Silly rabbit calorie countings for kids!
Hitmecaffeine323
Posts: 9 Member
I just jumped ship from lose it to this app. I was counting calories and thought that be enough to lose the weight Hahahaha, silly 30 something ! Those tricks are for kids ! I’d been eating my weight in sugar and had no idea. I’m looking to get back on track, I need to figure out a way to cut back on sugar....way back on sugar. What do you guys eat for breakfast/Lunch/dinner and snacks. I’ll appreciate any and all the support I can get, thanks !
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Replies
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Creating a calorie deficit is enough to lose weight. If you were counting calories and not losing, then there was some form of miscalculation in there. Even if 100% if your calories came from sugar you would still lose in a deficit.25
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Creating a calorie deficit is enough to lose weight. If you were counting calories and not losing, then there was some form of miscalculation in there. Even if 100% if your calories came from sugar you would still lose in a deficit.
Absolutely!
My favorite snack is Greek Yogert. High in protein. I eat light & fit 80 calorie Greek yogert by dannon. Love all of the flavors.8 -
Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries, an egg with 1 piece of whole wheat toast, sometimes a piece of ham on half an English muffin, half a cup of low fat cottage cheese and blueberries. I don't care for cold cereal, but there is always shredded wheat or other cereal (but read the label!!)
Lunch: I keep shrimp in the freezer and do various vegetables with it; turkey sandwich, if I have leftover chicken, I put it in a green salad.
Dinner - grilled protein is great. Shrimp, chicken, fish. If I do something with a sauce from a packet, I never use more than 2 TBSPs.
But you really have to read labels - and watch out for hidden sugars.
All this goes without saying, I have eliminated all pastry, cake, etc from my diet on a daily basis. If I crave something sweet, I eat fruit.
Cutting the obvious sugar is easy - but if you are really serious about cutting way back, you will need to read your labels - because there is sometimes sugar by another name (high frucrose corn syrup). I used to love BBQ sauce on a lot of things, until I read the label and realized how much sugar there was in there.
Good luck to you! I think you'll find this will be much easier, once you are mindful of sugar.11 -
Fresh express Asian salad is my favorite breakfast. We also raise free-range hens and so eggs are high on our list of breakfast foods. I never liked sweet breakfasts because then I crave sugar all day long. I'd say to start your day off with what you "should" feed it all day and get it off to a good start. Canned 99% fat free chicken is also a great breakfast. I heat it in the microwave and add tabasco, or worchestershire, or some other very low sugar sauce. The thing about sugar is it makes you crave it. If you completely give it up for a few days, the cravings go away. My pic was shot 50 lbs ago. Set yourself up to succeed by starting your day off with good proteins that are naturally low in fat. low sodium deli turkey breast is delicious and on some 647 bread, isn't a lot of calories and is very satisfying also. Your breakfast doesn't have to be a "traditional" breakfast food.
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I skip breakfast, eat a small lunch and have a big dinner with the family and add a little ice cream for dessert.10
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I just jumped ship from lose it to this app. I was counting calories and thought that be enough to lose the weight Hahahaha, silly 30 something ! Those tricks are for kids ! I’d been eating my weight in sugar and had no idea. I’m looking to get back on track, I need to figure out a way to cut back on sugar....way back on sugar. What do you guys eat for breakfast/Lunch/dinner and snacks. I’ll appreciate any and all the support I can get, thanks !
I'll have fat free, no added sugar or skyr yogurt with fruit for breakfast, or a sausage, bacon rasher, mushrooms and tomatoes, sometimes with an egg, or fish, a little rice and asparagus, or 25-40g of Fruit & Fibre, low sugar granola or no added sugar muesli, all with semi skimmed milk.
Lunch might be meat, fish or cheese with vegetables/salad, or a homemade soup, or if I'm out a sandwich, protein bar/shake with fruit or salad, or I get a kids' meal with a fruit bag from a fast food place.
Dinner is stir fries, stews, curries with a bit of rice and pulses, pasta with meat sauce, meat/fish and vegetables.
