I have been using MFP since last April when I started my 6 month supervised diet. I lost 46 pounds pre-op following MFP's guidelines. After my surger in October, my doctor told me I should be eating 1000-1200 cals a day for good weight loss.

However, MFP and a lot of members tell me that I need to be netting about 1600-1700 cals to be healthy and lose weight. When I tell them I net around 1200, they tell me it's not enough to keep my body functioning.

So, who is right? Will I still lose weight if I eat so little? Right now, I'm not in the green zone, I've been going purely on self-control. I usually end up netting around 1200 cals most days, but as of late, I've stalled. I even gained a pound this morning.

I calculated my BMR and TDEE. My BMR is 1867 and my TDEE is 2240 for a sedentary lifestyle. I exercise 4-5 days a week for 45-60 minutes. That would put my TDEE at 2887. If I only eat 1200 cals a day, is that really healthy? I would think eating 1000 cals less than my TDEE would be great for weight loss, which would put my cals at 1887 per day!!! That's more food than I can eat...

So, which is it?

I agree with eating 1200 or less a day. For the first year I was pretty religious being at 1000 and did really well. These last couple of months have just been tougher for me.

MFP does not take WLS into consideration. Because you have had WLS, your body doesn't require as much food as before. This means you eat less and make sure that you are getting all necessary vitamins, protein, etc.

MFP does not take WLS into consideration. Because you have had WLS, your body doesn't require as much food as before. This means you eat less and make sure that you are getting all necessary Vitamins, Protein, etc.

This doesn't make sense. My body doesn't know I had WLS and it still requires calories to function. For example, my thigh still requires the same amount of energy to move and function as it did before WLS. The surgery shrunk my stomach, but it didn't change my caloric needs to function normally....

I can say this, as I've been eating 1200 a day, my weight loss has slowed compared to what it was doing when I was eating 1600-1700 a day.....

What is MFP & TDEE? I can kinda see what TDEE means, but have no idea what MFP is?

This doesn't make sense. My body doesn't know I had WLS and it still requires calories to function. For example, my thigh still requires the same amount of energy to move and function as it did before WLS. The surgery shrunk my stomach, but it didn't change my caloric needs to function normally....

I can say this, as I've been eating 1200 a day, my weight loss has slowed compared to what it was doing when I was eating 1600-1700 a day.....

The point of WLS is to reduce the amount of food you can eat, regardless of whether you get the band, bypass, or sleeve.

You lost more weight in the start because that's what happens on diets. Your body adjusts to the foods you eat and the exercises you do and over time learns to do those same things with less energy expenditure. This is why it's important to vary activities. I have been told not to go below 1200 calories, as the metabolism gets slower if you do. Based on your activity level, some people need more calories and some need less.

My basal metabolic rate is 1850 (approx). I eat between 1200-1400 calories a day. The 1850 is what my body needs to function to maintain my current weight. If I eat less, then I will lose weight.

You should talk to a bariatric nutritionist if you are not sure why you are supposed to be eating the lower calories. The nutritionist will be able to look at your activity and current calorie consumption and tell you what calorie goal you should be striving for.

Personally, I wouldn't be taking advice from a program or from other non-medical dieters because they do not know your specific situation and the fact that you've had WLS.

What is MFP & TDEE? I can kinda see what TDEE means, but have no idea what MFP is?

MFP= My fitness Pal. It's a tracking program.

I checked out that fit bit website. That is pretty cool!

This seems to be a hop topic this last week or so. It seems crazy that in todays techno world that we as patients can't get a straight answer from health professionals. I really think it boils down to that every single body is different. And what is the perfect diet for one person maynot work for another. I think its great that we can come together and share all our different ideas, maybe it will help our follow bansters. But just remember, its just suggestions....

Here are few things to consider:

*Just like in weight watchers, you will need less calories as you loose weight.

*The goal isn't to starve yourself!! I can't tell you what your magic number is, but I KNOW its not 300 or 400 calories!!

*If you exercise hard...you need more calories, if you walk alittle, probably not .but it is important to move....even if its small steps at first....establish the routine and make it a part of your new life

*This time is about learning what our bodies what from us. For some of us, our bodies don't do well with a lot of carbs....for others they feel great with them. Its about trial and error, it may take you a few attemps to figure out whats best for you.........But whatever you do, accept that it is a learning process and just don't give up because your first, second or even tenth attempt isn't producing the results you want. ---just keep trying.

And just because the scale didn't move this week doesn't mean it won't...there are other resons at work that might prevent the scale from moving....hormones or maybe you had more sodium this week. Don;t abondand what seems to be working automatically. And if you have been consistenly loosing weight, and haven't ramped things up a lot with exercise, then you probably don't need more calories....you may need a few less.

I have lost 35 pounds since mid- january. I wasn't banded until March 19th and my first fill was yesterday so most of this weight has been lost without the band. So i'm really looking forward hitting 199 by next week.

