Calorie counting works for me

[carolanne13]

Hi. I am on week six of the weight loss plan. I am getting a lot out of the plan and I am counting calories which is working really well as so far I have lost 4.9kg. For the first time in my adult life I am eating guilt free and feel I have control over my food rather than food controlling me My daughter has been a fantastic source of support. She started me off on the calorie counting and sends me visuals of my weight loss! I have learned so much over the past 5 weeks. Happy to share information about calorie counting and what makes it work for me.

[Hidden]

Hi Carol,

Welcome and congratulations on your loss so far.

It's great to hear the plan is working for you and that you have the support of your daughter.

To get the most out of the forum, we have a Welcome Newbies in the pinned posts area you might like to take a look at for further information.

We also run daily weigh-ins. You might like to consider joining a group and weighing in once a week?

Best of luck and I look forward to seeing you around ☘

[carolanne13 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou - so far I am finding it harder to work out how to do this ! I will have to get my daughters help with this also

[Janpes]

Hello,

Congratulations on your weight loss.

I just started my journey yesterday but am already struggling. I am having problems eating the amount of food made. Example today I made the breakfast burritto, made it to the right amounts etc but I just cannot finish it. I ate a little over half of it and am so full that I cant even drink my tea. Any tips on how to eat? how often do you eat?

As for the calories the BMI calculator said I should eat 1600-2000 Kcal /day. Yesterday I couldnt even get to 1000 kcal. Today I think I will struggle too as I couldn't even get breakfast down. Should Ieat when I am hungry or every 2-3 hours?

[Hidden in reply to Janpes]

How much do you weigh age and height ?

You don't need to get big quanties you can get your calories from more dense calories foods

Nuts snacks etc

[Janpes in reply to Hidden]

Hi

I am allergic to nuts, fish and some other stuff so have to be careful what I eat. Age 42, weight: 92kg height 164 cm I am pretty active so clicked the middle one for the activity part. I usually go out walking almost everyday at least an hour in total. I do spend a lot sitting too.

I just feel full all the time so struggle to eat the calories. I guess I just need to get used to eating properly and on a regular basis.

[Hidden in reply to Janpes]

Your eating too many calories to lose weight or they are too high

We are nearly the same weight and height and I'm more active but my calories are 1400 we are similar age

Where are you finding you calorie allowance from here ?

Tbh it sounds very high to lose weight

You say your pretty active what exercise do you do

Nuts were an example not a given you not to be rude as I'm the same but you got to your weight eating too many calories so you can easily eat more now

Rice pasta potatoes are high in carbs

Butter honey crisp chocolate

Losing weight is a lifestyle change eat healthy and have treats otherwise we yoyo

Even porridge is high to get those calorie up

[Janpes in reply to Hidden]

I am using the recipes from change 4 life webpage. How can I be eating too much?? my portions are exact.

Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast: apple and cinnamon porridge 35g portion calories 134 Kcal and a cup of tea with milk and sugar 44Kcal.

Lunch: I ate Turkey and fresh coleslaw pitta 220 kcal

Turkey slice, coleslaw, red onion and cucumber

on a wholemeal pitta bread and about half a litre of water

Dinner: I ate homemade summer vegetable soup

Vegetable soup, sweet potato, potato, carrot, leek

Cauliflower, vegetable stock, cream cheese and cream

300 Kcal/ 250g portion

Snacks were weetabix x2 milk and sugar 134 kcal 60 Kcal 15 Kcal

I went for 2 walks one 30 minutes and the other 45 minutes. I use an activity tracker to check my steps and it was over 10000 steps.

The calorie allowance is from the NHS BMI site. As I said I cant even make it to 1000 kcal.

I am quite active I go for walks everyday, I go snowshoe walking and do a lot of stuff outside and as the weather improves it will be better.

I started also the running programme on the NHS 5km challenge

As I said I am on day 2 so it just might be my body gettingused to the change. earlier I skipped meals and ate only once or twice a day.

[Hidden in reply to Janpes]

1600-2000 is maintence calories not weightloss

You need to restrict your calories by 500 a day to lose 1lbs a week

[Janpes in reply to Hidden]

like I said I haven't even eaten 1600 Kcal. I am struggling to even eat 1000

[Hidden in reply to Janpes]

Sorry I can't understand why if your 92kg you must of been eating 3500 calories a day probably before

It's easy to eat more calories add sauces to your foods have treats you don't have to eat 100% all healthy foods it's easy to eat 1400 calories some toast will be 260 calories for 2 slices

A yoghurt

Porridge

A cake

What were you eating before you started calorie counting ?

[Janpes in reply to Hidden]

Im sorry but am I being judged here?? I came asking some honest question on DAY 2 of this journey on how to eat the amount of calories

I was not eating 3500 calories a day before. I ate regular salads and as I said I ate only once or twice a day. I usually ate poached egg on a slice of toast and after that some rice with chicken or a salad. The problem was that I was eating breakfast then nothing all day till tea time

You do not know me or my history or my illnesses or anything else about me so why are you quick to judge me?

Thanks but if this is the reception I get when asking a question I would rather not ask anymore.

