This is horrible!
 

I am new to calorie counting. I just saw a nutritionist yesterday for the first time and I was given my calorie intake limits and some suggestions. Today was my first day actually recording the calories that I eat, and I even made sure to only serve myself the recommended serving size as stated on the nutritional facts on the bags and boxes of food (even pulled out my rarely used measuring cups).

I felt really proud of myself for limiting my portions and making healthy choices in vegetables, fruits, and other food groups. When I went grocery shopping, I made sure to get such things as whole wheat, and even the Dannon Fit & Light yogurts because they had the least amount of calories.

But when I got home and started preparing my meals as suggested by the nutritionist, I started adding up the calories and in just one meal I nearly hit my daily calorie intake limit! Now I'm very confused about how I am supposed to divide these calories up while still getting a good meal as suggested to me by my nutritionist.

Does anyone have any suggestions at all? :(

What did your nutritionist suggest? Can you give us more info about what that one meal was?

I use Fitday (fitday.com) PC version (the online version is free) to count my calories. It really helps me :)

What daily calorie intake are you striving for?

Post some specifics, and I'm sure that we can help you figure out a way to make calorie counting work for you. IMHO - it is a great lifestyle change that CAN be sustained for LIFE!!!!

Can you maybe list what you had today? I'd venture a guess either portion sizes are off or maybe whatever you are using to look stuff up is off? Kinda hard to tell without more detail.

Oh yeah - :wel3fc:

Yes - more details please! We can probably make some suggestions. What is your calorie limit? What did you eat today?

Yes, more info would be helpful! I used to have a lot of problems getting it to all add up. But now I think about it in meal chunks. Like if I'm aiming for 1500 (my current range is 1500-1600) breakfast is 350 morning snack is 100 lunch is 400, afternoon snack is 150 and dinner is 500. None of these amounts are fixed, somedays breakfast is 200 and lunch is 650 without a mornign snack and so forth. It just helped me in the beginning to plan by meal instead of a whole day at once. And even now that it comes relatively naturally, it helps in case I can't figure out how much is too much.

Best of luck to you! It sounds like you made a good trip and I'm sure the ladies here can help you with wonderful meals.

I plan my meals and calories before I eat . It's kind of like having money in the bank , I can't spend more than I have in the bank.
I have 1500 calories per day , I plan my meals and snacks around that figure,being careful to spread the calories thru the day and not eat them all at one meal.
How many calories per day did the nutritionist suggest?

My range is 1200-1500... and to be honest.. I only had 1 meal yesterday plus a snack. In my one meal I had 2 chicken tacos made from 1 small chicken breast the size of my palm. The tortillas were whole wheat and all I put on them was a few slices of avocado (not even half) and half a slice of cheese. The chicken was seasoned, but none of the seasonings had calories in them. I also had 2/3 cup of corn and a small (4 oz) yogurt. For my snack earlier in the day I had a hot dog (I hadn't gone grocery shopping yet, else I would have had a fruit or something) and 8 oz. of OJ.

My nutritionist suggested that my plate proportions should be divided by splitting the plate into three parts.. one half should be veggies, a quarter should be protein, and the other quarter should be carbs. Then on the side I should have one serving of fruit and one serving of dairy. That is the dinner plate by the way, which I thought I had kept to. Is there a better way to split things up?

I think it would be more accurate to count the calories in each item rather than going by portion sizes, too many variables. How did you determine that you had hit your calorie limit in one meal ? At 1200-1500 calories you should be able to divide that into 3 meals and a couple of snacks.

By my calculations:
Chicken breast - 130
Wheat tortillas - 280 (140 each)
1/2 avocado (I know you said less, but I'm erring high): 160
Half slice of cheese - 45 cals (obviously this depends what kind, but that seemed pretty standard for a lot of cheeses)
Corn - 90
Yogurt - 50
Hot dog - 150
Orange juice - 120
Now, obviously a lot depends on brands and whatnot... but I'm getting a total of 1025.

It definitely sounds like you didn't eat a lot, but be careful of foods that are very calorie dense. I always check calories before eating, and for example, for me, two tortillas aren't worth close to 300 calories: I'll pack more into one, or have it plain, etc. It's all about tradeoffs. I think once you do more calorie counting, you'll learn what seems "high" and "low," and then can judge appropriately. To hit 1500, think of each meal as 500 calories. If one is lower, you can add a snack (definitely a good idea to snack). If one is higher, make your next meal lower. Etc.

I have a similar calorie limit to you, so feel free to check out my DailyPlate and see what I've been eating: http://www.thedailyplate.com/diary/who/SceneStealer. I'm definitely not perfect, but I generally come close to what I'm supposed to eat. Yesterday I even had extra calories and had some ice cream for dessert!

