community project (FAQs)

if you see an error or broken link you can e-mail me at ambereve77@yahoo.ca or message me in my journal :) Thanks!

UPDATED FEBRUARY 07, 2007

EDIT: Moved original post to reply #1

This is what there is so far, they are NOT done and can and will be edited at will to correct any errors, add info and all that good stuff. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a look. We don't require a lot from you, just your soul.. umm I mean.. input. Pick a Question, click the link to the Answer, check it over. Did we miss some vital info? Spelling error? Have a handy link? Anything... just lemme know, k? Easy as an analysis pie :)


Welcome to Calorie-Count! Here you will find a wonderful resource on your journey to being a healthier you.  We have terrific free tools to help you determine what your body's needs are for losing weight in a healthy manner and lively forums filled with folks ready to help.  Some of those folks have put together this list of frequently asked questions to help you out!  Of course we don't claim to be doctors or to know everything! ;)  We've provided you with handy linkage to where our numbers/info came from so you can explore on your own and decide for yourself.  Forum discussions about some subjects are also provided in the handy linkage.  Also, please check out the Official Calorie-Count FAQs  as well as the Calorie-Count Library! If this is your first time here, please try the walkthrough :)  Don't forget to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program or changing your diet! 

Click here for a list of useful links!

Top 4 tagged posts;

1. The Calorie-Count.com Diet
2. Calories In V.S Calories Out - Proper Caloric Deficits
3. Plenty of information and useful tips!
4. Fat Loss Beyond Calories In & Calories Out

:) Click the Q for the A! :)

Q :  Can I consume less than 1200 calories a day and still lose weight in a healthy manner?


Q :   Am I doing this right? The math behind calorie counting.


Q :  What is Starvation Mode? How do I know I'm in it and how do I get out?


Q :  Teens - How much should I weigh? What is normal?


Q :  What is a good ratio of calories?


Q:   How can I increase my protein?  


Q :  How can I get more fiber in my diet?


Q : carbs, the good the bad and the ugly! i think i stole this but i dont know where from heehee


Q : cholesterol


Q :  Help! I snack at night! What can I do? 


Q :  How much sodium is too much sodium?


Q :  WATER! Why should I drink water? How much? Is there a such thing as too much? Can I log it? Why does it only get a B?


Q :  What do I do when my food isn't in the datebase? What if I only want half of a serving? The packages nutritional information doesn't match the info in the database, what do I do?


Q :  What are Goals and Rewards?   Why are people talking about them?  How do I make mine and what kind should I be setting? Are rewards even important?  Can these things really help me? 


Q : How and when should I weigh myself? And what's the deal with the lines on my weight log? (maybe done?)


Q : How do I take my measurements properly? (enough? need more?)


Q : BMI. What is it? How do I figure it out?


Q : What are eating disorders? Do I have one?


Q : What are the rules of engagement here at CC? What is netiquette? Why has my post moved? Why has the content changed?


Q : Are negative or zero calories foods real? What are they? What about my 0 calorie salad dressing?


Q : How do I figure out how many calories I burn? What is my expenditure?


Q : Diet pills, do they work? Are they safe? Can I keep the weight off using diet pills? Is it healthy?


Q : Can I lose weight without exercise?


Q : Cravings. Are they real or all in my head? Why do I get them?


Q : "I get so emotional baby.." Is this normal?

Miscellaneous How Tos

Q :  Where do I get the cool lil virtual people I keep seeing on peoples profiles?   


Q :  How do you get the pictures to pop up when you mouse over your screen name?


Q :  How do you get pictures in your profile?


Q :  Awesome ticker you say? You want one? In your profile?

Q : Can I lose weight without exercise?

A : Whether it is because you hate exercising or exercising is difficult because of your weight, age or other health issues, you can lose weight without exercising. It's important to check with your doctor before you being any exercise program particularily if you are severely overweight or older. Some types of exercise may be too strenuous on your heart so your doctor may suggest you hold off until you've lost some weight before starting you on an exercise program.

The formula for weight loss is simple. Consume less calories than you burn, within reason. If your caloric deficit is too high you risk starvation mode, this is why a 500 calorie deficit is recommended (if you are exercising you will need to consume more to keep your deficit within a safe range). Exercising will promote heart health, help build muscle, firm and tone your body but is not necessary for weightloss.

Click here (after you check with your doctor!) to read Exercise for the Elderly 


Canada's Physical Activity Guide recommends building 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity into daily life for adults. Similarily, the U.S. Government recommends "30 minutes of moderate activity a day on most days of the week. If you already do this much activity, maintain or increase physical activity and try to be moderately to vigorously active for approximately 60 minutes on most days of the week".

A few easy ways to increase your daily activity are;

• park farther away
• choose to take the stairs
• get some hand weights (either commercial or just cans of food or old soda/milk jugs with water or sand in them)
• wall pushups
• do stretches during breaks
• community centres are a great resource, find an activity you can do with your whole family

Click here and here for more ideas on how to build more activity into your daily life.

Click here for a few home stretching exercises.

