Hi all, bit worried, I don't normaly calorie count as normaly done slimming world, started calorie counting Friday, dietitian told me I can have around 2000 calories a day too loose weight, any one else calorie count and will it work??
Calorie counting: Hi all, bit worried, I... - Weight Loss Support
Calorie counting
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Joanne1974
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48 Replies
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It most certainly does work, and if you use the free MyFitnessPal website or app it's actually fun too! 2,000 calories seems rather a lot to me though. When you start the MFP app it will ask you to input your height/weight/level of activity etc and will tell you how many calories you should be up to to lose weight.
When a medical professional has set her allowance why undermine that? Everyone is different, are you basing your advice that her professional is telling her to eat too much based on her age weight activity levels and knowledge or just on what you eat?
I wonder how you got your name! Get off my case. I very successfully lost weight, as have thousand of others.
in reply to GRUMPYA
2,000 is what you should have without a diet a diet you have a daily amount that's less. Not 2,000 for a diet its not the amount for a diet. I successfully lost weight and have maintained four dress size loss for six years so I think I know a lot more and I got help to loss weight as well.
I would really recommend this app, is the only thing that begins to take the effort out of calorie counting because you can scan in the bar codes of the things you eat and it will save all the things you eat most often. I wouldn't take too much notice of the taget calories it gives you, especially as you already have a recommendation from your dietitian. But as a method of finding out the calories in your food ( some of which are surprising) it is great.
I did take notice of the target calories MFP gave me - and I stayed under those and lost three stone in six months. I've been the same weight now since April 2013 and maintain by fasting (up to 500 calories) one day a week. I also weigh myself once a week to catch any rogue pounds before they multiply.
Fantastic. How often do you fast now? I am trying to come off a fast diet at the moment and have been wondering the best way to maintain my weight.
Whilst I was on 5:2 I fasted twice or three times a week (up to 500) but now I only fast one day a week for the health benefits. I also did the C25K programme nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/... - I didn't start that until I was 63 and now I run three times a week. I don't have a car now so I walk an average of five miles a day (I wear a Fitbit). All of that is maintaining my size 10 nowadays! I was a hefty size 16 before 5:2!
Hi there im kinda calorie countin via my fitness app on my yablet i have limited myself 2 1700 calories a day and im losing weight with the exercising as well which is Very important
I think i will try you method 1st.. 1400 a day is too few if you have an active job like mine.. i will c how it goes but right now i feel hungry all the time.. once mt stomach get use to have less food i will drop my calories to 1400
elliebathMaintainer
Well done, youve taken the first step !
It all depends on your current weight /height/age/activity level , and how many calories you were eating before.... Generally you need to reduce your WEEKLY calorie intake by 3500 to lose 1 lb of fat per week. That means reduce by 500 per day. So for example, if you have previously been eating 2500 cal per day then in theory you could reduce to 2000 and lose weight. But most healthy plans suggest 1200 - 1400 per day for weight loss. If you use the calculator on ' myfitnesspal ' you can calculate the right level for you personally, and use the app to record your daily calories and progress. Its working for me and many others, im losing a safe steady 1-2 lb per wk. Good luck and lots of support on both these forums
Hi I have used calorie counting for years and yes it works - I use My Fitness Pal which is a free app - you can even scan in barcodes so you don't have to look it up - I have lost 32lbs and I am not quite half way but it works so try it out
in reply to JoannePSimpson
Cal counting is the most boring way to loss weight or maintain weight. If it works for you great but its a very boring way to do a diet or maintain weight. A diet is hard enough without adding extra stuff to make it worse like cal counting etc. Again great if it works for you but I would never go that route thankfully I lost and have maintained weight without having to do it.
daggersborn in reply to
So, how do you do it then. I'd be interested in your strategy.
in reply to daggersborn
I exercise plenty. I am a healthy eater but can't do small portions love food too much but through loads of exercise I can maintain weight. A doctor told me once if you eat very little you don't need to exercise much if you eat loads incress your exercise. I am always eating but because I eat regularly mixed with tones of exercise it speeds up my matablisiom and I keep weight off. That's what works even at Christmas and going on holiday I still exercise and don't need to diet again after. That the problem people don't exercise enough that's why people can't maintain weight.
No way would I ever cal count diets can be hard enough without cal counting to make it worse. Cal counting is boring and if I had to do that It would make the diet even harder and a very long road to go down. I don't recommend. I lost weight without ever going near cal counting and maintained the weight I lost for 6 years without ever going near cal counting and weight watcher and slimming world I don't agree on as well. Good old fashioned healthy eating mixed with exercise is what you need for a diet and not to cut out certain food only food you should cut out is fatty food the rest you should have.
