Ok so I lost 26 lbs over the last 8 weeks.... and am stuck on 300-302.... and I need to start doing calories, I work out 30-45 minutes on the treadmill, walking at 3.2 speed... and work 7 hours a day doing apartment cleaning.... I have been eating about 1200-1500 calories a day... but I think I should be eating 2000 a day. I am 26 years old... thanks for all the help guys!!
Height? Boy or girl? These things make a difference.
Anyway, at 300 lbs for either gender, it's guaranteed that 1200-1500 calories is starvation calories and there's a fairly high degree of possibility that you have gone into what they call "starvation mode" where your body adapts by decreasing your metabolism drastically to conserve calories. That wasn't the best way to start.
Assuming you're 5'10'ish and a male your BMR (with a moderate activity level factor) is 4400 calories. That means for optimal fat loss you should be eating 10-20% less. Which puts you at 3520 (for 20%) calories to lose ~ 2 lbs a week (any faster isn't a good idea, especially on a cardio-only plan). Yet you are eating 1200-1500. Not good at all.
You need to slowly (say, 200-300 calories/wk) increase your intake back up to 3500 calories/day (assuming you don't lose a lot of weight in the process, which will change the number) to fix your metabolism. These numbers can be high for someone like you who is very overweight, though, so watch what your measurements (you are taking measurements right!?) are doing and so long as they are going down at a good pace continue increasing calories until progress halts for a week or two. You've just found maintenance. Then drop it back a little (10-20%) and simply stay there until you plateau again. Then try decreasing a little more.
Unfortunately, when it comes to fat loss less is not always better. It's a very common misconception that many fall prey to. Even some of us who know better. -_- For example, I recently increased my intake by 1000 calories and am now seeing much
better progress.
Once you get your intake into a more reasonable range you should start to see the weight falling off fast.
Now, having said all that, I'd really encourage you to begin a solid weight training programming. Believe me, I've been exactly where you are (currently sitting at nearly a hundred lbs less though
), and you will regret not doing so. The more muscle you can retain (strength training), the better off you will be in your struggle for fat loss. In the first month or two you may have difficulty seeing any weight change (because of Beginner's Gains - an often experienced phenomena specific to newbies wherein one has a temporary ability to lose significant amounts of fat and build significant amounts of muscle at the same time, something that is otherwise impossible naturally) and this may be somewhat discouraging, but if you stick it out it will be very beneficial in the long term.
Sorry if this is a bit much to absorb all at once.
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