Confused...Help!

LourdesitaMaria
LourdesitaMaria Posts: 58 Member
edited September 28 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello Everyone!

Unfortunately, last week I gained .4 lbs back....that doesn't seem like a lot...but since I have to lose +100 lbs. every little bit counts. I am a bit confused with the amount of calories that I really should be putting in my system. I will bare my soul, we are all here for one thing to be healthy. Not that I go around telling everyone what I way. Heavens no! But I do need help and support somehow. I currently weigh 338.4 lbs. I'm 5'6. www.myfitnesspal.com says that I should be eating 1840 calories per day. I found a prevention.com (Prevention Magazine) calorie calculator and it said I had to eat around 2200 calories to lose weight. And an American Cancer Society calorie calculator told me I needed to eat 4100 calories a day to lose weight...(I thought that was INSANE!) So technically can anyone shed some like on this for me. Please. :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • sittingduck180
    sittingduck180 Posts: 64
    I'm 6 foot at 330 lbs and myfitness put me at 1930 cals/day.... from what I can tell, the math is sound - it calculates my "burn" at 2900 and takes away 1000 calories for weight loss. I think the scale is what matters... you can adjust your calorie goal each day as you go, so try mfp and see if there are results, then try the other ones? It depends on how active you are, too....
  • kfitz10103
    kfitz10103 Posts: 354
    I used Lance Armstrong's website which said about 2,000 and this one said 1,680. I am sticking to this one since it is the smallest. Its a good thing too because after 3 weeks of using this website and keeping at 1,680 I have maintained. If I would have gone with the other amount I would have gained about 2 lbs. (2000-1,680=320 x 21 days = 6,720 / 3500 = 1.92lbs!) I think it varies for everyone, so if I were you I would stick with this website for maybe 3 weeks and see how you do before you decide to increase your calories.
  • jojoworks
    jojoworks Posts: 315 Member
    Hi,

    First of all, you're doing great just by being here, by engaging in the process and by asking for help!

    Secondly, its a long journey and you won't lose everyday and some days you will gain, in other words, your weight will fluctuate and not always in the direction you think it should be. So, get used to it! Relax, be patient, think of this as a process and not an event.

    Thirdly, it would be easier to give you specific advise if you could make your food diary public. This would give people a chance to evaluate what you're eating.

    And, regarding your calorie allotment as set by MFP, I think you should do a "search" of the posts on this site, I know there are many topics that have dealt with this question in detail.

    Good luck and take care!
  • metrofuser
    metrofuser Posts: 2
    :glasses:

    dont sweet it
  • disneydancer
    disneydancer Posts: 5
    Hi!
    I'm also confused and also somewhat in the same boat you are in. This site says i should be consuming 1840 calories to lose weight, however another website said I should be consuming 2220 calories. I'm 35 years old, 5'9" in height and this morning's weight was 241. I've been doing MFP for almost 2 months. I gained 4 pounds, and then lost 4 pounds. I am walking about 45 minutes 4 days a week and have been doing so fro the last 4 weeks....NO CHANGE in weight and I have been adhering to the calorie intake limit. I saw your posting and can feel your anxiety as well...I feel like I might not be consuming the appropriate caloric amount as recommended and that's why I'm not seeing a change.....has anyone else gone through this?
  • ahfudge
    ahfudge Posts: 9
    Hi there - don't be frustrated.

    What is your time frame for losing that 100 pounds?

    Do you work? Are you sedentary? How often do you work out? What do you do when you work out?

    It's tough to tell based on the limited information you have given us.

    If you're sedentary, you should probably be consuming about 2,300 calories per day - and you would lose 1 to 2 pounds per week.

    However, everyone is different - do what works. If you find you're not having success after a few weeks - try adjusting downward. If still no success after a few weeks - try adjusting upward.

    I also would try to lose about 1 lb per week. Since you're somewhat large to begin with - it will most likely come off faster in the beginning.

    I wouldn't weigh in more than once a week for now.

    All of the above are just opinions based on limited info.
  • ahfudge
    ahfudge Posts: 9
    Have you lost inches?
  • ahfudge
    ahfudge Posts: 9
    Imvelez -

    Sorry I have to run - but a quick look at your diary tells me this (a very quick look).

