Calorie intake prior to MFP?

shorthand73

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what their daily calorie intake was prior to tracking it here on MFP? I've only been seriously tracking for a few days, and am amazed as I think about the number of calories in the all of the things that I had been eating on a regular basis. I'm guessing that simply by cutting out second helpings and all of the snacking I was accustomed to, I've cut my calorie intake in half - at least! (Yes... I ate a LOT of junk!) Does that seem like it could be accurate?

Miss♥Ivi

I'm almost positive I was having 2200 calories a day EASY before I started tracking. Maybe even more! I'm latin and one plate of latin food at my neighborhood Colombian place is going to run 1800 calories or more easy lol...Now imagine that and dinner! I'm a fat *kitten* (sigh) lol

tequila09

Meee tooo!! I use to only eat fast food for lunch and dinner!! My cals would be as high as 2000+

tequila09

I'm almost positive I was having 2200 calories a day EASY before I started tracking. Maybe even more! I'm latin and one plate of latin food at my neighborhood Colombian place is going to run 1800 calories or more easy lol...Now imagine that and dinner! I'm a fat *kitten* (sigh) lol

Same!! I just wish my fat would go to my *kitten* its okay size but all my fat is in my belly ugh Haha

jmorrisof2

I would say yes. I never tracked my food before so it was an eye opener. An example, my company brought in some snacks for lunch. It was this mini bundt cake from Corner Bakery. I didn't think about how many calories was in it. It had to be a little - right? WRONG! That sucker was almost 500 calories. I used to eat out 3 meals a day and didn't think anything of it. Now I read labels and can easily see why I gained. McDonalds is almost 1500 calories just for a meal. So it is pretty easy to double your calorie intake.

SarahMorganP

2000-3000 a day. Blah.

fatboypup

ive often thought about how many calories aday I used to eat when i was at my heaviest and paid NO attention calories ..... prolly 5,000-7,000 aday if i had to guess

jenlarz

Lots. Some days I wouldn't even like to wager a guess. I went to a pizza buffet and ate fairly carefully, it was still a good 700 calories. I bet before I was eating 2000 or so just going to a buffet!

tequila09

Not gonna lie I do miss being a piglett so I give myself one day a week where I can eat whatever I want for one meal but I can't over do it. It's making this whole lifestyle change more bearable.

Akijade

A LOT!

I would eat Burger King or some other fast food several times a week, always getting at least the medium size, with a Dr. Pepper or a Coke or something. Now I still eat fast food a bit, but not nearly as often, or in as large of quantities as I used to.

FreshStart89

at least 4000. i ate 73/27 ground beef, white bread, lots of french fries, cooked with vegetable oil all the time, used regular butter, and drowned everything in ranch!

mixedfeelings

I would have been swinging between 700 and 1800 calories a day. I would eat very little in the week, more in the weekend. A mixture of underestimating calories in certain things along with a lot of overestimating too.

hpynh2o

Probably!

Most folks, me once included, have no idea how many calories are being consumed on a day to day basis ... until you take the time to think about them, log and review them. And, hopefully, learn from the process.

Off topic a bit ... I've come to realize that I can't be an "auto pilot" eater. If I do that, I just get fat. I'm done the yo-yo. If I have to log my food forever, then so be it.

sixisCHANGEDjk

I thought the same thing. There's really not telling how many I was consuming. Refills on large Dr. Peppers and such. Could have easily been 2500 - 3000.

amybrauch

I don't know for a fact, but I bet I was consuming over 1000 calories per meal, easily. I have always eaten way too much.

Carri1

600 I didn't know until MFP! When I went up to 1200...the first week 7lbs were gone!! I still have to make sure I eat enough.
Unbelievable!!

amyrobynne

I counted up the calories for a day just before I had started tracking and it was 2900. I'd say most days I probably had 2500-3000 and I didn't exercise. Now I usually have 1500-2000 including an average of 350 exercise calories. I gained 10 lbs while breastfeeding in 2011 and I determined that meant I consumed about an extra 100 calories a day. Breastfeeding helps, but not enough to cover 3000 cal w/o exercise.

Aerohead21

I was easily eating 3-4k calories a day. I never cooked so it was fast food every meal and every meal was fried and fattening. Then, if I wanted, I'd throw a dessert and a sugared up coffee.

It wasn't hardfor me to stop (this time) but I worry that I may backslide ifI am not too careful. I am only at 5 weeks of this, so I would say I am still on the learning curve.

TheAnie

I think the closest I've ever come to trying to find out how many calories I was consuming was to do the math on my 5 days a week Chipotle meal. I was floored. I kept telling myself "But Chipotle is so healthy!" And it CAN be. If you do it right. But I'd have a bol with rice, black beans, chicken, mild salsa, corn, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, and chips to scoop it up with! Not to mention my Mr. Pibb. The chips alone are 500+. I ate that every day, plus breakfast and dinner and often a snack. Not to mention all the soda I drank constantly. It was scary just finding out the calorie count on that one meal and I couldn't bring myself to do any more of the math.

