Limiting myself to 1500 calories. Too much sugar though?

Bssh

To increase calories I would add more snacks and eat full-fat. This doesn't necessarily have to mean unhealthy fats but full-fat nonetheless. When I increased my cals from 1200 to 1800/2000 (I'm a 5ft 4 female) I found it difficult at first because my body had become accustomed to eating less. But I persevered with more snacks and switching to full fat (not diet) products and my metabolism must have revved up because now I am hungry for my full 1800/2000 cals a day! Even better, I lost a whopping 18lbs in a month as soon as I increased the cals - so my body loves me right now.

Simone_King

For a while, I was at a 1980 calories. I ate just that and lost weight. Granted I am five foot one inch..(Add one or two inhes with shoes.) I think if the site and than again most people don't go by it.. You should at lest try to have that amount of food.

Edit: Its my opnion about the situation. Doesn't mean you have to.

As you lose weight, the number of calories a day will drop. So after I lost weight (10 pounds) it dropped me to 1880 calories.

My biggest problem that I had to deal with is the fact that, no I may not go to the snack machine and simply snack! Then quitting the deit cokes.

Yet, fruit sugar doesn't seem to bother me. It's when the sugar from high sugar snacks come into play. xx

Matt3400

Eat something that is filling in nature. peanut butter or a bag of popcorn will fill you up. A bag of home style popcorn is around 360 cal. Eat more greens as well.

mercurystar999

I've been on all the diets imaginable. Weight watchers, slimming world, Cambridge so I suppose trying to think of this long term is what I need to do.

I'm not eating after 6 pm also to hopefully get the weight off.

I'm not a big vegetable eater and also trying to find the time to exercise at the moment is hard. I have a fairly active job and work nearly 6 days most Weeks also have two young kids so time is of the essence!

I'm going to add a snack for 4pm.

I want aware that my calories would go down as I lost Weight.

The thing that bothers me is if I say have a two finger kit Kat that my body would use that than the big belly fat I need to remove

Sidesteal

I'm not eating after 6 pm also to hopefully get the weight off.

There's no need to do this unless eating late disturbs your sleep. Total calorie intake drives weight change. The timing of these nutrients, outside of behavioral/personal effects, doesn't matter. You could very literally eat all your calories right before bed and lose weight just the same as if you'd eat it all before 6pm.

The thing that bothers me is if I say have a two finger kit Kat that my body would use that than the big belly fat I need to remove

Your body will use food instead of fat given the opportunity, but this happens whether you eat carrots or kit kats.


I think you need to focus on the long term and not the acute things that (you think) happen. Set up your calorie intake and hit it as good as you can. Hit your macronutrient targets. Train.

Beyond that, I really wouldn't worry about much else, and certainly don't make arbitrary rules to make things harder on yourself.

auroranflash

You could, if you think it would work for you, look at calories weekly.

So, 'if you want to keep one/two nights at the weekend for a curry you could stick with the 1500 on week days and then eat 3000 ish on weekend days.

^ That's what I would do.

Also, I trust these numbers more than MFP's. http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

*And listen to Sidesteal above, he knows what he's talking about. Good luck!

mercurystar999

On reading the forums tonight i am reading about people cutting carbs from their diets? Surely this is exactly what MFP is not about?

1holegrouper

The first question I would ask you kindly as a challenge is to assess your level of commitment to losing the weight and getting healthy. MFP is a great tool to receive motivation. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being mildly interested and 10 being willing to do anything and change your life where are you? You will see all examples on this scale on MFP. It is a great teacher- both in what to do and in what not to do.

Secondly I agree that 1,500 calories is too low and you risk virtually shutting down your metabolism. Especially since you said you are not exercising.

Third, I would look at an overall strategy besides calorie control. You want to maximize the nutritional concentration of the calories you take in. ex; leafy greens always trump processed starches and grains providing you are taking in your prescribed daily calories. Take a look at every meal and ask, "Am I eating the best thing I can possibly eat for this meal?" A diet heavy of starches and grains should be replaced with a diet heavy on vegetables, fruits, good fats and lean animal proteins. Fruits are great, within reason and are best used by your system in the morning. Carbs are great when they are good carbs! Its hard at the beginning but after 2-3 weeks you would ask yourself why you didn't do it earlier!

You can definitely lose weight without doing this just by limiting your calories but you would miss out on the speed of your improvement and also the exponential additional benefits of putting nutrition as paramount over caloric limit. Ironically you would also, in my opinion be less likely to suffer from burnout and/or bounce back. You probably already know people who lost weight by paying no attention to nutrition and lifestyle change and only restricted their calories and they likely didn't look or feel well during or afterwards. Weight loss centers (any brand out there) are full of them.

Finally, I would ask you to think more about how to integrate some planned exercise and movement into your weekly routine. Start small and build from there. This is so important and the benefits go way beyond weight loss. You don't have to go to a gym to workout. Gyms are overrated.

All of this depends of course on your answer to the first question.

goatfishtwo

Carbs are great when they are good carbs!

