Calories calculators, starvation mechanic, and target calories.

[Fighttheflab]

Hi all,

First off I'll start out with that I am no stranger to working out, have been for 10+ years. I'm sure you've all heard it before, "I scored a cushy job and stopped working out blah blah blah." Now I am biggest I've ever been(5'11" 240 pounds) ect. I realize I will need to much more serious about dieting than I was. So like a fool I dove into it without doing some research. I averaged ~1000 Kcals a day. Which has not been getting me anywhere. So I came here and have read quite few stickies and done a few calories calculators. It varies but it is still recommends ~1900 for "maximum weight-loss'. I am motivated to get back to where I was sub-200 pounds but still maintain/regain strength, before I can propose to my girlfriend of 6 years.

My questions are how strict should I stay to these guidelines? 1900 for cutting weight seems quite steep? I often find myself at a still at a deficit and forcing myself to eat more at the end of the day to get near. At the same time the days I eat far under (~700's) I often gain weight instead of losing it. Is there a calculator that will estimate my bodies starvation mechanic? What do you all recommend for macros and total calories estimate for my goals? I'm still new to tracking calories and macros, which app do you all recommend? Lastly is there any general advice you'd give me that you all wished you would have known when starting out?

I could really use the all the advice and wisdom my fellow kings could give me.

Cheers, and thank you in advance.

[SuffolkPunch]

If you think that 1900 calories is a lot after 2 weeks of accurately counting that amount, then adjust downwards.

Don't aim to lose more than 1% of bodyweight per week, that's a reliable rule of thumb for most.

Not sure what you mean by "starvation mechanic". There are some myths about eating too little and weight gain halting - pay no attention, these are just a misinterpretation of how the body stores water weight in response to dietary stress.

[Fighttheflab]

Thanks for the response! It was very helpful. I'll need to look more into it

[xsquid99]

Restricting macro or specific food items after certain times is lame bro-science, please ignore such advise OP. A moderate calorie deficit over time is all it takes to be successful at this.

And no matter what, your body cannot magically hold onto fat in a calorie deficit. "Starvation mode" is a myth that needs to go away forever. As long as you remain in a calorie deficit your body will continue to feed off itself until you wither away into a toothpick.

At your current stats your maintenance calories are probably in the ballpark of 2800 +/- a day, and thats to maintain your weight. If you were seriously eating 1000 calories a day you would have been losing 3-4 lbs per week. 1900 calories is not a lot, if you think its a lot of food its likely because you are not weighing everything you eat down to the gram. I can cut comfortably on 2500 calories a day and lose about 1-2 lbs a week on that. What it sounds like you're doing is just "eyeballing and estimating" without actually weighing everything out. Every single thing counts, every bit of cooking oil, sauces, condiments, cream/sugar in your coffee, alcohol/drinks, etc. it all adds up quick.

Get a food scale, and learn how to count and track all your calories and macros using an online tool or an app like myfitnesspal.