One last question to clarify calorie intake...

justjenny
justjenny Posts: 529 Member
edited January 1 in Health and Weight Loss
When I was on the Jenny Craig program years ago, they gave you three meals approximately 300 calories each, and 3 snacks about 100 calories each. That's approx, 1200 calories a day. You ate veggies, protiens, pasta...even chocloate. I was working out to Jillian Michaels DVD's at the time, and I lost 12 lbs on the diet, until it became too expensive to keep up. I tried the same diet with Smart Ones, and have no luck. Apparently, now I am eating too little calories. Why is it that 4 years later I am meant to eat more calories, when 1200 worked so easily a few years back?

Replies

  • angielovesherfamily
    angielovesherfamily Posts: 44
    *bump
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    what are your stats? open your diary as well!
  • Danielle817
    Danielle817 Posts: 62 Member
    bump
  • nturner612
    nturner612 Posts: 710 Member
    age, kids, exercise, stress, all these things could explain why now its so difficult :( few years ago i could lower my calorie intake work out for a few weeks and be ok. now, things have changed. for one ive had kids, so not only is my body diff but so is my schedule.
  • ohheyy125
    ohheyy125 Posts: 295 Member
    I try to stay away from the frozen food meals. I know they are cheap and convenient but they really aren't that good for you...
    Why don't you try the same method but cook your own meals? I know I'm super busy and I don't get out of work until 9 then i workout until 10 then shower, but I still try to cook meals for tomorrows lunch. Things like WG pasta with tomato sauce, maybe add veggies. Or A piece of grilled chicken with brown rice and veggies...?

    Also, I've been eating 100-200 calorie meals all throughout the day instead of bigger meals+snacks.. I'll break up my lunch into 2s or 3s, and I think its really helping my metabolism.

    But different things work for different people.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    The calorie intake is designed to get you to lose the amount of weight you state you want to lose per week... I usually consume between 1200 and 1400 calories per day and have dropped 80 pounds in about as many days... My goal consumption is now around 2100 but I eat far less and workout far more... The goals and guidelines are only that a way for you to track what you are doing and promote better practices for weight-loss each person goes about that differently and the difference between this and a "PLAN" is that you figure out what you want to do versus what works for you and over time you change your habits to eat better and achieve the goals that you have for yourself and your plan therefore is truly your own and you won't have to do the weight loss on someone else's terms... Go as fast or as slow as you like, but remember you are in this for a permanent change and what you decide to do has to fit with what you want to do...
  • kellicci
    kellicci Posts: 409 Member
    Obviosuly those diets do work for lots of people. If they work for you then go for it but what hapens when it gets too expensive....you quit and gain it back. Isn't it better to be hear learning how to keep this up on your own forever?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    When I was on the Jenny Craig program years ago, they gave you three meals approximately 300 calories each, and 3 snacks about 100 calories each. That's approx, 1200 calories a day. You ate veggies, protiens, pasta...even chocloate. I was working out to Jillian Michaels DVD's at the time, and I lost 12 lbs on the diet, until it became too expensive to keep up. I tried the same diet with Smart Ones, and have no luck. Apparently, now I am eating too little calories. Why is it that 4 years later I am meant to eat more calories, when 1200 worked so easily a few years back?

    Worked before because it was the first time your metabolism experienced it. Now it yo-yo'd and won't work as easily.

    Really though, most people lose 5-7 lbs merely starting a diet, mostly water weight, so what you really got out of it was 5-7 lbs of lost weight, fat, muscle, who knows.

    Now you are seeing the advice to eat more, because while extreme deficits to previous eating level can work, there are many that will share the end result with you.

    Weight loss amounts slow down to nothing, and stall for many months. Even if eating less and exercising more, loss for a bit more time, than nothing again. Because metabolism slowed and eating at daily maintenance, no deficit to calories actually in place.

    So advice to eat more than that extreme is to save muscle, keep metabolism high, and make this a life change, not a weight loss. That you get do to again and again and again.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
    When I was on the Jenny Craig program years ago, they gave you three meals approximately 300 calories each, and 3 snacks about 100 calories each. That's approx, 1200 calories a day. You ate veggies, protiens, pasta...even chocloate. I was working out to Jillian Michaels DVD's at the time, and I lost 12 lbs on the diet, until it became too expensive to keep up. I tried the same diet with Smart Ones, and have no luck. Apparently, now I am eating too little calories. Why is it that 4 years later I am meant to eat more calories, when 1200 worked so easily a few years back?

    Worked before because it was the first time your metabolism experienced it. Now it yo-yo'd and won't work as easily.

    Really though, most people lose 5-7 lbs merely starting a diet, mostly water weight, so what you really got out of it was 5-7 lbs of lost weight, fat, muscle, who knows.

    Now you are seeing the advice to eat more, because while extreme deficits to previous eating level can work, there are many that will share the end result with you.

