Newbie 1500 Calorie Question

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CuzImaCowboy
CuzImaCowboy Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on this for 2 weeks now. First week I lost 6 lbs second week i lost 2 lbs. The only difference between the 2 is in the second week I was eating more carbs and getting closer to 1500 calories where as the first week my carbs were really low and i was only hitting 1378 range.

I read online that going lower then 1500 might result in not losing weight. So my question is should I go back to eating very little carbs and stick around 1300 - 1400 range or was that just my body adjusting to the new calorie count and I should stick with 1500 calories

Also should i stick with high protein low carbs even though it says i have carbs left to use?

I currently weigh 281 lbs and want to be healthy.

Replies

  • registers
    registers Posts: 782 Member
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    I've been on this for 2 weeks now. First week I lost 6 lbs second week i lost 2 lbs. The only difference between the 2 is in the second week I was eating more carbs and getting closer to 1500 calories where as the first week my carbs were really low and i was only hitting 1378 range.

    I read online that going lower then 1500 might result in not losing weight. So my question is should I go back to eating very little carbs and stick around 1300 - 1400 range or was that just my body adjusting to the new calorie count and I should stick with 1500 calories

    Also should i stick with high protein low carbs even though it says i have carbs left to use?

    I currently weigh 281 lbs and want to be healthy.

    Man you have to "test" DON'T reduce your caloric intake unless nothing is working. Lowrer your carbs but maintain the same caloric intake. This means increasing fats and protiens, Good fats, not bad ones. I try to eat under 100grams of carbs a day, during my... low carb phase, then on my normal phase, I eat as much as I want. I pretty much cycle my days.
  • ChrisWag
    ChrisWag Posts: 169
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    I agree, don't lower your calories....the weight loss the first week was great however it will not keep going like that if you are doing it healthy and right.....Lowering carbs is one of the fastest ways to lose tho.....Try keeping to 50ish NET carbs a day, which is carbs minus fiber, that should get things moving.....

    MFP guides are just an AVERAGE and are not written in stone...if I ate the carbs it told me to I would be as large as a house....I typically keep my carbs to 20% of my calories to maintain my current weight.

    Hope this helps! Good luck and great job getting healthy!!!!
  • MyaPapaya75
    MyaPapaya75 Posts: 3,143 Member
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    why not make yourself a range of 1200-1500 that way you dont drown yourself in guilt when you go over ....calories are just a target most people do not have to be so specific if they are honest with their food intake and get an accurate caloric burn when working out.... I would eat what your crave if its carbs eat carbs if its protein have protein....I would however say ALWAYS measure your servings and try to have only 1 and no second helpings....and try not to drink your calories away....1-2lbs is the average and you will plateau out of that like every 10% weight drop ...meaning you will go 1-3 weeks without losing anything and then all of the sudden lose again....this is generally how it goes..dont panic...its just the weight loss cycle....good luck ...
  • elg963
    elg963 Posts: 17
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    Hey! Congrats on all the weight loss! :) I am NO professional, but my first thought was that you probably lost more weight the first week due to it being the first week, and losing lots of water weight, etc.

    And, I hate to say this (cuz I hate it when people tell me this), but every body is different, so it is kinda hard to know what your calorie range should be. It depends on your height, weight, how much you need to lose, and activity level. But, for me personally, I find it SUPER hard to stick to anything under 1,500 calories. I'm not very active, besides working out, but if I try to keep my intake below 1,500... it will usually lead to me overeating. :(
    I always try to go over my protein intake and keep my carb intake at the allotted amount, or less. I don't restrict/avoid carbs, but I definitely keep my eye on the level and work to make sure I get as much protein as possible.

    I don't know if this helped at all, but good luck! :)
  • kellygirl5538
    kellygirl5538 Posts: 597 Member
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    Yeah don't get too overly concerned about calories....you are loosing weight right now because you have considerable amount of weight to loose. Any positive change in your diet as of right now will make you loose. A pound lost is better than a pound gained! Good luck!
  • issabishie
    issabishie Posts: 28
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    I lost an amazing 10lb in my first week and have lost a steady 3lb a week after that. I have stuck to between 14-1500 calories (my recommended is 1510) and usually use up some of the extra calories I've been allowed for exercise (although I have to admit I try not to use them all).
    The first week is apparently always a bigger loss then you settle into a routine. I don't really want to lose weight at a faster rate as because I have lots to lose I want my skin to be able to keep up with the loss and shrink back down along with me. The last thing any of us wants is to be left with too much excess skin.
    I try to always finish my day as far under my allowed fat content as possible, and I try to make sure I eat only good fats most of the time. I also try not to use up all of my carb allowance, but I don't think its necessarily healthy or helpful to be too low on carbs. They are necessary for keeping your energy going through the day, and limiting them too much will leave you prone to snacking as you will feel hungry more often.
    Hope thats been some help :)
  • natajane
    natajane Posts: 295 Member
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    My experience of weight loss is that I always lose lots the first week, and then less from then on. Like you I lost 6lbs in the first week and then it was steady afterwards.

    My thoughts are to stick as closely to the recommended calorie limit that MFP gave you for a few weeks. If you're not happy with the speed of weight loss then do more exercise and eat half the calories back. Just experiment with it.

    Also measure yourself with a tape when you weigh in - my 2nd week I didn't lose much in weight, think it was just 1lb. But I actually lost 3 inches off my waist, 3 inches off my hips and an inch off of my thigh!!! So its always good to have a couple of methods of measuring success.

    x
  • DESIREE1210
    DESIREE1210 Posts: 177 Member
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    The first week generally you lose the most weight. Your not going to pull out numbers like this every week, it's not the biggest loser. Your calories should be calculated on a weight loss of about 2#'s per week. Sounds like your right on track.

    Good luck to you!!!
  • CuzImaCowboy
    CuzImaCowboy Posts: 31 Member
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    wow very active board. nice to see. thank you for the advice, ill update you all in a week let you know how im doing. think I'm going to reduce my carbs a bit though see what that does

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