What I've lost....

[catnapper]

Weight loss might not be too forthcoming for hubby (we met an AWESOME nutritionist yesterday who was blunt and scared the dickens out of my husband - somebody other than family needed to put things into perpspective for him and she did. Shame she can only meet him once a month)

Hubby showed me a great online journal last week for me to log my food (it calculates the calories), and I enter my activities, etc. I lost 4 pounds last week alone thanks to the website!!!! I never counted calories before. Never once in my life. I just ate stuff, and at the end of the day, I looked back at what I ate and decided to stop eating for that day. I am utterly, completely, and undeniably SHOCKED at how fast someonee can consume 1200 calories. The reason I never counted calories before was because I felt counting calories was "dieting" while I was looking for a change of lifestyle. Obviously, that worked well for me :rolleyes:

I've been entering the food I eat before I eat it so that I can see what it would do to my diet (as the nutritionist said, its like checking my bank account before buying something to see what it would do to the balance) I'm thinking this website just might change my life. It is definitely making me look at food in a whole new light - which is something I think I need in order to actually have a new lifestyle.

I'm a visual person. I lost 20 pounds. Mikey is 18 pounds. I was walking around with a Mikey's worth of weight inside/on me. :eek: No thanks, I'd rather have a Mikey amount of weight in the form of Mikey. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v632/kasdesign/mypipecleaner.jpg


I know from my previous post that others are working hard on their weight too. Who else lost what amount of weight? any visual like mine?

[sparks19]

What program are you using? I used sparkpeople.com Same idea, you just enter in everything you eat and it calculates your calories and I was alloted 1250-1500 calories per day. Doing that, the weight melted off me. I lost 80 lbs in less than a year.

That is TWO of Hannah (she weighs 35 lbs) PLUS an extra ten pounds

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/sparks1919/8th%20set%20of%20photos/32141560461.jpg

here we are with Mickey and Minnie in 2010
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/sparks1919/2nd%20set%20of%20pics/3rd%20set%20of%20pics/4th%20set%20of%20pics/5th%20set%20of%20pics/6th%20set%20of%20pics/DSC_0188-1.jpg

here we are with Mickey and Minnie in January

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b357/sparks1919/8th%20set%20of%20photos/DSC_1320.jpg

Puck lost 40 lbs using the same method.

You can do it :) aren't you pleasantly surprised at how easy it can really be :) I mean the calorie counting and such

[Alysser]

I've been counting calories since September. Nothing major I just limit myself to under 1600 calories per day. I go off on weekends and holidays like christmas. I have been writing down calories in a notebook and I work out 2 to 3 times a week or more. I lost about 7 pounds and I have been gaining muscle, I want to be toned more than anything. But I didn't know such websites existed. Thanks for the link sparks, I will be checking it out. Much luck to you catnapper! Congrats on the 4 lbs and keep up the good work :) it really pays off!

[Karen]

If my sister were on Pet Talk, she would have a fun example to post. She had the gastric band surgery a couple years ago, and over a year later we were talking and she said "I've lost more than 110 pounds - wow! I've lost a whole Diane!" (Diane being our then 16-year old niece who is still tall and skinny!)

[Freedom]

Well done, all of you!

I've used My Fitness Pal to enter food and activity; didn't like it though. I'm having more success since re-joining the YMCA, and doing weights and biking there.

[Cataholic]

Freedom- I love my fitness pal! I use it, and see the results with it. Kim- what program are you using?

[catnapper]

I'm using fitday.com. Hubby's doctor was so impressed with it that he recommends it to all his patients now. Up til hubby found it, the doctor was recommending a site you had to pay for.

[kitten645]

I weighed in at WW yesterday. 9lbs down! I made my 5% goal and am working toward my ideal weight. I use the online tracker. It is amazing how quickly the food adds up no matter how you count it! 9lb is 1&1/2 Calvins! I'm eating a lot of Smart Ones frozen meals and trying more fruits and veggies.
Good work everyone! :D
Claudia

[cassiesmom]

Catnapper and sparks -- and Puck too-- you inspire me! What a great thread!

[Laura's Babies]

I want to CONGRATULATE all of you who are loosing weight! CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU!

[chocolatepuppy]

I'm a calorie counter. I lost 35# in 9 months five-six years ago. When I stopped,some of the weight crept back on. Started counting first of the year this year, down 14#. I eat around 2,000 calories a day. I have a tablet on my kitchen table. ;)

[CountryWolf07]

That is amazing for all of you! I have, unfortunately gained 20 pounds within the past year. I will be starting on counting calories. I will probably find an app on my iPhone (if anyone has suggestions, go for it!) I am going to start tomorrow. I think I could probably lose what I need to lose before May/June. Would it be too much if I limit my goal to 1000 calories a day? Has anyone even considered going below 1000? I am in no hurry to lose weight but just always wondered. My mom thinks I should limit to 800 calories, but I think that might be a bit too much to handle and I can easily go over the limit. It would be a challenge, though but what do you guys think?

