How many calories did you used to eat?

abbylg1983

Probably around 1800-2000, and burned around the same. I was mostly the same weight for 10 years give or take two pounds. But- my diet was prob 90% carbs. The only fat I ate was the butter on my toast and whenever I ordered fast food. Protein was next to nothing- the occasional mcdonalds hamburger or scrambled eggs. I tried out a carb cycling diet just so I could get the carb day but never made it to day 7. Now I just eat whatever in smaller portions than before (although portion control was never a problem for me) but force myself to eat vegetables and more protein.

CherylP67

My guess would be as many as I could shove in my mouth. I would eat candy like I was a bear chubbing up for winter. I would guess around 3000 most days, with no exercise.

AllonsYtotheTardis

probably only about 750 calories more than I eat now. I was gaining 0.25 - .5 lb per week, so I was eating somewhere in the range of 250 calories over my TDEE

mrsmarit

I would say at least double at a minimum to what I am eating now (1670).

Average day was probably around 3400 not including mindless snacking and calorie laden drinks.

JTick

Probably 5,000-7,000 on most days. My first semester at college, I put on 35 lbs in about 3 or 4 months time.

jessiekanga

I've been fat forever (age 11/12). I just entered a fake day from what I would eat about 3 or 4 years ago. 4,200. What's amazing is that I would have sworn up and down to you that I wasn't overeating. Denial is a powerful thing. This is a sad, but enlightening, thread. Thanks for starting it.

Alyssa__Lauren

I did do an "old me" day very recently because I was celebrating the end of my student teaching assignment.

It ended up being close to 2500 :noway:

Alyssa__Lauren

My first semester at college, I put on 35 lbs in about 3 or 4 months time.

Same omg. I was a skinny minnie in high school and then I gained about the same as you in my first semester of college in a short amount of time. Ever since then I had trouble losing weight (until now!)

Lyadeia

I am afraid to figure it out, but I am tempted to put in an "old me" day just to see.
I think it would be alarming.

I have often thought about checking this out in the diary, but haven't done it yet. I wouldn't know how to do it for the most part since I got to be obese when I was in high school. I have no idea how to track school lunches on here. I would eat breakfast at home, school lunch, lunch again at home, mom's dinner, most likely seconds on dinner, and then dessert. At college it was much of the same, only different people cooked the food...I am wagering to guess I was eating at least 3000 calories a day, probably more. My current TDEE with all the exercise that I do is around 2150 calories, and back then my TDEE would have been a lot less since I didn't do nearly as much exercise. One day I will try logging just to see...

122ish

I used to bake 4-5 times a week and every meal had rice pasta or bread. I loved making creamy foods too. We also had a store on the corner so that meant daily trips to buy chips, cookies and ice cream. We would eat out for dinner alot too and i usually ate almost a box of cheez its before bed too. Hmm u do the math. Lol

No corner store anymore, all meals pretty much prepared, baking only once every couple of months, creamy foods only on a cheat day, not many carbs with meals anymore and have only had cheez it's twice in 6 months now. Yay

MainahGirl

A million-gazillion! Let me just put it this way. I used to eat at McDonald's twice a day, everyday. The people working in the drive thru knew my voice and my order everytime. Convenient, sure... Disgusting, most definitely.

And each visit consisted of a Big Mac, a McChicken, a large fry of course a DIET Coke.

And those were just snacks.

So sad....

DebbieLyn63

I maintained around 1700-1800 average. So the occasional holiday and celebration meal slowly crept my weight up over the years. I wish I had been eating 3000-4000 a day, then I could have created quite the deficit and be at goal by now. But I guess I also would have been an extra 100 pounds or more overweight, so it all evens out.

SrJoben

I'm not really sure because I wasn't paying any attention at all before I decided to take charge and get fit again.

I was overweight, but not by more than 10-15 pounds or so and it had taken me a several years to get there.

So I suspect calorie wise I was eating about as much as I am now. But less healthful foods and with basically zero exercise.

I'm currently at 2500/day which is a few % under TDEE if I stick to my workout program.

hollyscofield7

I think I'll plead the 5th on how many calories I eat in a day. It's working for me, 35 lbs in 6 weeks is pretty good but they'd probably kick me the heck off of here if I said how I do it. My advice, do as I say, not as I do. It depends on how active you are.

onwarddownward

I was eating out about twice a day. Sucking down about 5-6000 cals a day. I went back and charted out a typical day after I had been here a month. I was drinking about 1500 cals a day in sweet drinks (included in that other total).

I did ZERO exercise, took a long nap every single day and slept until about 11 am.

Is it any wonder I got huge? Oh, and I would get up at about midnight and have a full meal.

I got started because my husband caught our nine year old eating a full meal at 2 am (and we had discussed this, it was a continuing nightly thing with her). He told her, "If you keep eating late at night, you will weigh 400 lbs like your MOTHER."

Well, that was when the fight started. But really, he was dead on. (And he admitted that he needed to lose weight, too and is now on MFP, too.) I didn't want our little girl eating at night and although I was not 400 lbs, I was close to 300.

The truth hurts.

And it heals.

Now I have lost 17, I swim an hour a day (1.8 miles in laps) and I eat right. Praying I can stay steady and knowing that with MFP in my life, with you encouraging people, I am on a path toward health for myself and all of my family - - -> husband included!

febes1972

Most days it was anywhere from 3000 to 4500 depending on where (fast food) we went for lunch. Now I am 1200 to 1400. We still fast food for lunch (most of the time) I taught myself what to eat and how much. I have totally stopped eating chips and started eating low calorie snacks (most of the time from Special K).

hollyscofield7

Sounds like you are doing great! I LOVE to bake, but don't have any now. I just bake and my husband and son have a few and then I bring the rest into work, and send my husband to work with some. Keep up the great work!

hollyscofield7

Keep up the good work. Stay focus and dedicated. You can do it!

ZombieEarhart

I occasionally make an 'old me' entry in my diary (usually just skip back a year) and I find it very enlightening/motivating. It's amazing to see 3K calories with almost no vitamins.

Lbf321

I ate about 2000-2500, and then I found love for lindt truffles. I blame them since I could go through a bag a day and my husband showed his love by bringing me home a bag as a surprise every couple days. Those little balls from heaven are around 300 calories each and I think there's 9-12 truffles in the bag. And besides doing very light housework I would read books 24/7, I'm a stay at home mom and so can do as little or as much as I felt like. I was also tired ALL the time and so I sat around even more.

I have since cut out the chocolate mostly and I stay on feet cleaning inside or doing yardwork for most of the day, I'm on my feet moving from 7 a.m. to about 6 p.m. and eat 1700-2100 calories. I feel awesome and I'm nicer and have ton's of energy. And I feel like I'm making great progress, I've gone from size 17/18 to 12/14 in 2 months.