Need a bit of advice. :o

I'm 21, have always been overweight.     I think the target caloric intake is wrong for me through this because I've been far under it and lost little to no weight in the past couple months.  Current stats:

Male

6'5"

cw 325lbs

gw 200lb

2 Years ago I did construction and pretty much ate whatever I wanted and lost weight.   Over a period of about 6 months I lost 60lbs, I went from 345-285, then I moved away from that job and was fairly inactive, ate maybe, 2500 calories a day and slowly over a period of a year gained a lot of that weight back to about 330.   I started that job up again, just as active as I was before, however I'm not losing the weight like I used to(and I'm eating less than I was before as well)  I've been back at that job for 6 weeks now, eating between 1800-2500 calories a day(while being very active at least 8 hours a day) 5 days a week.   I realize I am gaining muscle because I can feel it, and that nullifies a portion of the weight loss, but even before I would lose a lot quicker than this while gaining muscle.   The target calorie count for me to lose that weight over a period of a year(which is what I want to do) is around 3500 calories a day, and I'm always eating under this and I've barely lost 5 lbs in this 6 weeks.   Whereas before, I would notice myself losing around 3-5lbs a week.   My main problem is not emotional eating, it has been eating out of boredom.    But since I'm so active now I don't have that problem.  So I'm curious based off of this data what kind of caloric intake I should be going towards to lose that weight over a period of a year.  Or at least a great portion of it.    I know I'm active enough because my muscles always ache after each day of work and am physically dead by the time I get home.  That's why it's surprising to me to not be losing weight.    I do admit the time I am not working, I am not active as I'm just trying to recover so I can go to work the next day and be alright.    I'm willing to do whatever it takes, just need to know what to do.  

Thanks.

EDIT: Just had to add, you'd think by seeing my weight that I'm big on fast food or bad foods.   I'm really not, I believe I have some sort of abnormally low metabolism.   I could count on one hand how many times I've eaten out at all(fast food or restaurant) the past 3-4 years.   I don't crave sweets, or anything particular.   I'm just always hungry(moreso when I'm not working, than when I am) , I drink a lot of liquids.    And also I'm on a strict budget, finding healthy food with a monthly grocery budget of less than 100$ is difficult.  

Sryl!!  You don't say how many calories you are supposed to eat, nor how many you do eat!  If you are eating far under the recommended caloric intake, then that's your problem, my man!  You need fuel to burn calories.  Under eating is sometimes more dangerous than overeating.  Get those calories up where it is recommended.  Remember, you can't re-write success.  This isn't Burger King, so you Can't have it your way either.

Someone is going to come along here and mention "starvation mode".  I hate that terminology with a passion.  I don't believe you are starving yourself, but you are probably seriously undereating and your body is trying to survive; not starve.  It's going to fight to hold on to whatever fat is stored.  Humor me, and eat at your recommended calorie intake.  I'm going to add you as a friend, my friend.  I want you to be successful.  You might not see a loss tomorrow or even in a week, but your body has to trust that you are going to provide the food it needs to sustain life.  This is where people mention that they've screwed up their metabolism.  They probably have, temporarily.  What is broken can easily be remedied.  You've done a great job with your weight loss already.  Keep it up.

Read some of the posts in the weight loss forum.  You can even go into the search bar in the upper right hand corner of this page, and search "starvation mode" (still hate that term), and read the recommendations of others.  Don't take my word for it, but prove it to yourself that I speak no evil to you.

If you like, we can discuss low cost foods and eating properly on a tight budget.  PM me if you like.

Wow, I ran you through the calculator and your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is 2935 calories per day.  This is what you need just to survive.  To maintain your current weight you need 4540 calories and to lose about one pound a week you need 4100.  I put you in at moderately active because you said you were not doing any extra exercise outside of the heavy construction work.  You are a big guy!  You should not eat below your BMR as this may slow weight loss.  At your size you could have a deficit 1000 a day but you have been having deficits much higher and that also can slow weight loss.

You could eat 3500 a day for a 1000 calorie deficit or 4100 for a 500 a day deficit, but you should not ever go below 2935 a day.  Also, eat lots of lean protein (chicken breast, fish, turkey) you are going to want to maintain as much muscle as possible while losing the extra pounds and that may help.

None of my business, but my husband is 6'2" and he weighs 195 and looks very thin.  Are you sure you should have a goal of 200 at 3 inches taller?  You will probably look even thinner than he does.

Hi Robyn,  I'm not entirely sure what I'd look good at because I've never been down to that weight range.    I think I'll be pretty happy just getting below 235, as at that point I believe I'd be alright.   But I'll keep my target at 200 just till I can see what I look like.

I certaintly haven't been eating that much, it's hard to comprehend that eating more will make you lose more though.   I'll give it a try for a little bit to see how it goes.  Thanks for the advice.

Just for an example, today I ate 1600 calories(not trying to be strict, just didn't need to eat more than that) and I feel perfectly fine.  Whereas the next day I might eat 2500-3000 and still feel hungry.  That's another issue, consistency.  

Anyway, thanks again.

Consistency is important, especially when you're looking at a fairly long-term weight-loss.  Developing good eating habits and a good routine (regular meals, good food choices, consistent portion-sizes) will not only help you lose weight and stay the course but also make it more likely that you'll keep the weight off in the long-run.

I always recommend planning a menu to start with.   Working out, in advance, how your food-day has to look to get the required 3500 cals or whatever your target is.  The CC food log is a good tool in that respect because it allows you to sketch out a meal plan and see where the gaps are... where the portions need to be increased, where you need to include some high-calorie foods or an extra snack.  If you do this regularly you'll quickly start to develop your own pattern.... 

For example, a 600 cal breakfast, 1000 cal lunch, 1000 cal supper and 3 x 300 cal snacks.  As you lose weight you will need less energy so you can trim back one or two of the snacks but still keep your 'core meals' the same size.   Once you're in this kind of routine it becomes second nature to keep it going and less of a conscious effort.

Good luck

Hey there sryl,

1. I understand feeling hungry all the time. I'm obsessed with food all day long and its hard not to go for a munchie. I had to learn to limit myself and just live with the hunger. It gets easier with time. 
2. There's an article you should read in full. "Why That Big Meal You Just Ate Made You Hungry". The article isn't just about fast food, so give it a read and see what you can take away from it. 
3. Eat more veggies/fruits. Yea, its hard on a budget but there are good filling ones you can eat cheaply: zucchini, broccoli, beets, green beans (not canned!), etc. Frozen veggies are generally not an inexpensive option, so go for fresh or find stuff on sale.
4. About the slow metabolism: it's possible that's affecting you. I purchased a BodyBugg some time ago and discovered that my expenditure throughout a day was a full 400 calories less than basal estimations. 400 calories a day makes a HUGE difference. I had been eating to have about 350 calorie loss a day and had actually been gaining about 50 calories a day. (Roughly). The point is, if you're 100% convinced your calorie expenditure is to blame, get it checked out. Since you have an active job, I suggest you focus on healthy foods rather than worrying about a slow metabolism.
5. One more article for ya: "Fat? You've only got yourself to blame." This is something all humans are guilty of from time to time even if it's not related to weight loss. It's a good article to ponder. 

Good luck!