Thread: hi new to calorie counting!

Hi All

I am new to calorie counting and this part of the forum so hello! i started cambridge diet in 2006 and lost 6 stone it was great but i came off it for a holiday and ever since have struggled to get back on it. I have another 3 stone to lose. Well i did start it again in april and even joined the gym. I did 3 weeks of this and didnt lose a pound it was mad and very depressing so ive given up with cambridge now as my body needs food so going back to basics and doing 1200 calories a day and excercise, and also learning how to eat well again its been 2 years! so far this week ive been 100% good and its quite a novelty for me eating 3 meals a day, i am surprised how many nice foods i can have within my limit!
any suggestions of low calorie meals would be great as it is hard work studying every label, im sure it will get easier in time.
Today Ive had bran flakes, a cup of coffee (no sugar) risotto and tonight im having pork and veg stir fry. Bit wary of the risotto at lunch as it was in my work canteen and they label everything with calorie content it was the lowest at 320 but it was so filling and nice i didnt quite believe it!!
anyway thought id say hello to all the fellow calorie counters out there!
oh and ive lost 4 pounds since sunday! dont expect that every week but seeing as i lost nothing in 3 weeks eating nothing its FAB

Hiya Bubbles

Well done with the 4lbs! That's fab.

I really think that calorie counting is brilliant. You get to eat anything

1200 is quite low, but a healthy amount. If you find it too hard to sustain, up it a little and half to all your exercise calories earnt.

I found it really helped (even now) to add a little protein to every meal, it really helps if you tend to get hungry inbetween meals.

Those little bags of veg that you put in the microwave are really useful for calorie counting to save weighing.

Berries are so low in calories. A packet of frozen ones with some greek yoghurt are lovely.

Lots of people like stir frys and they can work out really low in calories. I find I'm hungry after them though, don't know why.

I'm also told the quorn cottage pies are very low in calories and with an added bag of veg, they would work out to be a really low cal meal.

Porridge is lovely with frozen berries and a little yoghurt added after it's cooked. I love my porridge

Have you tried weightlossresources? Excellent website for calorie counters. The forum is a bit naff though. Here is much better


Best of luck with calorie counting. It's a great way to diet if you make sure you count everything.

Hi thanks for the ideas thats great! i am feeling so great being able to eat nice things and not cut out any food group like i usually do! 1200 is probably a bit low but i feel ok on it so will stick with it and see how i go thanks! x

Hi Bubbles

4lbs already - thats fab

I can also recommend WLS - its great - they do a free trial too and also tell you what calories you need to consume to lose 1/1.5/2 lbs per week. It also gives you your 'maintenance' level of calories and its all based on your height, weight and base activity level. You then add in any extra exercise you do and can eat those calories too if you want to. I'm on 1120 cals per day aiming to lose 1.5lbs per week - I also eat my exercise cals cos I'm greedy

Give it a go - I wouldnt be surprised that based on your height that you can eat a bit more than you are - although of course if you feel well at 1200 cals then there is no reason to change.

Good luck!

thanks for your support, i feel fine on 1200 but then i was on 550 for cambridge for so long its a novelty for me!

Hi Bubbles,

I'm doing a different program now, but about 6 years ago I calorie counted and worked on 1000 - 1100 a day and did 4 or 5 workouts a week for about 1hr and 15mins, I was hard core...

I lost usually 1 kilo a week and found the food choice great, this is what I ate.

B - YOGHURT AND MUESLI OR 1 EGG AND TOAST OR FRUIT AND YOGHURT
S - COFFEE AND BANANA
L - SOUP AND ROLL OR TUNA AND CRACKERS WITH A PEICE OF FRUIT, SALAD AND EGG
S - FRUIT
S - COFFEE AND HEALTH BAR OR LOW FAT BISCUIT OR YOGHURT
D - FISH SALAD, STIF FRY, PASTA BAKE AND SALAD, VEGETABLE BAKE AND SALAD, SOUP
S - TEA OR LOW FAT HOT CHOC, PIECE OF FRUIT
Eating often increases you metabloism, the idea is low fat.

Drinks lots of water and good luck darl.

Bren
X

Hi, I'm new here too hope that we can achieve our goals in the future

Jessy

Hi i'm new too, just a question I have been on cambridge diet and am coming off for my holiday too, worried about how much I am going to put on, and am not very good calorie counting, I was wondering would I be able to go back onto weightwatchers or slimming world when I come back and still lose weight?? Can anyone help with this thanks xx

well i was on and off cambridge for 2 years and the last time i tried i couldnt lose any weight it was 3 weeks SS and not one pound came off me! ive switched to doing calorie counting and ive lost 6 pounds now this week so i am sooo happy, i can now eat, be social and lose weight, its so much easier than i was expecting! youl be fine, give it a week or so for your body to adjust to eating again and i promise it will start again, maybe not as quick as some peoples losses on cambridge but it still works good luck x

I have read so many good results about CD in this forum, too bad that it seems that it is not available in my country. I think I will just stick to calorie counting before I can find other alternative

Jessy

Originally Posted by bubbles

ive lost 6 pounds now this week so i am sooo happy,

Wow Bubbles! That's brilliant

Originally Posted by jessica89

I have read so many good results about CD in this forum, too bad that it seems that it is not available in my country. I think I will just stick to calorie counting before I can find other alternative

Jessy

I'm afraid I've had to remove the link in your siggy as it's not allowed on this forum. Very best of luck with calorie shifting. I did something similar a long time ago. It was fun Stopped me getting in a rut

Originally Posted by jessica89

I have read so many good results about CD in this forum, too bad that it seems that it is not available in my country. I think I will just stick to calorie counting before I can find other alternative

Jessy

cambridge is good it helped me lose 6 stone and i love it for that but its extremely hard work in the fact you can never go out unless you dont mind sitting drinking water and nothing else, it also doesnt teach you anything about food, its great for losing weight but its ignoring the problem, removing food altogether isnt the answer and we cant stay on that regime forever! i dont want to slate cambridge as i said it worked for me but it doesnt anymore and i truly believe it messed up my metabolism, im so much happier on this and i have my life back! x

Originally Posted by bubbles

it also doesnt teach you anything about food, its great for losing weight but its ignoring the problem, removing food altogether isnt the answer and we cant stay on that regime forever! i dont want to slate cambridge as i said it worked for me but it doesnt anymore and i truly believe it messed up my metabolism,

Hey Bubbles, you know me. Got to pick you up on this one

Cambridge is a whole package...a whole course. You've got to complete the course to get the result.

You know that it is only about removing food at the beginning, then follows 2 months of low GI to learn about healthy eating and to restore your metabolism.

I know you aren't knocking Cambridge, but I guess you didn't do the most important part? Bet you didn't

So 2 months of calorie countrolled healthy eating isn't the answer? Perhaps not for many people, but then no diet is the answer for everyone.

Anyway. I'm really pleased that calorie counting is working it's magic for you

Well done on your 6lbs weight loss Bubbles...that's fantastic.

I have just started calorie counting too (with just over 3 stone to lose) and I look forward to chatting to you all on the boards. X x