I’m starting to calorie count. Anyone want to join me?

[Bookaholic73]

I’m going to be starting calorie counting from tomorrow, with the aim of losing around 2st (28lbs).

Would anyone else like to join me and hold each other accountable here on this thread?

I’ve tried so many ways of losing weight (Keto, Vegan, Low Carb etc) and none of it works long term.
So I’m quitting the fad diets and starting something that I can stick to.

I’m 5,5 and 12st. My aim is 10st, and I’ll be eating 1600 cals a day.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I’m not just starting out but I’d like to join your thread for some accountability please! I set myself a target of 23lbs off in 2023 (1lb a week between January 1st and whitsun) and Jan was great (lost 9lbs) but since then I’ve dicked around and lost and gained the same few ounces over and over again. Determined to have one final boost, I have cut my calories down and have slashed my carbs too, aiming for 1300 cals a day and less than 70g carbs. It seems to have given me a kickstart, I have lost 3.5lbs this week making my total loss now 12.5lbs. It’s hard though- for those calories I have having to make choices all the time- no alcohol, lighter lunches if I want a treat later etc. it doesn’t leave anything to play with.

I exercise a lot, I don’t think I will manage 1300 for a long time, but it definitely given me a boost and shown me what I kind of knew which is that I wasn’t strict enough calorie counting. My starting weight was 169lbs and my current weigh in this morning was 156.5lbs. I’m 5”7.

how are you getting on? What are your plans for this week and what could get in your way?

[Bookaholic73]

@thenewaveragebear1983 I’m so glad that I have some company.

What makes my meals so tricky is that I work a mix of early and late shifts. And my work aren’t great at giving breaks.

So to plan for that this week, I’ve pre made some breakfasts (overnight oats) and some lunches (chicken salads and some soups) to take with me.

I find that my worst time for going off plan is in the evenings, so I’ve made plans to just go to bed as soon as dinner is done if that’s what I need to do.

This week is also the week before my period, so I’ll have to mange those sugar cravings.

[birdywillow]

I'll join. I'm 5'5 and 14st 6lb after having a baby last year. I need to start calorie counting but finding it difficult to get started for some reason. Maybe joining will help. I'm using nutracheck app and they've given me 1600 a day too.

[Bookaholic73]

@birdywillow Great to have you here. I’m using my fitness pal to track my calories, and I’ll also be tracking my protein. I’m aiming for 100g a day.

[ninjafoodienovice]

Count me in, I need to lose 2 stone as well. Aiming for 1400-1600 calories per day.
I'm 5'8 and have lost 3kg in the past 3 weeks by reducing calories and upping my exercise. I really need to work on better sleep and more water so there are other changes to make still.

[Gymmum82]

Yes please! I’ve lost 45kg total. Now having put 10kg back on and need to get it off. I’m 74kg now and want to get back to 64kg. I know I can do it but motivation is waning and I can’t stop snacking

[birdywillow]

@Bookaholic73 Thanks. I'm aiming for 100g of carb or less a day. I need to lose 3 stone hopefully.

[Bernadinetta]

I’m also 5’5” and 12 stone with a target of 10 stone! I will watch this thread but I can’t start just yet, I know it sounds stupid but as it’s the Easter holidays and i’m a teacher and have two children and we have a few things planned- days out, meals, chocolate egg hunts etc, I just won’t be in gear for in these two weeks but I will start on Monday 17th April when we go back to school and I can be in a proper routine.

[Bookaholic73]

@ninjafoodienovice I’m working on increasing my water intake too, as I’ve been having a lot of breakouts and skin issues recently.
Well done on your weight loss so far!

@Gymmum82 Wow, that’s an amazing amount to have lost, huge congrats! It’s so easy to let things slip isn’t it. I’m sure you’ll get back on it.

@Bernadinetta Easter is a tough time isn’t it, especially if you have little kids. Do you know what your calorie goal will be?

[thenewaveragebear1983]

@Bookaholic73 planning is the dealbreaker for me, the more I can plan the better my week will be. I even go as far as pre-filling my nutracheck app so I know exactly what I’ve got to play with and it helps me to make the trade offs that I need to to get through the difficult meals/days.

so far I have prepped: a huge bowl of fruit salad (100g = 44 cals) and I’ve made 1200g of it. The kids will eat some but I know it’s a good snack for me and as I work from home it helps to have something nice I can grab and eat. I have bought some full fat Greek yogurt to have as well as I’m trying to keep the carbs lower.

