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Old 03-28-2008, 12:29 AM   #1  
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Okay guys, first of mucho excited on the love I am getting from the forum. I have decided to drop weight watchers and go the calorie counting route. Just from one day of calorie counting I am ashamed at what I must have been consuming before!!! Granted I am a horrid 267 lbs. According to Freediet.com someone my weight and height should consume 2432 calories a day to maintain weight. If 3500 calories equals a pound I figure to lose 2 lbs a week I should but 1000 calories a day from my intake which puts me at 1432 a day. Add on about 1:30 of my exercise tapes in to that equation (hip hop abs, turbo jam is on its way) That should produce some results right??? Also another question, I plan on eating healthy and everything but just so I dont feel like a junky what does anyone think on a small dessert, maybe a few graham crackers or a piece of reduced fat coffee cake? I think I may not have the urge to binge if I know that is coming. Thoughts????? Much Love To Everyone
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Old 03-28-2008, 12:46 AM   #2  
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My first thought - and I mean this kindly - is to drop the idea that you're a "horrid 267". You're 267, that's it.

I calorie count in conjunction with healthy, clean eating, and found that I had to play with the numbers a bit in the beginning to find the right calorie level for me. None of the mathematical equations I've tried have ever really gotten it right, but they did help me find my starting point. What works for you will be highly individual - it really can vary a lot from person to person.

For myself, I presently weigh 271, and I eat roughly 1650 calories a day. At this level, I'm losing close to 3 lbs a week (average - it can be more or less than that week to week), with exercise each day. Right now, anything less and I would likely be a) hungry, or b) losing a little too quickly. There is actually some room there, based on the numbers, for me to add a few more calories, but I don't find I need them - plus, I'm happy with my rate of loss, and feel it's healthy and sustainable.

My advice would be to start with a slightly higher number and give it a couple of weeks. If you can lose at 1600-1700, better that than 1400, right? Start too low and there won't be much wiggle room later on when you need to drop your calories to keep losing. If you're not losing (which is hard to imagine), then tweak the number again and see what happens.

If your exercising 1 1/2 hours each day, you may even need to start higher still - don't discount your body's needs for fuel when you're exercising a great deal.

Regarding treats/sweets, it's really important to find what will make this work for YOU. If leaving yourself the calories for a few graham crackers or a piece of reduced-fat cake makes all the difference for you, by all means do that. You may find that before long, you'd rather put those calories to better use - but you may not. Losing weight is so individual, and really - as long as you're doing what works for you, you're doing the right thing.

Lastly, the "urge to binge" shouldn't be too much of an issue if you're eating well, and eating regularly. The beauty of calorie counting is that you only have so many in a day, and it becomes clear early on that the more carefully you "spend" them, the more food you can "buy". Make sense? By choosing healthy and low-calorie foods that are high volume and energy dense, you get more bang for your buck, and can afford to eat every couple of hours without breaking the bank (cheesy analogy, but hopefully you're still with me!). This level of calories should be plenty to allow you to eat whenever you're hungry, provided you make smart choices! That, more than anything, is key to preventing that desire to binge (at least in my experience so far).

Good luck!
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Old 03-28-2008, 12:52 AM   #3  
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Thanks for that it made alot of sense. What is a normal menu for you a day. Anyone know where something like that is posted. I just could use some ideas of low fat lunches and dinners. I was even thinking of buying just lean cuisines for lunch but then there are the kiddos to worry about
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Old 03-28-2008, 01:03 AM   #4  
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What Sorcha said, 100%.

I, personally, have had a sweet treat/dessert each and every day of my journey. I needed that to keep me from feeling deprived. Your results may vary, but I found it was really helpful for me. So that's my experience.

I definitely agree that you may be able to eat more and still lose...and if you can eat more and still lose, why the heck wouldn't you? You want some room to adjust downward if your losses stall.

Stick around, ask questions, and keep moving forward.
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Old 03-28-2008, 01:08 AM   #5  
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I eat mostly lean proteins (turkey, chicken breast, fish), whole grains (oats, brown rice), loads of veggies and a good amount of fruit, and reduced-fat dairy products. There's a whole foods/superfoods forum here that's great - they have a huge "daily accounting" thread going where we post our meals/snacks for the day. It has loads of menu ideas and a lot of good information:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=134782

It's not a way of eating that will work for everyone. I happen to really like brown rice instead of white, love whole-grain bread, would take a sweet potato over a regular potato every day of the week, etc. so it's been a great fit for me. You might not be the same, that's OK. Just do what works for you.

A lot of people eat Lean Cuisines and find they make things easy. I don't choose to eat them because they don't have enough food for me for the calories, and I hate that they have so much sodium. Again, though, it's a personal thing - they aren't evil or bad, they just aren't for me. I love cooking and don't mind extra time in the kitchen preparing meals every day, and I have the luxury of being at home so I have that time to give. If you don't, then quick options like that might be just what you need. Keep in mind, though, that you can always make up your own frozen meals on weekends or whenever, so you get the convenience without such a small portion and without all the added salt!
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Old 03-28-2008, 06:27 AM   #6  
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i did ww too, and then switched to calorie counting, it just works for me better. figuring points was always too tiresome for me.

i find i can binge at any moment, i just try to stay away from my triggers when im feeling weak. its worked so far. but i DO love dessert! i try to have it as a treat for when i stay on track and onplan! its a good pat on the back, but i have seriously modified my serving size when it comes to dessert. however i found that if i eat it slowly and really savor each bite, i dont really need more then a small serving AND i still get to lose weight! now thats a win win situation! hee hee
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Old 03-28-2008, 07:48 AM   #7  
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Hi Spify!

