hmmmmmm

24

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    600+ calories for a 12 inch sub sounds pretty low cal to me.

    Yep, she logged it as a 6". A 12 inch grilled chicken is 640, 120 for cheese and then additional toppings like mayo...oh yes, looking at about 900+ calories.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    please understand I am only wanting positive feed back if you are going to be negative in anyway to anyones posts on here the please do not comment
    ......
    my stats are I want to lose 90 pounds,
    I weigh 240 pounds and I want to lose the weight before the end of the year so im hoping I will be able to kick the weight in the butt......

    As others have said in this case advising you of some things you are doing wrong is the positive response.

    1100 calories burned doing housework, no. Don't log the house cleaning use whatever as a cushion for inaccuracies that will happen.

    Now the McDonalds when you ordered it gave you the estimate right on the menu why would it surprise you? The sub cheese and dressing of course will add up quickly.

    Calorie count doesn't make food healthy or not, just makes you learn how to plan your day to include them, or make different choices.

    Do you cook at home? What do you like? I'm making homemade sausage / mushroom pizza today, there won't be any problems with that fitting into my day. Since you are just starting understand it's a learning process, you are logging that's a fantastic start. It can be an eye opener and help you see where you can make some slight changes and see changes. This takes time, don't worry about losing in by the end of the year, focus on learning, being more active, the weight will come off.

    It took me 18 months to lose my weight, I'm now down 124 lbs and consistency, honesty, listening to people that have been there even when the truth isn't what you want to hear, and lots of patience.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    600+ calories for a 12 inch sub sounds pretty low cal to me.

    Yep, she logged it as a 6". A 12 inch grilled chicken is 640, 120 for cheese and then additional toppings like mayo...oh yes, looking at about 900+ calories.

    It's surprising how much the sub really has, especially if you get several table spoons of a creamy dressing on it. I estimate I normally get 4 to 5 on my sub and if you ask for extra you are just push the calorie count through the roof without even knowing it.
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    1100 calories for housework? I didn't even burn that much moving/loading boxes 10+ hours over the summer when I moved into my house.
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    eric_sg61 wrote: »
    1100 calories for housework? I didn't even burn that much moving/loading boxes 10+ hours over the summer when I moved into my house.

    I get under 300 for lifting heavy things in the gym for an hour. That's an underestimate for sure but it's going to be more than housework. The database is based on a compendium and the sources are not always very accurate.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited February 2015
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Cleaning is normal daily activity and included already in your activity level. Regardless, the burn you're claiming is really high and you're only sabotaging yourself. As far as eating out, there is nothing wrong with it, but you will never get as much bang for your buck, (higher calories and sodium). Additionally, drinking your calories is taking away from you getting real food, thus keeping you sated longer.
    ^^this OP.

    Yes housework is part of your TDEE. Stop trying to cheat or invent exercise and maybe you'll see some results.

    Out.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Your calorie burn for housework may cause you a problem. You are over estimating your burn, I think. Subway is not low calorie but that is what they would like to believe.


    This, I doubt you burned even half that.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Zedeff wrote: »
    gotolam wrote: »
    This is nonsense.

    Read this...

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

    TL;DR: Run faster, burn more calories.

    Interesting article! Just like the author of that linked story, I apparently was misled by previous physics professors. Thanks for linking.

    That is an excellent article.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I'm curious....
    1) Does anyone know around how long it takes for a person to start showing results as far as seeing the inches and pounds come off???
    2) Does anyone have any ideas on kid friendly healthy meals?
    I have a 4 year old and 5 year old and they are not to fond of the kind of food I am eating..

    Following the calorie limit MFP gives you, you should start losing weight right away. Log as accurately as you can. I find it helpful to pre-log my whole day in advance to see how it all fits and make better choices.

    You can eat higher calorie foods like Subway or a frappe but will need to reduce portion sizes on those or those will be the only things you have. If you plan ahead you might find eating out a lot easier. Look at menus of places you typically go to eat in advance and make a list of items that will fit your plan then you might find it easier.

