Shocked by calories

[FasterMichelin]

I haven’t felt body confidence for a few years and have decided to make an attempt to lose a dress size, even if short lived. I’ve reinstalled Myfitness pal and am reducing my calorie consumption to 1200cals a day.

Saying I’m shocked by how much I normally eat is an understatement! For context, pre kids I was a size 10 and found it easy to maintain my weight, post kids im a wobbly 12, predominantly on my tummy. I was convinced until recently that it’s just my “mum-bod” and that having two pregnancies has taken its toll and my metabolism must have slowed.

But with my new found insight, I can honestly say that I have been massively overeating. A few biscuits here, toast every morning, slice of cake there, always accepting any offers of food, regardless whether I was hungry or not. I completely lost sight of how many calories I was eating and it’s shocking how quickly it all adds up.

Its made me realise that I can’t be alone. There must be so many of us who consume way too many calories through mindless eating. Especially when juggling a young family.

Do you calorie count? Do you know how many calories you usually eat everyday?

Yes, I’ve calorie counted for years and it’s so so so easy to eat an extra 500 calories a day without realising. I got the shock of my life the first time i weighed peanut butter and realised I was eating 40 grams instead of 15, which is nearly 200 calories more.

Im very much into volume eating, so I do things like pad out my rice with cauliflower rice, eat loads of squash and pumpkin, cottage cheese, PB2 powder instead of peanut butter (my weakness food!), flatten out chicken breast before grilling to make it feel like more. I love Madeleine Rascan on YouTube for her high volume, high protein, low calorie ideas.

I meal prep and don’t eat anything beyond that. I say ‘no’ to every biscuit or slice of cake offered at work. I will always eat a slice of birthday cake for my birthday, DH’s, or my kids, but otherwise I don’t eat it. I don’t buy my weakness foods, which are chocolate, biscuits, and cake. I found a great brand of collagen hot chocolate that seems to fulfil my late night chocolate cravings for only 92 cals.

I eat around 1750 cals a day, some days 1500, some 2000, but always averaging 1750. My DH goes in and out of calorie counting, and it’s always much easier when he’s on board and we’re both tracking everything.

It’s boring as hell, but it’s kept me slim (barring 3 pregnancies!) my whole adult life, and helped me lose the baby weight each time really fast.

Yup it's shocking.

Slice of cheese? 100 cals.

Smear of mayonnaise? 100 cals?

Small glass wine, like barely a flipping mouthful?? 100 calories.

Tough times.

I’m exactly the same op. Interested to know the collagen hot chocolate brand ?

Yes I’m shocked too. I gave up tracking calories because it depressed me and made weight loss feel
completely unattainable. A sensible work lunch for me would be a wrap, a bag of low cal crisps like quavers or french fries and an apple. That’s 600 calories and then a coffee and a biscuit here and there easily add another 200-300. That’s without breakfast and before my evening meal which is usually carb heavy and covered in cheese. I doubt I’ll ever be thin.

Yes it shocks me too. I'm also short and envious of posters who can eat 1500 cals and still lose weight. I only really lose in the 1200-1300 range, and that's less than a pound a week. My maintenance calories are around 1700. Sigh!!!

I miss the days when I didn’t know what a calorie was 🤣

I could’ve written your post OP! I’ve turned 50, menopausal and simply cannot shift the weight from my tummy and bum. I’ve never had to think about what I’m eating before, in regards to weight. The past couple of years I had been doing fasting but that doesn’t work anymore. So last week I embarked on a calorie deficit diet. I’ve been following Bethany Dobson on IG for ages and she talks about volume eating. So it’s a steep learning curve actually weighing out my food - and, like you, I’m shocked by the calories in things! I’m really hoping this helps me lose at least a stone!

I have never calorie-counted, but have realised I now have no other option. My weight is going up and up without me doing anything new. I've always eaten a lot, but I'd been slim for most of my life without trying - I think a lot of it was incidental exertion/exercise I just don't do now. It is horrifying to me how much I weigh now, and much as I hate the idea, I have downloaded a calorie-counter to give me the reality-check I need.

Yeah it is so easy to over eat. I am short and to lose weight need to eat 1200 cals really. The people I know who are thin don't eat much at all. It is just easier to pad out meals with veg and salad otherwise it feels like you are starving yourself. Guess we have all got used to eating a decent amount - it is probably better for our health to eat a bit more and have a bit of padding to be honest. There is certainly a balance.

