DIET/EATING/CALORIES

[fightingfit]

Hi , question for everyone. What is your typical daily diet like ? How many calories do you eat? do you eat healthy or have that bit of cake because we are running? Im 5ft 3 1/4 and just under 9stone! Would like to loose just a few more lbs. I work in an office so my activity level is pretty low( apart from the running )! How many calories should i be aiming for?? I am now doing 25min runs. Thanks xxxx

[crox Graduate]

Try myfitnesspal.com/

[Hidden]

I use myfitnesspal and started C25K to get fit and to lose a stone & a bit before my holiday in September. I usually eat around 1200 cals each day and whilst I dont think the scales show a massive weightloss I definitely feel less wobbly and my clothes are getting a little bit looser. I'm currently doing 25 min runs but i'm hoping by the time i'm doing 30 mins i'll lose a few more lbs.

[fightingfit Graduate]

i am on myfitnesspal i log everything! Just want to keep my energy levels high for running but i want to still Loose weight !!! add me guys username is : jennabeth12

[Oldgirl Graduate]

If your exercising and only eating 1200 calories the experts would say its not enough. 1400 is the minimum they say a women needs to lose weight. The problem is if you don't eat enough your body thinks its being starved and goes into starvation mode and hangs onto its fat reserves, hence no weight loss. Also if your body has been accustomed to only 1200 or less calories then when you reach your target weight you start to eat more the pounds start to pile back on. Thats a classic way to yoyo dieting, lots of people fall into this trap.

[Hidden]

I was doing "okay" on myfitnesspal, targeting an average 1,320 daily calories until around W6 of C25k when I just constantly felt starving hungry & knew I was cutting back too far.

so gave it up as a bad job & carried on running instead 30mins = 500 calories (approx) - so 3x30 mins each week is 1,500 calories

Eating is a bit junky so that's next on my list too.

oh - and managed to get my belt 2 notches tighter since starting.

[Jany in reply to Hidden]

"30 mins = 500 calories (approx) - so 3x30 mins each weeks is 1,500 calories"-

I thought this too but you only get 2 WW activity points for 30 mins running compared to 6 for 30 mins swimming! I thought, that can't be right? It made absolutely no sense to me at all. So I looked it up and apparently, for a 130 lb woman at 5k in 30 min pace, you only burn just over 270 calories in 30 mins. If you were to run 10k in an hour, you'd burn about 550 calories. Obviously, if you weigh more it'll be more than that but not by much.

I'm devastated! I thought I was burning loads more than that! What do you reckon? Is it a load of rubbish?

Oh well, worst case scenario, 270 x 3 = 810 and is better than nothing at all!

[fightingfit Graduate]

I know , by the way i do not eat as low as 1200!!!!

I tried the 5:2 Diet a few months ago lost a few lbs but not fasted in a while as had loads of family stuff going on & suffered a bereavement recently. Not been in the fasting zone! I eat around 1600 calories a day. Is this okay????? xxx

[fightingfit Graduate]

Want to stick to simple eating healthy and regular exercise! no fad like diets or 1200cals! x

[Beads Graduate]

I am 5' 4" and a pound or two over 9 stone. I eat between 1800 and 2000 calories most days, occasionally I will have a 1600 'balance' day and occasionally I can get to 2500 calories. I log religiously on my fitness pal.

Last November after 2 years of proper 'dieting' to lose weight I reached 'target' weight. I'm now close to a stone lighter than that, not having meant to lose any more.

Since stopping trying to lose weight I've increased the amount of fruit, pasta, bread, spuds etc I eat, but still fill up on salads and veggies. I do have cake, MFP allows me to put in the recipe for homemade cakes and log a fairly accurate calorie count. I also have occasional cake 'out' (we go for a tea after the gym on a Thursday, they have a loyalty card, buy 8 drinks, get the 9th free, when we get a free tea we pay for a piece of cake, so with 2 of us that's cake every 4 weeks or so, though we do share a 600 calorie slice between the two of us) but other than that my diet is fairly healthy, plenty of fruit and veggies, loads of liquids, not too much red meat (can't afford it these days) or alcohol (don't want to 'waste' the calories).

For anyone who uses MFP go read the 'in place of a roadmap' posts in the forum, they are a great source of information, basically what Oldgirl says above about too low a calorie intake being bad for losing weight.

Back to a proper reply to your question, 1600 calories is probably ideal for losing weight. Make sure you split it to include snacks as well as meals.

[Hidden]

I use Nutracheck to log food and exercise calories. I'm 5'6" and 11 stone 4. Want to lose another 11 pounds. My daily allowance at the moment is 1652 calories. Depending on what I've been doing I sometimes have to eat some of my exercise calories but as long as the weight is coming off I'm happy.

