Ok Calorie Counters I have some questions for ya!!!
 

Hi! I am new here and I see most here are calorie counters, so.....how do you do it??
Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?
Do eat only healthy food?
How do you get the calorie count for everything?
What do you drink?
I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.
I try and try to diet but just fail and then feel horrible and end up eating more. I need HELP!!!!!!! My hubby says if I want to lose bad enoughh I will just do it but I do want to lose weight . I cry every day and wont go out and do anything because I am ashamed of what I look like.
Do you exercise to?
If so, what do you do?
Can you give examples of what you eat?
Thanks everyone!

First of all, welcome to the board! I hope you find it as useful as I have.

No. When I started, I planned everything in Advance. Then I got to the place where if I got to the last meal of the day and had no calories left, I didn't eat. Now I'm at the place where I know what I'm Likely to eat this day and what the calorie content is Likely to be, so I very rarely run out of calories.
However, before I eat it, I record it, and if it takes me over my daily budget, I don't eat it.
I use DietPower, which is a paid for software, to track my foods but there are free ones out there, like Sparkpeople. There are 2 Huge Pluses to this 1) it keeps accurate track of what I eat - you enter 'apple' and it enters the calories, carbs, fibre AND 2) VITAMINS AND MINERALS! when I first started calorie counting, although I ate very healthily, I just didn't reach RDA for key things like calcium, potassium etc, and didn't feel well.

Pretty much. Mostly because healthier food is lower in calories than processed fast food, so you get more food for your calories.

See above. DPower or Sparkpeople or Fitday or others. It takes as long as it takes to type the name of the food in, the programme does the rest.

Water, mostly. 100 fluid ounces a day. Plus black coffee and tea. I don't waste calories on milk, haven't taken sugar for 45 years anyway.

Tough. Try. Introduce little bits at a time of the fruit and veg. and build up from there. They're good for you, they're filling, and they're low calorie mostly, the calorie counters friend. A diet (weightloss or otherwise) without them is not healthy. What other things healthy do you hate?

It's not quite as simple as wanting to lose weight badly enough, but nearly. You need to experiment - but not in a casual way, take time over it - to find a Way Of Eating that you can stick with; trying to do one that doesn't suit you will never work. Then, you have to stick with it, whether you want to or not, and believe me, it's bl.... difficult.

I walk. I started as a huge, fat, short, apple-shaped lump, whose legs died after walking 10 minutes. Now I walk every single day, sometimes only for 30 minutes, it's all I can fit into the work day in daylight hours, and it's not safe round here to walk after dark. When I went on holiday a few weeks ago, I walked for 2 and 3 hours every day, and loved every minute.
It burns some calories, it's good for general fitness, it takes no more than a pair of trainers or sensible shoes (I walk in the city), there's no sense of anyone standing round observing my technique, it fits in with my day - I walk to do the shopping every day if nothing else, I see parts of my city I wouldn't notice from the bus.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup (dry weight) porridge oats, zapped in the microwave, made with water. 1-2 tsp of sugar on top.
Lunch: A casserole, meat or veggie, with brown rice or corn pasta (too much wheat doesn't agree with me), maybe with grated cheese on top.
or
A package of king prawns (guess that's shrimp?) tossed in lite mayonnaise, stuffed into 2 wholemeal pitta pockets with loads of salad
Dinner: A lean meat, maybe a roast, or fish or chicken with either salad or veg. I don't eat bready, wheaty carbs at my evening meal but that's just my choice.

In the summer, my meals were a bit lighter, so I'd have a morning and an afternoon snack: crispbread with cheese/smoked salmon; dried fruit or nuts, yogurt with ground nuts and flaxseed on top. I find in this near-winter time that larger meals and no snacks works better for me and my mood.

When I have the calories, my evening treat is coffee made almost entirely with milk, which, even nearly 6 months in, still feels like a divinely decadent treat.


And I post here a lot (as you can see :o ). It keeps me focussed, maybe sometimes a tad obsessive; but I have recognized that the days I just can't be bothered posting here are the days I'm struggling with food too.

Good luck!

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?

Yes and no. I watch my sodium intake and my carb/protein/fat ratio as well as calories, so I plan out meals based around that as well. Most days I stick to "healthy" foods-- fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc., but every now and then I allow myself a treat within my calories (usually 1/2 cup non-fat frozen yoghurt or a small piece of chocolate). I like eating those healthy foods, though, so it's not like I'm eating things I don't want to eat.

