Pole: what's your daily calorie intake?

I am very conscientious about calories. I count carbs and I count calories. I stuck to 1200 calories throughout my weight loss period. I lost an average of 1.5lbs a week with no stalls or plateaux. I have now lost 3stone 8lbs which is over 27% of my starting weight and am at goal weight so have increased my calories to 1500 and may have to increase again to 1600 because I am still losing the odd pound. I think it is essential to calorie count when on low carb and trying to lose weight because of the increased fats. Many fats are very calorific, notably dairy.

So far I've counted weighed nothing and it's working.

I try to have around 1200 a day. I started counting calories to make sure I ate enough so that my metabolism would work properly. Yesterday I was stressed and busy and only had 700.

Maybe, but please don't cut back too much, or you might find the weight loss is even harder. This was my biggest mistake that I made years ago . I thought that the less I ate the more I would lose, but that effect doesn't last long, your metabolism adjusts itself to a lower level quite quickly. Generally I think it's fatter women (like me!) who need to keep a track of carbs and cals too. Men on the whole seem to do fine with LCHF on its own.

I use myfitnesspal to calculate how many calories to take on board. With a target weight loss of half a pound a week, as an 87.5 kilo male, it calculates I need to eat no more than 1780 calories a day. It also lets you add exercise and increase the allowance for that day... I've lost around 20 lbs since May using this regime...

I struggle to get my calorie intake as I don't ever want to eat, just eat for having to. Never been anorexic, just never get a thought that I want to eat.

Yesterday with my work I burnt off 1579 calories, (without adding in housework etc.. ) I had 60g of carb and 1482 of calorie intake and was still under in my calories by 1297!!! According to my fitnesspal.

I don't lose weight. I don't need to though. I think my body just uses my calories to my muscle. I rarely go above 60carbs a day. I think my body has always thought its been in starvation mode because of the calories I use up in my worklife.

By eating even more fat a while back I lost 10lb that I really didn't want to lose...

Lean and mean but wish sometimes to actually have a good appetite to become more soft and bouncy and curvaceous!!

donnellysdogs said:

Yesterday with my work I burnt off 1579 calories, (without adding in housework etc.. )

Click to expand...

Wow DD how do you get the numbers for calories for your physical work. Do you use FitBit or a pedometer or something?

Debmcgee said:

I'm jealous Don!!! But we are never happy are we?! Wonder if I'll ever get to ideal weight and if I'll be satisfied! Hope so x

Click to expand...

Agree, never happy with how we are!! My friend a surgeon that I saw yesterday for first time in 3 years said I look fantastic as we hugged he tweaked my arm muscles.. I just tweaked his back and said.. "I got more than you still".. But deep down I just thought wish someone would not look at my body and say I'm lean and mean, or more than a handful is a waste!! Etc. never happy with what we got.. Certainly agree there!!
God luck and let us know if you are happy when you get to your "ideal" size!!!

Gardening..and that was only putting it in as light moderate cleaning. If I'd entered as gardening I would have really cheesed myself off as the calories used would have made my calories needed even more!! I don't do gym or anything else at all.

I'm usually 16-1800 calories these days, which is actually a bit less than when I was away, but at the moment, I'm not swimming daily. I really miss the beach at the end of the garden, and the ability to just stroll down for 10 minutes. (Sigh)

I agree with those counselling care in going too low. Starvation mode isn't pleasant and counter productive, both short and longer term. I use myfitnesspal to record my foods (still, every day). these days it takes moments. I don't snack, so only have 3 entries a day, as I tend to ignore tea and coffee, even though they will include milk. I like having the info to hand, should I need to refer back if I have "odd" bloods.

As someone who can become obsessive (Who? Moi?), I quickly formulated a strategy for using mfp, which made it a tool, rather than a rule. I made myself just log, without taking note of the running total, with a quick squint after I logged my last food, to see what it looked like. That way, I couldn't be driven by either "500 calories/x carbs left today, so what can I eat, even if I'm not peckish", or "whoooooaaaa,........... I'm going a bit overboard today. Lettuce leaves for dinner tonight!". That also helped in my inclusive approach, when socialising. I didn't get those auto-guilt feelings that sometimes drive us off the rails. You know, "If I have those canapes, I might as well have x, y or z as well, as I'll have blown it for the day".

Most Sundays I have an admin session, when I sort out household bills, plan the forthcoming week, and look back on the previous week, which, in my trimming days also included a review of my food and bloods. I am a bit of a data geek, so it all plays into my hands. That has allowed me to work on trends and averages, rather than micro-management.

One thing I don't do in mfp is log my exercise. For some reason I never have. I wouldn't want to add back exercise calories. Unless I was labouring very heavily, I would find that mentally counter-productive. I know. I'm odd, but somehow I seem to have muddled together something that works,.................. so far!

Don't be too hard on yourself.

Debmcgee said:

I'm curious. I've not really counted cals - just carbs but I think I may be consuming too much which is why weightloss is slow.

What's your daily target?

I must be tired - wrote Pole instead of poll

X

Click to expand...

This online calculator should help you @Debmcgee
http://authoritynutrition.com/how-many-calories-per-day/

Debmcgee said:

I must be tired - wrote Pole instead of poll

X

Click to expand...

Sorry i thought you were only asking those of Polish extraction so I didn't reply

Donnellysdogs makes a good point about starvation mode. I think the body will wrongly recognise eating less as starvation and slow or even stop weight loss.To this end, I will have a day where I up fats or carbs which seems to kick the weight loss off again...

strange but true...

also the amounts of calories given by myfitnesspal for various activities can look a bit over the top... which I counter by not eating up to the totals. I find I'm usually satisfied with a fair amount less.

I aim for roughly 1200 calories a day and try to do about 200 cals worth of cardio exercise which I don't eat extra for. I know LCHF suggests you can just do that alone, but I don't think any diet that wants a sustainable weight loss can be a free for all, especially not one with highly calorific foods like cheese and nuts on offer. You really don't need much extra fat to cover the carb shortfall so I've not gone overboard and try and control my cheese intake and snacks are 2 sq very dark chocolate with a coffee. If you are consuming 1800 -1900 cals a day.then you are at eating what used to be the maintenance figure suggested for women and I always found it too high - I'd put weight on at that intake. Reading your food diaries, you often seem to have two main meal entries and a pudding so maybe scale back on lunch or don't have a mug cake? It's a balancing act between eating enough to keep metabolism working and preventing binges and too much to lose weight.

I also use MFP but never enter my exercise, such as it is. I look on any calories burned through exercise as a bonus and there to cover any excess calories I may eat.