2500 calories!!!??,

Ladyamanda87
Ladyamanda87 Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! I'm 5'5 and currently 366. My highest was 398. Slowly but surely trying to change my life. But my fitness pal is giving me 2500 calories to eat everyday. And I wanted to know if it would be better if I only ate 1800. I have been doing 20 minutes A-day of my Mini trampoline for exercise this week and plan on sticking to it because I like it so much ! Any advice on how much I should really eat to lose weight? At 1800 I feel totally fine! And I don't account for my exercise. Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    Well, good for you for getting things going. Best of luck! I hope you can find all the real-world support you need for accomplishing your goals. (We're just a bunch of yahoos here on the MFP chat room.)

    The calorie calculations that MFP does are based on the "M. St. J." population-average formula. Your actual calorie needs could be somewhat different. The formula still gives a place to start, and your body weight trend tells you how things are going (tracking over several days). The estimate of 2500kcal/day (average) is exactly the prediction for someone with your stats to lose 1 lb per, week assuming no particular exercise (sedentary).

    People say you could go to a 2lb/week loss, which lops off another 500kcals/day (2000kcals/day average intake). I wouldn't go below that (on average). The goal is to pick a deficit that you can sustain for as long as it takes to achieve your goal. Sorry that weight loss is a slow process, so you should always pick a reasonable rather than severe deficit. Slow and steady wins the race.

    I would suggest sticking with the 2500 kcals/day as your goal. Any day that you feel like you can eat a little less, go for it, so long as you get at least 2000kcals/day on average. If you do a big workout, use MFP exercise entry to estimate balancing intake, being conservative in what you eat back.

    You can eat your calories in a wide variety of ways. Some people do best eating about the same every day and some like to have fasting or partial fasting days interspersed. This is just like the choice of macro breakdown, where there are lots of choices and you need to figure out what works for you.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,757 Member
    I know a lot of people around here don't put stock in bmr but your bmr calories (I put you at 25ish...sorry if that's completely off :)) put you at almost 2600 calories. That's if you're in a coma.

    You don't eat exercise calories (altho I'm not sure how many calories 20 mins of trampolining burns) so do you REALLY want to eat almost 1000 calories less than if you were just laying there, hooked up to tubes, being fed intravenously?

    If you can lose weight on more, DO IT. Give what mfp suggests a chance first because, honestly, 1800 for your height, weight, and I'm assuming age, is going to be undereating and there lie a whole bunch of other problems. (You have such nice hair. So does my bathtub drain now.) :)
  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
    MyFitnessPal will not go more than a 1000 calorie daily deficit which translates to about 2 pounds per week loss rate.

    I've read - and I'm not a weight loss or medical professional - that one can aim to safely lose 1% of their body weight weekly, or 2 pounds whichever is greater. Because of where you're starting you could possibly aim for a larger deficit to lose 3-3.5 pounds weekly by eating ~1800.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    Good support group:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/133315-larger-losers
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    Sounds perfectly reasonable for your current stats. I wish I were given that many calories. Enjoy them LOL (I am probably much older than you and definitely much shorter LOLOL)

    The key in losing weight, and take this from someone who has lost 230 pounds, is to make small, SUSTAINABLE changes. this is a long term effort. not a sprint. you will not lose weight fast. you will not lose weight every week. you will have weeks on end with NO weight loss. its normal. trust the process.
    my main tips:
    learn how to weigh (on a food scale) your food properly and find ACCURATE database entries now, at first you may have a lot of room for error. but as you have less to lose, you don't. If you learn how to do things properly from the beginning, it means you don't have to RE-LEARN how to do it later.
    Find an activity you ENJOY. You don't have to be a runner (ew- though I have begun. and i hate it. I much prefer other cardio). You don't have to work out at all to lose weight (weight loss happens in the kitchen). BUT... physical activity does have a LOT of benefits. Both mental and physical. It can be as simple as a leisurely stroll a few times a week. And as you lose weight, you may find (I did), that you WANT to do more. Simple, little things like parking a bit further out in parking lots. Taking stairs instead of elevators. walking to your mailbox instead of pulling up to it in your car as you are pulling in your driveway. Small things. Every bit counts.
    Understand that you do not have to give up your favorite foods or any food groups to lose weight. You DO need to learn how MUCH you can eat. Portion control. This goes back to my first point. For the most part, I eat the same things I always have. Just less of them. I eat burgers and pizza and chips and cookies. Just ... not all in the same day ;) well, I might could get away with it if I planned it out REALLY well. And stuck to the plan with NO deviation. Maybe. LOL
    You will have 'bad' days. Whether its a holiday or just a ... bad day. Life happens. you will go over. It is NOT the end of the world. You will not ruin your deficit with one bad day. The problems come in when that one bad day becomes two, becomes 3, becomes a week, and goes on....
    You've got this. Take it one day at a time, and each day, try to do a little bit better. Don't try to do everything all at once. Don't try to make 1000 changes all at once. Most people who burn out, do so because they try to do too much, too soon. start small. build from there. You did not gain the weight quickly. You will not lose it quickly. Better to lose it slowly, and KEEP IT OFF, then lose it quick, and gain it all back and more!
    I've been at this a long time. It becomes a part of your life, and like any other habit, you don't think about it much, really. Your eating habits slowly change. You weigh and log your food. Your activity levels (usually) change, at least to some degree. You become more mindful of what you are putting in your shopping cart and body. My one (or two) words of caution is to make these changes slowly. Most people who go 'All in' head first and full steam, burn out quick. Your first couple of weeks, maybe even first month, most people will lose a fair amount fairly quickly, but most of it is water weight (usually from a natural, not intentional, reduction in carbs). It does slow down, as your body adjusts. It's normal, and is SUPPOSED to happen, so don't get discouraged. Also, don't set your calories too low. The fastest rate of loss (1200 for women and 1500 for men) is not the best rate of loss. Although very tempting to set it to lose faster, it will make it harder for you to maintain and stick to your calorie goals because you will be ... well, hungry. Be kind to yourself, give yourself a few more calories, and you will still lose weight and be less likely to deviate from your plan and therefore more likely to succeed. :)