Do eat only healthy food?

Like I said before, I allow indulgences and treats every now and then. If I'm at a birthday party, I'll have some cake, for example. Sometimes my mom brings home Chinese and I'll have a spring roll. I'm a college student who likes her the occasional crazy party weekend. But for the most part, I try to eat as healthy as I can.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?

Package labels and caloriecount.about.com for foods that don't have labels. I count almost everything, excluding coffee, tea, no-sodium flavoured water, stevia, and no-salt spices and seasonings.

What do you drink?

Boatloads of water, unsweetened almond milk, coffee, tea, and occasionally orange or tomato juice

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.

You need to eat healthy to be healthy. You might be able to lose weight eating junk food, but you won't be healthy. Most of the time that hatred of fruits and veggies has nothing to do with their taste, it's a mental block you've put up. Be open minded and experiment with different foods.

Do you exercise too?

Yes. The amount varies anywhere between 3 times/week to everyday, and anywhere from 20-90 minutes.

If so, what do you do?

I do a lot of walking, and some workout videos. It's not the most important part when losing weight, that's more to do with your diet, but it makes me feel good and helps to tone your body, so I'd recommend getting in some form of exercise a few times a week.

Can you give examples of what you eat?

Here's what I ate today, as an example.

Breakfast: 1/2 cup pear slices, 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yoghurt, 1 whole wheat mini-bagel, 2 tbsp low-sodium Better N Peanut Butter, 1 tbsp sugar free blackberry preserves, coffee with 1/2 cup nonsweetened Almond Breeze and 1 packet stevia powder [370 cal]

Lunch: 1 medium baked potato with skin, 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream, 1/2 cup canned sweet peas, 2 veggie sausage links [326 cal]

Snack: 1/2 strawberry Soy Joy bar [65 cal]

Dinner: 1/2 cup whole grain rotini, 1.5 cup shredded green lettuce, 1/2 cup canned "Italian Recipe" sliced roma tomatoes, all mixed with 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil [480 cal]

Snack: 1 medium clementine and plain coffee [23 cal]

Plus I average a glass or bottle of water about every hour I'm awake and I take a multi-vitamin every morning.

Hope this helps some!

First, congrats for wanting and starting a change in your lifestyle! :yay:

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?
Usually, no. Sometimes, yes. What I mean is that usually I eat healthy foods - veggies, fruit, whole grains, lean meats and fish, lean dairy, etc.

Do eat only healthy food?
Lately Sunday has been my "eat whatever" day. I do NOT eat the amount I want, but the food I want. I raise my calories a little on Sunday and can have anything I want that'll fit my calorie budget.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?
Online or on the package. You can pick a website and stick with it, or do like me and check a couple and see what they say. Takes seconds to do it. I'd die without the internet. Lol!

What do you drink?
Water almost always. Sometimes herbal tea (like blueberry, apple cinnamon, etc.). Once in a while I'll drink coffee, or make my own chai tea with 1/2 cup soy milk and splenda for 30 cal. That's basically all. Tons of water, though.

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.
You might just be thinking about them wrong. You don't have to only eat raw celery and carrots. You can make stews, casseroles, stir fries, veggie bakes, anything and still have it be healthy. Search around on the internet for some healthier recipes. It's kinda fun to cook! I never do recipes with more than 6 main ingredients, though - don't have time or patience for it.

I try and try to diet but just fail and then feel horrible and end up eating more. I need HELP!!!!!!! My hubby says if I want to lose bad enoughh I will just do it but I do want to lose weight. I cry every day and wont go out and do anything because I am ashamed of what I look like.
It's not exactly wanting it bad enough, it's allowing yourself to change your lifestyle. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you can't do a diet and then switch back to how you ate when you were larger - because then you'll get larger again. Changing the whole way you eat forever is required. It's not as hard or bad as it sounds.

My mom changed the way she ate, and just adjusted portions. She eats anything, just not much of it. I like volume of food, so I eat low calorie things is huge quantities. It's all up to what works best for you.:)

Do you exercise too?
Yep. Every week, mostly. But in the past I've quit easily when I push myself too hard. I do what I feel I want to do and can do, and then slowly progress when I desire to do so (which happens more frequently when I don't push). Some is better than none, so I'm not rushing.

If so, what do you do?
I do sprint intervals (run really fast for 30-60 seconds, then walk for 2 min. and repeat for half an hour) on the weekends. Lift weights. Run 2 miles twice a week, and do other exercise machines 2 hours a week. It sounds like more than it is. I'm quite lazy, actually. I watch TV on the machines - cooking shows. Lol!

