I cannot consume my daily calorie intake!!

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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    A couple of things jump out at me as i read through this thread...

    First, I also think you may be over estimating your calorie burn. 1700 calories sounds like a lot for 90 minutes on the bike and 2 dog walks. Just for the sake of comparison... I biked for 2 hours 40 minutes yesterday, did 42 miles and burned 1660 calories (accordingbto my heart rate momitor).

    Next... definitely cut down on the sugary foods, processed starches and alcohol. Try to eat more during the course of the day... don't wait until evening to start accumulating calorires.

    For me, the cleaner I eat the harder it is for me to make my calorie goal, especially on high exercise days. You'll likely have to try different combinations of foods to find what works for you.
  • andrew384
    andrew384 Posts: 14 Member
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    in the week I tend to cycle 30 mins in the morning and 45 mins in the evening (to and from work) @ 14-16 mph. I then walk the dog and a fast pace for 50 mins in the morning and a slow to moderate pace in the evening for 80 mins. I haven't got a heart rate monitor so I jut calculate time/distance for speed.

    I think my problem is as with most people in their 30s is that in my 20s I could exercise and not change my diet and lose weight. Now I'm reaching mid 30s I'm findin it a little harder and so will cut down on sugary foods and alcohol.

    In saying that, I have lost weight so I must be doing something right!
  • nooge
    nooge Posts: 5
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    I meant to reply to this earlier after asking my initial set of questions but it's been a crazy day at work(!).

    You've not stated how much alcohol (or kind) that you drink per day - just that you do. Remember each pint of beer is approx 250 calories which is a 1/6th of my daily intake! A few of these per day would push me over the edge.

    I use a few different ideas outside MFP and just counting calories and it works a treat. Try sticking to foods with a low glycemic load - pulses, lean meats, nuts and seeds (not too many), fruit, whole foods etc. Avoid any processed or highly refined foods (white bread, chocolate) and any caffeine products too as these will cause spikes in your insulin levels. Insulin turns glucose in your food to fat making it more difficult for your body to burn.

    With your exercising, keep your body ticking over by making your shorts bursts of exercise more intense and your longer stints slower. Interval training (mixing fast and slow) is a great fat burner.

    Hope this helps
  • andrew384
    andrew384 Posts: 14 Member
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    I meant to reply to this earlier after asking my initial set of questions but it's been a crazy day at work(!).

    You've not stated how much alcohol (or kind) that you drink per day - just that you do. Remember each pint of beer is approx 250 calories which is a 1/6th of my daily intake! A few of these per day would push me over the edge.

    I use a few different ideas outside MFP and just counting calories and it works a treat. Try sticking to foods with a low glycemic load - pulses, lean meats, nuts and seeds (not too many), fruit, whole foods etc. Avoid any processed or highly refined foods (white bread, chocolate) and any caffeine products too as these will cause spikes in your insulin levels. Insulin turns glucose in your food to fat making it more difficult for your body to burn.

    With your exercising, keep your body ticking over by making your shorts bursts of exercise more intense and your longer stints slower. Interval training (mixing fast and slow) is a great fat burner.

    Hope this helps

    Hi Nooge

    Thanks for your reply. My alcohol intake is relatively high. Being an ex rugby player and all round social person it came as second nature. Normally, I will have 8-10 pints on a wednesday (stella Artois or Strongbow for example) and then 10 on a Friday and same on a Saturday. I also work in the office and drink about 4-6 mugs of coffee a day. I try to eat lean meats as much as possible and if I have mince beef say, it will be extra lean. I only eat wholemeal bread and we have decided to switch pasta and rice to wholemeal/brown also.

    As far as exercising I can see your point and have also tried to vary the way I work out. My wife and I are taking up squash once a week so hopefully this will bring a change.

    Thanks for all your help everyone.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Normally, I will have 8-10 pints on a wednesday (stella Artois or Strongbow for example) and then 10 on a Friday and same on a Saturday.
    I think I've spotted your problem! Ten pints of Stella is 2,560 calories which is average daily maintenance calories for a man before you even eat anything!

    I'm the last person to advocate giving up entirely, I'm a journalist and like you much of my social life revolves round the pub.

    What I did is add an separate "booze" section to my diary to be accountable for how many calories I'm "wasting" and opened my diary to friends to keep an eye on me!

    I've ditched the pints of cider and Peroni and switched to bottles of Coors Light in the pub which are just 88 calories each. Yes, they're smaller than a pint, but if you get one per round you can "keep up" with your friends and still save 1680 calories! At home I only drink red wine and have a standard pub "small" 125ml glass which means I can get six 80-calorie glasses out of a bottle over two or three nights.

    Food-wise, load up on veg with your lean meats and watch portion sizes of pasta and spuds, they can be a real calorie shock! Try weighing them for a week or two then cutting back to standard portion sizes.

