Calorie Question
kialea22
Posts: 15 Member
Hey Everyone,
Hope your day is going great!(this may be lengthy!)
I was having some concerns with calorie intake, and I thought maybe someone could enlighten me.
After seeing a doctor for the first time in five years(bad I know!/no insurance) I was told that I have high blood pressure, celiac disease(tested for), and am considered obese.(BMI)
I have a difficult time losing weight and its something I have struggled with since I was in middle school.
I eat fast food maybe once a month, love veggies, but I do eat a lot of carbs!(not the healthy ones)
Thus, I have made a life style change and am cutting back those bad carbs! I know this is my main issues.
How many calories should I be eating to lose weight?
I logged a normal day before the change and I was consuming 2,000 + calories(mostly in bread, potatoes, rice, chips, & pasta) a day, and these were whole wheat products as well.
I have cut all gluten products out of my life for the past two weeks!
I already feel much better! I have also been eating lots of chicken, veggies, turkey, and trying to eat fruit. I am also lactose intolerant. I can not have dairy products what so ever.
Scared me to death! Realizing I have a intolerance to gluten and I was putting so much food in my belly!
After asking my doctor about calorie intake she just basically told me to cut the crap and eat healthy. She would not give me any advice on this subject matter, well she"s not a dietitian.
I read multiple articles and of course when I input my numbers on here I am constantly getting a different answer!
1240 (app)
1350
1650
and more as you see I received a wide range.
So if anyone knows of a actually healthy recommendation I would absolutely appreciate it!
My goal is to just to be healthy, cut bad carbs, and replace those with good ones, also to eat plenty of veggies(not a fruit girl).
FYI: I am only 23 with all these health concerns and being over weight I am at my wits end here! Diabetes, cancer, and heart attack also run in my family. I am terrified now that I have such high blood pressure. It was a rude awakening for me, but I am 100% committed to fixing what I can.
If anyone has any advice, I will greatly take it to heart! Thanks for reading my concerns.
H:5'3
W:194
Age:23
Previous weight:209(6 months ago)
I suppose I should add this as well
I do my best to walk everyday, this is what my doctor recommended for my high blood pressure.
I do like to run and jog, but unfortunately when I was little. A skate boarding accident took out my ankle. It was smashed and now I still have trouble with it.
I can run and jog, but over doing it causes me pain.
Due to the celiac disease I have alot of discomfort in my knees, which will be swollen every night especially after I have worked out.
I suppose I need more help than I thought!
Hope your day is going great!(this may be lengthy!)
I was having some concerns with calorie intake, and I thought maybe someone could enlighten me.
After seeing a doctor for the first time in five years(bad I know!/no insurance) I was told that I have high blood pressure, celiac disease(tested for), and am considered obese.(BMI)
I have a difficult time losing weight and its something I have struggled with since I was in middle school.
I eat fast food maybe once a month, love veggies, but I do eat a lot of carbs!(not the healthy ones)
Thus, I have made a life style change and am cutting back those bad carbs! I know this is my main issues.
How many calories should I be eating to lose weight?
I logged a normal day before the change and I was consuming 2,000 + calories(mostly in bread, potatoes, rice, chips, & pasta) a day, and these were whole wheat products as well.
I have cut all gluten products out of my life for the past two weeks!
I already feel much better! I have also been eating lots of chicken, veggies, turkey, and trying to eat fruit. I am also lactose intolerant. I can not have dairy products what so ever.
Scared me to death! Realizing I have a intolerance to gluten and I was putting so much food in my belly!
After asking my doctor about calorie intake she just basically told me to cut the crap and eat healthy. She would not give me any advice on this subject matter, well she"s not a dietitian.
I read multiple articles and of course when I input my numbers on here I am constantly getting a different answer!
1240 (app)
1350
1650
and more as you see I received a wide range.
So if anyone knows of a actually healthy recommendation I would absolutely appreciate it!
My goal is to just to be healthy, cut bad carbs, and replace those with good ones, also to eat plenty of veggies(not a fruit girl).
FYI: I am only 23 with all these health concerns and being over weight I am at my wits end here! Diabetes, cancer, and heart attack also run in my family. I am terrified now that I have such high blood pressure. It was a rude awakening for me, but I am 100% committed to fixing what I can.
