How to figure out my calories
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Kaysteroni wrote: »I'm 29 years old. 4'9" and about 232 lbs. I'm looking to get to 120 or so.
I'm not much for exercise as I have bad ankles but would like to try using the treadmill daily for about an hour. Most of the time I am on the couch crocheting or watching tv.
I had put in my info but it gave me 1200. Which I feel is not enough.
If anyone can help me figure it out.
Please and thank you
1200 calories is manageable. I am 5'5" and started at 245 lbs. That was morbidly obese. In the beginning, I ate only 1200 calories with very little exercise. I lost over 100 pounds this past year and have increased my exercise to where I will be run/walking my first 10K in the next few weeks. I can now eat 1700 - 2000 calories without gaining weight. What's important is to find foods that are filling. I also found that eating more often kept me from getting so hungry that I'd lose control. I started with 250 -300 calories per meal about four times per day. I found low fat and protein rich foods to be the best. Low fat because fatty foods are higher in calories. Protein rich because protein tends to satisfy hunger and preserve some of your muscle mass as you lose weight.
Low calorie foods with protein include unbreaded, unfried seafood, turkey, and chicken. Tuna and salmon on low calorie crackers is a good meal. Boiled, steamed, or baked chicken or turkey with a generous helping of steamed vegetables is another idea. I actually saved money buying healthier low calorie foods because I was eating much less. If you like white bread, that's fine. Rice is fine. I would have a tuna sandwich using one piece of bread and some corn puffs for lunch. Some days it was a turkey burger on white bread. The important thing with food is to know how much you are actually eating. For that you will need a food scale.
Two other important things to remember are to drink plenty of water and get enough sleep. These two things will keep you from thinking you are hungry when you're actually tired or thirsty. If you do start using the treadmill you will be able to eat more. The 1200 calories is without exercise. Good luck and instead of thinking this is not enough, just decide that it is enough...for now. As the weight comes off, you will feel so much better. I had bad knees and a bad back. Not anymore.
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Kaysteroni wrote: »I was always taught that the more I eat the more I gain.
if you eat more than your body burns yes, but if you eat less than your body burns then for most people no. so Like I said just put your stats into MFP and eat to that calorie goal it gives you. give it a few months and see if you lose any weight, since you being overweight/obese(by medical standards),your BMR(what your body needs calorie wise to just function) will be higher at a higher weight than at a lower weight. it all depends on if you are losing or not. also weight will fluctuate so the scale will at times go up,down or not move at all and thats normal.so dont get discouraged. try it for a few months and see, and if you dont see a loss then lower calories by 100 (just dont go any lower than 1200).if you start off at 1200 calories once you get to a smaller weight you wont be able to eat less calories. Thats why its best to lose less weight at a slower pace,not to mention less issue0 -
CaptainJoy wrote: »Kaysteroni wrote: »I'm 29 years old. 4'9" and about 232 lbs. I'm looking to get to 120 or so.
I'm not much for exercise as I have bad ankles but would like to try using the treadmill daily for about an hour. Most of the time I am on the couch crocheting or watching tv.
I had put in my info but it gave me 1200. Which I feel is not enough.
If anyone can help me figure it out.
Please and thank you
1200 calories is manageable. I am 5'5" and started at 245 lbs. That was morbidly obese. In the beginning, I ate only 1200 calories with very little exercise. I lost over 100 pounds this past year and have increased my exercise to where I will be run/walking my first 10K in the next few weeks. I can now eat 1700 - 2000 calories without gaining weight. What's important is to find foods that are filling. I also found that eating more often kept me from getting so hungry that I'd lose control. I started with 250 -300 calories per meal about four times per day. I found low fat and protein rich foods to be the best. Low fat because fatty foods are higher in calories. Protein rich because protein tends to satisfy hunger and preserve some of your muscle mass as you lose weight.
Low calorie foods with protein include unbreaded, unfried seafood, turkey, and chicken. Tuna and salmon on low calorie crackers is a good meal. Boiled, steamed, or baked chicken or turkey with a generous helping of steamed vegetables is another idea. I actually saved money buying healthier low calorie foods because I was eating much less. If you like white bread, that's fine. Rice is fine. I would have a tuna sandwich using one piece of bread and some corn puffs for lunch. Some days it was a turkey burger on white bread. The important thing with food is to know how much you are actually eating. For that you will need a food scale.
