i have to first say all of you are such motivation to FINALLY do this and get into shape. im 21 years old, a senior in college about to enter the world of nursing! i was an athlete up until about 3 years ago then i started gaining weight now im up to 220, im 5'8''. A size 16. I would love to get down to a size 4/5 and im finally ready to do this! I have a wedding to attend in aruba in July, so im really hoping i could lose at least 40 lbs. My dr recommended i do a 1200 calorie a day diet. Just wanted to introduce myself and thank you all for the motivation!

We are glad you are joining us. Welcome!

1200 is too low for you to start - did your doctor just randomly recommend this? Not to sound like a downer but most doctors actually are not good at provding weightloss advice. I belong to several groups and this topic comes up often and it is surprising how most doctors give no advice or the same bad advice you can get anywhere.

I encourage you to check out the FAQ and the threads for advice on how many calories to start with. I would not recommend anything less then 1500 at first. I am your same height and have never gone below an average of 1400 calories.

Another approach you might want to try is 1200 as you base plus any calories you burn in exercise.

Best of luck - Lori

WELCOME, I would start tomorrow, eat the same as you usually do and count your calories, that was a big reality check for me when I found I was eating 2500ish calories!

I agree with the posters above...1200 might be kind of low to start with. Logging what you eat is also crucial - I use Fitday 'cause it's free.

Not to overwelm you, but exercise is imortant, too. You want to be toned when you reach your goal.

One more thing - 40 pounds in 4 months is a lot to lose. Not to say it's impossible...but even if you get halfway there you have been successful. Especially if you create new healthy habits that enable you to keep the weight off. Think of this as something you are training yourself to live the rest of your life with. Looking great for the wedding is good motivation, but a lot of people tend to think they can go back to their old ways once the wedding is over.

I agree that 1200 is a little low, especially considering your starting weight.

Most doctors give out a 1200 calorie plan to EVERYONE...without making changes to it to personalize it to someone's age, size, activity level, etc.

I would recommend trying 1500-1600 a day for a couple of weeks, and see how that works out. You want to aim for 1-2 pounds a week in losses. If you don't lose on 1500-1600, then adjust it down to 1400 per day. If you are losing too quickly, then adjust it up slightly instead by 100 or so per day. Everyone is different, and you have to play with it a little to find out what calorie range works best for YOU.

Hey bel! I can relate. I started to gain when I was in nursing school too. I was over stressed and ate fast and easy food to cope. Five years later I am finally getting back to my healthy ways that I had when I was younger. But I didn't do it eating 1200 calories, that's just not enough to sustain me (especially as a nurse who is running the halls all day). Maybe try 1500 and see how you do. Good for you for wanting to do something about it! You can do it!

thank you all for the advice, i researched a little more into it and im def going to start with 1500 cals. is it okay to eat those 100 cal packs a couple times a day? Its kinda hard to eat 1500 cals and they are easy and fast.

It's not hard to eat 1500 a day.

A banana is about 100 calories, and it is just as easy and fast as a 100 calorie pack-but healthier.

I don't think there is anything wrong with a 100 calorie pack, but a couple times a day, every day, is too much. Having one for a treat once or twice a week would be better. They are only 100 calories, but they are also just a very small portion of "junk". No nutritional value to them at all.

Treats should be just that-treats. Not a multiple time a day thing.

Not a problem I've ever had...

100 cal packs are pretty handy, but I'd call them treats, too. Check out the accountability threads, people's Fitday links and the recipe forums here @ 3FC for tons of ideas.

100 calorie packs are good choices for those foods that you eat occasionally and need some help with portion control or like the portability such as on the go foods.

But as a general rule - mose 100 calorie pack foods are never the most nutritious choice around. As others have mentioned, fruits and vegetables are always your best choice. But even if you are looking for something like crackers or chips to include in your meal, the options that are available in the snack packs (triscuits or wheat thins) are not the best. You are still better with WASA or Ack-Maks.

As for cost - 100 calories packs are expensive per serving. So if you are good and managing your own portion control you are better off buying the regular boxes.

Lori

Yes, they do don't they? It's ridiculous!!!

Yep. They will hand out a 1200 plan to a 300 pound man, the same as they will a 170 pound woman-when they have completely different needs.