Calling all dieters!

[Sarin]

Guys, your BMR is the rate of calories you burn while you do absolutely nothing. You need to times your BMR by your activity level.

My BMR is 1400, but do I eat 900 calories a day? Hell no! I would starve! The actual calories I have to eat a day to maintain my weight is 2000. I subtract 500 from that number so in theory I lose apound a week eating ~1500 calories.

Once you get your BMR, times it accordingly:

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Unless specifically told by a doctor, going under 1200 calories a day is very dangerous... I did that mistake and am really regreting it now. I am just trying to save you from that mistake..

[Elise.m]

Nicole, not to sound harsh, but everyone loses weight differently. What works for me may not work for you. Please keep that in mind while trying to convince me that what I did to lose my previous 30 pounds will not work.

Glad to hear you're getting motivated Jay

[djansen]

Most important things to remember about losing weight are...

Always eat breakfast. This gets your metabolism going early and works all day.

Eat negative calorie foods like oranges. Your body has to work harder to burn off an orange than it does a cheeseburger.

If you want a big pasta dinner, eat it EARLY. Like, as a lunch, do not eat pasta, like a big helping of spaghetti for dinner, eat it for lunch.

And of course, drink lots and lots of water and exercise!

I think that is about the only thing I agree with.
There are so many myths and "rules" that its enough to drive people nuts.

[smd58]

steve here, iam down from allmost 300 lbs in augest to 240 today, all i do is watch what i eat, go to the gym 2 -3 times a week. Iam getting a tread mill this week so i can do more work outs at home. Ive not had any soda ice cream, cake and only a few pices of holloween candy. I eat a lot of salids, bananna, guraps, apples and oranges. I want to get down to 190 -200 pounds and hopefully get off some of these meds iam on. Its allway hard work to lose the weight, and it help to have support, for me when i stared to loss the wight it beacame a self contest to keep losing. Ive hit a spot now where iam not losing, so iam going to incresse my work out time to 3 days at 2 hours, 3 days at 1 hour to get over the road block.

[Boanerges]

steve here, iam down from allmost 300 lbs in augest to 240 today, all i do is watch what i eat, go to the gym 2 -3 times a week. Iam getting a tread mill this week so i can do more work outs at home. Ive not had any soda ice cream, cake and only a few pices of holloween candy. I eat a lot of salids, bananna, guraps, apples and oranges. I want to get down to 190 -200 pounds and hopefully get off some of these meds iam on. Its allway hard work to lose the weight, and it help to have support, for me when i stared to loss the wight it beacame a self contest to keep losing. Ive hit a spot now where iam not losing, so iam going to incresse my work out time to 3 days at 2 hours, 3 days at 1 hour to get over the road block.

Big congrats on the weight loss!!!!!!! And I hate it when you hit those plateau's where your just maintaining. It happens when I lift too and I hate it!!!