Two other important things to remember are to drink plenty of water and get enough sleep. These two things will keep you from thinking you are hungry when you're actually tired or thirsty. If you do start using the treadmill you will be able to eat more. The 1200 calories is without exercise. Good luck and instead of thinking this is not enough, just decide that it is enough...for now. As the weight comes off, you will feel so much better. I had bad knees and a bad back. Not anymore.
I will try eating less. I guess I do overdo it sometimes.
My typical meals include.....
2 cups of puffed wheat cereal and 1 cup skim milk (2 calorie free sugar) + 1 banana and 2 cups water for breakfast.
A ham or turkey sandwich with cheese, a little margarine, and mustard. An apple and water for lunch.
And dinners are usually one of the following.....
- Steak, mashed potatoes, some kind of vegetables, some BBQ sauce, and some margarine
- Chicken Breast, Ham Fried Rice, Some kind of vegetables, BBQ sauce, and a little margarine
- Pork Chop, Ham Fried Rice, Some kind of vegetables, BBQ sauce, and a little margarine
- A chicken burger in a bun with cheese, onions, relish, ketchup and mustard. With some carrots and homemade fries.
- Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes or rice, some kind of vegetables, ketchup, and some margarine
- Taco Mix, Tortilla Bowls, Cheese, some vegetables
- Soup and a grilled cheese. Sometimes a few crackers
- Shepherds Pie
- Homemade chicken strips and homemade fries
- Spaghetti and Sauce or meatballs
- Roast Beef, a slice of bread, some gravy, some vegetables, mashed potatoes
- Sausages, bacon, a couple waffles, hash browns (no eggs, I'm allergic)
- Chicken wrap (mustard and mayonnaise) and vegetables
- Homemade pizza
- Hotdog and homemade fries
I've been looking on Pinterest for more ideas0 -
Have you entered this type of day into the diary here? It will help you see where you are taking in a lot of calories, and then look at where you can start reducing. Find lower cal substitutes for some of these.4
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its also not about what you eat but how much,if you eat over your maintenance calories(the calories needed to maintain your current weight),yes you will gain.if you eat less you will lose,0
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The banana adds a lot of extra calories. I eat some now but cut them out while losing weight. An apple a day is good, even if it has lots of calories but the margarine is something to cut to a bare minimum. Steak is also fine but you need to know how much it weighs so you don't go overboard. Cheese is something I almost had to give up. I absolutely loved cheese! I now eat it but sparingly. The homemade fries are fine but if they're fried you need to measure how much oil is absorbed into the fries by weighing them before frying, then afterwards. One of my biggest downfalls was fried burritos. The tortillas were high in calories, then I fried them. They were always filled with too much cheese. I seldom make them anymore and really don't miss them. Soup, specifically Beefy Mushroom and Golden Mushroom soup, make for awesome gravies. I add a pound of ground turkey and serve over bread or rice. An awesome meal! Sausages and bacon are tricky. It's normal to weigh meat raw but crispy bacon is definitely lower in calories than what the package states. When you do wraps, make sure you're getting the lowest calorie wrap. Sometimes simple white bread has less calories than a wrap.
I definitely overdid my eating. I also loved to crochet and sit a lot. I am so much happier with myself and my current health. I hope you have the outcome that I experienced. 2 -
CaptainJoy wrote: »The banana adds a lot of extra calories. I eat some now but cut them out while losing weight. An apple a day is good, even if it has lots of calories but the margarine is something to cut to a bare minimum. Steak is also fine but you need to know how much it weighs so you don't go overboard. Cheese is something I almost had to give up. I absolutely loved cheese! I now eat it but sparingly. The homemade fries are fine but if they're fried you need to measure how much oil is absorbed into the fries by weighing them before frying, then afterwards. One of my biggest downfalls was fried burritos. The tortillas were high in calories, then I fried them. They were always filled with too much cheese. I seldom make them anymore and really don't miss them. Soup, specifically Beefy Mushroom and Golden Mushroom soup, make for awesome gravies. I add a pound of ground turkey and serve over bread or rice. An awesome meal! Sausages and bacon are tricky. It's normal to weigh meat raw but crispy bacon is definitely lower in calories than what the package states. When you do wraps, make sure you're getting the lowest calorie wrap. Sometimes simple white bread has less calories than a wrap.
I definitely overdid my eating. I also loved to crochet and sit a lot. I am so much happier with myself and my current health. I hope you have the outcome that I experienced.
Nothing wrong with eating bananas. In fact most people are deficient in potassium. Bananas have good fiber.
CaptainJoy makes good points but what you need to look at is the limiting factors.
OP doesn't move enough.
OP as a result will tend to overeat the wrong foods.
