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krestail 06-26-2011 01:53 AM

need help getting a grip on this
 
..morning. I've been on here for a short while now and since joining I have actually gained weight. Ohhh..I've been eating tons more of what I would usually eat. There's something with seeing the calorie value of foods and knowing I have room in my calorie count to have a bit more and then end up going over ; or ..my favourite excuse..it's only this many calories and I'll do whatever to burn off the extra calories- but I don't. Has this happened to anyone else? I've pretty much stopped counting my calories and just write the items down. I've stopped logging my calories burnt and just go through a routine. Please tell me what you did to combat this.

mecompco 06-26-2011 03:14 AM

Not that I'm a big Dr. Phil fan, but "hows this working for you"?

Obviously, it's not. You, in my humble opinion, NEED to log every dog-gone thing that goes into your pie hole. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

You can go over once in a while, heck, I've had 3,000 even 4,000 calorie days at camp. But, you cannot do it on a regular basis.

If you have trouble staying within your limit, cut it back. My limit is 1500 calories. Most days I am close but if it does creep up to 1500 or even 1600 that's fine as I still have a nice calorie deficit.

If 1300 is what you want, make it 1200 instead. Eat right up to 1200, go a little over if you must and you'll still be (on average) where you want to be.

Really, if you truly want to do this, you have to make and keep the commitment. Anyone can "try" to lose weight, it's much tougher to actually DO IT.

So please, DO IT! And keep us posted as to your progress--I'm proof that this can be done, even while not being perfect.

Regards,
Michael

Kathy13118 06-26-2011 03:59 AM

It can be a shock to see how much you actually put in your mouth. Also, it can be a shock to see what your diet is like when you're actually eating a set (lower) amount of calories. Frankly, you're not eating much if you're just eating the same you ate before but staying within a set limit.

There's a kind of gut reaction to the calories, that it's unfair to have to eat so LITTLE. You just have to change your diet to have a lot more lower-calorie foods to fill up with. This is one reason WW makes most fruits and vegetables 'free foods' that you don't have to count. Without sugar and fats added, fruits and vegetables (most) are relatively low-calorie. They are also loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Don't make the mistake of thinking you can continue to eat the way you have and then just add on all the 'free' stuff I just mentioned. That's why WW makes you count! It's that you eat those things to structure your diet to have a lot of low-calorie food AND some things that you like that may have more calories (and you eat them in smaller amounts and count them).

I'm not saying to go to WW - I'm saying, that's what takes the 'sting' away from living within a certain calorie limit. Having things you can feel indulgent about: a pint of fresh blueberries (no sugar), a plate of stir-fried vegetables (no oil or very little oil, perhaps stir-fried in a little chicken broth), etc.

There are tons of recipe books out there to help cut out the fat (9 calories in 1 gram of fat and only 4 calories in 1 gram of carb OR protein - however, the protein, such as meat, usually contains fat, making it higher in calories).

Sounds like you need a better-tasting diet, that's all. Food that is varied (there is such variety when you include all these things... veggies, fruits, meat, seafood, tofu, grains, even pasta!). But all within your calorie limits. That's where the counting comes in.

RENOAK 06-26-2011 04:03 AM

Well, first I'll address the calories burned through exercise. This is often (almost always) overestimated and I personally never take it into account when figuring my calorie intake. I don't know your stats, but exercise is usually not that important (calorie wise) compared to what you are eating, unless you are doing a painful amount at high intensities or have a small deficit.

As for the eating and food logging, if you are hitting your required macros, then revel in the fact that you have a bigger deficit than you planned. Your weight loss will go that much faster! As long as I hit my protein requirement and am getting plenty of non-starchy vegetables, I never feel like I should eat more just to reach a certain amount of calories.

Part of it is just mindset. I usually plan, weigh and log my food before I eat it so I know exactly where I'll be. For the most part, if it's not written down and accounted for, I don't eat it. I do have a couple of free meals a week, so this is not as bad as it sounds!