    My dd likes things like eggs, minestrone, veggie burgers, pasta, lentil soup, fruit. She doesn't like the food I serve every day. She can eat cereal, fruit, yogurt or make a sandwich at meals where she can't find anything to like. We mostly have meals that are still pretty familliar to dd though and I'm still losing weight. You don't have to completely change what you eat just how much of it you eat.

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    640 sounds more like a 6 inch sub. As fast food goes, Subway is pretty healthy, but you do have to watch the calories. Obviously, it is possible to lose weight on Subway, but the "Subway diet" includes walking to Subway and not making it a meal.
  • gotolam
    gotolam Posts: 262 Member
    gotolam wrote: »
    Zedeff wrote: »
    HINT: I have to do a HARD and FAST 11-miler run to burn 1100.

    No you don't. Work is defined by the displacement of mass across a distance. The speed at which it occurs does not influence the amount of energy consumed.

    To burn 1100 calories you may have had to move 11 miles, but you'd burn the same calories (roughly) walking, running, or skipping there. In fact, as running is more efficient than walking, if you'd walked 11 miles you'd have burned MORE than 1100 calories.

    This is nonsense.

    Read this...

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

    TL;DR: Run faster, burn more calories.

    That article (and the study it features) does NOT say running faster burns more calories than running slower.

    It says running burns more calories than walking slow/briskly, but fewer calories than walking really really fast (~12:30 min/mile).

    I have not been able to find any actual studies on whether running speed affects calories burned per mile. Lots of "studies show" and vague assertions either way. A couple times I've come across references to studies that...don't show anything either way about running speed's effect on calorie burning.

    ETA: If you've got the research either way, I'm super interested to see it. :)

    You are correct. The article talks specifically to Running vs. Walking and my too-short 5 word summary is probably misleading. It is interesting to note that the act of speed walking is significantly different than just plain old walking.


    I do contend however, that fat oxidation will occur at a faster rate when there is an increase in subject's heart rate. This of course, has more to do with individual fitness than actual speed. My presumption (maybe not good), is that an increase in the rate of speed will naturally increase heart rate = higher caloric expenditure.

    Ultimately, you are right in that I have not seen specific literature on this topic. This search does produce some interesting reading though (not one way or the other unfortunately):

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=fat+oxidation+running+intensity
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    Subway does have some lower calorie options. Most stores have a list and they are 6" subs. You can also go on their website and check out calorie counts before you go. Most chain restaurants have nutritional information on the internet. If I'm going out I try to check before I go and have idea of what I'm going to choose. I've found some salads are really high so that is not always a safe bet. Drinks can really pack on the calories as well, they can really sneak up on you.
  • VixxyLiss
    VixxyLiss Posts: 44 Member
    If I know I'm going to be out and about and buying something to eat then I usually check out websites as most of them will give the calorie count for food, then I don't get a nasty surprise later and can buy according to the calories I have to spend for that day. I have some food restrictions so checking websites has become the norm for me,

    I don't log housework as exercise (although my husband would say I don't do any!) because some days I do more than others, I don't wash windows or do ironing every day for instance.

    I have 2 dogs but I don't count the walk I do with them as separate exercise, only as part of the 10k steps a day that I'm try to achieve. My steps come from more than just walking as I have a fitbit... sit down to type this... get up to let the puppy (11 weeks) into the garden... sit down type a few more words... get up to let the other dog into the garden... sit down again... up to let the puppy back in... sit down... up to let the puppy out again... down... up to let the dog back in... down... puppy in... dog out... puppy out... both in... down and omg I've finally finished this!!!

  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
    Don't bash the Subs guys :) ... The 6 inch chicken breast on nine grain , no cheese, no sauce of any kind, is *the* go-to option for me for satiety on the go... They claim it's 320 cals, but if you check their website, they give 0 cals to the vegies so I always log a small serving of salad I didn't actually have to account for the veggies I get with it and for any inaccuracies in their info.