I’m cooking a roast chicken tonight, with a cauli cheese and loads of veg, that will also give me a few lunches. My ds wants a chicken pie so I have also put a small gammon in so between the chicken and gammon I intend to do tonight’s meal, a pie for tomorrow, and have some cold meat left, and also do 2x lunch boxes for myself. It will take every fibre of my willpower not to add a roastie to my meal though.

my big three goals for this week are: water, loads of it; weigh everything (I’m a terrible one for guesstimating portions); and planning/prep.

[thenewaveragebear1983]

I’ve ended the day on 1400 cals (a little over my target of 1300) and 69g carbs. I walked 5.5km, did a short bodyweight workout and a short yoga session. I can’t remember the last time I did a weekend on track like that, properly on track and calorie counted so I’m very pleased with that.

all set for tomorrow.
b- fruit and Greek yoghurt
l- leftover cauliflower cheese with Turkey sausages
d- chicken and ham ‘pie’ with a 50g piece of puff pastry on the top ( 😱 that 50g is 200 calories worth!)
Leaves me a few calories to get me through if I’m hungry. I’ll go for a run in the morning. And water, water, water! I wfh so it’s easy to drink lots as long as i remember to fill my bottle.

[Bookaholic73]

@thenewaveragebear1983 i agree, planning is key for me.

I weighed in today at exactly 12st, which is the heaviest I’ve been in a year. So I’m feeling extra motivated today.

Do many of you exercise, and does it make you hungrier?

I go to the gym 3 times a week to do weights, and then try to run once or twice a week too. But the exercise makes me so much hungrier!

[thenewaveragebear1983]

@Bookaholic73 I exercise most days, usually an early morning gym class or a run, with a long run on the weekend. It usually does make me hungry but I find after running it’s usually dehydration and after the gym it’s usually protein that I’m craving. It’s hard to manage the increased appetite, and it’s so easy to eat more calories than I’ve burned.

do you use nutracheck? Do you split your calories into normal and exercise cals? And do you eat your exercise cals back?

[Weallgottachangesometime]

Can I join?

Im hoping to loose about a stone, but only aiming for 1-2lbs a week loss so quite gradual.

Im using my net diary to log my calorie intake. Logging my calories is the only thing that has ever worked for me in terms of altering my eating habits, because I findI do a lot of mindless eating, so the logging makes me really consider if I’m actually hungry or not.

my aim is about 1,500 calories per day.

I do a little exercise a few times a week which I will continue but not aiming to be changing my exercise routine really. Maybe a few more short walks.

Id be interested in hearing if anyone has any tasty lunch/dinner ideas. I’ve started having loads of quinoa and bulgar wheat with lime juice. Random…but so filling.

[Bookaholic73]

Afternoon all. Just on a lunch break at work.
Took my salad with me today, which is about 400cals and 30g of protein.

Also having a cup of tea, so about 30cals.

@thenewaveragebear1983 i use MFP to track and never eat back my exercise cals.

@Weallgottachangesometime welcome aboard. I have eaten mindlessly a lot too, hence why I’m so overweight. Cal counting has worked in the past for me too.

[Bookaholic73]

How are you all getting on today?

I’ve eaten 800 cals today, and will be having about 500 for dinner.
That leaves me a couple hundred for a glass of wine tonight.

Does anyone else do calorie banking? I’m considering it.
Tye idea is that you save a couple hundred calories a day during the week, so you have an extra allowance at the weekend. So you think of your calorie intake per week instead of per day.

I’m thinking about trying it out, reducing my cals to 1400 a day, down from 1600, so that I have an extra 1000 cals over the weekend for a bit of wine or chocolate.

This warmer weather has me thinking about my potential summer body if I can achieve it!

[Summerscomin]

Hello, so glad to have found an active calorie counting thread! Hope it's okay if I join you all.

I'm 10st6 and would like to be somewhere in the 9s. I've been in the 9s once in my life and felt fan-bloody-tastic, but I couldn't sustain it- hoping to change this! Also thinking about my summer body @Bookaholic73 and don't want to feel uncomfortable in my shorts again this year.

I track using MFP and what got me from 11st2 to pretty much here was a bit of an unusual one. Instead of having the same set allowance everyday, I mix it up a bit. Over the course of 28days, I have a mixture of 7 900, 1100, 1300 and 1500 days. Never do two 900s in a row, and always a 900 before weigh day, which is usually a Tuesday. Could something like this work for you OP?

I'm making chicken curry for dinner, it was a bit of a faff inputting all the ingredients but it's a recipe I'll probably use again so hopefully save some time in future (and have made 2 portions so future me will be thankful).