Can you give examples of what you eat?

Sure. I love veggie stir fries, oatmeal, my low carb tortillas, etc.

But if you're just starting out, I wouldn't start with eating how I do necessarily. Maybe start with portion control and start working in some healthier foods as you go. Replace chips and dip with hummus and pita, replace soda with tea, etc.

Relax and don't fret too much. Just keep adjusting and you'll figure out something that keeps you full and lets you lose weight. There's a lot of advice on this site that you can find to help, too.

Good luck! You CAN do this. :cheer2:

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?
I don't eat anything that I want. One could lose weight by just eating one big mac meal a day....but can you survive on just that?

Do eat only healthy food?
Yes, I only eat wholesome, good foods(I sometimes indulge in a small treat) I used to be a fast food junky but my body quickly got used to the healthy change.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?
There are many sites that have the count for a multitude of foods. I personally use and love, Livestrong.com.

What do you drink?
Water, coffee, diet coke. But mostly water.

Do you exercise to?
Yes.


If so, what do you do?
Because I am currently training for a 26k marathon in March, I exercise pretty intensely. 6 days (sometimes 7) days a week for about 2 hours a day. I alternate between running, cycling, weigh training, elliptical and a few videos like Insanity, Turbo Fire and P90x.


Can you give examples of what you eat?
I think you know the answer to this ;)
Fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats (I only eat chicken and tuna) And fat free dairy.

Good luck on your weight loss journey!

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?
No, I have a plan. Right now I shoot for about 1500 calories a day. If I ate a big breakfast and a big lunch, then I'd have no calories left for dinner. I tend to "backolad" may calories and have smaller daytime meals so I can have a more "normal" sized dinner with my husband at the end of the day. Some people do the opposite. Whatever works!

Do eat only healthy food?
Mostly, but not always. You'll learn that "healthy" food gives you more bang for the buck, i.e., you'll feel fuller on fewer calories than if you just eat junk. If you waste 300 calories on a chocolate donut, for example, you'll usually regret it because you're hungry like 20 minutes later. For the same calories, I could eat a grilled chicken breast and a side of veggies and be way more satisfied.

As far as "cheat" days, etc., I do allow for that occasionally. I have pizza about once a month. I have chocolate every day. I just budget for it. For me, some junk food is worth budgeting for, some is not.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?
I use an iphone app called "lose it." It has a pretty good database of food, but allows you to "create" your own foods and recipies for things they don't have listed. I look up nutritional info at restaurants (if it's not already in the app) or look at food labels. The app adds up my calories for me as I go along, AND it also gives me a recommended daily amount based on my current weight. Lots of other tools online too if you don't have a smartphone.

One thing to remember is calorie counting is not an exact science. A "small apple" can mean different things to different people, but you will at least be in the ballpark for most things!

What do you drink?
I learned very early that sugary drinks are NOT worth the calories. I would way rather eat my calories than drink them. I drink water, coffee (just a bit of creamer, no sugar), a diet soda at lunch. Sometimes I also do Crystal Light in my water just to give it a little more flavor. I do drink alcohol occassionally, but again, you have to budget for it. One light beer is roughly 100 calories, one mixed drink (vodka, rum, whatever) with a zero-calorie mixer is roughly 75 calories.

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.
I can kinda relate. Start out with the things you DO like (i.e., for me...cooked carrots, strawberries, watermelon, green beans) then expand from there. I recently discovered I liked zuchinni. Who knew? Also, salsa (especially fresh, homemade salsa...mmmm) DOES count as a veggie! Just don't eat it with greasy tortilla chips!


I need HELP!!!!!!! My hubby says if I want to lose bad enoughh I will just do it but I do want to lose weight. I cry every day and wont go out and do anything because I am ashamed of what I look like.

I can relate here too. I've tried and failed many times and I've been where you are. For me, I think the reason I've failed so many times is because of my "all or nothing" mentality. I thought in order to lose weight, you HAD to eat "clean" 100% of the time. I think you kind of need to start out that way to establish new habits, but I realized that one pizza night a month or whatever is OK! All things in moderation. Some people don't like the moderation route because of food triggers, etc., but it's worked for me.

