Calorie suggestions. Help loosing weight.

ZombiBrains
ZombiBrains Posts: 4
in Getting Started
Long story short I used to way 130 and felt fat now I'm at 160. I've been trying to loose weight these last 3 months but not success as I kept falling off plan. My problem is fitnesspal suggested I eat 1,500 calories. But I eat fewer my problem is I dont eat enough calories so I dont see how I gained all this weight besides the fact that when I do eat it is a lot of fast food. Changing my ways and starting to eat healthy now and exercising on treadmill for 30 mins 5days a week. Anyone have any suggestions on how many calories I should eat? Should I go for an hour on a tread mill? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Threads to read:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy?hl=twiggy

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • saracith
    saracith Posts: 4 Member
    Hey! I have been struggling with the myth of calorie counting for years and finally believe that there is more to dieting than calories in and calories out. I think a balanced diet is way more important than counting calories. I have been trying to balance carbs, fats and proteins and not worry about the amount of calories I take in. Tracking my food intake has shown that I tend to weigh heavily on the fats and could probably get to eat a ton more if I could just balance my calories between the three. Try balancing out your carbs, fats and proteins at 33/33/33 or 35/35/30 and see what happens. I'm amazed at the fact that I still have carbs and proteins left everyday with a 1200cal/day intake! I'm slowly increasing the veggies to up the carbs and fiber and the protein to make myself feel full. I've become accustomed to feeling inflated with all of the sauces and oils I love but I'm gaining weight, because I consume way too many fats! Look at the composition of your diet and kick aside the myth that calories actually matter. Quality of our diet matters and that requires balance.
  • HCG73
    HCG73 Posts: 23 Member
    Could you share your height and current weight, and if you're comfortable, maybe make your food diary public?

    How have you set your exercise? Lightly active etc?

    If you could give us an idea of your average daily routine in terms of job, exercise etc. we may be able to assess whether 1500 seems ok. I've found that MFP is usually quite good for calculating calorie needs.

    Best of luck.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Long story short I used to way 130 and felt fat now I'm at 160. I've been trying to loose weight these last 3 months but not success as I kept falling off plan. My problem is fitnesspal suggested I eat 1,500 calories. But I eat fewer my problem is I dont eat enough calories so I dont see how I gained all this weight besides the fact that when I do eat it is a lot of fast food. Changing my ways and starting to eat healthy now and exercising on treadmill for 30 mins 5days a week. Anyone have any suggestions on how many calories I should eat? Should I go for an hour on a tread mill? Any tips are greatly appreciated.

    I doubt you were logging your fast food correctly for one problem.

    Other is your goal may have been 1500, but if you kept falling off wagon your actual eating level was really how high on average?

    So be honest with yourself or you'll never succeed, just a fact.

    Follow MFP as suggested.
    Select the correct work activity level - really a sedentary 45 hr weekly desk job/commute, and outside of exercise a bump on the log no kids and no long shopping, ect?
    Or actually kids and Lightly Active?
    Be honest to succeed.

    With only 30 lbs, select 1 lb weekly weight loss goal - you didn't gain it fast, you shouldn't try to lose it fast. Unless you enjoy dieting so much you just want to keep repeating it again and again, easier to gain and harder to lose each time.

    Log your exercise correctly. Doing 30 min at speed of 3.5 mph the WHOLE time, or actually 3mph average the whole time?
    And then correctly eat those logged calories back to maintain the 1 lb weekly loss.
    Database is more accurate than a HRM for treadmill speeds - if you actually do that speed level for time stated.

    Meet your daily eating goal then. Don't think you know better by attempting bigger deficit is better - it's not.

    Eventually 30 min of walking will max out on speed, and as you weigh less and less, you are burning less and less, getting to eat less and less.
    That may or may not matter to you, except as you weigh less you'll get to eat less anyway.
    So you may start increasing the time, merely to eat at a level you can actually adhere to and stop binging.
  • deansdad101
    deansdad101 Posts: 644 Member
    Long story short I used to way 130 and felt fat now I'm at 160. I've been trying to loose weight these last 3 months but not success as I kept falling off plan. My problem is fitnesspal suggested I eat 1,500 calories. But I eat fewer my problem is I dont eat enough calories so I dont see how I gained all this weight besides the fact that when I do eat it is a lot of fast food. Changing my ways and starting to eat healthy now and exercising on treadmill for 30 mins 5days a week. Anyone have any suggestions on how many calories I should eat? Should I go for an hour on a tread mill? Any tips are greatly appreciated.
    ZB;

    A couple of things you've said in your post jump out as issues I would suggest (since you asked) you address.

    First the "fast food" thing is low hanging fruit and what many would say is "just stop going there, it's going to kill you".