[OlsBean]

Best way to lose weight, is to eat well balanced diet as laid out on the eatwell plate nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pa... and to lose weight simply eat less of it and move more

Enjoy your cake, just have a smaller piece than you would normally!

[Hidden in reply to OlsBean]

Really lime the thinking of still having your cake ( or Pringles for me) just don't grabbed the whole came in one night all to your self.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Bloody auto correct!

[ju-ju- Graduate]

I would definitely recommend myfitnesspal as it gives you calories back when you exercise. I have lost over a stone now. Your weight sounds fine to me?? It helps seeing friends activity too. You are welcome to follow me ( juicyju42) and I wish you luck. Running changes your body shape too I've found.

[Be11adonna Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Hi Juicy, how has it changed your body shape? I have only been doing this for 4 weeks so have not noticed any major changes yet. I have lost some weight (about 3 pounds), but not loads. Have also been trying eat a bit healthier though.

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to Be11adonna]

Definitely firmer and more defined and stronger. You will see a difference and it feels great

[fightingfit Graduate]

Hey Juicy can u add me please? Jennabeth12

xxx

[Hidden]

The amount of calories you are consuming is fine, you weight sounds okay as well. I don't count calories but I do eat healthily and not too many carbs. With regard to changing your body shape - I do Pilates and it works wonders for me - I now have a fairly flat tummy for the first time in years although still a little way to go. I plan to lose another 1.1/2 stones and that will get me down to 10st. which would be about right for me. Good luck in your running.

[graceelisabeth Graduate]

I use myfitnesspal too and love it, I'm 5'7" and weigh just over 10 stone. I'm currently aiming for 1380 cals a day but like you mentioned above it gives you calories back when you exercise so I probably eat more around 1600/1700 a day when I exercise (I run every other day and do things like pilates or hula hooping when I'm not running).

It's such a great app, I've been doing it since January and have lost over a stone and I don't feel like I'm not allowed anything, it doesn't feel restrictive. Also I let myself have days off when I'm going on holiday or out for a birthday. I'm a little bit addicted to it, I log religiously too! And my Runtastic app uploads my running and walking directly into it when I exercise.

I'm going to add you both Juicy and Fightingfit as all of the friends that started doing it with me have dropped out and it's fab to have other people to help spur you along, I'm graceelisabeth.

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to graceelisabeth]

I totally agree and I love the hoopla hooping... What fun!!!

[Hidden in reply to ju-ju-]

Especially the beef flavoured ones!

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Nooooo

Munster munch or frazzles

[graceelisabeth Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Haha, both good options but it's Quavers for me, and only 88 calories too in the multipacks!

[Burstcouch Graduate]

Your BMI is in the normal range so not sure why the extra weight loss, it will just be a case of less calories.

My weight is not affected in any way by my excercise. In fact I gain weight!

[fightingfit Graduate]

was just a few pesky pounds Burstcouch but happy with the way i am so maintaining would be fab :))

[Malcy Graduate]

Lots of useful stuff abpve. But essentially it comes down to count the calories you take in, deduct the calories you burn (overall). If you take in more than you burn, you put weight on. If you burn more than you take in, you take weight off. To lose a kilo, you need to burn 7500 calories more than you take in. And if you take in 7500 calories more than you burn, you put on a kilo.

The stuff about starvation mode is really a popular misconception. It basically derives from a study where very fit soldiers were put on a severely calorie deficient diet and their metabolism was measured. The result was that their metabolism did eventually drop (emphasis on eventually) BUT the key thing is that it never dropped to a point that they stopped losing weight. I'm afraid starvation mode is a myth. Not a good idea to continually take very few calories though - there can be complications. I tracked my own weight for a long time (and still do). I thought I was going through plateaux ... but every month my weight was lower than it had been the previous month. So I also believe the plateau is also a myth.

Sorry if this upsets the general understanding of things, but it's what the facts say.

[fightingfit Graduate]

Hey Malcy! thanks for your reply. I hear starvation mode is a myth yes BUT say someone adopts a strict 1200 cal daily diet per say , surely the bosy's metabolism slows down and holds on to 1200 so as soon as you increase BAM! weight goes back on?? I eat around 1600-1700 cals a day roughly / approx and run at least 3 x a week. Moving on to Week 9 on Sunday yay xxx

[Emma28]

My diet is really bad I eat a lot of take always fast foods and I used to under 14st I've gone up to 16st 9lb could u tell me my calorie intake please thank you.