Calorie Counting

[JessEel]

Hey Healthy chickens!


I am enjoying this forum.. always struggling with the chubbyness and looking for ways to get down and stay down.

After much soul searching over the summer hols, i've decided to do the Calorie counting thing. I honestly think that this will suit my style, as i can still kind of eat what i like, but i can balance a big lunch with a light dinner etc etc..

I have an Australian written Calorie counting book - and am going to keep a diary (like Tim mentioned in another thread) to take note of how many im consuming each day.

Question is : how many calories/kiloJoules should i (or anyone) be aiming to take in each day??


I walk just over an hour every day (have to, to and from station in the morning and afternoons) but other then that im usually too tired to hit any other significant exercise up. Will sometimes go for a quick run or do some squats, arm weights, crunches, lower stomach exercises before and/or work, but not all the time...
Does my walking burn off anything?




Anyway - without going to much into my life, there it is... look forward to responses... please don't lol at me too much! :crazy:

 

[aqua_duck]

I've got Allan Borushek's pocket Calorie Fat and Carbohydrate counter (2009 edition)which I picked up for about $10 last year and its awesome, has counts for all types of meats, grains, dairy, takeaway foods, etc. In the book it says for women:
non active:1000-1200 cals
active:1200-1500 cals
very active:1400-1800 cals

Thats I'm guessing a very rough figure. I've used a calorie counter by Aussie Bodies before and I've found the figures they give a pretty consistent with what my PT mate has told me.
http://www.vitaco.com.au/topics/muscle/tools/pcf/pcf+advanced.asp?G=musclehttp://www.vitaco.com.au/topics/muscle/tools/pcf/pcf+basic.asp?G=muscle

 

[Twizzle]

Hey Healthy chickens!


I am enjoying this forum.. always struggling with the chubbyness and looking for ways to get down and stay down.

After much soul searching over the summer hols, i've decided to do the Calorie counting thing. I honestly think that this will suit my style, as i can still kind of eat what i like, but i can balance a big lunch with a light dinner etc etc..

I have an Australian written Calorie counting book - and am going to keep a diary (like Tim mentioned in another thread) to take note of how many im consuming each day.

Question is : how many calories/kiloJoules should i (or anyone) be aiming to take in each day??


I walk just over an hour every day (have to, to and from station in the morning and afternoons) but other then that im usually too tired to hit any other significant exercise up. Will sometimes go for a quick run or do some squats, arm weights, crunches, lower stomach exercises before and/or work, but not all the time...
Does my walking burn off anything?

Anyway - without going to much into my life, there it is... look forward to responses... please don't lol at me too much! :crazy:

maybe an idea to give us your height and weight Jess (if your game)

 

[roopy]

If nothing else it should give you a great life skill.
I know women who can just about look at any food item or meal and give a calorie estimate that is pretty spot on.
If you know the calorie count of foods for the rest of your life you should benefit forever really.

 

[TheParraboy]

Since youve just started the calorie counting, this will be a great help and eye opener
Definately stick to it, you will literally see yourself transforming and also feeling better and have so much more energy (louder and longer cheering at Parra games ).

In terms of eating what you want, just make sure your eating a lot of nutritional food within you calorie limit, eg veggies, lean meat

Great your incorporating some exercise as well, your gonna rock come footy season

 

[bartman]

Make sure you look in the book or whatever for the calories of drinks (beers or spirits) if you want to give yourself a real shock!

Try and keep count on a big night of how many drinks you have, so you can add up the calories the next day and realise that all the meal planning in the world won't help if you throw it out the window with booze calories on a weekly basis.

 

[Twizzle]

My wife uses Weight Watchers and they use a point system based on calories and fat intake.

Seems a good system and it works very well for her.

 

[Valderon]

After much soul searching over the summer hols, i've decided to do the Calorie counting thing. I honestly think that this will suit my style, as i can still kind of eat what i like, but i can balance a big lunch with a light dinner etc etc..

