Can I eat anything to reach my daily 1000 cals?

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2

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  • zealey77
    zealey77 Posts: 104
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    Apologies jWhited71 - I'm a bit cranky myself today, didn't mean to sound rude. I think what I've misunderstood about calorie counting is that I never really ate that much anyway, I drank far too much red wine usually (two bottles too many times a week), now I've cut out the booze except on Saturday's as a treat, I'm not actually finding it that hard to eat reasonably, as I always did. So I'm halving what was probably too little in the first place - if that makes sense? It was all the alcohol that was making me pile on the pounds.

    I've started jogging again now too, so hopefully the 3 stones IS achievable. Fingers crossed ;)

    I'm looking at all the links sent now. Thanks for everyone's advice.
    Mike
  • Rak0ribz
    Rak0ribz Posts: 177 Member
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    Ah ok, I'm starting to get it now. Thanks. Surely though the less calories you eat, the faster your body burns up its fat stores though to lose weight? If I'm meant to eat 2000 cals a day to stay the same weight, then surely only cutting out 200 as some people suggest to a daily 1800 means I WILL lose weight, but very, very slowly? Am I being thick?
    thanks.
    M

    So, you're begging the question, here. My guess is that you're probably eating more than 2000 calories a day, since it's pretty easy to do if you're not careful. 500 calories per day of deficit equates to 1 pound per week of weight loss, if I recall correctly. (Just checked - the standard wisdom is that 3500 calories = 1 pound of body fat).

    If I were you, I'd start out by logging how much I was eating now, just to get an idea of my caloric intake. Then, I'd eliminate the low-hanging fruit. Like sugared soft drinks and bacon shakes - I mean, actually eating low-hanging fruit is probably fine. You'll probably find yourself making healthier choices just due to having to log them.

    MyFitnessPal does a pretty good job recommending a calorie intake for you, at least if you're of about average height and male. I gather the recommendations for smallish women can be somewhat on the low side - very rarely, someone will get a 1200 calorie/day recommended allotment and will ask advice on sticking to it. Even more occasionally, people on the forums will offer advice in those cases along the lines of what you've been seeing here.

    When I started out, I figured I'd be sticking with it for a while, so I didn't worry too much about losing weight quickly. It's probably not a bad idea to start slowly if you want to succeed in the long term.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    Ah ok, I'm starting to get it now. Thanks. Surely though the less calories you eat, the faster your body burns up its fat stores though to lose weight? If I'm meant to eat 2000 cals a day to stay the same weight, then surely only cutting out 200 as some people suggest to a daily 1800 means I WILL lose weight, but very, very slowly? Am I being thick?
    thanks.
    M
    Every person needs a different amount of calories as their BMR (what you need to eat just to stay alive), based on height and weight and muscle mass. 2000 is a very generalized number. You need to calculate your own BMR and then your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) based on your normal activity level and any exercise you add in. Then eat around 200-300 fewer calories per day to start and see how that goes after a month.
    And yes, weight loss is a long, slow journey. When you cut calories significantly your body breaks down lean muscle mass as well as fat storage and that is not healthy.
  • idontcarroll
    idontcarroll Posts: 216 Member
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    towheadedtroll.jpg
  • silvergurl518
    silvergurl518 Posts: 4,123 Member
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    towheadedtroll.jpg

    truth.
  • arghbowl
    arghbowl Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Do a cleanse, brah. You'll poop out all your weight and don't have to worry about cals. Then you can eat kale & cauliflower to maintain forever.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
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    The posted link was the sexy pants thread I mentioned.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
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    Yes, my only goal is quick weight-loss in the short term. I was told that to lose weight quick I needed to at least halve my daily calorie intake. (I read that normal man needs 2000 cals a day to maintain weight).

    I want to lose 3 stone by end of March, then plan to maintain through more exercise and more sustainable long term calorie intake.

    Is this bad information then?

    Thanks.

    Yes it's bad information.

    Calories to maintain, gain and lose weight are based in each person. You can't go by an average - where are you against average? You can only guess, which won't be accurate. The sexy pants thread will show you how to figure out the calories to gain/lose/maintain weight specific to you.