[kitten645]

I think calorie intake has alot to do with your age and physical activity. I'd say 800 sounds way too low. There are lots of things online that can help you figure out a happy medium. Your height and how much you need to loose figure into the equation as well.

[Catty1]

1,000 is way too low IMO. 1200 is better.

[Alysser]

1200 is already to low but seems like a decent amount for you, I think 800 is ridiculous. One meal can equal half of 800 alone, so it'd be extremely challenging.

[catnapper]

Oy, I just typed out a long response to where 1200 calories go --- they add up FAST. I had a tummy virus last week and ate around 800 carlories one day, and it was mostly chicken noodle soup and dry cereal. If not for having an evil stomach, I would have been starving all day.

As it is, 1200 calories adds up to amazingly little amounts of food. I am not looking up calorie counts again, here here is a typical day for me, and I always end up around 1200 calories (give or take a few calories here or there)
Breakfast:
Bowl of cereal with half cup of milk and a banana

Lunch:
green salad with chicken and ounce of dressing (one of those little packets at fast food places are 2 ounces - I eat half the packet or less)

Dinner:
Shrimp with snow peas and rice

Snack:
grapefruit

I drink lots of hot tea, no sugar. I have 32 ounces of iced tea with one packet of sugar once a day. When the iced tea is gone, I drink water.

1200 calories are not enough calories... I am missing out on some vital nutrients. I never feel completely full, but its not distracting hunger or misery.

I'm actually aiming for 1400 calorie day while still losing weight... the weight will come off slower, but definitely still come off. I want to feel sated and happy. Right now, I eat those 1200 calories knowing there is room in case a cookie calls my name. Man, the past few weeks have been challenging because coworkers had birthdays and yummy cake has been sitting there teasing me ;) But I know I can have a piece if I want. I've eaten pizza, cupcakes, popcorn, cookies, etc. All fit nicely into my day and logged faithfully into the tracker - all between 1200 and 1400 calories. I balanced the sweets and fats with veggies and whole unprocessed foods.


As for the 800 calories, people WILL lose weight that way, but be utterly miserable while doing it and then gain it all back as soon as they return to eating their old way.

[CountryWolf07]

I decided to go with 1200 calories per day. I'm amazed by how much I eat every day and NOT realize how many calories all together. Yikes. Time to change it up and eat less, smaller portions, and most importantly, healthier. So we'll see how I do!

[chocolatepuppy]

800 or 1200, I would die!!!:eek: I need energy!;)

[sparks19]

I actually find 1200 to 1500 calories to be quite a bit of food.

If i eat the right things and the actual proper portion sizes 1200-1500 calories gives me breakfast (usually includes an egg), lunch, a snack, dinner, and a snack or two left over afterwards. I never felt like I wasn't eating enough. it seemed like I was eating all the time lol but I was actually just eating smaller portions more often. rather than huge portions a couple times a day.

[Cataholic]

As for the 800 calories, people WILL lose weight that way, but be utterly miserable while doing it and then gain it all back as soon as they return to eating their old way.

Nappers- I am not picking on you, but this is one of those things that gets to me ( lol, one of many). :/

A pound is 3500 calories. Those can be fat ladened, or low fat calories, 3500 calories from grapes will cause you to gain a pound the exact same way 3500 pounds of Funions will cause you to gain a pound. If one eats 3500 more calories of anything that is beyond what they need to fuel the body or service the body's needs, one will gain a pound.

Same thing with reducing your caloric intake. If one reduces their caloric intake (presumably over days since most of us do not need 3500 cals a day to maintain a -0-), one will lose weight. And, not gain it back unless that person again exceeds their caloric intake by 3500 calories. So, if one goes on a 800 calorie day 'diet', and loses ten pounds over the course of a month, and then begins eating 'normal' again (by what the body needs/expends) one will not gain weight back. If, one exceeds the body's need for food daily, then yes, one will gain that weight back. The same way one would if one maintained a 1200/1500 a day diet, and lost the weight over 6 months.

The reason it is suggested that one lose weight slowly is to help set up healthy habits. One can lose weight quickly, and keep it off. But, one has to make sure one doesn't go back to eating a bag of Funions a day. And, water weight loss isn't a true weight loss. No matter what I am doing, I try to drink half my body weight in ounces. That is a lot of water. LOL. One reason alone to lose weight...stop the dern potty runs!

1200 calories, depending on body size, doesn't seem like too little food to me. Losing weight is hard work. We eat for fifty million reasons besides hunger. To me, and for me, a 30 day intense 'diet' (lol, call it a life style change if it makes you feel better...), in which I lose 12-15 pounds is much easier for me than a one year long process.

Everyone is different, and while I am a doctor, it ain't medicine I practice. I do know that weight loss isn't rocket science, although we women tend to make it out to be. But, it is surely really, really hard. That is cause we aren't eating merely to fill our stomachs.

