I'm new here and have a couple questions . .

Hello there ! My name is Leah , i'm 20 years old and MORBIDLY obese . ( try looking at that on your health records ) . I've seen lots of success stories on here , and I recently found out I have hypothyroidism , and since I started taking my medication , I've noticed i've been loosing weight without trying , so I think it's time to try ! Anyways , here are my questions . .

My Net Calories Goal is 2,270 calories/day . . Thee past two days ( first two days on this diet ) i've eaten as normal , and still have over 1,000 calories left . . and thee only reason I have used so many is bc I drank 2% milk and some artificially sweetened kool-aid after 8 cups of water . I've never been a big eater . Am I supposed to eat all those calories ? Would my results be less than projected if I don't ?

Well . I had some other questions as well , but I didn't think to write them down . So I guess i'll stick with my one question for now . . any help would be GREATLY appreciated . Thanks for your time (:

Yes, eat the calories or the weight you lose will be muscle which will lower your metabolism, causing you to fail in the end when you gain all the weight back.

The initial weight loss is tempting, but more than 2lbs per week is unhealthy weight loss.
And remember to eat back your exercise calories.
Simply stated MFP has already figured out your total calories you need to eat per day to lose 1lb etc. a week. That's WITHOUT exercise. You'll notice that when you actually add exercise in, the calorie limit goes up. Why? Because it's telling you to eat your exercise calories. Large deficits aren't really good to do because while you will lose weight, what kind of weight will it be? In many cases you'll lose lean muscle tissue which LOWERS your metabolic rate even more. Then you have to eat even less to compensate for less of a calorie burn to continue to lose the same amount of weight each week.
Be efficient. Exercise hard and eat back the calories. The hard exercise will RAISE your metabolic rate and burn more fat at rest.

Yes you are meant to eat all the calories MFP says to, any less than that and you increase the deficit (lose weight quicker but not always healthy)

The amounts may seem high to many who are on here but you have to realise that the heavier you are, the more calories you need to just maintain your weight, so to me 2270 seems fine for 1lb a weight loss. Also, many people on here on low calories (1200-1400) are aiming for 2lb a week loss, and list their lifestyle (doesn't include workouts, that's separate) as "sedentary". Nothing wrong with that, it's just down to preference but personally I would rather go slower as your body adjusts easier, you have less loose skin after a big weight loss, and preserve more of your muscle mass.

You'll also find, as you get lighter, your daily calories go down and down as you need less to lose the same amount of weight

I am set to lose at 1 lb a week and I am recommended 2125 calories here on MFP. For me that seemed like a lot and I never trusted it. Then a little over a year ago I recieved a bodymedia fit as a gift and saw that I burn on a lazy day over 3000 calories. Everyone says "oh wow must be great to burn that much!" and I say - yea I'm burning that much because I'm obese! It takes my body so much work just to exist and function and carry all this around.

So, I certainly think the numbers could be correct. What I would do especially with the hypo. meds getting you back on track there - just go by the calories MFP gives you!

One thing I have had to do is to eat more fat. I think that is the only way I get my calorie counts up some. Satisfying healthy fats. An avacado is high in calories but also nutrients. Peanut butter, nuts. Of course make sure you are measuring because even though you are trying to hit your calorie goal it's a slippery slope with those because you can go over FAST.

You could take your total calorie goal and divide it by how many meals/snacks a day you eat (I know everyone says 6 - I do better with 4 )... just divide it and work on getting that many at each meal..one meal at a time.

I've always ate lower calorie foods (and yet I'm morbidly obese!). I've never drank pop. Always have had only whole wheat products, skim milks and cheeses, etc. I was just raised that way and I guess that's just what my tastes have always been. I've never even had butter or margarine in my home ever. (My daughter first saw margarine at age 4 and asked what is that?). I think I had to get away from thinking of fats as bad and realize that they can in fact be quite satisfying. It's still hard as I just prefer fruits, vegetables, lean cuts of everything. However, when I eat higher fats I lose faster and I'm not munching all the time, I feel satisfied.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling, just wanted to throw that out there! And as a fellow woman with a higher calorie allowance feel free to add me I get kinda thrown off by all the 1200 calorie food diaries! LOL

My goals are very high as well because like you, I am quite obese. I do not eat all of my calories simply because I can not. If I had to eat all of my calories I would be sick!! I eat healthy options and yes I think that is why I do not get all of my calories in. Because I definitley eat well just not bad for me foods. Try to get close to your calories but do not over eat just to say you hit your goal. Over eating is not going to help you in your lifestyle change. Over eating is why alot of us are in the situation we are in now. Instead try adding a few higher calorie snacks such as almonds, trail mix or peanut butter to your diet. Their are alot of great recipies for home made trail mix that you can mix in batches and bag individually to keep on hand for when you notice you are just a little to low on your caloric intake. Everyone is different and in time you will find the right combination for you.

For me I am happy if I get 2,000 cal in a day. Tho most of the time I can't quite make it. I do get very close! And because I know my metabolism needs that boost I will have a cheat day once a week. I do not go crazy but I do eat my cal or above in richer, more calorie dense foods.

Good luck on your journey!