    Nothing much wrong with Subway, but may be a couple of lessons learned about portion sizes, and reading all the nutritional info very carefully - i.e. Does it include cheese? Sauce? Etc.

    OP, I started at 240lb a month ago with the same goal as you. I also have a family to cook for. It's all very doable but only if you approach it with the right information. What folks have been saying here is all true. Yes, your Sub was more than 640 cals, yes, your calorie burn was overestimated. That doesn't have to get you down, treat it as precious knowledge gained. Don't log daily activities, even if it's the hardest stint of house cleaning you ever did, becuase you did those while you were gaining weight too! Read carefully nutritional info, log with absolute honesty, weigh your food with a food scale (it's wildly different from what the producer says it weighs 80% of the time! So measuring cups won't cut it except for liquids.) Do those things consistently and you'll probably start seeing results on the scale very soon.

    You can do it, it just takes time, information, and realistic expectations i.e. about how much you can afford to eat and still lose.

    P.S. about kids - my daughter knows her nutrition groups. She won't touch cooked veggies of almost any kind with a barge pole but gets plenty of fresh ones. Our rule is, she tries one bite of everything on the plate and if she doesn't like it, she can fix herself a healthy sandwitch and veggies. That happens more and more rarely and she requests now (9yo) to try things she knows she hated before, just in case.
  • Dthomas1979
    Dthomas1979 Posts: 20
    edited February 2015
    ok thanks everyone and my apologies..... and that does make sense.... i was not trying to make it seem like i didn't want people to post things in here.. im sorry people took it that way.... and everyone is right i have to accept the positive and the correcting my mistakes in my logs again i am sorry and i understand what people are saying... i know more often then not people don't like to hear they make mistakes but its ok i just want the best out come of this.... so again thanks everyone and i will be careful on how i log my calories... i wasn't trying to cheat please don't think that.... i was going by what i was told on the calorie count... i feel terrible for posting that post because i don't want anyone to think i was trying to be rude when i said that.....
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    ok thanks everyone and my apologies..... and that does make sense.... i was not trying to make it seem like i didn't want people to post things in here.. im sorry people took it that way.... and everyone is right i have to accept the positive and the correcting my mistakes in my logs again i am sorry and i understand what people are saying... i know more often then not people don't like to hear they make mistakes but its ok i just want the best out come of this.... so again thanks everyone and i will be careful on how i log my calories...
    It's a learning curve and we ALL did this. I now pre-log everything so I can avoid it as much as possible, but it still happens on occasion.
    As far as the kids, they'll eat what you cook.
    Remember, all that's required to lose, is the deficit. You've got this!
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    ok thanks everyone and my apologies..... and that does make sense.... i was not trying to make it seem like i didn't want people to post things in here.. im sorry people took it that way.... and everyone is right i have to accept the positive and the correcting my mistakes in my logs again i am sorry and i understand what people are saying... i know more often then not people don't like to hear they make mistakes but its ok i just want the best out come of this.... so again thanks everyone and i will be careful on how i log my calories...

    It can be difficult to hear we are making mistakes, but remember you learn lots from the mistakes.

    Please read these links:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    Good luck to you!
  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
    Do not feel bad about it at all - you did very well to post this, if you hadn't, you wouldn't have learned anything new. It's great that you question things and look for better information.

    The links GiveMeCoffee posted are really good, they are totally worth a thorough read-through and a lot of us even go back to them for a refresher from time to time. Weight loss is like any other learning experience - you get better with time and practice. You can totally do this!
  • I was wondering if anyone knew any good smoothie ideas i know that or i have been told that smoothies are a good thing to have when your dieting....
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    edited February 2015
    Two points based on what you've said too. I don't know how much you are planning to eat every day or what your MFP calorie goal is but 640 calories is about the amount I eat for my main meal every day.

