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