Handy Linkage:
http://familydoctor.org/754.xml http://www.fi.edu/biosci/healthy/exercise.htm l
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml? identifier=4563
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/heartfailure /a/exinhf.htm
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/exe rcise-heart/ind ex.htm
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2003/603_hea rt.html

Q : Cravings. Are they real or all in my head? Why do I get them?

A : Cravings are very real. If you have PMS cravings can be a sign of a "brain deficiency" according to one research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Click here to read an article on PMS cravings.

Cravings can also signal something missing in your diet, for instance, if you are craving chocolate this naturopathy website suggests your body needs magnesium. Healthy foods with magnesium include legumes, raw nuts & seeds as well as fruits. Click here for a few low carb ideas for curbing that chocolate craving.

According to About.com "One theory is that carbohydrates stimulate serotonin production and thus eating them is an attempt to self-medicate depression." Click here for the full article.

Some professionals say dieting is the underlying cause of cravings for certain food. Restriction only makes people want the restricted foods more, and when they finally give in, they tend to overindulge. It is suggested that 'all food in moderation' is a healther way to diet rather than restricting 'bad foods'. Whatever is or is not causing your cravings, you need to work out a strategy to deal with them, whether it be giving in a little, finding a healthier replacement nosh or white-knuckling your way through. When you figure it out, please let us in on your secret!

Handy Linkage:
Calorie-count.com - Super News About Soup
Lifescript.com - Outsmart Your Food Cravings
Cnn.com - Food Weakness
Washingtonpost.com - Give In, but Not Completely
Masterstech-home.com - I'd Kill For A Candy Bar

Q : "I get so emotional baby.." Is this normal?

A : Well, you've just made a life changing decision, to get healthy, it's going to be a little emotional at best :) You may experience a wide range of emotions while on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. From joy, to frustration, to anger and depression. How you deal with them is very important for weight loss success.

According to www.mayoclinic.com one of the top 6 ways to successful weight loss is emotional support. Click here for the full article.

Friends and family can be a great source of support, so can friends here at calorie-count.com. We have lots of different groups and clubs where folks go to discuss issues they are having. You can make friends and get support through your journal as well. You're not alone.

"If you show little interest in once-enjoyable activities, if you feel sad, helpless, tired or worthless, and if your eating and sleeping habits have changed greatly, see your doctor to determine if you have depression." mayoclinic.com

Depression -- some experts say it contributes to weight gain while other are say weight problems lead to depression. Either way, the two are connected. - about.com 

Handy Linkage:
Mayoclinic.com - Depression
Calorie-count - The Emotions of Losing Weight
About.com - Emotional Eating
Articlesphere.com - Do You Deserve to Be Thin?  
About.com - Support 
Ezinearticles.com - Don't Eat With Your Emotions
Thedietchannel.com - Get Support  
Calolive.org - Emotions and Health

Helloooooooooooooo...................

*waves arms frantically over head*

what?  

I've added a few more Q & As that were suggested.

Can't do anything else with this till it's been checked for errors etc.

I've got two people willing to do that but I'd like a couple more sets of eyes please...wanna be absolutely sure we've done everything we can to give a good comprehensive answer to these questions..  :D

Drea, have I mentioned that I adore you? Cuz ah do.

oh i found a typo in the emotional eating section. 

second graph, should reading "According.... ONE of the top" instead of "on of the top"

Edit: corrected my own typo ;)

tenk yah

I started trying to purty up the links last night but it keeps connecting them to eachother and cancelling out one of em :/

typo in cravings, last graph. should read "Some professionals say dieting IS the underlying cause" not "dieting it"

Next sentence, I would say "Restriction only makes people want the restricted foods more, and when they finally give in, they tend to overindulge." (clarified it, put in commas, and overindulge I believe is one word). 

"It is suggested that 'all food in moderation' is a healther way to diet..." (added quotes, could use italics to set off whatever, the actual proper way is to use double quotes unless quoting inside of other quotes but whatever). 

Typo after "work out a strategy to deal with them, WHETHER" not wether.  Hyphen between white and knuckling I think.

hmmm, how much of a pain in the ass to cut and paste to a word doc and then replace with pretty links?

Hi Garnie... I would volunteer but I totally suck at proofreading! I've been thinking of any more questions or enhancing any answers... but I've pretty much spent all my brain cells available for this project. =)

To cut and past to Word works just fine, it keeps the pretty links (as hyperlinks). I do it all the time with my journal, because sometimes I post and forget to spell check first.

Exercise post, first word should be Whether, dead link for starvation mode.  And no links for Canada or US govt recomendations.

hmm... i could try that... a word doc, eh speaking of which, i could just copy each answer for typos/spell checking too, eh??

yeah that might be easier.  heck if you copy and paste for me (since they are your posts) and email it to me I can put my english degree to good use.

Sure!! =)  *runs before getting recruited into zombie work* I got to go take a shower and look beautiful for my peeps!

okay, i see the dead link (forgot to link :/) but whaddaya mean "And no links for Canada or US govt recomendations." ?  

well never you mind, it appears that either im crazy or the links werent showing when i clicked on them and such.

yep.  not smart drea this morning.

:Þ perfectly smart and helpful Drea :)