Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 08-10-2006, 12:36 PM   #1  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
2bthin44's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2

Default Calories counters please answer this ????

Hi all calorie counters,
I'm new here and want to lose weight by counting calories, but I'm confused about what to eat. As far as counting "your" calories do most of your calories come from healthy eating things like fruit, veggies, meats, or do you just eat whatever and count those as your calories for the day. Can some of you give me and idea of what you eat for your meals. Basically I guess what I'm saying is do I have to give up all of my goodies and switch to healthier calorie options. Because the way I see it to reach say 1500 calories a day by eating healthy things all day I know would just KILL ME (LOL). I need some food advice here someone please set me straight. Does this mean no more fried foods, just baked or broiled or grilled. How are some of you feeling up your calories for the day.

Thanks,
"D"
2bthin44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 01:25 PM   #2  
Member
 
ILUVFOOD's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 41

Default

I actually spend my calories on healthy food because that is what I personally enjoy. I love vegetables, fruits, low-dairy, grain. During the weekend I will allow myself some 'bad' food, but I use portion control and fit it in my overall calories for the day. Just make sure you are getting all your impt nutrients. Its one thing to be a calorie counter, but the source of the calorie is also very impt. There is a lot of junk that is low in calorie but has no nutritional value.
ILUVFOOD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 01:27 PM   #3  
Constant Vigilance
 
BlueToBlue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 2,818

S/C/G: 150/132/<130

Height: just under 5'4"

Default

I found that counting my calories made me want to eat healthier. I very quickly realized that all the goodies I liked to eat used up a lot of calories but weren't very filling. Healthier foods are lower in calories, so I can eat more, and are more filling, so I am less hungry throughout the day.

I've pretty much given up baked goods, chips, and candy. I also don't eat a lot of pasta and don't eat a lot of cheese. It wasn't that I made a conscious decision not to eat these foods, it's just that when I am planning what I will eat for the day, I never want to sacrifice the calories to them. One piece of cake could easily be 1/4 to 1/2 of my entire calorie intake for the day. The dissatisfaction and hunger I'll have to feel all day in order to eat it just isn't worth the momentary and fleeting enjoyment I get from the cake. It's not that I never eat goodies anymore, but they are just once-in-while treats, rather than part of my daily diet.

So I think you'll find yourself giving up your goodies in favor of healthier foods because if you don't, you'll either be hungry a lot or you won't be able to stay within your calorie limit, which will make it hard to lose weight.

I thought I hated non-fat plain yogurt and non-fat cream cheese, but when I compared the calories in them to the high fat versions (even low fat versions), I decided to give them a try. Turns out, I like them just fine. I never thought I could give up butter on my bread or potatoes, but now I can't imagine a situation where I could be induced to eat it. Non-fat cream cheese is less than a fourth of the calories, tastes just as good, and is more filling.

Breakfast for me is usually a high fiber cereal or oatmeal with soy milk and berries. On the weekends I have bacon (fried even!) and an English muffin.

Lunch is a variety of stuff. Sometimes PB&J, sometimes a turkey or ham sandwich, yesterday I had a garden burger for the first time (it was excellent), sometimes tuna or salmon, sometimes a salad. I plan a new lunch every week and usually prepare several days worth at one time. I also usually have either fruit, veggies, or soy crisps with my lunch.

My dinners are far to numerous to list them all, but they usually include chicken (lots and lots of chicken prepared lots and lots of different ways); fish; very lean (at least 93% lean) ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork; or turkey sausage. This week we had salmon in berry sauce with a salad on Sun and Mon, chicken patties with okra and tomatoes on Tues and Wed, and tamale pie with a salad tonight and tomorrow (I always make enough of any meal for two nights, it cuts down on the amount cooking I need to do). Do those dinners sound like the menu of someone on a diet? yet all are under 500 calories, some under 400 calories.

I also almost always have green salad with dinner. If I don't have a salad, I most definitely have a vegetable (and sometimes I have both). Sometimes I'll also have a small (3 oz) baked potato, if the meat entre is around only 200 calories. I also have a fair number of dinners that include either rice, polenta, or pasta.

My snacks throughout the day include lots of fresh fruit, fresh veggies (sometimes with salsa), non-fat yogurt with wheat germ and fruit, popcorn, nuts, energy/nutrition bars, soy crisps, sugar-free candy, and low calorie pudding.

