OMG - Calorie Shock
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Rushbrook60
Posts: 95 Member
Well I had a totally inspiring personal training session at the gym today. My personal trainer is also a qualified nutritionist and I learnt some valued information about calories/body functions etc which not only shocked me, but surprised me and made me want to put it all to the test.
Since August 2010, I've been on and off Weight Watchers...I'm now stuck in a rut and at my biggest weight ever. About a month ago, I decided I'd had enough and started the gym. I've found that I really enjoy the activity but when combining it with Weight Watchers, I found that my weight was only very slowing creeping down...rather disheartened isn't the term for how I felt, but I still cracked on. But after today's session in the gym, I was given I new lease of motivation so I'm now my own guinea pig to a new way of monitoring my eating habits and calorie intake. Have to say I'm gobsmacked at some of things I eat and what they really "cost" me...I can't be the only person who was shocked to learn that a banana was over 100 calories, yet on Weight Watchers, they are free so I could eat as many as I wanted!!
Has anyone else been overwhelmed by the calorific value of food and is it easy to stay within the alloted calorie intake? Looking forward to the challenge all the same!
Since August 2010, I've been on and off Weight Watchers...I'm now stuck in a rut and at my biggest weight ever. About a month ago, I decided I'd had enough and started the gym. I've found that I really enjoy the activity but when combining it with Weight Watchers, I found that my weight was only very slowing creeping down...rather disheartened isn't the term for how I felt, but I still cracked on. But after today's session in the gym, I was given I new lease of motivation so I'm now my own guinea pig to a new way of monitoring my eating habits and calorie intake. Have to say I'm gobsmacked at some of things I eat and what they really "cost" me...I can't be the only person who was shocked to learn that a banana was over 100 calories, yet on Weight Watchers, they are free so I could eat as many as I wanted!!
Has anyone else been overwhelmed by the calorific value of food and is it easy to stay within the alloted calorie intake? Looking forward to the challenge all the same!
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Replies
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I've never understood the concept of "free foods", because food = calories. I have a feeling you'll find counting calories will work wonders for you. As the pounds start to come off, it becomes "easier" since you know it's working.
If you don't already have one, I recommend you get a digital food scale, and weigh EVERY morsel that goes into your mouth. Weighing in grams is more accurate than ounces. Even weigh things that you normally measure with spoons or cups. When searching for an entry in the MFP database, add "USDA" and "grams" to the description, I find those most accurate. Example: "raw carrots usda grams". Weigh and log! Open your diary so others can give you tips if you're not seeing the results you expect.
It's generally stated that you should eat at least 1200 calories a day to adequately fuel your body. It's better to lose weight at a slower pace, and eat the types of foods you plan to eat "forever". Diets that eliminate certain types of food usually aren't sustainable over the long term, and are unnecessary unless you have a medical reason to do so. Do you know what your daily calorie goal is?4 -
LOL...I'm guessing you're new here, by your banana calorie shock! Food scale....weigh EVERYTHING!!! I was totally floored when I realized what one tbsp. of peanut butter really meant! I weigh every thing that goes in my mouth, or, as I've been doing this for quite a few months now, at least guesstimate. Last nite I went over my calories for the first time in months; We had been out traveling, and I crazily accepted the yummiest chocolate concoctions, before grabbing a burger on the way home. Get home, Log the burger.....EIGHT HUNDRED CALORIES!!!!! It was sooooo gooood...but you know I won't do that again for a LONG time! I personally can't imagine trying to enjoy life like that on a 1200 calorie diet. Do you really need your goal to be that aggressive?2
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@JustMissTracy, in case you were referring to my 1200 calorie comment, I've seen some people who are new to calorie counting choose crazy low numbers for themselves. That's why I mentioned "at least 1200". Depending on height, current weight, and weight loss goals, 1200 may or may not be reasonable. My personal goal is 1360, but I find I get better results (around 7 lb loss/month) when I stay closer to 1250.1
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Absolutely, I wasn't judging.....and I'm 46, eating anywhere between 1400 and 1900 calories a day, and STILL losing, even though I'm trying not to. I can't imagine losing seven pounds in a month, but that's just me. 1200 is torturous, I've also done it when I first started MFP. I quickly learned that if I just moved my body more, I could EAT more...and still lose!0
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I've never really understood the whole "free food" thing...veggies and fruit provide energy (calories) and your body registers energy (calories) whether one thinks they are free or not.1
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Oh, I didn't read it as judgment! Sorry if you thought I meant that. I wanted to point out that the OP didn't mention 1200.2
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JustMissTracy wrote: »Absolutely, I wasn't judging.....and I'm 46, eating anywhere between 1400 and 1900 calories a day, and STILL losing, even though I'm trying not to. I can't imagine losing seven pounds in a month, but that's just me. 1200 is torturous, I've also done it when I first started MFP. I quickly learned that if I just moved my body more, I could EAT more...and still lose!JustMissTracy wrote: »Absolutely, I wasn't judging.....and I'm 46, eating anywhere between 1400 and 1900 calories a day, and STILL losing, even though I'm trying not to. I can't imagine losing seven pounds in a month, but that's just me. 1200 is torturous, I've also done it when I first started MFP. I quickly learned that if I just moved my body more, I could EAT more...and still lose!