    FF *can* be a problem - but it need not be, and for many it's not as simple as "just stop going."
    Like most things diet and nutrition related, it's all about choices - make the "right" ones and it's fine, wrong ones will be a problem.

    Take a look at this video where the author ate ONLY fast food for 30 days (making good choices) and not only continued to lose weight, but also significantly raised his health metrics (much to his Doc's surprise).
    http://tinyurl.com/m3oljzv

    Of course, no one is suggesting that a total FF diet is advisable and most will be able to understand the context in which it is presented.

    As Sara's post above (which has a number of good, valid points) states, placing 100% of your focus on absolute cal intake numbers (and even the minutes of exercise), might not be the best use of your time and efforts.

    The nutrient composition of fats, carbs, and proteins (macros) really does matter, and many would argue it "matters" even more than trying to nail down the exact cal numbers (although accurate tracking DOES matter if one is to interpret what the "numbers" actually mean in your specific case).

    I don't necessarily agree (in fact I disagree) with the specific percentages of each that Sara suggests, but at the same time will say that whatever "numbers" one finds to "work" for themselves are the ones that matter most. They can be (and WILL be) different for everyone and what "works" for Sara, for me, or for anyone else may or may not for you.

    Rather than relying on whatever anyone (myself included) "suggests" you do, the only way it's likely to "work" for you is if you spend the time necessary to learn and understand WHY any given program works (or doesn't work) and which is most likely to work for you - NOT just for short term weight loss, but much more importantly for long term maintenance.

    Much of what you are likely to receive as "suggestions" will be "dogma" and "ideology" NOT based on science, but rather on what "I heard on the internets" or that which is the current "common wisdom" based on not much more than "my second cousin's best friend lost 789 pounds in two days lifting weights and eating my shakes" - that all of that FWIW and do your own research.
  • ZombiBrains
    ZombiBrains Posts: 4
    Hi everyone I've received lots of useful information from you all as well as confusing information. But I can see how everyones opinions count as far as calories suggestions, fastfood, and exercise.

    I'm 100% in this I promise myself no more fast food unless its moderate or not a billion calories lol. Somone on here suggested I'd be truthfull and not lie about my calorie intake or my workouts. I really try to put my food as accurate as possible. As far as my workouts I never lie with that either if i snt work outbIndont I dont make up numbers. But for the person who asked my speed and food intake I'll make my information public so maybe you guys can throw other auggestions at me? I start on treadmill at 2.5mph and then go up a speed every 5 minutes so by the time I'm done I'm going 3mph.
  • ZombiBrains
    ZombiBrains Posts: 4
    Forgot to mentione I'm 5'1 and weight 160 and I made my diary public.

    When I irat got the app I put activity to the least one I forgot which it was but I sure didnt put that I was active choose the desk job option.
    As far as how active well I'm doing 30 minute treadmill 5 days a week. I have an office job but after work I have my own photography business so when I'm out shooting I'm costantly walking back and forth. Hope that helps .
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Hi everyone I've received lots of useful information from you all as well as confusing information. But I can see how everyones opinions count as far as calories suggestions, fastfood, and exercise.

    I'm 100% in this I promise myself no more fast food unless its moderate or not a billion calories lol. Somone on here suggested I'd be truthfull and not lie about my calorie intake or my workouts. I really try to put my food as accurate as possible. As far as my workouts I never lie with that either if i snt work outbIndont I dont make up numbers. But for the person who asked my speed and food intake I'll make my information public so maybe you guys can throw other auggestions at me? I start on treadmill at 2.5mph and then go up a speed every 5 minutes so by the time I'm done I'm going 3mph.

    A treadmill can be great for cardio. I would do a short warm-up then increase speed right away. Unless you are really short....you should try to work up to at least 4 mph. I'm 5'5" and can do 4+ mph walking. It will take some time.

    Intervals.....faster, slower will help you build endurance and speed. The speed helps burn more calories.

    http://walking.about.com/od/treadmillworkouts/a/treadmill-walking-workouts.htm
  • Rhaynestorm
    Rhaynestorm Posts: 62 Member
    Hey! I have been struggling with the myth of calorie counting for years and finally believe that there is more to dieting than calories in and calories out. I think a balanced diet is way more important than counting calories. I have been trying to balance carbs, fats and proteins and not worry about the amount of calories I take in. Tracking my food intake has shown that I tend to weigh heavily on the fats and could probably get to eat a ton more if I could just balance my calories between the three. Try balancing out your carbs, fats and proteins at 33/33/33 or 35/35/30 and see what happens. I'm amazed at the fact that I still have carbs and proteins left everyday with a 1200cal/day intake! I'm slowly increasing the veggies to up the carbs and fiber and the protein to make myself feel full. I've become accustomed to feeling inflated with all of the sauces and oils I love but I'm gaining weight, because I consume way too many fats! Look at the composition of your diet and kick aside the myth that calories actually matter. Quality of our diet matters and that requires balance.

