nightling is offline nightling Post #1  June 21,2010, 8:29pm
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I find the most common mistake dieters at my gym seem to make is cutting too many calories and then trying to work out too hard at the gym. They can't sustain a viable workout that way. It's better to go slow, lose only a pound or two a week, so you can stick it out for the long haul.

This has a handy calculator to help you figure out where to set calories for losing weight at an appropriate rate. It also has several menu plans to help you plan out a week of 1500 calorie days. Might be useful for some.

What Does a 1,500 Calorie Day Look Like? | Eating Well
 
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Mr79percent is offline Mr79percent Post #2  June 21,2010, 8:51pm
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OMG....1500 a day?????

I thank God everyday I'm a 5'10" man and can eat 2000+ calories everyday, though I can still afford to lose another 20 lbs.

I think I had 1500 calories for lunch today.

Let's see. Two carne asada tacos with cheese, no guacamole or sour cream on two corn tortillas each. A vending bag of pretzels. A 3 Musketeers bar. Diet Dr. Pepper. Okay, maybe not 1500 calories. But it doesn't leave much for the rest of the day.
 
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EMTZ is offline EMTZ Post #3  June 21,2010, 8:54pm
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That's a great article, nightling. Although for me it means that I need to consume less than 1200 calories a day to maintain my current weight

I am lucky to have been raised by a mom who made me used to eat high-protein/vitamins/minerals food and much less empty-calorie food for as long as I can remember. To me it is one of the best ways to stay slim since nutritionally loaded food usually curb one's appetite.

Another thing that I find helpful is to eat fruits instead of drinking their juices as that also helps in feeling full, not to mention getting more fiber in one's diet.
 
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chemgal is offline chemgal Post #4  June 21,2010, 10:06pm
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I never went lower than averaging 1700 cals/day (female; mid thirties) and lost weight consistently down to my current 'happy weight'. In fact, I was eating ~2000 cals/day while taking off the last 10-15 of the pounds. So much depends on activity level.

I was maintaining on 2100-2200 cals/day but now that butterflies-in-stomach have killed my appetite, I'm down to 1900-2000ish and losing again.

My numbers are likely a bit high for some, but it has definitely been my experience that cutting calories too much is counterproductive.
 
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scarlet13 is offline scarlet13 Post #5  June 23,2010, 7:22am
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chemgal- I agree completely. actually, the fitter you are, the more you can eat- not just because you are burning it off at the gym, but because your body utilizes food more efficiently.

i also think cutting calories is less productive than making the calories count by eating healthy foods and exersizing.
Last edited by scarlet13; June 23,2010 at 7:25am.
 
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lunabeach is offline lunabeach Post #6  June 23,2010, 8:05am
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Calorie counting seems so time consuming - and I'm a little on the OCD side. I could see it becoming too much of a focus.

If people would eat food that is filling (i.e. lots of plants, lots of fiber) rather than sugar, white bread, and meat, they'd find it really easy to stay at or below recommended calories. The foods people struggle with the most (sugar/cheese) actually work as opiates - they make you feel happy. There's a reason people can very honestly call themselves chocolate addicts - that caffeine/fat/sugar/cocoa combination is something they can get dependent on. These foods are not satisfying the body (they lead to heart disease and diabetes), they're satisfying the mind. That was a huge awakening for me.

Recentering cooking habits around fresh veggies and whole grains can be a big change for most Americans, but I've found it's the easiest way to maintain a healthy weight as well as be truly healthy - I'm confident that I'm reducing my risk of heart disease/cancer/alzheimer's (all run in my family) and that I'll live a healthier life for longer.
 
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nightling is offline nightling Post #7  June 23,2010, 11:05am
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Mr79percent wrote :
OMG....1500 a day?????

I thank God everyday I'm a 5'10" man and can eat 2000+ calories everyday, though I can still afford to lose another 20 lbs.

I think I had 1500 calories for lunch today.

Let's see. Two carne asada tacos with cheese, no guacamole or sour cream on two corn tortillas each. A vending bag of pretzels. A 3 Musketeers bar. Diet Dr. Pepper. Okay, maybe not 1500 calories. But it doesn't leave much for the rest of the day.
A lot depends on the muscle mass of the person. Many women don't have that much muscle mass, so if they ate more than 1500 a day they would not lose anything. I think a woman who is working out vigorously and has more than usual muscle mass can probably still lose on a 2000 calorie diet. My break even seems to be about 2200.

It is not recommended that a woman cut calories below 1200 calories because of the difficulty in meeting basic nutritional requirements.
 
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nightling is offline nightling Post #8  June 23,2010, 11:08am
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EMTZ wrote :
That's a great article, nightling. Although for me it means that I need to consume less than 1200 calories a day to maintain my current weight

I am lucky to have been raised by a mom who made me used to eat high-protein/vitamins/minerals food and much less empty-calorie food for as long as I can remember. To me it is one of the best ways to stay slim since nutritionally loaded food usually curb one's appetite.

Another thing that I find helpful is to eat fruits instead of drinking their juices as that also helps in feeling full, not to mention getting more fiber in one's diet.
This is a good point, too. Nutrient dense foods are so much better for you. Empty calories just take up valuable space that can be put to better use.

The article says not to cut below 1200 regardless of what the calculator shows. I believe you'd just have to boost activity and build muscle mass with some weightlifting to move your metabolism's break-even point up.
 
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chemgal is offline chemgal Post #9  June 23,2010, 12:02pm
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lunabeach wrote :
Calorie counting seems so time consuming - and I'm a little on the OCD side. I could see it becoming too much of a focus.
It's really not if you use the right tools. I use a website that does all the thinking for me, and it takes less than 5 minutes a day. And, even as someone who tends toward OCD, I don't freak out if I miss a few days and I don't count on holidays.

I do agree with your point about eating whole foods - though I disagree on the chocolate front. REAL chocolate (70% or higher cocoa content; I like the 85% stuff) is very filling/satisfying in very small portions. The problem is when people confuse that with corner store candy bars.
 
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Luminous_Knight is offline Luminous_Knight Post #10  July 17,2010, 10:19am
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Stick with 5 small meals per day. Very little fats, no sugar and no salt at all except for the natural sugar/salts in fruits/vegetables.....very important to read ingredient labels though....there is so much added sugar and salt in almost everything you eat.....but there are ways to getting around it....nothing is free in life, you have to work for it and keep working. So, exercise 3 to 4 times a week (weight-training and weight-training cardio)....it'll keep you "lean and mean". No need for diets and calorie counting.....they often lead you to failure.

Good day,
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