What''s your daily caloric intake and how do you stick to it?

[zoebartlett]

How many calories per day are you trying to stick with and how do you reach this goal? I''m curious how people with different goals handle tracking food, etc. I thought I''d begin this thread so we could all share, and I know the info. shared could help me.

 

[zoebartlett]

I''ve joined SparkPeople and I like the recommendations for the daily meals, but my husband and I have been following our own meal plan and tracking calories, fat, sodium, carbs, and protein in a different way.

SparkPeople said that for my height and weight and what I want to acheive (losing weight), my daily goal for calories is 1200-1500. I''m trying so hard to stick to 1200. I began another thread on counting fruits and veggies when tracking food, but I didn''t want this info. to get lost within that thread. I''m finding it very hard to stay around 1200 calories if I take into account olive oil used for cooking chicken (about 2 Tbls), fruit, and other items.

Here''s what I had the other day:

Breakfast: 1 cup of cheerios, 1/2 cup of skim milk, and approx. 3/4 cup of strawberries (it''s 152 calories for the cereal and milk, but I didn''t count the strawberries)

Lunch: 1 slice of double fiber bread, 1 three ounce pouch of tuna, 1 tablespoon of mayonaise, 17 pretzels (ROld Gold tiny twists)

Dinner: 4 ounces of whole wheat egg nooodles, three ounces of baked salmon with chopped onion and lemon juice on top

This came to 1111 calories, but I think if I had counted the strawberries, I would have reached 1200 calories. I''ll admit, it was super hard not to snack, but it wasn''t impossible either.

 

[absolut_blonde]

I don''t track right now but when I did, I averaged between 1800-2200. Sometimes more. I''m pretty lucky in that I have a fast metabolism and I (usually...) work out regularly.

A good starting point for calories is: weight loss = weight in lbs x 10-12 range. maintenence = weight in lbs x 12-15. You may have to go higher or lower than that, depending on your metabolism, activity level, etc.


1200 is VERY low. You may want to increase that somewhat. The more you weigh, the more you burn. Even fat is metabolically active in that it takes energy simply to carry mass around all day.

Also, if you start off that low and find your progress stalls... you''ll have nowhere to go. You can''t really reduce your cals any lower from 1200, you know? If you stay around 1500-1800, though, you could adjust it a bit as you lose weight and your progress slows. Weight loss is actually the easiest in the beginning, since the more you weigh the more you burn. As you lose, you burn less and less gradually and your metabolism will slow somewhat. So it''s actually best to lose on the HIGHEST amount of calories possible. Does that kind of make sense?

Looking at what you listed for a daily menu, I''d say you need more good fats. Yes, fats are high in calories but they are also essential for your health. Think a serving of salmon, almonds, avocado, etc. (Tuna isn''t very fatty so doesn''t really work as well as salmon for this). You might want to try something like oats in place of the cheerios, too. The less processed/refined a food is, the more satiating it tends to be.

Oh and way more veg. Veggies are great because they''re generally low-cal and also nutritious. Try a big spinach salad with dinner, and raw veg as a snack or with lunch. Raw veg with hummus or salsa is a good combo.

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks so much for taking time to give such great advice.

I never thought about it like you described, regarding starting out at such a low number and then having nowhere to go from there. It does make sense -- I have a lot to learn I suppose. So I guess my new goal will be 1400-1500 calories and I''ll begin counting fruits and veggies. I still think the actual meals seem pretty light, portion wise, but I guess that''s what they need to be in order to lose weight. I''m much better at eating fruit than I am with veggies, but I know fruit has a lot of sugar, which is also something to watch.

How about anyone else? What do you try to stick to?

 

[choro72]

Zoe, I take it that you have just started your diet? Congratulations! Right now it's a new thing for you, and it may not seem hard right now. I think after a few months you may be tired of it, and I want to let you know that it's okay to stop counting as long as you consciously make healthy choices. The reason I say this is because I did the same thing. I refused to eat bread that was served with meal, I refused croutons, I forced myself to stop eating at half the salad, and so on. After a while, I miss these treats so much that I had to reintroduce them to my meal before I got desperate. If I got desperate there is no stopping me from eating an entire jar of croutons (I think I have some eating disorder but I haven't had myself checked)

On weekdays I eat
Breakfast: 1/4 C oatmeal with seaweed, soy sauce, and such. I eat it like Asian porridge.
Lunch: 1 piece of either chicken thigh, drumstick, or half a quarter leg. Frozen veggies. Brown rice. All fit 500 ml Tupperware
Dinner: 1 piece of either chicken thigh, drumstick, or half a quarter leg. Frozen veggies, both fit loosely in a 450ml Tupperware. Brown rice to half fill 250 ml Tupperware.