    Losing weight in the short term is very bad for you and you wouldn't be able to drop that much really quickly anyway. Not without surgery.

    You can't guess at how many calories you need then arbitrarily cut that in half. Losing 42 pounds in a couple of months by starving yourself is a terribly bad and dangerous idea.
  • psych0kitty
    psych0kitty Posts: 313
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    Ah ok, I'm starting to get it now. Thanks. Surely though the less calories you eat, the faster your body burns up its fat stores though to lose weight? If I'm meant to eat 2000 cals a day to stay the same weight, then surely only cutting out 200 as some people suggest to a daily 1800 means I WILL lose weight, but very, very slowly? Am I being thick?
    thanks.
    M

    The problem with the statement "Surely though the less calories you eat, the faster your body burns up its fat stores though to lose weight?" is that your body can only burn like 1-2 lb of fat each week. The rest would be muscle and that is not likely what you want.
  • KourtneyLee
    KourtneyLee Posts: 45 Member
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    First of all, any "short-term" weight loss isn't going to be as healthy as a steady, longer-term weight loss. Your calorie is far under what any male should have, in fact, a woman needs to eat at least 1200 calories per day to be sure her body doesn't enter starvation mode, so I'm sure a male needs to eat at LEAST 1500-1600 for the same. You don't want to drastically cut your calories they way you think you should - your body will think you're starving it, and therefore hold onto any calories and fat that it can because it doesn't know when the next time you're actually going to eat the amount of calories you should to keep your body functioning properly. You will experience fatigue and low energy levels and if you're not taking a multivitamin, a loss of nutrients. So first thing's first - up your calorie intake, and opt for a healthier and longer term diet that you're more likely to stick to anyways.

    I do believe you're making a good decision by cutting way back on the booze - alcohol and other high sugar, high calorie drinks are just empty calories - they won't satisfy you and you'll end up gaining weight even if you're not eating nearly as much as you should. If you are planning to save your drinking for Saturdays, a good tip is to drink a full glass of water for every drink that you have. Limit yourself.

    Low-calorie food options include leafy greens, most vegetables, fruits such as apples, berries, melon, etc and lean proteins like fish and chicken. Higher calorie foods include bananas, olive oil, nut butters, dairy, red meat, avocado, etc - you do NEED some of these high calorie foods because some of these foods contain healthy fats which yes, your body NEEDS. Also have some grains such as brown rice and quinoa on the side.

    Please make realistic, healthy choices for yourself - this short-term weight loss goal of 1000 calories is not only extremely unhealthy but very difficult to stick to.
  • zealey77
    zealey77 Posts: 104
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    OK, thanks. I've upped my daily calories to 1800. I've got one final question if anyone's still reading ;) Rice - good or bad? It bulks out my veg and lean meat to fill me up, but I'm reading lots of stuff saying it's too carb heavy for weightloss. Also, the food thingy on this site says 1.0 CUP of boiled rice (cooked). How much raw uncooked rice will make a cup? I don't want to waste food as I'm on a real tight budget anyway, and don't like throwing stuff away.

    I've just bought some digital scales but they weigh in OUNCES not Grams, and this site only deals with grams? I've googled a 'cup' and it says a cup = 8.5 ounces. Also, the *Generic White Rice Boiled says 200g = 703 cals, but all the other branded white rice boiled options say about 130cals per 100g. Which is right?

    Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I'm only on day 6 at the moment. Once I've got it all clear, I'll stop clogging up threads.

    M
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    No foods are bad :imo. Just stay within your calorie goals.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    @jWhited71 Do you actually have an answer to my question though, or do you just post negative comments?

    She's not being negative. She's being helpful and concerned about your well being. Why would you, an adult male, realistically need 1000? The recommended MINIMUM for an adult male is 1500 and even that is ridiculously low.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Yes, my only goal is quick weight-loss in the short term. I was told that to lose weight quick I needed to at least halve my daily calorie intake. (I read that normal man needs 2000 cals a day to maintain weight).

    I want to lose 3 stone by end of March, then plan to maintain through more exercise and more sustainable long term calorie intake.

    Is this bad information then?

    Thanks.

