It's really hard to stay within calorie limits....trust me I know!!!!LOL!!!! If you can incorporate a walk every day that will help with the calories.....I keep a big bowl of popcorn around and nibble on that all day long with a great big glass of ice water....... Drinking ice water makes you burn more calories plus it kinda makes the popcorn blow up a bit in your belly. It works for me have been doing it about a year now.....most important is that you exercise every day..... start your day with exercise and that kinda sets up your day..... I feel like if I start my day off right I don't want to blow it with unhealthy choices....cause then I feel like all my hard work went out the window. Just take a deep breath and start fresh tomorrow....but try to exercise first thing in the morning and then eat breakfast after you work out because you have like 90 min to eat after you work out and the calories get burned faster because your metabolism is up. Good luck !!!! Denise

Thank you, Denise for your support. Glad that you are doing well..Good for you! :)

LiliannaB...

Did you go to that calorie calculator website I told you about? You know, the one where I put your stats in and it said a woman your age and weight should be eating 3,600 calories a day to lose weight?

Remember how I told you that your body and mind would let you know in a very short amount of time that trying to force a 444 lb body to live on 2,000 calories a day just isn't something that you would successfully be able to do over a long period of time?

You talk about having no self-control, but, almost from the start, you're setting yourself up to fail. I love that quote from Geneen Roth, "...it's not what you're eating, it's what's eating you." I really think you believe that being successful at this is mostly about just the food and the exercise. But, it goes so much deeper than that. You have to work on why your relationship with food is unhealthy in the first place. You can't just dive in and say, ok, if I eat this number of calories a day and exercise these many minutes a day, I will lose weight. If it was that simple, the weight loss industry wouldn't be the multi-billion dollar industry that it is.

You ate almost 4,000 calories for the day over the weekend because that is closer to what your body needs to live! If you try to force your body to live on 2,000 a day, believe me, it will interpret that as food being in VERY short supply and hold on to every single ounce of fat that it can, in addition to slowing down your metabolism. To lose weight, at the weight you are right now, you need to eat a minimum of 3,600 calories a day.

I know how miserable you must be a 444 lbs, because my body is begging for mercy at 290 lbs. Plus, society just does not accept morbid obesity well. We're mocked and ridiculed and laughed at. Even one on this board (who shall remain nameless) says it's about nothing more than getting our fat, lazy asses off the couch and exercising.

I know you're trying, but, you're setting yourself up for failure in the way you're going about it. Reading your posts sometimes reminds me of that saying, "...insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result". Do this for me - just try eating 3,600 calories a day (lean meats, plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, foods low in fat and sodium), plus exercise four times during the week, and drink plenty of water. During the week, take some time every day to do some soul-searching about why your relationship with food is unhealthy. At the end of the week, I dare you to tell me you haven't lost weight AND that you don't feel deprived and that you don't have self-control.

WIshing you the best, hon. Just try my suggestion. I'm pretty sure you will be amazed at the result you get.

Janice

Thank You, Janice..I had tried a higher calorie from using freedieting site and It did not work.. I weighed myself on my home scale and up at 450. I don't believe that site is for a heavy set folks..I think that is for people who wants to maintain and very active.

I have a few weight loss books that states for light activity stays at 2000 and once am become more active, I up my calories.

I am grateful of your kind support ..but I don't follow online calculators. I once tried sparkpeople.com and that states for 2200. Again,Thanks.

Liliann

Hi

Its is normal at the beginning to fight your cravings 2000 cal seems right and healthy. It is true that your body actually needs the 3,500 that loveb mentions and that is why you feel you want food but be strong this is the time to conquer your will. The most important thing is to stay active. Good luck!

Hon, maybe talking to a nutritionist would be beneficial, if that's possible for you. Or, a doctor who specializes in (natural, not surgical) weight loss for the super morbidly obese.

If you don't have faith in the caloric information an online calorie calculator gives, maybe getting this information from a medical professional would help you. All I'm sure of is, if you continue to try to live (without going insane) on 2,000 calories a day at your weight, you will be on a vicious cycle of trying and failing, trying and failing.

I'm sorry, but, any weight loss book that says a 450 lb. woman can successfully lose weight on 2,000 calories a day would go straight in the trash, because it's just not possible. Your experience during the last several weeks has proven that. It's not YOU, it's the information you're listening to.

Try my suggestion...3,600 calories a day, lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, etc., about 64 oz of water throughout the day, exercise about 4x a week, and try not to eat within two hours before you go to bed...for one week. You won't feel deprived, your body will be happy and the weight WILL come off. This is the basic Weight Watchers (Flex) plan. I lost 105 lbs in 18 months following this plan, and kept it off for four years, until the removal of my thyroid gland and the wheels otherwise coming off of my life, threw a wrench in there.

