deficit of 1 pound per week.
  • SexyKatherine73
    SexyKatherine73 Posts: 221 Member
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    It's fine to have a goal of 40 pounds.

    What you should adjust are your expectations around how quickly you'll lose them. Instead of aiming for 2lbs/week, try aiming for 1lb/week and eat at that level for a while, see how you do.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    If you set your goal to 1 pound a week, you get more calories. This isn't a race.
  • Phoebe1970
    Phoebe1970 Posts: 10 Member
    I'm at 187, 5'6. I'm used to being around 145/150 lbs, my bp is high even with 6 meds per day, I'm just tired of being heavy. I saw photos from Xmas and nearly passed out. Yuck
  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    Yeah but you didn't gain those 40 pounds in less than 6 months. Why pressure yourself to lose them that quickly?

    Don't think of it as a time-limited diet. Instead, make a sustainable lifestyle change that you can keep up for life.

    I agree that, with your stats, you should be eating more than 1200 calories/day. Aim for about 1450-1500 *net* calories and eat back exercise calories on top of that. You'll lose the excess pounds within a year, and you'll feel better and healthier doing it and be much more able to stick with it.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I aimed to lose 65 lbs, and did. Nothing wrong with setting yourself a really big goal and proving to yourself that you can do it!
  • rkcampbell
    rkcampbell Posts: 188 Member
    The amount you want to lose is definitely doable, but I'm not sure about the 1200. If you're feeling deprived after a week or two, I'd try upping it a bit. Feeling too deprived (in my case anyway) will only lead to binges. Personally I am currently 5'7" and 189 and eating 1500 per day.
  • Phoebe1970
    Phoebe1970 Posts: 10 Member
    Maybe deprived is the wrong word, more like grumpy and restless
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Are you working out? Exercise usually helps with the grumpy and restless part, and gives you more calories to work with:)
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Eat more. There is no need to eat so little that you are grumpy and restless. I went from 202.5 to 150 (same height as you) and the lowest daily goal I used was 1750.

    Are you doing any exercise?
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Even if you don't lose weight (though you probably will), exercise has a significant affect on reducing blood pressure. It also improves your attitude and allows you to eat more without gaining weight.
  • maggiegbrown
    maggiegbrown Posts: 90 Member
    I understand what it like to be heavy when your use to being thinner. two years ago I was 130 today I am 160 as much as I was 9 months pregnant yikes!!!! So I get it. I don't see anything wrong with your goal. I'm doing the something. I'm at 1200 but I am doing low carb high fat and it seems to be working. I can barely get 1000 in but I feel full most of the time. So maybe give that a try. just a thought.
  • AmberAntoine
    AmberAntoine Posts: 23
    It is not impossible, you should have to do proper planning to achieve that. You should also do exercise daily.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I'd be setting my goal to no more than 1lb a week

    And I'd be eating back my exercise calories (MFP database 50 - 75% of calories given)

    That should give you enough calories to get off the "feeling deprived" and avoid the "crash & burn"

    too few calories can cause mood swings too
  • mymodernbabylon
    mymodernbabylon Posts: 1,038 Member
    I'm your height and was a bit less heavy than you but I lost weight at 1650 calories plus half my exercise calories. It didn't feel horrible at all. You can also figure out your TDEE and eat a 15% deficit - that will take you down a bit slowly but you'll maintain as much muscle mass as you can and feel so much more doable. I'm currently at 148 and I'm eating at a 10% deficit due to being close to my ultimate goal of being between 140-145. I'm eating around 2000 calories a day.
  • Phoebe1970
    Phoebe1970 Posts: 10 Member
    My tdee is 1873 according to the link.
    I haven't gotten back into exercising yet, doing the food changes first, then I will add exercise in the next week or two, I get overwhelmed making all those changes at once, lol
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I started in kind of the same place... 5'7", in my 40's, about 183 lbs. I have reached my goal weight (55 lbs lost!) and am playing with maintenance currently. I did it on 1200 cals (give or take), but it wasn't always easy.

    1200 calories a day takes a lot of commitment, mental strength, and discipline. You really have to eat as healthy as possible--lots of veggies and lean meat--because there isn't room for much more. The more you workout, the more you get to eat (although I try to not eat back more than 50% of my exercise calories)--I run a lot. There are very few days that I actually only ingest 1200 calories however--most days are much higher because of my workouts. I am rather obsessive and competitive, so I had the right mindset to push myself to lose the weight--I was ready.

    Honestly? I would suggest upping your daily calorie goal just a bit (maybe to 1400?) and starting there--you are more likely to stick with it if you aren't miserable.

    Good luck!
  • Phoebe1970
    Phoebe1970 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks to all for the replies! :-)
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