can't believe the calories!

lyoill

hi!

I pretty new and I thought that it would be interesting to have a look at how many calories I was eating in an average day. I was maintaing my weight with small fluctuations i would go between 66-69 kg and I was thinking that I was eating ok but with a daily treat muffin etc but often with more than 1 treat in a day. It worked out to be between around 2600-3000 calories!!

Anyone else entered what they used to eat into MFP?

Bekahmardis

I did that and was amazed to discover it was too low! I was maintaining my weight, but just barely - it kept wanting to go up up up and I kept thinking, "How the heck can I drop any MORE calories?!" Well, I couldn't. I wasn't eating ENOUGH! So I started to eat more and about 3 or 4 weeks later, the weight started to come off again. Weird, but hey! It worked! Now my FitBit keeps me pretty much in line.

Mady1911

I do not dare!!!

MommyisFit

I haven't done this, but I think it is a great idea! I honestly can't figure out how I gained weight besides starting a prescription (gained 20 lbs in 2 months after starting). I wonder if I was eating much more than I thought, too....

ninjakitty419

I did that and it was over 3000 calories. And that was how I used to eat nearly every day. Now I am perfectly happy at 1400-1600.

jillianbeeee

I don't even want to know! lol. I have found that when I log in only at night, thinking I had a good day, I am surprised at how I am always over. Lesson learned. Now I log in each meal during the day because "guessing" got me where I used to be, sometimes if I am unsure I Log it in BEFORE I eat it, just to make sure. Funny, how losing weight has become so simple. Stay within the recommended calorie intake, watch the sugar and carbs and BOOM the weight is falling off!

madtownjeremy

Yep...I've done counts where I was over my limit halfway through the day. It's amazing the crap we put into our bodies.

jimshine

I discovered the same thing. I realize I was terrible at guesstimating what I was eating. If I plan on never going back, I will be counting calories forever,

quirkytizzy

Close to 3 grand a day. It was pretty nuts.

SillyDrusilla

I haven't ever calculated a full day, but I've gone onto Taco Bell's website and added up what I used to eat, it's easily over 5,000 calories....and I'd only eat that for dinner (with Mc. Donalds breakfasts and crazy lunches)! I was 130 pounds, 5'3 1/2, don't know how I didn't go beyond that.

Fullsterkur_woman

That is why logging your food is so critical to success. You can't make changes if you don't know where you're starting from!

ryry_

This is the revelation that hits you when you track your intake. I put in a few sample days and when I was having a "care free" kind of day I can easily hit 4-5000 calories without trying.

ETA: If that is your dog, very cute chihuahua!!!

ashandloggiesmom

Yep, realized some days were 3000-3500 in one day. Now that I know, its hard for me to have a "cheat" day. I still do, but I am just now really aware and it amazed me that I could eat all of that without a second thought. Sometimes I miss being ignorant to it honestly, but I'm thankful too because it helps keep me on track.

trenee35

A great example of how logging calories works! Yesterday I really really wanted a third small piece of pizza. But, after logging the two small pieces I already ate, I just couldn't do it to myself. Logging makes a huge difference!

athenalittlerbassett

I was eating about between 5000 and 6000 calories a day i love d my chips and soda and candy a lot of junk and fast food i went the other day to McDonald's and i seen a double cheeseburger was like 540 calories and a med fries i was in shock and i use to eat like 2 dbl cheeseburgers a large fries and a 10 piece chicken nugget with a lg diet drink that is my calorie intake for almost 3 days now it was a real eye opener!!

ashandloggiesmom

I don't even want to know! lol. I have found that when I log in only at night, thinking I had a good day, I am surprised at how I am always over. Lesson learned. Now I log in each meal during the day because "guessing" got me where I used to be, sometimes if I am unsure I Log it in BEFORE I eat it, just to make sure. Funny, how losing weight has become so simple. Stay within the recommended calorie intake, watch the sugar and carbs and BOOM the weight is falling off!

I always log in the morning, and I plan meals days in advance, otherwise I will ALWAYS go over! And I plan my "bad" days and try to make it up by eating less another day, I try to focus on the week overall not just the day.

briabner

Oh yeah I did this and it was like no wonder I am the weight that I was at when I started here in January at 225 pounds. I also had this same type of reaction when I purchased a food scale and actually started weighing and measuring my servings that was a real eye opener too. Especially with ice cream. I wanted ice cream one evening and I put 1 serving in my bowl, and I was like is that ALL lol. So then I went on to put who much I usually ate and it cam out to be over 6 servings. Just in ice cream it was upwards of 1300 calories and I would typically eat that multiple times a week.

aarar

I did this shortly after I started at MFP. I was eating anywhere from 6000 (on a low day) up to 10 000+ calories a day. It's no wonder I gained nearly 70 lbs in less than a year and a half :sick:

laceylucas86

I wish I had done this! I don't even remember how I used to eat! I think it was mostly drinking calories (orang juice, coffee/tea additives, regular pop, hot chocolates,) didn't even think about consuming these where at all a bad choice now nothing crosses my lips without thought, try not to drink my calories at all these days.

lablueluna

I just did this for a day when I would just throw in the towel after work and give into emotional eating. YIKES! Without counting beverages (caloric ones like soda, wine, etc...), I would inch up past 3000. Eye-opening indeed! Now, I plan on running after a hard day. Saves money, calories, and health!

auntiebabs

I haven't done this, but I think it is a great idea! I honestly can't figure out how I gained weight besides starting a prescription (gained 20 lbs in 2 months after starting). I wonder if I was eating much more than I thought, too....

I tracked for a couple of weeks before I focused on losing... because I wanted to see the good, the bad and the ugly of it all. I wanted to see where I REALLY stood. So I could accurately adjust.
It' didn't seem thaaaaaat bad to me... 1700-1800 calories. Certainly not the recommended 2000 cal. on the nutritional facts.

How did I put on almost 50lbs since college?

So I....
1) Input my stats for my 22-year-old self (22/5'6"/135 lbs) and clicked maintain. 1790 calories

2) Input my stats for my 50-year-old self and clicked maintain. 1790 calories

Turns out I didn't change much, But I didn't know that you needed to deduct 10 calories a day from your diet every year. Over 30 year that's 300 calories.

:noway: :grumble: :explode: :grumble: :noway: