So I'm calorie counting and so far its been pretty easy. I lost 6.5 pounds last week but this week the scale is not budging. I found my BMR and calculated how many calories I needed to cut out each week to meet my goal in about 18 months. This would mean I would lose about 2.9 lbs a week on a Net calorie budget of 1500. After losing last week and then stalling this week I'm wondering if 1500 is too low and my body is resisting. I also try to keep my carbs lower than recommended. My fitness pal says I can have around 260 but I usually keep it around 100 or so.


At 350 lbs is 1500 calories too low? Also should I cut even more carbs?

Any advise would be great!

I was 315 pounds, and eating 1,700 a day.
I'm now at 303 pounds and still eating 1,700 a day.
I just started calorie counting on April 22nd.
So I've lost 12 pounds in one month.
I know this doesn't really answer your question but I just thought I would tell you what is working for me.

I think it might be?

Considering only the math, it takes approximately 12-15 calories per pound to maintain current weight.

At 350 lbs, you need 4200 to 5250 calories per day to maintain that weight.

Eating 1500 calories per day is a deficit of 2700 to 3750 per day giving you an almost 1lb of loss per day (3500 calories per pound).

I know this is all math and there are many other factors involved, but IMo, it's definitely something to think about.

As long as your healthy than if your eating less than maintainence then you will lose weight,its a simple equation.

Thanks for the responses everyone but now I'm super confused lol. I got my BMR calculation from webmd or some health site which was 2800+ but Mammasita says it could be 4200+ calories to maintain my weight. What is the difference between the two numbers? I'm not sure how to decide how many calories I truly need now although the higher count would be nice lol.

My response was based only on math and numbers. Your BMR takes into account your height and age. Just something to think about when figuring out what works for you......

Check out this link:

Calories per PoundCalculating calories required per pound of body weight can help estimate daily calorie needs based on age, activity level and desirable body weight. To maintain a current body weight, MedlinePlus gives the following calorie requirements per pound of desirable body weight: 10 calories per pound for obese and sedentary individuals, 13 calories per pound for people over age 55 or who have a low activity level, 15 calories per pound for people who perform regular moderate physical activity and 18 calories per pound for individuals who engage in regular strenuous activity


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/13...#ixzz1vo37hydQ

It's whatever your body feels comfortable with. I weigh 345lbs and I eat 1500 calories a day. I've been doing this since Monday and have lost 1.5lbs (I am trying to work up exercising every day but haven't so that 1.5lbs is with minimal exercising.)

I suggest a website called "Loseit (Dot) com. You can put in all of your information and it will tell you how much you should be eating. I think the suggested amount for the weight we are is 1500-1900. Some people eat more some eat less.. Like I said it just depends on your body and how it feels after eating those amounts.

I know I didn't answer your question about the difference between those two amounts but I'm not sure on that myself.

Thanks Mammasita and Imnotperfect24! I will look at both of those sites too. I'm determined to figure this thing out.

There is alot of trial and error in weight loss. You have to figure out what works best for you ( like everyone else said). Now, I know that the Biggest Loser is not a basis for reality, but on that show, they have HUGE losses the first week and then usually very little the 2nd week. It happens almost every time.

I guess what I'm saying is that it takes some tweaking to figure out what works for you. You'll have it down pay before you know it

How do you feel, at our weight you burn a little more . If you feel full and satisfied on 1500 great. For me I have to keep it higher I might experience slower weight loss but i DO experience weight loss when I count (right now I'm off plan and hoping just to maintain during some other personal issues)


When I am counting usually anything over 1500 but LESS than 2400 works for me. I usually eat around 2000. And I lose when I do that no magic looking biggest loser losses but its what I feel is a plan *I* can stick to. I just have to make myself stick to calorie counting I do light excercise and that works for me. As I get thinner I will have to up my excercise and decrease my calories but for now that "works" for me when I actually put my mind to it.

My dr. has me on an 1800 calorie a day diet and I weigh 344.. So yes, 1500 might be too low.

When I looked it up, it said that to maintain my weight I needed to eat just over 2800 calories a day.. So a 1000 calorie a day deficit "should" result in a 2 pound weight loss each week. Of course i'm exercising also, so that should bump it up a little bit too. I'm not sure I could exist on 1500 calories right now. 1800 seems much more doable.

Think about the future. You don't want to start to low then plateau out when you weigh less. End up not being able to lose on 1200 cals a day.

When i started at 386, I ate 2100-2300 cals a day. Avg weight loss was 3-4 lbs a week. Around 330s I was eating 1900-2100. At 300, I'm eating 1700-1900. I've been calorie counting since day one and base what I eat on my weight and activity level for the day.

You do not wanna paint yourself in a corner.

The good thing about being really quite heavy is being able to eat quite a lot and still lose weight. I think you can get it calculated online- basal calorie amounts. Or mammaaita's formula!
I just had an awful feeling that since I've been gaining weight up to 400lbs for years I must have been eating like 6000cals or something!! Oh my gosh!!

My body is quite happy at 1800 per day and 30-40 mins of walking each day

I woudl say you need to up it especialyl depending on how much excerise your doing... I was eating 1600-1700 calories a day and exceriseing every day and I plateaued because my body went into starvation more I up my calories to 1800-2000 and I'm losing agian! I am losing inches much faster then I'm losing lbs though.. BUt I've been training really hard with a trainer and weightlifting and strength training so I am also building muscle to replace the fat. I jsut finally hit 299 not to long ago so I'm finally under 300 jsut barely..lol but sometimes you do have to eat mroe to loose... It's best to eat more if you can still loose or not gain.. I'd add in some more if you loose or stay the same you know it's fine to consume more if you gain then you know your body was fine at 1500 but the more you loose the more you will have to take away calories ,, and 1200 is as low as you should ever go as a female unless otherwise ok'd by a doctor.. so if your already as low as 1500 think of how little you'd have to eat to keep losing when you get to 200lbs see the dilemma?