Calories... Are They Kidding?!!!

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sbussert
sbussert Posts: 72 Member
in Introduce Yourself
After being in this eating healthier watching my weight stuff for a whopping 3 weeks I can tell you a couple of things. I've tried this a number if times yet this time I feel I have the right mindset. No fads, no crazy goals, just a simple plan. Eat less, exercise more, lose weight. Like I said, simple...

The most surprising thing I have learned so far is that I had no idea how much I should be eating. The wacky diets that are all over that claim " ignore the calorie count, just take thus pill..." are nuts. If I refuse to to understand how much I Really Neec, I'll never manage my weight.

So, I have religiously post my calories and followed the guidelines and in less than a month I know I was eating
WAY TOO MUCH. it ain't easy kids. but logging these are teaching me to eat smarter. "wow, it's that many? Guess I'll eat 1/2 the serving..."

Three weeks and 8 pounds later, i feel it might be working. Course walking the dogs twice a day helps...

The "sigh" part, I know I'll need to watch this the rest of my life to keep the weight off... I think I'm ok with that.

I'm curious if you all out there were as shocked as I was about how many calories you were consuming?

Thx,
Scott
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Replies

  • Kidsrn23
    Kidsrn23 Posts: 45 Member
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    Ya know there were things that I thought were healthy until I found out how many calories were in them. At times 1 meal would be like 1100 calories wow that's my whole day in 1 meal...no wonder America is fat. lol.
  • wrecktechno
    wrecktechno Posts: 145 Member
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    Yeh definitely. Even though I've lost a tonne of weight before and got down to my goal weight and learned the calories in every food, after I put all my weight back on through moving home from London and back in with my parents, I'm now back to being shocked at the calories of things. Goes to show, we should learn this stuff in school. My kids are going to be taught to be SO healthy to avoid the self sabotage and lack of education about nutrition.

    I thought I was eating well on Thursday and Friday, then I totalled my calories and I was over my limit and I was like HOW. We don't need so much food.
  • julesw734
    julesw734 Posts: 100
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    I used to not eat much, cause I am usually not hungry.. I was wondering why I wasn't loosing weight but gaining or maintaining. Finally I figured it out I was either going way beyond my calorie and carb intake or going way below it. Now since I found this site with help from a friend I have maintains my calorie and carb intake and can eat more if I want..It is great..
  • mandi2r
    mandi2r Posts: 228 Member
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    For me its not that I ate too much, I was just eating small amounts of all the 'really bad for you' foods.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    Learning and knowledge are the greatest weight loss tool I've found since starting my journey. Most people are just simply ignorant to the things they are eating, especially when eating out. Even the "healthy" alternatives at a lot of restaurants have over half a days worth of calories and ridiculous amounts of sodium.

    I'm right with you on knowing this is going to be something I do for the rest of my life but I want to be healthy for the long while and figure out how to enjoy the things I like in moderation instead of indulging constantly.
  • FitGrandma61
    FitGrandma61 Posts: 10
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    I was just the opposite. I wasn't consuming enough calories, which is just as bad!
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
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    Congrats on your success this early on. Don't worry. Just be sure to log all your food all the time and it will become second nature. You will get used to it and the "forever" thing won't seem so bad. You will be able to work anything into your daily food plan now, and once you reach your goal it will be easy to eat what you like and still maintain your weight loss. Good luck.. keep up the good work!
  • Pablosammy
    Pablosammy Posts: 52 Member
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    Yup, it's been a learning experience. I was eating too much when I wasn't dieting, and eating too little when I was dieting. This site is an education as well as a weight-loss tool!
  • elexichoccyeater
    elexichoccyeater Posts: 310 Member
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    I have shocks while counting cals.. eg a oreo milk shake my son kindly brought me as a treat was lovely till I put it in my counter and it was 550 cals!!! Then I went to Costa and had a red berry cooler.. mm I thought it is flavouring and ice... that'll be ok! OH NO 330 cals... No wonder our children are getting bigger and bigger! hidden calories!
  • Miss_Chanelle
    Miss_Chanelle Posts: 87 Member
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    I was completely shocked..... Especially the amount in the meals from my favorite restaurants :noway: Like nachos!
  • AlabasterJar68
    AlabasterJar68 Posts: 121
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    Learning and knowledge are the greatest weight loss tool I've found since starting my journey. Most people are just simply ignorant to the things they are eating, especially when eating out. Even the "healthy" alternatives at a lot of restaurants have over half a days worth of calories and ridiculous amounts of sodium.

    I'm right with you on knowing this is going to be something I do for the rest of my life but I want to be healthy for the long while and figure out how to enjoy the things I like in moderation instead of indulging constantly.

