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Stupid Questions about Calories
I want to start a program of eating that restricts my calories so that I can
try to lose weight. I plan to up my exercise as well. I have been paying attention to WHAT I since the begining of the year, as I became a vegetarian. I have been trying to go back to whole foods, avoiding fatty foods, etc. I am mostly sedentary, but I do walk the dogs on occasion, play in the garden, and have more recently started riding my bike back and forth to work (2 miles both ways). My problem is that I eat too many CALORIES, so I have not noticed any significant weight loss at all. My weight has been about the same since I started paying attention (didn't really eat all that horribly to begin with, as I had been planning to switch to vegetarian this year). But the QUANTITY of food I can consume would make an average girl blush. So I'm thinking for spring, I'll start counting the calories, and watching the portions. But here are the questions: 1. Do I want to set the calories I should eat at my goal weight? (50lbs less than my current weight?) If not, how do I determine how many calories I should eat? 2. Do I want to include my exercise into that calculation, and if so how? I mean, if to weigh my ideal weight, I would intake 1300 calories daily, but I work out and burn roughly 200 calories a day, should I eat 1500 calories? I have never really "kept track" with any accuracy for more than a few days, and these two questions are really why I don't. I don't want to mess up my body, or put it in "starve" mode which I've read will keep you from losing weight. I have started using Fit Day, but the same questions occur. Are the calories they say I need a day calories to maintain my current weight, or to lose weight? Any basic help with this is appreciated. Nai |
#2
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Stupid Questions about Calories
"Naijayob" wrote in message
... I want to start a program of eating that restricts my calories so that I can try to lose weight. I plan to up my exercise as well. I have been paying attention to WHAT I since the begining of the year, as I became a vegetarian. I have been trying to go back to whole foods, avoiding fatty foods, etc. I am mostly sedentary, but I do walk the dogs on occasion, play in the garden, and have more recently started riding my bike back and forth to work (2 miles both ways). My problem is that I eat too many CALORIES, so I have not noticed any significant weight loss at all. My weight has been about the same since I started paying attention (didn't really eat all that horribly to begin with, as I had been planning to switch to vegetarian this year). But the QUANTITY of food I can consume would make an average girl blush. So I'm thinking for spring, I'll start counting the calories, and watching the portions. But here are the questions: 1. Do I want to set the calories I should eat at my goal weight? (50lbs less than my current weight?) If not, how do I determine how many calories I should eat? 2. Do I want to include my exercise into that calculation, and if so how? I mean, if to weigh my ideal weight, I would intake 1300 calories daily, but I work out and burn roughly 200 calories a day, should I eat 1500 calories? I have never really "kept track" with any accuracy for more than a few days, and these two questions are really why I don't. I don't want to mess up my body, or put it in "starve" mode which I've read will keep you from losing weight. I have started using Fit Day, but the same questions occur. Are the calories they say I need a day calories to maintain my current weight, or to lose weight? Any basic help with this is appreciated. Nai Those are not easy questions to answer. Losing weight requires a "calorie deficit" (i.e., consuming less calories than you burn each day, within reason). Most authorities recommend a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, which should result in weight loss of 1 lb per week. But, even a modest calorie deficit of 200 calories per day will result in losing 21 lbs in a year. But, counting calories is pretty hard, and even if you do, it's hard to tell what it means for weight loss because that's only the "input" side of the equation. It's nearly impossible to get an accurate estimate of your daily calorie "output"...it can vary a lot due to the amount of exercise you get, sleep patterns, etc. Since you already recognize that you have an issue with portion size and quantity, I think that would be a good area to focus on. Try eating a little less each day. Make your portions smaller, and drink lots of water. If you are losing around 1/2 to 1 pound per week, you will know you're on target. Best of luck. GG |
#3
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Stupid Questions about Calories
Naijayob wrote:
My problem is that I eat too many CALORIES, so I have not noticed any significant weight loss at all. My weight has been about the same since I started paying attention (didn't really eat all that horribly to begin with, as I had been planning to switch to vegetarian this year). But the QUANTITY of food I can consume would make an average girl blush. The first way I dealt with this was to simply eat *half* the food I had been eating. Use a smaller plate or bowl than before and don't have seconds. -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 |
#4
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Stupid Questions about Calories
I agree about portion control. I started by cutting most portions in
half. And if you're using fitday.com, you already know how about many calories you are consuming to maintain your current weight at your current exercise level. Take a week or two weeks average, then cut 500 calories daily from that. As your exercise increases, so will your calorie deficit. As always, YMMV. Kasey 365/275/??? |
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Stupid Questions about Calories
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#6
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Stupid Questions about Calories
"Naijayob" wrote in message
... I have been trying to go back to whole foods, avoiding fatty foods, etc. Don't cut the fats too much. As someone posted, they bring lasting satiety. But you also need your daily intake of essential fatty acids for your body to work properly. I am mostly sedentary, but I do walk the dogs on occasion, play in the garden, and have more recently started riding my bike back and forth to work (2 miles both ways). Then, you're not really sedentary anymore I still think this kind of exercise is better than forcing yourself to go to the gym and hating every minute of it. At least, riding to work is something you can keep doing for most of your life, especially if you find pleasure in it. It's also very environment friendly My problem is that I eat too many CALORIES, so I have not noticed any significant weight loss at all. My weight has been about the same since I started paying attention (didn't really eat all that horribly to begin with, as I had been planning to switch to vegetarian this year). But the QUANTITY of food I can consume would make an average girl blush. Yes, calories in vs calories out is all that really matters. So I'm thinking for spring, I'll start counting the calories, and watching the portions. But here are the questions: 1. Do I want to set the calories I should eat at my goal weight? (50lbs less than my current weight?) If not, how do I determine how many calories I should eat? If you're writing down what you eat, do that for a couple of typical weeks. Then, calculate the amount of calories you usually eat. Cut some from that (20% maybe), but stay above 1200 calories. Don't cut the proteins either. Also, you can build some flexibility by considering weekly calorie intake instead of daily intake. If you don't want to count calories, just keep eating as usual, but use small plates. Eating 2/3 of what your currently eat should do the job, as long as you don't cheat (like, eating denser food). 2. Do I want to include my exercise into that calculation, and if so how? I mean, if to weigh my ideal weight, I would intake 1300 calories daily, but I work out and burn roughly 200 calories a day, should I eat 1500 calories? It depends on how fast you want to lose, how hungry you actually *feel*... I don't think the purpose of exercise is to burn calories anyway. The real purpose is to build and protect the lean mass and to up the metabolism. So, even if exercise makes you eat more, you still get the main benefit from it. I have never really "kept track" with any accuracy for more than a few days, and these two questions are really why I don't. I don't want to mess up my body, or put it in "starve" mode which I've read will keep you from losing weight. It's hard to give precise numbers, because there is no real way to know your metabolism. The only numbers are that you should stay above 1200 calories/day on average (to avoid lack of nutriments), above 1g of protein per kg (to protect your lean mass) and above 8xyour current weight in lbs calories. The most reliable way is just to listen to your body. If you go into starve mode, it will tell you If you feel intense hunger, if you start to think about that next meal all day long, or if you feel exhausted and apathetic, that's your body telling you that it feels it is starving. |
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