Does anyone use the 'Losing Weight - Getting Started' PDF?

[funrunner]

They give you meal ideas that exceed calorie targets (on page 4). It may seem like a stupid question but does anyone use them and just carry the extra calories into 'other food and drink'.

[funrunner]

I find it all very confusing! With fitness you get conflicting info from everywhere.

[ceejayblue]

I count calories! Nothing wrong with it! In my view no food is a "bad" food! We just have to keep a sense of proportion and realise that by keeping to the basics that you eat less and move about more (whether its exercise, housework or whatever) and make sure that we eat food from all the food groups but in moderation and watch your portion sizes!

I belong to a weightloss group on line where there are lots of different thoughts about what is the best diet, low carb/hight protein/high fat, 5:2, paleo or any one of hundreds of crank diets, just like on this site! My belief is that the meals we eat should, where possible so we know exactly what goes into them, be made from scratch but for some that's not easy. Education in eating healthily doesn't need to include cutting everything out of your diet, you can have small amounts of everything as long as you don't go mad! I am a type 2 diabetic on meds and diet. Its hard, I have a sweet tooth and love carbs, I also like some proteins but because it affects my stomach and because I have gallstones which mean a low fat diet, I can't do the low carb/hight protein & fat regime.

The problem with not counting calories is that people, more often than not, misjudge the number of calories they are eating in a day. An example of this is in the news today where this guy believed he was eating a healthy diet because he was having Special K but he put double cream and loads of fruit on it. He put on weight and didn't understand so when they checked his food diary and filmed him he was eating 8,500 calories a day! The average for a man is 2500! I am a woman, 62 and 5ft 4" and I aim for 1500 cals and 150g-195g of carbs, I have a lot of weight to lose but am happy to lose it slowly. Some days I find it hard and go onto maintenance calories of 1900 cals a day but I make sensible choices about my food and my exercise and then get back on track the next day.

As boring as it can be, I log my food every day on the website weightlossresources.co.uk and I find this does help me. However, there is no one size fits all and what suits me won't suit others but if everyone was to follow the mantra everything in moderation, then we wouldn't all be as big as we are plus blaming the food producers and big companies for our obesity is not accepting the fact that we have the free will to say NO to food and I for one do not blame anyone other than myself for being fat, I have always admitted that I have been a pig with food in the past (and still can be!) and what goes into my mouth is down to me and nobody else.

[funrunner in reply to ceejayblue]

To be honest right now I'd rather count calories because I don't know what I should eat. I usually don't eat enough, end up starving, then have a little binge eat! I will try that website, looks helpful. I hope you reach your goals. Well done & keep going! Thanks for your reply it's really helped

[ceejayblue in reply to funrunner]

You're welcome funrunner.

[mykmth]

Big leg,even though I did not understand "Bigleg",I fully agree with all that is said.I too was born and grew up in a farm with 25 others.Never had heard of fatness,obesity,calorie counting.Being pure vegetarians,never heard of any diseases.Thanks for info

[TheEditor]

'They give you meal ideas that exceed calorie targets (on page 4).' Can you send me a link to page 4?