How do I stop eating 6,000 calories??

Hello,

I am new to this. I put it in most of what I ate today and it is around 5,744 (I cannot remember everything) but this program says my goal should be 1,530.

Is this right? I know I eat more than some other people but is 1,530 really manageable? I am not very active but now I think I should start! Please feel free to send me any advice.

Well if I was you, i'd cut out about 2,000 calories and start there. Jumping that low makes no sense from your starting point. Over time decrease them as you lose weight.

Good advice.
6000 to 1500 is just asking for failure, it's too much of a drop and you won't stick to it.
Reducing by 2000 is a 14000 calorie a week deficit, so you should lose 4-5 lbs a week even on that.
As you get use to choosing healthier foods, it will be easier to reduce your cals more.
My diary is open if you want any ideas of the right sort of foods to eat. Choose things like lean meat (chicken, turkey, lean beef etc), fish, whole grain bread / pasta / rice, at least 5 a day fruits & veggies, dairy (choose naturally lower cal cheeses like mozzarella, feta, goats cheese, halloumi rather than cheddar), skimmed or 2% milk, plain Greek yogurt and add your own fruit.
Junk food is not banned, but limit it to 1 meal a week and try to have a sensible portion.

OP this is exactly where i started. my advice is to start by gradually decreasing your calories and meal size.

for instance i used to eat a LOT of take out, 3 meals a day (plus snacks ).

what i'd do is split what used to be a 2K lunch into 2 and save the other half for the next days lunch. i started off doing that for 1 meal and then 2 then 3. eventually you'll get down to half your intake then you can focus on gradually getting each meal down to where it should be to fit in with the 1500 calorie goal.

i'd say in all it took me around 6 weeks to do that and that's included bad days when i'd slip and have super high calories again and eat an entire large pizza and hot wings for dinner :laugh:

going from 6K->1500 all at once will be too much and you'll be very likely to give up

good luck!!! you can do this!

I would start by cutting down to something like 2000-2500 calories a day, to start, and work your way down to the lower goal from there. The reality is, now that you've done "the crime" for so long, you must do "the time". It's not easy to watch what you eat and actively try to lose weight, but that's what we all get for overindulging and gaining more than we ought to, instead of being reasonable to begin with. It's going from one extreme to a bit of another.

You are going to need to seriously crack down on a lot of the cheese, the bacon, the fried things, the whole eggs, the white bread, the alcohol, the mayonnaise and other full-fat condiments, and the sugar, to name a few. You can still have a little bit of some of these, occasionally, but not much if you want to lose the weight. Stock up on a variety of colourful vegetables, some fruit (not too much fruit, it's still high in sugars and therefore calories), lean proteins (fin fish, shrimp, skinless chicken, lean pork chops, lean ground meats, lentils, beans), healthy fats (olive oil used sparingly. PAM spray, avocados, nuts, NATURAL peanut butter), low-fat dairy (skim or 1% milk, or dairy alternatives), and whole grains (brown rice, sprouted grain breads, quinoa, to name a few). Try to reduce the quantity of foods you eat that have a laundry list of ingredients. Most of the ingredients that you can't pronounce or identify probably aren't good for you, and you should at least relegate to less than 20% of your daily caloric intake, if we are being reasonable.

There is a "Recipes" section in the forums, I would suggest you peruse it for ideas. Do some web research to learn how to "cook light". If you're really stuck on how to cook something to get a desired result, feel free to ask me. My culinary arts certificate should get at least SOME use, for all the money I owe in student loans!

This is very good advice.

As uncomfortable as it may be, logging everything is really going to help you - A LOT.

When you are starting to get a feel for the caloric and nutritional content of food, this will get much easier. Most of us have been where you are now, so trust me when I say it gets a lot easier, but you need some willpower to get through the initial phase of denying yourself some things.

I'd also suggest trying to log foods before you eat them. It will then bring it back to a conscious decision YOU get to make about whether you eat/drink it... or if YOU decide it's not worth it.

Good luck, and please ask as many questions on here as you want/need to.

Well 1500 is very doable but it will be hard at first since you were use to eating so many calories but doable. If it seems to low or seems to hard try 2000 as others have said. I looked through your diary and you can make a lot of cuts that will lower your intake of calories. You have a lot of high calorie snakes in large portions so i would start by cutting portions. Eat snacks that you like (like m&ms) but eat the serving size and only once a day, or cutting bacon to only one meal a day, pasta is high in calories so add more meat less pasta and cut the portion of bread (i know i love garlic bread but its high in calories so cut the portion) , the cake and stuff you can keep but i would cut those out and get lower calorie snacks (fiber one brownies are delicious and only 90 calories!), drink lots of water, these are just somethings you can do but portion control is needed! I wont lie this will be hard at first but you can do it!! Being your first day logging its ok too see how many calories you eat!! It is a huge wake up call and really shows you how much you eat. These changes will really help you! Good luck!!!

I did too! It is an eye opener, but that many is absurd!

This comment is totally rude, judgmental, and unnecessary. GTFO.

Thank you for all the advice.