GRUMPYA in reply to
It's about how much healthy food you eat best way of monitoring thatis to count calories. If you really hate calorie counting that much why go on a website that is there tosupport people who are vcalorie counting and undermine their efforts
hi Joanne, i like the other replies. I know why lisa says its boring but i think it does help as it is so easy to deceive ourselves about what we pop in our mouths. once u start being aware of what calories are in different foods/fruits/drinks then you have better awareness to avoid the high calorie foods/drinks. Also you will feel more in control. Good luck 
in reply to MrsWobble2
A diet is hard enough without making it even worse by cal counting. A diet should be a happy road to a better you. To look better in clothes, change eating habits and to improve health. It shoulden't be a long hard boring journey make worse by doing boring stuff like cal counting etc. If it works for some people great but if I had to do it when I lost weight I would have hated every second and it would have been made worse. Dieting is hard enough without things to make it worse.
MrsWobble2 in reply to
Hello Lisa, Yes I agree that a diet should be a happy road to a better you. If it is too boring then people will give up. The main thing is that we all do what suits us to try and lose a bit of fat and tone up.
Also I suppose I dont really count up cals all day. I just like to be aware of what foods have what calories and so I know what to avoid or have less of.
GRUMPYA in reply to
Lisa -Glad you found something that worked for you but don't try to stop other people or put them off the most successful method of eating less than you burn.
in reply to GRUMPYA
successful if its so successful why does hardly anyone maintain weight after a weight loss then if its so good. It can't be that great if it works I am sure you would carry it on to help you maintain weight. Plenty of exercise mixed with eating regularly works it speeds up the matabalisiom and helps you burn cals to maintain weight better.
I've been finding that calorie counting gives me a better idea of which foods are healthy, and which are better limited or avoided. Can be quite surprising. Otherwise, agree it's boring and can even work against me, if I end up yo-yo dieting. Regular exercise is helping regain energy and also becoming more aware of when I've had enough to eat, i.e., not just 'comfort eating'.
I find calorie counting tedious, however it is important to know how many calories are in foods to make a informed choice, I really have to stay away from nuts, a snack pack - you know the mixed nuts and seeds packs 220 cals! Far too calorific as a snack if you are trying to lose weight. Some fruit is very high in sugar and calories, avocado very heathy but again one to watch for calories
I'm finding the free online FutureLearn course helpful about this: futurelearn.com And the video link about sugar very interesting: youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua...
Calorie counting does work if you stick to it, it's no more or less boring than any diet IMO since they all rely on restricting your food intake in some way. Personally I'd do exactly what the dietician said, there's no point setting a very low calorie allowance and then giving up. If you're seeing the dietician again presumably you'll be looking at how you could cut your calories further.
Hi
if your dietician has suggested 2000 calories a day then stick to that. Everyone has a different requirement and if you are tall younger and heavy that is a realistic starting point. People who tell you that they need far less to lose weight are either lighter older shorter or all of the above (or they don't record everything that passes their lips).
If you record EVERYTHING including gravy, flavoured water, half a fish finger the kids didn't eat etc then you should lose weight. I lose weight on 2000 calories, and if i reduced to the levels people on here suggest I would soon get disheartened and hungry and give up. Your allowance will reduce as you lose weight and needs reviewing at least monthly if not weekly.
Not eating enough will not stop you losing weight but it will make you hungry and nibble or eat too much when you do eat, so do as the professional suggests and see how it goes. Good luck
While I count calories, I also do blood type diet, which means I increase or descrease certain foods (cornflour is a no go for me, so always use rice flour instead) , which help with eliminating bloating or other such symptoms.
It is with this in mind, research this (for lots of people , certain foods and things add up, and have a lightning moment) all calories are not equal, for example one of my major beneficial foods is red meat, with that in mind, I still stick to the 100g portion as reccommended.
Good luck with it all, I personally do an add up of my cals over the day, and try to break it down into sections of five, breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack and dinner.
Always read the information on packets as some manufacturers change the recipe and size of the product making them more (or occasionally less) than a book or app will tell you. Also, check is it per 100g, per potion or the whole packet?
I was eating a pack 0f 3 little biscuits thinking they were 100 calories . It was actually per biscuit!! Who's going to open a pack and just eat 1?
Some products seem good, but when you weigh them out the portion is about 1/4 of what you would normally tip out. You will learn as you go along. If your weight loss slows go back to weighing as guessing portions can creep up to more than you think.
in reply to DulcieLorna
Just because something comes in a packet with three biscuits in it doesn't mean you must eat the three. So what others might have more than one but really one should be more than enough. If you not gong to exercise enough to fit what you eat the you need to eat less simple.
DulcieLorna in reply to
The product I'm talking about comes in portion sized packets, of 3 thin biscuits, within the box. The box is emblazoned with 89 calories but if you read the tiny writing on the back it says per biscuit. I just think it's misleading when your new to the game. You have to be careful or spoil your hard work.
DulcieLorna in reply to
I would like to add that with lung disease and a disability my doctor has told me NOT to exercise as I could exacerbate my condition. I have therefore to count calories to ensure I have enough to eat but lose a little each week. If I don't count calories I find I kid myself that I've not had much, or eat too little and then binge because I'm hungry. Once you get to know products and portion sizes it's not so hard, and planning meals helps to stop impulse eating.
in reply to DulcieLorna
I am sorry you have got that but you will find it harder to loss or maintain weight without exercise
in reply to DulcieLorna
Planning meals what if you don't want the meal you planned nearer the time after going to the trouble making it. I rather decide on the day what I am having rather than make a meal to find I don't want that nearer time as what I want to eat has changed. Not some thing I would like to do but if it works for you then great
DulcieLorna in reply to
Planning means having ingredients in the house or knowing when and where to buy them. Knowing fried sausage egg and chips are not as good as grilled sausage, poached egg and boiled potatoes or baked fries.This can be done a month, a week, a day or an hour in advance.