I did count the calories in each item... I made a mistake by saying in one meal... the hot dog is what made me hit my limit... This is what I had: 1 small chicken (cooked in oil.. I tried to catch my husband before he added the oil, but it was too late) - 253; avocado - 120; 2 whole wheat tortillas - 260; 1 slice cheese (half on each taco) - 60; 2 tbsp ranch - 80; 2/3 cup corn - 100; 1 (4 oz) yogurt - 40; 8 oz OJ - 110. This all totals to 1023... just in one meal. The hot dog (which I will never eat again) was 310 (hot dog - 170; 1 slice white bread - 120; ketchup - 20).... all totaled is 1333, which doesn't leave me hardly anything for Breakfast and Lunch.

Laura, I took a look at your food diary.. this site is interesting.. I may consider doing this... I was keeping a written diary because I have to show it to my nutritionist.. your bio on the side sounds just like me! I'm 22, female, and that is my favorite quote :]

Trying thinking about it like tradeoffs. For example, you don't have to 'never eat a hot dog again'. Save a hot dog as a snack when you've had really low-cal meals that day.

I usually break my day down as:
Breakfast: 200-400
Morning snack: 50-150
Lunch: 300-500
Afternoon snack: 50-150
Dinner: 400-600
Evening snack: 100-200

All those ranges vary depending on what I ate at the other meals. For example, if my afternoon snack was raw veggies like green peppers or celery, I usually treat myself to a fun "real" dessert (ice cream, brownie, etc). If I had a cookie for an afternoon snack, I might have half of a frozen banana for dessert instead. Hope that helps!

Also, I hope this doesn't come off as spam, but I just started a blog, and I post my dinner recipes every night (I usually bring the leftovers for lunch the next day). I JUST started the blog a few days ago, so there are only a few recipes there now, but you could try some of them. I also always post the recipes on DailyPlate, so you can check out my user history there to see others.

Don't stress too much - I promise calorie counting gets easier as you go!

Hmm.. I'm thinking a lot of this is trial and error... since I have never done calorie counting.. I have to learn what is good and what isn't.. even though it may sound alright to begin with.. when added to other things.. it might not be. I'm really determined to do good. I have to prove to my doctor's that I mean to keep to this because I am supposed to be getting the weight loss surgery. My weight has started to affect my breathing.. and now I am having back problems. My goal is to lose all my extra weight and become fit so that i could join the military.. it's a dream that I've always had. Hopefully now I can do so.

I eat an occaisional hot dog but save calories by not putting it on a bun. It tastes just fine eaten with a fork. Corn is high in calories there are other vegies lower in calories. You learn this as you go along.I personally keep my diary with pen and paper. Many people use the internet , there are several good ones, it is just a matter of preferance.

i have to have a hard copy for my nutritionist so I will keep a hand written journal, but I may consider an online copy just for a backup. I bought a ton of veggies yesterday.. frozen ones because my finance budget doesn't allow me to get too many fresh veggies. I love squash and zucchini myself. I also got things like spinach (I love to add to rice) and green beans.

It is all about trial and error. The next time you have green beans and a green salad ... you'll think that's a heap of food compared to that corn!

It takes time, you may not get it perfect right away....so you look at the meal and you say how can I make it better?
The best way to start is to look at what you are eating and tweak away

Just looking at your list I would try less avocado, low carb tortillas (50 cal each), remove the corn and replace it with green veggies. Corn is a starch like the tortillas, not a vegetable. Lowfat cheese, and skip the ranch dressing or replace it with fat free or light ranch and use less.

Hot dog - if you have a craving there are some low calorie ones, put it on a slice of light whole wheat (40 cal)

Orange juice...have 2 tangerines instead - 60 cals

You can always print your log online, if that's easier than putting it all down twice. It depends on how your internet access is. I'm on my computer all day/night, so it's easier for me to do it all online.

Sounds like you have a good start. For me, I had to become a label reader. There are so many choices with so many different amounts of calories. Be careful however - don't assume that "light" or "free" versions are the best. In many cases, they have almost as many calories, more sugar and lots of ingredients you can't pronounce.

For breads, I like the Flatout breads (90 cals) instead of tortillas. They are huge (I usually cut them in half) and have a lot of fiber and protein in them. I also like Thomas multigrain light English muffins - same thing - lots of fiber and protein for only 100 calories.

I find that sticking to whole foods not only helps me feel full on fewer calories, they are much easier to enter int Fitday.