    :huh: :noway:
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Threads to read:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1161603-so-you-want-a-nice-stomach

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/987513-lifting-is-the-most-horrible-thing-to-a-woman-since-twiggy?hl=twiggy

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

    Read through these links and use them to set your calorie goal. You want to make sure you have enough calories in your day to get all the nutrients your body needs, including things like enough fat, protein, iron, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals.

    Going back through your diary for 1 month I see 4 days with food logged. You logged on July 9th, logged breakfast only on July 10th, and then logged lunch on Aug 4th and only 685 calories on August 5th. It's really easy to underestimate how much you're eating if you're not logging your food. Start with the links above and get into the habit of logging before you start manually dropping your calories below what's generally considered to be a safe level.
  • jlchandl17
    jlchandl17 Posts: 27
    lose*
  • ZombiBrains
    ZombiBrains Posts: 4
    i kept falling off the wagon on logging my foods but this time I'm serious and commited thats why I'm trying to figure out whats the best calorie intake. As I said before my problem isnt going over my calories its actually not eating enough. Like on Aug 5th I didnt even teach my calorie goal. i forgot to mention I'm starting herba life protein shakes. Since my eating isnt very normal I'm hoping this will help me. I'm doing one shake inthe morning and one shake for dinner. And only one meal for lunch. Thats how the program works but it seems that I dont get enough calories by doing this. Should I be adding more healthy snacks like yogurt,fruit, and veggies?
  • marie3221
    marie3221 Posts: 77 Member
    Hey! I have been struggling with the myth of calorie counting for years and finally believe that there is more to dieting than calories in and calories out. I think a balanced diet is way more important than counting calories. I have been trying to balance carbs, fats and proteins and not worry about the amount of calories I take in. Tracking my food intake has shown that I tend to weigh heavily on the fats and could probably get to eat a ton more if I could just balance my calories between the three. Try balancing out your carbs, fats and proteins at 33/33/33 or 35/35/30 and see what happens. I'm amazed at the fact that I still have carbs and proteins left everyday with a 1200cal/day intake! I'm slowly increasing the veggies to up the carbs and fiber and the protein to make myself feel full. I've become accustomed to feeling inflated with all of the sauces and oils I love but I'm gaining weight, because I consume way too many fats! Look at the composition of your diet and kick aside the myth that calories actually matter. Quality of our diet matters and that requires balance.

    I can't agree more! It drives me crazy when I see ppl on here weighing their food, what the **** does that have to do with anything? I do have to say though, that calories are not created equal.....50 cals of bread will not help you in any way, as opposed to 50 cals of veg/fruit. I think ppl should focus on whole foods, a diet rich in veggies and fruit.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    i kept falling off the wagon on logging my foods but this time I'm serious and commited thats why I'm trying to figure out whats the best calorie intake. As I said before my problem isnt going over my calories its actually not eating enough. Like on Aug 5th I didnt even teach my calorie goal. i forgot to mention I'm starting herba life protein shakes. Since my eating isnt very normal I'm hoping this will help me. I'm doing one shake inthe morning and one shake for dinner. And only one meal for lunch. Thats how the program works but it seems that I dont get enough calories by doing this. Should I be adding more healthy snacks like yogurt,fruit, and veggies?

    Yogurt, fruit, and veggies would all be good additions to your diet to help boost your calories. But you probably also want to look at some foods that are more calorie dense, as well. Peanut butter, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, cheese, full fat diary, ice cream, butter, dark chocolate, less lean cuts of meat, full calorie sauces, dressing, and condiments, etc. can all be a part of a healthy diet and help increase your calories by several hundred per meal with a little preplanning.

    I would also really recommend again not manually setting your goals to 1000 calories. The least MFP will set someone to is 1200 and that's the minimum for a reason.
  • lenarashminraj
    lenarashminraj Posts: 53 Member
    Check your diet / fitness profile settings once again. make sure you have added the correct information about your activity level, and projected weight loss per week. Our body needs fuel to run properly, so eat the calories recommended by MFP and never go below 1200cal. I had given 1.5lbs lose per week earlier, but didn see much difference. When i had a doubt about it, i uploaded a post in MFP and some poeple suggested me to give the projected weight to loose per week as 1lbs instead of 1.5. and instead of the calorie goal 1200 which MFP gave me, MFP friends suggested me to change it to 1400. i thought i will give it a try for 2 weeks.. it works for me till now and im happy with the way it goes. i go for a walk for 60 min or treadmill for 35min..then strength training exercises.. included more fruits and veggies in my daily food.. i hope it works for you.. it might take some time, but definitly it will work.. have faith in you and be happy about the decision you took to loose weight.
    Lena
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Hi everyone I've received lots of useful information from you all as well as confusing information. But I can see how everyones opinions count as far as calories suggestions, fastfood, and exercise.