All this barely reach 1100 Calories. When I get super hungry I eat some snacks. Usually it's about 1/8 C of some kind of mixed nuts. This already brings it up to almost 1300 Cal if I had to.

Weekends I don't measure. I eat a large bowl filled with rice, meat, and frozen veggies. Sometimes it's noodles, sometimes it's buns...We are having a fun time finding different ways to cook meat.

If we go out to eat, these days I'm trying to learn when I feel full. I really need to slow down because I eat like a vacuum cleaner. I keep myself busy during the day because otherwise I would spend hours agonizing on weather or not I deserve to eat a piece of cookie.

I'm really not a good example because I strongly suspect I have an eating disorder. "Moderation" is very difficult for me. It's either keep myself on a tight leash, or blow up and gobble up an entire sheet of cake (and I am famous for literary being able to do that). I used to do stupid things to lose weight, and I'm still paying the price.

 

[Haven]

Great thread, Zo! I''m really interested in hearing what everyone has to say.

I have no idea how much I eat everyday. Perhaps that''s my problem.

 

[Skippy123]

What about doing something like Weightwatchers, it is super cheap! I do WW and it gives me some freedom but yet it is structured enough or meeting with a registered dietician to work with you. For me WW is great because if you weigh a certain amount they start you with a high amount of calories (points) and as you lose they lower them little by little so you aren't hungry if that makes sense? I eat about 1400 calories a day; I eat a little more if I exercise, depending on how much I exercise and how intense my workout is. Sparkpeople is great but I need a tiny bit of hand holding and support to get me started.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Like absolut_blonde I eat 2,000 calories a day, give or take, and I don't actually count. I work out 3 times a week and run 2-3 times a week.

Somebody mentioned going out to eat and trying to eat more slowly. I try that too, but I have a really hard time with it (I'm a teacher and some years have had only about ten minutes to eat my lunch, so I've learned to wolf down the food and then relax and enjoy the conversation). What I do is eyeball my plate, decide what is an appropriate portion before I start eating (usually about half unless the portions are small), and then stick to that. Most restaurants serve way too much food/calorie wise in one dinner, so the bonus is that you take home half and don't have to cook another meal.

I know this isn't the answer you were looking for, but I just can't seem to commit to counting calories. I haven't needed to. I just cut out soda, switched to whole grain, began reading nutrition labels and sticking to simpler, less processed foods, and changed my expectations of how much meat I would eat versus fruits, veggies, grains, etc. When you fill up on fruits, veggies, and healthy snacks, you wind up eating fewer calories in a day because they tend to be low calorie and filling. But if I'm hungry, I eat, so some days I eat more and others less. Last Friday I felt like I could eat my hand, I was so hungry, so I just kept eating (slowly and in intervals, to see if the cravings would subside) even though I found it very confusing.

I confess that I have done no research (minus with my own body) to back this up, but my suggestion would be to figure out how much you were eating before (let's say 2,300 calories) and slowly reduce the number, maybe by 300 at first. If you are adding exercise, then you will already be at your 500 deficit a day. I see the magic 1,200 calories a day on here all the time, but I found that I would lose a few pounds, stop losing, and then make one small change (cut out another "bad" food, eating a little less, add an extra day a week of working out), and just that one small change would jumpstart my losing again. But if you start out at the absolute minimum your body can tolerate, then you have nowhere to go if you need to jumpstart it later. Milk your body's tendency to lose weight after you have made small changes in diet and exercise habits instead of immediately going to the lowest recommendation, which may make your body think you are starving. (Again, this is just my observation with my own body -- can't speak for everybody!).

 

[Maria D]

I think PG''s advice is excellent. For most people, losing weight is easier than maintaining weight loss. I believe that the reason this is true is that people will change what they are doing in the short term, lose weight, then go back to what they used to do -- and of course gain the weight back. If instead of cutting down to 1200 calories you were to cut down the the amount that a person of your size and activity level but at the desired weight (whatever your goal is) would consume, eventually you will get there. Maintaining is then just a matter of continuing what you have already been doing.

A couple of years ago I lost 30 pounds doing this. I ate between 1600-1800 calories per day and I exercise about 5-6 times a week. I''m 5''4". I wish I had PG''s metabolism! Maybe it''s because I''m probably at least 15 years older? (I''m 46). Anyway, I have maintained the weight loss and I still eat pretty much the same amt. of calories. I suppose I would have lost the weight faster if I had only eaten 1200 calories a day but what''s the rush? It took about 8 months and before that I had been overweight for over a decade.