    I am eating around 1275 calories per day maximum at the moment, and I'm NOT eating exercise calories back although I am exercising every day for 40minutes to 1 hour and a half. By doing that I am losing around 1.2 lbs per week, so I am not losing that quickly.

    Therefore if I ate a 6" sub as others have said which is more likely to have that calorie count, that would be my meal for the day. Other than that I would only have things like protein shakes (to help get my protein count up) and possibly a homemade soup for dinner with a couple of low calorie snacks like a 0% fat yogurt or a small quantity of nuts as a snack.

    The other point is that as others have said you shouldn't log housework. Until a few weeks ago I was logging all my workouts as well as housework but you end up trying to get as much 'activity' done every day so you can eat more.

    In my case, I found I was becoming obsessed with the calorie burn number every day and how much extra it would let me eat in terms of calories. In the end I was losing weight, but I think it encourages bad habits. The other problem is you don't know how accurate calorie burns really are, so it's best to work off a weekly calorie burn amount which is most likely lower than the actual burn you're getting and then eat the correct amount to give you enough of a deficit to be able to lose weight.

    For example, my maintenance calories based on being sedentary are around 1550 per day. I found a spreadsheet recommended to me on here where you can log more or less the workouts you do every day and how active you are in your normal life. In my case I do short workouts of 40 minutes each approximately, some with weights, some pure cardio as well as other things like Yoga from time to time and dog walks etc. In addition I work from home so I am not very active other than my workouts. The spreadsheet told me that my daily maintenance calories taking into account the above activities is only just under 1800 calories. This figure is MUCH lower than MFP and other online calculators have given me based on the workouts I said I did, ie. 3-5 times a week.

    What this means in reality is that in order to lose at least 1lb per week I can't eat any more than 1300 calories per day and that is taking into account exercise already, so that means I can't eat ANY exercise calories back.

    I've now changed my MFP settings to reflect this, set my calorie goal every day to net 1275 calories maximum and I am now logging my workouts as 1 calorie.

    This way I know that I won't be tempted to eat more because I feel that I've 'earned' those extra calories based on the exercise I did that day as the figures are based on weekly averages. It also means that as long as I do the amount of exercise I've planned on doing each week (or more) then I will lose a minimum of 1lb per week.

    The way I'm looking at it now is that if I do more exercise than I've planned such as an extra walk, a shopping trip, spring cleaning, a trip to the mountains etc. then my reward will be additional weight loss that week, not additional food.

    It can be hard from time to time knowing that I can only eat to 1275 calories maximum, but I now pre-log most of my daily meals so that I don't go over on calories. If I know I'll be out of the house I'll try and eat very little until I go out so I have more calories for when I am out. If I'm planning to have dinner or lunch out and I know where I'm going in advance, I'll also try and pre-log what I am going to eat and that way I also stick within my allowances.

  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    I was wondering if anyone knew any good smoothie ideas i know that or i have been told that smoothies are a good thing to have when your dieting....

    I don't drink many smoothies, for me they use up lots of my calories that I can use for good food. Unless it's booze or milkshakes I try not to drink that many calories.

    Best advice I can give you is keep it simple. Find a reasonable calorie deficit, work on your logging to be as accurate as possible, learn portion control a digital food scale can help with accuracy and portion control. Be consistent, be patient, and keep learning.
  • bevhillsilly
    bevhillsilly Posts: 48 Member
    Hang in there! You've gotten some great advice!
    My 2cts would be to start cooking for yourself rather than eating out. Grilling or baking 5 lbs of chicken breast at a time will feed you and your children in lots of good healthy ways for a few days!
    I also fully support the idea of putting veggies out for them before dinner. If I put a tray of cut up red peppers, celery and carrot sticks about 2 hours before I get dinner on the table they disappear and then I can be less of a veg tyrant at the dinner table.
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
    herrspoons wrote: »
    ok thanks everyone and my apologies..... and that does make sense.... i was not trying to make it seem like i didn't want people to post things in here.. im sorry people took it that way.... and everyone is right i have to accept the positive and the correcting my mistakes in my logs again i am sorry and i understand what people are saying... i know more often then not people don't like to hear they make mistakes but its ok i just want the best out come of this.... so again thanks everyone and i will be careful on how i log my calories... i wasn't trying to cheat please don't think that.... i was going by what i was told on the calorie count... i feel terrible for posting that post because i don't want anyone to think i was trying to be rude when i said that.....