    I'm 100% in this I promise myself no more fast food unless its moderate or not a billion calories lol. Somone on here suggested I'd be truthfull and not lie about my calorie intake or my workouts. I really try to put my food as accurate as possible. As far as my workouts I never lie with that either if i snt work outbIndont I dont make up numbers. But for the person who asked my speed and food intake I'll make my information public so maybe you guys can throw other auggestions at me? I start on treadmill at 2.5mph and then go up a speed every 5 minutes so by the time I'm done I'm going 3mph.

    So if you logged that exercise - it should be obvious that was not 3 mph for whatever whole time period, right.

    The actual average speed is less. If you go for 30 min, of course pretty easy to figure out, multiply the total distance x 2 = mph.
    If that exact speed isn't in database, drop down to next speed.

    And you are not Sedentary either then, perhaps during one job, but obviously not the other, that would be Lightly Active.

    And accurate food logging to you, and actually accurate, or possibly 2 very different things.
    Are you aware that calories is per weight, like grams, NOT by volume, like cups and spoons?
    So accurate is weighing your food, not measuring. Only liquids are measured.
    And the problem with fast food is you have no clue if they gave you extra fries, or how much of others food you ate (if that happens), so easy to not be accurate, but 1 hr later when logging it, you'd never remember it all.

    And as someone else pointed out - lot of days missing in food diary.

    As to healthy snacks, you listed a bunch of stuff with sugar in it, natural or not, still sugar. And many people don't react well to a bunch of sugar snacks all day long - leaves you feeling hungry before you should just because of low blood sugar.

    And shakes may make you feel full, but you feeling full and your body actually being fully fed for it's level of activity are 2 very different things.
    You can eat so low to screw up your hormones to not feel hungry, but that doesn't mean your body doesn't want more food to operate well.
    And only with as healthy a body as you can get will it be easy to lose fat only.
  • deansdad101
    deansdad101 Posts: 644 Member
    Hey! I have been struggling with the myth of calorie counting for years and finally believe that there is more to dieting than calories in and calories out. I think a balanced diet is way more important than counting calories. I have been trying to balance carbs, fats and proteins and not worry about the amount of calories I take in. Tracking my food intake has shown that I tend to weigh heavily on the fats and could probably get to eat a ton more if I could just balance my calories between the three. Try balancing out your carbs, fats and proteins at 33/33/33 or 35/35/30 and see what happens. I'm amazed at the fact that I still have carbs and proteins left everyday with a 1200cal/day intake! I'm slowly increasing the veggies to up the carbs and fiber and the protein to make myself feel full. I've become accustomed to feeling inflated with all of the sauces and oils I love but I'm gaining weight, because I consume way too many fats! Look at the composition of your diet and kick aside the myth that calories actually matter. Quality of our diet matters and that requires balance.

    I can't agree more! It drives me crazy when I see ppl on here weighing their food, what the **** does that have to do with anything? I do have to say though, that calories are not created equal.....50 cals of bread will not help you in any way, as opposed to 50 cals of veg/fruit. I think ppl should focus on whole foods, a diet rich in veggies and fruit.
    Marie, Sara, OP (and anyone else interested);

    While it will no doubt ruffle some feathers, I would urge you to spend the time to view this video:
    http://tinyurl.com/lmxaate
    It is a bit long but loaded with actual "fact" and the speaker is not only enlightening (for those with an open mind), but also engaging, easy to listen to, and speaks from a background (as a personal trainer and computer scientist) which is firmly grounded in reality, "fact" based research, and "clear speak".

    OP, especially in your case - ignore those committed to convincing you that it's ALL YOUR fault, you're "cheating", you just don't have the "willpower", "you simply must be morally bankrupt", etc.

    There is no "nice" way to say it but that's nothing more than a very large, steaming, pile of HORSESHxT!

    Counting "exercise" calories is a complete waste of time - spend the time saved working on creating (and adhering to) a diet focused on proper macro balance, devoid of "junk" foods of all kinds, and composed of healthy foods, instead of "cals in / cals out" and the cals will take care of themselves. (Do continue to track cals in though so you build a database upon which you can make intelligent choices and decisions).

    Exercise for the health benefits it provides - NOT to lose weight. (It WILL provide a benefit there as well which is great but not it is not nearly as important in the area of weight loss.

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