Hi, I'm 51 and started with a personal trainer. I eat more now than I can ever remember. But, of the right foods. Lots of protein, good fats and good carbs. I do work out almost every day because I love it but I am not killing myself. AND, I have slimmed down, lost weight and gained muscle. It only took one month to see huge changes eating this way. I use to eat very low calorie. Went to bed hungry and the scale never moved. Now it seems like the weight is just falling off. Go figure.1 -
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Weight watchers makes my wife's home made banana muffins that are 170 calories a whopping 6 points, but tells you an entire banana bunch is free. It doesn't teach you valuable nutritional lessons.2
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cwolfman13 wrote: »I've never really understood the whole "free food" thing...veggies and fruit provide energy (calories) and your body registers energy (calories) whether one thinks they are free or not.
WW used to have a plan called "core" and I used it to lose some baby weight between pregnancies. On that plan there were "free" foods and foods that had to be counted. Sounds like it was the prototype for the new WW. Anyway, I think it works for some people because the uncounted foods were NOT calorie dense - think Volumetrics. And it is hard to get fat on apples. Unless they're in pie, which is a whole other thing.
Personally, I think it makes more sense to count calories rather than using a somewhat arbitrary and proprietary point system.1 -
I am pretty shocked by the calories in steak and chicken with the skin on. Last night I kept removing portions of my BBQ chicken from my plate and I still managed to eat 360 calories in it. I removed 200 calories worth and before I would have eaten all of that and another full portion along with a non veggie side, making my "healthy" chicken dinner way over 1500 calories at least.0
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Weight watchers makes my wife's home made banana muffins that are 170 calories a whopping 6 points, but tells you an entire banana bunch is free. It doesn't teach you valuable nutritional lessons.
Right, but I think the difference is how many bananas the average person is likely to eat versus how many muffins. If you're the kind of person who would actually eat an entire bunch of bananas then that plan would not work for you.0 -
I've never understood the concept of "free foods", because food = calories. I have a feeling you'll find counting calories will work wonders for you. As the pounds start to come off, it becomes "easier" since you know it's working.
If you don't already have one, I recommend you get a digital food scale, and weigh EVERY morsel that goes into your mouth. Weighing in grams is more accurate than ounces. Even weigh things that you normally measure with spoons or cups. When searching for an entry in the MFP database, add "USDA" and "grams" to the description, I find those most accurate. Example: "raw carrots usda grams". Weigh and log! Open your diary so others can give you tips if you're not seeing the results you expect.
It's generally stated that you should eat at least 1200 calories a day to adequately fuel your body. It's better to lose weight at a slower pace, and eat the types of foods you plan to eat "forever". Diets that eliminate certain types of food usually aren't sustainable over the long term, and are unnecessary unless you have a medical reason to do so. Do you know what your daily calorie goal is?
So far, my weight/age etc and independent advice/research from my personal trainer tells me I should be eating around the 2000 calorie mark. He's told me I'll see improvements just by benchmarking what I'm supposed to survive on calorie wise verses what I've been unthinkingly eating. He's told me to log it and revisit him in 3-4 weeks with the results so we can see just how it's working and tailor it a bit more to my needs.
Must say I'm rather pumped at the thought of putting it to practice. Thank you to everyone who has replied. It's a great feeling knowing so many can be supportive2 -
Welcome to MyFitnessPal.
That's it! You've got it!
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Rushbrook, your enthusiasm is catchy! Good luck! 1
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I know people that do well on Weight Watchers, but they keep changing their systems and they really don't always make sense. For someone that likes fruit the idea of "free foods" is a horrible idea. Now their new plan seems to be demonizing sugar where candy and baked goods have ridiculously high points to try to steer people away from using them.
My sister is using WW and likes the social aspect and does well on it, but she also realizes that the points system is only semi-based on calories and there are ways to game the system and still gain weight.
For me, I love counting calories because it is the bare bones of my nutrition and it allows me to make any number of choices. To me counting calories actually is simpler and has the most freedom possible.1 -
Speaking of sticker shock...or calorie shock I should say..I got a cheat meal Friday night. A Chinese dish & I would've chowed down the whole dish not long ago. Logged right before I started eating...1190 calories0
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It cut off 1/2 my comment:( I only ate 1/3 which was satisfying and didn't cancel my whole week's deficit:)0
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tiffanifair wrote: »It cut off 1/2 my comment:( I only ate 1/3 which was satisfying and didn't cancel my whole week's deficit:)
I was shocked to find that the new papa Johns cinnamon knots carry more calories than a pizza and are almost an entire day's worth of calories...SHOCK HORROR!!!0 -
Going to WW meetings helped me. Knowing I had to step on that scale every week, made me try harder. After 3rd time of trying, I had met my goal weight. Then, for some reason I'm not quite sure of, I just began gaining. Needless to say, I got incredibly discouraged and quit. Now, I've gained all that weight back and am struggling to lose even a lb.. Only 2 in the last 3 months... So very frustrated0
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