The energy/nutrition bars really helped me wean myself from desserts, candy, and baked goods. I allow myself one per day and they satisfy my sweet/carb cravings but are lower in calories than say a candy bar or a brownie. Now that I've been at this for a year, I don't have those cravings nearly as much and have started wean myself off of the bars, but in the beginning they were an important crutch.

You don't have to give up all fried foods. In fact, sauteing veggies in a very small amount of oil is the most common way that I cook them. But deep-fried food is probably just a special occasion treat and for sauteing you don't need to use nearly the amount of oil that most recipes call for. Also, if you look for them, I think you'll be able to find recipes that you can bake in the oven that correspond to a lot of deep-fried dishes (fried chicken, crab cakes, french fries--recently I even made breaded zucchini slices in the oven that came out great).

- Barbara
BlueToBlue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 01:52 PM   #4  
Can't wait 2 be a goddess
 
707Goddess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,056

S/C/G: 236/see ticker/165

Height: 5'8

Default

"D" i dont see your starting wieght or how tall you are THIS does make a difference on how many calories you are to have and i have been counting calories for a long time (i fell off the wagon for a while) but let me tell you i am not a healthy eater i cook for a family of 8 and its whatever my budget allows to buy in bulk NOW on the other side I DO make sure i have MY food and my family knows this but there are times when you dont have time and HAVE to go to a fast food place, that's when i whip out my calorie king food guide and find the lowest thing possiable, i carry it with me at all time and journal everything so that way when im in a rush i know by looking back what filled me up for the least calories .... hope this helps
707Goddess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 01:53 PM   #5  
Can't wait 2 be a goddess
 
707Goddess's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Georgia
Posts: 1,056

S/C/G: 236/see ticker/165

Height: 5'8

Default

and BLUE~ im with you on the protein bars they are a life saver ..........LOL
707Goddess is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 02:03 PM   #6  
Senior Member
 
DeafinlySmart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,140

S/C/G: xmas start wt: 156

Default

I have some of the old goodies (the blessing of this kind of diet is you can) but the difference is it is a TREAT and in moderation. I also sometimes take my old recipes and retweak them for calories purposes. I try to learn to eat healthier (they do take far less calories and our body uses it more efficiently). Plus while I have some sugery stuff, the bad stuff just makes you want to binge on more and more of it if you aren't careful.

One of my more HIGH calorie meals and closer to what we think of as JUNK food is Nachos. My family loves those.

I started using Lay's Light Tortillas (warning: made with olestra). I ONLY allow myself to have ONE serving (portion control is your lifesaver). I use ground beef EXTRA LEAN and ONLY allow 1 cup (max..ground beef is high cal). Sometimes I add a cup of beans. I make my own salt free taco seasoning mix (found it in a diabetic cookbook). 1 serving of shredded mex (2%) cheese. Melt it. Add Chopped jalapenos, Chopped black olives (about 5), salt free diced tomatos and 1 serving of light or FF sour cream.

I watched my portion, substituted ingredients and still enjoyed my high fat/cal meal. I don't eat every meal like this though. Most of the time I try to aim for learning to eat healthy.
DeafinlySmart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 02:04 PM   #7  
Senior Member
 
alinnell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 10,823

S/C/G: 173/in progress/140ish

Height: 5'8"

Default

I like to eat, and I like to eat a lot, so I found out really quickly how the calories add up when you eat something processed and unhealthy. I try to fill half of my plate (or more) with fresh vegetables and the remainder is less than 1/4 protein (usually chicken or fish) and 1/4 starch (usually brown rice). Either that, or I fix a huge salad with lots and lots of spinach and Romaine lettuce and lots of veggies, beans and some chicken and not too much dressing (or fat free low cal types). I am amazed at how difficult it is to eat ENOUGH calories when you do this.
Sure, I still have a meal here and there that really packs on the calories, but I've found that I don't enjoy them as often now. I would rather attempt to make those unhealthy meals more healthy and fewer calories.
alinnell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-10-2006, 02:13 PM   #8  
Senior Member
 
DeafinlySmart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,140

S/C/G: xmas start wt: 156

Default

I was SO particularly proud of a meal I made recently. I wanted Spaghetti. It can get high in calories if not managed.

I decided to use HALF a jar of sauce (which is 4 servings instead of 8). I substituted with 2 cans of salf free diced tomatoes (which are WAAAYYY lower in calories. I added some spices and garlic. I only made just enough servings of noodles for everybody (so I wouldn't be tempted to eat more).