    Useful Links
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1296011/calorie-counting-101/p1
    and basically ... all of these :)
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-health-fitness-and-diet-must-reads#latest
    I dont care if you add me, but I will warn you, I am not the friend for everyone. I am very supportive, and off and on all day, so see most things, but I swear like a sailor and ramble incessantly about my life, and not just about diet and weight crap. I have an awesome group of friends who are pretty much the same. You are welcome to board to crazy train and hop off if you so choose. https://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/callsitlikeiseeit
  • Ladyamanda87
    Ladyamanda87 Posts: 36 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    Look at it the other way around.

    I’ve calculated that I ate more than 10,000 calories a day for several years. Cutting back to 2500 would have represented such a significant reduction in calories that I could have lost weight even at that number.

    Try it for four or six weeks.

    If it works, great. If it doesn’t you can cut a bit more. But if you’re in the habit of large amounts of food, suddenly going cold turkey may be a recipe for quitting.

    And don’t forget, every 25 pounds or so, you need to re-enter your data to “recalibrate” your daily calorie allotment.

    Chances are pretty good that- unless you are highly active- once you get down to 175 or below, your calories will be considerably less. But by that time you’ll have trained your body and mind that huge amounts aren’t necessary. I maintain at about 2500/day, but I’m slightly taller and nearly always doing something.

    Don’t forget to add exercise to your daily routine. Even simple walking will burn significant calories at your current weight. It will give you a few extra calories to play with.

    Btw, we may sound cold discussing “your” weight, but please don’t take it personally. I assure you we’ve all been there to one degree or another (over 90 for myself). We’re not trying to sound hurtful, simply pragmatic and “to the point”, which is the best way to give you sound advice.

    I appreciate the advice! It's never fun discussing weight especially when you are so obese like myself. But I had to get over that many years ago so I don't take offense now. Lol. Thank you ❤
  • oakster69
    oakster69 Posts: 79 Member
    in my experience, you will make great progress at the MFP recommended level. I use the recommended level and I lost a little over 50 pounds in the first 3 months. Very significant progress. If you lose too fast, you may lose too much muscle in place of fat loss. From my experience, it is very important to track every bite or drop of food that goes into your system, including condiments, tastes of food, drinks etc. Track it very closely. I began estimating food weights and was not tracking condiments and i stalled for several months. I started tracking closer and more accurately, using the food scale etc and weight loss started again. Maybe I just needed a bit of a break.... I dont know. I am not a dietician or an excercise expert, but from my experience and reading here.... stick to the my fitness plan goals, try to hit your macros and take it slow and steady. My guess is, if you do this, you will exceed 2 pounds per week to start, which is plenty fast enough. Lastly, dont lie to yourself (through the numbers). When you start watching the numbers, tracking food and excercise etc, it is really important to make everything fit. Make sure you track all the numbers accurately so you know what you are working with. Its ok to go over a bit one day, its ok to miss excercise one day.... just dont fudge the numbers or under-account for food intake. Its a long process, and what matters most is the numbers over time.
  • jharris8709
    jharris8709 Posts: 3 Member
    My doctor told me that I should do the same of eating 2500 calories a day. I don't eat that much though. I mostly have one meal a day. He told me to try eating smaller meals throughout the day. It's hard because while my kids are in school I don't eat. So this will be a challenge for me to get used to.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,662 Member
    jharris8709 wrote: »
    My doctor told me that I should do the same of eating 2500 calories a day. I don't eat that much though. I mostly have one meal a day. He told me to try eating smaller meals throughout the day. It's hard because while my kids are in school I don't eat. So this will be a challenge for me to get used to.

    This is a really dumb question, so please don’t be offended. If you only eat one meal a day, while the kids are at home, I’m wondering if you’re setting the example that huge meals are OK and that’s how you eat when they’re not around, too?

    (This coming from a woman who was a terrible example for her own kids, btw.)

    Anyway, what about some micro meals? Every Sunday evening I grill a couple extra chicken breasts with some basic seasoning, or a package of chicken sausage. If I’m hungry, need protein, a portable lunch, or need a quick bite to eat before training, I either eat a sausage on a piece of low cal bread with a dab of Dijon (about 160 calories) or I roll 4 ounces chopped chicken in a low carb tortilla with a little lite mayonnaise, or a swipe of teriyaki sauce (about 225 calories). They take seconds to pull out and prepare and help take the edge off without cutting into calories too much.

    There’s a lot of folks here who do OMAD (one meal a day) successfully but I’d go insane without a slow drip of food from waking til bedtime.

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