Limiting myself to 1500 calories. Too much sugar though?

Helloitsdan

Diets do not work of that i am sure as i'm sat here now heavier than i have ever been!

Please don't think i am lazy as i am fairly active in my job. I'm an electrician and am constantly up and down step ladders and stairs. Down on my knees and up on my feet all day. I work 6 days a week for 8-10 hours a day. I also walk the dog for half and hour to an hour a day which i have not factored in.

Thinking about my weight gain over the years though has coincided with me not exercising. I used to play badminton and squash most weeks which i have stopped.

If I were in your position, I would get a fitbit. When I got mine in May, I realized that my sedentary really wasn't THAT sedentary many days ( I still have my profile set for sedentary, and I eat back most of my exercise calories). The last few weeks, I haven't even *logged* my workouts because my fitbit syncs with MFP and tells me how active I have been. Now I KNOW if I need to eat more during the day.

I thought I burned 2100-2500.
In actuality I burn 2600-3200 daily.

capriciousmoon

The app set me at 1930 bit I feel that is too high.

I didn't read the rest of the comments, but I'm going to tell you that the calories the app set are not too high. You're better off going with what is recommended because it will ask to decrease your calories for every 10 lbs lost (or every 5kg anyway) so it's best to eat more while you still can. You will still lose weight!

Acg67

To the OP as far as sugar goes, I wouldn't worry about it, unless you have a medical condition that requires you to closely monitor your sugar intake

Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Apr;65(4):908-15.

www.ajcn.org/content/65/4/908.full.pdf

^ subjects ate 43% of total caloric intake in sucrose (table sugar) and lost the same as the group with much lower sugar intake

As for 1500 cals, I don't think it's as bad as everyone is saying, personally i'd recommend a more moderate deficit, it's much easier to lower cals when you stall out vs already eating low cals. The lower cals you go, the less wiggle room you have for food choices and still be able to get in adequate macros and micros

MichelleLee73

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.

I thought MFP set my calories too high also (1830) so I reset them myself to 1500. I was WRONG! I spent almost 30 days floundering around the same weight...at first I dropped a couple lbs then I gained it back out of nowhere and then I spent the rest of the month going down one lb and then up 1 lb... It was so frustrating. I started reading more posts here on MFP on eating more to weigh less and decided to go back to what MFP set me up at... I have since lost 8 lbs since July 1st. Its the truth,...get those calories in there. Healthy calories...avocados, nuts, lean meats. I use plain yogurt to avoid the sugar and sweeten it myself with stevia and strawberries... lots of protein in the yogurt and vitamins in the fruit. You can get those calories up if you really want to...we all know how to eat lots of calories or we wouldn't be here in the first place. You can do it!!

Acg67

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.

I thought MFP set my calories too high also (1830) so I reset them myself to 1500. I was WRONG! I spent almost 30 days floundering around the same weight...at first I dropped a couple lbs then I gained it back out of nowhere and then I spent the rest of the month going down one lb and then up 1 lb... It was so frustrating. I started reading more posts here on MFP on eating more to weigh less and decided to go back to what MFP set me up at... I have since lost 8 lbs since July 1st. Its the truth,...get those calories in there. Healthy calories...avocados, nuts, lean meats. I use plain yogurt to avoid the sugar and sweeten it myself with stevia and strawberries... lots of protein in the yogurt and vitamins in the fruit. You can get those calories up if you really want to...we all know how to eat lots of calories or we wouldn't be here in the first place. You can do it!!

It's called fluctuations in water weight, women esp are susceptible to it. One tip I've heard is to weigh yourself at the same point during your cycle each month to get a better idea vs daily/weekly

Rhodium1976

^ 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.

Thermodynamics does apply to the human body. Physical chemistry of open systems.

Rhodium1976

Diets do not work of that i am sure as i'm sat here now heavier than i have ever been!

Please don't think i am lazy as i am fairly active in my job. I'm an electrician and am constantly up and down step ladders and stairs. Down on my knees and up on my feet all day. I work 6 days a week for 8-10 hours a day. I also walk the dog for half and hour to an hour a day which i have not factored in.

Thinking about my weight gain over the years though has coincided with me not exercising. I used to play badminton and squash most weeks which i have stopped.

I have to agree with the others. There is no need to starve yourself to lose body fat. That is what is important after all is getting rid of the body fat. Too big of a deficit can result in too much muscle loss, fatigue, groginess and that is just in the short term. Keep up huge deficits for a long time and it can possibly cause damage to your body.

Get a good amount of protein and fats. The remainder of your calories can be made up from carbs and it really does not matter what foods they come from as long as you are staying in a calorie deficit. That being said, 2 cups of steamed broccoli will fill you up much better than the same amount of calories from a candy bar.

I agree. People overcomplicate it WAY too much.

goatfishtwo

In my opinion, people are stressing too many opinions and minor details... everyone is different. Recommended weight loss by medical professionals is 1-2 pounds per week, it is possible to lose faster and slower, but everyone makes it too complicated for people new to losing weight.

