Confused

lynseymac77
lynseymac77 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello

I am new to this site and have been using MFP for 10 days. Was feeling really motivated and for 10 days have stuck to around 1200 calories a day, I put on so much weight over the last 2 years that I was terrified to weight myself and wanted to get started on a diet before I weighed myself (if that makes sense) did that this morning and was shocked at how much I weighed(been buryign my head in the sand) but feel happier knowing I am on the right path and am really enjoying tracking my diet and MFP. Bottom line is I dont know if I have lost any weight over the last 10 days however I do feel a bit better but wont know for another week if this is working for me

I went on to the forum this morning looking for inspiration and felt a little confused/disheartened. I came across a lot of posts from people saying you can not loose weight at 1200 calories/ your body wont allow it. I am 240 pounds and want to lose at least 40 pounds by November for my wedding (I am 6ft tall female). I am scared to eat more than that and to be honest I have found it fairly easy sticking to the 1200 although had 1 blow at at a friends birthday on wednesday night at a thai restaurant.

Would anyone be able to offer advice. My work does not allow much exersize but am attemping to do 3 x work outs at week at 30-40 minutes and stick to 1200. Is this a recipe for loosing weight! Or I am on the wrong track??

I have to say simple works for me! I am hoping to just stick to a simple calorie goal rather than sodium/protien/fat etc as I tend to find the more complicated the more I give up/lose patience.

Advice would be welcome and my diary is open (I think)

Thankyou! xx

Replies

  • lynseymac77
    lynseymac77 Posts: 5 Member
    bump x
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
    Ok, I am a 6'0 tall female as well, and had less to lose than you, starting at 193. I was losing 1-2 lbs a week on 1500-1700 cal and working out 5 days a week for 30-40 minutes. I am still losing weight at about a 1 lb a week eating 1800-2100 and exercising for 20-40 minutes 4-5 times a week. Being that tall , you can start out at 1200, but if you should really be eating closer to 1500-1600 calories a day minimum. The 1200 may not be that bad at first, but I know that if I eat less than 1500 for any length of time I start being b*tchy and tired all the time because I am just pushing my body too hard.
  • do4fit
    do4fit Posts: 23
    if you entered your weight and height and all that on MPF does it not give you a caloric goal to reach every day? Mine does... My caloric goal is 2220 per day and I weigh 270ish 5'6 and work out with a personal trainer 3x/week for an hr plus the homework and light walking on my days off. Everyone has a different caloric goal that their body needs to function. I *would go do some research to get a better number for your body.

    It wasn't until I started taking a better look at the calories I was eating and upping them that I was able to break my plateau. Good luck hope this helps!
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
    Ok, I went and looked at your diary, you have may days where you do not hit 1200 calories. You need to be eating at least that much. Your goal is set at 1000 calories, and unless you are being supervised by at doctor, that is an unhealthy goal. Your body will not be getting all the nutrients that is needs at that level.
  • lynseymac77
    lynseymac77 Posts: 5 Member
    thankyou for your advice, much appreciated. I think I am being unrealistic with the goal of 1200 and possibly the initial burst of motivation is making it easier but agree after a period of time it will get much more difficult. I will revise this initially to 1500 I think

    Thanks again, this is such a useful resource

    Lynsey
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    You'll probably use 2200 calories a day living, breathing and sitting around (sedentary) so for a constant calorie intake 1500 - 1700 would be a place to start. Should lose up to 1 lb/week on average if not after a month you can tweak it.

    Your diary confused me 'cos it had 1000 as the goal food calories ?
  • sophiegrace543
    sophiegrace543 Posts: 143 Member
    I'm 5"7 and I started at 191lbs at the end of March. I've been eating around 1200 cals, sometimes more, sometimes less. I make sure that I eat enough food so that I'm not hungry and that I feel well but I don't eat things for the sake of eating/to use up extra calories. I have now lost 10lbs since March.
    I think the most important thing is to eat enough that you're stomach isn't rumbling and more importantly, make sure it's good, clean things you're eating. 500 calories of an interesting salad with a range of vegetables and some lean meat will have a much better effect on your body than 500 calories of fries. Just some food for thought (no pun intended).
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    thankyou for your advice, much appreciated. I think I am being unrealistic with the goal of 1200 and possibly the initial burst of motivation is making it easier but agree after a period of time it will get much more difficult. I will revise this initially to 1500 I think

    Thanks again, this is such a useful resource

    Lynsey

    I this this is absolutely right - you can do anything for a week or so, but you need to find something that is going to work long term, and 1200 cals is not realistic for a tall person for the long term.
    Try eating your 1500 plus what you burn exercising and see how that works for you for a month or so.
    Good luck!
  • Mogwai1985
    Mogwai1985 Posts: 31
    1200 calories isn't enough Your body requires a minumum of 700 for normal functions, that includes breathing, blinking and pumping blood. Eatingg too few calories can send your body into starvation mode and that will make you GAIN weight. I think 1500 is a much better and safer calrie goal. Also, make sure you add in teh calories you burn off due to exercise. Good luck with your goals and your journey.
  • splendifikiss
    splendifikiss Posts: 10 Member
    Increase your water intake as well. Or, log in. I find that drinking the 8 recommended glasses a day helps keep me feeling slim and healthy. You'll have energy and drinking 30 mins before a meal will help you from overeating.
  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
    I am 6ft and eat 1600-1800 a day. I don't think you are eating enough and you may find your weight loss stalling after a while. Feel free to add me as a friend if you like, my diary is open, while it probably isn't the best, it isn't the worst either :). I do feel as though you are setting yourself up to fail by not eating enough.
  • furby1
    furby1 Posts: 114 Member
    Congratulations on your new life, you've made the first step and that is always the hardest one...well done. I understand how demoralising it is not to loose weight when you are trying so hard, so please get the tape measure out and measure yourself.
    I lost weight for the first 4 weeks I was on here and having read various comments measured myself in the 3rd week. How glad I am that I did that, because I then didn't loose any weight over the next 3 weeks, but I did loose inches. I'm happy to say that the scales showed a pound loss this week, but even if it hadn't I know that I am healthier for eating less than I used to and that I am feeling good in myself for trying. Keep it up, your hard work will eventually show itself, just feel good about yourself and watch your tape measure :)
  • leslturn8
    leslturn8 Posts: 505 Member
    Everyone says nutrition is 80% exercise is 20%
    I am a bad eater and i lost weight by cutting half the junk and portioning the stuff i did eat.
    I am not on the exercise band wagon however my diet needs to change again for it to actually succeed and i can tell you now, i lost 21 kilos in 6 months from the above. I have lost nothing on MFP however i start and stop because i dont see results, its about finding what works for you and make the changes however daunting you find them. Good luck!
  • AllergicToExercise
    AllergicToExercise Posts: 436 Member
    Agree with increasing your cals. The problem if you start on the 1200 bare minimum is that there is nowhere left to go if your weight loss stalls. Plus if you can lose weight on more cals, why make the process more difficult?

    Good luck in finding the right calorie level. I would work on what MFP gives you and then take it from there if you need to make adjustments. 

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