    Hope that helps!
  • littlemili
    littlemili Posts: 625 Member
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    My alcohol intake is relatively high. Being an ex rugby player and all round social person it came as second nature. Normally, I will have 8-10 pints on a wednesday (stella Artois or Strongbow for example) and then 10 on a Friday and same on a Saturday.
    Seriously? If you want to lose weight why are you drinking this much? Aside from the obvious health issues it will completely cancel out any lifestyle changes like eating wholemeal carbs a hundred times over. You want to lose weight, cut the drink down to within safe limits. If you cut back soon you won't need so much to feel the effects anyway. But really you are wasting your time making tiny changes to your diet if you are poisoning yourself to this extent so frequently. Sorry to be blunt but it's the honest truth and if you come to a health website to lose weight but not prepared to seriously reduce your drinking habit then you may as well quit because you are sabotaging any efforts. To put it in context, you have more calories in beer on a night out than I do in 2 days of overeating.
  • xAdrianax
    xAdrianax Posts: 269 Member
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    I am betting that if you just cut out the drink, the weight would fall off! Too many extra calories wasted!
    You need to make a lifestyle change in that department because its not safe, healthy or going to play a part in weight loss.
    You have to think which is more important, your health and happiness or drinks with the lads - of course you dont have to cut it out completely but you have just admitted to everyone you drink like 30 pints a week!
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
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    I can't really change my activity as I need to walk my dog and I cycle to and from work. But I will take the rest on board. Cheers all!

    That's not what was meant. They are talking about changing your activity setting here on the website, not your actual activity ;)

    I agree with the posts above. I think you are way overestimating the calories you are burning.

    Good luck!
  • zapatasbloodjv
    zapatasbloodjv Posts: 50
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    MFP overestimates activity calories....I eat about half back if I feel hungry.

    It looks like your food intake is not the problem at all.


    Its the booze, period. 8-10 pints -- DAMN.

    U already have a exercise regiment and based on what u say u eat right....so cut out or trim the booze and the weigh will fall off.

    U might also might ask ur drinking buddies if u eat ne thing while sauced up...ive been known to kill entire pizzas when im on a bender.
  • nooge
    nooge Posts: 5
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    Thanks for your reply. My alcohol intake is relatively high. Being an ex rugby player and all round social person it came as second nature. Normally, I will have 8-10 pints on a wednesday (stella Artois or Strongbow for example) and then 10 on a Friday and same on a Saturday. I also work in the office and drink about 4-6 mugs of coffee a day. I try to eat lean meats as much as possible and if I have mince beef say, it will be extra lean. I only eat wholemeal bread and we have decided to switch pasta and rice to wholemeal/brown also.

    Haha I used to play rugby in Uni so know what you mean! For everyone else who hasn't been part of the rugby social scene, it's a totally different world and regulating booze is massively difficult...

    Things you could think about trying:

    * Swap out a beer for a nice glass of white wine (joke! But seriously, it works ;) )
    * Get on the shots early. Vodka is the closest thing to low cal alcohol you'll find...
    * Have 2 weeks periods where you train extra hard and cut back on drink. Your teammates will stop giving you stick for it after a few awesome games
    * Try to only drink as much as you do now after a game. You'll have burnt loads of calories then and the net affect will be close to zero.
  • andrew384
    andrew384 Posts: 14 Member
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    Just a quick update. I've changed my mfp settings, cut down my drinking to once a week (a few beers then a few vodkas) and generally lead a healthy lifestyle 6 days a week and maybe once have a curry or something. To date I have lost about 16lbs in 3 weeks! That's just from cutting out the booze and takeaways!!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Just a quick update. I've changed my mfp settings, cut down my drinking to once a week (a few beers then a few vodkas) and generally lead a healthy lifestyle 6 days a week and maybe once have a curry or something. To date I have lost about 16lbs in 3 weeks! That's just from cutting out the booze and takeaways!!

    Wow, Andrew, that's amazing! Very well done!
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
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    Just a quick update. I've changed my mfp settings, cut down my drinking to once a week (a few beers then a few vodkas) and generally lead a healthy lifestyle 6 days a week and maybe once have a curry or something. To date I have lost about 16lbs in 3 weeks! That's just from cutting out the booze and takeaways!!

    GREAT, and thanks for the update, brilliant to hear someone listening to advice and it working! Good job!

    For what it's worth I too cut down my drinking from 25 pints a week to between four and six and think that's why I lost 3" off my gut so quickly.

    Keep up the good work!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    oops, double post!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Just a quick update. I've changed my mfp settings, cut down my drinking to once a week (a few beers then a few vodkas) and generally lead a healthy lifestyle 6 days a week and maybe once have a curry or something. To date I have lost about 16lbs in 3 weeks! That's just from cutting out the booze and takeaways!!

    Great work!!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    For what it's worth I too cut down my drinking from 25 pints a week to between four and six and think that's why I lost 3" off my gut so quickly.

    We've cut out midweek wine. We only have a bottle of wine with dinner on the weekends. Makes a huge difference to both my calories and my purse!

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