Can I really eat like this and lose weight?

emilyjcros
emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've just started calorie counting and I'm a little surprised at how much I can eat, without going over 1200 calories. Like now, i'm snacking on a bag of crisps which I would've thought were out of bounds if I wasn't calorie counting. I know that as long as I eat less calories than I burn, I should lose weight, but somehow I feel like I'm doing something wrong. It feels like most things are 'allowed' to eat because they don't have that many calories in anyway. I've realised that it's better not to waste my calories on say 1 chocolate, and save them for something more filling, but I still don't feel like this can work?! Some reassurance and success stories on how it worked for you would be greatly appreciated, feel like I need some reassuring that this will work for me, and I'm not just wasting my time.
My diary is open if anyone would be able to have a look and see if i'm doing this right!
Thanks everyone and hope you've all had a great day.

Replies

  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    Yep, it's how I've lost 80+ pounds.

    Making chicken tikka masala made with heavy cream and basmati rice for dinner tonight. I also eat sweets regularly (as in usually one or two daily), and it doesn't stop me from losing weight. There are no good or bad foods, only incorrect portion sizes.

    Love this!
  • quartknee11
    quartknee11 Posts: 141 Member
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    Yes that's how it works. Soon you will learn what's worth eating now and what's worth eating once in awhile. What keeps you satisfied longer and what doesn't.

    If your weight loss slows down I recommend a food scale as people including experts in the field are generally poor at eyeballing portions.

    Recommendations on a food scale? Does it really matter the brand? I found one on amazon for 12-15$. Is that too cheap?
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    quartknee11 wrote: »
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    Yes that's how it works. Soon you will learn what's worth eating now and what's worth eating once in awhile. What keeps you satisfied longer and what doesn't.

    If your weight loss slows down I recommend a food scale as people including experts in the field are generally poor at eyeballing portions.

    Recommendations on a food scale? Does it really matter the brand? I found one on amazon for 12-15$. Is that too cheap?

    Just get one with a tare function. I got a $12 one off amazon and it's been great....3 years now.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    Also, read the stickied threads as they have wonderful information about accurate logging and great general info:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
  • quartknee11
    quartknee11 Posts: 141 Member
    @kami3006 thank you :)
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    I got the cheapest one amazon sold, which was about £2 but the reviews seemed OK. Didn't want to spend a lot until I know how much I use it, but if it works then it is an absolute bargain!
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AB051OY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    quartknee11 wrote: »
    leanjogreen18 wrote: »
    Yes that's how it works. Soon you will learn what's worth eating now and what's worth eating once in awhile. What keeps you satisfied longer and what doesn't.

    If your weight loss slows down I recommend a food scale as people including experts in the field are generally poor at eyeballing portions.

    Recommendations on a food scale? Does it really matter the brand? I found one on amazon for 12-15$. Is that too cheap?

    That's fine, I just bought one a few days ago on sale for around $13 :)
  • Aetheldreda
    Aetheldreda Posts: 241 Member
    It is an eye opener, isn't it? I am enjoying losing on 1200 (I'm short, over 40 and female with a sedantry lifestyle). I enjoy chocolate, ice cream, cheese, chips (fries) to name just a few things, alongside fresh meat and veggies.
    Enjoy!
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    It really is, thank you everyone for the kind answers. Getting a bit anxious now because I am going out for lunch tomorrow and can't find the calories anywhere. I don't know whether to get something more healthy sounding like the salad and hope it is low calorie, or just go for a burger and keep the rest of my days calories really low. Hard to know what I can eat when I won't know how many calories I've consumed.
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    mydogissupercute wrote: »
    It really is, thank you everyone for the kind answers. Getting a bit anxious now because I am going out for lunch tomorrow and can't find the calories anywhere. I don't know whether to get something more healthy sounding like the salad and hope it is low calorie, or just go for a burger and keep the rest of my days calories really low. Hard to know what I can eat when I won't know how many calories I've consumed.

    Find something in the database that you think is comparable and use it. Of course it won't be the same but you'll have a general idea. One day won't make a difference. Or, eat half and take home the other for another meal.

    This is something that gets easier over time as you become more familiar with serving sizes and calories in general. All part of the learning curve.

    Eating out will often cause water retention because of higher sodium so don't be surprised if you go up on the scale the next day. It's normal.
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you! I will keep that in mind for next time. Luckily I found the nutritional information so I am feeling much more relaxed, the salad is only 270 calories! Turns out the burger I wanted was more than my daily allowance so it's salad for me :(
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,979 Member
    mydogissupercute wrote: »
    Thank you! I will keep that in mind for next time. Luckily I found the nutritional information so I am feeling much more relaxed, the salad is only 270 calories! Turns out the burger I wanted was more than my daily allowance so it's salad for me :(

    Yeah, thankfully I'm a leftover kind of gal so I can make two or three meals out of one restaurant portion.
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    I'm always a little embarrassed to ask to take things home! I don't eat out too often though so once i'm a bit further into my diet I should be OK to eat the occasional cheat meal. It's definitely a good idea to split it into 3 portions because then you can eat something delicious (more than once!) without going over the calorie goal.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
    I would even go so far as to say that those crisps are necessary for your success. Keep eating the foods you love, log them, and restrict calories to fit your goal and you will lose weight. Cut out so-called bad foods you love and you will quit!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    OP sounds like you've got a great attitude and some great info here. A couple things to make sure of:

    1. Is 1200 the appropriate calorie goal for you? A lot of people choose the most aggressive rate of weight loss they can, when it may not be necessary to go that low in order to lose. What are your stats: height/weight/activity level and goal weight?
    2. Are you exercising? If so, you should be logging and eating back some of those calories which will give you more than 1200.
    3. Make sure you are eating satiating, nutrient dense foods for the bulk of that calorie allotment and making room for the treats when you can. 1200 is the minimum calorie goal in order to get adequate nutrition, and you can do that and fit in some treats, but if chips are crowding out other foods then you may want to look at your overall diet.
    4. For that restaurant salad, make sure the nutrition info you found includes the dressing. 270 sounds kind of low for an entree salad in a restaurant as those can often be higher cals than a burger!