Yep, you'll see some great results at 1432 calories a day! Actually, you'd probably see pretty good results at 1700-1800 calories a day at your current weight. Have you thought about having higher calorie days in addition to the lower calorie days? This is called calorie cycling and it works well for some of us. "They" say that it prevents plateus. And, it's nice to have higher days planned into your week for special occasions, etc.

Regarding desserts, I plan a dessert into my calorie counts every day. I'll usually have 1/2 cup of no sugar added ice cream or a WW dessert. Sometimes, I have 5 ounces of red wine.

As far as daily menu,
Breakfast: I have 1/2 cup of steelcut oatmeal and 2 slices of turkey bacon for breakfast every morning.
Lunch is usually some form of protein....turkey kielbasa, chicken breast, leftovers from dinner...and 2 cups of steamed or roasted vegetables and a slice of whole grain bread.
Dinner - Hubby usually cooks a Southbeach recipe, but generally its like lunch with protein, 2 cups of veggies and a form of whole grain.
I have at least 2 snacks a day..sometimes, 3. For snacks,my favorites are apple slices with 1 tbs of natural peanut butter, low-fat triscuits with laughing cow cheese, or a cup of low-fat sugar free yogurt.

Please keep us posted on your progress. I'm looking forward to sharing this weight loss journey with you!
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Old 03-28-2008, 08:42 AM   #8  
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Like the others said, I would bump up the calories. If I could lose weight at more calories, I would be there in a heart beat LOL!

For each meal, try to eat some protein, carbs and fat. That will help regulate your blood sugar. Same with snacks.

Meal ideas for brekkie:
oatbran or oatmeal with a tablespoon of chopped nuts paired with turkey or veggie sausage

lowfat granola mixed with yogurt and berries (a personal favorite of mine)

Bisquick Heartsmart pancake mix (made into pancakes), paired with berries and eggs or the low fat sausage.

Last edited by fiberlover; 03-28-2008 at 08:42 AM.
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Old 03-28-2008, 09:07 AM   #9  
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Ashley.. you are on a wonderful track! You are not horrid either

Honestly I didn't read all the responses.. I will here in a sec, but the little indians are going wild at the moment..lol.

I do not deprive myself of a dessert at all, I usually have one a day! I keep fat free pudding cups on hand and sugar free jello.. I top these with a bit of fat free coolwhip to make them really seem sinful! I also have some granola bars and the special K bliss bars for those times I just need a "candy bar".

You are doing wonderful.. we will be thin in no time!
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Old 03-28-2008, 09:22 AM   #10  
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I believe in calorie counting, too. I eat something about every three hours, breakfast, snack, lunch,snack, dinner,snack. Snacks can be non fat yogurt, laughing cow cheese, fresh fruit, something low calorie. Now as for desserts I eat dessert at a restaurant or when a guest in someone's home, where I will have have just one serving.I never have a whole pie or whole cake in the house, that is just asking for trouble, too much temptation.
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Old 03-28-2008, 10:03 AM   #11  
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Yes to what everyone else has said

I also want to say that at 194lbs, Calorie King tells me that I should consume 1460 calories a day, and I'm losing well at that amount (so long as I manage to stay on plan!) ... I also exercise with running and Karate and on the days I do a lot, I eat some of my exercise calories too. 1400 calories at 260lbs doesn't sound like enough. Would you like me to put the number into Calorie King and have them tell you what their recommendation is??

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!! I much prefer counting calories to Weight Watchers as I like to know exactly what I'm eating... not just the points values of it
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Old 03-28-2008, 10:30 AM   #12  
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I totally agree with eveyone. I did WW for 2 years and if you follow the program it totally works. But figuring out points was too much trouble. I switched to couting calories last summer (I fell off the wagon at thanksgiving) but when I was doing it I lost about 15 pounds. Counting calories is so much easier. I think 1400 may be a little low. But that is my opinion.
I eat between 1500-1700 a day m-sat, then sunday is my "free" day but I dont go over 2000 cal.
I think that you should have dessert. If you dont allow yourself to have what you want then you are going to be ok for a while but then you are just going to binge on everything that you have been craving. if you want something eat it. just limit it and figure out the calories...

for example. i know that i am going out to lunch today with my friend. i am having a lower cal dinner and breakfast. i am having mini burgers with a salad. it is higher is cal but i am figuring it into my diet. because when I do get to my goal I am going to have to figure out how to have what I want without gaining the weight again. so i might as well take the time of losing weight to learn what works for me. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE THE WAY I PUT THAT? I hope so.

XOXO GOOD LUCK
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Old 03-28-2008, 11:22 AM   #13  
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my goodness what inspiring replies! Everyone here is sooo awesome. Just to let everyone know I didnt bindge last night I did however have a very small bowl of frosted flakes with my 2 year old though tee hee
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Old 03-28-2008, 11:53 AM   #14  
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Great job!!!!
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