Worried about lack of calories per day.

[Moocher]

Hiya, I am 33yrs old and just a tad under 19st. I have recently started going to the gym 3 times a week and curbed the junk food I was eating but I am worried I am not getting enough calories per day now. I am having a salad with beef or chicken slices and a handful of chips as a main meal. Other than that I eat few pieces of fruit and snack on grapes when peckish and on a morning or late evening I will have 3 weetabix.

I'm not following any actual diet as such but I have changed what I am eating. I guess my question is what is the bottom line in calories I should consume per day? I don't have time for the gym when working my 3 shifts and I get no exercise at work at all so lowering my calorie intake while at work was one the biggest changes I wanted to make, but, have I gone too low?

Many thanks !

 

[TracyGWill]

It sounds a bit on the low side, yes. You shouldn't go below 1200 net a day, so if you exercise you should eat more than 1200. And with a fair bit to lose, it's strongky advisable to start off at a higher level, so you can gradually reduce it (I started on 1800 a day, as I had 10 stone to lose). Do you use My Fitness Pal to track your food and exercise? xx

 

[Moocher]

I've not used anything to be honest. Lost about 10lb in the first 3 weeks with the diet and exercise listed above. Obviously I change what I have with the salad so I don't get too bored lol. Is the Fitness Pal an App or Website? And thanks for the advice. Should I have daily or weekly treats too to encourage myself to carry on? In the past I found that I would change my diet and start at the gym and then I would get bored of the plain tasting food and slowly slip back to the junk food. Coming to forums and looking for help is something new to me as I usually start something then give it up but I want to really give this a go and I am enjoying the gym visits which is odd for me lol

 

[faery_lights]

MyFitnessPal is both an app and a website. You can use whichever is more convenient for you! There's a Calorie Counting forum too!

Firstly, salad is not the only healthy food. I personally think foods are only bad if you eat too much of them. You can search these boards and the internet to find loads and loads of delicious and healthy meals! Build in 'treats' as you want- don't deny yourself, as it'll probably make you more likely to cave it. But I wouldn't use food as a reward either. I buy myself something nice every half a stone.

Keep going- remember, if you're determined enough there isn't anything you can't achieve!

 

[TracyGWill]

MFP is both an app and a website - most people on here swear by it, myself included! Yes, I think it's important to build treats into any weight loss regime, or it simply won't be sustainable in the long term. But make them sensible if you can. I more or less went cold turkey on chocolate for the first few months, but did eat a lot of things like Alpen Light bars and Muller Light yogurts, but if you really want chocolate, for example, just have something small that you can contain in your calories, like a Ripple or a Freddo bar. Or a small glass of wine if you drink (I don't, so don't have to worry about alcohol calories, lol). I've gradually introduced healthier things into my diet, so that I now see a fruit pot with yogurt as as treat, and have a handful of almonds instead of crisps, but wouldn't have tried to do it all at once. I've lost 6 stone so far, without exercise, and still enjoy my food, so it works for me, but everyone has to find their own way- there's no one size fits all!

Good luck! xx

 

[Moocher]

Thank you both for the help and well done to both of you on your weight loss. Only lost a little in the 3 weeks but already I feel more positive and more energetic. I will definitely give the MFP site a go as I have no current way to log my calorie intake etc.

Again, thank you

 

[krupskaya]

Hi Moocher, well done on deciding to tackle the weight - so problematic for all of us on here. Have you thought about starting a diary in the diaries section? It's a good way of logging your progress and getting more support. Re the amount your eating, that does sound a bit too little to me. As the others have said, MFP is really good for logging your calories and they recommend you don't go below 1200 calories so it might be worth increasing a bit especially as you're exercising. Good luck!

 

[Patchninja]

If you're not sure about what to eat and how much, then I really think it would help you to join something like Slimming World on-line for 3 months. You'd get a really good education on how to eat really healthy food - it's important to eat enough to slim!