This is when any and all of your credibility was lost. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate. You can paint it, dress it up, call it a different name, or whatever you please but the end result is still the same thing. It's going to become glucose molecules and insulin will spike. Carbs and insulin make you fat and keep you fat. Plain and simple.

Sidesteal

Carbs are great when they are good carbs!

This is when any and all of your credibility was lost. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate. You can paint it, dress it up, call it a different name, or whatever you please but the end result is still the same thing. It's going to become glucose molecules and insulin will spike. Carbs and insulin make you fat and keep you fat. Plain and simple.

Excess calories make you fat. Protein is insulinogenic too. Carbs do not make you fat or keep you fat in the absence of an energy surplus.

akaOtherWise

Agree with a lot of the information given in this thread...unless it's a good carb bad carb comment.

OP: I started my diet taking in 2875 calories a day and constantly lost 1lbs a week...when ever I would go 2 weeks without losing anything, I'd drop my calories some. Now I'm taking in 2250cals a day and still losing 1lb a week. I don't feel like I'm on a diet at all. I always feel full actually lol. But if the numbers on the scale keep dropping and you can eat more, why not do it? I'd rather be satisfied with my lifestyle than feel starved for a "quick fix" that can do more harm than good.

Jacksy57

Try adding in fruit smoothies, or yoghurt, or have another weetabix at around 9pm.

Do not think about it has dieting too much, think of it more has healthy eating and just chanigng eating habits of a lifetime.

along21291

Trust me if you have your calories that low you will not be able to keep it up and you will most likely give up. Think about it in the long term. Picture yourself where you want to be in six months or a year. In a year, eating a lot more calories than 1500 you could definitely lose 60 lbs. check out fat2fitradio.com and find out how many calories you need to eat. I was shocked when I lost and continued to lose weight at 2100 feeling no discomfort or hunger. It's a great feeling when you realize there's no rush and you feel like you could do it for a very long time without feeling like you're missing out! Good luck!

goatfishtwo

Carbs are great when they are good carbs!

This is when any and all of your credibility was lost. A carbohydrate is a carbohydrate. You can paint it, dress it up, call it a different name, or whatever you please but the end result is still the same thing. It's going to become glucose molecules and insulin will spike. Carbs and insulin make you fat and keep you fat. Plain and simple.

Excess calories make you fat. Protein is insulinogenic too. Carbs do not make you fat or keep you fat in the absence of an energy surplus.

Gluconeogenesis only happens to protein when more protein is consumed than fat. If fat is the most plentiful then fat will be utilized.

Yes, they do. Clearly you do not understand how insulin works.

Sidesteal

^ brb getting fat in an energy deficit because I am a wizard.

Funsoaps

Where should I add extra calories and what?

Almonds, raw. Almond butter with organic celery sticks or carrot sticks.
Boiled eggs try 2 per day.
Protein powder mixed with coconut milk (So delicious brand is good) or dairy if dairy doesn't bother you.
Greek yogurt (if you eat dairy), low sugar or plain type
Larabar (nuts+dates) very good protein bar esp for workouts


You prob should have 2000 cals a day for being a guy and size-wise. Your diet looks good, you can always up the protein and veggies, though.

goatfishtwo

^ brb getting fat in an energy deficit because I am a wizard.

You're an idiot. Thermodynamics don't even apply to the human body because energy expenditure is impossible to measure firstly. Calories are useless, and counting them is useless. Macronutrients are what matter.

Also, I'll take your ignorant, sarcastic reply as an admission of knowing nothing about the mechanisms of insulin or anything about endocrinology at all.

Sidesteal

Your personal attacks do not lend credibility to your misunderstanding of thermodynamics or your rather Taubsian view. But on a more serious note, I'm posting from my phone and I don't have the ability to reply thoroughly, but I can do so later.

mercurystar999

I'm very committed to losing the weight and getting healthy. When i have been thinner i have been happier it is that simple.

What i find hard to grasp is the fact that i'm able to eat pretty much what i was before starting the plan. I ate a full fat yoghurt this evening as i still had 500 calories left for the day (basing that on 1930). I'll be adding some nuts into my day from tomorrow too so i should get my calories up.

My nutrient details today are saying i have 34g of carbs left for the day but i am -7 on dietary fibre and -58 on sugars. I also have 30g of fat left with 9g of sat fat left. The only thing i feel i'm missing is some sweet things yet i'm already over on my sugars. Would say a Ryvita cracker and some cheese be a good snack for evening time?

I had Spaghetti bolognase tonight made from lean minced beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and a low fat bologanse sauce. Pasta was whole wheat.

Looking at the fat2fitradio.com site they recommend 2478 calories a day!

With still 320 calories remaining today i'm struggling to get them in. Admittedly i could of ate a chocolate bar at some point in the day but surely that isn;t the right choice? Bearing in mind i'm not a big vegetable eater and try to steer away from traditional vegtables such as broccoi, cabbage, cauliflower and the like.

I'm making a home made chili chicken balti tomorrow for dinner.

goatfishtwo

If you're trying to make a point, I missed it. Once you have a degree in physics or nutrition, your word is credible. Until then, you're just a guy on the internet spreading broscience to people who don't know any better.

Oh please spare me your wikipedia regurgitation. Thanks.