1000 calories a day

Where are you getting this 1000 calorie goal from?

I would be so hangry on 100 calories a day. 4 kids here.

IMO, 1000 calories if you intended on quitting a in a few months, or 1500 if you see yourself reaching your GW. (And that even seems a little low without checking up on your stats.)

KaytiWindham wrote: »

Dr told me to lower calories between 1500 or lowest at 1000 now I always end up eating about 1100.

1000 is not a healthy or sustainable goal, and if you actually have 70 pounds to lose, it's most likely entirely unnecessary. The absolute minimum recommended for the average woman is 1200 calories a day, and hence why MFP doesn't let you go lower.

Did you get your calorie goal from the general practitioner you see, or a dietician? How tall are you and, if you don't mind, what do you currently weigh? Do you have a medical condition that affects your ability to burn calories?

1000 is in no way sustainable, it almost always causes crash & burn, followed by quitting and gaining weight back.

I would ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian, most MDs have very little nutrition knowledge, an RD will be able to give you a much better idea of what you should actually be eating.

KaytiWindham wrote: »

So should I up it to 1200? I wanna lose at least 3 pounds a week

3 pounds a week is too fast, unless you are severely obese, like a couple hundred pounds to lose. Generally speaking, 2 pounds aw week is the maximum you should shoot for. The weight didn't come on overnight, so you can't expect to lose it overnight. You should up your calories to at least 1200, go through MFP's guidance to figure out where you should be.

Oh man, I would fail on 1000. I would be so hungry I would over-eat. I would also probably be divorced because I would be no fun to be around or live with !!

My main advice is this: if you really should only have 1000 calories a day, then plan for how you'll feel on those days when you're not able to meet your target. At that low a calorie goal, it'll be easy to stray from your goals--and consequently, easy to lose heart, get disappointed, and give up.

On a related note:
1) If you can't make it for that day, don't lose heart. Limit your intake the best you can and resolve to do better the next day.
2) If you really dread the thought of maintaining 1000 calories per day, then don't feel bad about kicking it up to 1200-1500. If your physician recommended 1500, it means you should still lose weight at that range. As long as you're getting closer to your goal, you're not failing.

In short: forgive yourself when you can't meet your goals, and if your goal is too hard, go for an easier goal that will get you to the same place. At low-calorie diets, one of the most important things is knowing how to deal successfully with slip-ups and lapses.

(Source: I did the 1200-calorie regime for 100 days or so...)

amcook4 wrote: »

KaytiWindham wrote: »

So should I up it to 1200? I wanna lose at least 3 pounds a week

3 pounds a week is too fast, unless you are severely obese, like a couple hundred pounds to lose. Generally speaking, 2 pounds aw week is the maximum you should shoot for. The weight didn't come on overnight, so you can't expect to lose it overnight. You should up your calories to at least 1200, go through MFP's guidance to figure out where you should be.

This. I lost 3 pounds a week when I was 340 pounds (I'm also 5'9"). That is a goal that is extremely difficult to manage. Going for a more reasonable goal, like 2 pounds or even 1.5 pounds, will help you maintain this until October and beyond.

To get a calorie amount for that, simply put your info into MFP and then select the amount you'd like to lose per week. MFP will give you the calories to eat every day. If you exercise, add those calories and eat them, at least some of them. Your deficit is already built into your calorie goal, and cheating yourself of food won't do you any good.

If your DR is saying 1,000 calories a day - you need to find a new DR! It would take more than 1,200 calories for you to just lay in bed each day and breath. I'm more in agreement with boredlimodriver (1,750). Go to the scoobyworkshop.com calculator and see what it gives you. Also check out IIFYM.com calculator to see what number you get there. I did years (and years) of 1,200 calories a day and 1 1/2 to 2 hrs of cardio a day and didn't see any progress...sure lose a few pounds and then gain it back again because your body thinks you are trying to starve it and it is going to hang onto all of the weight you have.

Also, even if you never exercise or even walk around at all, doing a quick estimate it looks like you can lose 2 pounds a week eating about 1500 calories. 1750 calories to lose 1.5 a week.

I am in the same boat you are in. I desperately want to lose 50 pounds by May. That is what I want, but I know I need to do it the right way. MFP said for my height and weight that 1560 a day is what I need to lose 2 pounds a week. I feel if you do it slow, you are learning a new way to eat which is the best way to do it. Also, I am a heart patient and you will be stressing out your body if you only do 1000 a day. Be safe, remember you have kids that need you. Good luck.

Just for the heck of it I went to both sites I mentioned in my post and for a ballpark I entered your height as 5'4" & 25 yrs. cuz I needed to enter something (sorry if I insulted you...congrats if I complemented you, LOL). Anyways, the scoobyworkshop site says 2,213 calories and the IIFYM website says 2,160 calories. Of course, it will change according to your actual stats and activity level.