It’s a lot easier if you get in to routines with the majority of your food. My breakfasts are either porridge or Greek yoghurt and fruit. Lunch is always homemade soup and salad. I have an afternoon cup of tea and a biscuit, and then have whatever I want for dinner but keep the portion small by having lots of side veg. There’s enough variety that it’s not dull, and I don’t actually have to constantly track.

I don't calorie count as such but am aware of portion size. I was shocked at how little 50g of grated cheese looked. Also I think dinner plates have definitely got bigger.

I agree with this. I have the same breakfast of overnight oats, frozen berries, chia seeds and I put a big dollop of fat free Greek yogurt on in the morning. Then sandwich and protein yoghurt for lunch then a home cooked meal for dinner. I was off work recently and my routine went to pot. I find if I manage 500 calories each meal with 20-30g protein, I don’t need snacks.

Edit to say I’m losing weight slowly but I also work out 6 days a week.

I have tried hard to return to, and then maintain, the weight I was in my early 40's. It was only a stone lighter than I am now but it means all my clothes feel tight and uncomfortable and look terrible.

I felt dead against buying a whole new wardrobe and thought it would be best to slim back a bit. So I calorie counted on and off for the last 5 years and at some points stopped eating all the things I love as they are so high (shortbread😮)

Sod that, I've given up and given in to my new weight - new wardrobe of comfy and more flattering clothes here I come! 😊

I'm aware of every calorie. I don't count them and I'm not on a diet but I definitely know what I'm eating.

On average, adults eat an extra 200/300 kcal a day according to this
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-to-cut-excess-calorie-consumption-unveiled

small excesses every day over a long period of time leads to significant weight gain

We’re going out for a meal later. I thought I’d plan what to eat ahead of time so looked at the menu (standard pub type). Nearly every meal is over 1000 and I’m trying to stick to 1200 for the whole day!

I have to calorie count daily and weigh out higher calorie foods or I’d be obese. Once you’re in a routine of doing it, it’s quick and easy. I also have a love of peanut butter and left to my own devices my portion sizes would be huge. If I didn’t track carefully I probably wouldn’t drink enough water either and this is so important for your health. I log my steps and workouts too.
I find Bethany Dobson on insta really good for volume eating recipes as I need a full plate but it doesn’t have to be high calorie and lots of protein is essential. I’m sticking to around 1300 calories a day and I’m never hungry.
If I’m going out I can skip it for an evening but the important thing is to get back on track the next day.

I agree with so many PPs! It's depressing how few calories I need to fuel myself post 50 years of age.

Madeleine Rascan is brilliant, especially for people who love to eat a lot but are trying to lose or maintain weight.

Starter and a side salad! And eat a pot of cottage cheese and an apple before you go.

Yes I do know roughly how many calories I'm eating from years of trying to lose weight! When I would overeat I would deliberately blind myself to it. However since being on mounjaro I've got a lot more aware of how much protein I (didn't used to) eat and make much more effort now to 'spend' my calories better.
Can I ask why you are aiming for 1200? Have you worked out your TDEE? Weight loss isn't always better the faster you do it. Aiming for a 500 calorie deficit is often easier and more achievable than a bigger one.

It's really surprising isn't it? Most of us have food so readily available it's easy to consistently over eat without even realising it. I have had to move to strictly no snacks, one treat at the weekend and buying smaller plates to keep portion sizes down.

It's best not to look at it as a daily allowance. If you look at it as a weekly fortnightly or even monthly allowance it is much easier to build meals out into a calorie deficit diet. You are looking at one meal as being your entire calorie allowance for the day. What tends to happen then is people get disheartened and give up. If you look at it over a longer time period the extra calories that your meal out is will equate to maybe cutting back 50 calories a day for a couple of weeks. Seems much lore manageable when you look at like that.

I was at a friends party the other night and normally I would drink Disarrano and full fat coke. I had read that vodka or gin are lower calories but I’m not keen on either. So I figured I would just change the coke to Diet Coke. Well, what a difference - not in a good way either! Felt awful all day yday and today. And I drank less than I normally would - not that I’m a big drinker! That’s why I drink Disarrano and coke as I’m a lightweight 😬

Sort of - but restricting calories over two weeks for one meal out is hardly sustainable. Better to accept a temporary lower deficit for one day and try to eat under maintenance and get back on plan the next day IMO.