newbie to counting calories

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MsMonny
MsMonny Posts: 183
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

I have read a few posts about organising menus for the following day/week but I am really wondering how do people come up with the illusive amount of calories allowed for the day (mine is 1200).

Do you put in the diary what you will eat for the next day, realise it went over and then deleted a few items? Does it become second nature and you start to know how many calories in specific foods you eat regularily?

Am I making sense? Sometimes I try to over-analyse the situation and need to just loosen up and go with the flow I think.

I know in general cakes, biscuits, lollies etc should be avoided and healthy fresh fruit, veg and protiens in abundance BUT HOW MUCH??

How long did it take to get into the swing of things? One week, two weeks?

cheers
Monika

Replies

  • frostiegurl
    frostiegurl Posts: 708 Member
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    At first it was a hit or miss for me when it came to planning my day's intake. Over time though I just go through sort of a rotation of things that I know will stay within a prescribed number of calories. Honestly, my problem is finding enough food to fill my day up to 1200 so in a pinch, I'll grab some almonds or cashews for a boost.

    For the most part I plan a day in advance, sometimes two days when I'm feeling especially frisky.
  • frostiegurl
    frostiegurl Posts: 708 Member
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    Breakfast
    Calories Carbs Fat Protein Fiber Sodium
    365 Organic - High Fiber Cereal (Corrected), 1/2 cup 110 23 1 3 8 60
    8th Continent - Light Vanilla Soy Milk, 4 fl. oz. 30 3 1 3 0 55
    All Whites - Liquid Egg Whites/ 1 Point, 1/2 cup 60 2 0 12 0 190
    Smart Balance Light - Buttery Spread, 0.33 Tbs. 17 0 2 0 0 28
    Fresh Produce - Peppers, Green, Bell, 1/4 Cup 8 2 0 1 1 0
    Fresh Express - Plain Raw Spinach, 0.5 cups (85g) 3 0 0 0 0 8
    Zucchini - Zucchini, Includes Skin, Raw, 1.5 Ounce 9 2 0 2 0 5
    Monterey Sliced Baby Bellas - Portabella Mushrooms, 1 ounces 7 1 0 1 0 5


    Lunch
    Manchester Farms - Natural Whole Quail (Farm Raised), 3 oz 140 0 6 22 0 0
    Hummus, 1 serving 105 13 4 4 3 4
    Generic - Grape Tomatoes, 6 tomatoes 12 3 0 0 0 0
    Red Bell Pepper Strips - Fresh, 2 oz 14 3 0 1 0 0
    Caldwell Fresh Foods - Carrot Sticks, 4 Carrot Sticks 40 9 0 1 3 50
    Sunnyside Farms - Light Plain Nonfat Yogurt, 0.25 cup 25 5 0 2 0 28

    Dinner
    Blue Horizon - Wild Albacore Tuna Burger(Corrected), 1 burger(3.2oz) 102 1 2 19 0 230
    Generic - Frozen Cauliflower, 1 cup cooked 27 4 0 3 0 0
    Fresh Produce - Sweet Potato-Baked With Skin, 8 oz 196 46 0 4 7 124 I



    Snacks
    Generic - Grapes, Red or Green, Seedless, Raw, 1 cup 62 16 0 1 1 2
    Dairy Queen - Mini Size Hawaiian Blizzard, 97.5 g 150 23 5 4 0 63
    La Tortilla Factory - Low Carb High Fiber Original Whole Wheat Size Small, 1 Tortilla 50 10 2 5 7 210
    Fresh - Half Small Avocado, 1 oz 50 0 4 0 1 0
    Laughing Cow - Light Original Swiss Cheese Wedges, 1 wedge (21g) 35 1 2 2 0 210





    Totals 1,252 167 29 90 31 1,272



    The formatting is a little strange but I have listed at the top what the numbers are tracking.
    This is just a sample of what I eat.
  • colita123
    colita123 Posts: 4
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    Do a 2 wk detox and then you will get the hang of things you decide how much by how much weight you want to loose make it a life change and it will become natural for 2wks do vegetables and some fruit water and natural juice mon fix four veg . and maybe a apple or banana breakfast , lunch same dinner same. no meat and and on the weekend have fish or chicken. The next week do the same thing . After 2 wks. If you decide to do meat during the week do only chicken fish turkey and small amounts and don't eat meat everyday switch up. Make it a life time change
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
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    For me just being "conscious" of it is usually enough. I still go over sometimes, but knowing I'm gonna log everything makes me actually think twice about what I eat, and if I know I'll be eating not-so-good, I'll remind myself to exercise more to help make up for it. I usually log at the end of the day, or right before my last snack/meal for the day, it's just the way my schedule works personally and it helps alot when it comes to making good late-night-snack decisions :smile:
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,131 Member
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    Portions and optimum mixes of food comes with practice. Like anything else, there is a learning curve: you don't just magically enter the food you want and have everything come out perfect.

    Yes, you take some stuff out and add some stuff. After a while you learn how much of everything is in the food you like. I find it's easiest to stick with a few tried and true foods most of the time, that way I know what I'm getting. . .of course allowing for the ocassional meal out or something you have NO idea how many calories are in it.
  • stella77
    stella77 Posts: 282
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    For me just being "conscious" of it is usually enough. I still go over sometimes, but knowing I'm gonna log everything makes me actually think twice about what I eat, and if I know I'll be eating not-so-good, I'll remind myself to exercise more to help make up for it.

    ITA

    I usually log right after I eat during working days (because I am at my desk and it is convenient) and on the weekends I usually log in the evenings.
  • taletreader
    taletreader Posts: 377 Member
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    Lisa, who lost 110 pounds and is a member here, recently had an excellent article (I think) on how to count calories on her blog: http://www.110pounds.com/?p=10357 .
  • slphillips2
    slphillips2 Posts: 2
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    I don't get very obsessive about it, but always seem to come in right about right +/- 50 calories of where I'm supposed to be. I also have a few foods that I interchange regularly. For Breakfast I usually have French Toast, 195 calories or Toast with Laughing Cow cheese, 105 calories, or on occassion I will have cinnamon toast crunch when I'm in a bind and need to hurry out the door 320 calories. That's kind of a treat for me too when I know I can afford the calories. I have a lot of snack options that are all right around 150 calories and that helps keep me in line. Then for lunch I will usually have some salmon and brocolli which averages (depending on which salmon i'm using) around 100-250 in calories. Then for dinner I still have 400 calories left and just watch my portions carefully to make sure I don't go over. My calories limit is 1200 also and it always works for me. I've only been doing this for about two weeks and my weight loss is steady at about 2-2.5 lbs a week. That's what works best for me as I've been starting out, but I'm sure that I will learn much more as I continue. Hope that helps.
  • MsMonny
    MsMonny Posts: 183
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    :happy:
    Thankyou all!

    I am glad that it does come together eventually. I do have some common sense when it comes to food - knowing what is okay and what is treats - so just being MINDFUL of what I am eating and making the menu the night before.

    Through the holidays it will be harder because I am not in my usual routine - tonight I have to stay away from home and have NO IDEA what I am going to eat. Lunches are a big task when we are out and about but I guess I will just chose wisely. Only 4 more wks till school starts and I will be back to normal :wink:

    I am totally enjoying reading all the posts too! Inspiration at its best!
  • MsMonny
    MsMonny Posts: 183
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    Lisa, who lost 110 pounds and is a member here, recently had an excellent article (I think) on how to count calories on her blog: http://www.110pounds.com/?p=10357 .

    will def check this out too! thanks

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