2017

[happymusic]

I am planning to look at losing weight and a part of it is to look at my eating and make health choices.

So I am looking for lots of suggestions and I am hopeful of some support.

[username-here]

The most important part of losing weight is to know how many calories your body needs to take in a day to keep it's weight the same. If you eat less calories then that, your body will begin eating through its spare energy reserves (fat). If you eat more than that, your body will store the excess as fat. That number is called a TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). There are calculators online that will calculate this number for you. When I was losing weight, I used this one: mytdee.com/

From there, you just eat about 300 to 500 calories less then that a day, and you'll be losing weight!

You could technically eat Twinkies everyday and still lose weight as long as it was under your TDEE, but you'd be hungry and miserable every day. It's important to eat filling foods that will give you energy through the day so that losing weight is as easy as possible. The most filling foods are those high in proteins (like eggs, meats, cheese, and beans) and certain carbohydrates (like brown rice and boiled potatoes). The least filling are 'junk' foods that are high in sugar and fats, since it's easy to eat a lot of them without feeling full.

You can google low-calorie foods and meals online to find more examples of what you should be eating everyday.

If you don't want to count your calories, you don't have to - but I really recommend it just to give you a good idea of how many calories an average portion of a food should look like. At the very least, count them if your weight loss stalls and you don't know why you're losing weight. If you've stopped losing weight, you are probably accidentally eating to or above your TDEE without realizing it.

On exercise - a lot of people think they have to start exercising if they want to lose weight, but that's not true. Exercise is very good for the body, but it doesn't increase your TDEE by a ton (an hour or exercise a day is worth about 200/300 calories?) I know that when I was overweight, exercise was miserable and not worth the few more calories. If you want to exercise, you can - but it won't contribute that much to your weight loss, so don't do it if it makes you miserable. (It is incredibly healthy though!)

Good luck with your weight loss!

[happymusic in reply to username-here]

Thank you for all the info, I do exercise, but you are right it does not make you lose weight it hasn't for me. However, I like it and I starting going at the beginning of this year and I still go now. I have decided now address food, I have found something on line that, looked at my current weight and calculated what my intake should be to start losing weight. So that is what I will do.

Thank you for the best wishes

Happymusic

[Wittycjt]

First get a journal and write down everything you eat from the time you get up until you go to bed. Also write down your current weight.

Every time you eat something write down the exact time, how you are feeling and what you eat every time you attempt to put something in your mouth. How you feel after you eat and why.

Don't cheat as this is for your eyes only. It will make you realize what triggers you to eat. You will be surprised at how much you think you eat as opposed to what you do actually eat.

Do this for ten days. When and only then look back at what you have done. You can then decide your approach from there.

You may like to eat only food in its natural state, meaning no additives. E.g. Fresh peach, apple, strawberries, mandarins, etc. Grilled/broiled meats , poultry, fish. Beans, lettuce, nonfat yogurt- watch the calorie count with the non-fat yogurt as they are not all the same. Almonds are a healthy, tasty snack.. limit to a small palmful. Let me know I'm curious to what you find. Feel free to private message me. Good luck!

[happymusic in reply to Wittycjt]

Thank you, When I decided to lose the weight I started with exercise in Jan 2016 and I have kept it going all year and I love it!! However, you don't lose weight with just exercise. I now want to look at food intake and keep the exercise. I had noted that many health advisers suggest keeping some kind of diary. I have started this about 12 weeks ago, but I did not add emotions to this- Just weekly weight and I don't cheat, since I believe I am cheating myself it sits in the kitchen- some days I eat more than others now, I have noted that I have changed breakfast and from -Fried eggs/bacon/ and high fat breakfast- to porridge, I have not yet change dinners as yet but I am hoping to work towards that in the next few days starting on the 2nd Jan 2017. I have soya based yogurts since I am lactose intolerant

Thank you for your best wishes

I will keep you updated

[Hidden]

Try the low carb diet. It is so effective. Eat less carbs so more whole grain and eat more veg and protein but you can eat fruit just only berries. I find it very effective at the start but once your body gets used to it you will loose weight slowly.

[happymusic in reply to Hidden]

Thanks, I have started today and will see how it goes, I am trying an online service to see what happens.