That half jar (instead of whole jar) REALLY saved calories. I was shocked.

THEN the next day I used some of the leftover sauce on whole wheat English Muffins and put pizza spices on it. I had pepperoni. I split each muffin in half and put 2 pepperoni slices on it and a little 2% shredded mozzerella. I also added some olives to it. I ate 2 (which is one muffin) and added some veggies to the plate.
DeafinlySmart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 05:59 AM   #9  
Eating for two!
 
jillybean720's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 6,018

S/C/G: 324 highest known/on hold/150

Height: 5' 5"

Default

If I'm reading correctly, you're not asking how many calories you should be eating or how you can eat healthier foods for your calories--you're wondering how on earth you'll be able to reach up to 1500 calories in healthy food because it's lower in calories, right?

Here's the thing--you sure can eat 1500 calories worth of Ding Dongs and potato chips and still lose weight--but you certainly won't get any healthier on the inside. You'll still be loading up with saturated and trans fats, sugar, and all other kinds of empty calories. As you lose weight, you'll likely be flabbier even at thye lower weights than you would if you ate healthier foods. But hey, if you don't mind being a jiggly, heart-attack-prone person at goal, then by all means

Junk food is meant to be a treat. For EVERYONE, losing weight or not. Some people don't quite realize this, but there are millions of thin people out there who are much much less healthy on the inside than some of us overweight folks here, and it's this mentality that is often the culprit.

If you need to eat healthier foods that are higher in calories, try adding nuts to your diet (WAY high in calories, but also in good fats), natural nut butters (for a while, I was eating natural peanut butter every day ), beans (black beans are 120 calories in 1/2 cup--nothing to sneeze at ), and other higher-calorie, but still nutritionally sound, foods. Even some fruits are higher in calories than you might expect--a typical banana has over 100 calories, and I'm pretty sure avocadoes are pretty high as well.

Not everything that's healthy is automatically low-calorie, so just look around your grocery store, try a few new things, and I think you'll find reaching 1500 calories in a day won't be a problem
jillybean720 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 06:26 AM   #10  
banned
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 829

S/C/G: 190/114/125

Height: 5'3"

Default

I try to use most of my calories eating good quality food. But I do not deny myself anything. I just make sure I add it into my daily total and watch the portion size. Its amazing how satisfying 10 M&M's can be if you have a craving.
TamiL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 08:31 AM   #11  
Senior Member
 
srmb60's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ontario's West Coast
Posts: 13,969

S/C/G: 165/147/128

Height: 5'3"

Default

I understand the oringinal question to be something like "do I have to change everything and forsake the foods I love in order to count calories"
If I'm interpreting that correctly, the answer is no. You can simply eat smaller portions of the things you love. And count every bite. The beauty of calorie counting is that there are no "NO'S".
What happens to most of us is that eventually we see the difference between the fried egg we ate yesterday and the boiled egg we had today ... and opt for the boiled egg again to save calories. It's another journey of learning as you go.

As for what others eat ... look in the grey profile box to the left of each post. Some folks have a link to fitday.com and you can see exactly what they eat.
srmb60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 09:01 AM   #12  
Senior Member
 
1dayatatime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 243

Default

IMHO, I think most people miss the boat on this one. When they think diet they think of depriving themselves of things for months or more than a year and then IF they make it that long without binging out for a month they binge when they meet goal and gain it all plus more back.

A diet is simply what you consume. You have had a diet since the day you were born and you will until the day you die. It's on the shelf with taxes, lol.

I haven't give up the use of my skillet, I just use it differently. I use unsalted butter, nonstick sprays, and I use it in conjunction with my Foreman grill. The FryDaddy, however, is history for me and I don't miss it - deep fried things actually upset my tummy something fierce now.

I have sugar in my coffee. It's my vice but over the past year I've learned to use less sugar and if I need more sweet I use a packet of splenda.

I have cake but not everyday. I have one piece and enjoy every bite.

I have M&M's but not everyday. I have found that Kettle Corn is a great sweet something to have daily if that's what I need at the time. I usually have it as my 9pm snack and it can be bought in the 100 calorie bags. I haven't found any difference in eating right before bed or not eating within 3 hours before bed.

I have veggies. I should have more but I don't like more so I don't have them. It's as simple as that.