Truth is keep your calories under what you burn. If you want to lose faster and can do so without effecting how you feel, then lower more or exercise more... Good Luck! The lifestyle being healthy will grant you will more than pay for the effort it takes to get there

Okay, I understand you're well intentioned and you just want to help this guy out and I really respect that but seriously calories are just a number, they don't mean anything. If all of his calories are coming from ice cream, don't you think his body would handle that differently than if it came from vegetables or meat?

The energy in/energy out theory has been disproven on several occasions and its more important to look at what drives fat accumulation and lipolysis than it is to consistently be counting calories.

Why do people such as you always, and I mean always, push things to an idiotic extreme. NO ONE is saying just eat ice cream, but are all, as far as I can see saying a bowl of ice cream is not going to destroy your weight loss as long as your body is in an energy deficit. You are spouting things that really need peer reviewed research papers to back them up, so provide them. I am sure that others you are discounting for not having a degree can do so since I have seen them do it before.

Cuz calories is calories bro.
Duh. I mean since calories are the only thing that matter, right?

I bet you like raspberry ketones too huh.

You've made so many valid points, how could I NOT write you off as a moron?

goatfishtwo

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

I am one of those "people cutting carbs from their diets", and I will tell you why. About 8 years ago I GAINED weight on weight watchers--about 20-30lbs in like 4 months. I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with insulin resistance. My doctor told me to cut my carbs down to 50g net per day. In like 2 months I lost 20lbs AND got pregnant ( after not being on BC for almost 18 months). I had to stop eating low carb while pregnant and nursing ( OB orders). After weaning, I was retested and my insulin levels were fine...

So over the last 4 years or so, I gained 50-60lbs, so in February I started going to the gym and working out 90 minutes 3-4x per week. In 3 months I lost a whole 7lbs. May 7th I started cutting my carbs down to 100g or less per day. From May 7th- July 7th I lost 15 pounds! And I realized I was having trouble hitting my net calories, so I ended up cutting my workout in HALF--I now work out about 45-60 minutes 3-4x a week, but I am STILL losing weight


Just FYI--the average diet has 250-350g of carbs per day--so 100g is like a 60% reduction, not elimination!

AMEN!

Silverkittycat

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

I am one of those "people cutting carbs from their diets", and I will tell you why. About 8 years ago I GAINED weight on weight watchers--about 20-30lbs in like 4 months. I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with insulin resistance. My doctor told me to cut my carbs down to 50g net per day. In like 2 months I lost 20lbs AND got pregnant ( after not being on BC for almost 18 months). I had to stop eating low carb while pregnant and nursing ( OB orders). After weaning, I was retested and my insulin levels were fine...

So over the last 4 years or so, I gained 50-60lbs, so in February I started going to the gym and working out 90 minutes 3-4x per week. In 3 months I lost a whole 7lbs. May 7th I started cutting my carbs down to 100g or less per day. From May 7th- July 7th I lost 15 pounds! And I realized I was having trouble hitting my net calories, so I ended up cutting my workout in HALF--I now work out about 45-60 minutes 3-4x a week, but I am STILL losing weight


Just FYI--the average diet has 250-350g of carbs per day--so 100g is like a 60% reduction, not elimination!

AMEN!

Do you have a medical condition that requires you to keep those carbs low? If not, why don't you help the original poster instead of spouting nonsense?

tidmutt

I think you should eat the amount of calories that is sustainable for you. Don't get too hung up on it. Stay under the recommended amount, eat a balance of macros that makes you feel good, experiment a liitle, track everything. If you eat 1500 calories one day and are full why in the world would you eat more? Perhaps you were more sedentary that day for example. If you spend some time at 1930 calories and find the weight is not decreasing then try adding in more exercise or cutting back the calories slightly. If you eat 1500 calories for a while but finding the urge to binge hard to resist them increase your calories.

I've tried so hard to speed up losing a lot of weight. Lost 60 lb probably should lose another 30, I was so desperate to make it happen fast mostly because I was terrified I would lose momentum and be stuck a fat b@stard the rest of m life. The reality is it just takes a long time. Set your expectations, it can be done, many people on this site are a testiment to that fact but it takes time and sadly the 0.5 - 1 lb a week number so often thrown around often ends up being true when it's all said and done. However, once you've lost the weight you won't care that it took a while.

As for eating sugar, who cares? For overall health you are probably better off eating your calories from more nutritionally dense foods than things high in sugar but you mentioned fruit so I think you're just fine. Also, not much improves your health more than losing weight so I have the somewhat unusual view that we should just do what it takes to lose the weight. Eating a better macro mix is a different challenge in some ways and personally is one I feel can be tackled when you're not trying to lose a chunk of weight. Many people will disagree with that one.

SwissRiviera

I agree with Stephanie. You need to up your calories or your body can go into starvation mode. Some days 1500 is fine, but I wouldn't do it everyday. Consider eating more vegetables and cutting down or spacing out the fruit throughout your day. Great success to you!

Krystalmyth

Who said you needed to be hungry? You just need to not overeat. Not undereat.

tidmutt

Who said you needed to be hungry? You just need to not overeat. Not undereat.

You actually do need to eat less calories than your body needs to maintain it's current weight.