I apologize if this has been done a million times but I'm relatively new and didn't see an exact post like this. If you know of one, please feel free to link to it, too!

I'm new to calorie counting (I feel I need to start doing it because although I've lost a bit of weight in the last month, I need the structure since I tend to fall apart during the weekend) and I'm feeling it very overwhelming and also I feel a little unsure of myself. I would like to start at a daily amount of 1500. I'm 42 years old, 5'2.5" and 143ish pounds with a goal weight of 110-120 (I'll know it when I see it). I'm pretty active in that I run 5 times a week, and some of those runs are intense interval training. I move around at work quite a bit. Feel free to tell me if you think that might be too many calories for my age/height, etc. 1200 seems to be some magical number for a lot of people, but that seems so low. I think I'd be starving all day. But if it works for you, I'd love to hear about it, too!

MY question is, what is a typical meal plan for you (like what do you eat on a typical day), with calorie counts? I'm especially asking people who have been seeing significant success (have lost a lot or are close to goal). Also, what do you do with counting if you go to other people's houses to eat (this is the case for me a lot) or go out to a restaurant without nutrition information? Do you just eat small portions and let it go? Do you avoid altogether?

i went to www.bmi-calculator(dot)net/bmr-calculator/ and plugged in the numbers you gave, then multiplied that number by 1.55 to get how many calories you need to maintain your current weight (about 2200). So, if you are aiming for 1500 calories that should work out to about 1.5 lbs per week loss (1 lb = 3500 calories = 500 calories/day deficit, you would be down 700 calories from what you need so about 1.5 lbs per week) , which is quite reasonable and should be sustainable.

I'm not near goal weight, but here's what I've been doing with pretty good results so far. I've been following the full plate diet as a guideline for what to eat fullplatediet(dot)org, and calorie counting on top because I know I can eat myself fatter even on healthy food. A typical day might look like this:

breakfast: fruit and fiber 1 cereal, ~300-350 cals
lunch: soup with 1c extra veggies in it, whole wheat bread or crackers ~300-350 cals
dinner: 1/2 cup rice, 4 oz lean meat *or* 1 c some kind of beans or legumes, 2 c veggies (this sounds boring but there's a million ways to make this combination interesting- curry, stir fry, chili, etc) about 400-600 calories
snacks - fruit, fiber one bar or nuts, veggies and low cal dip - 200 - 400 calories

on weightlifting days, protein snack for after weightlifting - tuna and crackers or peanut butter and toast, about 300 calories.

This is my calorie count for a typical day: I'm also low carb/primal.

Breakfast: Salmon fillet (190 cals) or 2 eggs fried in a tsp of coconut oil (380 cals)

Snack: cheese stick (80 cals) or 10 almonds (70 cals)

Lunch: salad with no dressing about 3 cups: (115 cals), chicken breast (130 cals)

Snack: more cheese or almonds (80-160 cals depending on hunger)

Supper: pork chop with mayo spice: (197 cals), cup of brocolli (50 cals) asparagus (25 cals).

This brings me to anywhere from 1000- 1200, with my carb range usually between 20 and 50 grams a day.

On Fridays I allow myself a protein shake with goats milk, and blueberries which ramps my caloric intake up about 200 calories and my carbs up about quite a bit as well.

I also find weekends hard, and I usually go over, but I know my Maintenance calories are 1700, so I try to never go over this number.

This is my typical 1200 calorie day...

B = 150 Cals
2 Coffees with Splenda and 1 creamer in each
Reduced Sugar Oatmeal

Snack = 100 Cals
Banana or Apple

Lunch = 195 Cals
1/2 Kirkland Frozen Chicken Breast
1 tomato
1/2 Cucumber
1 tsp Olive Oil
Seasoning

Snack = 200 Cals
Banana or Apple
Yogurt

Dinner = 500 Cals
Salad with Strawberry, Red Onion and Raspberry Dressing
Shrimp (Frozen from Costco)
Steamed Brocolette w/ Celeb Low Cal Margarine
Home Made Veggie Soup (only 50 cals per serving

Snack = 40 Cals
Tea with Hazelnut Creamer and Splenda

Lately:

B: Whole grain bread with neufchatel cheese, basil, and tomato slices (170)
L: 1 cup of homemade soup (ranges from 100-175 calories)
D: 2 cups of soup/chili/stew (200-350 calories)
S: Woven wheat crackers and full fat extra sharp cheese (300)

Welcome!!!

