I normally count my carbs daily and journal them, but when I have checked my calories, they are in the range of 1500 calories a day.

That is great ladies! Lilibelle I have read your story and it is awesome. I am very proud of you!! I know the atkins diet is not for me. I am doing great on my own plus now with counting the carbs. Butb today i did see something I thought about changing. i normally do a slimfast at lunch and I get the new optima one. It has like 6 grams of fat and 18 grams of sugar and like 10 grams of protein plus 24 carbs. I seen the atkins shake and it does have more fat, 9 grams instead of 6, but when i am doing a chicken veggie day I am fine on my fats anyways. But I noticed it had only 5 carbs vs. 24, 15 protein vs. 10 and only 1 sugar! vs 18 Wow! I am going to try it! Because my carbs are always a looking on the higher side and I can always deal with less sugar. Have you ever done the shakes? You said 1500 cals a day, what % carbs? and protein and fats? I found a womans nutrition guide I am trying to follw, it says 30% fats, 20% protein and 50% carbs.

Jasmine, what I do is try to stay at less than 30 carbs a day. I don't count my fat grams really, but do use lean cuts of meat, don't fry anything, limit my butter, use water packed tuna and chicken, use low-fat salad dressing. Eat a lot of chicken and baked fish. I did try one Atkins shake and didn't like it at all. I also tried the South Beach breakfast bars and Atkins bars and they were really too sweet for my taste. I would say that 50% of my food comes from protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs. That's just a rough guess.

Hi all! I've been reading your posts for a few weeks and finally decided to join in. I started counting calories 47 days ago. My goal was to never eat above 2000, but I usually eat between 1400 - 1700. I want to lose weight quickly but don't want to lose it so fast that I get lose skin. I am not watching carbs or fats or anything, just calories. I am a vegetarian and a picky eater. Limiting volume or food portions is more my problem. I exercise on a treadmill 3 to 6 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Now here's the funny part. What started me on my weight loss adventure was the fact that my "fat" clothes were too tight (those few that I could still get into). I never got on the scale before starting to count calories, or since then, so I have no idea how much weight I have lost in the 47 days. All I know is that my "fat" clothes fit much better. I am looking forward to the "fat" clothes falling off me.

Sounds good lili! I just tried the shake this morning and i actually do like it! I try to ust do redmeat twice a week, the rest of the time is usually beans and chicken. i am going to add in some tuna as well. I am limiting the frying and butter too. I have been using the ICBINB spray on popcorn.

Hi Weevil!! I hear ya on the not wanting loose skin. That is one reason I am glad it has taken me so long to lose, plus I know it has just been recently that i have gotten stricter on the portions and watching more WHAT I eat! 1400-1700 sounds good. WHat usually works best for me is when I start the day off right with my fruit. At lunch is my shake and sometimes a bagel with ff cream cheese and coffee. aft snack is yogurt and maybe some pretzels if I feel like it. Alot of times dinner is rice with vegis and chicken w/ some bar b q sauce. It actually is plenty of food and i don't feel tired or weighed down. I am incorporating a serving of total in here as well. i am munching on some now. When I do a schedule like today i do not have the cravings like I do if I start the day off badly, it only makes me want more food that is bad for me. Good job on losing! Try measuring yourself!

Regarding water, it IS important to stay hydrated, but you may be surprised that you're getting more water than you think. There is a lot of water in a lot of the food we eat, especially fruits, veggies, soup...

I don't know of any research that indicates that weight loss is increased when people drink a lot of water (if anyone has it, I will read it!). I don't worry about water myself, but I will say that a number of people do find it helps them feel full, and that may help as part of this process.

Overall, drinking water has a lot of benefits, but I think as long as you are not dehydrated you do not need to drink tons of water to lose weight.

There are so many different ideas on drinking water. There are articles on why water is good for weight loss, but as far as I know its based on the fact that the more water you consume the more you pee, and therefore its harder for sodium and other yucky stuff to stay in your body. (I may be completely wrong, that is just how I see it.) I do drink tons of water but I don't lose any more than anybody else with the same calorie/activity level.

Water

im having about 1300 cals in the week and 1400 on the weekend, just becaus eim gonna have a nicer meal or a drink out with a freind or a drink when watching a film at home on the weekend and i like to allow myself that pleasure. The past 3 weeks i have been walking a new 3 miles a day to me, which i think shifted alot of my weightloss, but this week i have a week off, and im yet to do any exercise, (bad i know) at this present time im in a bit of a bleh. Im new to where i live and have no idea where to go for an arobics class or anything like that.I want to do somthing social where ill meet people, but im in one of those places today where i feel like hiding in my room, eating a huge choc bar... i wont because there are non in the house.... but i wish i could. (id regrett it instantly if i did though)

This seems far too low for your weight! How did you arrive at that number? This link is to one of the more conservative calorie calculators, and even this one will recommend more than you're eating now:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#

hi everyone, new to the board.
wanted to share that I'm on a 1500-1600 cal/day per my nutritionist.

thanks! I feel good that I've taken control of what was an out of control situation!

I average about 1500/day, but my intake fluctuates A LOT. I have days that are over 2000 and days that are under 1000. Part of me thinks that's probably not ideal, but another part says why stress myself, as long as the average over time stays pretty consistent.

yeh i realise the tool....basically im not a very active person. Last time i dieted i did it eating about 1600 cals, that was ona very lazy exercise plan also = NONE. now im doing a bit more exercise, but still not alot. On days i run im gonna increase what i eat to about 1500, but i feel happy eating only 1300, it means im dedicated, i never feel sick or hungry. I usually go up a fair bit on the weekends proberly about 1600-1800 but thats because i try and controll myself, but loose it to a nice curry or a bit of ice cream.
anyway thanks for the concern, but im happy im loosing weight this way, if i start to become sick from it i will deffinetly change :-)