Cutting calories.

[ViolentxDelight]

I'm fifteen years old, and roughly 280lbs. My mom says I should be eating 1,400 calories a day to lose weight, but all of the apps I have used say somewhere between 800 and 900 calories. My sister thinks it's unhealthy, even though I'm only doing it for a short amount of time. Should I go with what they say, or should I stick with my plan?

[Gaui]

look at this thread: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Weight-Loss--Dieting/Teen-dieting-/show/1977260#post_9311536

[skydnsr]

Actually I think you would be fine to go with 2,000 calories for quite a while.  That amount of calories can get you down under 200 lb, if you consistently maintain it.  You can re-evaluate your plan later, after you have lost down to the amount of weight that 2000 calories a day will sustain.  

1400 calories a day is low, low, low.  Definitely do not go below 1400, because you will have difficulty meeting your basic nutritional needs on that small amount of food.  Even at 1400 calories, you will have to eat very, very carefully to get good nutrition.  In addition, 1400 calories is too low a level of daily caloric intake for most people to voluntarily maintain it long term.  If you are like most people, you will get too hungry.  

So I would do something more realistic, like 2000 calories a day.  You can aim to lose 100 lb. on that, which I think is entirely possible.  Then if you have more weight to lose, you can figure out at that time what to do next.  In the meantime, you can work on increasing your activity level and learning good food choices.  

Good luck.  You're doing a smart thing for yourself.  Just give yourself a break and give this project enough time.  Ten years from now, it won't matter if it took you six months or two years to lose the weight.  What is important is that you develop healthy eating habits that are enjoyable and sustainable.  It's very important to find a way to eat healthy without feeling deprived.  That takes time.  

I bet you will find that you have a lot to learn about eating, calories, and nutrition.  I know you will need to form many new eating habits.  Again, all of that takes TIME.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Look up the story of the tortoise and the hare.

No, stick to your plan!  You can always decrease later but  most online plans are unrealistic @ the beginning.  Excercise is the factor but need enough calories to fuel the body.