Calorie Counting 101

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  • purpleheart725
    purpleheart725 Posts: 1 Member
    Thank you for sharing this great and very helpful information!
  • kungfuterka
    kungfuterka Posts: 11
    Hello there :)

    I would like to find out if being on 1450 calories/day is okay... It says that I should eat approximately 2000 and my suggested daily calorie deficit is 550 calories. I'm quite new to this whole dieting and nutrition thing so I have doubts...
  • VerlaCollins
    VerlaCollins Posts: 8
    If you are just trying to lose weight with no real deadlines and don’t mind if your diet takes a few weeks longer than planned, feel free to be a little less strict. If you find you are not losing weight despite the fact that your caloric intake is low enough that you should be, then you need to start considering doing things like weighing condiments. Only then can you be truly sure it is time to lower calories. I hope this guide helps you guys.
    Yes, of course, all such things are important for our fitness. If you can take all things in a proper way it will definitely work on your body.
  • YanskaNY
    YanskaNY Posts: 103 Member
    This post is amazing. It is going to help me straighten up and fly right! :)
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    sandykg159 wrote: »
    Hi, this is just a quick question in regards to calorie deficits... How do you know how many calories on average your body is using? MFP has set my calories to 1200 and that's only for lightly active when I actually do cardio and weights so it could possibly be higher, around 1500/1600 according to my macros so does this mean as long as I hit 1200 I will be in a deficit? Or that I should eat less than that?
    You don't really know how much calories you burn on a day to day basis. Fortunately, you do not need to. If you keep your calorie intake extremely consistent by sticking to the things posted in the guide you will know if you are in a deficit or not by your results. If over the long run your weight is trending down, you are in a deficit. If it does not trend down, you aren't. It's as simple as that.

    My best advice on how much to eat is to just pick a reasonable number of calories per day. Eat that amount every day for a few weeks. Adjust the number based on whether or not you lost weight and at what rate you lost it.
    kungfuterka wrote: »
    Hello there :)

    I would like to find out if being on 1450 calories/day is okay... It says that I should eat approximately 2000 and my suggested daily calorie deficit is 550 calories. I'm quite new to this whole dieting and nutrition thing so I have doubts...
    See the above response.

  • camkel1982
    camkel1982 Posts: 2
    Wow. This has totally rejigged my brain. I had a zero weight loss this week and was lying to myself why! It's because I've started estimating!! Time to get back in control!!
  • eseeton
    eseeton Posts: 80 Member
    edited March 2015
    I weighed out some tortilla chips for my taco salad for lunch today. The bag said 28g (about 13 chips) is 140 calories. I weighed 28g of chips and only ended up with 9 chips!! OH NO. This was one of the only things I never weighed because they are just so delicious I didn't want to know the truth. I guess I will have to start weighing those too. This south Texas girl loves her chips and salsa. *pouts*
  • tammy_maj
    tammy_maj Posts: 5
    3 years ago I started using this ap and lost 30 pounds by counting calories and walking. Counting calories is hard but well worth it! I lapsed for awhile and am ready to get back at it before summer gets here☺. Any motivation is gladly accepted
  • mel20j
    mel20j Posts: 1 Member
    .
  • cheezels83
    cheezels83 Posts: 62 Member
    I was always put off by weighing things and I couldn't believe that mfp had a scanner for the bar codes. I was sceptical that it would know random swedes foods but omg it does! !!! I am way more motivated to log things now even the good the bad and the ugly. Had some good surprises too by weighing that my bread weight allows for 3 not 2 slices so had been over counting that. Good thread. Thanks!!!
  • BBigler72
    BBigler72 Posts: 5 Member
    Thanks for all that information! I'm going to have to re-read it again, but it was very good! I've been using this app now for about six months and lost 35 pounds. While I am cooking or before eating I note it so I don't go over. I have to remind myself that it's not just the calories, but what I'm eating. I'm working on cutting out the Dr. Pepper, but I love it!

    I find I am eating better and more active now. I don't know you all and you don't know me, but I have learned a lot from this thread. So, thanks and keep posting!
  • sgarnica1
    sgarnica1 Posts: 2
    edited April 2015
    Great topic thanks
  • davidlam
    davidlam Posts: 2 Member
    I am weighing a lot of stuff with grams since I have read this. I have found that some things I actually get more food for my bang.
  • HowlinAl
    HowlinAl Posts: 277 Member
    epawelek wrote: »
    I weighed out some tortilla chips for my taco salad for lunch today. The bag said 28g (about 13 chips) is 140 calories. I weighed 28g of chips and only ended up with 9 chips!! OH NO. This was one of the only things I never weighed because they are just so delicious I didn't want to know the truth. I guess I will have to start weighing those too. This south Texas girl loves her chips and salsa. *pouts*

    Thanks to threads like this one, I've also started noticing things like this. Now that I'm getting better and better at dutifully weighing my foods it's becoming very apparent that serving sizes like these (13 chips, 6 pieces, 2 patties, etc.) are LIES lol! It's also very suspicious in that they always lead to UNDER estimating how many calories we are eating, never the other way. Weigh everything!
  • HowlinAl
    HowlinAl Posts: 277 Member
    Weighing everything seems tedious only at first. The longer I do it, the easier and more accurate I get. It still isn't quite second nature for me, but I'm getting there. And I can definitely see the logic of it, more and more, as I get more accurate and consistent. Thanks vismal!
  • Pink8060
    Pink8060 Posts: 1
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    one more thing...just in case you can edit it...

    choosing correct entries...just because you weight and log if you don't choose the right entries you are doomed...ie 5 chicken wings with 386 calories and 53grams of protien I saw in someone's diary....or the 6oz steak entry with 98grams of protien...ick.

    ETA: great post tho I agree.

  • mhanispeedy
    mhanispeedy Posts: 50 Member
    Hi bro , thanks for info , I want to ask how much carb should I intake , I am loosing weight ,
    I m 5`11 and weigh 230 lbsl
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    mhanispeedy wrote: »
    Hi bro , thanks for info , I want to ask how much carb should I intake , I am loosing weight ,
    I m 5`11 and weigh 230 lbsl
    Please keep discussion on this thread about calorie counting. This seems like a question best suited for it's own thread.

  • mlyilmazozyurek
    mlyilmazozyurek Posts: 3 Member
    Whats eta mean?
  • aComputerHero
    aComputerHero Posts: 20 Member
    Using a digital scale may be more important than even tracking. It makes it so easy to portion a meal. I keep one at home, at work, and at my travel trailer I live in during the week.

    They make very small ones that you could potentially bring with you into a restaurant. Just be careful if you get pulled over as it might give a cop cause to search your vehicle.

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