Hi! A Newbie with a Question. - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

CatWuv · 07-20-2009, 04:10 PM

Hi All

I have been reading this wonderful forum for a while and I really feel psychologically ready to get down to some serious weight loss. Since I have a long way to go, I am focusing on 10 lb increments.
I would very much appreciate some advice on the numbers of calories that I should take in. My stats are 37, female and 324 lbs. I sit down most of the day except for housework and riding my recumbent bike for 20-30 min 5x a week. So far, I have been eating around 1600 calories and I lost a lot in the first week but I know that must of been a lot a water since the scale was going down 2 lbs daily.
I have used some online calculators that state that I should be eating like 2500 cals a day which seems like way too much for me.
I guess I need to experiment to find that optimal number.
Thanks in advance

Pennie

bacilli · 07-20-2009, 06:44 PM

You probably will need to experiment some, to be honest. I'd suggest 2200-2500 a day for a few weeks and see how you do - you need to make sure you are eating enough so your body doesn't think you're going to starve. The calculators I use gave me a BMR for you (assuming you're 5'6" cause that's how tall I am so I assume everyone is the same as me! ha!) at ~2200. With that, 2500 wouldn't be a far off estimate, considering you aren't laying in bed 24 hours a day. If it ends up being too high, you can go down 100-200 calories for a few weeks and see how that works for you.

I use The Daily Plate to track my calories in and out. You may want to try it, or FitDay which seems very popular also. I've never been your weight, so I have no personal experience to share - maybe someone else can chime in with their own numbers.

TexasLoser · 07-20-2009, 06:47 PM

Hi, Pennie! I'm a newbie, too!~

The FAQ's on the forum say that for your weight range, you should start with 2,000 calories a day for a week and see how you do ... if you lose 1-3 pounds, then stick with it. If you gain, then decrease 100 calories the next week.

That's my newbie interpretation.

)

Here's the post:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...ease-read.html

Nice to have another newbie on board!!!

Judy Lynn · 07-20-2009, 08:02 PM

Hi!

I am new to the CC forum too, although not new to weight loss efforts (by any means!). I weigh 266 and arbitrarily decided to start with 1600 cals/day. We'll see how it goes.

Good luck, and see you around here!

TexasLoser · 07-20-2009, 08:10 PM

Hi, Judy! Welcome! Know just what you mean about not being new to weight loss efforts. I'm hoping that by sticking with basics - calorie counting - I will finally be successful in getting this weight off and maintaining.

Everyone here is so nice and welcoming and it's great to have found such a supportive forum!

CatWuv · 07-20-2009, 08:53 PM

Thanks for your responses. I am going to try for 2000 calories a day and see where that gets me. The idea that I should eat no more than 1200 was drilled into my head when I was a kid so 2000 seems like a huge amount to lose on but I am becoming more aware of the science behind it.
The strange thing is that when I am bingeing on junk food then 2000 cals is nothing. However, 2000 is a lot of healthy food and it is a bit of a challenge to eat it all. Plus I am trying to cut out sugar which makes me super hungry.

Pennie

LisaJean · 07-21-2009, 10:59 PM

If I can make a suggestion... when I started counting calories, it didn't work because I set my goal too ambitious (low). A day was fine, a week was okay, then suddenly one day I ate half a box of Zingers!

I never felt hungry exactly, but I guess I was over-depriving myself. With a higher calorie goal (2000) I might not lose as fast, but I can eat a little treat sometimes without it getting out of control, and I can focus on making those 2000 *healthy* calories.

Good luck! You can do it!