Help! Not understanding the calorie goal calculator

kball0675
kball0675 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Long story short, I know I need to lose a lot of weight. I've been making good lifestyle changes and have been on such a good track to becoming much healthier. After speaking with my doctor he suggested I try a protein shake for breakfast and lunch and then have a sensible dinner. Well that doesn't add up to that many calories. According to the calorie calculator here I should be having 2100 a day to lose 1.5 lbs a week???

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,750 Member
    edited July 2017
    Most Dr's know very little (or nothing) about diet and nutrition. Please don't listen to their advice - if you have medical reason to follow a certain way of eating or to drop a lot of weight quickly under supervision, as for a referral to a dietician.
  • Rebecca0224
    Rebecca0224 Posts: 810 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Most Dr's know very little (or nothing) about diet and nutrition. Please don't listen to their advice - if you have medical reason to follow a certain way of eating or to drop a lot of weight quickly under supervision, as for a referral to a dietician.

    This. Make long term changes that are sustainable. Good luck.
  • texteach66
    texteach66 Posts: 92 Member
    Is your doctor monitoring your weight loss frequently due to some specific health concerns or is this just the recommendation to help you lose weight? If it's the first, then we probably don't know enough to respond. If it's the second, then you should choose what you think will work for you in the long term. I had 120+ lbs to lose when I started and I can't imagine (even after losing 100 lbs), just having two protein shakes and one meal.
  • kball0675
    kball0675 Posts: 3 Member
    No major health concerns surprisingly. I'm currently at 320 and aside from being obese I am healthy. This was just his way of helping me lose weight/making my stomach smaller. He said by following a diet similar to what a bariatric patient would follow I would have good results but it just isn't feeling right at all. These shakes are only 160 calories each. I'm just worried I'll rebound after I lose all the weight and start to eat normally again.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Not only do doctors tend to not know much about diet and nutrition, if they do...sometimes they don't expect their patient to log on here, weigh their food, and track accurately. So I think they sometimes just throw a low calorie goal out there, thinking the chances are the patient will be eating more anyway.

    It sounds to me like you've done your reading. If you want to lose the weight by eating what you like and tracking your calories, I think you should do it!
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,779 Member
    What the othes have said. Plus, not using any shakes means you can eat healthy food, and learn portion control along the way with the food you most likely want to eat for the rest of your life. You don't learn this from shakes.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,249 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    What the othes have said. Plus, not using any shakes means you can eat healthy food, and learn portion control along the way with the food you most likely want to eat for the rest of your life. You don't learn this from shakes.

    I drink a protein shake for breakfast and I intend to do that for an indefinite time. I count the calories of the ingredients and it teaches me of portion control as much or more than making a poridge.
    My shake is healthy and has great nutrition.

    OP, drinking a protein shake is an easy and very tasty way to add to the needed protein for the day. Nothing bad about it. You can make it as many calories as you want (when you say 160cal do you mean they are some ready made shakes? It is much better to make them yourself!) Mine is 300cal and I use protein powder with various flavours. Yum!
  • MaddMaestro
    MaddMaestro Posts: 405 Member
    Just track calories and eat fresh foods. Nothing processed. 320 is a lot of weight, but unless you're preparing yourself for surgery or had any other health concerns, don't lose too quickly.
  • kball0675
    kball0675 Posts: 3 Member
    We started making healthier changes about a month ago (when I say we, I refer to my husband and myself). We've cut out a lot of carbs, eating more lean proteins and more vegetables with meals and definitely snacking way less which was my biggest issue.
    Thank you for the advice everyone! I'm glad I asked because something about this has not been feeling right. I think we will stick to our original plan of healthier eating habits and see where that takes us
  • edlanglais5
    edlanglais5 Posts: 172 Member
    Follow MFP. It works. You can easily achieve 2000 cals a day consuming more than protein shakes for breakfast and lunch.
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