The interesting thing is that I figure I used to eat about 2200 calories a day doing the same amt of exercise. Only 400 calories more a day is enough to maintain 30 extra pounds. That''s a couple of bananas, a yogurt and fistful of cheezits... not much! You can see how it''s so easy to lose or gain weight over long periods of time; it''s really a small adjustment in food intake.

Good luck, Zoe -- you sound motivated and on your way!

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/31/2008 5:26:14 PM
Author: Skippy123
What about doing something like Weightwatchers, it is super cheap! I do WW and it gives me some freedom but yet it is structured enough or meeting with a registered dietician to work with you. For me WW is great because if you weigh a certain amount they start you with a high amount of calories (points) and as you lose they lower them little by little so you aren''t hungry if that makes sense? I eat about 1400 calories a day; I eat a little more if I exercise, depending on how much I exercise and how intense my workout is. Sparkpeople is great but I need a tiny bit of hand holding and support to get me started.

I''m going to schedule a visit to a RD -- I''ve been before but I want to make a few follow appointments.

This might sound odd, but I want to do something that I haven''t done before, which is why I''m not going back to WW right now. I never took it as seriously as I should have, and counting points seemed very abstract to me. I never really learned about calories, macro/micronutrients, and it''s now something that I''m slowly become more interested and familiar with. I''m using something similar to SparkPeople, but it was designed by my husband, and I''m going to continue using that for the time being. I know WW is a great support for so many -- I never found my niche there, though. Thanks for the suggestion Skippy! I appreciate it.

 

[zoebartlett]

Your advice really makes sense, PG and Maria. Thanks!

Anyone else like to share their experiences?

 

[royalasscherlover]

Hi Zoe,

I am mostly a lurker these days, but used to participate in the WWT regularly. I am also very short (5'') and stick to about 1300-1400 calories per day to maintain my weight. I allow myself a bit more than that - probably 1600-1700 or so - one day on the weekends, so I have a little more flexibility when out to dinner or a party. I enjoy my little weekly indulgence, so I find it''s best just to keep my usual calorie intake a little lower to even it all out.

What jumps out at me from your menu is that you need less carbs and more veggies! I love carbs, but they are very calorie-dense, so I find that I get to eat way more food for the same calories when I pick other stuff. I am a volume eater, and all the water and fiber in veggies means I get to eat a huge pile that helps to keep me full. (Fruit is healthy, but not really a good substitute for veggies cause they have way more sugar and therefore more calories. They all count when you are trying to keep your overall intake low!) Try some veggies at lunch instead of the pretzels, and reduce the pasta to 2-3oz at dinner and throw in some veggies to bulk it up. For example, today at lunch I had 10 Kashi crackers, 3oz tuna with 1/2T mayo (pretty similar to you so far!), but also had 2 cups of broccoli slaw with a little (1T) vinaigrette dressing. The 2 cups of veggies is way more food than the pretzels and helps my head and stomach feel like I had enough to eat.

Also, I noticed that all of your carbs, while mostly whole grain, are pretty processed. Try some stuff that is closer to the form when it was grown - rolled oats, brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, etc - as it tends to be more filling when less processed.

Good luck!

 

[coatimundi_org]

Hi ZoeBartlett!

I try to stay below 2000 a day. I eat a lot--I love food, but I try to eat as many nutritious calories as I can. I average about 1800 calories a day. I track my food by eating a lot of the same things every day. My breakfast and lunch is generally always the same--except on weekends. Dinners vary, and that''s where the majority of my calories are consumed. I save up calories during breakfast and lunch, so I can enjoy a "feasty" dinner.

Breakfast: whole wheat bagel with butter--I usually only eat half.
Lunch: half a turkey and avocado(or other meat) sandwich and an apple or other fruit.
Snack: usually a granola bar, fruit, or goat cheese and crackers.
Dinner: Free for all-(within reason)--this includes dining out--booze etc.

Dessert: If I need a sweet, I suck on a Blow Pop--50 calories!

If I think I''ve gone over 1,800, I try to have a lighter dinner the next night.

I find that this works the best for me.

Good Luck!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/1/2008 3:39:26 PM
Author: shortblonde
Hi Zoe,

I am mostly a lurker these days, but used to participate in the WWT regularly. I am also very short (5'') and stick to about 1300-1400 calories per day to maintain my weight. I allow myself a bit more than that - probably 1600-1700 or so - one day on the weekends, so I have a little more flexibility when out to dinner or a party. I enjoy my little weekly indulgence, so I find it''s best just to keep my usual calorie intake a little lower to even it all out.

