Hi there... Okay, I've started (and restarted) this weight loss journey so many times I can't count. It seems my pattern is to do super well the first few weeks, (sometimes even a month or two), then stall. I'm 5'5", 46 yr old... weight between 253-259 (I'm up right now from my last weigh in of 253, but I know some of it's water retention. But I've been off plan for the past week and I'm struggling with emotions and staying dedicated.
Online calculators for how much my TDEE is are not very accurate due to being so very over weight, so they aren't a lot of help. Has anyone who is larger had any success finding a general formula that works for averaging your TDEE? I've been trying to eat below 1500 calories (most days aiming for 1400).... but I'm starting to think that if I want to lose weight long term (and stop binging/quitting) then maybe I need to start higher so that 1- I am able to gradually lower the calorie amount as I lose weight and 2- that maybe I'm going "too" low to start while I'm still larger, and that my "will power" alone isn't cutting it long term- so that if I start higher I can be more successful and avoid the "feel super hungry so just binge/overeat late in the day" pattern I'm stuck in... Thoughts? Any better approach?
I just don't know. I don't want to start TOO high that I don't lose at all, but I'm thinking since my body is 255ish pounds, that if I average 1800-2000 calories (just to start) that I should still lose.... or is that way to high? Then I can either gradually lower it by 100 calories or so every 10 pounds I lose, or just shift down to the 1500 over the course of 3/4 weeks by giving up a little each week. I just don't know. I'm so used to the "only eat 1400-1500 from the very beginning" mentality that I'm not sure how this will work. I have a vacation coming up in Nov that I wanted to lose as much as possible before, but I know in the end the sticking with it long term is what is important.