I do still have a bol on occasion, but I am MUCH smarter about it now.

m0dizzle

Well over 3,000. I drank A LOT of beer.

kbrenna1

I'm type-1 diabetic, so I tend to know exactly what I'm eating and what's in it-I tried to keep my calories under 1500, but I didn't exercise consistently. Now I've joined a gym and that's what is getting my engine started again! I haven't weighed in yet since starting MFP, but my pants are baggy already

gazerofthestars

My eating habits were all over the place before I joined MFP. Let's see:
- I regularly ate pasta/noodles/ramen (easily 300+ cal per serving. And I always loaded up on the pasta)
- If it's fried, sweet or packed in a box, it's going in! (that includes pizzas, burgers... well you get the idea. Let's say: 500 cals)
- If it's a soda (brand doesn't matter- for the most part) it's not going to be spared (150 cals)
- Creamy salad dressings : YES! (where do I even begin with the cals. Let's be conservative and say 300 clas)
- A rice dish used to be a must 5 days out of 7! (300 - 400 cals/serving)

add it up and equals my BMR = 1800 cals! Yikess... No wonder I put on a couple pounds nearly every month.

lorierin22

I didn't keep up with it, but i'm betting i drank at least 500 calories a day just in soda and coffee (i like cream and sugar!) I would guess i probably came in around 3000 calories a day (at least!), but that is just a rough estimate.

milkandtea

At least 2,500 per day. It was shocking to see what portions really looked like in reality vs what I was estimating.

Slimtara

Tracking has done wonders for my portion control. I was also regularly going 300 cals over every day; and at weekend - do not even think about logging the wine and cheese and snacks!

Total eye opener to stick to 1200 - I was fooled into the thinking that I could have 2000 calories coz the packet said so! (not when you are sedentary & only 5ft! MFP is the only way I have ever lost weight!

Good luck everyone! Friend me if you want to!

Tara xxx

mamamc03

My typical day went like this....

6:45 Wake up. Fix 2 mini sausage biscuit for breakfast & a diet coke.
7:15 Get in the car and drive my daughter to school while eating said biscuits.
7:25 Leaving the parking lot on the way to work, realize I am STILL really hungry because those biscuits were so darn tiny. There's a McD's up the road, I'll stop there.
7:35 I'd like a Sausage Egg & Cheese McGriddle Meal with a diet coke please.
mmmmm, that was tasty!
8:00 Get to work, no more diet coke. booo!! Walk to the coke machine and get another...do I have enough change for snack later?
8:10 Back to my desk. Oh look, the receptionist has candy on her desk...I'll just take one hershey kiss...ok, 2.
11:45 Lunch time meeting with a client. Drive through Wendy's because OFCOURSE I don't have time to eat my packed lunch that is sitting 200 feet awat in the fridge.
Can I get a single burger meal and large size that...(wait, their large drinks are HUGE) make that medium please? And a diet coke.
12:15Work meeting @ Starbucks...Can I get a tall latte please, and a scone (I haven't had dessert yet have I?)
3:00 Back at work ...coworker asks if I want anything from the vending machine....sure, I'll walk with you. Well, since I am here, I'll just get a bag of sour cream and cheddar ruffles. And a diet coke.
5:00 End of the day....time to go home. Call's hubby "I am sooo tired and hungry! What's for dinner?.....I just dont have the energy to cook. What's in the freezer? Pizza? We'll just make two so we can take the leftovers to work tomorrow."
5:30Get almost home & remember there is a Little Ceaser's up the road...I'll surprise them and pick up a pizza and breadsticks.
It's American Idol night!! Yay Pizza!!
6:15 Dessert? Ok, there is some ice cream in the freezer.
10:00...I should go to bed, but I am so hungry. Can I have a couple of sausage biscuits? Thanks.
10:15...mmm those were good, can I have two more? And a diet coke.
10:45....time for bed....can you pass the tums?


Calculated the cals, fat & sodium....Results...
Calories 5529 Fat 262 Sodium 7748
OH MY FREAKING GREAT GOOGILY MOOGILY!! No wonder I am the size of a house!! SW 361, CW 302.4

Graciecny

LOTS. I mean *LOTS*.

I am pretty sure there were days when I drank more calories in SODA than I eat in a day now. Sad, but true.

chaoticxinsane

Dr Pepper, monster, coffee (the crappy gas station cappuccino variety), and pasta/bread were going to be my undoing. I had to be up over 2500 at least on some days. Dinner is usually rice or pasta, and I ate a TON of it because hey, it was healthier than the pizza and mcdonalds I was eating when I lived at home! *snort* And if we didn't bother with dinner, then it was a sandwich on a bagel piled high with lunchmeat and a slice of cheese or two WITH cream cheese.

Ugh. XD

hollyeverhart

oh god I don't want to know. When I was a teenager I ate A LOT! Probably 2,000-2,500 calories a day. I don't know how I didn't end up overweight. I drank non-diet soda, ate tons of white bread (till my mom realized wheat was way more tasty) ate frozen junk crappy food, candy, whatever! I never thought about calories then. Now I eat 1200-1600, depending on exercise calories.

MB_Positif

I pretty much (through a miracle) started sticking to my calorie goals the day I joined MFP, but one day for fun I entered a day of what I used to eat and didn't even include the snacks I would have eaten and it was over 3,000! Yikes!

bigwill5

10,000 calorie day at least two or three times a week. Lots of Pizza, Double Cheeseburgers, Ice Cream and Pepsi