[caseysmom]

A calorie may be a calorie but a chicken breast is a whole lot more satisfying than a cupcake.

[Cataholic]

A calorie may be a calorie but a chicken breast is a whole lot more satisfying than a cupcake.

LOL, not to me!

But, of course, a "calorie is a calorie" has nothing to do with how nutrionally dense a food is. BUT, if I ate 2500 calories a day of baked chicken breast, I would still gain weight. :) That is exactly why people eating a healthy diet (but still too many calories) don't lose weight.

[caseysmom]

LOL, not to me!

But, of course, a "calorie is a calorie" has nothing to do with how nutrionally dense a food is. BUT, if I ate 2500 calories a day of baked chicken breast, I would still gain weight. :) That is exactly why people eating a healthy diet (but still too many calories) don't lose weight.

Haha yeah sometimes you do need the foods you enjoy in small quantities to stay on track.

[Cataholic]

I bought J a small birthday cake today to celebrate his half birthday. The lady asked me if I didn't mean a traditional sized one. I said, "Why, so I can three pieces instead of just one?" and we both laughed.

He won't love the small cake (which really is about the size of two super big cupcakes, but it is PERFECT!

[ramanth]

Congrats Kim!

I restarted my workout regime January 2nd. I've had success getting fit in the past with just exercising, but I'm counting calories this time around. I'm using MyFitnessPal. I love the free app that I have on my Android. It has a barcode scanner and I go crazy with it when I'm making my meals. :D

I'm down 8 lbs so far. :cool: I calculated my BMR and I eat 1500 cals a day. I exercise 6 days a week, around 45 minutes a day, a mix of cardio and weights.

800 is WAY too low. Not eating enough calories can actually backfire. If you are not eating enough, your body will go into starvation mode and will put on weight.

1200 is about as low as anyone should safely go. :)

Good luck to everyone! :love:

[CountryWolf07]

I'd rather have chicken than a cupcake! So this week has been going well. I have been able to keep my calories count under or right at 1200. I should be proud of myself about that. I realized I didn't have to overeat when I felt like I needed to so I could keep myself full. I've been drinking more water and iced tea. As for coffee, I stick to lower calories, such as lattes & cappuccinos rather than mochas. I will be starting to work out, at least go on walks, etc. so I started out with 120lbs so I will have to see how I do on Friday when I weigh myself to see if I am doing the right things in order to get myself back in shape and lose weight. My goal is 105lbs. I am only 4'9"... hard to lose weight when you are short!

[kitten645]

It's hard to loose weight no matter your height! I'm going for a weigh in tomorrow. I hit my 5% goal last week having lost 9lbs. I've been trying really hard to track everything but I get stuck sometimes if I haven't figured out the points BEFORE it goes into my mouth.
Congrats to everyone and keep up the hard work. I think this is a great thread for encouragement. Wish me well tomorrow!:cool:

[catnapper]

Nappers- I am not picking on you, but this is one of those things that gets to me ( lol, one of many). :/

A pound is 3500 calories. Those can be fat ladened, or low fat calories, 3500 calories from grapes will cause you to gain a pound the exact same way 3500 pounds of Funions will cause you to gain a pound. If one eats 3500 more calories of anything that is beyond what they need to fuel the body or service the body's needs, one will gain a pound.

Same thing with reducing your caloric intake. If one reduces their caloric intake (presumably over days since most of us do not need 3500 cals a day to maintain a -0-), one will lose weight. And, not gain it back unless that person again exceeds their caloric intake by 3500 calories. So, if one goes on a 800 calorie day 'diet', and loses ten pounds over the course of a month, and then begins eating 'normal' again (by what the body needs/expends) one will not gain weight back. If, one exceeds the body's need for food daily, then yes, one will gain that weight back. The same way one would if one maintained a 1200/1500 a day diet, and lost the weight over 6 months.



Ah, not necessarily true. The human body is amazing. In our waaayyy distant past, when we were hunters and gatherers, the human body learned to live through times of drought. It reserved the caloires we ate. The metabolism slowed down. If and when we did happen to find a lot of food while we were in "starvation mode" it saved it as fat immmediately so that it could continue through the current drought.

When humans today go too low on calories, our bodies still think we're hunters and gatherers and saves every extra calorie and turns it to fat. Yes, a pound is 3500 calories, but when your metabolism is moving very slow, it doesn't burn calories the same way it would if you were,'t in starvation mode. So say I did eat 800 calories a day, I definitely would lose weight, but the moment I go back to eating 1500 calories a day, my body says "woohoo! FOOD!" and it saves it for future because its been used to me denying it all the nutrients and calories it actually needs.

I read that before and happened to be reading a book last night by Psychology Today and it said the same thing (well not word)


Ok, I also admit I'm a weee bit obsessed with things right now. Hubby is getting annoyed because I am measuring things exactly. I almost fell over when I found out how many calories were in my favorite sandwich. Its now going to be a treat for once in a while, not weekly.