Is it about Calories or Good/Bad Foods?

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trcydonnelly
trcydonnelly Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 38, 5'7" and started out at 175 pounds and in the past two months I've only lost 6 pounds total. The amount of information is completely overwhelming. You can eat what you want but count calories. Eat Healthy and County Calories. Eat Healthy and Don't Count Calories. Don't worry about pounds lost but inches lost. Worry about pounds and inches lost. Up until today I have been trying and failing to stay at 1200 calories per day and I feel like I'm hungry all of the time. I could use some information, POSITIVE help and encouragement.

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  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    Do you exercise and then eat back exercise calories?
    Do you weigh all your food and log it accurately?
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    You CAN eat whatever you want, just keep it in your calorie goal.

    Weight loss is all about the amount of calories coming in vs. the calories going out. As long as you are in a deficit, you will lose weight.

    That being said, there's important macronutrients that you should pay attention to. Protein is the most important macro. Protein will help you preserve your lean muscle, which helps keep your metabolism higher and also helps you look better. Protein will also help you feel fuller longer, so if hunger is an issue for you, get more protein!

    Carbs and fats are also important to a healthy diet. Watch your sodium intake, as too much could lead to health issues, but on the immediate front, it will make you retain water which could mask your weight loss.

    Other than that, have at it. Cookies, Ice cream, chocolate, whatever. As long as you're hitting your macros, are within your calorie goal, there's nothing wrong with adding in the treats.

    And also, invest in a food scale and weigh your food. Eat back at least half of your exercise calories.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    I am going to assume you are trying to lose 2 lbs a week and that is how you got a 1200 calorie goal? Back that off a little bit, 1lb a week or 1.5 is still awesome success and gives you more room to breath. Will having more calories and being able to stick to your goal work better for you (make you happier and more willing to stick with it)?

    For me the calories/numbers really do match up. You have to remember that some days the scale is just not going to cooperate and look at your trend line. I like to weigh myself pretty much everyday and look to see if over a month I am averaging 4lbs lighter than I was a month ago. Single readings can be misleading sometimes.

    Make sure you are eating filling foods, most people find that they stay fuller when they eat plenty of fat and protein in their diets. Most people seem to feel hungrier sooner after meals that were mostly carbs.

    You bring up alot of loaded questions in this post so it is hard to get much more helpful. Try finding some friends on here who have had some success and see if they can help guide you on a daily basis. I think that would be the most helpful to you at this point.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I'm 38, 5'7" and started out at 175 pounds and in the past two months I've only lost 6 pounds total. The amount of information is completely overwhelming. You can eat what you want but count calories. Eat Healthy and County Calories. Eat Healthy and Don't Count Calories. Don't worry about pounds lost but inches lost. Worry about pounds and inches lost. Up until today I have been trying and failing to stay at 1200 calories per day and I feel like I'm hungry all of the time. I could use some information, POSITIVE help and encouragement.

    It's about calories first.....and healthy foods second.

    You could lose weight by eating an all Twinkie diet..........but you would be hungry all the time (no fiber, no protein).....you would lose muscle mass (not nearly enough protein)....you would be constipated (no fiber) .....and you would be missing a ton of vital nutrients.

    My goal is this........to eat better......not perfectly. Make changes that you can live with for a lifetime.

    My lifetime changes: I make a point to get protien with my breakfast. I get more fiber (I track this and not sodium for example). I eat more vegetables.....I eat more "whole" foods.......do I still eat chocolate? ......yes.......do I still eat ice cream? .....yes.....just not as often as I used to.

    Perhaps 1200 is too low for you......up your calories to something that is more sustainable......or add exercise AND eat those calories too (MFP is designed that way). I added exercise.....another lifestyle change for me......if I'm going to maintain a weight loss....I need to make some permanent changes.
  • danielletwopointO
    danielletwopointO Posts: 2 Member
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    Calories for sure are the biggest factor. But you should make sure you are eating healthy foods as well - plus with the healthy foods you will likely be more full.
    For example, I cut out a lot of carbs - because there is a LOT of calories in carbs and the way the body breaks them down you will get hungry again sooner. Definitely keep an eye on your calories, but allow yourself a snack once in awhile, if you go over a day here and there it won't undo the fantastic job you have done so far. Better yet, don't go over, just go for a bike ride or a walk for 30-60 mins so that your net calories are 1200. Drink lots of water while working out and if you ever need support there is an amazing community of people on MFP that are here to support you. Keep up the good work - you are on your way - and it will get easier!!! :)
  • trcydonnelly
    trcydonnelly Posts: 23
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    I weigh my food, if I am not able to weigh it then I log the highest calorie amount I can for that food (I'd rather be safe than sorry) and I also tend to forget to add my nightly workout which is only 10 minutes of cardio. Thank you for the information, I am going to start looking online for better eating ideas and better foods. I'm hitting a road block it seems and I'm frustrated and I don't want to give up, I want to see this through and feel and look good.
  • sarahdaniels600
    sarahdaniels600 Posts: 12
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    The eating what I want but counting calories thing has always worked for me. The only issue with this is is that many junk foods will not fill you up. On days where I have chosen to eat 100g of chocolate I have to be prepared to spend most of the day hungry but I have still lost. Just make sure you take a multivitamin if like me you don't want to eat vegetables or fruit every day. Make sure you get one with antioxidants. Bassetts soft and chewy have these in. Don't get me wrong I do not dislike these foods but often I want to use my calories to have a small pizza instead or some chocolate spread on toast. If something is boring I won't stick to it.

    I find those mini everyday value pizzas from Tesco fill me up for hours (423 calories and only about 60p a pizza) if I boil some red lentils with onions and a vegetable oxo and throw them over the top. It sounds strange but it actually tastes OK. You can do the same with baked beans but I dislike those so I use lentils. with the lentils and onions the pizza is about 500-600 calories depending on how many lentils you have.

    Poached egg on nimble or weight watcher's toast also fills me up for ages. With no butter this is 304 calories.

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