I'm probably going to get hit for saying this, but doctors aren't necessarily experts on weight loss and nutrition. I would definately say that is too low. If you read everything you can get your hands on about this subject, you will find the general consensus is that it takes a woman approx 1200 calories just to maintain body and brain functions. Also, if you've been living on say 2500 calories a day to maintain your current weight, you only need to decrease your daily count by 500 to lose a pound a week. This does not include adding exercise, which should have you losing even more.
You won't get a hit from any of us!! A dietitian is much more of an expert in diet! Doctors are more concerned with diagnosing our problems and prescribing things to fix those problems. Problem = fat: Fix = diet. But he/she doesn't necessarily know the best fix for that problem!
My best advice for the question on calories. Plug in a current "normal" day of eating into fitday.com and see how many calories you were eating. Then reduce from there. If 1500-1800 works for you, then stay there. Everyone is different!
Only you will know how much calories will work for you or not. I currently give or take in about 1200 calories/day. My trainer wanted me to start at 1500, but I am more than satisfied at around 1200. It's such an individualized issue that only you can decide what is sufficient for you.
Thanks Alinnell, I'm new here, so feel a bit unsure about being too talkative :-) That said, I read like a mad woman. My entire family has been health conscious since the '40's when it was decidedly unpopular. I recently read something else on this subject, about specifically not changing your calorie intake too drastically when you begin. So whoever said plug in current habits on fitday and decrease from there has it right.
It really depends on how quickly you want to lose weight. Based on your height, you should lose about 2 pounds a week on 1,250 calories a day. That's without exercising. If you add in exercise, then you can add a couple hundred more calories and still lose 2 pounds a week. Just make sure you're not overestimating the number of calories you're burning through exercise. Because none of us are perfect and we all have days where we eat more calories then we should, you may want to set 1200 calories as your goal and then if you eat a little more or skip your exercise for the day, you haven't done too much damage.
Thanks for all the input , I think i will aim to stay around the 1200 mark as i have been doing this since the 12th of feb ,as of this morning i am down 5lbs
(and a couple of those days were definately over 1200) so if i do actually get back on my treadmill it should help more or at least give me some extra calories to use on those harder days. Where can you find calories burned thru excercise? Can i trust the treadmill count?
Probably not. It would be more acurate if you take into account your height, weight and age. If you can plug in all that information then it will give you a ball park figure.
I would just try and eat the 1200 calories a day and not try and factor in the exercise. Let that be the icing on the cake and your insurance policy if you do have a day that gets away from you calorie wise.
If you weigh over 200 pounds, I recommend starting at around 1500, rather than 1200. There is a specific reason for this:
The more you weigh, the more calories you burn in a day. Think about it this way:
A 220 pound woman and a 120 pound woman both walk a mile. The 220 pound woman burns more calories doing this exact same thing-because she is carrying an extra 100 pounds around WITH her, naturally.
As you lose weight, your body will expend less energy walking through the parking lot, exercising, and going up the stairs...
Since 1200 calories is the lowest you should go on a regular basis-what happens when you lose 40-50 pounds, and then your weight loss stalls??? If you started out at 1500 calories a day when you are over 200 pounds, then when you hit 180, 0r 170, or 160 and your weight stops dropping-you can THEN lower the calories to 1300-1400 a day, and continue to lose some more weight. If you are already AT 1200, and your body has become accustomed to that-the only solution is to REALLY increase your exercise level...or drop to an unhealthy calorie level.
So, while it may seem great to see the fast losses now at 1200, when you have quite a bit to lose, it isn't the best thing to start out at the lowest calorie range...because you won't have anywhere to drop it to later on when you need to...
Just wanted to say that I really endorse what Aphil says.
Some other things to think about. You're just starting out... you've got that "energy" for weight loss... kind of like when a relationship is all shiny and new and you love everything about that other person... right now 1200 calories seems doable -- maybe even ideal cause you're thinking you're going to just lose all kinds of weight fast.
What about 3 months or 6 months or 1 year from now?? Are you still going to have that kind of drive or energy when the scale plateaus? Or you feel you're constantly having to say "no" to things you want?
I think it helps to take the long view. What's going to keep you going later on? Will restricting lead to binging? Will you not have any lower to go and give up and feel like a failure??