If anyone has any advice, I will greatly take it to heart! Thanks for reading my concerns.
H:5'3
W:194
Age:23
Previous weight:209(6 months ago)
I suppose I should add this as well
I do my best to walk everyday, this is what my doctor recommended for my high blood pressure.
I do like to run and jog, but unfortunately when I was little. A skate boarding accident took out my ankle. It was smashed and now I still have trouble with it.
I can run and jog, but over doing it causes me pain.
Due to the celiac disease I have alot of discomfort in my knees, which will be swollen every night especially after I have worked out.
I suppose I need more help than I thought!
0
Replies
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http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calorie-calculator/itt-20084939 this calorie calculator is pretty spot in if youre honest with the whole activity level. I used this when I started out and then I got a hydrostatic weigh in test that gave me the most accurate calorie intake reading and they actually were both pretty darn close. I understand the frustration with calorie intake because there is so much advice out there. I just started using a fitbit to see exactly what I burn in a day and try to average that out and keep up a 500 calorie deficit for weight loss. I also started out with eating bad carbs and such and have made the drastic change to cut those out. If you ever need food advice I am a trained chef and have a blog (www.piggytummy.com) I have been bad about posting on the blog lately but I am active on my fb page and instagram so I post food ideas constantly! Best of luck 0
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What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?0
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Doctors are not nutritionists - its perhaps a good thing that your doctor didn't give you guidance in an area she didn't know much about.
Did you set up a profile here at MFP? You should have put in your height/weight/age/gender, selected your activity level (which is for your job/regular life not counting exercise) and selected a weight loss goal such as 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds per week. From that MFP will give you a goal calorie intake amount.
Its human nature to want to lose weight as quickly as possible - but its not always realistic. If you go with a goal of 1.5 pounds per week, and selected sedentary as your activity level, I suspect you'd get a 1250-1300 (or close) calorie goal per day. Higher if you selected a higher activity level. Then if you exercise, log the exercise and eat back about 1/2 of those earned calories. (That way, if the MFP estimates for what you burned are too high, you have a buffer built in.)
Congrats on the progress you've made so far.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »Doctors are not nutritionists - its perhaps a good thing that your doctor didn't give you guidance in an area she didn't know much about.
Did you set up a profile here at MFP? You should have put in your height/weight/age/gender, selected your activity level (which is for your job/regular life not counting exercise) and selected a weight loss goal such as 1, 1.5 or 2 pounds per week. From that MFP will give you a goal calorie intake amount.
Its human nature to want to lose weight as quickly as possible - but its not always realistic. If you go with a goal of 1.5 pounds per week, and selected sedentary as your activity level, I suspect you'd get a 1250-1300 (or close) calorie goal per day. Higher if you selected a higher activity level. Then if you exercise, log the exercise and eat back about 1/2 of those earned calories. (That way, if the MFP estimates for what you burned are too high, you have a buffer built in.)
Congrats on the progress you've made so far.
Yes I understand that. I do not expect to lose weight rapidly. Like I stated my main goal is to become healthy, due to feeling sick every single day.
Yes I was hoping she could refer me to a dietitian or someone who could help but she was actually quite rude to me about the subject.
The app recommended 1240 calories a day, I just wanted to see if that was about right for someone of my stature and situation.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!
Good news...starvation mode isn't real.
You could probably do more than 1240. If you're going to diligently weigh out your food, you can probably up it. If you're going to be guessing on portion sizes, using cups and spoons as a way to measure it out, you can probably keep it at 1240 to make up for errors.
0 -
My advice is to seek the help of a registered clinical dietician. Don't waste your time with a "nutritionist," as that profession isn't really regulated. I recommend a dietician because of your celiac diagnosis; you need a diet that is a bit more structured than one someone without celiac would need. The best that the non experts here like me would be able to tell you is to stick to the basics but also avoid foods containing gluten.
Here are my recommendations which you shouldn't listen to as you should be seeing a dietician who will give you better advice.