What jumps out at me from your menu is that you need less carbs and more veggies! I love carbs, but they are very calorie-dense, so I find that I get to eat way more food for the same calories when I pick other stuff. I am a volume eater, and all the water and fiber in veggies means I get to eat a huge pile that helps to keep me full. (Fruit is healthy, but not really a good substitute for veggies cause they have way more sugar and therefore more calories. They all count when you are trying to keep your overall intake low!) Try some veggies at lunch instead of the pretzels, and reduce the pasta to 2-3oz at dinner and throw in some veggies to bulk it up. For example, today at lunch I had 10 Kashi crackers, 3oz tuna with 1/2T mayo (pretty similar to you so far!), but also had 2 cups of broccoli slaw with a little (1T) vinaigrette dressing. The 2 cups of veggies is way more food than the pretzels and helps my head and stomach feel like I had enough to eat.

Also, I noticed that all of your carbs, while mostly whole grain, are pretty processed. Try some stuff that is closer to the form when it was grown - rolled oats, brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, etc - as it tends to be more filling when less processed.

Good luck!

Hi SB, GOOD to see you!!!

 

[marcy]

Zoe, I generally eat 1200 to 1400 calories a day. We eat practically the same thing for BF except I can''t have milk. I do have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack during the week (about 100 cals each). For lunch I shoot for 300 to 400 calories (protein mostly, some carbs and raw veggies) and for supper 400 to 500 cals (again mostly protein, some carbs and lots of raw veggies and fruit) then I also have a treat like a miniature piece of candy or 60 grahms of slow churned ice cream after supper. I know I don''t always eat the recommended daily allowance of certain food groups but I do try to eat healthy food and I guess it''s working for me. Good luck!

 

[iluvcarats]

Hi Zoe,
Try adding protein to your diet in the morning - like one egg and two egg whites with some oatmeal. I think it will keep you more satisfied than cheerioes.

Make sure that you have enough protein with each meal. It really works.

For lunch, instead of the pretzels, you could substitute low fat string cheese, and for dinner instead of noodles you could have a really generous salad with red pepper, carrots, cucumber, and sometimes putting something exotic like cilantro or fresh basil puts a whole new twist on things.

 

[dragonfly411]

I''d like more advice on this as well ,including how to keep track with different meals? How can I find out what a meal''s calorie count is? I''m aiming for 1200-1500 daily. I am 5"1 and 125lbs right now.... so I''m hoping that''s in a good range for me as it is what I''ve been advised by most.

 

[marcy]

I like these websites to figure out my calories. I use a diet scale to weigh out most of my food.

http://www.calorie-count.com/
http://www.calorieking.com/

This one is great for restaurants.

http://dwlz.com/restaurants.html

While I agree eating protein helps keep you satisfied I find for BF an egg even with low fat cheese does not stick with me as long as cereal. I do fill up on raw veggies when I get hungry.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Hey Dragon,

If you google BMI calculator and enter your stats you''ll see that you are indeed in the normal range. Of course, it is just that--a range, and things like frame and muscle mass can influence if you are at your ideal weight.

I read in Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy that adults who gain ten or more pounds after the age of 20 greatly increase their risk of heart disease and diabetes, even if they remain in the normal BMI range, the idea being that if they didn''t need those extra pounds at age 20, they don''t need them later in life either. (Of course, try meeting someone who weighs what they did at 20!)

My BMI was 23.3 before I got in shape, and it''s 19.5 now. I''m petite with a very small frame and no bust to speak of, so even in the normal range of the BMI I was about twenty pounds over what I believe to be my ideal weight. I''ve gotten down to my current weight by doing what I''ve shared -- exercising regularly and eating 2,000 calories a day, give or take a few hundred. I haven''t had to diet or exercise excessively to get to this weight, so even though it''s on the low end of the range, I believe it''s where my body wants to be. On the other hand, my sister is usually above 25 for her BMI. When she got down to 22 by serious diet and exercise, she stopped menstruating and couldn''t get pregnant when she wanted to. We''re similarly shaped, but she''s shorter and has more of a softball player build, according to my husband. So for her, I think a BMI at the high end of normal is her ideal weight.

As for your calorie question, I think there just has to be some guess work unless you only eat prepackaged foods that list their calorie content (and I wouldn''t recommend this -- the less processed food, the better, IMO). You won''t know if the apple you ate was 70 or 80 calories (so just guess 75), but you should be able to get a very close idea of what you''re eating by writing down what you eat and then plugging it into a calculator at the end of the day like the one at Sparkpeople or Mypyramidtracker.