Hi,
I just joined a few days ago, and so far my weight loss is satisfactory, but I have a problem- I know that I am not eating enough calories. I don't know whether it is the anxiety associated with gaining back all the weight I have lost so far, or some other phobia, but I desperately need some advice. Here are my measurements:

Height: Six feet Two inches
Current Weight: 209 Pounds
Goal Weight: 165 Pounds.

Now, I am losing around 600 calories a day just because of exercise. I am not eating any unhealthy foods, just borscht, vegetables, granola bars, protein like eggs, but I have a confession to make: I start feeling guilty if I eat more than like 600 calories. Now this is a disaster. I guess what I need help with is whether it is possible to still lose weight (my goal) on a 1500 calorie diet in a span of five months ? Please, if possible give me some ideas/a good number I should aim for to lose that weight. Mathematically, I must lost 2 pounds a week in order to attain my goal by mid June of this year. I will increase the exercise intensity later, but right now I need to straighten my diet first. Any advice is appreciated

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My first question would be, how did you arrive at a Goal Weight of 165 Pounds when you are Six feet Two inches?

Is that just some number you picked out of thin air, or is there a reason you need to be 165 lbs?

Hey Doc, I used the BMI chart. By your tone I assume that its too low? If it is I will certainly try to modify it. Its just that according to BMI charts, it is right in the middle of being normal range- OR IS IT?? lol. Thanks for the advice. I need more advice though.

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Hi there!

Well, 600 will NOT do a thing for you in weight loss. Sure, you will lose weight very quickly, but there are so many things wrong with it it's not even funny - I don't think anyone can invision themselves eating that in a healthy lifestyle for a long period of time.

As far as figuring out how many YOU PERSONALLY need in order to lose weight at a healthy rate that will, in turn, keep you healthy, spend some time one day reading these articles HERE. There are plenty of articles that I consider a must read in order to understand how calorie deficits work, how much you need to eat, how to eat healthy, and how to incorporate exercise to compliment weight loss and give you a healthy weight loss.

And may I add, you definitely do not look 200 pounds!

And one more thing... You've probably heard of Body Mass Index before. This is a very important number. Once you know your BMI, it will guide you as to where you need to be weight-wise, as mentioned by Doc.

Underweight = <18.5
Healthy weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obese = BMI of 30 or greater

Just go to google, and search BMR, that will tell you your BMI level.

Me personally, I am 17 years old, male, and 6'0. My current BMI is 27.1, and my goal weight is 175, which is 23.7, near the middle of the healthy weight - rating.

I hope you take the information in that thread to heart, it helped me a TON and got me to where I am (40 pounds down, 25 to go).

Best of luck my friend

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Thanks Cams. Incidentally, I did use a BMI chart. Cool that you posted after my reply. I really love your advice though. I love how I can connect to your situation as well. I am also seventeen years old (Prom's coming up!!) and I really just decided it was high time to change after an incident. So, I hope that you and me become new people this year, and have a new perspective on life. As for my weight, I don't know whether its a blessing or a curse, but I carry my weight so well...UNTIL I take off my clothes. I don't even want to go there. Why do you think I omitted a body shot? *nudge- nudge*. Anyways, I will definitely take your advice, and keep me updated on your progress as well. Good Luck and thank you once again!!!

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Ohhhh, sorry, I assumed you didn't know what BMI was for some reason.

Well, again, I am inexperienced and some might disagree, but I think people look at the healthy BMI range of 18.5-24.9 and feel that "Hey, I want to be think and look think, I'm going to aim for 19 or 20." While that might not be so bad, I don't know if it is the right approach to take - Once you hit 24.9, you are considered a normal weighted person. I don't think it is entirely neccessary to aim for the lower end of the healthy weight spectrum.

I think it's all personal preference and about how you feel about yourself. My goal weight would put me at a BMI of 23.7. I know that I will be satisifed with that number, but it's not the number itself that satisfies me, if that makes sense. It should be all about how you feel.

Steve, a forum member, wrote an excellent article about The Scale Mentality, it made me think about my goals and it has changed them in fact.

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Yeah it seems BMI can be a tricky number--I have almost thrown it out completely in what I want to accomplish. Also being 6'2" I would love to hit 209 again at some point in my life which would actually be very close to my goal. My key number is body fat percentage. I would focus on that even more than the end weight. Find out what percentage of your body is Lean body mass and what percentage is fat. Many gyms have methods to help determine this and you can run a quick internet search to find several at home ways to measure it. For example if someone's lean body mass was 180 and body fat percentage was 15% (healthy percentage) that would put them at 207 as a goal. That is a large frame fairly muscular build. And it is where I would love to be someday ( I am probably a year from that)... But of course everyone has different skeletal structure and muscularity so that is why BMI is not always a great indicator.

now 6'2" 165 does seem like all skeleton to me with little room for muscle--but then again we are all unique. If you can, find out what your lean body mass is and then choose a body fat percentage goal and use that to calculate a weight goal that matches your body type.