OP sleeps well but is overall sedentary.
Telling someone like this to eliminate fruit because of its caloric load is silly.
Look at calorie dense, processed foods and begin reducing those instead.3 -
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CaptainJoy wrote: »Worked for me and I'm happy and hope @Kaysteroni can be happy too.
Congrats!
The devil is in the detail.-1 -
I enjoy my fruits and vegetables. I like apples, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, plums, Peaches, strawberries, oranges. Carrots, onions, potatoes, green beans, yellow wax beans, tomatoes, corn, Peas, Lima beans.
Its just a lot of them are too pricey for what I get each month.
Steak is usually about 4oz uncooked.
Tortillas are 160 for 2.
Margarine is 60 for 2 tsp. I'm thinking on switching to the "I can't believe it's not butter"
My cheese is 50 calories. I don't have it all the time.
The homemade fries I just cut up a potato, spray it with a little oil and place it in the oven.
Soup is usually a vegetable or tomato.1 -
Kaysteroni wrote: »I enjoy my fruits and vegetables. I like apples, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, plums, Peaches, strawberries, oranges. Carrots, onions, potatoes, green beans, yellow wax beans, tomatoes, corn, Peas, Lima beans.
Its just a lot of them are too pricey for what I get each month.
Steak is usually about 4oz uncooked.
Tortillas are 160 for 2.
Margarine is 60 for 2 tsp. I'm thinking on switching to the "I can't believe it's not butter"
My cheese is 50 calories. I don't have it all the time.
The homemade fries I just cut up a potato, spray it with a little oil and place it in the oven.
Soup is usually a vegetable or tomato.
you can eat these things its fine just make it fit into your calorie goals,you dont have to cut anything out unless you have a health issue,since your dr told you to cut out/cut down on sugars do that. but why did he say cut down on fat? frozen veggies can also be cheaper and is just as good as fresh. is it possible to see a dietitian that specializes in diabetes? since you are disabled do you get disability0 -
Kaysteroni wrote: »sapphiremoon23 wrote: »Look in your library for the book called
Dr Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes. Great book. Diabetes runs in my family. I reversed mine with good nutrition & weightloss. Check on your library's website to see if they have OverDrive you might be able to borrow the book in digital form, audio or ebook.
My doctor told me that once you get diabetes you always have it. Its just under control.
if you have type 2 and are overweight a lot of times you can reverse it ,it all depends on the person though.now type 1 is different. for some losing weight and eating healthier will reverse their diabetes,your dr is wrong. what do you mean you have had normal levels for 2 years? do you mean your A1c? or something else. do you have diabetes or do you have a thyroid issue?0 -
CaptainJoy wrote: »The banana adds a lot of extra calories. I eat some now but cut them out while losing weight. An apple a day is good, even if it has lots of calories but the margarine is something to cut to a bare minimum. Steak is also fine but you need to know how much it weighs so you don't go overboard. Cheese is something I almost had to give up. I absolutely loved cheese! I now eat it but sparingly. The homemade fries are fine but if they're fried you need to measure how much oil is absorbed into the fries by weighing them before frying, then afterwards. One of my biggest downfalls was fried burritos. The tortillas were high in calories, then I fried them. They were always filled with too much cheese. I seldom make them anymore and really don't miss them. Soup, specifically Beefy Mushroom and Golden Mushroom soup, make for awesome gravies. I add a pound of ground turkey and serve over bread or rice. An awesome meal! Sausages and bacon are tricky. It's normal to weigh meat raw but crispy bacon is definitely lower in calories than what the package states. When you do wraps, make sure you're getting the lowest calorie wrap. Sometimes simple white bread has less calories than a wrap.
I definitely overdid my eating. I also loved to crochet and sit a lot. I am so much happier with myself and my current health. I hope you have the outcome that I experienced.
There is absolutely no reason to give up foods for weight loss? What happens when maintenance is started? Weight loss is all about calories, but weighing all solid and semi solid foods regardless of it being prepackaged/pre-weighed or not, and logging all food, cooking oils, condiments, spreads, sauces and beverages is the way to go.1 -
Both0
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Kaysteroni wrote: »I enjoy my fruits and vegetables. I like apples, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, plums, Peaches, strawberries, oranges. Carrots, onions, potatoes, green beans, yellow wax beans, tomatoes, corn, Peas, Lima beans.
Its just a lot of them are too pricey for what I get each month.
Steak is usually about 4oz uncooked.
Tortillas are 160 for 2.