Snacks are generally fruit, nuts, and I have sugar free sweets or a protein bar or shake if I want a sweetness hit without worrying about sugar. My weakness is Nature Valley granola bars, but I'm managing to knock that habit on the head.
I find that filling up on vegetables and fruit helps me feel fuller for longer, and I've gradually got used to smaller portions. The less added sugars I eat, the more chocolate, ice cream toppings and other sweet stuff puts me off, as it's way too sweet for me. I haven't touched chocolate, pastries, sugary sweets and cakes (I used to crave and eat that all day every day) in months. I'll still eat it if I fancy it, but I don't fancy it nearly as much as I used to.
It's taken almost a year to change my eating habits, so take it slow, and gradually replace sugary stuff with lower sugar alternatives, fruit and veg, until you find yourself in a pattern of eating where the occasional sugary thing is a want instead of a need. Stay within your allotted calories, whatever you eat, and weight loss should happen.2 -
Thanks everyone for sharing these tips. I’ve got some other issues coming in, that are making this weight loss journey just a little harder. Hormones are a little out of wack.0
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A low sugar protein powder (I use dymatize) mixed with nonfat (or lowfat) Greek yogurt goes a loooooong way if you’re looking for something sweet. I generally eat it as a snack after the gym instead of a traditional protein shake. As for cutting out most sugar it’s fairly easy as long as you give yourself a few grumpy days to get past the cravings and when you just can’t shake it, go for something like fruit or yogurt instead of candy.
For breakfast I have oatmeal with PB2 and sugar free maple syrup (I used to use real peanut butter and full sugar maple syrup as a kid and I still love the combo) or I’ll have egg whites with a bit of sharp cheddar and 1 slice whole grain bread.
Lunch is usually later than most people for me since I work second shift so I snack on some veggies between my breakfast and lunch but when it’s time to eat I ALWAYS eat the same thing. I meal prep once a week filling 14 containers for my boyfriend and myself with perfectly measured out curry and brown jasmine rice.
Dinner is sometimes a ‘cheat’ meal of ‘pizza’ (low cal whole grain flatbread, plain tomato sauce, cheese, veggies for only about 300 calories!!), a black bean burger, or a chicken sandwich with avocado.
I have a daily intake of only 1300 calories and honestly don’t have much of an appetite so I usually hit around 1100-1200. And I don’t fall for the Keto fad that’s currently going on. I love my carbs because they keep me full, I’ve just learned that fat isn’t evil and protein is necessary too.1 -
I normally have fruit with Skyr and a bit of fruit loaf for breakfast. Lunch is Quorn sausages or eggs and a load of veg. Dinner probably a vegetable curry or chilli.
Snacks are chocolate biscuits of one sort or another, because I've lost 16 stone eating as much sugar as I like.
Don't blame sugar for not losing weight. The culprit is your logging. Cutting out sugar will make no difference if you don't fix that.5 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I just jumped ship from lose it to this app. I was counting calories and thought that be enough to lose the weight Hahahaha, silly 30 something ! Those tricks are for kids ! I’d been eating my weight in sugar and had no idea. I’m looking to get back on track, I need to figure out a way to cut back on sugar....way back on sugar. What do you guys eat for breakfast/Lunch/dinner and snacks. I’ll appreciate any and all the support I can get, thanks !
no. counting calories and maintaining a deficit IS enough to lose weight
unless you have a medical condition, there is no need to cut out sugar.9 -
I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.13
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I just jumped ship from lose it to this app. I was counting calories and thought that be enough to lose the weight Hahahaha, silly 30 something ! Those tricks are for kids ! I’d been eating my weight in sugar and had no idea. I’m looking to get back on track, I need to figure out a way to cut back on sugar....way back on sugar. What do you guys eat for breakfast/Lunch/dinner and snacks. I’ll appreciate any and all the support I can get, thanks !
Breakfast - full-fat greek yogurt mixed with protein powder and berries
Lunch - Chicken breast (smoke a whole batch on Sundays), with a side. Could be salad, in a wrap, with some noodles or zucchini, etc.
