Kick High Calories Out Of My Life

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2004
Kick High Calories Out Of My Life
2
Fri, 01-27-2006 - 1:45pm

Hello! I hope everyones weightloss is going great this week. I can't wait to weigh in on Sunday.

I have been dieting now for 2 weeks. I consume between 1200-1300 calories a day as opposed to my astronomical amount I was eating prior. My week one weigh in I was very pleased to have lost 6 pounds. I feel my jeans fitting so much looser and my energy level has went through the roof. After a long day at work I still come home to cook whatever low calorie meal I choose, and hit the gym (3+ nights a week). I never believed diet books when they say that thirst is often mistaken for hunger, yet I have been proven wrong. I keep my water by my side all day, and when I feel a little hungry I just drink a little water.

I am so eager to weigh in but I'm going to wait until my normal day!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2004
Fri, 01-27-2006 - 3:17pm

Just wanted to say congrats on that wonderful initial loss and keep up the good work. It's so great that you've found a diet plan that works for you, that's often one of the biggest obstacles to losing weight. I've always been a calorie counter, and I think it's a wonderful way to lose weight. It's actually a lot like Weight Watchers--you aren't forbidden from having anything :). I just wanted to let you know a few things I've learned over the years of dieting. First off, it's so wonderful to see those great #s on the scale, but you just have to remember to not get discouraged when you stop dropping weight so quickly. For some people the initial fast weight loss lasts for weeks or even a couple months, but it does eventually slow down, and that's normal. Just don't set yourself up for unreasonable expectations. Secondly, always weigh the benefits of calorie savings versus taste and don't get stuck in the "lower in calories/fat is always better" trap. I've learned through experience that sometimes a lower calorie/lower fat substitute just won't cut it. For example, there are numerous brands of lower calorie snack, even those 100 calorie snack packs out there, but that doesn't mean you should choose them over teh real stuff. Most Snackwells cookies are slightly lower in fat/calories than regular cookies, but don't taste nearly as good and don't satisfy as much. Yeah, you could eat 3 of those for the amount of calories in 2 regular cookies, but are they going to be as good? If not, then eat the 2 regular ones. Same goes for cheese and a few other products. Reduced fat cheese is okay shredded/cooked into a dish, but for a plain snack, it doesn't taste nearly as good. I'd rather have the extra 30-40 calories and have the real stuff. Just by working good "forbidden" treats into your diet, you are setting yourself up for success, because it will help keep you from feeling deprived. Also, have a plan for what you are going to do if you get stuck away from home/at a fast food place and you are hungry. I printed off the nutrition guides from all the local fast food places and figured out 350-500 calorie "meals" that I could eat there without completely sabotaging myself, and they weren't just salads, because I really don't like salad. At McDonald's, it was just a cheeseburger for 350 cal, at Taco Bell, it was 2 Fresco Style steak soft tacos for 360 calories, Arby's was half a Market Fresh sandwich or a regular roast beef for around 350 calories, and Subway was usually a Turkey sub w/ no cheese or mayo. By having an idea in your mind of what you can get, you can survive any situation and not have to go off track. Finally, I wanted to say that it can be very difficult to ALWAYS stick to a 1200-1300 calorie diet. I learned a long time ago that I tend to stick better to a goal of an average of 1500 calories a day. What that means is that most days I do (would) actually eat only 1200-1300 calories and save the extra 200-300 calories to be used on one or 2 other days. That means my diet would usually look like this: 1200 calories 5 days, 2200 calories 1 day, and maybe 1800 calories another. That gave me the freedom and flexibility to eat at a restaurant at least once, sometimes twice a week if I made sensible choices. I kind of gave myself a "free" day every week, but not really. I found that saying "I will eat whatever I want 1 day a week" was sabotaging myself, so instead I would plan for the option of having one really good meal away from home. I once lost 30 lbs in 12 weeks by eating around 1200 calories a day, but still eating out at a restaurant once a week and only once a week. I lost about 20 more lbs the next couple of months, but then fell off the wagon and then met the man who is now my fiance and it all went downhill, and I ended up gaining it all back and then 5 more pounds because I was eating out EVERY day, sometimes 2xs a day. Last year I managed to lose about 35lbs again, and I'm now 6 months pregnant, but still am about 15 lbs less than I weighed last year.

Staci

P.S. Sorry my post got so long, I seem to be rambling today :).


 


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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-01-2003
Sun, 01-29-2006 - 4:37am

Staci, you should write a book.

I agree on everything you said. Having something a little higher in calories and having some "forbidden" food is much better on the long run. Because if you feel deprived, then eventually you'll end up binging. And then it becomes hard to get back on track and a viscous cycle begins. I never eat any low fat cheese. In my opinion it's not worth it. I'd rather have the real thing with some extra calories and be satisfied. Same goes to mayo. I rarely use mayo, but when I do, it's the real stuff.

Mary
247/216/165