Virgin to Calorie Counting Dieting!

I'm an Atkins and South Beach reject! I just felt too deprived and got really bored with my food selections. (I missed fruit sooooooooooooo bad!)

Anyway, I am interested in learning about weight loss through calorie restriction.  My "ultimate" goal would be to lose ~50lbs. Is it just a matter of keeping a food journal and not going over my calorie limit (~1700/day)? I've been looking around on different sites but haven't found a great deal of information. From what I have gathered, it seems like a matter of keeping calories, from any combo of foods, at your daily limit? Is this correct??

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Bob

Hey bob :)  Yeah, you can pretty much eat what you want, as long as you don't go over your calorie limit.  My last diet failed, and I realized that it was way to restrictive.  I couldn't eat bread or dairy, and I hated it, so I ended up gaining all the weight back and then some.  I feel more comfortable just keeping track of my calories and eating any food group I want.  When I went out to eat, I ordered the most healthy food I could find, and ate only half of it, or went online and looked up the nutritional info. 

So far on my own diet I've lost 22 pounds since January, and I have 23 more to lose :) 

first things first, atkins and south beach is ghetto.

any diet like those tries to gank stuff the body needs.




secondly counting calories is merely a boost in the right direction, but it's completely a lifestyle change. your going to want to eat natural foods, healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, veggies, so on and so on, i usually scan over calories, through-out my 5-6 meals a day, i dont really add them up, im just aware of what i'm eating.


the only things i see being horrible for your body, is like fast foods / fries / shakes ( shakes have 600 calories alone ), easily quick-scanning across foods to look for high fructose corn syrup, extra added sugars, sat fat, trans fat, is a good way to start, just remember natural foods, natural peanut butters, natural jelly, whole grains, fruits, veggies, grilled chicken, salmon, ground turkey, turkey breast, so on, is what it's all about.


hope this helps any, just a thought from my point of view

Well said, burks!

Calories count, but it's still possible to cut calories and eat an unhealthy diet.  You'll always do best with a balanced diet, full of healthy, fresh foods and limited refined, nutritionally-void ones.

How reliable is the weight loss each week? I know that a 3500 calorie reduction each week is "suppose" to result in 1lb loss. (Or 7000calorie= 2lb) By the sounds of some of the posts that I've read, it sounds like there are still stalls and weight fluxuations, which makes it sound like it's still more complicated than calories in and calories out?

I am also new to all of this. I have reduce my cals. by limiting portions and not restricting myself to any set 'diet'. I think it is a matter of just burning more than I take in and for me right now that means reducing my cals to 1200 a day. My new eating plan consists of smaller portions of healthy foods, including grains and carbs. A wide variety seems best. I look at this eating plan as a lifetime commitment and not a diet. After a time more 'treats' will be allowed but, for me, this not a diet but a change in lifestyle that will never end. Atkins is not a possibility for me as I do not like meat and eat very little of it. No red meat at all. But I am still dropping weight even while consuming those evil carbs (in moderation...I think that is the key.) Wishing you good luck!

Hi Bob68,

You will also find easier weight loss if you work in excersize.  This will also help you feel better and build muscle. See my post on the email about weight loss and being "stuck".  I worked with a personal trainer that had some great tips.

Best of luck to you!

Hey Bob,

Welcome!

Calorie counting and better food plans are what has worked for me.  (I'm down 14lb. in 2 mos.)  For me (and it's all about me) the calorie-counting has resulted in my eating better, and enjoying cooking again.  I want to get the most out of my calories, and eating the pre-packaged, overly processed, and crappy foods takes too many calories out of my allowance. 

I end up thinking about my calories like money - would I want to spend $500 on a piece of junk that won't last very long?  Or would I rather spend $500 on something that I might have to put together, but that I'll get a lifetime of use out of?