Do you exercise too? If so, what do you do?
Yep. I try to shoot for a minimum of 30 minutes a day/5 days a week. Some weeks I go above and beyond, other weeks I fall short. I started out doing wii fit exercises and could barely get through 20 minutes. Now I actually LIKE exercising. I would have never dreamed I'd be one of "those people" in a million years! The key for me is variety. I will quit if I get bored. I do a mix of walking (when it's nice out), elliptical, yoga videos, wii fit (not as often anymore, it's getting too easy for me), biggest loser videos and my new favorite, walk away the pounds. I also recently acquired a home gym for free, so I'm adding in some weight training.


Can you give examples of what you eat?Here's a typical work day for me:

Breakfast: coffee and fiber one bar

Mid-morning snack: light string cheese, 100 calorie pack of something salty

Lunch: turkey & cheese sandwich on wheat, veggie and/or can of v-8, diet soda.

Afternoon snack: fruit

Dinner: Usually some sort of lean meat with a veggie and a starch (I try to stick to whole grain rice type dishes, but once in a while I'll have a potato.) Often will have a salad before dinner to try to get more veggies in.

Dessert: something around 100 calories...skinny cow ice cream bar, "fun size" candy bar

After dinner snack (I don't always have one, but when I do...) 100 calorie microwave popcorn (which DOES count as a whole grain!) or something on that order...nuts, fruit...something at lest semi-healthy.

This usually puts me in my range of 1400-1600 calories.

As you can see, I budget about 200 calories a day for "junk food", (my 100 calorie salty snack and my after dinner sweet treat.) Sure, I could fill those with healthier calories....but this has worked for me!

I plan ahead. I plan my menus for the day usually the night before or first thing in the AM. This takes me about five minutes. I just use a pad and pen but you can do it online if you prefer. I check my meals off as I eat them, just to be sure I don't eat something twice or forget to eat at all. (not likely) This is not so rigid that I can't alter things through the day, remembering to stay within my calorie count.
One thing is certain if you put off dieting you will not only not lose weight you might gain. The sooner you start the sooner you will see success.

LOL! Welcome! What a discussion you sparked!! I'm not going to break it down, but I'll give you the gist. ;)

First, it's ok not to like fruits and veggies...for now. :D I suggest trying new foods though knowing it takes 20 times of being exposed to them before you may have a chance at liking them. I reject texture the first time I try something new. Taste doesn't matter, it's about the texture. After trying just a bit over several trials, I overcome the texture issue and often end up liking it. I did this with soy milk, greek yogurt, brussels sprouts, asparagus, WW bread and many others. I haven't come to like WW pasta yet, and kind of don't want to. LOL!

I personally started out simple. I'm not a very good journal-er. I can journal, but the problem is that if it's part of my plan and if I stop, then I'll stop altogether. That's just me. So I needed something very simple. I chose to start with 1200 calories and six meals. That's 200 calories per meal. I never had to count over 200. I started out with pre counted meals like Slim Fast, Lean Cuisines, protein bars and the like. From there I just read labels and plugged a few things into Daily Plate to get an idea for how many calories were in things like chicken, apples, etc.

That worked for a while but I was lethargic and constipated. Someone suggested it was the processed foods (Slim Fast, protein bars, etc.) From there I turned toward whole foods, but slowly. Every month has been something different. First I learned what to replace the Slim Fast with. (Crockpot steel cut oats, eggs, WW toast, yogurt) Then I started making extras at dinner to take in for lunch, skipping the Lean Cuisines. Eventually I decided to stop drinking milk and turned to soy milk. I decided one month to rid my diet of HGCS, and that has been eye opening! My current obsession is learning to make yummy snacks that are not just better for you but actually healthy. Like Buckeyes! LOL! I just knew that something with the ingredients of peanut butter and chocolate COULD be healthy. (Homemade nut butter, DARK chocolate, oats, honey, etc.)

As for drinks, like so many I choose not to drink my calories. I will drink soy milk but I view it as a food. I drink it to curb hunger during the mid afternoon before dinner when I'm craving carbs. I figure that means I need carbs at the hour so I satisfy it with soy milk. Anything else would lead to a full meal before dinner. Otherwise it's water only for me. I was addicted to full sugar pop. I haven't had a sip for over a year. :D I'm very proud of that.

Exercise? Oh yes. But I'm a nut. I go to the gym 5-6 days a week. I have what I refer to as my baseline activities. Those are M/W/F spin and T/TH lift. Those are my must-dos. I have a tendency to make exercise too hard and it's hard for me to just back off, so I quit. Now if I'm finding myself not wanting to do something, I simply drop back to my baseline. I've done that several times with running. I enjoy it at first, push myself, and then one day I can't make myself face another day of grueling running. So I stop and just go back to baseline.