It is a good habit to get into. Through "calorie counting" strictly over the first few months, you'll learn how to approximate your needs, and your actual intake thereafter, so you'll eventually be-able to relax your attention to your diet; and still eat within limits later on; based on your innate knowledge.

How many calories/kiloJoules should i (or anyone) be aiming to take in each day?

It completely differs between individuals.

Gender, Height, Weight, Age, Lean Mass, Fat Mass, Activity Levels, Stress Levels; and so forth.

However, using a webpage such as 'calorieking.com.au' will assist in forecasting the amount of calories (or kilojoules) you roughly will use per-day. If your goal is to cut some body-fat, then I suggest under-estimating your activity levels - as this will allow the program to provide you with 'lower caloric requirements' which will indirectly assist you in restricting your intake.

I would suggest attempting to measure your requirements, and your intake in Kilojoules - as all food labels in Australia tend to use kilojoules as the energy marker. 1 kCal = 4.18kJ's

You look quite lean though! so I don't think you'll have to restrict your diet too heavily at all.

 

[Twizzle]

You look quite lean though! so I don't think you'll have to restrict your diet too heavily at all.

I assume you are referring to her avatar, that aint her

 

[Valderon]

I assume you are referring to her avatar, that aint her

Haha. That's twice I've mistaken a woman for a man. :crazy::crazy::crazy:

 

[Twizzle]

Iv'e got an unfair advantage, I've been around here a bit longer

 

[Kiki]

HAHHAH

im sure Chris Heighington will be delighted to be mistaken for a lean woman :lol:

Jess i would aim for about 1500 at first, then as your stomach shrinks and you become less hungry, try and cut down to 1200, then 1000 over a few weeks. the weight should fall off!

don't ever ever go under 1000 though, your body will kick into starvation mode and obvs thats bad bad bad.

another tip is to up the lean protein (chicken breast, fish, egg whites, tofu, tuna) etc. and make sure if you eat bread to stay away from white and stick with whole grains. also i find having heaps of raw vegies cut up and ready to snack on really helps control my hunger.

i could give u so much advice as i have read more on nutrition and exercise then anyone i know, its just actually DOING it that's my problem :lol:

 

[sportive cupid]

You are having a lend of us aren't you Kiki?

1000 calories for a grown woman of childbearing age who is walking at least 1 hour a day?

Not sure what the experts here think but I would be a bit concerned about that level of food intake being about to meet the nutritional needs of such a woman.Think calcium ,folate ,and some fats.

I am no expert though.

 

[JessEel]

maybe an idea to give us your height and weight Jess (if your game)

yea, not game.

My wife uses Weight Watchers and they use a point system based on calories and fat intake.
Seems a good system and it works very well for her.

That's what i like the idea of, seems really simple. But im really not into 'group sharing' and would never go to meetings and weigh in and stuff. That's why i figured it would be worth a shot to just count the kJ's myself!

Make sure you look in the book or whatever for the calories of drinks (beers or spirits) if you want to give yourself a real shock!
Try and keep count on a big night of how many drinks you have, so you can add up the calories the next day and realise that all the meal planning in the world won't help if you throw it out the window with booze calories on a weekly basis.

Have given up binge drinking for the forseeable future.. - unless a special occasion presents itself!

It is a good habit to get into. Through "calorie counting" strictly over the first few months, you'll learn how to approximate your needs, and your actual intake thereafter, so you'll eventually be-able to relax your attention to your diet; and still eat within limits later on; based on your innate knowledge.



It completely differs between individuals.

Gender, Height, Weight, Age, Lean Mass, Fat Mass, Activity Levels, Stress Levels; and so forth.

However, using a webpage such as 'calorieking.com.au' will assist in forecasting the amount of calories (or kilojoules) you roughly will use per-day. If your goal is to cut some body-fat, then I suggest under-estimating your activity levels - as this will allow the program to provide you with 'lower caloric requirements' which will indirectly assist you in restricting your intake.

I would suggest attempting to measure your requirements, and your intake in Kilojoules - as all food labels in Australia tend to use kilojoules as the energy marker. 1 kCal = 4.18kJ's

You look quite lean though! so I don't think you'll have to restrict your diet too heavily at all.

