2000 calories?
 

Question
Has anyone been successful losing weight by starting at around 2000 calories level or even slightly more? I am talking about those who’s initial weight was in 250-300’s. I know most people say no less than 1200 calories, but I’m pretty sure that at close to 300 pounds 1200 is closer to half of what I need.
Any feedback on the numbers would be appreciated. I have been struggling with every one of my measly 17 pounds lost and I’m taking in between 1800-1600 calories. I exercise about 3-4 times per week. It doesn't help that I have PCOS, that little devil has been messing things up for me for a while.
I guess I’m just wondering if I am slowing down my weight loss by not taking in enough calories.:?:

they say to eat about 12 calories per pound to maintain, of course that is just an estimate. And then eat 250 less and exercise for 250.

I don't know for sure, but where I track my food has me down for 1500 - 1850 calories per day at my weight, so it seems to me like you're doing it right. Sorry I can't help more.

Just my $.02 but I've lost weight on 1800 a day and started at 165 so I would think a 2000 would still allow for weight loss with that starting weight.

yah, I usually eat 1600-1700 and I lose.

When I started nutrisystem WAY back, they started me at 2200 because of my weight (if I remember correctly, I weighed just under or just over 300 lbs at the time). I lost pretty fast too, but I was in my mid-twenties.

Metabolisms differ, so you can only tell by trying, if it works for you. It kills me that I would have lost six lbs a week in my mid-twenties, on the same calories that might yield a one pound loss today. I have metabolic syndrome (syndrome x, insulin resistance), probably brought on by repeated dieting. Metformin and avoiding refined carbs help, but it can't give me the metabolism of a 20 year old.

It's a lot better to start a diet 500 calories lower than your normal diet, if you can. You should lose about 1 lb a week, and shouldn't feel like you're starving to death. Especially if you try to eat foods with more volume and fewer calories (you may even feel like you're eating "more" than you're used to). You can take it down another 250 until you're losing no more than 1% of your body weight in a week. My endocrinologist told me that if you are consistently losing more than 1% of your body weight in a week, you're more likely to stall your metabolism, and less likely to be able to sustain it for the long term.

I started at 234 lbs. and was eating at least 1500-1600 calories a day and doing a reduced carb plan. This resulted in a 2 lb. loss per week for most weeks. I am now at 143 and eat 1400 calories daily and am maintaining at this. So, I would think for your starting weight that at 2000 calories daily that you should be able to take the lbs. off. Good luck and best wishes.

I've been eating an average of 2000 cals/day since late December and have so far lost 80lbs. Of course, I did start at the nicely abundant weight of 363lbs, but even now I am still averaging a little over 2 1/2 lbs/week.

Even more, I'm not planning to ever lower this amount- I'm not the shortest gal in the crayon box (5'11"), I've been gradually upping my exercise as I lose weight so my calorie usage is still strong, and I don't really care if I never reach the low 170's or 160's. I just want to be healthier and more active, I don't really care if I'm ever a size 6 or 8.

I look at it this way- eating 2000 cals at my height is healthy, exercising is healthy: if I do each of these long enough I'll both look and be healthy (at least to the extent influenced by eating and exercise).

This was a really GREAT post with GREAT answers...Sometimes I forget that we have to feed ourselves enough to lose...Thanks everyone !

ME!

I started at 295 and lost about 12 pounds before I started really counting calories. WHen I weighed 280 I averaged 2000 cals/day and I lost about 2 pounds/week for a long time (a little more the first few months)... now at 200ish I'm taking in around 1800/day and still losing about 1 1/2 pounds/week. I exercise a lot more than I used to though to maintain that rate (averaging over 30 min/day including cardio and weights).

So it certainly is possible for some of us, though metabolisms do vary. I hate to starve myself and so I don't. I do carefully monitor everything I eat and focus on making healthy choices. Usually I am really satisfied with the amount I'm eating, and I'm actually loving my healthy foods!

Yes!!!! Me too! That is approx. what I am eating and I am losing. Furthermore that is what my doctor told me... not to go under 1800.

I lose on about 1900kcals a day, but I am a total fitness freak! (we're talking 1-3 workouts a day!! Half marathon training and advanced kickboxing training :dizzy: )

I take in about 1400 per day, sometimes higher sometimes lower because I calorie zig-zag, but never more than 1600 unless it's a "free" day. mine is lower because I can't exercise. Rheumatologist and my M.D. both said only walking or swimming. On average, I'm loosing about 1.5 lbs a week, sometimes more, some weeks with no loss. I feel the same way as you, as long as i'm eating healthy, and consuming a 'reasonable' amount of calories per day/week, at some point my body is going to fall in line.