[Hidden in reply to Janpes]

I'm trying to help you

No one gets 4-5 stone over weight eating healthy sorry

I know this personally I didn't get overweight eating 1000 calories aday

Thing is I see people post they are 60-80 lbs over weight and say I can't eat much etc

Getting over weight by a lot is because we eat more calories than we burn off

I'd take it as help

I was incredibly I'll I nearly died I was in tons medication that wouldn't gain me 60-80 lbs

Sometimes it takes honesty to make us do something

You ate more calories than your burnt the same as me we are a similar weight age height both had illnesses

We got overweight eating more than our body's burn off

I think what annoys me the most is people thinking they ate healthy when in all honesty they didn't

When you see this you will then lose weight

Your taking it personally why ? I said im exactly as you

You can easily eat more than 1000 calories a day

[Janpes in reply to Hidden]

Look Im sorry I am a little short tempered these days. I know I got myself into this situation I am not saying it was anyone elses fault either.

The main point is that I am now starting to do this the right way. I have spent the last 20 years in depression with loads of health problems along the way.

I have over the last year or so paid more attention to what I ate since I had a severe allergic reaction to eating fish. Since then I cut back on almost everything.

Im not saying I am innocent as yes the odd slice of pizza has passed these lips along with way too much alcohol.

I am not looking back I am now looking forward and taking one day at a time.

[carolanne13 in reply to Janpes]

Hi Janpes. I started off quite simply by keeping a food diary for 2 weeks. I recorded everything I ate and drank but did not put any constraints on. This helped me to see exactly what I was eating as well as get me into the recording.

During the second week I started weighing my food and looking at calories to start to get into the swing of it. My daughter (bless her) took my two weeks food diary and worked out my calories. At the end of the second week I weighed myself and did my BMI on the NHS website and identified the number of calories I would allow myself a day based on my BMI.

I got new batteries for my digital scales and a note book to use as my food diary and to do my workings out.

Doing this ground work meant I was able started week one of the 12 week plan prepared in my head as well as practically. My philosophy in the first two weeks of the 12 week plan was very much not to set myself up to fail. I did not start eating that differently but gradually started to adapt and change as I learned which foods were winners and which were losers not only in terms of calories but also in terms of health and well being.

I think you have to go with what you feel most comfortable and confident with. If you are happy with cereals for breakfast. Have them. You will soon be curious as to how you can get to feel more full on eating less! For example swapping my semi skimmed milk for unsweetened almond milk not only enriches my porridge but allows me to have a bigger portion as I invested the calories in the oats instead of the milk!! O and I stopped adding syrup and now use a teaspoon of sugar instead. Overall I saved a whopping 81 calories by making those simple adjustments.

On the timing of eating I think is a personal thing. The refinements can come later. I work on the basis of breakfast, dinner, tea with a snack mid morning and mid afternoon with some calories left for evening snacks.

Please don't punish yourself enjoy it! Come of the plan if you need a week out to get yourself organised. Best wishes

[Janpes in reply to carolanne13]

Thank you for your reply.

I also read through all the material and planned how I would start the diet before doing it. I also have a notepad and record everything then add it to an excel sheet on my laptop.

If was the feeling this morning of eating a breakfast burritto that got me so full. Infact I couldn't even finish it. I usually start my day with just a slice of toast and a cuppa. That is why I was asking the questions earlier as I was struggling at the start with the fullness.

For the rest of the day I have tried hard and have managed a whopping 1378 Kcal in regular intervals and have drank lots of water. I am trying to enjoy it and do believe that this time I will succeed. In 2010 when I was really ill I manged to get down to 83kg without doing anything.

Thank you again for your reply it was full of information.

[IndigoBlue61]

What a lovely post 😊 So positive and uplifting carolanne13 😊

It's great your daughter helps you too, having family on side is very beneficial 😊

I'm glad you are enjoying the forum, if you have any questions please just ask 😊

You might find this useful for navigating the forum

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Best wishes

Anna

[HubbysMissMouse]

Janpes don't worry I know you can put weight on by not eating much and people just always assume that we are the ones overeating. I had this problem myself because I was overweight and my husband is skinny as anything and he is the one that could eat all day. I only ate lunch and dinner, and didn't even always eat lunch. I always wanted to lose weight and struggled anyway with eating first thing and still do at times but then just eat two hours after getting up. I was told on this site not long after I joined because I was not losing any weight as I wasn't eating enough calories and if I ate less than the NHS bmi calculator states then I wouldn't lose weight, because not eating enough means your body starts to believe that you are trying to starve it so then turns any food that you do eat into body fat to ensure that it can go on for the next day in case you do it again. Fat weighs more so this will then mean that you will weigh more. I found this very strange to start with, but because I always weighed more than people I knew that ate more than me I decided to give it a try and eat more. I now eat more and am finally losing weight. I can't believe it. Good luck with your journey.

[Janpes in reply to HubbysMissMouse]

My husband too is as skinny as anything and eats tons of sweets, cakes etc... I only have to look at a cake and there is 5kg more. I don't even have a sweet tooth and do not eat much at all.

I used to get up have breakfast then not eat till later, sometimes 6 hours later. I knew this wasn't good for me so have now decided to change those bad habits that have plauged me all these years.

I hope that this time I have the strength to take it to the end. I sometimes get going really well then I fall into a bout of self doubt and sabotage it myself.

I don't know what it is but it feels like I shouldn't lose weight or do anything to make me feel good. I always put others first and spend little to no time on myself.

It is something I am going to have to deal with I guess.

Thanks again for the advice

[Wadestreet]

That's is great!!! Keep up the good work and that the plan is working for me.