Curious about a few things

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portchop

New member
Not until after i had lost a good 10 lbs did i actually think i was on a diet, i really just saw myself as a guy who "is trying to eat a little healthier". But, eventually i figured it was a full out diet, as i was avoiding certain things all together (soda, juice, red meat, anything loaded with sugar).. I than pushed it a little further to a point where my main source of protein is fish, and tofu (stopped eating all other meats), switched from white everything to whole wheat (pasta's, bread, etc.)

Now i stick to 2000 calorie days for the most part, give or take 200 calories. Before any weight loss, i was 320, now after a few months (approx. 4) i am 265. The whole time i have been sticking to a calorie intake of approx. 2000 calories a day, and very minimal exercise(about 1 or 2 days a week i go on an extended walk that lasts about an hour at a constant pace). It is hard to find time in my days to devote to exercise.

I have recently noticed that my weight loss has been occurring at a slower rate than previously, i am wondering if my body is getting used to this calorie intake of 2000 calories a day. If it is, what should i do to help my metabolism along? Or should i decrease my calorie intake to 1700.. or 1600 cals a day? I am worried that if i decrease my intake more, that eventually i will have the same problem im having now, and i will have to go even lower and lower.

Any suggestions on how i can continue to lose weight safely, my ultimate goal is to be under 200 lbs at some point, hopefully by the end of this year, meaning i have another 70 lbs to lose or so. Also, is that a realistic goal considering i lost my first 55 lbs in about 4 months?

Thanks in advance for any responses. So far, this forum has been great.
 
Ok, here's the thing - it's very simple math.

When you weigh 300 lbs you need a certain number of calories to maintain that weight, right? Just like an SUV needs a certain amount of gas. Say your big SUV needs 1 gallon to go 12 miles.

When you weigh 250, your body needs fewer calories to maintain that weight. You've gone down from a big SUV to a light truck, and now you only need .8 gallons to go 1 mile.

When you weigh 200, your body needs still fewer calories to maintain. You've gone from a light truck to a midsized car and now you only need .5 gallons to go 1 mile.

Make sense?

So as you lose weight, your calorie needs are less. Since what you need is less, then continuing to eat the same amount will mean you lose more slowly.

A good "rule of thumb" is to multiply your current weight by 10-12 to get the number of calories you should be eating. Obviously you started eating a lot less than that - so you could stick with 2000 calories for a while. But yes, your weight loss will start slowing. It simply doesn't have any choice - it's simple math.

I wouldn't lower it more than that until you get under 200 lbs - or you will run into that problem of getting used to the lower calories and slowing your weight loss even more.
 
I second the notion of sticking with your current 2,000 calorie intake but I'd also suggest adding more exercise to your routine to make up for the fact that you're burning less calories. :)
 
I agree with the others. You dont really want to go cutting calories. If you do that - then are you going to cut them again the next time that things start to slow down. And again the next etc... You want to have them at the right level. Low enough to be effective - high enough not to mean that you are too deprived long term...

I also think that more exercise is the key. You may decide to walk a little longer or to go on an extra walk each week. You may decide to change one of your walks to some other form of exercise.

As far as realistic goals go - I halved my start weight in 14 months - so would say that your goal is perfectly achievable. I dont think that you will get there without increasing your exercise level one way or another.

Exercise is good - because it will help you to maintain your lower weight when you once get there.
 
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