    "I read that normal man needs 2000 cals a day to maintain weight" ......YES this is bad information.

    TDEE is total daily energy expenditure (IE: manitenance) .....find yours & cut from there. 50% is really, really, agressive weight loss. Agressive weight loss will have you losing fat+muscle.....not what I would choose....I want to have a lower body fat% when I'm done.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    OK, thanks. I've upped my daily calories to 1800. I've got one final question if anyone's still reading ;) Rice - good or bad? It bulks out my veg and lean meat to fill me up, but I'm reading lots of stuff saying it's too carb heavy for weightloss. Also, the food thingy on this site says 1.0 CUP of boiled rice (cooked). How much raw uncooked rice will make a cup? I don't want to waste food as I'm on a real tight budget anyway, and don't like throwing stuff away.

    I've just bought some digital scales but they weigh in OUNCES not Grams, and this site only deals with grams? I've googled a 'cup' and it says a cup = 8.5 ounces. Also, the *Generic White Rice Boiled says 200g = 703 cals, but all the other branded white rice boiled options say about 130cals per 100g. Which is right?

    Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I'm only on day 6 at the moment. Once I've got it all clear, I'll stop clogging up threads.

    M

    You can eat the rice, just adjust other foods to remain within your calorie goals. You will lose weight.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    OK, thanks. I've upped my daily calories to 1800. I've got one final question if anyone's still reading ;) Rice - good or bad? It bulks out my veg and lean meat to fill me up, but I'm reading lots of stuff saying it's too carb heavy for weightloss. Also, the food thingy on this site says 1.0 CUP of boiled rice (cooked). How much raw uncooked rice will make a cup? I don't want to waste food as I'm on a real tight budget anyway, and don't like throwing stuff away.

    I've just bought some digital scales but they weigh in OUNCES not Grams, and this site only deals with grams? I've googled a 'cup' and it says a cup = 8.5 ounces. Also, the *Generic White Rice Boiled says 200g = 703 cals, but all the other branded white rice boiled options say about 130cals per 100g. Which is right?

    Sorry to be asking so many questions, but I'm only on day 6 at the moment. Once I've got it all clear, I'll stop clogging up threads.

    M
    Rice is fine, carbs aren't bad; just aim for you calorie goal.

    A cup of lead weighs more than a cup of feathers. Look at a package of whatever, and it will usually give you a volume measure and a measure in grams. For example, my peanut butter serving is 2 tbsp or 32g. Since your scale doesn't do grams, do gram to ounce conversion. 32g is 1.12 ounce. It will be less accurate just because ounces are larger units of measure. And read your scale manual, mine you can switch between unit types; most can measure in grams.
  • ChristineOlivarri
    ChristineOlivarri Posts: 62 Member
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    First off 1,000 calories is not enough, you need to calculate the amount of calories you should be eating for your size, goal etc. Secondly OF COURSE it matters what type of foods you are eating. Would you rather eat a candy bar which has no nutritional value or a large salad which has a much large nutritional value and that keeps you full longer?? I would suggest you read up on weight loss before you start because you don't have a clue and it could be dangerous what you are currently doing.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
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    towheadedtroll.jpg

    Yep.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
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    First off 1,000 calories is not enough, you need to calculate the amount of calories you should be eating for your size, goal etc. Secondly OF COURSE it matters what type of foods you are eating. Would you rather eat a candy bar which has no nutritional value or a large salad which has a much large nutritional value and that keeps you full longer?? I would suggest you read up on weight loss before you start because you don't have a clue and it could be dangerous what you are currently doing.

    And what is your recommendation here? As long as OP eats at a calorie defiicit, he can have both the salad and the candy bar. And many candy bars have nuts and dark chocolate in them, both of which have great nutrittional value. He already said he plans to increase his calories (per our previous advice) so don't knock him now for asking about food types. Telling him he doesn't have a clue when you obviously don't understand everything about nutrition and weight loss is also pretty ironic. Pot and kettle here?
  • baptiste565
    baptiste565 Posts: 590 Member
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    [/quote]

    is that your body can only burn like 1-2 lb of fat each week.
    [/quote]
    Really?

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