[bella1426]

Hello hello can I join please? @Bookaholic73 I am totally with you on the fad diets, I get quick but unsustainable results from things like keto and IF but it always goes back. From past experience the only real way to get the weight off for me is calorie counting and not eliminating any food group...why do I find the lure of those other ones so bloody appealing sometimes!!
Back to nutracheck now. I'm 5 foot six and 158 lbs. My goal is 140lbs which is my previous 'normal' weight. I've been 134 previously and felt great so I guess that's a stretch goal for my wedding next year. But need to commit to a dress decision in the next few months so would love to get closer to that 140 so I'm feeling good in them.
For me the key to adherence is loads of fruit and veg in my breakfast lunch and dinner to bulk them up and then having some calories to play with for snacks - I am having half a protein bar with a coffee in the afternoon and a protein yogurt with fruit in the evening.
Aiming for 1400 daily calories with 1500 steps and 3 x semi PT weights classes per week.
I am away with my partner for a kids free weekend and really aiming to go booze free or keep it to a bare minimum as I just cannot lose when drinking! After this weekend gonna knock it on the head for a few months to really give tue weight loss a good shot. Excited to have some support for this! 🤗

[bella1426]

Should we do a weekly weigh in? 😊

[birdywillow]

I've gone over my 1600 a day thanks to going out for tea yesterday and lunch today so not the best start. I will do better tomorrow though. I have done nearly 10,000 steps today though so not all bad.
It'll be interesting to see what other people eat to keep their calories on target, I sometimes get a bit stuck for ideas so hoping being on this thread helps

[Tobermoryeveryday]

Me too. One stone to lose, having already lost 1.5 stone and then put half back on. My toddler isn’t sleeping so finding it very hard but determined to get back on the wagon! Using nutracheck. It’s given me 1400 a day. Just under 5”4

[Tobermoryeveryday]

Also aiming to up the exercise, mainly for mental health benefits but hoping it will help with weight loss too

[Bookaholic73]

Oh, fab, I'm so glad to see other people joining, I was worried I was alone!

@Summerscomin I like the idea of having different amounts, I think I might look into how that could work for me. The most important thing for me is having the extra calories at the weekends, as I like a few glasses of wine.
I tend to use online recipes when cooking from scratch, as I agree it can be a faff. But once it's done, it's done.

Hi, @bella1426 yes please do join us! You are not alone in finding those fad diets tempting, even though you know they don't work for you. I've been keeping an eye on a low-carb diet, and have been so tempted, but I can't imagine a life without rice and bread to be honest! Whatever 'diet' I follow now has to be sustainable for the long term, and I know calorie counting is the only way that will work for me.

@birdywillow Yes, I agree it'll be interesting to see what other people are eating. I get stuck for ideas as well. 10k steps are fab, well done!

@Tobermoryeveryday sleep has a huge effect on motivation and resilience, doesn't it? I hope you manage to get some more sleep soon.


If anyone else is up for it, let's make our weigh-in day a Friday. That gives up the motivation to keep on track through the weekend, but enough time to recover if our weekend went awry!

[Summerscomin]

I like it @Bookaholic73 because on the lower cal days you know you're never far away from a higher cal day, if you see what I mean. I suppose it's a bit like 5:2 in that sense, you don't mind a leaner day when you know it's not all week!
E.g. today I've done a 900 but I had 1300 yesterday so I didn't start the day ravenous and I know tomorrow I'll have a bit more to play with.

I have my 1500 days on Fridays and Saturdays, with one of them a month being a 1300. It's surprising how indulgent it can feel also swapped wine for gin & low cal tonic. Wine is disheartening to put into MFP!

Following recipes with it all calculated would make a lot more sense, I quite like to get creative in the kitchen but it'll help while I get back into things.

[Happymama24]

Can I join too? I started calorie counting a few weeks ago but only seriously for a few days.
I need to lose around 2 stone.
My water intake could be better and my sleep is awful. If my youngest child doesn't wake me it would be a shock to my system 😅

Breakfast - berry infused breakfast quinoa- 319kcal
(First time making it, delicious and kept me full for a long time)

Lunch- 2 large egg omelette with 30g cheddar and loads of veg - 400kcal

Snacks - strawberries, blueberries and a twirl bar.
Also had 2 protein bars after a workout. Snacks = 513kcal

Dinner- some leftover salmon, rice and bulked it up with loads of veg.

• 250kcal

Aiming to keep it around 1500 calories a day