    ^^^This
  • IHeartNewMe
    IHeartNewMe Posts: 150 Member
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    Absolutely, Scott! It was so easy to deceive myself into thinking I was dieting in the past, but I was in denial about so much, especially about how many calories, carbs and fat grams I was consuming daily. The scale topped out at probably close to 330 lbs. at one time. Food journaling was and remains to be a reality check for me and has been a way of life for me for almost a year and a half, as I've lost 110 lbs. I swore I'd never be on a diet where I had to count every little thing that goes in my mouth. But that's exactly how I've been able to keep on track. I journal every day, good or bad. This is the first weekend I'm taking a little break. But I've been doing this for so long that I will be able to stay in control of my eating. But back to serious business on Monday. I love MFP because it's been such a helpful tool to keep me honest and receive support at the same time.
  • aehakes
    aehakes Posts: 3
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    That is exactly how we had been living. I gave my husband a wake up call last night. He was running REALLY late to get home and stopped and got McDonalds on the way home. When I gave him "THE LOOK" he said, I GOT GRILLED CHICKEN, instead of a cheese burger!!! So, I used the food app and found out that the grilled chicken sandwich with a medium sprite and french fry was more than my total daily calorie intake!!! It is CRAZY! He was surprised, thought he was taking a healthy choice.
  • MtnKat
    MtnKat Posts: 714
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    Portion sizes surprised me too. It's easy to over eat by eating several portions (think spaghetti or a bowl of cereal) in one sitting. Once I started measuring things out, I was surprised at what real portion sizes were lol. No wonder I was eating so many calories in a day!

    Most importantly though is the fact that we are all learning how to manage our life. I'm so thankful we have tools like MFP to help us figure out what our body needs.

    Good luck to you, Scott :-)
  • noiinteam
    noiinteam Posts: 92 Member
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    agree.. its a daily struggle
  • OSC_ESD
    OSC_ESD Posts: 752 Member
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    " The "sigh" part, I know I'll need to watch this the rest of my life to keep the weight off... I think I'm ok with that. "

    The truth is after awhile it becomes your lifestyle and you don't " worry or have to watch " ... it becomes " normal " and eventually you wonder am I eating enough ! Diabolical, right ? I know ... been there, done that !

    It truly is the greatest feeling to know that when I fuel my body with healthy nutritious choices ... I am NEVER hungry all day long ... but let me splurge into the " dark zone " and sure enough I am starving two hours later !

    Don't get me wrong ... I splurge every now and then, I'm human ... but now a days I make more good choices than bad and I reap the rewards from it !

    Nothing feels better than knowing how my choices have played a key role in how well my body functions ... it's like oiling a well oiled machine ... what type of fuel is most efficient and gives the most power ! :wink:
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
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    Portion sizes surprised me too. It's easy to over eat by eating several portions (think spaghetti or a bowl of cereal) in one sitting. Once I started measuring things out, I was surprised at what real portion sizes were lol. No wonder I was eating so many calories in a day!

    Most importantly though is the fact that we are all learning how to manage our life. I'm so thankful we have tools like MFP to help us figure out what our body needs.

    Good luck to you, Scott :-)

    This. Now everything comes in large, giant and super size portions. Small sizes usually are still two or three servings.
  • Allison128
    Allison128 Posts: 116 Member
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    I think a lot of people really want to be healthy and lose weight. today is such a fast paced society. also the "health foods" can be so expensive. another problem is lack of knowledge. Some people don't change their eating habits establishe din highschool.... I wish I could still eat like that. also, food lables sometimes are inaccurate or "sneaky", hard to understand.

    A package of Ramen noodles is actually 2 SERVINGS! a serving size is a half a block of noodles. How are you going to break that in half? the broth packet isn't halfed either. its a mis leading package.

    Truth is at the end of the day people are tired. They want something Quick. They had a bad day and they just don't care... pizza will make them feel better. Some think its too hard to cook separate "diet" food for themselves and a regular dinner for their spouse.

    In my house we try to think ahead. whom ever gets home first makes dinner. We regularly use our beloved crockpot.. dinner is ready when you get home. We have different cook books that helps us change it up or make a healtheir version of something. We don't add salt. We read labels. We try to exercise. We have fun with food though. Also, whats cooked is what we eat... if you don't like it.. don't eat it. We make our own soups, or own chili... we also make in bulk. We love to freeze food. that helps too when we are in a hurry!

    MFP did help me realize portion control and how many caloires are in things. People think "More is better" I'm just as happy with a baby icecream cone then shoving a large cone down my throat before it melts.
  • RedSky1011
    RedSky1011 Posts: 3
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    Definitely was a shock to me. I think I know a lot about nutrition. But knowing the information, and practicing it on a daily basis apparently were two very different things. I thought I was eating well, and having a hard time understanding why I kept gaining weight.
    You've heard of beer goggles? A couple of days of logging data took off my food goggles. :happy:
  • terri0527
    terri0527 Posts: 678 Member
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    It really can be mind blowing to see how many calories are in different foods, it is no wonder we put on weight so easily. Ignorance IS NOT bliss!!!:grumble:

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