What is the truth?
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Tacklewasher- your reply was extremely helpful in understanding how to work the calories!
I do like having a cheat day- a day I can have a glass of wine and an indulgent meal 😊
I've never quite understood the term "cheat day". Either you're eating within your limits, regardless of the type foods, or you're not. There's no "cheating", other than oneself.4 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thank you Ann & Kami.... I really appreciate your guidance!
I was just looking through the recipes thread- pics of meals people cooked and was really surprised at the variety and so appetizing looking! I’m thinking they must work out a lot to be able to eat like that! 😊. I mean .... Mac n cheese ... pork chops..... a full plate of good food-
I searched vegetable pizza slice w cheese and 1 slice is about 350 calories....X 2 plus a salad.... at least 1/2 my 1200 calories 😳
Again..... a lot of sweat to earn that- lol
And as pointed out above - it is likely that you don't need to go as low as 1200 in order to lose. You are already at a healthy weight, you have about 10 lbs that you'd like to lose, you should be aiming for 0.5 lbs/week rate of loss, and that is a NET goal, so that when you do exercise, you would eat even more.
You seem to have some misconceptions around diet and weight loss - and I'm concerned by your statements that rather than eating something "unhealthy" you'd rather just stick with 700 calories in a day. THAT is unhealthy, far more so, than eating a pork chop and mac n cheese.
Context and dosage matter - you can eat a varied, balanced, nutrient dense diet that is satiating and enjoyable, at a calorie appropriate level for you goals.
I'm 5'2 and in maintenance at 118 lbs, I lost the majority of my weight (~35 lbs) eating b/w 1600-1900 calories/day. I eat things like pizza, bread, fast food, and sweets on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with these foods, in moderation. And they really aren't that hard to fit into a reasonable calorie goal - and I'm not sure that 1200 calories is reasonable for you.14 -
WinoGelato wrote: »evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thank you Ann & Kami.... I really appreciate your guidance!
I was just looking through the recipes thread- pics of meals people cooked and was really surprised at the variety and so appetizing looking! I’m thinking they must work out a lot to be able to eat like that! 😊. I mean .... Mac n cheese ... pork chops..... a full plate of good food-
I searched vegetable pizza slice w cheese and 1 slice is about 350 calories....X 2 plus a salad.... at least 1/2 my 1200 calories 😳
Again..... a lot of sweat to earn that- lol
And as pointed out above - it is likely that you don't need to go as low as 1200 in order to lose. You are already at a healthy weight, you have about 10 lbs that you'd like to lose, you should be aiming for 0.5 lbs/week rate of loss, and that is a NET goal, so that when you do exercise, you would eat even more.
You seem to have some misconceptions around diet and weight loss - and I'm concerned by your statements that rather than eating something "unhealthy" you'd rather just stick with 700 calories in a day. THAT is unhealthy, far more so, than eating a pork chop and mac n cheese.
Context and dosage matter - you can eat a varied, balanced, nutrient dense diet that is satiating and enjoyable, at a calorie appropriate level for you goals.
I'm 5'2 and in maintenance at 118 lbs, I lost the majority of my weight (~35 lbs) eating b/w 1600-1900 calories/day. I eat things like pizza, bread, fast food, and sweets on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with these foods, in moderation. And they really aren't that hard to fit into a reasonable calorie goal - and I'm not sure that 1200 calories is reasonable for you.
Indeed! All of this ^^^1 -
I’m meeting with a personal trainer tomorrow 😊deannalfisher wrote: »being that you are already at a healthy weight for your weight - you might want to look at body recomposition in addition to just focusing on losing weight - recomp is a slower process where you focus on losing body fat while gaining muscle
I didn’t mention that I’m 59 years old and quite out of shape physically. I’m only about 10 pounds heavier than when I was younger- but not tone and have areas of fat 😛 I’m hoping that a trainer can help me focus on toning and strengthening.
It’s depressing to see how your body ages
Collectingblues & jellyroll- thanks for the insights.... I never had to think about diet and exercise when I was younger- I could eat anything and stay trim.... I was never a fitness person but I did move more and found exercise in other activities
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Just a quick note to stress that formal exercise is not the only thing that burns calories and it is a common misconception that you have to be huffing, puffing, and sweating in order to "earn" calories.
You can increase your activity and caloric allowance with much gentler methods.
Perhaps one of the easiest and most difficult ones at the same time is the simple 250 steps (or about 2.5 to 3 minutes of moving around) each and every hour you're awake.
It really doesn't sound like much to be "moving around" for less than 5% of your awake time, does it?
So why is it that I consistently fail in achieving this even though I am classified as more than "very active" based on the MFP activity factors?
Having said that: strength training will not only make you feel better but it is associated with much better outcomes as we age. It is not, however, a huge caloric expenditure.
And I join the chorus that 1200 is not necessary or appropriate for everyone. Trending weight app if no-one has mentioned it too
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So basically, PAV, get off the couch! haha.....
