I’m a big girl. I just started a calorie counting diet. My Daily Calorie Intake is around 2917. The diet recommends I start by reducing that to 2450. That still sound like alot of calories, but I’m afraid that if I cut too many, my body will slow down and think I’m starving it. Am I on the right track, or am I a hopeless cause?? Help me please.

Doctor Joshua Answers:

There is no risk in cutting to 2450 kcal per day provided you take care to get all the proper nutrients - but it’s a modest cut and weight loss can be difficult to achieve. Plus, counting calories is difficult unless you’re following a strict diet regimen or program. If you ingest 2450 kcal per day, you’ll need to exercise regularly if you hope to lose any weight.

In the long term, counting calories is not needed, or even helpful — what is needed, is a lifestyle change. A totally different attitude towards food and eating, and also regular exercise is needed.

In short, there is no absolutely comfortable way to lose weight. At first, sacrifices need to me made, and discomfort cannot be avoided, but once things get rolling and fat starts burning, it will become a very motivating endeavor, and the lifestyle changes will start to feel as part of your everyday life.

For permanent weight control, a lifestyle change (less food, more healthy foods, vegetables, fruit plus increased exercise at least 3 times a week) is necessary. Weight loss rate at about 5 pounds per month will result in about 60 pounds per year, and the gradual lifestyle change will not be that difficult to make, if you put your mind to it.

For obese persons, sometimes a Very Low Calorie Diet can be an effective way to start losing weight. A VLCD cuts the calories down to about 800 per day, and is well tolerated, but will need to be supervised by a doctor, and heavily supplemented foods should be used, specifically made for that purpose. Incidentally, I’ve just been on VLCD for 3 weeks (finishing tomorrow). I’m not obese, but had about 10 extra pounds I wanted to shed, and after 2 weeks those pounds were gone. Decided to go a third week for another few pounds because I was feeling fine and was getting used to the strict diet. It’s pretty demanding at first though, and generally a fast weight loss system is not recommended if you’re not certain that you will be motivated to continue on with a lifestyle change. For very obese persons, for whom obesity is a serious health risk, a VLCD is a good way to quickly reduce weight toward safe numbers. It’s also motivating, because you actually see results very quickly. You can lose 15 pounds in just three weeks, and you’ll feel happy about yourself and motivated to continue. But as I said, VLCD should be inititiated under doctor’s supervision, especially if you have previous health problems.

It also helps to join a group for weight loss. Weight watchers (no affiliation) is a tried and true weight loss method, and there are others out there, too. But the most important thing is to look at yourself in the mirror and make a decision: is that the body you want to live in for the rest of your life or not? If you strongly feel that it is not, then it’s time to go for it, and go for it right now.