Teen needs help!!!!

eat AT LEAST 1200 calories a day. The walk sounds good......And read through all of the posts.

1000 calories a day is not enough. You need to net at least 1200 calories, which means AFTER exercise is counted in.

Hmm......I think under 1000 calories a day would do you no good, maybe even gain you some weight. I would start with say 1600 calories and maybe do a bit more than just walk if you can. Higher calories because at 1000 your body would hold on to everything you eat since it doesn't know when it's getting fed next...oh and try to eat 5-7 times a day...small meals...sancks, etc.

Look at maybe a higher protein diet if you are doing some sort of strength training....note that strength training won't bulk you up, it'll help keep you toned as the weight drops. People forget about the extra skin that just hangs there sometimes.

So I would start looking at Chicken, Lean Beef, Fish etc for meat....alot of green veggies.

Hi there. I'm pretty new to this too and I can empathize that it is tricky to set your limits but I really have to advise you to up your calorie intake. That's way too little, especially given your height!

MFP is really great about helping you figure out what a good calorie goal should be per day and also letting you know when you are not eating enough - (check through the goals section of the website). Also, check out what your BMR is because this will give you a better idea of how many calories you need to survive. I'm 5.2" and my BMR is around 1200 so I imagine yours will be more.

Beyond the whole minimum calorie requirement thing remember that if you don't eat enough calories your body will go into starvation mode and this can make it even harder to lose weight in the short term and long term.

Doing a walk every night sounds like a great idea! Maybe bring an mp3 player or something so that it can really feel like something nice you are doing for yourself.

Is there any type of exercise that you really enjoy or you have done in the past? I find this is a nice way to not feel like I'm completely deprived because a 45 minute swim or half hour run can really help you earn some extra calories for a treat every once in a while (but that's my style, I know everyone is different in terms of how militant they are in what they eat).

Hope this helps and good luck!

Some quick suggestions for food:
-lots of veggies (low in calories and sugar) (broccoli in stir fry is my personal fav.)
- instant oatmeal (for me its an easy way to make sure I eat breakfast - can range from 150 - 200 cals)
- rice crackers (5 crackers are 45 calories for when you have a carb craving)
- tofu (I'm vegan so I'm not going to suggest any meat but I'm sure others will have lots of suggestions for protein)
- beans (so filling - a good chili packed with beans and veggies can tide me over any day :-)
- lentils (especially as soup is soo tasty) and a lean source of protein

Did you input your info when you joined.....MFP will tell you how many calories you should eat for your weight, age, height etc. No need to guess or make it all up yourself.

Honestly if you follow the program as it's designed, workout (walking every night is a great idea) and eat those calories or at least 50-75% of them each day and do not go under 1200 calories the weight will come off.

It's can be a slow process......but you can do it. Watch your sodium, make sure to get in plenty of fiber and protein and stick within calories and you will see the weight come off. Drink lots of water, limit junkfood and pop and you know all that stuff.

I had already lost 40 lbs before I joined MFP but when I joined I followed the program exactly as it was set up for me and I lost 10 lbs a month for the next 6 months straight (for a total of 100 lbs in 10 months) so it can be done. Never starved myself, even had some "treat/cheat" days and I've now lost 143lbs in 17 months, and only have 15 more to go to goal.

Oh and I was set up to lose 2lbs a week in the beginning....I hit a plateau (4 months) and I UPPED my calorie intake so I was eating MORE each day (recommended 1lb per week loss as per MFP) and I lost 16lbs in 4 weeks. So don't think less is better when it comes to healthy and permanent weight loss.

GOOD LUCK!

Hey! My starting weight was 240 and now I'm 208. I did this by eating at least 1200 calories a day and working out 30 minutes for 3 days a week. Walking is a great exercise. Many people don't think that you can lose weight by just walking, but you really can. I had to walk for exercise when I hurt my knee (I've had 2 knee surgeries). Just make sure you have a clean, healthy diet. Diet is 70-75% of weight loss at first. Good luck and if you ever need anything, just message me!