Please Help!! Calorie Counting Neophite...

last25

I've been working out 6 days/week every week since February and I've seen no results!! Aaahhh!! :mad: And I eat very well, trust me I'm the epitome of healthy eating. So it's been really frustrating, especially since I only have 25 lbs to go!! I've seen people lose more in less time!! :sad: The only thing I could think of is that I wasn't counting calories, God I hated counting calories. I thought it was going to take over my life, but then a friend suggested this website and told me I should start counting. She said I was either over-eating or under-eating. So here I am, and this site makes it SO easy; it's a blessing! I am so desperate for this site to work for me as it has for others (so many inspiring success stories on here). But here's the thing, I've never counted calories before so I have NO IDEA what I am doing. With the site's help I've calculated that in order to lose approx. 1.5 lbs per week my daily net calorie goal is to consume 1,430 calories/day.

Question #1: Is this the amount of calories I should be aiming for without exercise?

Let's say I do exercise and burn maybe 500 calories, which is then added as the extra calories you've earned in your food dairy.

Question #2: I figure 1,430 - 500 burned = 930 calories consumed correct? So do I have to eat the extra 500 calories in addition to the 1,430 (1,930 total) so that I don't under-eat for the day? (since women are supposed to have no less than 1200 calories/day).

Thanks in advance for reading,
Ajay

last25

I've been working out 6 days/week every week since February and I've seen no results!! Aaahhh!! :mad: And I eat very well, trust me I'm the epitome of healthy eating. So it's been really frustrating, especially since I only have 25 lbs to go!! I've seen people lose more in less time!! :sad: The only thing I could think of is that I wasn't counting calories, God I hated counting calories. I thought it was going to take over my life, but then a friend suggested this website and told me I should start counting. She said I was either over-eating or under-eating. So here I am, and this site makes it SO easy; it's a blessing! I am so desperate for this site to work for me as it has for others (so many inspiring success stories on here). But here's the thing, I've never counted calories before so I have NO IDEA what I am doing. With the site's help I've calculated that in order to lose approx. 1.5 lbs per week my daily net calorie goal is to consume 1,430 calories/day.

Question #1: Is this the amount of calories I should be aiming for without exercise?

Let's say I do exercise and burn maybe 500 calories, which is then added as the extra calories you've earned in your food dairy.

Question #2: I figure 1,430 - 500 burned = 930 calories consumed correct? So do I have to eat the extra 500 calories in addition to the 1,430 (1,930 total) so that I don't under-eat for the day? (since women are supposed to have no less than 1200 calories/day).

Thanks in advance for reading,
Ajay

Ezzie

Here's a start....sorry you'll have to copy and paste, I don't know how to make it a link here.( Well, duh...it did it all by its self..sweet! )

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

But this IS a common question...also check the threads specifically for newcomers, some of the stuff that Banks has contributed is awesome in explaining all this stuff.
Ezzie

TheGoblinRoad

eat the 1430 and the 500 both.

by the way, you said you hated counting calories, but you also said you haven't counted before?

I have a recommendation for anyone who hates counting calories, as someone who used to hate it as well: begin to see it as a way of feeling more in control, and you might learn to appreciate it (not necessarily love it)

last25

Here's a start....sorry you'll have to copy and paste, I don't know how to make it a link here.( Well, duh...it did it all by its self..sweet! )

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

But this IS a common question...also check the threads specifically for newcomers, some of the stuff that Banks has contributed is awesome in explaining all this stuff.
Ezzie

Oh shoot, I forgot to do a search for this question before posting. Good point. Thanks for the link and the reminder Ezzie.

last25

eat the 1430 and the 500 both.

by the way, you said you hated counting calories, but you also said you haven't counted before?

I have a recommendation for anyone who hates counting calories, as someone who used to hate it as well: begin to see it as a way of feeling more in control, and you might learn to appreciate it (not necessarily love it)

I know, I know how can you hate something you've never done before right? What I hated about calorie counting (though I'd never done it prior to joining this site) was that I thought it'd take over my life. You know, it seemed so daunting!! Something I'd be stuck doing FOREVER!! Da, da, da, dum... *doom*

I like the way you chose to look at it though. Thanks for the positive outlook, I'll try that