[LebenAlles]

Hey Guys this is going to be a little long but I want to provide as much info as possible...

So I recently started counting calories instead of my previous method of weight loss, and so far the first week was very successful. I have the habit of reading EVERYTHING about what I'm currently doing in life, so I've been reading all about the calorie counting do's and don'ts lately. I came up with my daily calorie 'allowance' through My Fitness Pal, but a lot of the other online calculators are telling me I should be eating a lot more calories. I definitely want to do this the right way, albeit as aggressive as possible.

Currently I'm 5' 5", 266 lbs, have a 1440 limit on My Fitness Pal, and workout every day doing a 32 minute Kickboxing Cardio Advanced workout that MFP calculates as burning 649 calories and doing very light weights (little 3lb reps, nothing big). Currently I factor that into my daily calories and try to leave just 100-200 calories left over when all is said an done. I'm also incorporating a lot more whole foods (grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins) and adjusting my sugar intake. And I'm taking this very very seriously, which means tracking every food and liquid that enters my mouth.

I would love to be in the 210-220 range by the end of December, when I have a trip planned to NYC. Is that feasible following this regime? Is it healthy? Do you guys use the calories burned in your workout or no? I know the best person to ask is a doctor, but I figured a lot of you guys are here or have been here or something similar, so any advice is appreciated!! Thanks for reading this longwinded speech!

[Mer du Japon]

I never ever eat back my calories, try looking up an article called "why exercise won't make you thin"google it, time magazine.

[ghost]

YOu may be eating too low. I am 230 and I eat more then that. I do not eat back my excercise cals even though MFP tells me to. I typically don't let computer algorithms boss me around Find a good BMR calculator, find your BMR, subtact 500 cals from that and that is the level you should be eating at to lose about 1 lbs a week. 1-2 lbs a week is a safe loss, you have about 15 weeks till mid December so losing 30 lbs by then seems safe. Any more and you risk burn out, regain and the feeling of utter failure.

[bachelorette]

Try the calculator at livestrong. I can't post the link but just google livestrong dailyplate. I find it to be very accurate.

[thewalrus0]

The Lose It! app tends to have a pretty accurate calorie suggestion. Did your My Fitness Pal ask you how quickly you wanted to lose the weight? That's probably where it's getting that number. Lose It! Will allow you to pick 1lb, 1 1/2 lb or 2 lbs per week and they'll give you a calorie amount based on that.

The thing is, when you're as big as we are, you'll lose weight quicker anyways. I eat roughly 2,000 calories each day, no exercise and have been losing. Each time I lose a pound the Lose It! app adjusts my calories.

I wouldn't eat back my calorie if I did exercise, but since I'm just slowly getting back on the wagon I decided to hold off exercising until I've reached 210lbs.

You definitely can keep exercising though! It's different for everyone.

I personally think it's best to start at a higher calorie intake, especially if you weigh a lot, and then move down as you lose weight. Eventually it will be up to the exercise to help lose the weight since it's unhealthy to eat less than 1,200. So you can see how starting out at such a low number for your BMI would be difficult in the long haul.

I have a similar goal of being 210-215 by Christmas and I think it's do-able for someone my weight and age. You have to understand your body though. I know mine drops 20lbs like nothing, slows a bit but still drops about 3-5lbs a week. This continues until I get closer to the 190's before it slows to maybe 3lbs per week. I know it slows dramatically around 160 though.

And all this knowledge I have of my body can change over time too.

So ask yourself these questions:
- Am I feeling satisfied with the calories I'm eating?
- Am I going to burn out on this exercise plan soon?
- Is this sustainable for a very long time?

I had to ask myself those things before I could realize that I was dropping too many calories and adding in too much exercise in a short period of time. I'm starting slow, because slower is much better for building habits.

Sorry if that was long. I have struggled with weight loss for years, but there's one thing I know for sure. Going slowly builds habits and going too quickly breeds distress. Also, cutting calories will always result in weight loss but there's often more emotional stuff to work through than many people realize. Weight loss is simple and yet incredibly complex.

[LebenAlles]

Thanks guys, all sound advice that I'll definitely look into and take into consideration. I guess I should have also added that I've been on this particular weightloss journey since December of 2011 but was on WW for that time. I only lost 35lbs during that time and got supremely frustrated. So far, 90% of the time I'm not hungry but I do run into times that I am every now and then. And of course, this is after only a week of doing this. I do know that I can sustain the exercise because it's been a big part of my life in the past and actually something I enjoy. My body is incredibly stubborn with weight and the only success I've had in the past has been incorporating a pretty hardcore exercise regime. But again, I enjoy it. It makes me feel really good. Gets out aggressions from work and all that.

But yeah, I think I'll compare apps and calculators, make sure I'm keeping in tune with my body's signals, and making sure I'm not overdoing it. Any more advice is welcome though, and thanks for the input so far!

[thewalrus0]

Good luck!

It's a crazy rollercoaster and it's a different ride for everyone. I think you'll find your groove. I've been looking for mine for a while and think I've found it.

One can only hope. Congrats on your initial weight loss! I think you'll find calorie counting to be a great plan. I personally have found no success on plans that involved eating certain foods and cutting out food groups.

With calorie counting I make good decisions most of the time, but it's okay to make a few bad ones.

[Lishar]

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/s...revised-7-2-12

IF you are on my fitness pal. Read this thread. It really makes sense. You figure out your TDEE Total Daily Energy Expenditure for the weight you are now and subtract 20-30% to lose weight. You will need to figure out how active you are first. Then just eat that amount. No need to eat back your exercise because its already added in. You will need to recalculate every 5-10lbs lost. I have been on it for 2 wks and have lost about 5lbs.

I was concerned about loosing fast and loosing lean muscle as well as fat. THis method lets you eat much more food and loose at a controlled rate. At first I was eating around 1200 calories and started to stall. I then upped it to 1800 calories and am still loosing. I love the wiggle room at 1800 calories.

Read the link and let me know what you think.

[kkazz123]

I just thought I would share that I ate 1800 cals a day till I hit about 210 pounds. I monitored my exercise calories but never ate them back...I know thats how MFP works but in my opinion it just confuses that matter.