Confused. Please help...

mommanurse33
mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
in Food and Nutrition
... in layman's terms, because I just don't get it. I have seen so many posts and explored so many different calorie counters for weight loss. Some say I need to be eating more, some say less, MFP says 1200cal. I am not seeing results from what MFP says. (When I am consistent, that is.) I know I need to be more active in my weight loss journey, but the thing is, when I am, I don't see the results like I'd like. I get impatient, and frustrated. I know this process takes time, but I need to figure out this whole caloric intake thing out, and make sure I have the correct information. It seems that so much of it varies widely. I got one that said I had to consume close to 3000cal!! :huh:
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Replies

  • powellfam2006
    powellfam2006 Posts: 391 Member
    Rachel I am with you!!!!!!! PCOS makes it hard for me.. but the calories don' tmake sense either.. some say i eat to little, some say i eat to much... ugh.. i don't know what the answer is...some say eat back exercise calories, some say never do that.. maybe you shoudl try a week of eating more, smaller snacks.. and see if that breaks the cycle...
  • jenbcz
    jenbcz Posts: 17 Member
    Hi :smile:
    I was totally confused too, so you aren't alone!
    A few days ago I found a really helpful post, that finally made sense and now I feel like my calorie intake is way more personalized to me. I don't know how to make it link though, it's in "general diet & weight loss help" titled "in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised"
    It walks you through figuring out your body fat %, your BMR, your TDEE and finally how many calories you ought to be aiming for daily to reach your goal at a reasonable pace without starving yourself.
    There are also some really helpful links in the "general diet & weight loss help" right at the top, for "newbies"

    You may have read this all before, but if you haven't I hope it helps!
    Good Luck!! and stick with it!:smile:
  • annwyatt69
    annwyatt69 Posts: 727 Member
    I can also say that at MFP's suggested 1200 calorie diet and daily workouts, I saw NO results at all. I didn't start seeing results until I cut back to 800 calories. I did make sure to get in plenty of protein and essential nutrients when I did this. Right now I am liquids twice a day and 5 oz. of lean meat and 1 cup of non-starchy vegetables at dinner and am losing about 2 pounds PER DAY!!!!
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    I can also say that at MFP's suggested 1200 calorie diet and daily workouts, I saw NO results at all. I didn't start seeing results until I cut back to 800 calories. I did make sure to get in plenty of protein and essential nutrients when I did this. Right now I am liquids twice a day and 5 oz. of lean meat and 1 cup of non-starchy vegetables at dinner and am losing about 2 pounds PER DAY!!!!

    Yikes. Though I appreciate your feedback, the nurse side of me definitely thinks that that is not very healthy for you to do, nor safe. You are going to do a heavy workout one of these days and have the embarassment of falling on your face on a treadmill and breaking your jaw. Happened to a girl who was doing exactly this at the gym I go to. Please be careful.:smile:
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    Hi :smile:
    I was totally confused too, so you aren't alone!
    A few days ago I found a really helpful post, that finally made sense and now I feel like my calorie intake is way more personalized to me. I don't know how to make it link though, it's in "general diet & weight loss help" titled "in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised"
    It walks you through figuring out your body fat %, your BMR, your TDEE and finally how many calories you ought to be aiming for daily to reach your goal at a reasonable pace without starving yourself.
    There are also some really helpful links in the "general diet & weight loss help" right at the top, for "newbies"

    You may have read this all before, but if you haven't I hope it helps!
    Good Luck!! and stick with it!:smile:

    Thanks.
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    KISS method.. Love it. My high school Spanish teacher used that phrase quite often.
    Thanks. :)
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
    do what feel right to you and your body. I log in what I eat and watch how I feel and what my body does. the only true way to lose weight is to use up more cals than you eat.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    This might possibly be the smartest man on this website!!
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    This might possibly be the smartest man on this website!!

    LMAO. I want to give you my wife's MFP name so you can tell that to her. LOL
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    This might possibly be the smartest man on this website!!

    LMAO. I want to give you my wife's MFP name so you can tell that to her. LOL


    Too funny.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,654 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    This might possibly be the smartest man on this website!!

    LMAO. I want to give you my wife's MFP name so you can tell that to her. LOL

    I'd be glad to. Seriously, they should issue this post to every new member that signs up. Then tell them to stay off the forums for the first month!
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    Maybe see if your insurance will cover a few visits to a nutritionist. You can tell them exactly what you do and any health issues, etc and they can help you figure out what it is that you need. Generally, I've had the most luck with as much lean protein (chicken, turkey, fish) as I want, as many healthy vegetables as I want (nothing starchy), a little fruit, a little yogurt and very little whole grains and no processed grains (flour) at all. That's what I do BEST on. Honestly, though, I eat a lot more carbs than I should. But if I get stuck on a plateau, back on the meat/veg/fruit/yogurt diet for a week.
  • AnnMombourquette
    AnnMombourquette Posts: 66
    I K I S S as well. I have my scales, measuring cups and spoons. I plan out, write down and do my best. Some days I`m under, some days I`m just right, and others I`m definitely over. But I keep it simple. I know what I should eat, and aim for that. I prep for the week on the weekend to make things easier. And I plug foods into MFP and if, after I`ve put things in and it`s way over what I would like to put out calorie wise, I eliminate something or move a portion to a snack. If I make it too complicated I won`t do it. If I keep it simple I definitely have a better chance of doing something positive for myself.

    Hope that helps a little.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    You joined in September, unless you had another account you haven't been here long enough to know whether MFP is working or not.
    Also, in order for MFP to work, you need to use it properly. I am willing to bet that you have selected 2lbs a week as a weight loss goal,which is only appropriate if you have more than 50 lbs to lose. The less weight you need to lose, the smaller your daily deficit should be.
    I get the impatience, I've been there, but it takes time.