In general, there's no such thing as a bad food, only a bad diet (with the exception of foods that contain gluten, in your case). What this means is that you should set a calorie ceiling, and divide those calories reasonably among the macronutrients. My guess would be to eat about 120 grams of protein, at least 50 grams of fat, and the rest carbohydrates, up until you reach your daily calorie intake limit. What should that limit be?
From http://tdeecalculator.net/ your estimated TDEE (the amount of calories you burn per day) is 1925. Let's call it 1900. To lose weight the healthy way, eat 80% of this per day, or 1520 (let's say 1500). When I'm cutting, as I am now, I eat 1600-1700 calories per day, so this is very doable.
Prepare all of your own food, doing some research along the way to make sure you're not using any ingredients that contain gluten. Follow the rule of thumb to stick to the "edges" of the grocery store. This is based on the assumption that the edges are where you typically find meat, fish, and fresh produce. The interior aisles are where you typically find the processed and tempting food. There isn't anything inherently wrong with those foods, but they're more likely to contain gluten and generally less likely to align with your dietary goals (too many carbs, too little protein, too much sodium, whatever). By preparing your own food this way, you can control the macronutrients and the portioning.
Avoid bread, pasta, rice, etc. Your carbohydrates should come from vegetables (I'd say fruits too but you don't like them), and gluten free options. Avoid the regular consumption of alcohol. Your weight will fluctuate and that's normal; we want linear downward progress but you have to give it time. It will quickly shoot down at first and that'll be great, then mostly come back up. Expect that, as it's a water weight flux. Stick to the plan of 1500 calories per day.
Hopefully your dietician says something similar. Good luck!0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!
Good news...starvation mode isn't real.
You could probably do more than 1240. If you're going to diligently weigh out your food, you can probably up it. If you're going to be guessing on portion sizes, using cups and spoons as a way to measure it out, you can probably keep it at 1240 to make up for errors.
Really? I have had so many people tell me this! Well good to know thanks!
I did buy a scale and plenty of measuring cups. I meal prep every few days as well:)
Thanks!0 -
I lost 126lbs by watching my caloric intake and exercising. Not only that though. When I first determined I needed a change in my own lifestyle, I was 306lbs with hypertension. My father and other relatives were around that same time diagnosed with diabetes. I looked at the diets that were prescribed to them by their doctors and dieticians and started following that kind of eating religiously.
Now when I am losing weight, I like to keep myself between 1300-1500 calories. I really limit my sugar and carb intake. And generally burn between 500-800 calories daily via exercise.
Good job on recognizing the need to make a change and doing something about it.0 -
itsthehumidity wrote: »My advice is to seek the help of a registered clinical dietician. Don't waste your time with a "nutritionist," as that profession isn't really regulated. I recommend a dietician because of your celiac diagnosis; you need a diet that is a bit more structured than one someone without celiac would need. The best that the non experts here like me would be able to tell you is to stick to the basics but also avoid foods containing gluten.
Here are my recommendations which you shouldn't listen to as you should be seeing a dietician who will give you better advice.
In general, there's no such thing as a bad food, only a bad diet (with the exception of foods that contain gluten, in your case). What this means is that you should set a calorie ceiling, and divide those calories reasonably among the macronutrients. My guess would be to eat about 120 grams of protein, at least 50 grams of fat, and the rest carbohydrates, up until you reach your daily calorie intake limit. What should that limit be?
From http://tdeecalculator.net/ your estimated TDEE (the amount of calories you burn per day) is 1925. Let's call it 1900. To lose weight the healthy way, eat 80% of this per day, or 1520 (let's say 1500). When I'm cutting, as I am now, I eat 1600-1700 calories per day, so this is very doable.
Prepare all of your own food, doing some research along the way to make sure you're not using any ingredients that contain gluten. Follow the rule of thumb to stick to the "edges" of the grocery store. This is based on the assumption that the edges are where you typically find meat, fish, and fresh produce. The interior aisles are where you typically find the processed and tempting food. There isn't anything inherently wrong with those foods, but they're more likely to contain gluten and generally less likely to align with your dietary goals (too many carbs, too little protein, too much sodium, whatever). By preparing your own food this way, you can control the macronutrients and the portioning.
