Well, I actually started calorie counting in January. Its taken me 8 months to lose it because I've taken it slow this time.
I have always heard that the quicker you lose it, the more likely you are to put the weight back on. I find that to be 100% true. It takes 3,500 calories to drop one pound. A safe weight loss is 1 -2 lbs per week. In the beginning you lose faster as you lose water weight first. You also lose faster in the beginning if you are heavier.
First things first, log what you'd normally eat in a day. Don't not eat something you normally would because you are writing it down. Eat normally. Then tally the calories. There are PLENTY of websites that can tell you the calorie total of what you eat. I was amazed at how many calories I consumed in one day. (You also need to know what your BMR is to calculate just how many calories you should be eating but it is ONLY a guideline. I have a great website for that if you PM me.)
Decrease that amount by 100 calories per week until you've built up between a 500 and 1,000 calorie deficit per day from your old eating habits. Now, as a normal woman, you are NEVER to drop below 1,200 calories per day without doctors and strict supervision. (1,500 for a normal man). If you are more overweight, that number increases. Your body requires a certain amount of calories just to function and keep our organs going. I know there are days when I don't hit 1,200 if I'm feeling bad or have really bad PMS but it is 1 or 2 days. Long term eating below 1,200 WILL cause your weight loss to slow and your weight gain (when you increase you calories back up if you hit goal) to go really fast. It will also cause other serious health problems with your body.
Now, I ate more than 1,200 calories on a normal basis because I was more overweight. I stuck to between 1,400 and 1,600 until I dropped some weight. That was very important because we are more likely to give up if we feel starved than if we feel comfortable. It is normal to feel a little hungry when you are dropping your calories.
It is always important to get FIBER in your diet. At least 25 grams of fiber per day but preferably 35 grams. Supplements (I like chewable Benefiber) are fine. It is very hard to get that much fiber and you'd be surprised how little fiber you get.
Once you have figured out your “comfortable level” of eating (I normally do not hit a 1,000 calorie deficit because I always feel hungry and my weight loss slows) you can eat that amount until you lose some weight. Once you lose weight, you have to refigure because your calorie allowance drops.
In the beginning counting calories is TEDIOUS and aggravating. Its hard to eat out because you don’t know what you are getting (especially with salads, some salads have more calories than a hamburger would have) and sometimes its hard to come up with new creative ways to cook at home (I’ve gotten pretty good at this from experimenting).
Also, I have a sweet treat when I want to. I love Skinny Bear Ice Cream Sandwiches. They have 100 calories and are low in fat. I also love creamsicles, they have 70 calories. No Pudge Brownies are also really good and I’ve started seeing them in stores lately.
I also still eat what I like, I eat pizza, only now I do thin crust, less cheese and no meats. A thin crust slice from Pizza Hut has about 190 calories per slice. I also eat hamburgers, we eat 90% lean beef and 2% reduced fat cheese on a light whole wheat or whole grain bun. There are ways to still eat what you like but drastically reduce the fat and calories in those foods. Just experiment to reduce the calories in recipes.
I guess the biggest thing is don’t give up. You WILL mess up and that’s okay. I used to would get the mindset that said “well, you screwed up breakfast you might as well just eat whatever else you want for lunch and dinner” and I would. I’d get a greasy hamburger and fries and eat some JUNK for dinner. Don’t do that to yourself. Just say, we’ll okay, I can still salvage the day by eating a light and healthy lunch and dinner.
I have now gotten to the point of where a greasy hamburger and fries will make me sick because I haven’t really eaten a bunch of that stuff.
Okay. Ann Sorry to Hijack the thread!!!! I’m done!!!!