Afternoon snack - protein bar and a Monster Ultra Zero
Dinner - whatever the family is having.
Dessert - ice cream or chocolate, usually
I don't track sugar. I have no medical reason to need to. I already track carbs, and sugar is a carb. I switched my sugar tracker out for fiber years ago. I just make sure to hit my calorie allotment.
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
Check out these links, @Hitmecaffeine323. You make some assertions that are not scientifically factual. When you educate yourself, and learn how simple weight loss is (simple, but not easy!) you'll be more successful.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/9 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
Came back and deleted my post because I had a rough morning which resulted in my post being blunt, whereas others have said the same thing in a kinder way and offered more explanation.
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
1) Adding exercise can cause some water retention which will increase scale weight, but it is not an increase in body fat. I assume you are wanting to reduce your body fat.
2) If your weight is fluctuating that much (many of us do), a trending app may be helpful for you to see the trends over time. There is libra (android), happyscale (iPhone, I believe), and trendweight (works with fitbit, you need an account, but not a device). They smooth out the ups and downs and give you a better picture of what is happening over weeks of data.
3) Starvation mode as you are describing it here is a myth. There can be some challenges that are caused by chronic undereating including hormonal imbalances which can effect weight loss, but these are things that happen over time.
Some medical conditions will respond better to low carb, so you could try that. Your weight is not affected strictly by what you did yesterday, it is a function of the last week or two and much further beyond. Any fluctuations in weight that are overnight jumps are usually due to things like increased sodium intake, or exercise, or TOM which all impact water retention.
You already have a fair amount of data from the other app, look over that data, and your weight charts, and look at it in terms of weeks and months, not just day by day. If you don't have a food scale, that is an invaluable tool in weight loss. Using measuring spoons and cups has a degree of error that can wipe out a deficit, likewise with going off the weights on packages, they have a margin of error of 20%. I had pizza last night, the weight was off by 9% of the packaged weight, for the two pieces it was 36 calories more. Doesn't sound like much, but it will add up.8 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
Do you use a food scale? Guessing on serving sizes, taking labels at face value, and/or volumetric measuring of foods are all one-way tickets to underestimating your calorie intake and thinking the laws of physics don't apply to you.
Some of the other pieces you described are common misconceptions as well:
"Gain 3lbs in one day" - fluctuations in weight day to day come from a variety of factors, the least likely of which is that you at at 10,000 calorie surplus and gained 3lbs of fat. Cyclical hormone changes, hydration, sodium, and food waste in your system can all contribute to spikes in scale weight. If you choose to weigh yourself daily it's best to look at the overall trend rather than individual data points. Libra and HappyScale are two commonly used apps.
"adding more exercise makes me gain" - new-to-you exercise or an increase in volume/frequency of exercise will often result in stressed muscles retaining more fluids for repair, artificially inflating scale weight. It's extraordinarily unlikely you're gaining muscle at a tangible daily rate. If so, you're a genetic freak and should get into bodybuilding. People just don't accidentally gain too much muscle.
"my body freaks out and thinks I'm trying to starve it, I won't lose weight" - starvation mode isn't a thing5 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
Stating medical conditions in your first post would have been useful OP.
Anyone can gain that much with water weight fluctuations, that isnt unusual?2 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’m coming under the calories and the scale isn’t moving. I do have a medical condition to prevent me from losing the weight. I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo. I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight. It’s like a bulk up super easy. I’ve also noticed if I come way under my body freaks out and thinks I’m trying to starve it and I won’t lose any weight. It’s an insane balancing act.
If it’s been a month and the scale isn’t moving, then you’re not actually coming in under the calories.
You’re doing one or more of:
- Not weighing all solids
- Trusting the weight on individually portioned items (they’re often over)
- Choosing bad database entries (someone else’s homemade chilli is different from yours. Also, don’t just choose the lowest calorie entry you can find, it’s probably wrong for what you’re eating)
- Not logging absolutely everything, including fruit, veg, and the oils you cook with
If you open up your diary, people can give you advice.6 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I can gain up to 3 lbs in one day though woohoo.
