Tracking foods and calories (1,200 calories?)

Katlover12
Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone. I had a question about counting calories. Over the course of a few years I had times where I sometimes kept count of all my calories I ate for days then I would lapse and forget about it for a few months. As someone who is shorter than an average American person, aren't the labels for nutrition facts and calories off for me? What I mean are those stats and information are used as base for an average person with around 2,000 calorie diet. I'm 4'8" and I personally try to keep my calorie count per day to about 1,200. I know it sounds insufficient and too low to many. I am not that active either. I have a food scale but have been too afraid to use it as I may become way too obsess with calories. I am going to start using it and hope it'll help me lose weight. I know I say I eat around 1,200 calories but in reality it is likely more ( 2,000+). So like a gala apple from Trader Joe's is 80 calories. For me it is probably more like 100 calories or more.. I will occasionally have one egg, and it is 70 calories. But for me it is likely again around 100? Maybe I should make my own calorie scale. I don't know how to count calories.

I have hit a plateau in my fitness and weightloss journey. I have only lost like 15 lbs in my life. I gained about 8 pounds back in the most recent months. I used to eat a lot of white rice and junk food when I was younger but now mostly eat vegetables and fruits. If I want rice, I will have 1/4 of cup of brown rice instead of two cups of white rice per meal. I stop eating pasta and noodles. Whenever I had it, I would eat like two bowls. I should work on exercising but I feel that I need to still work on my diet.

Other than stop eating so much where my stomach used to hurt after the meal and from eating a lot of junk food, I have only lost weight when I restrict my calories to even less than my "1,200" calories to around 700 calories( maybe the real 1,200 )? I feel I eat too much for my body size.

I am kind of new and am not even sure if my post makes any sense.

Replies

  • acheben
    acheben Posts: 476 Member
    The calories and nutrients (information on the left) are the same for everyone. The percent daily value (%DV) on the right side of the nutritional label is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Don't worry about that part, just look at the calories and grams, mg, etc of nutrients.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    In all honesty the general 2000/2500 recommendations are based on some mythical person and don't necessarily apply to anyone in particular.

    You're right in that you need to figure out your TDEE based on your height/gender/etc. and your activity level. Being 4'8" you will have a lower TDEE than someone who is 5'5".
  • ktekc
    ktekc Posts: 879 Member
    not sure i understand what you are saying. Why would something that is 70 calories be 100 for you? You may be shorter but your body cant get more calories out of something than it has. (insert blood and turnip analogy here)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    PS calories in food are based on the mass of the food, not the height of the person eating it. If a particular apple is 80 calories, it is 80 regardless of who eats it. To lose weight, at a low TDEE, you may need to look for ways to increase your TDEE by being a) more active and b) strength training.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    ktekc wrote: »
    not sure i understand what you are saying. Why would something that is 70 calories be 100 for you? You may be shorter but your body cant get more calories out of something than it has. (insert blood and turnip analogy here)

    I am sorry for being confusing. I was reading online about counting calories and also I guess I have weird logic when come to calories. I didn't understand how calories were measured.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    PS calories in food are based on the mass of the food, not the height of the person eating it. If a particular apple is 80 calories, it is 80 regardless of who eats it. To lose weight, at a low TDEE, you may need to look for ways to increase your TDEE by being a) more active and b) strength training.

    Thank you for telling me about TDEE and also that calories are based on mass. You're right I need to work on increasing my activity level. I used to walk and exercise on rowing machine but I didn't notice any change but calluses.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    acheben wrote: »
    The calories and nutrients (information on the left) are the same for everyone. The percent daily value (%DV) on the right side of the nutritional label is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Don't worry about that part, just look at the calories and grams, mg, etc of nutrients.

    Oh.. I see what your saying. I didn't read or interpret the nutrition label correctly. I was taught this in elementary school when I was younger but forgot about it. Thank you for clearing that up for me. I feel so stupid. D:
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    It sounds like you could really benefit from reading up on how this all works. Have you read the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each forum section? I would start here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1

    As I think you will find answers to a lot of your questions (both asked and yet to be asked) through the links embedded there...

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited August 2016
    In general exercise is for fitness. But it also expends energy and thus burns calories.

    Basic explanation of TDD, a body uses a certain amount of energy in a day based on the person's size, activity and exercise. A bigger person uses more energy than a smaller person, all else being equal. The way to lose weight is to consume less than the body expends.

