I currently weigh 257.4. I am eating between 1500-1650 calories. I am doing Calorie King and they recommend eating 1850. Which do I need to eat?

When I started at 270, I was eating 2000 calories and losing 3-4 pounds the first three weeks. When I decreased my calories, the weight loss dropped to 1-2 pounds.

Can someone explain?

Well, I'm no expert but can give you my thoughts based on what I've seen happen to myself and other folks.

First, when you first start to change your diet you sometimes lose a little faster than normal because you shed water.

Second, I would think you could lose at a higher calorie limit - it could be that the lowered calorie slowed your weight loss because your body is holding on to some of them because you aren't giving it quite enough. If you are thinking about moving your calories up you may want to do it slowly, a little bit per week maybe, and see what happens.

And, really, 1-2 pounds per week is still good! Congrats on what you have done so far!

I think you should eat the higher calorie diet because as you lose you will need to lower your calories more, and it seems to me that your body was responding better to your higher calorie thing.

I struggle with the same issue. I haven't really stuck to anything until this time, which I'm hitting my goal of 1300-1600 and I've lost a little weight.

Last year when I was aiming for 1850 my doctor told me that was "generous", but that was what the daily plate recommended. I don't know what really works best for me because I can't compare hitting 1300-1600 to "aiming" for 1850 lol.

I think tracking and trial and error will help you figure out your body, and keep going on some plan because like someone said losing a little is still a success!

You should stay with the 1850, maybe even a bit more, to start. If anything is going to slow your weightloss down, it is by eating too little for your current weight and killing your metabolism. I don't know what kind of exercise you do, but if you can't include a reasonable amount of physical activity in your week, I would reccomend trying for a 1lb loss a week, because you simply won't eat enough to support your body weight if you cut calories for more than that.


I am always shocked by how little many of the people here eat, especially when they are starting from well over 200lbs. When they include their exercise, I am further amazed. It seems to me their metabolisms are CRYING for a chance to recover, but they just aren't feeding themselves enough to let it.

I started at 255, about where you are now, and lost consistently on at least 2000 cal/day for several months, about 10lbs a month., walking a lot for the first several months until the winter put a stop to that. I didn't drop to 1600-1800 calories a day until around 200, and then once I got to 190 it took FOREVER to lose the next 15, about 3 months, everyday a struggle. Once I started to eat MORE (at least 2000/day) , the loss has, slowly, resumed. I don't work out terribly much, either. I am as lazy as they come. I made it to the gym, oh, 6 times in the last 6 weeks? That varies of course, but the MOST I ever worked out was 5x a week for an hour, walking on a treadmill.


Sorry for the ramble. its just that I see posts like this all the time and people suggesting what I consider to be wildly low calorie intakes. As for doctors, I'm not sure they really understand metabolism all that well. Just because the numbers look good, doesn't mean it is a sound plan. Starving yourself will NEVER work.

That's great feedback. Thanks for the ramble, Tarisaande! And I love your signature!!

1 to 2 pounds a week is excellent and your rate of loss will vary as you lose.

Thank you for the great advice. I am going to finish this week out and then go back to 1850. I'll let you know how it works out for me.

Tarisaande- this is just what I needed to read. My DR told me not to eat over 1200 calories a day. I rolled my eyes but did it anyway, no weight loss for weeks. I took the advise of someone here about calorie cycling and wow I lost 3.5 lbs a week. I am having to try hard to get to 1500 calories each day and put a limit of 1800 on my day. This has really helped me out. I think my DR just did not believe that I would be eating that, I think they have in their mind that we just can not count calories correctly and we really do not exercise.

According to fitday my burn for today is 2988, how could I live on 1200 cal.
Thanks

Not trying to hijack the thread but wanted to say thank you as well. I was struggling with DailyPlate wanting me to eat like 2565 cals per week to lose a lb a week. I may go lower to see if I can lose a bit more a week. and try the calorie cycling.

What is calorie cycling?

Calorie cycling is when you have a daily calorie goal in mind, but use it as an average instead of eating exactly that much each day. If your target average is 1800, then you can vary it from day to day, for example a range of 1500 to 2100, and the daily average is 1800.

I think calorie cycling is probably "normal" eating habits. People who naturally maintain their weights don't eat the same amount every day. It seems like a sensible plan to follow, and maybe one of the more natural diets out there, since our bodies are designed that way.