Calories... Are They Kidding?!!!

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  • Victory2xs
    Victory2xs Posts: 16
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    This only my second day, but I think that being accountable for my food intake and exercise level (or lack thereof) will be a great assistance. So good to hear you have been losing weight through this program. Congratulations! :smile:
  • starbluedreamer
    starbluedreamer Posts: 1
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    hello everyone,
    Iam interested in finding some online support for my currant dietary/exercise effort. I am going to try to confine my intake to the calories reccommended by this site. Portions have been my everlasting downfall...and apple fritters ....and crackers nd salami and cheese...and....well, you can clearly see wherein my gluttony lies. When it comes to exercise...sloth bars my path; however Iam going to see if I can sidestep sloth and do some kind of exercising every single day. my arthritis also limits what Iam able to do.

    starbluedreamer
  • Melampus
    Melampus Posts: 95 Member
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    Like you I had see the info about the rought proportions of carbs, protein and fat I should be eating etc. but the only advice I had seen on portion size was that it would vary from one person to another depending on age, sex, activity level etc. but this site provides the missing info.
    I'm curious if you all out there were as shocked as I was about how many calories you were consuming?

    For me the surprise was how many calories are in cereals or foods made from cereals such as bread, cakes, tortillas etc. With the knowledge I have gained from logging what I eat on this site I can make some changes to reduce the number of calories I eat while still eating meals that feel like meals rather than snacks.

    One example is breakfast cereal. There are lots of calories in not much cereal so if you eat a big bowl of it, it is too much. I now weight the cereal and then fill up the extra space in the bowl with fruit. For sandwiches I have fewer rounds of bread with more filling etc.
  • butterflymarks
    butterflymarks Posts: 97 Member
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    My kids are going to be taught to be SO healthy to avoid the self sabotage and lack of education about nutrition.


    Be careful about that though. Eating disorders can sprout from parents being obsessed with healthy eating and calorie counting. But you should teach them how healthy eating can be yummy!
  • glenbabe
    glenbabe Posts: 303 Member
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    After being in this eating healthier watching my weight stuff for a whopping 3 weeks I can tell you a couple of things. I've tried this a number if times yet this time I feel I have the right mindset. No fads, no crazy goals, just a simple plan. Eat less, exercise more, lose weight. Like I said, simple...

    The most surprising thing I have learned so far is that I had no idea how much I should be eating. The wacky diets that are all over that claim " ignore the calorie count, just take thus pill..." are nuts. If I refuse to to understand how much I Really Neec, I'll never manage my weight.

    So, I have religiously post my calories and followed the guidelines and in less than a month I know I was eating
    WAY TOO MUCH. it ain't easy kids. but logging these are teaching me to eat smarter. "wow, it's that many? Guess I'll eat 1/2 the serving..."

    Three weeks and 8 pounds later, i feel it might be working. Course walking the dogs twice a day helps...

    The "sigh" part, I know I'll need to watch this the rest of my life to keep the weight off... I think I'm ok with that.

    I'm curious if you all out there were as shocked as I was about how many calories you were consuming?http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/new/626132-calories-are-they-kidding?quote=9043161#

    Thx,
    Scott


    I am of the same mindset ...realising this is for life is part of the game ....I certainly do not regret joining MFP or the lifetime committment thats needed to maintain my present weight :drinker: :happy:
  • fsmalley
    fsmalley Posts: 62 Member
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    The number of calories I was eating per day was staggering. I entered a pre-MFP day one time, just to see how much I was taking in, and almost flipped; 7,500 calories. Now I am still eating, just not the garbage I ate before.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    No, I knew I was a rooting hog at the table.
    What surprised me was how well I could still eat and lose weight. It's been great!
  • xHelloQuincyx
    xHelloQuincyx Posts: 884 Member
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    i could easily consume 4000 calories a day if i wasnt watching.
  • coopersmom2006
    coopersmom2006 Posts: 839
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    BIG time shocked! We ate healthier than in the past when I first started tracking my food (started on dailyburn.com over a year ago then came to MFP for the community support system in March of this year). When I think about our lives about 5 years ago and the way we ate on a daily basis it was no real shock that I found myself overweight and very unhappy! We easily consumed 4000 calories when we'd go out to eat dinner at Outback or Chili's! We went out to eat at least 2 times per week!
  • bpetlock
    bpetlock Posts: 109
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    My biggest shock was that the pop I was consuming was taking up most of my calorie intake. I am a huge Pepsi addict! So I have cut back and feel better since doing so. So it was a shock to see how much I was consuming! If you need support you can add me as a friend. I know it helps to have as many people to share your experience with. It feel like you're going through it together!
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
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    My weight has crept up over the last 20 years; I lost some weight once - took 18 months to lose 10 kgs, eating too little, exercising twice a day; when I relaxed the weight came back with interest. I thought I knew a fair bit about nutrition / values. Then I got to my THAT IS IT moment (just after Christmas) and started using MFP.

    I was stunned to see the calorie value of some of the "Healthy" choices I thought I was making. At first I was way over in practically everything, but soon made better choices, and the weight just dropped off. It has slowed down at the moment due to a knee knjury which is getting better; a new job where there is always something amazing for morning tea (need to develop my will power) and visiting restaurants with family visitor. But they are just excuses, I know now, thanks to MFP, just what I am putting into my body and it has been a great experience - I can see me happily doing this for the rest of my life, and am aiming to get to a healthy and maintainable weight.

    Processed foods are not something we should eat every day - eating fresh / home prepared / etc is a much better option.

    Good luck to you all, especially those just starting - be honest with yourself and your diary; this is not a race / competition against others - it is for YOU, and what works best for you. Focus and dedication, some exercise, lots of education about what and how much to eat, and you will succeed.

    PS get a set of digital scales (mine cost me $15AUS - best investment ever)
  • feistyhorsegal
    feistyhorsegal Posts: 109 Member
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    I was consuming about 3500 calories a day!! So going back to 1500 per day to lose weight was hard!! Now I'm on 2100 to maintain and that is pretty easy.
  • kornmaiden
    kornmaiden Posts: 109
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    Yes I was surprised - after being on weight watchers with their free fruits and veggies and then logging on here, I realized I was eating 300-350 calories of "free" food. Well folks it ain't free to your body and now I know why I was not losing like I wanted to. After one week on MFP I lost a pound and a half. May not seem huge but it's great for me at this stage in my weight loss. 70# gone!
  • libraryldy
    libraryldy Posts: 4 Member
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    My fitness Pal has those Welch's fruit snacks tallied wrong. I love those for my evening snack, but one 2.5 package is NOT one serving - it's 1.5 serving. So instead of the calorie count being 130 calories, the count is 195 calories. Now, 65 calories may not seem like a lot, but those are calories that people aren't counting. In one week that adds up to 455 calories! Do you know if Fitness Pal makes corrections like this?
  • EchoOfYourPast
    EchoOfYourPast Posts: 459 Member
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    Oh, yeah, i was consuming triple the calories i am allowed to eat.....so happy to be eating better now!
  • gpstrucker
    gpstrucker Posts: 930 Member
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    Yep, logging the food has been a real ejumacashun.

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