Are the cookies doing me in?

Jessyiam
Jessyiam Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to MFP, been on just over two weeks. My calories suggested per day are 1200, which is hard for me. I have been working out til I'm dripping sweat, at least an hour almost everyday to burn and earn more calories. My problem is sugar. Sweets and more sweets. I can stay under my calories, or come real close, most days, but a portion of the calories are cookies. Other than the cookies, I eat super healthy. Lots of veggies anfd fruits with every meal, no processed or fast food to speak of, ( the desserts are homemade) and totally whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, or oats. And I have not lost a pound in about 12 days. Even though I am counting calories so carefully, are the empty sugar calories stopping the weight loss? Maybe some fat is turning to heavier muscle from all the exercise? I just want that scale dial to go down some, I am discouraged, it seems frozen in place.

Replies

  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    If you're under your calories while eating cookies then your cookies aren't doing you in. Do you weigh all your food?
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
    You should probably eat more. 1200 isn't enough for a lot of people.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I hit a huge plateau eating only 1200 calories and working out all the time. I started losing weight again when I increased my calorie intake to 1450. Unless your diet is mostly cookies and sugar, I highly doubt it's the cookies. I think you're stalled because your body isn't getting enough fuel from food and is thus protecting itself from losing weight.
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    I more measure my food, 1/2 cup, one cup, like that. I never can stay under 1200! If i don't work out (earn extra cals) I just blow the 1200 that day by about 300 calories. I should probably open my diary, but the cookie consumption is embarassing! I'll see that I do good most of the day, then have like 5 or 6 cookies over the course of late afternoon / evening. Also, popcorn. :ohwell:
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I more measure my food, 1/2 cup, one cup, like that. I never can stay under 1200! If i don't work out (earn extra cals) I just blow the 1200 that day by about 300 calories. I should probably open my diary, but the cookie consumption is embarassing! I'll see that I do good most of the day, then have like 5 or 6 cookies over the course of late afternoon / evening. Also, popcorn. :ohwell:

    If you know you should decrease the amount of cookies you eat, then time to exercise a little self-discipline... I don't think they're hurting your weight loss but it wouldn't kill you to eat 2 cookies a day instead of 6 :)
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    But it might! Kill me, I mean! Evidentally I have an addiction to cookies and treats. Cutting out alchohol was easy compared to this. Not eating sugar makes me cry!
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    okay, okay. I'll really really try for just two cookies today. :cry:
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    okay, okay. I'll really really try for just two cookies today. :cry:

    as long as you give the other 4 to me :D
  • trinoc
    trinoc Posts: 73
    I want to know what kind of cookie it is that you can eat 4-6 and still be under 1200 calories eating all of the other healthy stuff?!
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    Well, wait...what kind of cookies are we talking here?

    If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they sell little mini cookies where 12 of them are 150 calories. And they're freakin' yummy (chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin) I only bring this up because I'm all about volume.

    But yeah, if you're trying to stay below 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories back, you need to eat more. Trust me, I eat A LOT of crap and while I may not be the healthiest around here, I'm still losing weight. AND I try to eat every last exercise calorie back that I'm allotted.
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    I want to know what kind of cookie it is that you can eat 4-6 and still be under 1200 calories eating all of the other healthy stuff?!


    Most days I work out to up my calories to about 1800-2000, leaving room for about 600 or so calories of cookies! Days I don't work out, well, I just eat over 1200 calories every time.
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    Well, wait...what kind of cookies are we talking here?

    If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they sell little mini cookies where 12 of them are 150 calories. And they're freakin' yummy (chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin) I only bring this up because I'm all about volume.

    But yeah, if you're trying to stay below 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories back, you need to eat more. Trust me, I eat A LOT of crap and while I may not be the healthiest around here, I'm still losing weight. AND I try to eat every last exercise calorie back that I'm allotted.