Big-TX

Hey, Kumty!

Yes, I agree 165 is much too low for someone 6' 2". That's why I was asking where you got that number from.

I'd say 180 lbs is even on the low end for someone your height.

But as Big-TX correctly pointed out above,

"The key number is body fat percentage. Focus on that even more than the end weight."

That's the modern approach to "weight loss". Instead of being concerned about scale weight, be more concerned about what the pounds you are carrying are made up of. How much fat and how much lean you have on your frame.

I posted a formula some time back called the "Target Weight Formula" to come up with an estimate of what you should be aiming for on this thread: Calculating Your Ideal Body Weight .

Of course, not too many people "got it".

As Big-TX also correctly pointed out, "BMI is not always a great indicator."

Myself, I go about 215 at 6'. According to that chart somebody posted above, that would put me on the edge of the Obese catagory. In reality, my bf% is in the low to mid teens.

That's why I take the position that what you really need to know is how much body fat you're carrying, then work towards lowering that to a safe, healthy range, and don't be too concerned with scale weight.

pick a group of foods you will have no problems eating during the week and then spread them across the 7 days in a week so you eat something different each day but consume just the right amount of calories. Do it as a routine for few weeks and then you wont even have to think about it since you will just get used to eating similarly over the week. I personally haven't started my diet with calorie counting. What I did is I looked at what I usually ate and cut some meals in half at first. Then I moved onto some healthier food and cutting down on the crappy once. After a while I researched on the net about how much calories comes from the food i eat often during some days. Try to avoid doing things that will stress you out and ruin your diet plan. If calorie counting is one of those things just count the food as meal sizes instead of actual numbers. Good luck.

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Hey Cams!! I know this might sound superficial, but I had a very important query: When do you start noticing the change in your appearance. I went down from 224 to 209 so far, and no Change in appearance! (at least as far as I can tell) When do you start to tell? And what do you lose first, the belly fat, the face fat, or the thigh fat? (Lol, gross, sounds like a menu). I really need to see some results for just pure satisfaction and to feel that I am not cheating myself. I want to lost all my fat in my waist and thighs *ugh* thinking about it makes me feel nauseas (lol). I really love your advice, so I'd appreciate it if you reply. With warm wishes,
Kumty

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OK, maintenance for you probably ought to be around 2,400 calories, assuming you do absolutely no exercise. So say 3,000 calories with 600-cal-per-day of exercise. Which, by the way, is a ton of exercise. To average 2 pounds a week, you need a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. So you ought to get your 2 pound per week loss on 2,000 calories a day.

I will warn you it'll feel like a big slowdown - if you're used to a 2,400 calorie a day deficit, that's nearly 5 pounds a week - even with water weight fluctuation, you ought to be seeing a loss on the scale every single week. A 2 pound a week loss is still big (but perfectly reasonable, given your current weight), but can get lost in the "noise" of random scale fluctuations. You're going to need faith in your plan to get you through the days when it seems like you're gaining or maintaining.

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Thanks for the much needed advice ally! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that! I had a question for you though: Are you saying that even if I dont do enough exercise and just cut my intake down to 2k calories (I currently eat 1500 max a day) I will lose 2 lbs a week? That sounds tempting, but I dont want to be tempted, as I have just started to love exercise. Please tell me that isnt totally true (I mean exercise has to have some benefits, right?) On another note, I have a question for you as well. When do you start noticing the difference in appearance in weight loss. I have lost 15 Pounds so far, and can only see a very slight difference. Please give me some hope!!! Thank you once again for your response.

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Some weight loss can come from dieting alone. I have done the fad diets in the past and lost tons of weight with no exercise--but I also lost lean body mass (muscle) which in turn makes you burn less calories per day because muscle on your body uses more energy and you burn more calories at rest if you maintain your muscle. The thing to set in your mind is this:
You DON'T want to loose weight--you want to loose BODY FAT By loosing bodyfat the weight does come off.

The way to maintain lean body mass while loosing weight is through exercise--strength training and cardio. You can loose weight just by cutting calories--but this is not your best option for a long-term lifestyle change.

No, I said you need a 1,000 calorie a day deficit to lose 2 pounds a week. Maintenance for you with no exercise is probably 2,400. Take away 1,000 and you've only got 1,400.

But if you keep up the exercise, you can eat 2,000 calories a day and still lose as fast as you want to.

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6 meals a day low-fat foods is what I suggest.

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