I am looking for some advice...
 

:) HI to you all, I have been reading for awhile and l2 weeks ago had gone to my doctor as i have "tried " many diets and so far not much luck (maybe 5 pounds) I went to her to ask about prescription diet pills, she was not really for this. We discussed counting calories as she is also heavy and has been doing this since dec and has lost 12 pounds She pointed out to me if there was a magic pill she would not be in the position she was in. Although she did say if i still wanted them she would give them to me. Anyways , deep down i knew she was right so last mon hubby and i started counting calories , she said for me to aim at 1200 , i am 5'10 and weigh 212(lost 3 pounds last week:carrot: I will add excercise but was curious about others calorie totals/meals plans etc ? Is 1200 a good place to start? Any help is so appreciated!

I have to say that for your height and weight it sounds low to me. I'd've thought somewhere in the 1400-1600 range to start with - at least until you see how you get on for a couple of weeks. Others should be along with their opinions soon. Welcome anyway :)

1200 calories per day does seem low given your weight... I weigh 145 and I try to eat 1200 although realistically it gets to be 1400-1500. However, I am not contesting what an actual doctor has told you. Best of luck! You're using the right method - calorie counting is the only logical, natural way to go.

Welcome! :hug:

I was also thinking it might be a tad low to begin with. I would probably start out at 1400 and if I were successfully losing and not hungry I would remain there for a bit and bring it down to 1200 later on.

The only way to know what works for YOU is to experiment. No calculators, web sites, Dr.s or people can now for sure. It is definitely a case of trial and error.

The great people on this site have me hooked on fitday.com to enter my calories, which I've been doing for a few days now. I haven't settled on how many I'm comfortable with yet, but this is really helping. Just tracking the first day showed that I ate close to 4,000 a day before I started to eat better and now I've gone between 1400 and 1500 since I started eating better. Maybe it would help you to just track a few days and see where you are at that makes you the most comfortable, because if you feel like you are eating too few, you will have a hard time sticking to it.

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.

I thought 1200 sounded low too after reading a few things but didnt want to question a dr. I started on the 12 of feb, lost 5 pounds last week then was up 2 this morning( i knew the weekend was a little bad) i have been drinking around 2 litres of water but not doing much for excercise ( and i sit down at work all day)

Interesting story, about the 1200 calories, I have hypothyroidism and asked my endocrinologist about a calorie range and he said 1200. I am also 5'9 maybe 5.10 and 216 I thought it sounded a little low and I think it is. There is a sight called calorie king. com you can plug in your information height, gender, weight, activity level and it will give a calorie level to shoot for just so you know mine is a little over 1700. If you excercise you probably need to find out how many calories you burned off and take that into consideration. If you go on the web site and click on the join our club link and scroll all the way to the bottom there is a link in small print that says something like discover how many calories a day you need to lose weight if you click on it and plug in your info, it should give a number. I used this site to determine calorie intake. I am wondering if doctors just automatically say 1200 because like some one said before, that is the amount of calories we need to maintain body and brain fucntion.

This reminds me of the old saying:

Question: "What do you call a med school student who graduates at the very bottom of their class?"

Answer: "Doctor."

All kidding aside, there are good doctors and bad doctors. If your doctor is fat, I'd say, take that into consideration. I don't seek stock market advice from homeless people, and I don't seek expert nutrition advice from the obese. Now, don't everyone take that personally, because I don't mean all the wonderful information and support we all share with each other here. What's nice about 3FC is you have thousands of women with experience in the trials and errors of weight loss, as well as some great success stories. 99% of the people here simply share their story and advice based on experience and don't pretend to be experts. The other 1%... well, I ignore them. :D

I would ask to be referred to a dietitian or nutritionist who's probably a little more up to date on their specific field than a general practitioner would be.

Or smile and nod, go home and eat your 1500 or 1750. When you go back 'if' they ask just tell them. "1200 was pretty low for my size but I'm losing aren't you happy?"
1200 is kinda the bottom rung for therapeutic diets in my world. But dieticians decide all that. The docs will admit that they have minimal training in that area.
I told my Doc and the others at work who asked, that I was counting calories ... but never how many.

I wouldn't trust a heavy doctor's opinion on weight loss more than a thin one (unless I knew he/she had been successful at losing weight, rather than just someone who has always been thin). The heavy doctor is more likely to have learned about weight loss through self-education and experience.

With weight loss, theory and practice are two very different things. I have a master's degree in psychology, and have a very good understanding of nutrition, health, and physiology, but with weight loss, theory and practice are two very different things.

Prescription appetite suppressants do not have a high success rate. As for starting at 1200 calories, every doctor who has ever given me a calorie recommendation (regardless of their weight) recommended 1200 calories (at least recently - 25 years ago, when I was 15, I actually had a doctor, an older, very thin male doctor, put me on an 800 calorie a day diet, yikes) My primary care physician when I lived in Illinois gave me a diet handout with a 1200 calorie meal plan and sample menus. My husband's doctor here in Wisconsin gave him diabetic handouts which all listed 1200 calorie plans for women, and 1800 calories for men. It seems to be the "standard" advice.