    Don't worry about it. Just be brutally honest with yourself about what you consume and burn in exercise.

    Use the ABC rule when doing this - Assume nothing, Believe nothing, Check everything.

    Well there goes me believing in Santa. :'(
  • JAT74
    JAT74 Posts: 1,081 Member
    Just saw your comment about smoothies. Be really careful because most commercial smoothies contain a lot of sugar, and even homemade smoothies can be very calorific due to the fruit/sugar content.

    I used to have smoothies a lot for breakfast made with things like banana and strawberries with milk and honey but the calorie count is now far too high for me. I am also trying not to eat more than 120 grams of carbohydrates per day so smoothies are now out of the equation.

    Having said that, you can still make healthy smoothies which are lower in calorie or sugar content if you use other things like vegetable juices too. I used to make a nice smoothie with apple and pineapple juice along with spinach, cucumber, ginger and lime juice. I added avocado to make it creamier and to add bulk. Many people say that you need to keep the fibre in the drink too, so try to use who fruits and veg if you can, rather than just juice because then the fibre is taken out and that's where the goodness is.

    What I normally do now instead of having smoothies is I'll have a protein shake which is about 160 calories if made with skimmed milk, and I'll add a banana or some peanut butter to it to make it a bit more filling. The total calorie count is around 250 if you do that but it is a good meal replacement and helps to get more protein into your diet.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited February 2015
    please understand I am only wanting positive feed back if you are going to be negative in anyway to anyones posts on here the please do not comment
    ......
    my stats are I want to lose 90 pounds,
    I weigh 240 pounds and I want to lose the weight before the end of the year so im hoping I will be able to kick the weight in the butt......

    Nevermind, all sorted.

    OP, regarding smoothies... they aren't anything magical unless you plain like them or are just in the mood for something light for breakfast or something. The calories can add up if you're using a lot of fruit like bananas and things like oats or peanut butter in them.

    Most people prefer to eat their calories to have something to chew on!

    Smoothies can be good for people who don't like veggies to sneak in some spinach or something like that, but again, it depends how they fit into your overall calorie allowance and leave you enough room to feel satisfied with how much you're eating.


  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    I was wondering if anyone knew any good smoothie ideas i know that or i have been told that smoothies are a good thing to have when your dieting....

    I try never to drink my calories-I want food! Remember, they add up quickly.
  • thanks everyone and i will def try some of the ideas
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
    I was wondering if anyone knew any good smoothie ideas i know that or i have been told that smoothies are a good thing to have when your dieting....

    It depends on what you mean by good. There is nothing magical about them and they may not fill you up so they could trigger overeating but if you use them as nutrient-rich snacks they can be beneficial.
  • 4bettermenow
    4bettermenow Posts: 166 Member
    Three or four days a week I have a smoothie in place of a meal. I use spinach/kale, berries, a banana, chia seeds and almond milk. Its usually in the evening because sometimes I am not that hungry, but I want something sweet and nutritionally sound.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    edited February 2015
    Three or four days a week I have a smoothie in place of a meal. I use spinach/kale, berries, a banana, chia seeds and almond milk. Its usually in the evening because sometimes I am not that hungry, but I want something sweet and nutritionally sound.
    Banana 120, chia seeds 1 tbs 60, almond milk 1 c. 60, spinach 20, kale 35, berries 70 =365
This discussion has been closed.