Calories... Are They Kidding?!!!

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.

For me its not that I ate too much, I was just eating small amounts of all the 'really bad for you' foods.

I was just the opposite. I wasn't consuming enough calories, which is just as bad!

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!

I was completely shocked..... Especially the amount in the meals from my favorite restaurants :noway: Like nachos!

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.

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 :-)

" 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 !

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.

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:

I have eaten way to many calories, but by eating less than I do NOW. I ate all the wrong things. I eat healthier, I make better decisions about what I eat and I have trouble eating 1200 calories a day. I used to come home from work and sit at the computer til betime, Now I Zumba every morning at 5am and usually go for a 3 mile walk every evening. I have way more energy and have trouble sitting still for any length of time. Some of my co-workers are jealous of what I have been able to do. I tell them will power to say no to things that aren't the wisest choices. I do not really restrict myself I just try to make better choices

In the increase of knowledge lies the ability to change.

Some things surprised me, but others, not so much. When I learned that the types of food you eat is information to your body - not just nutrition - that was my epiphany.

The first day I ever logged food on here, these were my numbers:

Remaining -923 -66 -6 -48 -40 -1,296
Calories Fat Sat Fat Carbs Sugar Sodium

I had already started trying to eat healthier before I joined this site and I'd always thought that the lunch I got at the cafe near my office (which I frequented back then) served healthy foods. Generally, they are healthy, but in moderation - and their portion sizes, like any other restaurant or cafe in America, were WAY too big. My lunch alone was 1,216 calories with 3,144mg of sodium.

Needless to say, I stopped buying that lunch and started planning my lunches ahead of time!

Oh yeah, when I joined MFP and started logging in everything I eat, I realized that before I was probably consuming at least 2500-4000 a day!!!!! I was like, "Well dang no wonder I can't lose weight!" Those calories add up. And it wasn't like I was eating tons of food either. Like the stuff I was eating was high-caloric and I didn't even realize it! It was always 400 calories here, 375 calories there, 200 for nibbling on this thing in the fridge...

I know, right?