The BMI checker took says I need fewer calories that the minimum on this diet (1299 kcal) !!!!!!
In fact I gain weight at anything over 1,400 kcal/day because I am inactive due to a stroke. I am also only 5ft 4 inches. At 1400 kcal/day I know I will have zero weight loss.
My BMI is 28.
I am concerned I will put on a lot of weight on this diet because I never eat that much!.
Hi and welcome, treacleminer 
If you've put your details into the NHS BMI calculator, it will give you a range of calories to stay within. I always advise that you eat as many as you can, while still losing weight, bearing in mind that a calorie, isn't a calorie! ie 100 cals of broccoli, isn't the same as 100 cals of mars bar! Each reacts differently in your body, so I think the best thing for you to do, is try the middle of your range and see how you get on. It's always a case of trial and error, to start with, to see how you get on.
Take a look at the Pinned posts section to the right of your screen (bottom if you're using a mobile), or in the drop down on the 'Posts' page (it says 'arrange by'). Read the Welcome Newbie thread, then move through to the challenges, where we hope you'll find at least one that will appeal to you.
Move down to the Topics, to find a variety of threads, collated into specific topics for ease of access and we ask that you also 'file' your own threads, so that others won't miss your important news.
Take a look at the NHS 12 week plan, as a lot of people have been successful with it, making sure to enter your details into the BMI calculator, to get a calorie allowance tailored to your personal requirements. Don't forget to take your starting measurements and a 'before' picture, as they can be very motivating on days that the scales refuse to co-operate.
We run a weigh-in every day of the week and you'd be very welcome to join one of them. The threads can always be found in the Events section, to the right of the HOME page, bottom on a mobile.
We also run a Daily Diary, where we share our meal and exercise plans for the day. It's a great place to get ideas and to keep us focused. The link can also be found in Events.
Be aware, that the HU app doesn't give you access to all of our important features, so we advise that you use the full website page.
We've found that to get the best out of this community, we need to be active on the forum, as it's where we exchange information, get motivation and inspiration and make friends. We hope that you'll join us here, regularly, too.
It's only left for me to wish you well on your journey
If I try the middle of the range I will be eating far more calories than I have been eating to put on the weight in the first place. I have eaten between 900 and 1100 kcal per day for the last 4 years with very little cheating at all, and put on over 10kg in that time. I am completely inactive due to a stroke, which is why I need less calories.
Do you not think, that if you've been doing something for 4 years, with no success, that just maybe it's time to try something else?
Have a look at this, for further explanation
healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
It could also be that you're eating the wrong foods. As we get older, we don't process carbohydrates as well as we do when we're younger and need to reduce them in our diet, especially processed carbohydrates.
We have many people that are inactive, but they all manage to lose weight. Exercise is not a prerequisite for weight loss, although it's good for general health and well-being.
i eat almost no carbohydrates other than in lentils and other pulses. I mostly eat lean meat, fish, seaweed, leafy veg and things like that. The only easily available carbohydrates in my diet are the sugars in berries and apples and grapes which are quite high in sugars, and in high carbohydrate vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. I eat no grain based carbohydrate at all because that is very concentrated. I never sweeten my drinks.
It is because this is not working that I signed up for this diet.
I can loose weight if I cut down to 1000 kcal per day or less, but only about half a kg every other month or less.
If you were bed bound, you too would probably put on weight with this diet.
Before my stroke when I could move around, I was the middle of the normal weight range and could eat normally without putting on weight. I was very skinny, but being bed bound makes a lot of difference.
The district nurse suggested I used this site, because I can't get to dietitians appointments without paying carers and special transport to get there - very expensive!.
I have given you all the assistance that I'm able to, from my experience and there's really nothing else I can do.
If you feel that this isn't for you, then I suggest you seek help from your GP and ask for a referral to a dietitian. This is, after all, just a support group and we can't offer medical assistance.
It may be that you're just going to have to be very patient and accept a slow rate of weight loss, which is a least better than a gain.
I hope you find the answers you're looking for and wish you all the best.
How much energy the body requires is largely linked to age, height and levels of activity. Those who are younger, taller and more active will always require more energy than those who are older, aren't as tall or not as energetic, regardless of whether they wish to maintain current weight or burn existing body fat.
On occasion, I've read similar messages to that which you've posted, where members have mentioned that the calculator fails to provide a recommended calorie range.
While the BMI calculator may not have worked as you hoped it would, all is certainly not lost, since BMR (basal metabolic rate) and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) can be calculated through the Miflin St. Jeor method, regardless of current measurements and level of activity.
The formula is as follows:
Men: 10 x weight (in KG) + 6.25 x height (in cm) - 5 x age + 5 = BMR
For example, let's say you weighed 70Kg, were 50 year old and stood at 152.5cm, BMR would amount to 1074Kcal. The figure represents how many calories ought to be consumed, at the very least, to maintain existence and keep metabolism firing. By multiplying BMR by 1.2 (Sedentary/little activity), TDEE would amount to 1288Kcal.
On the above representation, given that you're largely bed bound, by consuming close to BMR, a small daily deficit of around 200Kcal would be created. Taking into consideration that a lb of fat contains roughly 3500Kcal, you'd be creating a weekly deficit of 1400Kcal, allowing up to 0.5lb of fat to be burned as energy over the course of a week.
Again, the above is simply an illustration. If you happen to be older than 50 and weigh less than 70KG, the energy required to satisfy BMR/TDEE will be less.
If you do choose to calculate energy requirements using the above formula, I'll re-iterate the importance of ensuring that sufficient calories are consumed on a daily basis to meet BMR at the very least. Despite your inactivity (through no fault of your own), routinely failing to do so will lead to an even slower metabolism, making weight loss infinitely more difficult.
Thank you for that Mr Niceguy. That method gives almost the results that match my dieting experience. 😃
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