I think calorie counting is a great place to start... For me it really has been the cornerstone of my success... and I think that I'm not alone in saying that many people here can completely relate to feeling a bit unsure of ourselves and slightly overwhelmed at times as well... But the support that you can find here really can help... For me in the beginning actually using a food scale was what I needed get back in touch with "portion control" and now I'm pretty good at estimating how many calories are in most of the things that I regularly eat...

These days I'm eating in the 1500-1800 calorie a day range and I'm finding that meals that are in the 400-600 cal. are what I need to feel satisfied...

For me dividing up my calorie allowance was a bit of trial and error to find what worked best for me so I actually enjoyed what I was eating and was able to deal with my hunger so that it was manageable...

There are lots of great cookbooks out there that have the nutrition info and have recipes and meal ideas that are less than 400 calories that might work well with your plan... I can offer some suggestions of some that I use for ideas if you like...

I too, eat out a lot as well, and in those sorts of situations I concentrate on portion control and then do my best to estimate calories... and also by being a bit stricter the rest of day, so I have a bit of a "buffer"

Hope this helps...

If I go to people's houses to eat, I request that they cook something lower cal or generally healthier if they are cooking mostly for me or I know them well; if it's a big party, I might bring something healthy to share with everyone (pita and hummus, veggie tray with light dip, fruit) and make sure that I keep some back for me to fill up on. I guess at the calories if I don't know. I use LoseIt!, a calorie counting app, so there is a lot of stuff in there that is similar to what I might encounter when I eat out & I do my best to approximate (usually I err on the side of more cals than less). For eating out, nicer restaurants are usually happy to accomodate diet changes and the chef can make things lower cal, or you can request sauces and dressings on the side, or substitute lower calorie things for higher calorie things. Servers have a pretty good idea of what's healthier on the menu too, and have steered me in a different direction that I was happy with in the end. For cheaper and chain restaurants, sometimes they have nutritional info available, and if not sometimes you can find it online through an independent 3rd party.

wow, all! Thank you SO MUCH for your detailed help!

@scoutycat, thank you for plugging in those numbers for me! That is really helpful to feel that I am on the right track. I think 1.5 pounds per week is very reasonable. Also, lately I have been doing better when going to people's houses in bringing a veggie tray and salsa! I bring it to share, but generally I'm the one eating the most of it. At least that's how I hope to keep it in the future...

@radiojane - I try to veer towards the primal eating in general, but I'm not perfect for sure, especially on weekends! I did find that coconut oil literally made me sick for an entire day once when I cooked with it! D: I know it's supposed to be so good for us, but I'm afraid to take a chance again!

@aldergrovebc - you are eating only 1200 a day. Is it hard or did you get used to it?

@munchy - wow, you're almost at goal! Do you find it's harder now that you're closer? Or maybe I don't want to know because it's already so hard for me and I'm nowhere near to goal

@tripswitch - good point about the trial and error of dividing the calories up! I am thinking of using way less at lunch because I am at work and eating with coworkers and I never really enjoy much of what I eat then anyway because I'm either too absorbed in conversation or stressed about something work-related. Far better to enjoy food later at home when I can!

I eat about 500 cals for each meal and 500 extra cals in snacks and drinks. It's the pattern that leaves me the least hungry and the most psychologically satisfied.

F.

freelancemama - thanks!!! That sounds like a really good and simple way to divide things up!

I'm really hoping to find my magic calorie number, that number that allows satisfaction and at the same time allows weight loss. I want to eat as much as I can and still lose weight at a decent rate. Yes, I know I can probably eat a certain number and have a loss of .2 pounds a week, but nope, that's glacial and I think I would get discouraged very soon! ;D

myfinesspal allows me 1470cals per day. my breakfast is the only routine count i have @ 415calories. Were i to follow this to the note, i would lose 6#s per month.