    You changed your goal from 1800 something to 2200 something. Was that because of a change in habits or just different site recommendations? Different sites use slightly different formulas and may include or exclude things differently.

    I think that to safely lose weight - you need more calories. I would recommend 2200 to 2300 per day NET calories.

    Make sure your activity level is set accurately.

    I think you should be drinking a LOT more water. At least 8 glasses per day. Take a pitcher to work and fill it up in the morning and don't leave until you've finished it.

    My opinion is that you should also be eating a bigger breakfast! It is after all the "breaking of the fast" - thus breakfast. Let your body know you're not starving it.

    Gotta run,

    Steve
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    I would go with MFP calories. Either way you aren't even coming close. You need to eat more than 1200 calories and us big gal still need a lot of calories for our bodies to function. I would also suggest eating a more substantial breakfast than just a protein shake and expanding your macronutrients to track sodium and sugar. My guess is that red lobster meal was full of sodium and too much salt can cause you to retain water.
  • missxchelly
    missxchelly Posts: 180
    I would stick with what MFP gives you. It calculates your weight, and what you said you do for activity during the day as well as exercise. Every time you exercise it allows you more calories anyways. I'm not sure but did those sites incorporate exercise? Also, your body naturally burns soooo many calories a day. You're burning calories just to sleep, eat, move, laugh, etc. Just follow what it says on here. It's plenty. With time you will see how easy it gets and I promise if you follow it you will lose (=
  • LourdesitaMaria
    LourdesitaMaria Posts: 58 Member
    Thank you, to everyone for your encouragement and advice...it means a lot to me...believe me!

    I want to lose the weight...I don't care how long it takes...obviously, I'd rather it take less time than longer, but I know that I must be patient with myself.

    I do work from 8-5pm.

    I am sedentary...though it depends on the general definition that people give that word. I try to do little things like park farther and walk around more...when not sitting down at work. I know I really need to get on an exercise routine. I used to do Zumba 3x per week for an hour each time, and it was amazing. My heart rate would be up while building up a good sweat, and I felt energized and like I was accomplishing something, but the scale was just rollercoasting up and down each week. I have not done that routine since March. So I'm planning to begin that again.

    Right now I'm eating between 1600-1800 calories per day, and I feel more than satisfied, really. I don't think I could eat more than this amount.

    You're right...I only weigh in once a week.

    And I do feel like I have lost some inches...(I've not measured myself, because I found it difficult to be consistent from week to week...where I measured and such...but I do feel it somewhat in my clothing. Not a lot, but some.
    I hope the above was nore informative.

    Thanks!
  • LourdesitaMaria
    LourdesitaMaria Posts: 58 Member
    One site asked about activity and the other did not. There are some entries in my diary that I did not log so that's why it seems like I only ate 1200 a day or so. I do have to be better about entering every single thing I eat. I get cravings a lot and well, Red Lobster was the result of one of those cravings, but the slightly positive thing I took from that was that I did not eat the full portion of pasta (2 cups) I broke it down into 4 servings...but it still isn't good...I know.
  • ahfudge
    ahfudge Posts: 9
    You'll do fine - don't worry about fluctuations from time to time.

    I lost 80 lbs of pure FAT over 4 years....I did it slowly intentionally - and if I look at the scale right now - my weight has only changed about 40 lbs. So I've built a ton of muscle as well.

    I think it's awesome that you're doing this while you're still somewhat young. I wish I would have started at your age.

    Sometimes it seems counter intuitive to eat more to lose weight - but trust me (and the rest of us on here) - you need to eat what your body demands for your weight.

    Don't forget to adjust as you lose.

    Good luck,

    Steve
  • LourdesitaMaria
    LourdesitaMaria Posts: 58 Member
    Thanks, Steve!
  • TTHdred
    TTHdred Posts: 380 Member
    I agree with Steve…keep it slow and steady. It’s great that you are here and taking it so seriously. That is really where most people fail. So, I will say, don’t beat yourself up of the little gain.

    Now to your question regarding calories. I save this post and share it with others and it explains a lot on how calorie intake is determined, both at MFP and in general and the reasoning behind it all. The main thing is figuring out what works best for YOUR body. It is very long, but is well worth the read.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
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