Avoid bread, pasta, rice, etc. Your carbohydrates should come from vegetables (I'd say fruits too but you don't like them), and gluten free options. Avoid the regular consumption of alcohol. Your weight will fluctuate and that's normal; we want linear downward progress but you have to give it time. It will quickly shoot down at first and that'll be great, then mostly come back up. Expect that, as it's a water weight flux. Stick to the plan of 1500 calories per day.
Hopefully your dietician says something similar. Good luck!
Thank you for that information. I am looking for one that is local unfortunately there are only a few.
I am doing my best to meal prep and just eat food I enjoy such as lean meats and veggies( I could just live off this!)
I can not have milk so I know I need to actually speak with a professional. I am afraid I am missing vital nutrients that my body needs to keep up.
Unfortunately being a full time student with a part time job does not allow me to go splurge on the "gluten free" options.
So yes, my goal is avoidance.
My insurance does not cover seeing a dietitian so that is why I asked for advice, until I can get to one!
Thanks again Ill make sure to avoid those isles:)0 -
Sounds like you already know what to eat. Drink water only, and exercise five times a week. I would suggest walking on incline treadmill for an hour at not a slow but not a fast pace, moderate for low intensity high volume cardio will burn 450-500cal. Water only and zero bad foods, how bad do you want it?0
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thirteenrockstar wrote: »I lost 126lbs by watching my caloric intake and exercising. Not only that though. When I first determined I needed a change in my own lifestyle, I was 306lbs with hypertension. My father and other relatives were around that same time diagnosed with diabetes. I looked at the diets that were prescribed to them by their doctors and dieticians and started following that kind of eating religiously.
Now when I am losing weight, I like to keep myself between 1300-1500 calories. I really limit my sugar and carb intake. And generally burn between 500-800 calories daily via exercise.
Good job on recognizing the need to make a change and doing something about it.
Well congrats on your progress!
That is amazing! My recommended weight is at max 140. So I have a good 40-50 pounds to go!
I am making small goals of course and like you mentioned looking into eating healthy. Both my grandparents suffer from high blood pressure, so I took what the doctor gave them and also did some research(lots of it).
Thank you this absolutely gave me motivation! 0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!
Good news...starvation mode isn't real.
You could probably do more than 1240. If you're going to diligently weigh out your food, you can probably up it. If you're going to be guessing on portion sizes, using cups and spoons as a way to measure it out, you can probably keep it at 1240 to make up for errors.
Really? I have had so many people tell me this! Well good to know thanks!
I did buy a scale and plenty of measuring cups. I meal prep every few days as well:)
Thanks!
You will not gain weight, or hold on to fat, if you're eating in a deficit. That's a myth and goes against everything that is true about weight loss. You can do some metabolic damage eating at an extreme deficit for a long time, but it's not what is commonly known as "starvation mode".
Use your food scale for solids, save the cups and spoons for liquids.0 -
Only extra suggestion I would add is to not count your walking into your daily calories. That way, if you miss a day, are sick or have something come up at work and no time, you don't have to worry about adjusting for it.
What I did was enter sedentary into several calculators and average out what they said my daily calories should be. This is because each calculator has a different idea of what 'sedentary' is, so you will get different results with different ones. I enter my exercise sepeartly, which means if I have a good day and walk more than I normally do, I can see it add those calories in, which makes me feel good.
Oh, and if you're entering your exercise with just MFP, enter only about half. MFP overestimates calories burned for exercises it has in it's database, so if you go just by that, you'll be eating back more than you need to.0 -
If it was me (at your age) I would start around 1500/day, track for 30 days and then re-evaluate. The thing to watch for as you pursue the gluten-free world is that a lot of gluten-free products have a lot of added sugar and are surprisingly high-calorie. A food scale that measures grams/oz and can be reset to tare weight is really helpful.0
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This is my favorite calculator. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
By this calculator, you should be able to eat 1700 a day in the beginning to lose. You can always go a bit lower if you feel you aren't too hungry. You may want to, as you are on the shorter side, and as you get closer to goal, you are going to probably have to eat less and less calories. 1240 seems pretty low, though, and you shouldn't have to dip that far down until you are much closer to goal.
I am 5'7" 170ish and I eat 1450 plus I eat back calories that fitbit or exercise gives me. Usually end up actually eating around 1550-1650 per day (I walk, but don't do much else).