Any free websites you can reccommend to find out how many kJ's?

HAHHAH

im sure Chris Heighington will be delighted to be mistaken for a lean woman

Jess i would aim for about 1500 at first, then as your stomach shrinks and you become less hungry, try and cut down to 1200, then 1000 over a few weeks. the weight should fall off!

don't ever ever go under 1000 though, your body will kick into starvation mode and obvs thats bad bad bad.

another tip is to up the lean protein (chicken breast, fish, egg whites, tofu, tuna) etc. and make sure if you eat bread to stay away from white and stick with whole grains. also i find having heaps of raw vegies cut up and ready to snack on really helps control my hunger.

i could give u so much advice as i have read more on nutrition and exercise then anyone i know, its just actually DOING it that's my problem

Chicken, fish, egg whites im great with - but i think alot of my problems with diet come from me being a massivly picky eater. There are alot of things i just can't stomach, which makes just eating a salad or a plate of veges for a meal out of the question.

I get quite ill from raw tomato, onions, cucumbers... bleeeeech!





Thanks for the advice so far bbs!! x

 

[Shorty]

If nothing else it should give you a great life skill.
I know women who can just about look at any food item or meal and give a calorie estimate that is pretty spot on.
If you know the calorie count of foods for the rest of your life you should benefit forever really.

It's very handy because a lot of people don't know what they're putting into their body.

Be careful though, guys, because it's very easy to start to get obsessive.
What I tell my clients to do is to really study it for a few months and then follow it loosely after that.

Same with scales, once a week no more.

HAHHAH

im sure Chris Heighington will be delighted to be mistaken for a lean woman :lol:

Jess i would aim for about 1500 at first, then as your stomach shrinks and you become less hungry, try and cut down to 1200, then 1000 over a few weeks. the weight should fall off!

don't ever ever go under 1000 though, your body will kick into starvation mode and obvs thats bad bad bad.

another tip is to up the lean protein (chicken breast, fish, egg whites, tofu, tuna) etc. and make sure if you eat bread to stay away from white and stick with whole grains. also i find having heaps of raw vegies cut up and ready to snack on really helps control my hunger.

i could give u so much advice as i have read more on nutrition and exercise then anyone i know, its just actually DOING it that's my problem :lol:

I wouldn't advise 1000, most women have a metabolic rate higher than that and so the starvation mode you're talking about actually takes place under 1200.
Going under by lots (with exercise Jess only being able to intake 1000 wouldn't be enough to sustain her) can be as bad as going over.

1200 is ideal and that's what most people stick to.

 

[Joker's Wild]

That's what i like the idea of, seems really simple. But im really not into 'group sharing' and would never go to meetings and weigh in and stuff. That's why i figured it would be worth a shot to just count the kJ's myself!

My wife has an online WW membership that doesnt require you to go to meetings or weigh in etc. You get access to their recipes, points calculator and online food diary for $25 per month. She has found WW to be very effective when coupled with moderate exercise.

 

[JessEel]

ok cools- we'll go with aiming to get to 1200kJ's for now

 

[Twizzle]

That's what i like the idea of, seems really simple. But im really not into 'group sharing' and would never go to meetings and weigh in and stuff. That's why i figured it would be worth a shot to just count the kJ's myself!

Dot's not into the group thing either, once you've been a few times you dont need to keep going back.

 

[The Colonel]

Weight Watchers was difficult for me.... I found trying to eat all the points in a day very difficult. I've lost 30kgs now on a meal replacement diet with hopefully a few more to come. It helps minimise your calorie intake - the fact you have an aversion to some fresh vegetables may be a hassle but other than that you can cook them anyway you like and add around 200 gms protein for your main meal.

 

[Kiki]

im just going by what i stuck to when i was at my skinniest and dancing every day, Jess is about the same height as me.

in my experience 1000 calories was fine but i guess its a personal thing.

good luck Jess *kisses*