As you begin reading labels, you will see that you can make a few substitutions for higher calorie foods that will serve you well and allow you to have more meals and snacks and still stay under your limit.

I was on the run today, so I had to live on grab 'n go foods. The couscous was left over from supper on Tuesday.
My menu today:
Breakfast - English muffin with hummus and a banana. (250 cals)
Snack - string cheese and carrot sticks (80 cals)
Lunch - couscous prepared with veggie broth with mixed vegetables (300 cals)
Snack - Wasa cracker with hummus and an apple (150 cals)
Supper - Morningstar Farms black bean burger on half of a Flatout bread and stir-fried veggies (250 cals)
Evening snack - glass of dry red wine and .5 oz. of cashews (200 cals)

3 meals, 3 snacks for a total of 1230 cals

For Hot Dogs...I don't eat them that often but when I do, I buy Hebrew National 97% Fat free I think.. They have like 45 calories each.

For tortillas I like the La Tortilla Factory low carb/low fat ones...only 50 calories each! I eat wraps most days for lunch.

With calorie counting I think you'll find you spend more time shopping - because you are reading all the labels...but it gets easier!! You'll find a lot of staples that you know you can rely on.

Oh and if you check out my Fitday? You'll see someone who is far from perfect...(yesterday is a good example of what not to do). But I just pick myself up and keep going. It's the only way to fly. :D

When I decided I was going to do more than just watch my fat I looked at the back of a package that showed what was allowed for a 2000 calorie diet and broke it down to the 1200 to 1400 calories that I decided to allow myself. Was pretty darn happy when the doc and nutritionist both said those limits were exactly they would have set for me. After I had already been doing this for a few months lol :)

I generally eat 6 small meals a day and a snack. Fit day is a great site. Basically I eat the same things everyday just switched around a bit for the pre breakfast, breakfast, pre lunch and lunch. They are things I like, I enjoy and they fill the required amounts of the four basic food groups. Sure I have days that I am over or under those amounts. It all averages out. Pre dinner and dinner can just depend on what I am in the mood for.

Maybe spread out what you eat over the entire day. 2 chicken tacos doesn't sound bad but don't eat them at the same time. Have one now and one later. That is how you have enough to spread thru the day. Sometimes you get rid of one thing and choose something else. I agree on the two tortilla being a bit high in calories ( now of course this can depend on the brand I know there are a few brands that are very low in calories and fat ) I use the lower calorie ones when I make tacos. Maybe take everything in those tacos and put it into a salad. Makes more than one serving and give you lots of food to eat.

As far as hot dogs, which is something I only eat about once every 6 months lol. Hebrew 97% fat free are great. It is all we have in the house now.

I have little by little changed what I eat. It takes time to fine tune calorie counting. With a site like fit day it is very easy.

Just a thought, instead of a nutritionist, maybe try a registered dietitian...I know the difference may not seem HUGE, BUT I know dietitians make actual meal plans, have more education, and a bonus, must be registered (I just think that makes them more on top of things due to continuing education requirements). Maybe your nutritionist IS a registered dietitian? I would ask, and either way have her give you an actual meal plan for a week or two so you're not stuck only eating once or twice a day. I mean it seems kind of silly for her to think that that's all the info you need to get through a day healthfully...but hey that may just be me.

judojedi... Unfortunately, my situation requires me to stick with whatever I am given. The nutritionist is being paid for by the military. Military medical care is TERRIBLE. The first time that I met my nutritionist was at a group orientation. My one-on-one conversation with her won't even be until the 28th. So until then, it's up to me to take what i learned at the orientation and apply it until I speak to her again.

Well, PeekaJinx, welcome to the world of reality, where you find out exactly how it was that you gained weight in the first place. :yikes:

Without even adding up the items, I could see that you were going way up in cals. Half an avocado AND cheese? Ooops. Two tortillas? Ooops.

So, get creative! Learn how to portion out your foods throughout the day. That's how all of us do it. If we want something like some avocado, we know what we're getting into and what we have to trade off to stay within our range.

You'll get the hang of it! I've had more food surprises than I care to remember, but I survived and am still losing weight.

Good luck! Hang in there! :cheer2:

Jay

Hey! Just thought of this! I have the ALLI diet book, even though I don't use ALLI...and the book is FILLED with 1200/1500/1800 cal meal plans and you choose between 15%, 20% and 30% fat. The menus are extensive and include brands when specific calorie counts are vital, recipes for cooking and convenience food substitutions for those that don't cook, no-cook options, eating out options....Don't know why I didn't think of it before!