Hmmmm, I don't know that I agree with Aphil and Wyllenn. If you can manage 1200 calories a day to start off with--without cheating or starving to death, then you're going to lose weight quickly enough that you will be pleased with your results and psychologically prepared to continue and persevere through the plateaus. If you plateau in 6 months, as Aphil warns (and as will no doubt happen), you can adjust your diet then--perhaps by zigzagging your calories (ie, 1400 one day, 1200 the next, and 1600 the day after that) and increasing your cardio. I say seize the "energy" of starting a new weight loss plan and use it to your advantage. If you lose 40 pounds in 6 months on a low-cal plan, at least you will have the committment and the high spirits to adjust when you plateau.
At the end of the day though, you need to figure out for yourself the least number of calories a day that you can get by on. If you always feel hungry and deprived at 1200, go up to 1400. If you feel like you're eating TONS at 1500 (and you can do, with plenty of veggies in your diet), then drop the calories to 1200 or 1300. It is all about YOU and what you need to stay sated while losing weight. Even on 1200 calories a day there is no need to feel hungry (as long as you 'spend' your calories wisely).
Just a note of caution--you will lose weight much more quickly in the first few weeks of a lo-cal diet than you will in the future. You can expect a couple of weeks of 5 pound losses, but after that you will probably average 2 pounds (or so) per week. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED when this happens. It's just the way it goes.
And cheers to you for deciding to change your life!
I lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks when I tried a 1200 calorie diet and then my body stopped losing. I stayed the same weight for the next 3 and was also miserably hungry all the time and had no energy.
So, for me, 1500 is a savior. In my humble opinion, my body freaked out and thought I was starving and held on to the fat. I'm never going to do that again.
I lost 6 lbs in 2 weeks when I tried a 1200 calorie diet and then my body stopped losing. I stayed the same weight for the next 3 and was also miserably hungry all the time and had no energy.
So, for me, 1500 is a savior. In my humble opinion, my body freaked out and thought I was starving and held on to the fat. I'm never going to do that again.
Ahhh. I had the exact opposite experience. I did 1200-1300 a day for about 3 months and I lost about 35 pounds pretty steadily over that period--1-3 pounds a week. I did, however, and perhaps this is my secret, allow myself one 'cheat' meal a week--going to a restaurant, or having a yummy dessert, or having several drinks. I tried to make sensible choices, but I think the periodic 'cheats' helped to keep my metabolism on its toes.
Still, as I said, everyone needs to find her own ideal calorie intake. Every body is a little bit different.
I agree with the other comments here regarding the calorie intake. I just hit my 2 month anniversary of hitting my goal weight (and maintaining it !) after losing 65 pounds.
When I hit my goal weight, I went into my local gym and had a test done (can't remember the name, sorry) that told me how many calories my body needs each day for survival.
This did not take into account any exercise. I weigh 132 am 5'6" tall and am 39 years old. The bottom line was that my body needed 1196 calories/day if I did nothing but sit on the couch and do nothing. I could add another 400 calories/day with my normal daily activities (doing laundry, working from my desk, cooking dinner, etc.).
On top of that, if I added exercise, and burned 400+ calories during a workout, I could add those calories to my intake as well.
So, long story short, I have found (through trial and error) that on the days that I work out, I can eat 1800 calories and if I don't work out, I eat 1500. This has worked really well for me !!!
Hmmmm, I don't know that I agree with Aphil and Wyllenn. If you can manage 1200 calories a day to start off with--without cheating or starving to death, then you're going to lose weight quickly enough that you will be pleased with your results and psychologically prepared to continue and persevere through the plateaus.
Remember that the advice Aphil gave was specifically targeted to someone who weighs over 200 pounds. That is why she suggested 1500 calories. When we weigh more our bodies need more fuel (calories) to do everything. In your situation (155 pounds) 1200 may well be the perfect choice.
Also remember that someone who weighs more is going to take a longer time to lose weight. I lost my first 100 pounds in 55 weeks and was STILL obese. That's a long time to feel like you're depriving yourself if you're eating less (especially if you need more to begin with). Sure, if I were eating less I may have lost the weight faster, but I also may have lost more muscle.
I agree with you that everyone's different, but I think Aphil and I were thinking specifically of people with a LOT to lose. At least, that's where my experience comes from.
so I'd try the 1500 calories and see if you drop weight on it - I think you should 
