Going by the sticky above, I should try 1600 calories a day, wait a week, weigh then, and then adjust accordingly if I haven't lost anything or if I've lost too much. (Very informational and helpful thread I might add! I panicked trying to find a calorie counter calculator online.)

I'm doing the South Beach diet, but for personal reasons, have decided not to post in that forum (except for the recipe part) for the time being. I also decided that I should also be keeping up with my caloric intake, being that I am the type to take seconds without realizing how much I'm actually eating. I thought this might be a more appropriate forum for me.

On the South beach diet, there's the phase one, which is pretty hard. You restrict a lot of carbs including whole grains, for the first 2 weeks. You still get to have carbs like dairy and beans and veggies. Its purpose is to break your sugar & carb addiction and then in phase 2, you start adding some good carbs back.

Anyway, I'm still going to do all of that, but in a modified way. I'm going to do the phase 1 again starting Sunday (I got sick with a virus and cheated too much so I have quit until Sunday) to break my carb addiction, but I'm still going to only eat 1600 quality calories a day. And I'm going to have potatoes and carrots and watermelon and pineapple etc, from time to time. The SBD doesn't want you to have those things, but they are healthy, so, I'm doing what I call "Fat Melanie's South Beach Diet."

Anyway, about me, I'm 22 with a baby boy who's about to turn 5 months old. I am 200 lbs at nearly 5'9, and I lost all my pregnancy weight plus 10 lbs. I'm aiming to get down by 150, (then of course, if I got to 150 and still saw room for improvement, I would lose more.)

I hope to at least have lost enough weight by November to look great for Thanksgiving, and my ultimate goal is to look AMAAAAAAZING & FIT by Christmas. 5 months before Thanksgiving, 6 months before Christmas. If I'm not at my goal weight by then, I should be at least very close. I've got so sick of trying diets and failing and giving up on exercise routines. It's time I followed through.

Melanie -

Sounds like you've got a plan in place and .. I"ll be honest ... I think it's a much better one than the restrictive SB diet (which I tried in the past).

One thing I"ll suggest is to add in exercise as much as you can. I know that finding the time with a baby around is tough, but anything you can do to exercise and raise your heartbeat will help immensely!!!

Good luck to you!!!

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I think 1600 cals is smart; I know sometimes people new to calorie counting get really ambitious and aim for much lower, but that often backfires because the calories are too low.

Good luck to ya

Photochick, Yay! glad I'm not the only one in thinking the SBD is a bit restrictive there. I know some of the beachers will consider that heresy, but well, I've got to do what works for me, not them!

Thanks Drina. When I used to try dieting, I'd try 800 cals, and that is way too low for me! Hope I can manage with 1600.

to Calorie Counters!! I'll second the exercise vote. It does wonders for your metabolism.

Melanie-

Rather than doing a South Beach combo...basically, what you are doing is calorie counting, focusing on more WHOLE foods, rather than heavily processed and refined ones. (If you change what is allowed on the South Beach plan, then it is no longer South Beach. )

However, MANY of the calorie counters here DO focus on whole foods (whole grains, lean protein, fruit, veggies) and that is wonderful. Calorie counting is wonderful because there are no food restrictions...but, it will always be healthier and yield better results if you eat healthier.

I normally eat lean protein, legumes, nuts, yogurt, oatmeal, fruit, and veggies, and things of that nature.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Aphil

Hey! Yep, calorie counting can work! Just make sure you are eating in a nutritionally balanced way.

Jay

Another dedicated calorie counter here. I always plan my meals ahead of time and keep to my plan.

Hey Melanie,

good for you! Calorie counting is the only method I've been able to stick to for more than a couple of months, and I've come to it in a similar way. I've been on several quite restrictive low carb (and later low GI) plans in the past, and I always had great results initially - but the all-or-nothing mentality did a number on my head. If I'd give in to one little cookie, I'd be like "screw it, I'm off the wagon now - pass the fries/cake/potatoes, I'll start over later." Like, 20 pounds UP later.

With calorie counting, I'm taking a different, less restrictive route while still incorporating some of the principles I learned from these plans (although more from glycemic index than low carb proper, I guess). Like many calorie counting chicks here, I'm shooting for a balanced mix of complex carbs, lean protein and healthy fats, and if the occasional cookie slips in, so be it. What matters is that I can do this long term, and life without cookies? Nope, not for me. (Can you tell I've got a teeny tiny cookie craving going on today? No? Good. )

Also, whenever I'm trying to change my balance towards protein (for energy, if I want to give my metabolism a little boost, if I feel I've been eating too carby which makes me crave-y) I think of it as upping my protein, not lowering my carbs - that happens automatically, by means of the calorie cap. More protein = high-calorie carbs are crowded out, but there is still room for most veggies. Hey presto! I don't do high-protein all the time, though, because I tend to feel more mentally balanced with a solid amount of complex carbs in me.

So, welcome, and best of luck!

I have also started to calorie counting with South Beach. It seems I am learning to be better at what I choose to eat when I think of the caloric intake, I am excited and I actually might become like a lot of you and actually lose the weight. I have not been able to consentrate on excercise yet. Hopefully that will come next.

I used calorie counting along with South Beach after the first few months. Based on everything I've read I think it will help me more with maintenance to have both skills under my belt. I've gained a real sense of what works for me, including high fiber and keeping the fat under control. Using FitDay really helps me make sure my eating is healthy every day.

I'm also calorie counting along with South Beach....although I've ate a few slips...non whole wheat pancakes for breakfast this morning......but over all I'm doin pretty good.

I use the online journal and blog that's shown in my sig below. I like it.

Question though...when I signed up at the above site it started me on a 2000 calorie diet based on my weight, height, etc. Is this too much?? Should I aim for 1600?? 1400?? 1200??

My doc had me on 1400 before but I was smaller then and had less to lose. I don't know what I weigh as I've passed my scales compasity and they only say "ERR", however I do think I'm losing. Any suggestions?? Anyone about my size eating about the same amount? I do admit that I don;t eat the full 2000. One day will be around 1500 another will be 1750 or so.

Why not leave your target at 2000 and see how you do for a week or two? It may be a little harder to gauge your progress without a scale, is there anyplace you can go for a weekly weigh-in? Our local grocery store has a scale at the front entrance and I think it has a higher limit than my home scale. Just a thought. But, the scale is only one measure, how your clothing fits is also another benchmark.

This diet thing is a long process, so it is important not to change so drastically that you can't sustain the program over time. If you can establish an eating routine that you can live with, that is a great start!! You can always adjust as you go along.

Just my 2 cents!

jusfluffy-

At 390+ pounds, 2000 calories a day sounds just fine to me. The more you weigh, the more calories your body burns doing regular activity.

If you sit back and think about all of the little everyday things-walking up the stairs, walking through the store, and so on, it takes much more effort for someone at 390, than it does for someone who is 290 pounds, because they are carrying 100 less pounds along with them. It takes even less for someone 190 pounds, etc.

At your weight, I would defiitely not go too low. 1500 calories would be way too little for someone of your size. I understand that you might not eat the full 2000 a day, but try to stay close. You want to stay where you are at, because 40, 60, or 75 pounds down the road your weight loss might slow down, and at THAT time, you would want to adjust your calories down a bit to get things moving again. When you do this, it should always be in small increments, such as going from 2000 to 1800-1900 a day. You want to eat at the higher levels that still cause weight loss, so that you will have wiggle room to move down, once you get smaller and weight loss gets slower and more difficult.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I second Aphil's post!!!!