[mariamherrera]

Hi Guys I'm new to 3fc - and I'm lovign the advise and support here so far! I"ve chosen to follow a low cal diet as my method of weight loss - my question is I've read that 1200 is the lowest a women should go with otu a Dr.'s supervision- I originally started out at around 1400 cals a day- But I always felt too full like I was eating to much- granted I still lost a lot of weight- but I also kinda thought to key to eating healthy was stopping when your full..

I felt satisfied around 1200 cals a day.. I started out at 306 three weeks ago I am now 291 Do you think 1200 is sufficient for me? thedailypalte said I should be at 1600-2000 but I just don't tihnk I could swing that..

I have set up an appointment to talk to my Doctor at the end of this week- But I'm wondering what i should average in cals a day untill I see him... I don't' want to nutritionally deprive myself untill then

but I'm pretty good abotu what I eat everyday- no cheat foods and lots of fruit and veggies, lean meats (no red meats) whole grains when I eat anything with carbs such as bread, pasta or tortillas like I get the whole wheat 45 calorie sarah lee bread, and the 50 calories low carb wheat torillas. and I minimize those to only one or 2 servings a day...

What do you think?


****EDITED NOTE**** I decided to jump back up I now for the last two days have ate between 1400-1500 cals a day- So I'll sty around there until I talk to the doc! thanks guys!

[FB]

It sounds like your choices are great but 1200 calories is very low. What will you do if your weight loss slows or stalls? You've already bottomed out.

I lost the majority of my weight in a year, 140+ pounds, eating more than that. One of the 'benefits' of starting heavier is the luxury of getting to eat more food than someone who needs to lose ten pounds. No need to punish yourself before you've begun. It's a long journey!

Try the Daily Plate's recommendation. You needn't add junk to meet their minimum requirement. It's not hard to meet with a few healthy and higher calorie foods - peanut butter, nuts, full fat dressings and dairy, avocado - ect ect.

[KforKitty]

As your eating bread, tortillas etc and in need of the calories, why not just eat normal wholemeal varieties instead of the 'diet' kinds. If you're using fat free products ditch these for the standard fat ones, that way you will get the additional calories without eating more in terms of volume.

I think its a mistake that many dieters make is eating food that is not usual for them just because its reduced fat/sugar/whatever and the reason many people regain weight when they go back on the regular products.

Kitty

[JulieJ08]

I also lost on close to 1500 calories a day starting at 197 pounds, and it turns out I still lose (albeit slower) even at 140 pounds and probably over 1800 calories a day. I never at any point used diet breads of any kind, but always whole grain, and preferably multigrain. I did moderate my grain servings, but have always had several a day (but not necessarily bread everyday).

[Shannon in ATL]

In my opinion, 1200 seems a little low for you. I'm the same height as you and was eating 1200-1300 when I weighed in the 140s. I actually continued to lose at as high as 1750.

If you start all the way down at 1200 you might run into trouble down the line if loss plateaus and you need to adjust your caloric intake. You won't have any wiggle room to go lower if needed. I would try 1500-1800 and see how that works. You can easily add some calories in with the things that have already been mentioned - peanut butter, good fats, some higher calorie bread items, that kind of thing. You may find you lose weight faster at a higher calorie number, actually. The lower numbers seem to sometimes slow or stall the weight loss.

[fiberlover]

Personally, I think you should be eating more calories - at least 1800. If you don't think you can eat more volume of food, then just use the regular version of foods - like real whole grain bread instead of light. Have some calorie dense items like peanut butter or nuts, not as filling and will get your calories up there, plus healthy fats and protein.

[soybean]

In the past, I went from 240 lbs. to 160. In the beginning, I would have roughly 1200 calories a day (I wasn't counting, but I wasn't eating much at all) Because of the drastic change, I lost weight quickly, but by the time i reached 160, I couldn't get any further to my 145 goal. By that time, the diet had me frustrated and hungry. About a year later, I gave up and had gained 20 pounds back. I think that if I lost weight with the future in mind and knowing these were changes I would have to make for life, the outcome would have been different.

Your doctor has the final say, but I DO think you should be eating more to ensure you won't plateau or get discouraged down the line.

[jellydisney]

I also think you should be eating closer to 1800 calories a day, given your height and weight. You should still see a good weekly loss at 1800 cals, and your body will be less likely to think it's being starved.

[aphil]

You should be eating closer to 1800 calories a day, given your current weight. You do not have to STARVE to be losing weight!

As you lose weight, your body is going to require less calories, and over time your calorie level to lose weight will slowly go down. 1200 calories a day for most women, is going to be the level that they are at when they are trying to lose the LAST few pounds...not the first few.

[Itstime]

If you feel like you can't eat too much more, then have some nuts - it takes very little of them to add up the calories you might need and you won't feel any fuller for it.