    Weight loss amounts slow down to nothing, and stall for many months. Even if eating less and exercising more, loss for a bit more time, than nothing again. Because metabolism slowed and eating at daily maintenance, no deficit to calories actually in place.

    So advice to eat more than that extreme is to save muscle, keep metabolism high, and make this a life change, not a weight loss. That you get do to again and again and again.


    Wow. I guess I will start eating more. Amazing to think that doing the opposite of what I have done all those years will work, but I will give it a try. Even when I tried Weight Watchers I was at about 1200 calories. You are right though. I lose a few pounds, but then just maintain. I was beginning to think I will never get past my current weight. Thank you all for the inpiration and advice! I will start adding more tonight, and hopefully see some changes in the coming weeks!
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    When I was on the Jenny Craig program years ago, they gave you three meals approximately 300 calories each, and 3 snacks about 100 calories each. That's approx, 1200 calories a day. You ate veggies, protiens, pasta...even chocloate. I was working out to Jillian Michaels DVD's at the time, and I lost 12 lbs on the diet, until it became too expensive to keep up. I tried the same diet with Smart Ones, and have no luck. Apparently, now I am eating too little calories. Why is it that 4 years later I am meant to eat more calories, when 1200 worked so easily a few years back?
    You were likely eating too little then as well. Programs like Jenny Craig and WW and all the other expensive garbage really have no concern for their client's lean mass. Meaning, they WILL all lose weight, but will likely look marshmallow-like when they are done. And they can't keep the weight off because they have no lean mass.

    In Place of a Road Map - start with that thread. You can thank helloitsdan later.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
    When I was on the Jenny Craig program years ago, they gave you three meals approximately 300 calories each, and 3 snacks about 100 calories each. That's approx, 1200 calories a day. You ate veggies, protiens, pasta...even chocloate. I was working out to Jillian Michaels DVD's at the time, and I lost 12 lbs on the diet, until it became too expensive to keep up. I tried the same diet with Smart Ones, and have no luck. Apparently, now I am eating too little calories. Why is it that 4 years later I am meant to eat more calories, when 1200 worked so easily a few years back?
    You were likely eating too little then as well. Programs like Jenny Craig and WW and all the other expensive garbage really have no concern for their client's lean mass. Meaning, they WILL all lose weight, but will likely look marshmallow-like when they are done. And they can't keep the weight off because they have no lean mass.

    In Place of a Road Map - start with that thread. You can thank helloitsdan later.


    I just searched In Place of a Road Map....looks to be a 50 page thread...it is based on a book?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I just searched In Place of a Road Map....looks to be a 50 page thread...it is based on a book?

    Well, that is the thread, probably couldn't find the group.

    Here is spreadsheet to help, and it's in a topic in the group. So you can see the sticky topics on what you are trying to accomplish. Spreadsheet is just easier and saves your stats.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
    I just searched In Place of a Road Map....looks to be a 50 page thread...it is based on a book?

    Well, that is the thread, probably couldn't find the group.

    Here is spreadsheet to help, and it's in a topic in the group. So you can see the sticky topics on what you are trying to accomplish. Spreadsheet is just easier and saves your stats.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm


    Sorry, still not seeing a spreadsheet. Am I missing something?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Well, that is the thread, probably couldn't find the group.

    Here is spreadsheet to help, and it's in a topic in the group. So you can see the sticky topics on what you are trying to accomplish. Spreadsheet is just easier and saves your stats.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm


    Sorry, still not seeing a spreadsheet. Am I missing something?

    Well, gotta read the topic, link is in there. May need some background on the terms and ideas unless you've dealt with BMR/TDEE before.
  • justjenny
    justjenny Posts: 529 Member
    Well, that is the thread, probably couldn't find the group.

    Here is spreadsheet to help, and it's in a topic in the group. So you can see the sticky topics on what you are trying to accomplish. Spreadsheet is just easier and saves your stats.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/717858-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-and-deficit-calcs-macros-hrm




    Sorry, still not seeing a spreadsheet. Am I missing something?

    Well, gotta read the topic, link is in there. May need some background on the terms and ideas unless you've dealt with BMR/TDEE before.


    I read through and see the link...but when I click on it it says internet can not display. I don't have a gmail account. Is there any other way to get a copy?
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12?hl=in+place+of+a+road+ma

    Here's the link. Just read the first post, no need for 50+ pages
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I read through and see the link...but when I click on it it says internet can not display. I don't have a gmail account. Is there any other way to get a copy?

    Phone browser may not work.
    Mac browsers do, which I suppose would include iPad's.
    Work internet may block site.

    Don't need gmail account though, web page should come up, and only option would be to view it, and Download as Excel spreadsheet. Web browser may be doing some automatic blocking for safety, but should give option to view anyway.
    If your browser is showing as a link (which I thought MFP disabled for inbedded links), confirm the link contains the whole address, since a space may cause line separation.
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