I didn't count my calories when I started. Later, I thought back to what I had been eating and did a rough estimate and figured I'd been eating around 2,000 cals per day when I was over 200. I didn't really start counting cals until I got stuck around 170 pounds.

What it all boils down to is only trial and error can determine how much you should eat in order to maintain or lose weight. It all depends on your activity level and personal metabolism. You have to start at a calorie level and activity level you are comfortable with and watch the scale, if it isn't at or moving towards the point you want it to, you have to adjust your calorie intake and activity level. There is no magic number that will work for everyone.

Just my two cents to add to everyone elses. (maybe when your done you will have a quarter) Why would anyone think you need to eat more to loose? Bottom line the less you eat the more you loose. I was 270 when I started I kept my calaries (for awhile under 1000) the weight came off very quickly. I need to get back on track now, but I am down to about 225, and a size 18. (I never thought I would see that again) My 24's were getting small. Just take it one day at a time and watch everything you put in your mouth, it is the small stuff like salt and salad dressing that mess us up, Mayo on a sandwich etc.
Kat

I keep my calories at about 1000 to 1200 maximum. Some think thats too low but I am steadily losing weight. At 41 and 5'3" this is about the highest I can go without gaining. It seems to be working for me.

Actually Kat,

there is a quite a bit of research that going too low can ultimately lower your metabolism, so after a few weeks you might lose about the same amount of weight at 1000 calories than you do at 1250, or even 1500. It's obvious that if you can lose 2 lbs a week on 1500 calories or the same 2 lbs for 1000, 1500 calories would be better, not only because it is more to eat, but as you can get more nutrients in the diet.

This is part of the reason doctors recommend losing no more that 1% of your body weight per week, or 1/2 to 1 lb per week. This is the healthiest rate, studies show the most likely to not be regained, and is less likely to lower your metabolism.

I did know that going too low on the calories can mess with your metabolism.
It's good to know that some of you have been able to lose even on 2000 calories. I guess it really is different for everybody though, so I should probably do some experimenting for the next week or two. It just makes me nervous even thinking about upping the calories. I have this irrational fear of re-gaining even the little that I had lost so far.
Thanks again for all the support.

There is another issue with starting your weight loss with such a low caloric intake - when you reach the eventual plateau, you will have a lot fewer options than individuals losing weight initially on a higher calorie diet. If you're eating 1000 calories at 270 lbs, start to seriously plateau at 200 lbs, what can you cut and still meet the body's minimal nutritional requirements?

I used to this like this. I used to think, if I can lose weight by cutting some calories, I can lose more weight, faster by cutting more calories. I used to restrict very, very heavily and yeah, I lost a lot of weight. I could never keep it off. I started at 140 lbs in high school and after 20 years of yo yo (restrict/binge) I ended up nearly 200 lbs at age 35. Restriction and dieting made me fat, I would restrict, lose weight, quit dieting (for one reason or another) gain back weight quickly and gain more weight on top of it. Every time.

This time, I really went into it thinking about long term weight loss. I knew I could LOSE weight, but that wasn't enough for me, I wanted to lose weight and keep the weight off. I didn't want to be at my goal weight for a day or a week, I wanted to live at my goal weight for my life.

It just makes sense (to me) that since eating is not only pleasurable and vital for proper nutrition, to start caloric intake as high as possible and then slowly lower calories to find the "sweet spot" - a place where you can still lose weight (a nice, reasonable 1-2 lbs a week average) while still feeling satisfied and getting all the nutrition you need.

Hi,

I think that though Sluggersmom has had success, for most people, losing weight and keeping it off has a lot to do with developing an eating plan that you can stick with. Like Sluggersmom said, she's now getting back on track. It's hard to stay at less than 1000 calories for months and months, and though some can do it, you need to find what works for you. Otherwise, the moment something stressful happens, and your willpower weakens, the scale might just start going the other way and you end up doing the yo-yo dance.

FWIW I disagree with that statement and so does my doctor. She advised me strongly not to go under 1800 calories and said I would lose just as much as if I went a lot lower since very low calories would slow my metabolism. I've been doing it her way for 5 months and so far it is working AND I eat better than ever before and enjoy my food.