I don't want to lose hair again

Since your motivation is one based on fear of being judged rather than your overall health and you have a history of eating disorders I think you need to speak to a doctor and get referrals to a dietician and a therapist to help you on your way so you stay healthy both in mind and body. Best of luck in your journey. I wish you the absolute best.

1500 calories seems pretty low for someone who is 5'9". How active are you? What do you all day? (e.g., sit most of the day, stand and walk frequently, carry things from one place to another? are you a student/worker sitting in front of a computer all day, someone stocking shelves in retail, someone making deliveries, someone with a job that has you outside moving a lot, using tools, etc.?) If you were a step counter or have a step counter device, how many steps a day on average?

milkameisje wrote: »

lynn_glenmont wrote: »

1500 calories seems pretty low for someone who is 5'9". How active are you? What do you all day? (e.g., sit most of the day, stand and walk frequently, carry things from one place to another? are you a student/worker sitting in front of a computer all day, someone stocking shelves in retail, someone making deliveries, someone with a job that has you outside moving a lot, using tools, etc.?) If you were a step counter or have a step counter device, how many steps a day on average?

Like a lot of people these days I'm unemployed due to the pandemic. I spend most of my time sitting and put that in my MFP settings as well. Does that change anything?

I would say that 1500 is about the least anybody of your height and weight with good health, no negative diet-related history, and a generally sedentary lifestyle should consume in a day.

That said, given your history of fainting, hair loss, and "other awful side effects," I would not recommend you eat the least that might be advisable for a generally healthy person of your height and weight with no counterindications, such as a history of eating disorders and serious side effects from undereating.

It would seem much wiser to me to set your goal for 1/2 to 1 lb loss per week (roughly 2000 to 2250 calories per day), and eat more if you exercise. Do that for a month or so, and if you don't see any negative reactions, carve off 100 to 200 more calories per day for another month and see how it goes.

I'm sure that sounds painfully slow, but you are not just any 253-pound person trying to lose weight. You're you, a person with a history of negative outcomes from trying to lose weight too quickly.

-1000 Cal, 2lbs a week may be appropriate at the early weight loss stage for a person of your stats ABSENT previous history.

Anything above 15% of TDEE (and tdee should include a separate count any and all exercise or activity beyond the home bound ambulatory self care level of steps already included in the sedentary setting) as a deficit is aggressive. And with your history anything aggressive is severely counter indicated.

You're realistically looking at 1lb a week or less and even this continuously applied could trigger re occurrence of ED

You may see things differently because you're 19, but the order of significance goes:

--avoid ED at all costs

---avoid remaining morbidly obese for multiple years but avoiding ED is even more important

---avoid rapidly regaining lost weight (yo yo)

Slow loss over multiple years has helped many of us avoid rapid yo yos.

Continuing to try to lose like you have in the past will (more than likely) get your the same end results you obtained in the past.

So it *is* time to change the narrative if you want to achieve change instead of a similar rapid loss and regain experience

---Accommodate boyfriend(s) sensibility

You may note that your proximate motivating factor (boyfriend) almost didn't make the list. That's because everything you've said indicates that your size and weight loss methods are not an aesthetic issue; but rather a full blown health issue that you will have to deal with long term

Best advice so far is to enlist professional help.

Second advice is to maybe find more affordable alternative to fulfill the functions your insurance doesn't cover.

Your resistance to talking to a professional does not inspire that the resistance comes from a good and healthy place.

Third best advice was to aim for less then a lb a week to start.

I would further narrow that 250 to 500 Cal to a number that is no more than 10 to 15% of your TDEE as a deficit.

The two figures substantially overlap in the 2000 to 3333 Cal TDEE range

1500 sounds low. I'm 5'8, 212 lbs, and maintain at about 2500 calories per day. Your description sounds like you're less active, leading to lower maintenance calories, but I still recommend upping your calories.

You say you are willing to commit to MFP indefinitely if needed. I suggest you up your calories to at least 1800, possibly 2000, stick to it for at least a couple of weeks, and see what happens. I think in your situation I think learning how to maintain current weight without yo-yoing or disordered eating is priority number one to stabilize the situation. Eating at or close to maintenance level would be a great start in that.

I understand you said therapy is out of question. I agree with the suggestion to check if your insurance covers a dietician. Another option is to reach out to support specializing in eating disorders, they probably have more knowledge on best weight loss guidance for people with a history of ED. I don't know where you're located or if you have experience with some of these organizations, but at least this one offers a free chat or phone service https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline

In the absence of being able to get professional help, I'd reduce the rate of loss goal to 1lb or 1.5lb a week, to give yourself a few more cals a day and not be too hard on yourself. You'll still have scale fluctuations, as everyone does but, over a period of a month, your rate of loss shouldn't slow significantly and you should see fairly consistent results if you compare your weight now to what is it in a month's time and then compare that to your weight in another month's time.

For your height and weight, 2lb a week is too aggressive.


Focus on sticking to the calories given. Try to focus on eating things that make you feel fuller without adding cals. For some people that's more protein and for others it's fat or carbs. The macro percentages that MFP set as the default are usually good enough for most people, so that'll give you an idea as to what to aim for.

You can only do what your budget will afford but doing what we've always done will get us what we've always gotten. Speaking only in general here, there is that tendency to go right back to the method that affords one the greatest amount of weight loss in the shortest amount of time. You're young so it's time to Flip the Switch and stop all of those things that will result in rebound weight gain with friends. If we don't get down to the roots of the real problems they only come back to haunt us and those can last for an entire lifetime.

At the very least you need a medical checkup to see where you stand with your blood sugar levels because T2 diabetes can strike at any time or any age. Insulin Resistance only adds to the equation and the longer it goes the more difficult it will be on down the line. There's leptin, ghrelin blowback and a myriad of other things that go along with a lifetime of constant dieting and wild swings UP and down with weight. You don't want that.

All movement counts. Don't wait until you've lost x number of pounds to start moving. Whatever activity you choose and enjoy, you will have to continue doing for the rest of your life. Walk out your front door and keep going until you can't go anymore and return home. Start today and keep moving. It will keep your mind busy during these difficult times.

Sit down with someone. Face-to-face. There are resources that don't cost a dime. A 1500 calorie diet and constant starts and stops, starting over and over again won't fix any of things. Dig deep now and you'll be so much further ahead. There's no such thing as the Finish Line. We have to take care of our overall health and well being every single day for the rest of our lives.