What I would do if I were you is maybe start at 1600 or 1500 and stick to that for at least 2 or 3 weeks and see how you feel and if you are losing. You can always adjust lower if you aren't losing fast enough or feel you don't need that many calories. And remember to always recalculate your needs for every 10 or so lbs that you drop!0 -
rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!
What is your activity level set at, or, if you set it at sedentary because of your job, do you eat at least some of the calories you burn from all the walking you do back? 1240 while walking 8000-12000 steps a day seems to likely be on the low side.0 -
I did not read everyone's reply. If I cover something that has been talked about already, my apologies. I'm not a dietitian. I can tell you what I have done.... and what I'm doing successfully. I have lost 39lbs in body fat. I eat what I want.... not necessarily healthy..... Hell, I'm enjoying my Doritos as I'm writing this.... my day is 1770 calories split into 6 eating times..... breakfast, lunch, dinner, 2 snacks in between those and a very tiny snack before bed..... I have done a lot of homework on this stuff and this has been the most effective way for me to lose weight..... I use the App faithfully. I log all my meals and calories faithfully. .... never going over. Sometimes I am under..... I do get Friday cheat day to satisfy my gluttony. When I first started this it had taken 2 weeks before I seen the scale budge....... my weight would fluctuate thereafter with a continued gradual decrease. So when a Doctor says "eat healthy" I think that is stupid. Eating healthy doesn't mean broccoli carrots and giving up everything you love... Have your ice cream, candy bars, pizza, burgers, tacos and so on......... it is eating"right" that matters...... Eating the foods you love means eating less.... Pasta = 1 CUP....... chicken = 6 oz..... and so on...... do the math. Meal plan...... count your calories. If you waste 250 calories on a snicker bar or some soda so be it..... but that will leave you hungry. ... choose wisely and enjoy food. Oh, and very important. STAY AWAY from "LOW FAT " " NO FAT"and "SUGAR FREE"....... the flavor in those foods are added by FAKE sugar..... our bodies don't know how to process these sugars properly and turns them into carbs which then turns into fat.
ADD me, GOOD LUCK and enjoy the process.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »What do you do throughout the day? How many calories does this site give you when you set your weight loss goal at 1 pound per week?
I work in a office setting, but I do make it a point to walk(alot). I am getting around 8,000 - 12,000 steps in a day. I am trying to work out at least 3 times a week. HIIT workouts(my knees hurt) so I take it easy with those, and just lots of walking. I am begging to add weights to my routine as well, since I heard so many wonderful things about this.
It gave me 1240. Pound and a half a week.
I just wanted to make sure that was not too low. I heard some girls talking about how that is way to low and unhealthy, so now I am confused. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to put my body into starvation mode doing that!
What is your activity level set at, or, if you set it at sedentary because of your job, do you eat at least some of the calories you burn from all the walking you do back? 1240 while walking 8000-12000 steps a day seems to likely be on the low side.
I set it to sedentary, I never actually got around to changing this.... now that I am walking. No I dont eat any of those calories back I just ignore them actually. I have been trying to eat around 1350 actually a day, but I do find myself a little hungry when going to bed, usually after a hard workout.0 -
Only extra suggestion I would add is to not count your walking into your daily calories. That way, if you miss a day, are sick or have something come up at work and no time, you don't have to worry about adjusting for it.
What I did was enter sedentary into several calculators and average out what they said my daily calories should be. This is because each calculator has a different idea of what 'sedentary' is, so you will get different results with different ones. I enter my exercise sepeartly, which means if I have a good day and walk more than I normally do, I can see it add those calories in, which makes me feel good.
Oh, and if you're entering your exercise with just MFP, enter only about half. MFP overestimates calories burned for exercises it has in it's database, so if you go just by that, you'll be eating back more than you need to.
Yeah, I dont calculate anything actually! I just was trying to eat the recommended amount that was suggested. Not including what I burn from exercise.
Oh really?! Interesting, yeah I just enter how many minutes my pacer records my activity at. I do that at the end of the night when I am going to bed. So I never eat any of the calories back or anything. I just stick to the 1350.
Thanks for that!0
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