No planning means grabbing anything when you are hungry asking for diet disaster. Fish shop, kebabs and other take a ways are handy but only included in a weight loss programme with care. I also think if you don't 'fancy' something your not really hungry. But then I eat everything except the skin on custard!
As for exercise- I have been on and off diets for 40 years. I have successfully lost stones in weight , but as we all know when we go back to our old ways we go back to our old weight. I have to stick rigidly to 1200 calories, or high protein, low fat low carbs diet and not drink wine! I have only once stepped up my exercise, 10 years ago, and yes it did help but I was more hungry so it sometimes cancelled out the weight loss.
in reply to DulcieLorna
Never had a takeaway even when I used to be big that was one thing I never ever had. I lost weight 6 years ago lost four dress sizes and stayed the weight I lost and I still don't have takeaways. Planning meals is not my cup of tea and sausages chips etc are something I class as crap and junk. I don't eat junk and don't buy it or have it in my house. I don't go grabbing anything when hungry as I know how to eat the right stuff and to maintain weight that's why I lost four dress sizes and have maintained it. If planning meals work for you great and all the best to you in losing weight etc.
It doesn't not all cals are equal, a strange fact, although if you do blood type diet as I do (should really be lifestyle) you find certain foods that are better for your body than others, strange , makes total sense.
I nearly always have eggs or nut butter on toast, for breakfast, with fruit, dinner of protein, veg, and some carb, and some, carb/protein for lunch, seems the best formula for me, protein is known to fill you up too.
When you do this, or investigate, you often find certain foods work, when others upset you.
If it is correct to take 2000 cal per day . But the time of intake and quantity is the most important thing in consumption of food through out the day . Again your body type ( Constitution Vata Pitta Kapha type ) is also main point in this case.
Counting calories works for me. I belong to an online weightloss group called weightlossresources.co.uk and although it costs to belong, its cheaper than WW and SW etc. It has great tools to help you to keep a diary of your food and exercise and makes you so aware of portion control.
If you have been told to work on 2000 cals a day, I would assume that you are very obese and therefore you would probably then be eating less than you are currently. The number of calories you eat will decrease as you lose the weight and exercise more.
Losing weight can be a long journey and reading labels and logging food can become boring (I've fallen off the wagon many times) but at the end of the day you are working towards a more healthy lifestyle and its a means to an end.
HI Joanne1974
Yes - basically, calorie counting works as, if you reduce your calorie intake, you're clearly reducing those foods that provide calories, e.g. sugars and fats, so your body won't need to store the excessive amounts of those that you've been eating as body fat.
However, do ensure that whilst you reduce on 'bad' / inappropriate foods (like those which are excessively fatty or sugar-laden) you take in the full range of nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals, anti-oxidants and all those things that a healthy body needs.
In particular, work hard at avoiding "empty" calories, i.e. foods high in calories which have little other nutritiion.
Hi, Joanne 1974, first and foremost we don't know how much you have to loose, so listen to your dietician, it may be that when you have lost 5 or 10% of your body weight your calories will be reduced further. My fitness pal is good for calorie counting, do give it a try as another part of your support network. For some people cutting to 1400 or 1200 calories a day would be too much and impossible to maintain. Take it a day/week at a time, good luck!
I actually enjoy counting calories and planning my meals. It doesn't take long & helps keep a tab on what you are eating. It will work if you are eating sufficiently less than you are using.
I found that by planning my meals, not getting too hungry & using smaller plates helped.
I use a book called 'my pocket calorie counter' rather than an app. I don't know how that works, as most of my food doesn't have bar codes!
Good luck with your journey.
Absolutely it does. Listen to your dietitian they have your interest at heart and will help you learn to listen to your body. Slimming world, other similar programmes and products have a financial interest in your failing to keep off what you loose - you'll go back. If the weight stays off, you are no longer paying them!
Calories are printed on every packet of what you eat and nearly all are accessible through free apps, my favourite one has been mentioned in this chain already. I have lost 3 stone since Christmas. I am now in size 12 jeans for the first time in over 20 years despite yoyo dieting on more schemes than I care to mention.
You CAN do this, particularly since you have taken the big step of seeing a dietitian!
Good luck
Calorie counting has worked for me... well in combination with exercise. I use a food diary for my own purposes and therefore am more honest. If I had to show it to someone, I am sure I'd cheat. There's no point lying to myself. Definitely agree with others that a gradual reduction is beneficial. If you are consuming 3000 calories then try to cut down too quickly, you will feel really hungry, probably end up snacking and then feel guilty afterwards and give up trying. Hope it works out for you.
I agree with cutting down the calories slowly.
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