WinoGelato- When I registered with MFP, it gave me a 1200 calorie goal in order to get from 128.6 to 118. I guess I need to play with the food to understand how to fit in a cheeseburger, pizza, or other of my likes (in moderation). I have seen some weight loss (2.5lbs) since starting in the beginning of September. This week it looks like .5 lbs...(which I'm told is what to expect). Based on MFP, I should be close to my goal in 5 weeks....
....then I can continue to work on maintanence, strengthening and toning. That's my plan anyway. 2 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »So basically, PAV, get off the couch! haha.....
WinoGelato- When I registered with MFP, it gave me a 1200 calorie goal in order to get from 128.6 to 118. I guess I need to play with the food to understand how to fit in a cheeseburger, pizza, or other of my likes (in moderation). I have seen some weight loss (2.5lbs) since starting in the beginning of September. This week it looks like .5 lbs...(which I'm told is what to expect). Based on MFP, I should be close to my goal in 5 weeks.... ....then I can continue to work on maintanence, strengthening and toning. That's my plan anyway.
MFP gave you that goal based on your stats and rate of loss that you chose. Did you choose 0.5 lb/week? Doubtful. More likely you chose 1 or 2 lbs/week.
The aim shouldn’t be to get to your goal as fast as possible so you can then figure out your maintenance and strength training plan. Eating at a modest deficit, about 250 cals from your TDEE while starting to work on strength training now, will help make for a successful transition to maintenance.
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evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Thank you Ann & Kami.... I really appreciate your guidance!
I was just looking through the recipes thread- pics of meals people cooked and was really surprised at the variety and so appetizing looking! I’m thinking they must work out a lot to be able to eat like that! 😊. I mean .... Mac n cheese ... pork chops..... a full plate of good food-
I searched vegetable pizza slice w cheese and 1 slice is about 350 calories....X 2 plus a salad.... at least 1/2 my 1200 calories 😳
Again..... a lot of sweat to earn that- lol
For reference, Dominos small thin crust pizza (10") with regular cheese, plus veggies, will run around 1000 calories for the whole pizza, according to their web site. Half of one, plus a green salad, is an affordable splurge, with a light but nutritious rest of the day, and 2 slices would be less than that. Or, put pizza toppings on a 6" Ezekiel wrap (80 cals for the wrap) and bake at home.
I like to make mac and cheese with chickpea pasta (more protein), ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, a smaller amount of real parmesan or sharp cheddar for flavor, browned onions, minced garlic, maybe a good dollop of mashed winter squash for micros, fiber, and volume. Maybe that wouldn't suit you, but I'd take it over boxed/frozen any day.
(I haven't eaten pork chops since 1974, but I routinely eat full plates of good food: I love me some veggies!)
MFP assigned you 1200 calories because of the weight loss rate you requested in your setup. With so little to lose, it would be a questionable health choice to request more than 0.5 pounds per week.
Oh, and: I was 59 when I started on MFP. I'm 62, and much thinner, now.
Best wishes!11 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »Today I had pasta (1.5 C) with a meatball
You need to start weighing your food, not using a measuring cup. (and weigh the meatball)
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WinoGelato- now I see how how I set up my MFP wasn’t realistic.... .5 lbs makes more sense and seems to be how my body is reacting to the change in my diet. When I complete my daily diary- MFP says I should weigh 122/123 lbs in five weeks Does this mean from when I started? This means I should reach that # by 10/18- I don’t think I’ll lose 4 pounds in 3 weeks- so .5 lbs seems more like it-
Ann- your post was truly inspiring.... thank you!
DoubleUbea- yes.... I can see how the listings on MFP can be off... if I choose a meatball for instance, how would it know if it was a 1” ball or a 2” ball? 🙄. Definitely the #’s can be way off
4Pop- a “cheat day” for me means I can have a food I’ve completely avoided since I started here.... like ice cream or onion rings with my meal. I have indulged in these foods to excess which has led me here. I was eating without thinking
Thank you all for your guidance and advise-much appreciated!
This is all new territory for me3 -
The predictive five week weight is based on the your last entered weight. If you went back and completed previous entries again it would base it on your current (last entered) weight.
Don't take the five week prediction too seriously, there are too many factors to make an accurate prediction five weeks out.
Completing the day doesn't serve any purpose except for giving you that prediction. Some people find it helpful, some people find it discouraging.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/42632344#Comment_426323441 -
DoubleUbea- now that ^^was an eye-opening thread! I suppose I’ll:
Weigh & Log my food for my own awareness
Exercise
And look for positive change 😊3 -
evergreenlakegirl wrote: »DoubleUbea- now that ^^was an eye-opening thread! I suppose I’ll:
Weigh & Log my food for my own awareness
Exercise
And look for positive change 😊
Weigh and log your food, track your exercise and eat the calories back, because it is the single best way to understand the fundamental energy balance: calories in, calories out. Your weight is always governed by this concept and a mathematical formula, whether you are tracking or not. For many of us, we’ve found incredible peace of mind and flexibility with that knowledge and awareness. It doesn’t do much matter what the weight predictor says, it’s a silly concept since who eats exactly the same every day? But tracking, weighing, monitoring your own weight and adjusting accordingly, these are habits that translate to long term success in managing your weight. Even if you decide to stop logging after you’ve reached maintenance, the concept of CICO still applies.3
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