Logging does help you see where you are going wrong so you can fix it, I wouldn't give it up just yet. But I also realize it's not for everybody.

krestail 06-26-2011 12:12 PM

thanks so much for the replies, you've encouraged me to get back on track. And thanks mecompco - the dr. philism put things in a different perspective for me. I've already changed my groceries shop to a much healthier version so that when I snack I have fruit/veggie snacks and not bowls of cereal; when I don't feel like cooking I'll have veggies, cheese and dip, or something like that, as opposed to ...my bowl of cereal. Thanks a bunch.

bmkess 06-26-2011 01:24 PM

I know all about those excuses I'd make little deals with myself like "ok if I do this then I have to go to the gym and burn all of it off". But not anymore. I've decided that I was just lazy. Counting calories is a good thing for some people, but I'm actually pretty good at eyeballing (and I've checked it up against the calorie counter). Just think to yourself that Veggies should be the main part of your diet. Try to make at least 1/2 your plate vegetables (not potatoes, things that a leafy and green). And also try to find foods that fill you up, but are also low in calories. If calorie counting doesn't work for you, possibly try something I mentioned. But like what others have said, it is a good thing to log what you have eaten.


Mostly to me it sounds like you are doing what I was doing and making promises to yourself. Clearly they don't work (like mine) so it's time to say enough is enough.

If you need anything else I'm gonna be on here while I lose some weight myself! It's nice to see someone that is like me.

bmkess 06-26-2011 01:27 PM


Originally Posted by RENOAK (Post 49337)
Well, first I'll address the calories burned through exercise. This is often (almost always) overestimated and I personally never take it into account when figuring my calorie intake. I don't know your stats, but exercise is usually not that important (calorie wise) compared to what you are eating, unless you are doing a painful amount at high intensities or have a small deficit.

As for the eating and food logging, if you are hitting your required macros, then revel in the fact that you have a bigger deficit than you planned. Your weight loss will go that much faster! As long as I hit my protein requirement and am getting plenty of non-starchy vegetables, I never feel like I should eat more just to reach a certain amount of calories.

Part of it is just mindset. I usually plan, weigh and log my food before I eat it so I know exactly where I'll be. For the most part, if it's not written down and accounted for, I don't eat it. I do have a couple of free meals a week, so this is not as bad as it sounds!

Logging does help you see where you are going wrong so you can fix it, I wouldn't give it up just yet. But I also realize it's not for everybody.

I agree with this, also I would like to add on that people should eat until satisfied, not until full. If you feel like you are going to burst, you are overeating by a lot.

boolz 06-27-2011 04:34 AM


Originally Posted by bmkess (Post 49362)
I agree with this, also I would like to add on that people should eat until satisfied, not until full. If you feel like you are going to burst, you are overeating by a lot.

One caveat about only eating until you're full: measure everything and use a logic filter.

As I got started eating healthy a month ago, I quickly found that I was satisfied eating much less. My target was to eat 1200 cal/day, but I found I was totally full and satisfied at around 800 cal, as I was eating lots of lean protein and very little grains. So I thought , Awesome! - I'll just go with it and lose tons quickly. - it didnt happen. The scale quit moving. I was doing a fair amount of exercise to keep my metabolism up, but still. And at 5'8" and a hundred pounds overweight, that just doesn't seem like enough calories, no matter how OK it feels. So now I pretty much force myself to eat 1200 cal, still heavy on the lean protein, but a bit more grain and healthy fats, and the scale is moving logically again. I don't stuff myself, but I make sure I get the calories in.

bmkess 06-27-2011 03:34 PM

I agree 800 calories a day is far too little. I don't think I would feel satisfied eating that few, I think I would feel week and light headed lol.

Florida Ray 07-10-2011 05:25 AM

My goal is to eat up to 1500 calories each day. That seems to work for me. I enter everything I eat in FITDAY and I also think that helps. It is hard to enter all the bad stuff and especially when I go way over the 1500 limit. I really just want to skip that day, but I know I should not.
Best wishes to you as you find what is best for you.


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