TheLegendaryBrandonHarris Member

Who is saying it is? If your breasts caused you to weigh more, your physician can account for that. However, for most people it will be accurate.

I think in my case, BMI is pretty accurate. Obese vs about 6 pounds Overweight

When I was enlisting, if you failed the BMI charts, they simply grabbed the tape measure. It wasn't that difficult to sort out who was too fat and who was muscular.

And physicians and nutritionists have known that for decades. No one would look at Dwayne Johnson and say he was overweight, or Tom Brady, or other athletes. But for the vast majority of people, it will be fairly accurate.

Well, it sounds to me like you've already got a good bit of it figured out. "I...worry that I'll risk becoming discouraged if I'm eating a lower calorie goal, even if I'm losing." If you can lose 1 pound a week and not make yourself too uncomfortable by eating 1520, then it looks like you are in the right spot.

I've found several foods that I've grown to love---they are low-calorie and seem to keep me satisfied for a good while. Carrot slices are good. And pickled banana pepper rings. Or a dill pickle, for that matter. Just make sure to drink plenty of water since those have a lot of sodium in them. Boiled eggs do well and are…

Exactamundo.

Jack and Bacardi? My frugality knows no bounds---it's bottom shelf Kentucky Gentleman for me! Somehow that cheap crap and Diet Pepsi go together spectacularly.

truediamond11, To be clear, I don't necessarily mean 45-60 minutes in a gym. I was just able to take 15 minutes and go for a quick walk. It has helped immensely. But I do wish you the best!

I'm 6'3" tall and eat 1400 calories a day. When I feel sluggish it's usually because I got too many calories from carbs, or simply didn't sleep well the night before. I looked at your diary. You seem to be getting a well-rounded sampling of foods. As long as you are measuring the sugar for your teas and snacks accurately…

Opiate pain medications definitely have an appetite suppressant effect. They tend to make me feel sick on my stomach. If you're concerned about not getting the nutrients you need you may be able to get calories through liquids. But yes, to answer your question, this should be temporary and your appetite will come back when…

You don't have to believe anything. All you have to do is make your goals and stick to them ;) Haha, no belief required. Just stay on your goals. It's important.

Haha, I totally understand. It's tough staying committed. We all feel like that some time or another. But this is important to me. I suspect it's important to you. (You wouldn't be here if it weren't.) 20 pounds isn't impossible. You just need a plan that works for you. Find some calories you can cut without making…

The best exercise is the push-back. lol, push back from the table. If you cut the number of calories you eat to below the level you need to maintain your weight and then bump up the calories you burn in a day, you'll lose weight. Let's do the numbers. One pound of fat is ~3500 calories. 3500 / 7 days in a week means eat…

Hey, Linda! The first step is trying. You might fail---that's a possibility. But all you can do is try. You're giving yourself the chance at success. And you're here. You've introduced yourself. And you've started. I don't know about you, but to me that's exciting! So make friends. Log your foods. Check in with people.…

One thing that helps me is putting reminders up. I keep a note on my mirror that reads, "This is important to me." It's also become, well, to be honest, fun or interesting to me to measure my calorie intake as accurately as possible. I look at my food budget the same way I look at my checking account---"Would I rather…

As you learn more about food, you'll be able to more easily customize your meal plans.

If you weigh them before you cook them, then you are good. I was messing up by measuring mine after I cooked them. I'm going to poke around more when I get the chance, because, as you pointed out, "meat only" might not mean "meat only" lol.

It doesn't gain calories by cooking it. We are talking about when you measure your 8 ounces. Are you measuring out 8 ounces BEFORE you cook it? If you are, then you're consuming the 272 calories. If you are measuring out 8 ounces AFTER you cook it, then you are eating 370.

If you start with an 8-ounce piece of raw chicken, cook it and eat it, then yes, you'll still be at 272 calories. However, the weight of your chicken was less than 8 ounces at the time you ate it.

Because 8 ounces raw becomes lighter after you cook away the water and fats inside it. Your 8-ounce piece of raw breast meat would only be ~5 ounces cooked. So, if you cook your chicken breast and then measure out 8 ounces, you are eating what started out as a raw 11-ounce piece.

Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted: 100g = 165 calories Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw: 100g = 120 calories Off by almost 38%. Think about that...for every 1000 calories you THINK you are consuming, it's actually 1380. On a 2000-calorie diet, you're…

That USDA page is handy.

Sorry, not breast, but I plugged that in and got 370 calories for 8 ounces cooked.

But keep in mind, that is meat only, and RAW. 8oz of COOKED will be a lot higher.

I looked at canned chicken. The serving size for a 12 oz can was 2 ounces, the label said 6 servings per can. Ok, then I drained off the water and weighed the chicken---8 ounces. Did I pour off two whole servings? Hmm... So I looked up the calories in chicken broth. Figured that would give a decent estimate for the water I…

January 15, 2015 to May 22, 2015

How many calories are you consuming in a day? Not netting, but actually eating? You may just be overestimating how many calories you're burning as you exercise.

I cook meals all the time. It's a bit of trouble at first, but it you generally prepare certain meals the same way every time, you can get a really close estimate. Here's how I do things like stews: Get a food scale if you don't have one. Trust me. And they are like $14 at Walmart and easy to use. So, let's make vegetable…