If you decide to accept my mission, let us know what happens. : )

Hugs,
Janice : )

A good point was made here ...it is not the caloric amount it is what kind of food you have ...I struggle to get to 2,000 just on fruit, veggies and lean meats the amount of food is to much.If you eat 3000 or whatever of healthy food is so much better than not doing anything about it. Add some healthy fats like almonds and dark chocolate and if you are craving fruit have a mango or any sweet and delicious fruit. I winged off of candy and cookies with baby steps, first replaced it with lower caloric candy then with dry fruit then I was over it ...took months though now I eat more sweets but never like before my body kicks me from the inside when I do not eat healthy. I feel if we stick to it long enough you get used to the new thing. Also if you make your own desserts that will help use wheat flower and brown sugar or agave nectar if you really want to be perfect about it. Anything you make at home is healthier than what you buy. Patience...

Janice.. I am going to use the 3600 on freedieting. I remember a weight watchers leader when I used to attend meetings back in 2000 and she mentioned the more weight you have the more calories consume. So, I will stick with your suggestion and the freedieting site..even my boyfriend once told me to go at 3000 and gradually slows down.

I will weigh in two weeks to see how I do.

I'm so glad you're going to try it, hon. Believe me, you will be happier and you won't go through your days feeling like someone dropped you off in the wilderness somewhere. With the combination of the protein from the lean meat (which helps keep your blood sugar level), the bulk and other good stuff from the fruits and veggies, plus drinking the water, you will feel so full sometimes, you will swear at the end of the week you couldn't have lost any weight. But, following this plan, over the months the pounds almost melted off. Broccoli is my favorite veggie. I steam them, add a little pepper, then a few teaspoons of Italian dressing during the last few minutes of steaming...delicious, SUPER good for you and really filling.

So glad you're going to give this a go. One more thing I want to add about the Weight Watchers program...I hate the word "calorie". To me, calorie is the first cousin of the word "diet", a word I loathe with a passion. Weight Watchers stresses making lasting lifestyle changes rather than just going on a diet, which implies doing something for the short term. And, I love how they convert calories into points values. Having a food be so many points just seems much less intimidating to me. AND, if you choose the Flex program, no food is restricted. As soon as I can't have something, that is the very food I'll crave. They also have the Core program, which does restrict some foods, for people who need a more rigid structure to losing weight.

Wishing you well with this. If you follow the plan, I know you'll see results. No plan is perfect, but, Weight Watchers is as close to weight loss heaven as you can get.

Janice : )

Hi Janice, good to read your posts. When I was "super morbidly obese" (your phrase), I also found that I could NOT eat the number of calories a big person was supposed to eat. I don't even read those calculations anymore--they make me too mad!

I'm trying to do Weight Watchers at home now, and people between 225 and 245 lbs. only get 31 POINTS. That's NOT a lot of calories for a person that size. It only averages 1400 to 1550 a day.

Since I'm a senior who will be 65 in December, I don't burn up a lot--even when I MOVE my "fat, lazy ass" as our egotistical, badmouthing "friend" likes to say!!! If I stick to the 31 POINTS, I do lose, but for a person who's still in the 230's, that's hard to do. Some calculations would say a person that size can lose on 2500 a day! Janice, I would be gaining so fast on that, it wouldn't even be funny.

Some of us were just dealt a rough row to hoe.

I love everybody on DS (except Mr. you know). Thanks so much for supporting me and many others on here!

Hi ladies, I was just wondering how many times a day you eat? I weigh just over 300 #'s and eat 2600 calories a day, but I burn around 3700. I eat 5 meals a day averaging around 500 calories. My daily food intake consist of 20% protien, 60% good carbs and 20% good fats. It took me a long time to get used to not eating "snacks" and eating actual meals. It has helped because I never get hungry, oh lord look out if I do :).

Best of luck Liliann!

Blasted weekends... lol. Don't beat yourself up you are on the right track you are trying which is much better than what I can say for myself. Just don't give up you can do this. These are all things You need to hear. Give your body a chance to catch up with the changes you are introducing into your lifestyle. It will happen. Ask yourself do you feel better eating healthier? I bet you do. Because I know that feeling a junk eater gets very well. Stomache so bloated and hard as a rock and still hungry. blah... not where you want to be. Keep at it. You will do fine. Much hope for you.

Frog.. I eat every 3 hours,including healthy snacks..My calories is 3000-3600. I weigh over 400,and thanks to freedieting.com site and Janice to keep my calories daily. Its working well for me,which am down 12 Lbs so far!! :)