[OregonLady]

Hi everyone. I am 46 years old, 5'3, and weigh 299 lbs. i am sick and tired of being so fat. i am going to try calorie counting since that seems to make the most sense to me, and be the easiest since i wont have things i 'cant' eat...but im not sure how many cals to start at. i heard once that it takes about 10 cals per pound to run your body so that would make about 3k just for me to live so i thought about cutting it to 1800 plus walking for exercise... what do you think? will i be able to lose 2 lbs a week or so at that? any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated

[Lovely]

Welcome to 3FC =)

Congratulations on starting!

Finding the right calories for your body can be a little tricky sometimes. Eating enough so that you're getting the nutrition you need while still lowering calories far enough to see consistent results.

1800 seems a good place to start for you.

Remember that 1-2lbs a week is not necessarily the AVERAGE that people lose, it's the maximum healthy average. You could lose half a pound each week and still be doing just fine. The weight didn't come on overnight, it won't melt away overnight.


There are some "generally true, but not always true for every person" things you should be on the lookout for.

The first week you might have a big loss. This is normal. A lot of water weight is dropped the first week. People who are heavier lose more weight to start. So the first while you might see larger drops in weight only to eventually settle into a normal downward trend.

Average weight lost is just that... average. It means some weeks you might lose 4 pounds, some week you might gain o.2 lbs, and some weeks you might maintain. It's all normal, and over the course of many months patterns emerge as does your personal average.

Every person's weight loss journey is different, so while there are things that are somewhat more common than not, your story is going to be personal and you'll have to pick up on the trends as you discover them.

You might also be interested in the Calorie Counters area and this Sticky particularly: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...ease-read.html

There's a 40-something's area, a 300lb+ area (for those who've started out over 300), a 100lb Club (for people needing to lose 100lbs or more). So many areas. Don't hesitate to post wherever you're comfortable and to keep coming back!

We love to see everyone succeed! Can't wait to get to know you better on your journey!

[OregonLady]

Thank you for the info Lovely...i really appreciate it i know it will take me a long time to get this weight off just like you said, i didnt put it on over night... i just want to make sure im doing it the healthy way. thanks for telling me about the diff groups here as well... i seem to fit into quite a few of them so i think ill have a nosey and see where i fit in best... thank you again hun, and i hope youre journey is going well

[Facetime]

Welcome!

[Lovely]

Originally Posted by OregonLady

Thank you for the info Lovely...i really appreciate it i know it will take me a long time to get this weight off just like you said, i didnt put it on over night... i just want to make sure im doing it the healthy way. thanks for telling me about the diff groups here as well... i seem to fit into quite a few of them so i think ill have a nosey and see where i fit in best... thank you again hun, and i hope youre journey is going well

No need to stick to just one, either! Participate in any and all that you feel comfortable with ^^

[RiceBunnie]

Hi from another Oregonian!
Your plan sounds very feasible! If you can make a meal plan where some of your favorite foods are within that calorie count and eat often, you'll be full all day! I don't know if you have a smartphone but there are also free apps that can help with your count.
I'm currently in the beginning and one of those who's dropped 5 lbs from water weight within a week. But seeing that drop which is huge for me, keeps me motivated. I'm aiming for 2 lbs per week but when I go on vacation later this month, I'll probably step it up with the cardio to squeeze out every last ounce of fat I possibly can. I'm also going to try Zumba. There seem to be a lot of places in Oregon that have $10 classes and depending on how hard you do it, it can burn 700+ calories an hour.
As a heavier person too, stretching has been really helpful with giving my body a heads up that hey 'We're about to rock this party' and less things crack and snap...lol
Drinking lots of water really does help too! And Mio is great to add to it for some extra flavor.
Good luck!

[OregonLady]

Ricebunny: I kept a log of the food i have eaten the last week, and the amount of calories, just so i would know what i have been averaging. I was averaging 4k per day in cals, but the sad part is approx 2800 cals was soda... i have only been eating about 1k -1200 cals in food a day.. (only eat once a day which im going to change as i have read its really bad for you). so i am giving up the soda as of today.. expecting major headaches etc lol, but it will be worth it.... and now im going to have to start eating more food than usual to 'diet' which is very odd to me lol. i dont want to start at 1200 cals as it doesnt leave me any room to lower cals when needed later... i have been up an hour and know i need to eat some breakfast, but yuck... i never eat food till 5pm or so, and i can see this will be the hardest part for me. I hope everything is going well on your plan

[Liliann]

Welcome!! Good luck with your efforts!! YOU can do this!!