I have fruit. I love fruit for breakfast with my coffee. I don't find it heavy on my tummy and that's a requirement for my breakfast.

Some things I like the low fat/fat free versions and some things I don't. You just have to find what works for you.

If I go over my caloric max one day I don't go under the next. I just keep going and try not to go over the next day or the one after that, etc. If I do, I just keep going.

The beauty of calorie counting is you can have your cake and lose weight too. And the beauty of calorie counting is you can have just cake and lose weight as long as eat less calories than you burn. It's not ideal but you can.

I try to make at least one meal each day "ideal" for health. Usually it's dinner and then the whole family benefits. I've whittled out twinkie snacks to rare existance in the pantry and now the snacks are fruits, popcorn, etc. Honestly, the kids have complained very little.

My diet would still not fill the pyramid but I've lost and I feel soooooo much better by making small changes.

As for exercise, if you don't exercise now and you're just getting started I would recommend counting only for 6-8 weeks. Do the extras like taking the stairs or parking far from the door but I would get the hang of counting before I pushed myself into a weekly regimen of exercise. Yes, exercise it good and great and you will find it's eventually going to make the big difference but just count first, get your groove and THEN add something else.

That's me. My diet is not perfect and probably never will be but I'm okay with that. I try new things, I'm active, and I'm a looser. I would never have gotten this far if I couldn't have kept a few vices.

Best of Luck!
1dayatatime is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 09:39 AM   #13  
Senior Member
 
Glory87's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: San Diego
Posts: 6,192

S/C/G: 190/140/135

Height: 5'7"

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2bthin44
Hi all calorie counters,
I'm new here and want to lose weight by counting calories, but I'm confused about what to eat. As far as counting "your" calories do most of your calories come from healthy eating things like fruit, veggies, meats, or do you just eat whatever and count those as your calories for the day.
I switched to healthy foods and feel so much better, I don't miss the "goodies" because I love the food I eat. Feel free to look at my Fitday for an idea of what I eat everyday (sorry, hasn't been udpated in a couple of days).
Glory87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 03:14 PM   #14  
Junior Member
Thread Starter
 
2bthin44's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2

Default Calorie counters thanks for responding....

Quote:
Hi all calorie counters,
I'm new here and want to lose weight by counting calories, but I'm confused about what to eat. As far as counting "your" calories do most of your calories come from healthy eating things like fruit, veggies, meats, or do you just eat whatever and count those as your calories for the day. Can some of you give me and idea of what you eat for your meals. Basically I guess what I'm saying is do I have to give up all of my goodies and switch to healthier calorie options. Because the way I see it to reach say 1500 calories a day by eating healthy things all day I know would just KILL ME (LOL). I need some food advice here someone please set me straight. Does this mean no more fried foods, just baked or broiled or grilled. How are some of you feeling up your calories for the day.
Just wanted to thank everyone for their input, the info provided has been helpful and more understanding. I will take all info into consideration when I begin my calorie counting journey. By the way 707Goddess: I'm only 5'1" and weigh approximately 190 which is way to much weight to be carrying around on my small frame. I wish to oneday weigh between 110 -120lbs. Now I just need to figure out how many calories to consume to in a day to get this weight off. Right now I'm not active but I do plan on walking at least 30 min/per day 5-6 days a week, and coming here for plenty of support and to keep you guys posted on how things are going.
2bthin44 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2006, 04:36 PM   #15  
Member
 
gabrielbeth's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ga
Posts: 65

S/C/G: 146/138/135

Height: 5'6"

Default

I understand the oringinal question to be something like "do I have to change everything and forsake the foods I love in order to count calories"

that was posted earlier. to answer that question, you most certainly DO NOT! i mean, i LOVE LOVE LOVE banana bread and banana pudding. so, i make my banana bread with splenda and whole wheat flour and applesauce instead of reg sugar, reg flour, and oil. it definately tastes as good and is better for me. i just don't eat that much either! and as far as banana pudding, i make it w/ sugar free, fat free pudding, fat free cool whip, and red fat nilla wafers, so it's not AS bad as reg banana pudding would be. plus again, i don't too much of it! you can improvise on any of your fave foods and if you can't do that, then just eat a little bit of what you love. don't gorge yourself.
hope that helps! you can do it!!!
gabrielbeth
gabrielbeth is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:17 AM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.