If it matters, I am 188 lbs and my goal is to be less jiggly. I guess that could happen at 140 lbs.

ha you don't weigh that much. If you always eat like this you should cut down to 5,000 or so, that's a weight loss of 2lbs a week.

You post a lot of good stuff but I'm not sure I understand this one.

If she is eating 6000 and cuts to 5000 per day, sure that is a 2 pound loss per day according to the math. But isn't that assuming that 6000 per day has her maintaining and not gaining? Seems more likely to me that 6000 is way over her TDEE and that dropping to 5000 won't actually result in a loss, only a slower gain.

probably want to go slowly with the calorie reduction as you get into a habit of eating differently

a few things you might want to increase
Eggs - 1 Fried Egg, 1 egg 70
Save-on-Foods - Sliced Smoked Turkey Breast, 6 slices 180
Mayo Kraft - Light Mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. 90
Maille - Old Style Whole Grain Dijon Mustard, 3 teaspoon (5g) 30
Fresh - Romaine Lettuce , 1 leaves (85g) 2
Generic - Tomato Slice, 2 Slice 8
Diet Dr Pepper - 591 Ml Bottle (Canada), 591 ml 0
Generic Raw - Pear, 1 medium 52
Western Family - Spaghetti Noodles, 170 g or 1 cup cooked 600
Classico (Canada) - Sweet Basil Marinara, 250 mL (1/2 cup) 140
Generic - Grilled Prawns, 1 cup cooked 280


a few things you might want to cut back on:
Save on Foods - White Hamburger Buns, 1 Bun 180
Oil - Vegetable, canola, 1 tsp 40
Save on Foods - Medium Cheddar Cheese, 2 oz 240
Western Family - Thick Sliced Bacon, 2 slices 270
Dairyland - Coffee Cream 18% M.g., 2 tbsp 60
Dairyland - Milk 2 Go - Chocolate, 1 container (2 cups ea.) 320
Western Family - Thick Sliced Bacon, 2 slices 270
Save on Foods - Medium Cheddar Cheese, 1 oz 120
Dairyland - Coffee Cream 18% M.g., 2 tbsp 60
Sugar - Granulated, White (1 Teaspoon), 2 teaspoon 30
Western Family (Save on Foods) - Garlic Bread, 4 Slices (50 grams) 400


things you might want to replace with veggi stick snacks and fruit.:

Sleeman's - Honey Brown Lager, 36 oz Bottle 540
Tim Horton's - Chocolate Chip Cookie, 2 cookie 460
Cheese - Mini Babybel Original, 21 g 70
M&M - Peanut Butter M&Ms, 1.5 oz (42g/about 1/4 cup) 220
M&M's Brand - Peanut M&Ms (Canada), 1/4 cup (40 g) 210
Grocery Store Brand - Lemon Loaf Cake, 1 Slice 130
Doritos - Nacho Chips, 50 g 250


replace

Thick Sliced Bacon with a few more eggs
Coffee Cream 18% M.g., with 2% (use lots to start and slowly derease the amount you use.)
Sugar - Granulated, White switch to artifical sweetener)
Garlic Bread, 4 Slices Large salad
replace chocolate milk with white milk .

You post a lot of good stuff but I'm not sure I understand this one.

If she is eating 6000 and cuts to 5000 per day, sure that is a 2 pound loss per day according to the math. But isn't that assuming that 6000 per day has her maintaining and not gaining? Seems more likely to me that 6000 is way over her TDEE and that dropping to 5000 won't actually result in a loss, only a slower gain.

I'm with you there - dont understand the logic of that post Pu. I understand slowly dropping cals to get your body used to the change gradually, but it shouldn't result in fat loss at those levels. There will likely be some water loss if the diet is healthier, but not fat loss.

Perhaps you should concentrate on your eating behaviour and the calories will fall off automatically.

The chocolate milk, doritos and snacks alone exceed the calorie target you are contemplating.

"Eating Less: Say Goodbye to Overeating" by Gillian Riley from Amazon or http://www.eatingless.com/ has helped a friend of mine. Management by measurement is one approach, as used here on MFP, but getting your mind around the self control issues is also important.

Yeah I did 1200 net until my first goal (meaning I ate my exercize calories too), and now I net 1300 a day. I'll stay there until I meet my second goal and start to heavy lift.

I looked at your diary - some specific alternatives are as follows: (I agree that you may want to try maintenence calories a few days before going to losing weight calories) :

Meal 1 - Instead of a 180 cal white hamburger bun try a 100 calorie whole grain sandwich round or 110 calorie whole grain bagel...you'll feel full longer and its' fewer clories. Try egg whites or egg substitute instead. You don't need the oil, just a nonstick pan will do. Get 2% cheese and use much less or learn to love the laughing cow cheese wedges of 35 calories. Cut down the cream in your coffee in half, so it's at least something less, and consider a natural sweetener for your coffee (stevia) for example. Chocolate milk- just...don't. You can alternate a chocolate flavored am protein shake....for tomorrows breakfast.

