Counting Calories Question

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  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    EVERY. THING.

    And WEIGH it, do not use measuring cups/spoons. Volume is inaccurate.

    Yup, this
  • momsi1969
    momsi1969 Posts: 2
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    I started a couple of weeks ago and yes, I added everything , even 1 tsp of strawberry jam onto my bread and I have learned how easy I can add up to my calories. Now I am being more careful on that side. I am 44 years old and just started working out 60 minutes a day and having 1270 calories. Usually I don't eat too much. My weight gain was caused by taking hydrocortisone to help with my allergies ( worse choice ever) 1270 calories sound good to me personally. I think it all depends on how you feel. You will learn on the way and decide if you need to change the calorie goal or not.
  • megginanderson
    megginanderson Posts: 276 Member
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    I count fruit because of the sugar, but i eat as much veggies as i want to, within reason.
    Did you know that a Tomato is virtually a free food because it takes as many calories to eat a tomato as the amount of calories that are in a tomato:)
  • SouthernCountryGirl
    SouthernCountryGirl Posts: 195 Member
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    I log vitamins also, that's how I found out fish oil had 20 calories and water has sodium. Log everything that passes through your mouth. It'll help you see what you're actually putting in, then you can decide how to adjust your intake.
  • PrincessMissDee
    PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
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    I count fruit because of the sugar, but i eat as much veggies as i want to, within reason.
    Did you know that a Tomato is virtually a free food because it takes as many calories to eat a tomato as the amount of calories that are in a tomato:)

    That's not quite how calories work. People have these stories about everything from celery to boiled eggs to grapefruit. There's no such thing as a "free food", but yes, it's much better to be eating fruit and veg.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    EVERY. THING.

    And WEIGH it, do not use measuring cups/spoons. Volume is inaccurate.

    This.

    Also you may find that 1200 calories isn't enough. Keep in mind that you're meant to NET that amount, so if you exercise you should eat back the calories. MFP will add them to your goal automatically.

    And that may be the reason you didn't lose the first week, or it may not. Sometimes it takes a bit for changes to take effect, so don't sweat it if you don't have a loss every single week.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I count fruit because of the sugar, but i eat as much veggies as i want to, within reason.
    Did you know that a Tomato is virtually a free food because it takes as many calories to eat a tomato as the amount of calories that are in a tomato:)

    The calories that it takes to digest food are already figured into your TDEE.
  • PrincessMissDee
    PrincessMissDee Posts: 183 Member
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    Also, to the original post, yes count EVERYTHING, literally EVERYTHING. If you cook from scratch then log the oil, the spices, the seasoning. Definitely fruit and veg. All drinks, if you have milk in your tea or coffee, make sure you log it WITH MILK.

    EG: A cup of tea is 0 calories. A tea with milk and sweetener is 25 calories. I can have 4 cups a day.

    This is the best way to get a true idea of where your calorie intake is coming from.
  • REDI4CHANGE60
    REDI4CHANGE60 Posts: 170
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    Yes. Everything counts.

    To get an idea of how to plan your meals, you can enter foods into the database and look at their calorie and nutritional value. That way you can shop for the foods that will give you the most bang for your calorie buck.

    I think it's even good to enter foods that have no calorie value like unsweetened tea and water. That way you can learn which items positively impact your weight loss.

    This :happy:
  • Ewunia1
    Ewunia1 Posts: 5 Member
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    LOL
  • nogoldilocs
    nogoldilocs Posts: 87 Member
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    Hi All: I just started 1 week ago. When I signed up it said 1200 calories a day. My question is am I suppose to count calories for things like vegetables, salad, fruit etc?

    Yes, count everything. Even condiments if you can. 2 TBS of mayo and 1 TBS of ketchup is nearly 100 calories. Count the oil you cook with as well: 1 TBS is 100+ calories. Those little things can add up, so at the beginning especially you should count/weigh/measure EVERYTHING.
  • Otterluv
    Otterluv Posts: 9,083 Member
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    Yep. And I second the recommendation for weighing your food. Any way to take out the guesswork is a good thing.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
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    I started a couple of weeks ago and yes, I added everything , even 1 tsp of strawberry jam onto my bread and I have learned how easy I can add up to my calories. Now I am being more careful on that side. I am 44 years old and just started working out 60 minutes a day and having 1270 calories. Usually I don't eat too much. My weight gain was caused by taking hydrocortisone to help with my allergies ( worse choice ever) 1270 calories sound good to me personally. I think it all depends on how you feel. You will learn on the way and decide if you need to change the calorie goal or not.

    With all due respect, hydrocortisone does not make you gain weight. What makes you gain weight is overeating due to the increased feeling of hunger it causes. Medicines cannot cause weight gain from calories that were never eaten.
    I take Prednisone every day and get a weekly Dexamethasone shot and my daily battle is to not give in into the never ending feelings of needing to eat, which I know at my age and activity level is not as high as it would seem.
    Blaming the medication is one of the big reasons why so many of us with thyroid or other auto immune diseases don't lose weight. We can lose, but need to be much more disciplined when it comes to healthy food intake.
  • ladyredeemed4
    ladyredeemed4 Posts: 72 Member
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    Yes, log everything. One of my co-workers eats a lot of fruit thinks she is being healthy, but she failed to realize she consumes about 300 calories at work just from her red grapes, then she has 2 apples. They add up quickly. But if you are faithful in keeping up with your food and exercise log, you will see where you need to make adjustments. : )
  • mrshudson813
    mrshudson813 Posts: 128 Member
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    I agree with the above statements. Log everything that passes through your mouth. Like someone else mentioned, even if it does not contain calories, it will show you where you consume certain foods/drinks and give you an idea of the patterns you have. This is always beneficial when trying to lose weight! Good luck!
  • godsgrl33
    godsgrl33 Posts: 307 Member
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    I have only a few days under my belt of counting calories. It is something I thought I could never do. I am doing okay with it, but can't see doing it for life. Also, do you all do on the days when you are away from your normal routine, such as being on a trip or going camping. I will be camping next weekend.

    I do. Even if you go over in your calories, that's okay. At least you'll know how far you've strayed, and can make a fresh commitment when you get back to it. If you have it on your phone, it shouldn't be that hard. Or, pre-track your day ahead of time. Good luck!!
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
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    I don't have a smartphone, but intend to write down everything I eat while I am camping.
  • harleygroomer
    harleygroomer Posts: 373 Member
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    yes---count everything. just type it in and it will come up or a "version" of it. EVERYTHING.. This site tends to OVER estimate the exercise, so I always leave a negative 100 to 200 calories at night and never eat after 3 or 4 unless it is a special event. You will get there and it will become second nature. Remember this is a lifestyle change NOT a diet.
  • Angie1366
    Angie1366 Posts: 85
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    To anyone who hates reducing calories every day... have a look at the 5:2 intermittent fasting diet! It is great - you set MFP to MAINTAIN WEIGHT, then on two day of the week (any two) you severely restrict to 500 (women) and 600(men). There are many face book groups and books available. The other 5 days you eat your normal maintain calories. You can ignore the sugar thing and fats - it is based on calories.

    Great Health benefits being seen by thousands.

    It is new, really = but there are reports of reduced blood pressure, change in diabetes levels for the better, as well as sleeping better, feeling fitter.

    I lost 27-28 lbs in 16 weeks and am maintaining as am at goal by fasting one day a week now.
  • jordsmith9
    jordsmith9 Posts: 3
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    Yup, everything counts! :smile: :smile:
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