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?

Nope, I plan my meals at least a little bit in advance. However, in the month I've been at this, I've found that my tastes have changed and that most of the foods I want are the kinds of foods I should be eating anyway, so it almost feels as though I'm eating whatever I want. A lot of the stuff I used to like now seems off-puttingly greasy and oversalted; I have no appetite for it.

Do you eat only healthy food?

I'm aiming for an average of 1500 calories a day. If I want to eat more than one meal a day, I'd better choose healthy foods! :) It's not too restrictive, though. I still eat my homemade meat loaf, but I now serve it with two vegetable sides and a small roasted potato instead of a mound of mashed potatoes with cream and butter.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?

I enter in all my food to Fitday.

What do you drink?

I'm really lucky here--I've always preferred water to anything else. That's almost exclusively what I drink, with the occasional glass of milk (which I count in Fitday) or unsweetened tea. I'd rather eat my calories than drink them.

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.

I used to hate veggies too; then I married a chef. Assuming your husband doesn't want to change his line of work (and that you aren't shopping for a new husband! :D), you're going to have to learn a few cooking techniques to make vegetables palatable. There's a "veggie-challenged" forum here on the boards that has some good suggestions for developing a broader palate.

It also helps to change your outlook. If you approach every plate of green stuff with the preconceived "I hate vegetables!" mentality, you probably won't like it. If you keep an open mind when sampling well-prepared vegetables, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Watch some cooking shows; vegetables are integral to what real chefs (not Sandra Lee!) do, and these guys/gals serve some of the most sophisticated taste buds around. It might help to consider vegetables aspirational--wouldn't you rather have the palate of a discerning adult than that of a picky toddler? ;)

I try and try to diet but just fail and then feel horrible and end up eating more.

If you start down a flight of stairs and stumble on the third step, do you get disgusted at your mistake and fling yourself down the rest of the way? Don't beat yourself up; learn from mistakes, tweak your plan where needed, set reasonable goals, and consider past diet "failures" as necessary background information to get it right this time. :)

Do you exercise too? If so, what do you do?

Yes, and I can't believe I love it now! 6-7 days a week, I do at least two of the following: walk, use my stationary bike, or lift weights (I never lift two days in a row, though).

Can you give examples of what you eat?

Here's today's menu. Breakfast is Kashi GoLean Crunch with milk and a side of cottage cheese. In a little while I'm having an apple with some Greek yogurt. Late lunch...hmm, not sure yet, but probably an open-face roast chicken sandwich with hummus, baby spinach leaves, thin-sliced red onion, and tomato with a cup of leftover lentil soup. Dinner is the aforementioned meat loaf with roast potatoes, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts. My late snack will be a green salad with a couple of crushed pecans and diced apple, a little grated parmesan cheese, and Italian dressing.

I just made myself hungry writing it all out. I LOVE my "diet." :D

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Hey, good to see you. It's good that you're interested in making yourself healthier. It's not an easy thing to do, definitely not as easy as eating what you want when you want and however MUCH you want, but it IS rewarding and it does give you quite literally a second chance at life. It also teaches you portion control and other valuable skills that will be very handy on your journey.

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?

Rarely. I normally try to eat pretty healthily, but occasionally when I'm feeling under the weather, or have been really busy, or something comes up and I either CBA to make something healthy, I'll eat something less healthy. Example: Yesterday I ate arby's for dinner. I really shouldn't have, and the scale did go up today, but I expected it and it's just another reminder that fast food and I don't mix.

Do eat only healthy food?

Same answer as therex. I eat lots of vegetables and chicken and beef and cheese, cut back on the breads and generally limit processed foods, but I still eat fast food once in a while, or microwave pizzas or even regular pizza.


How do you get the calorie count for everything?

If it doesn't have a label on it, 99% of the time I don't eat it. But if it's something like broccoli or cheese or something I just look it up on google, find something that sounds right, and add 50 extra calories on. I've even added 200 calories to something before, just to be safe. Especially if it's something for dinner, like stew, I'll add up the ingredients individually. It might not be 100% fool proof but it works for me. I use livestrong.com's food database, so it's pretty rare I find something not labeled in there.

What do you drink?

Water, water, and occasionally milk.

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.

Tough. Weight loss is about 70% what you eat and 30% the exercise you do.