    Good luck!
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited January 2017
    mydogissupercute wrote: »
    It really is, thank you everyone for the kind answers. Getting a bit anxious now because I am going out for lunch tomorrow and can't find the calories anywhere. I don't know whether to get something more healthy sounding like the salad and hope it is low calorie, or just go for a burger and keep the rest of my days calories really low. Hard to know what I can eat when I won't know how many calories I've consumed.

    Many times a burger is a lower calorie option, depending on what's on it. Salads can be sneaky though-many restaurant ones will clock in at over 1,000 calories!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    It really IS that easy. I'm coming up on year 6 in maintenance. Lost my excess weight and have been at my goal weight for all this time, just eating what I want within calorie goals and exercising to earn more. Most of what I eat is fairly nutritious because I want to be healthy, not just at my ideal weight. But I do eat my share of junk. Good luck! B)
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    OP sounds like you've got a great attitude and some great info here. A couple things to make sure of:

    1. Is 1200 the appropriate calorie goal for you? A lot of people choose the most aggressive rate of weight loss they can, when it may not be necessary to go that low in order to lose. What are your stats: height/weight/activity level and goal weight?
    2. Are you exercising? If so, you should be logging and eating back some of those calories which will give you more than 1200.
    3. Make sure you are eating satiating, nutrient dense foods for the bulk of that calorie allotment and making room for the treats when you can. 1200 is the minimum calorie goal in order to get adequate nutrition, and you can do that and fit in some treats, but if chips are crowding out other foods then you may want to look at your overall diet.
    4. For that restaurant salad, make sure the nutrition info you found includes the dressing. 270 sounds kind of low for an entree salad in a restaurant as those can often be higher cals than a burger!

    Good luck!

    Thanks for the advice! I did choose the most aggressive rate of weight loss (guilty) but I'm still eating sensibly and having a treat now and then so I think it will be OK! I'm 5'6/5'7 and weigh 168lb and I am aiming to lose around 35/40lb or until I feel happy with myself. I'm not exercising at the moment but I will be once I go back to university (tomorrow) so I will make sure to log that and eat as I feel necessary. I ate the crisps today because I had a surprising amount of calories left over (maybe I wasn't too accurate), so nothing was pushed out!

    I was surprised with the salad as well, but it isn't a fancy place so I guess it is probably just leaves haha. I changed my mind and I am going to have a wrap instead (sounds much more delicious as well),for 370 calories.
  • emilyjcros
    emilyjcros Posts: 17 Member
    That's why I was wary of the salad, you never really know what you are getting, although I hoped it was less than the burger! After I looked it all up, the burger was more than my daily calories but I found a wrap that sounds delicious for 370 calories so i'm going for that! Thank you all for the support and answers
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    mydogissupercute wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    OP sounds like you've got a great attitude and some great info here. A couple things to make sure of:

    1. Is 1200 the appropriate calorie goal for you? A lot of people choose the most aggressive rate of weight loss they can, when it may not be necessary to go that low in order to lose. What are your stats: height/weight/activity level and goal weight?
    2. Are you exercising? If so, you should be logging and eating back some of those calories which will give you more than 1200.
    3. Make sure you are eating satiating, nutrient dense foods for the bulk of that calorie allotment and making room for the treats when you can. 1200 is the minimum calorie goal in order to get adequate nutrition, and you can do that and fit in some treats, but if chips are crowding out other foods then you may want to look at your overall diet.
    4. For that restaurant salad, make sure the nutrition info you found includes the dressing. 270 sounds kind of low for an entree salad in a restaurant as those can often be higher cals than a burger!

    Good luck!

    Thanks for the advice! I did choose the most aggressive rate of weight loss (guilty) but I'm still eating sensibly and having a treat now and then so I think it will be OK! I'm 5'6/5'7 and weigh 168lb and I am aiming to lose around 35/40lb or until I feel happy with myself. I'm not exercising at the moment but I will be once I go back to university (tomorrow) so I will make sure to log that and eat as I feel necessary. I ate the crisps today because I had a surprising amount of calories left over (maybe I wasn't too accurate), so nothing was pushed out!

    I was surprised with the salad as well, but it isn't a fancy place so I guess it is probably just leaves haha. I changed my mind and I am going to have a wrap instead (sounds much more delicious as well),for 370 calories.

    For less than 50 lbs to lose, a rate of 1 lb/week is ideal, and then when you get down to 25 lbs left changing it to 0.5 lb/week. You are probably fine where you are right now since you aren't using a food scale, it's likely you're underestimating that anyway, but when you get the scale, get used to logging everything, and start exercising it would probably be good to revisit all those goals.

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