On another thread recently, I was talking about how I've been SOOOOO tired lately, so I emailed my dietician friend my typical menu, and have been talking to her, and turns out my calories are WAYY over where I should be (was aiming for 2200 cals/day). The calculator on the cancer society website was the highest one I found on the web, so I went with it, but she said that it must be wrong, because the calories are WAY high. *sigh*

So most of the calculators say: Female, 33, 234 lbs, sedentary -- needs 2247 cals/day to maintain, so 1747 cals/day to lose. Which is basically what my friend said - aim for 1800 cals/day. That's a BIG jump from what I've been doing. *ugh*

That means I have to buckle down, tighten up my diet, and step up the exercise. I exercised the past two days, and am glad that I bought a new wagon recently for my kids, because the girls love it and it's a good excuse for me to get out & walk!

Of course, this also means I should lose weight faster! (yay!) Seeing more results will certainly be nice!

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Oh, and for female, 33, 234, lightly active (compared to sedentary above), I need 2343 cals/day to maintain, so 1843 to lose. Darn, I was hoping it would be higher. *sigh* Really do have to buckle down.

Oh, a 400cal difference is not that big! Besides when you see the results I am sure you will think that it is worth it.

Trial and error that is what it is all about. Sometimes we have to make mistakes before we can be a success. Hang in there. I am constantly changing my calories.

Well, you gals are right - I guess I shouldn't beat myself up too much, or get too discouraged about it. I knew I would have to adjust the calories downward eventually - I just wasn't ready for it to happen yet!

Also, looking at the bright side, I HAVE lost 12 lbs already! *woot!*

Yes, do keep in mind that you were losing already! And you'll continue to lose when you lower your cals. This is a good thing!

Cheers!

Jay

shyla 1800 calories can go very, very far if you choose the right foods. Really. You are already a big step ahead of the game with your 12 lb loss. Good luck!

That's just it - I haven't REALLY had to buckle down yet, and was enjoying it. Now, I'm really going to have to start being creative, eating more veggies, etc etc..... ie - cooking. *yuck* LOL

You know, I used to think the same way... OMG...diet was like another 4 letter word to me.

For about 3 months, I have been doing 1500 calories a day, and you know what, you would be amazed to see how much food I eat on 1500 calories.. I do not feel hungry or deprived at all. I do alot of modification to my recipes to make them less calories, and I have been known to substitute ingredients, like sub ground meat for ground turkey, eat chicken instead of steak, grilled instead of fried, use low fat margarines, 1% or 2% milk instead of whole milk, reduced fat salad dressings and peanut butter, sugar free this and that, wheat bread instead of white, veggies instead of rice and potatoes, fruit, fruit, and more fruit... Wheat Thins instead of Doritos... The biggest change... no more sugary sodas... I drink unsweet iced tea, Lipton's diet green tea w/ citrus, or propel water packs usually. Little not so noticeable changes make a huge difference.

Okay, so now it IS time to buckle down. But it's all worth it, isn't it? I think you just may be surprised and find you actually enjoy this. It doesn't have to be elaborate. The key for me is planning ahead. Have lots of fresh ingredients on hand. If you like take a Sunday morning and make a bunch of stuff for the upcoming week. There are some great healthy and tasty soups. Make a large pot of it and you're set all week, that with a delicous salad. Veggies are quite delicious just simply roasted with lots of fresh garlic or steamed. Fish is very easy and quick to make. Keep it wrapped individually in the freezer. Same goes with boneless chicken breast. Experiment and find what works for you. You will be so happy with your new self that this won't feel like a burden to you, it will feel like a joy. Good luck.

Thanks for all the encouragement guys! Keep it coming!

My nutricionist give me a 1200 calories diet and i been loosing about 3 pounds per week and i`m never hungry, of course i can`t eat most of the jummy stuffs but it`s ok as long as i loose weight

Fill up on veggies and fruit. That plus whole grains and one meal a day containing protein - usually fish or poultry - and I have trouble eating enough to make it all the way up to 1200 calories which is my weight loss level.

When I get down 2 more pounds to my ideal weight, I'm going to really have to make an effort to eat 1400 calories worth.

It is doable and enjoyable. Please pass the carrots.

Jill - I should have said I also have milk, soymilk, or yogurt with my first meal of the day, so that counts as some protein, but not as much as my dinner meal.