Holy Crap--I ate that? Revelation

Phanntom

For the last couple days I've been trying to rationalize my eating and caloric intake. I've never really been on any kind of diet or fitness program in the past. I'm trying to be as accurate and honest with this MFP, exercise and diet logging as I can. IF I have to guess on something I guess to the most damaging side.

A year and a half ago I had a heart attack and as a result, quit a life-long, pack a day smoking habit. This is/was a HUGE step in my effort to reclaim my health. About a month ago I began adding in a little exercise and then gravitated into the food logging.

While reading an article someone else referred the group to about working up to doing your first pull-up, I recalled my freshman year in college. During the Phys-Ed class the instructor on the first day lined us all up and told us, if we could pass his test...we wouldn't have to attend class the rest of the term and he'd give us the A. I was near the end of the line for taking it...I'd been watching guys struggling with the chin-ups and pull-up section.

At that time though I'd never been into exercise and body building etc., I was very active with swimming, baseball, basketball, and anyone would've said I was too thin....but that thin, was nothing but muscle so anything that required upper body strength I was good to go...and this included those pull-ups and chin-ups, push up's etc. I ended up breezing through the rope climb, push-ups, and managed 100 pull-ups and 50 chin-ups, amazing the instructor. I wasn't particularly amazed because I had very strong arms, but no weight to lift. Anyway....my bane was sit-ups. The test required 100...while everyone else breezed through them...50 was the max I could do...EVER....so I had to take the class. That year was probably the year I was in the best shape of my life...6 or 8 years after that I'd put on a few pounds and probably felt the best I'd ever felt, so regardless of what various height/weight tables may suggest....I set my target weight back to the 175#, where I felt the best.

I've always been reasonably active, but my eating habits were atrocious....having never counted calories I didn't really know what I was eating, but did assume it was a fair number. I always guessed it was probably somewhere between 3500 and 5000/day. When I input my data and the MFP designed my caloric plan....it has me set at 2,500/day.

I've been having a hard time with this for the last couple days....not keeping it down to that, but keeping it up. If you look at my food diary you'll see only a single meal of fast food....the rest I've prepared and I'm snacking at the end of the day, not because I'm hungry, though "I" can eat ANYTIME, but because I'm trying to keep my calories up. So this morning I decided I'd fill in a day in the diary of a typical "Food-Day", just to see how they compared. WOW, is about all I can say.

My Stat Totals from Yesterday
CALS CARBS FAT PROT Cholesterol SUGAR
Actual 1,780 152 78 84 256 52
Goal 2,912 365 97 146 300 109
Rem 1,132 213 19 62 44 57


WHAT USED TO BE A TYPICAL DAY
Actual 3,873 463 173 122 765 182
Goal 2,500 313 83 125 300 94
Rem (1,373) (150) (90) 3 (465) (88)

The goal numbers for calories are different because the NEW Me, accounts for my exercise calorie benefits.
This is the BASIC meal times....I also at plenty of junk food snacks, sodas etc. So, while it ONLY shows 3,900 calories consumed here....it would've easily broached the 5,000 mark.

Most amazing to me is how I didn't end up one of the 750 pound people you see on tv...instead, I'm a comparatively svelte 240 starting out.

Some of my other numbers are...
Body Fat % = 41.51
BMI = 34.43

I've been quite religious about my cardio exercise. I've also worked more vegetables and fruits into my diet in the last few weeks then I've had in the last 6 months combined....so I am making progress toward a complete lifestyle change. While they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, I have to admit, I'm actually kind of embracing this effort. I just feel that after quitting smoking, to not address the rest would be a travesty.

Given I'm carrying around and extra 70 pounds....that's the same as giving some teenager a piggy-back ride all day as far as my joints and more importantly my heart are concerned...so....I want to get rid of this kid. Until I do...he shall become known as Zeke....so, my goal is to get rid of Zeke.

Praying_Mantis

For the last couple days I've been trying to rationalize my eating and caloric intake. I've never really been on any kind of diet or fitness program in the past. I'm trying to be as accurate and honest with this MFP, exercise and diet logging as I can. IF I have to guess on something I guess to the most damaging side.

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I've always been reasonably active, but my eating habits were atrocious....having never counted calories I didn't really know what I was eating, but did assume it was a fair number. I always guessed it was probably somewhere between 3500 and 5000/day. When I input my data and the MFP designed my caloric plan....it has me set at 2,500/day.

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.
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Most amazing to me is how I didn't end up one of the 750 pound people you see on tv...instead, I'm a comparatively svelte 240 starting out.

.
.
.
.

Given I'm carrying around and extra 70 pounds....that's the same as giving some teenager a piggy-back ride all day as far as my joints and more importantly my heart are concerned...so....I want to get rid of this kid. Until I do...he shall become known as Zeke....so, my goal is to get rid of Zeke.

Congratulations on kicking the smoking habit. My FIL smoked even after he had had a stroke. The day he retired was his last day smoking. When he woke up the next day and didn't have to go to work, he never again reached for a cigarette. Not once after retiring. You have done a fine service to your health, sir. :drinker:

Like you, I spent a lifetime not paying attention to what I ate. Like you, I should have been hundreds of pounds. Like you, I am trying to be more mindful of what I consume. Mostly I've taken an eat-this-not-that approach. I'm keen to increase my protein and lower fats, but so far not making much progress.

Best of luck with Zeke! Sounds like you have enough determination and awareness to get rid of him for good.