i didnt realize how many calories i was eating

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PEBBLESFIRST
PEBBLESFIRST Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
I am shocked at the amount of calories i was eating. i have a sweet tooth. i try to control it. its harder in the summer...ice cream...nummy nums
i am down to 1 tim horton coffee a day. usually burning up to 500 calories per day (5-6 days a week)
my sugars are ALWAYS over.
i guess i just have to say no sometimes. eating out of boredom is harder than it appears

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  • JoolieW68
    JoolieW68 Posts: 1,879 Member
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    It really is an eye opener when you write it all down, isn't it?

    For the coffee, can you get it with skim milk? That may help a bit on the sugars, and you will still get the protein from it.
  • Paulingtons
    Paulingtons Posts: 1
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    Hey there Pebbles.

    This is a major part of diet & lifestyle today, "secret eating".

    In studies, I think it's something like a 40% underestimation of calories consumed, sure your salad is only 400 calories and "healthy" but the olive oil you put on is 150 calories, the dressing is 100 calories and the croutons on top are 150 calories leading to huge overeating.

    Once people look at what they eat gram for gram day after day, they realise, as you have, how many calories you stack on above what you actually need, it's a huge problem that needs fixing.

    MyFitnessPal is okay for counting calories, but for weight loss I'd say it's inferior to the "IIFYM" attitude. "IIFYM" stands for "If It Fits Your Macros". The whole premise of this form of eating is that you calculate your today daily energy expenditure, factor in your weekly exercising and reduce the amount by ~250-500 calories a day. Once you have done this you pick a percentage of each macro, a popular fat loss ratio is 40/40/20, which is 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat. For example, because I am currently bulking I am eating ~2750 calories a day which is 160g protein, 260g carbs and 100g fat roughly a day, you can eat ANYTHING YOU WISH as long as you stick to those macros and don't go over them or your calorie limit. This means you can eat your ice cream, you can eat anything you want, as long as you stick to the macro and calorie count.

    I have a sweet tooth too, and to alleviate this I keep a tub of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer and every day I have one tablespoon of it when I fancy it, it's around 40 calories but it alleviates the craving and keeps me happy as I can look forward to it, there's nothing wrong with doing this. Make sure on one day a week you eat 500 calories over your weight-loss calorie goal to keep your metabolism from slowing down due to reduced calorie intake otherwise your weight loss will stall, same with re-calculating your total daily energy expenditure after every six pounds or so lost.

    I wish you all the best with your lifestyle change.

    Cheers!
  • elymmurr
    elymmurr Posts: 8
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    I remember when I started writing down calories...OMG! I am short and don't need nearly the amount I was consuming. I also have a sweet tooth that seems impossible to tame. During stressful times, I eat, eat, eat! We all need support when we are craving! I find that the key is not cutting out all sweets but moderating intake.
    Good luck!

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