    What does this mean for a small person? Example only, I do not know your TDEE, lets say your body uses 1300 calories in a day because of your size. To eat enough for satisfaction, and to get proper nutrition, you can't cut that too low. You may go to 1000-1100 perhaps - keep in mind this would be a good thing to discuss with your doctor and/or dietician. Back to the example, with a small deficit like this, accuracy is VERY important. Meaning very meticulous food logging, weighing food, etc. Estimation leads to error, because we're human after all, and an extra 25 calories here and 50 calories there: your deficit is wiped out very quickly. While someone with a TDEE of 3000/day can aim for 2000 intake and if they have errors maybe they actually eat 2400 and still lose. If you aim for 1100 and have errors, you may be eating 1300-1400 and actually gain weight.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    It sounds like you could really benefit from reading up on how this all works. Have you read the stickied Most Helpful Forum Posts at the top of each forum section? I would start here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1

    As I think you will find answers to a lot of your questions (both asked and yet to be asked) through the links embedded there...

    Hi. I saw your post on another person's post and I am actually reading the link. Thank you for sharing.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    In general exercise is for fitness. But it also expends energy and thus burns calories.

    Basic explanation of TDD, a body uses a certain amount of energy in a day based on the person's size, activity and exercise. A bigger person uses more energy than a smaller person, all else being equal. The way to lose weight is to consume less than the body expends.

    What does this mean for a small person? Example only, I do not know your TDEE, lets say your body uses 1300 calories in a day because of your size. To eat enough for satisfaction, and to get proper nutrition, you can't cut that too low. You may go to 1000-1100 perhaps - keep in mind this would be a good thing to discuss with your doctor and/or dietician. Back to the example, with a small deficit like this, accuracy is VERY important. Meaning very meticulous food logging, weighing food, etc. Estimation leads to error, because we're human after all, and an extra 25 calories here and 50 calories there: your deficit is wiped out very quickly. While someone with a TDEE of 3000/day can aim for 2000 intake and if they have errors maybe they actually eat 2400 and still lose. If you aim for 1100 and have errors, you may be eating 1300-1400 and actually gain weight.

    I used https://tdeecalculator.net/ and it says the same for calorie per day. ( I didn't enter body fat percent though I am sure it is high.) My doctor says I am okay but that was when I was lighter, but now I am heavier again. She mentioned how I have little muscle mass. I have excess fat from the past. So exercising and weight lifting would help tone my body. I am afraid of gym. My accuracy with tracking my foods isn't very good. I don't often measure for spices and sauces. I see I have less room for error with my sedentary life. I am gradually gaining weight than maintaining the weight. Thank you for your help. I do not worry as much about the calorie difference in original post. I will go back to rowing and walking/running.
  • mama2redhead
    mama2redhead Posts: 132 Member
    Weighing food really helped me for portion sizes. I have found it also allows me to use non US recipies as elsewhere they weigh food amounts (i.e. grams) because it is more accurate.

    You can definitely work out at home. Benderfitness.com and yogadownload.com both have free videos. (Yogadownload.com only offers the 20 min videos free). I have also heard good things about fitnessblender.com, but haven't tried it.

    I found when I didn't track, I underestimated the true number of calories I consumed.
  • Katlover12
    Katlover12 Posts: 19 Member
    mama2redhead wrote: »
    Weighing food really helped me for portion sizes. I have found it also allows me to use non US recipies as elsewhere they weigh food amounts (i.e. grams) because it is more accurate.

    You can definitely work out at home. Benderfitness.com and yogadownload.com both have free videos. (Yogadownload.com only offers the 20 min videos free). I have also heard good things about fitnessblender.com, but haven't tried it.

    I found when I didn't track, I underestimated the true number of calories I consumed.

    I will try to work out again. With summer and no air condition I have become super lazy, going to places with a/c or staying inside and on computer. I have used fitnessblender in past. I liked it for most part but then stop after a couple days of using it. I am likely underestimating because I am not tracking correctly. I do blogilates videos a couple times a week normally. Thank you for sharing those websites. They inspire and motivate me to get moving again.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    You are completely correct that 2000 calories for someone of your size and activity level is too high. It sounds like you've been given some good advice so far and have found some good information to use to learn. Most of us never really learn about calories until we decide to count them for weight loss so don't feel badly about not understanding how it all works yet. The important thing is you're learning now!

    Don't be afraid of the food scale. It's a valuable tool. You'll really learn what the right portion sizes are and with a smaller calorie goal you definitely need to be more accurate. Best wishes!
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