    Edited to add0
    Disregard, reading fail. I see it is 2011.
  • pg3ibew
    pg3ibew Posts: 1,026 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    This might possibly be the smartest man on this website!!

    LMAO. I want to give you my wife's MFP name so you can tell that to her. LOL

    I'd be glad to. Seriously, they should issue this post to every new member that signs up. Then tell them to stay off the forums for the first month!

    I didn't come into the forums for about 3 months when I joined for that very reason.

    There are alot of people on here that are alot more educated about weight loss than myself. Some not so smart and it is hard sometimes to decifer between them. All with good intentions, some awesome ideas, others with ludicrous ideas.

    But, when you are dealing with weight loss, it does not take major changes to see the scale move. And it does NOT have to all be done at once.
  • DenyseMarieL
    DenyseMarieL Posts: 673 Member
    When I started, MFP had me on 1200 calories a day. I was starving. I went into my personal preferences and changed my weight loss to 'maintain current weight'. That put me up to 1480 a day. Sometimes I have 100 left over. After a week, I was not hungry, and I lost a pound.
    I think it's all basically common sense. Eat less crap and move more. I still have those chocolate urges, but now I have the calorie space to include them once in a while. And stress.....makes us gain weight. Relax. Eat what you like, within reason. Life is too short.
  • pixish
    pixish Posts: 79 Member
    Women who have PCOS will have a difficult time losing weight (I don't know if you suffer from PCOS) but I suppose the information can still be helpful?

    If you have PCOS you can improve your diet and chances of weightloss by switching a few things. You can eat carbs, but try to aim for low GI foods. I try not to eat too much potato for example, and I still eat bread every day but it's usually a wholegrain one. I cut back on sugar (and now enjoy sugarless coffee!) I also make sure that I eat a few times a day. (If you have PCOS or diabetes you need to eat several times a day rather than the 3 square meals) I have breakfast at about 5am with my boyfriend, then a cup of tea or coffee before work at 10. Then I have lunch and a couple of snacks to tide me to dinner time :)

    You could try adjusting your timing of eating? Or the food that you eat? Everyone is different so you have to find out what foods work for you and your body :)

    I also think the 1200 calories is the recommended MINIMUM amount of calories that you should do, as they say you may not get enough nutrients in the day if you go lower than that.
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    2lb a day is ridiculous! unhealthy! and on the way to an eating disorder if you haven't already got one! weight loss should be about a healthy balance between food and exercise. 1 - 2 lb a week is absoluetly the recommended loss. find a healthy eating plan you can stick to for the rest of your life, combone it with healthy exercise and you WILL lose weight healthily! All you are doing is storing up problems for the future. instant gratification does not sustain long term happiness and satisfaction!:love:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    I lost 3 stone doing exactly that! no calorie counting at all! AND i've kept it off for 2 yrs now!:bigsmile:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    Don't get hung up on calorie counting. Low carbs, Low fat, High protein, protein with EVERY meal. Plenty of Veg. Litlle fruit and yogurt, skimmed milk, Plenty of exercise! do it healthily 1 to 2 lb at the MOST a week. I lost 3 stone doing this and have kept it off for 2 yrs. good luck.:flowerforyou:
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member

    A few days ago I found a really helpful post, that finally made sense and now I feel like my calorie intake is way more personalized to me. I don't know how to make it link though, it's in "general diet & weight loss help" titled "in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised"
    It walks you through figuring out your body fat %, your BMR, your TDEE and finally how many calories you ought to be aiming for daily to reach your goal at a reasonable pace without starving yourself.
    There are also some really helpful links in the "general diet & weight loss help" right at the top, for "newbies"
    I second this. I have been doing MFP three weeks and that was the first post I read. I set up my calories based on my BMR and TDEE and have lost 4 lbs in that time.
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    :flowerforyou:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    Don't get hung up on calorie counting. Try Low carbs, Low fat, High protein, protein with EVERY meal. Plenty of Veg. Litlle fruit and yogurt, skimmed milk, Plenty of exercise! do it healthily 1 to 2 lb at the MOST a week. I lost 3 stone doing this and have kept it off for 2 yrs. good luck.:flowerforyou:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    :bigsmile:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    just joind mfp. soz if you've got more than 1 msg. i'm new to tinternet :blushing: :blushing:
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    :ohwell: :embarassed:
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    just joind mfp. soz if you've got more than 1 msg. i'm new to tinternet :blushing: :blushing:


    Welcome!!!
  • jlh1411
    jlh1411 Posts: 17
    2lb a day is ridiculous! unhealthy! and on the way to an eating disorder if you haven't already got one! weight loss should be about a healthy balance between food and exercise. 1 - 2 lb a week is absoluetly the recommended loss. find a healthy eating plan you can stick to for the rest of your life, combone it with healthy exercise and you WILL lose weight healthily! All you are doing is storing up problems for the future. instant gratification does not sustain long term happiness and satisfaction!:love: OOOps This went to wrong box. sorry tried to delete but no success!
  • powellfam2006
    powellfam2006 Posts: 391 Member
    I would like to suggest the K I S S methed.

    Keep It Simple Stupid.

    Buy a scale and measuring cups, if you do not already have them.
    Log you calories religiously and ACCURATELY.
    Do NOT get hung up on Macros, micros, carbs, protiens, fats and other stuff just yet.
    Exercise more.
    And stay off the scale. Weigh yourself once a week.

    After you start losing, then get more creative.

    KISS method.. Love it. My high school Spanish teacher used that phrase quite often.
    Thanks. :)

    Oh that brings back horrifying mempories.... TELEPHONO ick...

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