[hpnodat]

I honestly cant believe that I was consuming so many calories before I started counting calories. Supposedly in order for me to lose 3 lbs a week I need to consume 1339 calories a day. I have been able to hover around that amount since March 1st. The only time I've gone over was this past weekend when I had no choice but to eat out the entire time. But I still made healthy choices.

I used to be a fast food addict. I say used to be because I don't plan on picking it up again. And if I were to get a full meal at McDonalds which for me would usually consist of a Large big mac meal with fries and a sweet tea, not to mention bbq sauce for my fries and refill on the tea if I'm eating in the place, that comes up to about 1600 calories in one sitting. It also wouldn't be uncommon for us to go out to eat twice in one day. That is pretty bad.

Then there is how I would eat at home, we would have fried stuff a couple of nights a week. Veggies with butter or other seasonings like bacon grease added. Of course pasta with cream sauces.


Well.. Yeah, I guess I can believe it. No wonder I'm fat.

[shymeggie]

I know the feeling I was also very shocked by the huge amount of calories I would stuff down in a day. I feel so much better on around 1,423 a day. And the weight is going away !

[hpnodat]

The bad thing is on a day that I thought was a good day I was probably still consuming 2500 calories.

But I have had to retrain my mindset about things. I was on low carb (unsuccessfully I might add) for about 3 years so I was so used to eating protein and fat. I know that is where I gained most of my weight. I think people can lose weight on low carb but when you are doing it like I was doing it you end up gaining 50 lbs instead, like I did.
I just cant live without bread and pasta. I can take or leave the sweet stuff but I like starchy things and I feel better when I eat starchy things.
I feel way more comfortable counting calories.

[sweet_talker]

Well good on you for realizing your caloric intake When I started using fitday I was appalled by how many calories I could eat in one sitting let alone a day!!

I too can't cut out carbs or sugar but I've been making a lot of adjustments with where they are coming from, trying to focus on the carbohydrates coming from fruit and high fiber, whole wheat grains and natural sources exclusively -- they fill me up so much more!! And as for sugar, although I would love to tell myself that I don't need something sweet to satisfy me, at this point in my life I DO!! I really do! And so I eat low-cal popsicles or pudding that give me the sweetness without having tons of calories.

[freshmanweightorbust]

OMG I can so relate. Until I started counting and tallying up the cals, I was probably consuming close to 3000 cal/day... YUCK! Now I stay under 1500/day and I feel great! I enjoy food more, knowing there will be less of it. Is that wierd?

[Rosinante]

Congratulations on the enlightenment!

When I decided to start again, end of January, I decided to ease in by just making sensible choices, rather than calorie counting. However, I cranked up my DietPower programme and started to input what I ate to get a graph going. The day I discovered that my healthy choices amounted to 2500 !ack! I decided I'd really lost the plot and began to work to a budget.

[prinny]

When I first started my husband hadn't really committed yet. I would tell him how many calories were in something he'd ordered and well... didn't take long till he decided to join me. Of course once he started he got used to eating less too which also helps.

Now you know and knowing is half the battle...

[eviemc]

I am there with you and what is so bad is that now that I take in 1300-1500 calories (depends on the exercise for the day) I feel full all the time. I really have to push to get in what I need. I never felt as satisfied as I do now.

[hpnodat]

Earlier I was sitting here after supper logging the food I ate into my daily plate because I haven't been home all day and I realized I was 500 calories under my limit. So right now I'm having something to eat.

I love this because if I want I can spend all my calories on wholesome food or if I feel froggy I can spend them all on junk. But I'm learning from my consequences because I did one day eat nothing but junk and I was starving because I was just eating empty calories, even though I stayed within my calorie limit.
I appreciate my food more these days, This is the first time in my life where I actually feel like a normal person. I'm not afraid of food anymore.