Anyways if you have access to the book I am sure it would come in handy....there is also a site ***********.com that offers FREE meal plans with many options and substitutions as well. I haven't used this site, but I have checked it out before. Good if you are low on funds!

HUH won't show the website....

Certain website names don't get shown because of spamming from those websites.

:spammer:

Jay

I know I'm coming late to the party here, but I just wanted to echo what others have said: you will learn what tradeoffs you want to make and it DOES get easier.

My husband joined me as a calorie counter several months into my journey. We had gone out to breakfast somewhere and he ate a big bagel sandwich -- I think it was something like 750 calories. Well, by the end of the day he was really struggling to stay to his calorie limit and STARVING and I had to keep reminding him it was just the FIRST DAY and that his breakfast hadn't done him any favors. Well, he learned how to portion better during the day and has lost 60 pounds.

Oh, and he hasn't had one of those bagel sandwiches since. Not that he couldn't, but for the most part, it's just not worth it!

Hi, I totally know what you mean. I am a BIG fan of having actual meals, and not 200 calories here and there as snacks, (like we should do). Anyway, I LOVE orange juice, but really it is a cup full of calories, I know it is SUPER healthy, so I save it for the days that my calories are on the lower end.

vixjean.. I can't imagine life without Orange Juice! I'm limiting myself to the 8 oz a day and allowing myself to sacrifice something else just for that 1 luxury. I seem to be doing better now that I am a few days into this calorie counting diet. I'm taking more care in my choices and trying to plan my meals ahead of time.

I really appreciate all of the support I have gotten since I originally posted this thread. I guess I just got freaked out when I first started calorie counting and went "OMG! how am I supposed to do this?!"

Some of your suggestions have been very helpful and I am implementing them into my diet strategies. I did slip once, but it was more of a last binge of my favorite food that I will be missing for a long time. After that, I have been making a very strong effort to make sure I only eat the amount of calories I am supposed to eat.

I think my next challenge is actually remembering to eat 3 meals a day to help my metabolism. I was always a one meal a day person, and sometimes not even that. I once went a full two days and couldn't figure out why I had a migraine until someone asked me when the last time I ate was!

I'm sure someone posted this before:

But for many of my ingredients for my foods, I try to substitute with lower fat foods (lower fats USUALLY end up being lower calorie, but not always).

Before my diet, I NEVER used to read labels... I would just grab whatever off the grocery shelves and go with it.

Now I look.

It's funny, whenever I'm craving something like a chocolate bar, I will usually grab my favorites and look at the label - most bars are usually around 250 calories. The reality of the calories will usually take over and I always end up putting it on the back of the shelf.

If the bars come in two or more portions (e.g. Turtles, Twix, box of Jr. Mints), I'll buy it, eat a small portion and put the rest into the freezer (I LOVE frozen chocolate!)

For snacks, I try to find something that is usually under 100 calories (for me, a snack is 100 calories or less). This can be

- youghurt (frozen or regular)
- Fruit cup
- jello
- Pickles (2 large BIC pickles have 3 calories!!)
- Cooked Turkey sausage (Piller's Turkey Bites - 50 calories each and so yummy - but look out for the sodium content... sodium makes you retain water)
- 2 Stoned Wheat (bell flavored) crackers with cheese (95 cals, of course depends on which cheese - I like the flavored Laughing Cow Party Cubes)

If I'm cooking foods, I try to add as much fresh ingredients as possible, but there are some that call for soups, mixes etc. I count everything that goes into the recipe, and divide it by the number of servings. I will also make sure to add fresh veggies to the meal - even if it's just a plain salad with low calorie/fat salad dressing. For the dressing, if it's low cal or low fat, I'll usually just put a portioned amount onto my salad directly. If it's a higher fat dressing (eating out etc) or I don't know what the content of the dressing is, I'll usually dip my fork into the dressing and spear the salad and eat it that way. Of course some salads already have dressings mixed in (ceasar etc). I always ask for the smallest portion.

I've never been a big carb person - but there are times when I do like them. I try to stick with the whole varieties (e.g. brown rice, whole or multigrain breads etc).

When I drink milk, I usually stick with a small glass of 2%. There was a study a while back that says that three servings of regular fat milk helps take off the belly fat compaired to others. DOn't know if this is true or not, but I don't bother buying skim, it's usually 1 or 2 percent. Both of my kids are skinny little ones, so the fat helps them as well.

It might take some getting used to, but the nearly fat free hotdogs are a good calorie choice. The ones I eat have 40 calories each. Put two of them on 80 calorie diet buns and you can have a couple of hot dogs for dinner for less than 300 calories (course, I always ketchup and mustard, so probably right at 300 for me).