Meal 2 - Same comment on the bun. Try turkey bacon, tofu bacon, or forget the bacon (Most days...of course I have splurge days I'm just a vegetarian) My husband allows himself bacon 1 time a week (or sausage) Same comment as above on cheese except the cool thing about laughing cow is it's creamy so you can kill the cheese off AND the 'light' mayo in the same product! Try adding pickles, or pepperocini's for flavor! (low cal but high sodium). Same comment on coffee, and doritos...those are definately a splurge day activity. If I have to I'll have baked lays but generally my sides are nuts, kozy shack pudding, yogurt (non high sugar and non aspartame get off my back peeps about the aspartame I'm allergic), fruit, veggies, a salad...something to help you feel full that you wont eat too many of.

Meal 3 - Spaghetti - try a whole wheat/grain or <insert substittue or addition here> to help you feel full. There are tofu noodles full of protein and low on calories (see hungry girl recipies) or just something that will break down more slowly and help you feel full longer. Instead of 4 slices of pre made garlic bread that is white try 2 pieces of bread whole grain and do the garlic butter part yourself to get fewer calories on them. Beer of that calorie level is a splurge day for sure...corona light 100 calories

Meal 4 - I am all for chocolate at the end of the night, EVERY NIGHT but 2 cookies is 1 too many. Did you enter the M and M's twice? Either way you'll need to find a substitute for this sweet fest...I reccomend a 170 calorie rasberry luna bar - my evening chocolate with protein of choice. Protein to help you not feel so hungry and chocolate to hold off the chocolate craving. Have it with coffee every night as a 'closer' and teach your body that coffee and treat means time to no longer eat. If you need to have juice try crystal lite pure - no artificial sweeteners and only 30 calories for a packet that makes me 3 glasses. Sweetened with sugar and stevia. However, the more sugar you have the more you'll want...

Try entereing your calories a day ahead of time...then you'll know "If I eat this then I will be X calories over" "If I eat this then not only will I not lose weight I will gain weight".

Start with making smart changes that don’t deprive you of what you want, but are wiser in the long run. Your bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich with coffee and chocolate milk was 1210 calories day. That was nearly your whole day…try this instead:
Orowheat sandwich thins instead of hamburger bun – 100 calories
1 Egg poached instead of fried – 70 calories
Sargento ultra Thins cheddar cheese (1 slice) – 45 calories
Jenny O Turkey Bacon (2 slices) – 80 calories
Coffee (this was fine)
Fat Free half and half (2 Tbsp)– 30 calories
Splenda or stevia (1 tsp) – 0 calories
Silk Chocolate Almond Milk (1 cup in a grab and go container) – 120 calories
Total Calories: 445 calories. That is a savings of 765 calories!

Now lunch, instead of the turkey/bacon/cheese sandwich and chips that you had for 1272 calories, try this:
Orowheat sandwich thins instead of hamburger bun – 100 calories
Sargento ultra Thins cheddar cheese (1 slice) – 45 calories
Jenny O Turkey Bacon (2 slices) – 80 calories
Sliced Smoked Turkey Breast (3 slices) – 90 calories
Light Mayo (1 Tbsp) – 45 calories
Dijon Mustard (1 tsp) – 10 calories
Romaine and tomato  - 10 calories
Veggie Straws/Chips (40 straws) – 120 calories
Pear  - 52 calories
Diet Dr Pepper – okay, but try crystal light instead if you can
Coffee (this was fine)
Fat Free half and half (2 Tbsp)– 30 calories
Splenda or stevia (1 tsp) – 0 calories
This is 582 calories – a savings of 690 calories

Now for dinner…you had three times the serving of spaghetti noodles and a total calorie count of 1960 calories. Try this instead:
Spaghetti Noodles (2 oz) – 200 calories
Marinara (1/4 cup) – 140 calories
Steamed Broccoli (1 cup) – 30 calories
Grilled Prawns (1 cup) – 280 calories
Garlic Bread (1 slice) – 100 calories
Garden Salad (2 cups) – 60 calories
Light Italian Dressing (2 Tbsp) – 35 calories
Honey Brown lager (12 oz) – 180 calories
1025 calories for a savings of 935 calories

For snacks which totaled 1302 calories:
100 calorie chips ahoy snack pack – 100 calories
Babybel cheese – 70 calories
Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds (1 oz) – 150 calories
Air Popped Popcorn (2 cups) – 160 calories
Banana – 112 calories
Juice Box – 100 calories
Lemon Loaf Cake – 130 calories
822 calories for a savings of 480 calories.

With the revisions, you go from 5744 calories to 2874 calories. You are still high, but from there, you can start making other changes too…less sweets, more veggies, etc. Hope this helps!

Wow you listed out the calorie savings with your suggestions, I was lazier, you're awesome!!

Wow you listed out the calorie savings with your suggestions, I was lazier, you're awesome!!

Thanks, but it really wasn't much of a big deal...they are foods that I eat fairly regularly (not all the time), but I knew most of the calorie counts by heart.

Use chopsticks.

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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Best advice in this whole thread

Try Cereal for breakfast - an instant saving of 1000 cals. I bake my own treats and freeze them - Peanut Butter and Choc Chip cookies for 144 cals - Sweet treats you can factor in so you don't feel deprived