    So I guess I am probably eating my calories back in cookie form. And I make the cookies. Nubbly, chewey, chocolately whole wheat flour cookies. real butter, eggs from my own hens :)
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    Mmmmmm, work up the calories in the recipes section on here and then send me some. :smile:

    Oooooo, also, so you've basically maintained your weight for 12 days? That's nothing! That's too much sodium a day or two before weigh in or not enough sleep or too much stress or that time of the month or the moon not being in the seventh house and Jupiter not aligning with Mars. It could be anything.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    I more measure my food, 1/2 cup, one cup, like that. I never can stay under 1200! If i don't work out (earn extra cals) I just blow the 1200 that day by about 300 calories. I should probably open my diary, but the cookie consumption is embarassing! I'll see that I do good most of the day, then have like 5 or 6 cookies over the course of late afternoon / evening. Also, popcorn. :ohwell:

    That's probably your issue. 1/2 cup and one cup are awful measurements of food and completely inaccurate. Measure in grams or ounces. For example, I have literally seen a 10+ page thread on BB.com on how 1 tablespoon of peanut butter to them actually ended up being 3 tablespoons in terms of grams. That's an overshot of about 100+ calories. Imagine being inaccurate with everything.

    Perfect example is rice. For my rice, 45g = 1/2. I measured out a 1/2 cup and it was actually 60g. That's massive difference in calories for uncooked rice, especially if you're eating two servings or more.

    Food scales are dirt cheap. I'd invest in one.

    Also, whole wheat flour cookies? Gross. :p
  • amysuespears
    amysuespears Posts: 127
    Here's what I eat when I NEED a cookie (or 2... or 4...) badly... I make homemade peanut butter cookies with this recipe:

    1 cup of natural crunchy peanut butter
    1 cup of splenda
    1 egg

    Mix it all together and spoon onto a cookie sheet (should make 12 cookies) and bake at 350 for 8 minutes... do NOT overbake. They will need to cool for a few minutes... they are chewy and AWESOME! Splenda doesn't hurt, and natural peanut butter is good for you. The nutritional info is:

    (2 cookies) 265 calories, 8 carbs, 22g fat (can used reduced fat, but i don't), 3g saturated fat, 12g protein, 3 sugar.

    LOVE THEM!!!
  • snowstorme
    snowstorme Posts: 125 Member
    If you are concerned about the sugar in your homemade cookies, use could use a sugar substitute, ideal brown, splenda, stevia cup for cup etc.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    they prob. aren;t helping.
  • LindaCWy
    LindaCWy Posts: 463 Member
    Dammit, I really want an oreo now.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,739 Member
    Dammit, I really want an oreo now.

    ROFLMAO!

    And a glass of milk. I swear, the only time I would drink milk is with cereal or after dunking oreos into it (and it took about a whole row of oreos to get me to drink it).
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    There are absolutely calories in cookies until you put them in your mouth. :laugh:
  • Bridget0927
    Bridget0927 Posts: 438 Member
    I had the same thing, I would be under on cals but over on sugar and not lose a lb. I feel your pain :sad:
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    I had the same thing, I would be under on cals but over on sugar and not lose a lb. I feel your pain :sad:

    So your body defies the laws of physics?
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    There are absolutely calories in cookies until you put them in your mouth. :laugh:

    Exactly!!:wink:
  • Jessyiam
    Jessyiam Posts: 9
    Mmmmmm, work up the calories in the recipes section on here and then send me some. :smile:

    Oooooo, also, so you've basically maintained your weight for 12 days? That's nothing! That's too much sodium a day or two before weigh in or not enough sleep or too much stress or that time of the month or the moon not being in the seventh house and Jupiter not aligning with Mars. It could be anything.

    My fav reply! Thanks! :happy:
  • skinnylion
    skinnylion Posts: 213
    Unless you're doing a lot of weight training I wouldn't attribute your weight maintenance to being fat/muscle conversion. Just make sure you're measuring everything and keep up with the good work.

    If I could make a suggestion, it would be to make sure your cookies are being calculated correctly (you've put the recipe into the site, right?) but the fact that they're sugar/carb-loaded shouldn't make a difference as long as your total net calories balances out.

    And you might want to try eating more! 1200 is barely enough for normal functioning. I would try maybe 1400 and see if that helps.
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    I want to know what kind of cookie it is that you can eat 4-6 and still be under 1200 calories eating all of the other healthy stuff?!


    Most days I work out to up my calories to about 1800-2000, leaving room for about 600 or so calories of cookies! Days I don't work out, well, I just eat over 1200 calories every time.

    So you work off 600 to 800 calories on most days? Just a hunch here, but unless you're using an HRM, maybe you need to be paying more attention to the calories out side of the equation.

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