What works for me is:

800-900 calories a day (but I don't do excessive exercising....I walk 2 miles in 30 mins 3 times a week and do the elliptical for 20 mins twice a week)-if I exercise I give myself an extra 100 calories. I personaly have been on a 1200 calorie norm for years and gained about 3/4 a pound a month. I wll not loose unless I'm under 1000 calorie

35 carbs a day---yes I know this is a very low count....but I feel good at this level. NO its not what I will do forever, when I get to where I want to be I will add more healthy carbs back in. I also give myself a day a couple times a month (usually TOM week) to eat a few extra carbs and satisfy any cravings I might have been having.--Or like this week I had a fill and need to do the liquid/puree/mushie thing for a week therefore a low carb diet is out.

I make sure to get my 60-70 grams Protein in

So this is what works for me....it will be different for you...but maybe something you want to consider

The reason you cant get a straight answer is because really, there isnt one. There's no such thing as overeating or undereating on one isolated day at a time, your weight is the sum total of your habits over a long periods of time.

And the bald truth is, if you eat less calories than you burn, over a long period of time, you lose weight, end of story. Doesnt matter if you eat carb or dont eat carbs, get 80 grams of Protein a day or not, get 30 grams of fibre or eat a lot or a little fat, or whether you make the deficit up entirely by dieting or by including exercise, if you eat less than you burn for sustained periods of time, you lose weight.

In fact, its probably entirely strange for your body when you DO count calories and eat roughly the same every day since in more normal circumstnaces, some days you eat more than others.

There's no such thing as a "perfect" calorie level for you.

I agree with much of what Jacqui said. No doubt your body doesn't recognize intake/export based on our schedule. There is no midnight reset button. And in the grand scheme of things it does boil down to calories in versus calories out. Thats the macro issue but there certainly are many micro issues that stem from that. Not every calorie is equal in the sense of hormonal response. 100 calories of chicken breast is not going to generate the same insulin response as 100 calories of white sugar. Hence the term we are what we eat...

No two people have the same genetic makeup, metabolism, or activity level. Those are what determine how many calories you should be eating in order to lose fat. Ideally, we want to be able to consume a cornicopia of nutrients to nourish our bodies - so ideally we want to consume as many calories and food choices as we can - while still achieving adequate fat loss. That requires an in-tune optimized metabolism - and that won't be achieved eating less than 1000 calories and not exercising.

Brad

I agree with what everyone has said. Personally, after dieting for years -yo-yo- I got to a place where I had whacked out my system & it took far less calories for me than what those tests say (I have taken them two or three times in my life) and what mfp & other sites recommend. I'm 51 & have dieted since I was 5. I've lost 100 lbs twice so I've learned what works for me. I like mfp b/c it keeps me accountable. And since I got my band in September I am on a new learning curve -- and I love it! Good luck!

I dont believe in that starvation mode crap if you take in less calories at some point your body will have no choice but to lose weight. Anorexics dont get to be 95lbs or less by eating 1700 calories a day. They eat hardly nothing and the body loses. I stay at least at 1000 to 1200 because if I eat more then I gain. I dont care how much you excersise the whole point is to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight.

I dont believe in that starvation mode crap if you take in less calories at some point your body will have no choice but to lose weight. Anorexics dont get to be 95lbs or less by eating 1700 calories a day. They eat hardly nothing and the body loses. I stay at least at 1000 to 1200 because if I eat more then I gain. I dont care how much you excersise the whole point is to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight.

The term starvation mode is misleading and people use the term to describe totally different things. When relating to eating very low calorie diets I think a better description is that it creates a dysfunctional or depressed metabolism. As auntielle indicated, someone with a depressed metabolism can't rely on calculations by programs such as MFP or FitDay because they just aren't accurate. Their bodies have slowed down and their metabolism is depressed to the point they don't burn anywhere near the calories those programs calculate. (Another arbitrary calculation are the ones from fitness equipment - they are in some cases not even close to a ballpark figure) ... The way to fight against a depressed metabolism is to increase activities - especially dedicated exercise, while at the same time slowly increasing caloric intake. It's like taking a turbine from a slow lethargic revolution and adding the jet fuel to it. There seems to be the lack of LBT posters who indicate "I lost 100% of my excess body fat while eating 1000 calories a day with no exercise and wow is my skin tight and firm." Kinda sounds like a lot of infomercials that are too good to be true - and that's because it is.

As far as Anorexic's, lets not confuse people who are having difficulty losing fat to people who are typically already underweight and force their body to remain in a catabolic state. People with Anorexia Nervosa are on the extreme side of calorie restriction, but in addition have a high incidence of comorbidities which complicate their situation. Anerexia also has a mental illness component so it's comparing apples to oranges.

Brad

I think everyone has to go according to their own body!!!!

I wasnt saying it literally just an example that you can lose weight by decreasing calories and excersising. I understand about anorexia it was not to be taken literally.