Weight fluctuations are normal. There are lots of things that impact what the scale says. Water weight is the biggest reason for gaining a lot or losing a lot over night. Watch the trends over time or weigh in less often if the fluctuations bother you.
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »I’ve also noticed adding more exercise makes me gain vs lose weight.
New exercise routines or increased intensity can cause water retention for muscle repair. This can mask fat loss on the scale and even show as a gain. It’s temporary, but for some people it can last up to 6 weeks.
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Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?19
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Did I miss where anyone suggested this?12 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Sounds a bit extreme. 24 hrs without food would have me binge eating the next day and I would definitely feel like crap during the fast.
I can also see this leading to a binge/restrict cycle which isn’t healthy.
If you like volume, why not eat lots of veggies?
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
I am not trying to be mean, but fasting sets you up for failure. Your body needs fuel even if you are sitting around all day. Instead of fasting just try logging, as accurately as you can, all the foods you eat in a week. You will then start to see patterns. Once you understand your patterns you can start modifying them to healthier habits. Weight loss is about finding eating habits that you can live with for the rest of your life.10 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Guess my concerns about being too blunt were actually unfounded
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I can't see any point in fasting for 24 hours.
Yes I understand some people do fasting for spiritual or religious reasons but for a weight loss starter it is completely pointless
Just start how you mean to go on - eating to the calorie allotment MFP gives you, making sure you entered correct statistics.
Log as accurately as possible, at least to start with, you can give yourself more leeway with ' lazy logging' once you get established.
Aim to eat a reasonable balanced nutritious diet - but no need to make drastic changes or cut anything out ( unless you have relevant medical conditions in which case you will have to be more specific about what they are)
And tweak it as you go - by trial and error, eliminate or control foods which lead to binges ( eg only buying single serve ice creams when you are out and not having tub in freezer at home ).
You will find which foods fill you up more and which give you best value for your ' calorie dollar'6 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Just one: Be prepared for the epic binge on Friday.
I'm not sure you're taking the proper course of action here, nor do I think it's going to be helpful for you. Losing weight doesn't have to be self-abuse, deprivation, punishment or suffering. You've gotten a lot of useful advice in this thread which would be a lot more effective than what you're contemplating.12 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
what could possibly go wrong...5 -
Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Just one: Be prepared for the epic binge on Friday.
I'm not sure you're taking the proper course of action here, nor do I think it's going to be helpful for you. Losing weight doesn't have to be self-abuse, deprivation, punishment or suffering. You've gotten a lot of useful advice in this thread which would be a lot more effective than what you're contemplating.
That^^
Step 1 should be logging all your food/drink. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. After a week or so, look back over your food diary. Evaluate where you can make some small, sustainable changes. Maybe cut out one soda per day and replace it with water. Do that and keep logging everything. After another couple of weeks, again re-evaluate your food diary. Where can you make another small, sustainable change? Maybe by adding a vegetable every day. Do that and keep logging everything. See where this is going?!?
(I'm not really sure why I'm even trying here...
) 7 -
I love how OP has basically decided he will do the one thing no one in this thread suggested LOL7
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Hitmecaffeine323 wrote: »Ok so calorie restriction diet starts tomorrow morning. I’ll do 24 hours of no food just a limited amount of water. Since I have a huge problem once I start eating I can’t stop. It’s like I’m possessed and any and all logic goes out the window. I’ve done fasting from 3pm to 6am with no real results. So I’ll try no food for 24 hours then check in on Friday. Does anyone have any fasting tips ?
Yes I do: Don't do it.
Instead, just log everything accurately. Swapping apps won't make you stick to your goals any better. Ditch the all or nothing attitude you've got and instead focus on making little changes. Make sure you're eating enough. Eating less can make you want to binge. If you binge you lose your deficit, if you don't you make yourself miserable. Don't do that to yourself. Start off by logging everything you're eating without actively trying to reduce your calorie intake. Then move on to reducing the number of calories you're eating. By logging your "normal" food, you can see patterns and it will let you identify where you can make the easiest changes.4
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