What to set calories if Obese

kmg3614 · December 2020

Hello! I'm looking for advise. I'm 54 yo and my metabolism has come to a screeching halt. I need to lose about 130 pounds. I set my calories for a 1 pound loss a week and I'm walking 30 min a day on my eliptical. I would really like to lose weight faster, but I'm afraid that if I drop to 1200 calories my body will just get used to that and will gain it back if I eat at 1500. MFP tells me to have 1700 a day before exercise to lose 1 pound a week. Does anyone have suggestions?

heybales · December 2020

Metabolism to halt you'd be dead.

Body doesn't get used to certain amount of calories and it becomes maintenance.
People will stress their body enough it adapts and slows a lot of stuff down, plus gain water weight - that combo can show no scale loss.

So smart idea is indeed to set reasonable goal.

If you can get your activity level to Lightly-Active by doing that 30 min daily walking and set it as such, then you'd probably have the range for what would be a reasonable 2lb weekly loss, until you have 50 lbs left to healthy weight, then slow the rate of loss down.

The exercise on elliptical though you add when actually done, or other workouts. Estimate on that from database is likely inflated, knock 25% off the estimate given.

You are tad stressed already - believing that if maintenance was 1200 and you ate 1500 you'd gain it all back.

So MFP has daily maintenance at I'm betting sedentary you selected as 2200, which means BMR is 1760.
Which means lightly-Active level (which 30 min of walking daily gives you) would be 2464 daily burn no exercise counted yet.
Eating goal for 2 lb weekly would be 1464.

You'd want to confirm the foods you eat are filling since that is a big deficit.
And how you react to the walking may leave you hungrier than it might others. Then again the walking could be good, a hard elliptical session could make you very hungry.
So meal timing important too.

Will need to experiment, and count initial failures as learning experiences.

Keep the reasonable attitude - but not over stressed with the idea.

Dogmom1978 · December 2020

Also, if you don’t already own one, get a food scale and make sure you weigh and accurately (many entries are incorrect) log your food.

Eat all or some of your exercise calories back (unless exercise calories are under say 200).

corinasue1143 · December 2020

Sounds like good thinking to me. Start where you feel comfortable starting. Keep an open mind. Be aware of what’s happening to your body AND your mind. Adjust in the future as needed.
1700 calories a day sounds doable. The exercise will burn calories, build muscle, and hopefully make you feel better.
Go for it! And Good Luck!

142jmh · December 2020

You may want to think about scheduled maintenance breaks (some call them diet breaks or refeeds). 130 pounds is a long term goal, and scheduling specific breaks during which you eat at maintenance calories can do a world of good for mental health as well as physical health and weightloss.
You can learn more at:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

One of the links referenced in that first main post is this one:
https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break

Personally, my journey started in May, and it will be likely another year before I reach my goal (although its a lifestyle thing now, sustainable changes and all). Originally I had a one week maintenance break every three months, but now that I am down 60 lbs I have a one week maintenance break every 6 weeks. The calories are not that crazy different (1900-2000 when in calorie deficit, 2400 during break), after all it is maintenance break and not "undo all the work I just did" break... but it yields great results and long term calorie deficit can be difficult, even when done in the most sustainable way. Sometimes I think to myself, "just skip the break, weigh less faster"... but it comes down to the big picture, the long term goal, which for me is healthy living.

You got this!

freda666 · December 2020

kmg3614 wrote: »

Hello! I'm looking for advise. I'm 54 yo and my metabolism has come to a screeching halt. I need to lose about 130 pounds. I set my calories for a 1 pound loss a week and I'm walking 30 min a day on my eliptical. I would really like to lose weight faster, but I'm afraid that if I drop to 1200 calories my body will just get used to that and will gain it back if I eat at 1500. MFP tells me to have 1700 a day before exercise to lose 1 pound a week. Does anyone have suggestions?

Most people who think their metabolism has come to a "screeching halt" so cannot lose on a deficit of calories (and 1500 with exercise is going to be a deficit if you are obese) are simply eating more than they think. Caveat - unless of course you have a medical condition.

Weight every morsel not forgetting to add what you drink if that has calories. Bin those cups!

And personally, I do not "eat back" exercise as I cannot see the point of that when you need to lose a ton of weight, and aim for a 1 to 1.5 pounds a week through an eating deficit and 0.5 or so from exercise.

kmg3614 · December 2020

Thanks for all of your input! I love all of the ideas and just have to realize this is a marathon not a sprint. I wrote this on Monday (weigh in day) and was only down a pound and thinking it should be more (mathematically between calories and exercise). Since then I lost 2 more pounds in only a few days. I must have been holding on to water. I love the idea of maintenance breaks to just stabilize the body.

heybales · December 2020

You still have some hormones surging through you!
Which means you really can't take anything less than probably 2 weeks as meaningful or actionable from the scale weight.
Those water weight fluctuations can drive you batty. Weight trending app another good idea for a long journey.

Your comment on exercise did remind me something I forgot to mention.

If you count that daily 30 min walk as daily activity to keep it simple and just correctly increase your Activity Level to Lightly-Active - you do NOT count it as exercise then.
Only the elliptical when done.

Just wanted to confirm, some don't know that.

I took a diet break for a week every 10 lbs lost. May not need that at start, but after 10 lbs you have to eat a fair bit less anyway, and good to see how it was going to work out for foods and quantities.
Hormones really benefit from that. Some more recent diet studies show that up.

misslizzierod · December 2020

What helps me is trying to meet my protein goal. Mine is 105 grams per day so I try my hardest to keep each meal high protein. It makes me feel full. Take it a day at a time.

My personal preference is to not weigh myself because I have had eating disorder in the past and I want to enjoy my journey, not be a slave to the scale. I started 3 months ago and plan on weighing myself in February. (Just a personal preference)

Plus, I don't need a scale to show me I am going in the right direction. Your clothes will start fitting you better, loser, and a plus is people start noticing.

Nutrition is key and enjoy the journey! Make it a lifestyle, not a diet. It help if your nutrition plan is sustainable long term. Best of luck, it is possible and you are capable!

What to set calories if Obese

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