1000 is definitely too low - you're just teaching your body that food is scarce and it should hold on to every resource to keep you alive. That ability to conserve is what kept your ancestors alive during famines and during wagon trains west - your body is trying to do a good thing, you have to work WITH your body.

I came up with a bunch of rules to help me lose weight. One was - never be hungry, if I was hungry I was doing something wrong. Another was - don't starve myself. I was very determined to reach my goal weight with a healthy, hot metabolism.

Hmmm...(chiming in) 1000 is WAY TOO LOW. I think I missed your starting weight (275?) and at that weight, yes, somewhere around 2000 cals/day will get you a couple pounds off each week. I think 1500 is marginal at that weight unless you have the luxury of sitting around reading a book and getting massages all day to keep your mind off the hunger :-) The idea here is to find a level where you can lose a couple pounds each week and STAY on your program. Everyone else is right on--you need to mentally adjust so that you truly realize this if FOR LIFE. It's not like you're going to deny yourself all your favorite foods for x months, get to a weight that you like, and then GO BACK to how you were eating. So....when you allow yourself an appropriate amount of calories, you can also include occasional treats and realize that you don't have to completely give up the foods that you love; you just have to learn how to incorporate them into a more healthy lifestyle.

And...your mantra is that you actually do have to EAT TO LOSE....not starve yourself :-)

Welcome to 3FC!

Thehopefulcry2,
Stick with it! Make sure you're taking a multi-vitamin & maybe up your salt intake a little bit.
I'm only on day 4 but Oh-My-God, do I feel better than I did a couple of days ago!
It's like withdrawal & it does get better! It did for me.
Also, keep reviewing your food list & trying new foods - the more time goes by the easier it is to cook for myself with this more limited menu and I discover better combinations of food that actually taste good.
I'm cheering for you!

Hi,
I know it is really hard at first, but believe me it does get easier. I had a lot of trouble at first trying to figure out how many calories I needed. I know the first week I went to bed hungry, which I know was a bad idea but we all learn from our mistakes. Now when I get hungry I think back to when I ate last and what I had. I know my body really gets hungry about every 3 hours or so, depending on what I ate. So I have a healthy snack. If it hasn't been long then I know I'm not really hungry, I am usually bored or feeling really compulsive. The thing is, thinking about why I am hungry has made a world of difference, and most of my hunger pains have disappeared so obviously I really wasn't hungry.
Just hang in there, it gets better and don't worry we all have our bad days. Good luck.
Jen

EEP! I thought that that was the right amount, at least that's what my mom told me... I haven't been sticking to that though. I mean some days its 1,300, some days its 2000... I don't know... its hard... I don't really have the energy to exercise, I have Insomnia and don't sleep... so I usually am bushed. I cant afford to go to a doctor, I have no money, and I have UNTREATED Hypothyroidism. Yes. I know.... But when you don't have the money to go to the doctor what can you do? I feel defeated....

I agree with everyone else that 1000 calories is WAY too low for you. You should probably be looking at 1800 to 2000 at the moment and even when you get smaller, I wouldn't go much below 1500. Your mom would have said 1000 because that is what we all used to think years ago. I remember trying to diet on 1000 calories a day and I was STARVING!!

Mind you, I don't know much about calories at the moment. I started my new lifestyle two years ago and I have managed to lose 175lbs so far without counting one single calorie. I've had a dietician friend give me ideas for what I can eat, although I started out pretty well on my own. I simply eat as much fruit and veg as I like, with a little extra carb and protein added to main meals. I have three main meals a day and three snacks. My snacks consist of a variety of fruit, yoghurt, diet jello, low-fat icecream, dried fruit and nuts, peanut butter on wholegrain crackers... ummmm... probably lots of others, but these are the main ones.

I started out my exercise routines with simply walking (if the weather was fine), or by marching and doing basic aerobics moves to music in the loungeroom. You should really try to find a way to get a little exercise in, even if you just start by walking around the block. I find that even when I am REALLY exhausted, after a little exercise I actually feel better. I now exercise twice a day as part of my daily routine. Treadmill first thing in the morning and exercise bike (only recently got that, before it was another walk on the treadmill) before dinner. When I first started on the treadmill, I was walking fairly slowly, but now I can get up quite a pace. I even did some jogging for a while, which I thought I would NEVER do, but it hurt my knee, so I have had to stop. Believe me, if anyone had told me a couple of years ago that I would have been doing this type of exercise I would have laughed in their face, but I'm doing it regularly and enjoying it (most of the time, when it isn't 100F, which it has been the last couple of days). Oh, the two pieces of exercise equipment sit in front of the TV, so I can catch up on the news or whatever while I exercise. That is an added bonus.

Please believe that you can do this. I started out at a much higher weight than you (350lbs) and I have been able to do it without ever really feeling that hungry. It IS possible.

Take care and good luck!

Don't feel defeated! You will actually feel better once you start eating some more--REALLY. And you've got all kinds of folks here to "talk" with I don't know anything about it...is the hypothyroidism something that will improve as your weight drops? Would you Mom be willing to help you out as far as seeing a doctor about it right now?

I really think that it would help you to start moving, as well as eating 2000 cal a day. If you dont want to get bogged down with calorie counting, perhaps cut out anything that doesn't need preparation to be eaten from your diet. That is fruit, veges, low fat protein, dairy, and grains, such as oats and brown rice. You could pretty much eat these things till you are full.

The exercising, even if its only 5 minutes a day for the first week, should help your insomnia. Also try playing a relaxation cd before going to sleep at night, I find that can help, and cut out sugar and caffeine, and anything stimulating at night. (I've cut qwyzzle out of my evening routine in the hope of getting some sleep tonight. Its very stimulating.)

I hope I've helped.

kathy

No, Hypothyroidism is something that makes your matbolism slow down... and No my mom wouldnt be willing to help. *sighs* Im still trying... I dont want to give up...

You need to eat every three hours. Breakfast,snack,lunch,snack,dinner,snack.

You can get in a lot of food in for the day and still be under or right at your calorie needs. Which should not be as low as you were on.
You have no energy because your body has no fuel to help it maintain and get moving. You cant sleep still because of the lack of nutrition.
Go to a library and dont pick one specific plan but look at many and read up on what they all suggest. Do what works for you.
Do what feels right for your body. If a plan is working that tells you to cut out the red meat ,drink no sodas, no pasta and get in lots of lean protein and its working for you that you dont feel deprived and you have energy then use those tools. And read more again and again until you find that you are finally getting it. That you finally had that moment that you understand completly what you should be doing.
Because no one plan ever worked for me. I took ideas from mens diets ,as well as womens diets. Its all what works best for you and your body.
Journal what you are eating , keep track of just calories and fats and maybe protein. Just watch what you are actually putting into your body so you can see where you can improve.
You can turn things around and get to that point where you see and understand what you should and should not be doing. Give yourself that and learn all you can because I know I have much much more to learn and it only helps me get closer to where I want to be in my life. Just like you can do for yours !!

i used to have trouble with insomnia... then i started walking everyday.. i could only go @ 1/2 mile at first... 10 months later i am walking 5 miles at a time... trust me if u do the walking u will have no troubles what so ever sleeping at nite!

too cold? i read on here one time a lady went to walmart with her pedometer on and walked all around the store for an hour...