please help !!!

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gregsonevans
gregsonevans Posts: 232 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys
I am fairly new to mfp and could do with a bit of advice with different calories depending on how the food is cooked, for example I fancied a few grilled sausages this morning and the info on the bag stated that they were 51 calories per sausage but they did not say if that was after grilling or frying so I am never fully confident of how I am registering my intake, I am trying to shift about 70 pounds with little success in the last few months even though I am now cycling about 100 miles a week and I was wondering if maybe I was entering my food properly as I seem to be at least 500 calories under what I should be having, some days I have been 2000 under when I have done a 35 mile ride.
Thanks in advance Greg

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Unless the calories on the label state a cooking method, for example"two sausages grilled" then assume the analysis is uncooked and weigh uncooked.

    You may be overestimated the calories used in cycling perhaps ?
  • gregsonevans
    gregsonevans Posts: 232 Member
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    I always try to underestimate my exercise calories on here as they seemed a bit high to me, I have a odometer fitted to the bike which I know is very accurate and I always average between 12 and 15 mph but I only book in the 12 to 14 mph ride and I only add the minutes based on how far I have travelled and not how long I was out for as most of it is stop start riding around the cycle tracks, I cycled 6 miles this morning in 25 minutes but only booked in "light cycling" as I felt like I had not burned that much
  • jennylynch1976
    jennylynch1976 Posts: 2
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    Good Morning,

    I have noticed from your food diaries, that on most days you are under your calories. It is vital that you stick to the calories you have been given as this is the fuel your body requires. As long as you are doing moderate excercise, which can later be at a quicker pace, drink plenty of water and stick to your calories, you will do a great job.

    You must have the faith in yourself, if you have a bad day, just put it to the back of your mind and start the following day as a new one.

    Good Luck :)
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    Hi guys
    I am fairly new to mfp and could do with a bit of advice with different calories depending on how the food is cooked, for example I fancied a few grilled sausages this morning and the info on the bag stated that they were 51 calories per sausage but they did not say if that was after grilling or frying so I am never fully confident of how I am registering my intake, I am trying to shift about 70 pounds with little success in the last few months even though I am now cycling about 100 miles a week and I was wondering if maybe I was entering my food properly as I seem to be at least 500 calories under what I should be having, some days I have been 2000 under when I have done a 35 mile ride.
    Thanks in advance Greg
    I can't help with the cooking question, but if you have either a iphone or android phone, download Strava, it will give you a much better idea of you calorie burn for you cycle. as it uses a more complicated/accurate calorie calculating method, based on your weight and the speed, + climb rate + altitude of your cycling. The only thing it doesn’t take in to account is wind resistance, which can be a pain (my height and weight and riding position can mean I need to burn 6 times as many calories to maintain an average 18mph against the wind as it takes to ride with the wind behind me.)
  • gregsonevans
    gregsonevans Posts: 232 Member
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    Thanks for the advice guys, yesterday I cycled 35 miles and did a small session on the exercise bike in the evening but I find it impossible to eat back that many calories, I just though being 5 10" and 18 stone I would have plenty of fat reserves to burn off !! I am by no means trying to starve myself but unless I want to start eating junk food I cant eat 4000 calories in a day, should I look into some sort of high energy food? I have recently been diagnosed type 2 diabetic so I think I have to avoid certain things. Even though I am struggling to shed the weight I feel so much fitter and stronger so something is going right :smile:
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    Thanks for the advice guys, yesterday I cycled 35 miles and did a small session on the exercise bike in the evening but I find it impossible to eat back that many calories, I just though being 5 10" and 18 stone I would have plenty of fat reserves to burn off !! I am by no means trying to starve myself but unless I want to start eating junk food I cant eat 4000 calories in a day, should I look into some sort of high energy food? I have recently been diagnosed type 2 diabetic so I think I have to avoid certain things. Even though I am struggling to shed the weight I feel so much fitter and stronger so something is going right :smile:
    I am, like you, overweight, and for the past 3 years 7 months 23 days have been cycling to work to get fit and lose weight, I've lost 77lb before joining this site, nearly all from cycling, I've found that the fast I cycle the faster the weight comes off. Strava helpd me as it gave me a target (my own time) to beat (most of my weight has gone and stayed off in the last 7 months. Given time and effort you can lose the weight, I have got 44lb to go to get to my desired weight (29lb is a short term goal) I eat a couple of hundred of my workout calories, just so I net more than 1200, and leave it at that.
  • gregsonevans
    gregsonevans Posts: 232 Member
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    After the advice yesterday I really made an effort to eat back my calories but to be honest it felt like I was force feeding myself in the end, would you say that I am better off cutting back on my cycling or just going under on my calories every day? Thanks for all the help so far xx
  • tadpole242
    tadpole242 Posts: 507 Member
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    After the advice yesterday I really made an effort to eat back my calories but to be honest it felt like I was force feeding myself in the end, would you say that I am better off cutting back on my cycling or just going under on my calories every day? Thanks for all the help so far xx
    I'd say just try and net 1200, and keep on mashing those pedals. If you are under and feeling fine, keep going, if you feel hungry, eat a few hundred more, same for lightheaded or feeling "out off it". Drink more water and eat what you own body tells you to eat.

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