I try and try to diet but just fail and then feel horrible and end up eating more. I need HELP!!!!!!! My hubby says if I want to lose bad enoughh I will just do it but I do want to lose weight . I cry every day and wont go out and do anything because I am ashamed of what I look like.

Hubby is definitely right. You obviously haven't had enough. It clicks for everyone, eventually, and sometimes it isn't even a profound, lifechanging moment. Sometimes people just decide, 'hm. gonna exercise today.' Ultimately it all comes down to you and what you want. You don't have to lace up your shoes and run a marathon tomorrow, but you can start by doing SOMETHING.

You put the weight on, you can take it off.

Do you exercise to?

Yep.

If so, what do you do?

I walk, bike in the living room, do tae bo, yoga pilates or JM's 30 day shred, depending on what I feel like. I don't always like it, but I don't like being obese, either.

Do you eat what ever you want and just count up what you eat?
Yes I do allow myself treats at least once a week or calorie counting would not be sustainable for me.

Do eat only healthy food?
On most days I eat healthy foods but as i said above at least one day i have 'cheat meal' per week. I still count these calories but its usually the only day I come close to my limit or perhaps over.

How do you get the calorie count for everything?
I use the Daily Plate. They have been pretty good and I haven't had to add any custom foods yet. They also have a recipe feature so I can put together recipes to get a count for something i make.

What do you drink?
I drink diet coke, water, skim milk and on occasion juice or other diet drinks

I hate fruits, veggies and most things healthy.
Not that i endorse this idea...but there was an article posted a few days ago about a guy who lost weight eating twinkies and whatnot. he just stayed in his calorie range. I personally would be too hungry for that, but it proves it can be done if you can learn portion control. One of the great things about calorie counting is it does allow for all foods as long as you stay in your calories.

Do you exercise to?
Not really...I walk my dog and play my wii fit sometimes but not regularly, I will need to start exercising once I get to a lower weight but right now just eating less is working.

Can you give examples of what you eat?
Breakfast is generally cheerios or oatmeal...lunch is lean cuisine or soup...dinner on a healthy day is a meat (usually chicken), veggies and always start with a salad. Desserts are things like pudding, ice cream bars or sandwiches (built in portion control). Snacks are things like popcorn, dark chocolate kisses, almonds, apples... Not the best but it works for me. I am a pretty picky eater so I eat a lot of the same stuff alot. you just have to find what works for you and allow yourself to have a 'cheat' meal that way it will give you something to look forward to and won't beat yourself up if you give into a craving now and then.

Well, sort of. If it's something I want and it happens to fit into my plan, sure. But I also try to choose things that will fill me up for less calories, and a lot of things I really want sometimes don't do that for me, so I plan those things in small portions on occasion.
For the most part I do. I eat a lot of whole foods.
If whatever I'm eating has calories listed on the wrapper, I calculate based off of that. Many things don't, though, so I use some of the many great calorie count services on the web to figure out the calories on my food.
Lots and lots of tea(green tea.. green tea with jasmine is my favorite), plain water, occasionally a stevia-sweetened flavored drink mix, and sometimes no-sugar-added juice(which of course I count the calories for).
Yes. I exercise with my 3 lb weighted hula hoop, 10 lb hand weights, stability ball, stationary bike, outdoor bike riding, very long dog walks, jumping rope, and the old standbys too(situps, pushups, squats, etc.). Which one I do depends on the day, I like to change up my exercise routine to keep it from becoming boring.
Tofu scramble(with mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, spinach and other veggies if I have them), tempeh and bean chili, tacos made from tempeh or seitan, tempeh reubens, tofu stirfries with sauce on brown rice, home made vegetable soup, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread, veggie burgers(usually with sweet potato fries), "fronch" toast made with chickpea flour and whole wheat bread, healthy cereals with soymilk, gnocci or whole wheat pasta with home made tomato pasta sauce(usually with fresh tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.), minestrone soup, Japanese soba noodles, vegetable "sushi" rolls with avocado, mushroom, or cucumber, veggie lasagna, veggie pot pies, bean burritos, veggie enchiladas... just to name a few meals I eat often.

Snacks include fresh fruits(apples, pears, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, mangoes, and pineapples are among my favorites), soy yogurt, smaller bowls of cereal, healthier crackers, sweet potatoes, carrot sticks or pita chips with hummus, salsa, guacamole, toast with peanut butter and jam, and so on.

Welcome!