Margarine is 60 for 2 tsp. I'm thinking on switching to the "I can't believe it's not butter"
My cheese is 50 calories. I don't have it all the time.
The homemade fries I just cut up a potato, spray it with a little oil and place it in the oven.
Soup is usually a vegetable or tomato.
you can eat these things its fine just make it fit into your calorie goals,you dont have to cut anything out unless you have a health issue,since your dr told you to cut out/cut down on sugars do that. but why did he say cut down on fat? frozen veggies can also be cheaper and is just as good as fresh. is it possible to see a dietitian that specializes in diabetes? since you are disabled do you get disability
I do go to a dietitian. I get a disability check each month but it isn't much
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Kaysteroni wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »Kaysteroni wrote: »I enjoy my fruits and vegetables. I like apples, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, plums, Peaches, strawberries, oranges. Carrots, onions, potatoes, green beans, yellow wax beans, tomatoes, corn, Peas, Lima beans.
Its just a lot of them are too pricey for what I get each month.
Steak is usually about 4oz uncooked.
Tortillas are 160 for 2.
Margarine is 60 for 2 tsp. I'm thinking on switching to the "I can't believe it's not butter"
My cheese is 50 calories. I don't have it all the time.
The homemade fries I just cut up a potato, spray it with a little oil and place it in the oven.
Soup is usually a vegetable or tomato.
you can eat these things its fine just make it fit into your calorie goals,you dont have to cut anything out unless you have a health issue,since your dr told you to cut out/cut down on sugars do that. but why did he say cut down on fat? frozen veggies can also be cheaper and is just as good as fresh. is it possible to see a dietitian that specializes in diabetes? since you are disabled do you get disability
I do go to a dietitian. I get a disability check each month but it isn't much
Yes disability in Canada is way, way below the poverty line (I'm also on disability-cpp and provincial)0 -
cerise_noir wrote: »CaptainJoy wrote: »The banana adds a lot of extra calories. I eat some now but cut them out while losing weight. An apple a day is good, even if it has lots of calories but the margarine is something to cut to a bare minimum. Steak is also fine but you need to know how much it weighs so you don't go overboard. Cheese is something I almost had to give up. I absolutely loved cheese! I now eat it but sparingly. The homemade fries are fine but if they're fried you need to measure how much oil is absorbed into the fries by weighing them before frying, then afterwards. One of my biggest downfalls was fried burritos. The tortillas were high in calories, then I fried them. They were always filled with too much cheese. I seldom make them anymore and really don't miss them. Soup, specifically Beefy Mushroom and Golden Mushroom soup, make for awesome gravies. I add a pound of ground turkey and serve over bread or rice. An awesome meal! Sausages and bacon are tricky. It's normal to weigh meat raw but crispy bacon is definitely lower in calories than what the package states. When you do wraps, make sure you're getting the lowest calorie wrap. Sometimes simple white bread has less calories than a wrap.
I definitely overdid my eating. I also loved to crochet and sit a lot. I am so much happier with myself and my current health. I hope you have the outcome that I experienced.
There is absolutely no reason to give up foods for weight loss? What happens when maintenance is started? Weight loss is all about calories, but weighing all solid and semi solid foods regardless of it being prepackaged/pre-weighed or not, and logging all food, cooking oils, condiments, spreads, sauces and beverages is the way to go.
You're asking someone who's never done those things before, to completely turn her life on its head and start with 10 different habits....
His success rate is 3% or less on this suggestion alone.
Address the limiting factors.
Not moving enough. Start walking a little each day.
Eating too much processed food. Remove a processed food from your menu.
Address nutritional deficiencies by taking a multivitamin and fish oil. <----the easiest by far and will have positive results the quickest btw.0 -
I'm a girl0
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I agree mostly with @cerise_noir and I'm sorry there's so much negativity in your thread. You are right about how eating too much causes weight gain. I was pointing out that fruit is high in calories and eating too much of it can cause weight gain. This and too much of everything else. When I started my weight loss I had never used a food scale. When I weighed that first bowl of cereal I was in shock. A serving size is so tiny. Then I tared the scale and sliced my banana up. I realized quickly that I had to eat less per meal or eat fewer meals. It was a real eye opener.
I didn't know you had diabetic and thyroid issues. There are many people who have learned new ways of eating and have overcome health issues by researching different diets and using this app. Do watch your sugar intake and don't give up. Get a food scale because they are so amazing. You'll learn more as you go.
Edit to add:
@Helloitsdan mentioned a multi-vitamin. I agree. Starting a diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies and make one physically sick. I have not been sick in over a year.
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