Since doctors get very little training in nutrition (and most younger doctors are willing to admit it) a dietitian is actually a better resource for what and how much you should be eating. Even with a specific recommendation from any specialist, you still have to work within your own personal needs. You have to balance the need to be satisfied and comfortable with the need to get the weight off. Basically the lowest calorie plan that you can tolerate comfortably enough to stay motivated. Even some super obese people are able to tolerate and comply with a 1200 calorie plan, without side effects. Other people with far less to lose would feel ill without more food. Calorie needs really is, to a large degree, trial and error.

I actually meant I WOULD trust a heavier doctor more than a thin one.

No one or nothing can predict what is the exact right calories for someone to consume. You must give yourself enough of them to provide you with proper nutrition and energy (never less then 1200, I believe). The rest is simply trial and error. The right combo of your being satisfied and seeing a weight loss. And it doesn't always have to be the same number day in and day out.

Thanks for all the advice, i really am determined to make this work i am tires of buying new diet books (and bigger clothes) This just seems to make the most sense. Nothing is forbidden but you need to decide if its worth the calories right? Of course you want to keep it as healthy as possible but its nice to know if i am going to have my glass of wine that night :) i just need to figure it in . I think i will try to keep my calorie intake maybe at 1400? or should i start around 1500. This site is so great!

I have an OB/GYN that I like - for that part of my life. However, she thinks I need to lose some more weight. Now, she is a tall, thin woman, never been heavy (though interestingly her DH is HUGE). So to lose weight she says, "you know, just cut out a piece of bread or two every day." Um, if that worked, we'd all be skinny! But, as I say, I don't go to her for weight loss advice. :)

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!

I'm all for eating as much as I can and losing weight :D so I'd try the 1500 calories and see if you drop weight on it - I think you should :)

Hey!

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. :smug:

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?:carrot:

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.

Good luck!

Here is my take:

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...

Something to think about. ;)

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??

Maybe something else to think about.

Wyllen, Aphil, I agree wholeheartedly.

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.

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 !!!

Good luck and I am glad you are all out there !!!

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.

Yes, this is where my advice was coming from. Someone who is starting at 180 and has a goal weight of 150, or someone who is starting at 160 witha goal of 130 (30 pounds to lose or so) is in a different ballgame than someone who is 240 pounds, and needs to be around 130-140 to be at a healthy weight for their height/frame. It isn't near as hard to stay motivated when you can be at your goal weight in 6 months...whereas those with more like 60-100 pounds to lose may need 1-2 years to reach their goal. That is a long time...and the calorie needs for someone who weighs 250 and someone who weighs 150 are drastically different.

You dont want to lose muscle mass nor slow down your metabolism. I just wouldnt have the energy to work-out on that amount of calories, but everyone does seem different in terms of what they can get by on. I wouldnt be so restrictive if you're finding that you're hungry and you dont have the energy to work-out. If so, more power to you. Just remember to eat more when you do start to become hungry as depriving yourself too much may be a way of slowing down your metabolism (though I'm no expert by any stretch).

It goes both ways, though.

Someone who weighs 160 is probably shopping in the not-plus-size department, fits easily into airline/movie/car/desk-and-chair seats, probably doesn't have weight-related joint and/or diabetes issues, probably doesn't face the same social and cultural issues being treated like a fat person that someone 300 pounds might. The last 20 or 30 pounds are mostly cosmetic, not quality of life, and the stakes for not going from 160 to 130 aren't nearly as major as for going from 300 to 160.

Calorie counting & LAWL (LA Weight Loss)
 

Hello, my name is Sophie. I am brand new to this forum and to LAWL, but not new to calorie counting. I am a HUGE fan of calorieking.com, where you can easily keep count of all your calories, including those from your favorite restaurant. What I am puzzled about is the following. As some of you might know, the LA Weight Loss program is rather strict on the portions of proteins, vegetables, start, fruit & fat you can eat each day. It's by no means restrictive in terms of hunger, I am actually having a hard time eating all that food. Once I account for the food based on those daily portions intake, I am at about 1800-1900 calories per day. How can I reduce those to 1500 and still take in all the necessary portions?

About 4 yrs ago I lost 40 pounds in 3 months with calorie counting, but with about 800 calories per day (SIGH! :o ), not including Sundays (CHEAT days!). In a previous post, someone mentioned that she had her occasional "cheat" day to boost the metabolism, and I can also recognize this approach, since it worked for me as well, when reaching plateaus. But then again, everyone is different, so what works for me doesn't work for others. I think we all agree on this.

So why am I doint the LA Weight Loss and not the calorie counting? First of all, I'm at my heaviest now (270 pounds) and at 800 calories I'd be really starving myself, and my body would immediately go into shock. So then... can anyone offer advice for counting calories in conjunction with the LA Weight Loss program?

Any input / advice is deeply appreciated. Thank you.