Tips on Fat and Weight Loss Please

DisneyLover

Thanks for all your help lads.

Going to start weighing food if yous can help me a bit that would be great. Presume Ive to weigh before I cook right ? And do yous get calories on MFP or on Google for stuff withour calories ??

Aiming for now for 14 stone 7 lbs. Lost 4 pounds so Im 16'6 atm. Hopefully it wont take ages to lose.

Going to Portugal in 8 weeks would be nice to be down 8 lbs !

Also going to doctor who looks after ibs, anxiety, weight and accupunture - Hope it works.

Timed my sleep this week. I got 4.5 hours sleep 4 days a week and 10 hours 3 days a week so need to change that asap. And also not drinking enough water !!

Mellor

DisneyLover wrote: »

I always get enchiladas from Super Valu Killester. Weighed them at 250 g for two. How do I get the calories for them ?

What do they say on the packet about calories per porion or per 100g.
Without that info you are really just guessing. As calories will vary with recipe.

As a rough estimate, heres similar ready made enchildas from tesco. Works out as 460 cals for 250g
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=282855075

DisneyLover

Mellor wrote: »

What do they say on the packet about calories per porion or per 100g.
Without that info you are really just guessing. As calories will vary with recipe.

As a rough estimate, heres similar ready made enchildas from tesco. Works out as 460 cals for 250g
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=282855075

They dont say anything ! I once put all the food in my fitness pal - peppers, chicken etc and they round off around 285 cal !

DisneyLover

Sinister Kid wrote: »

OP, I have this scales. It's dead handy, the bowl doubles as a case & it fits in my handbag so I can bring it to work with me. When I first started using it I was quite surprised at how small the portion sizes actually are!!

Oh thats deadly ! So handy ! Can throw in my handbag !

DisneyLover

Also going to try up my step count, keep working out 4 days a week 30-60 mins and going to try keep calories around 1'700/1'800 but allow more once a week for say a very long shift in work or a night out so like 2'000-2'200 once a week.

GarIT

DisneyLover wrote: »

Also going to doctor who looks after IBS, anxiety, weight and acupuncture - Hope it works.

I wouldn't trust any doctor who offers acupuncture, it's much closer to a superstition than a medical treatment and would make me question their judgement.

njs030

DisneyLover wrote: »

They dont say anything ! I once put all the food in my fitness pal - peppers, chicken etc and they round off around 285 cal !

Did you take it apart and weigh everything separately? That sounds really low!!

It's so hard to work out pre-made food on mfp, I gave up ages ago!

Adini

What was in the enchilada? The calorie count sounds far too low, I'd expect it to be far more than that unless it was really tiny

DisneyLover

Adini wrote: »

What was in the enchilada? The calorie count sounds far too low, I'd expect it to be far more than that unless it was really tiny

Chicken, red and green peppers and enchilada sauce ! Going with 350 each.

What do yous do when you dont have calories on the food ? I mean measuring doesnt help much. I used to just check MFP and put in whatever the highest was ! I mean sayI get sweet potato fries that has seasoning on it from the butchers - Do I just weigh it and not count the seaoning / chilli etc ??

Tigger99

I avoid food that doesn't have calories written on it as I suspect they are full of crap and very fatty. I mean the enchilada sauce alone could easily be 200+ calories. You've no way of knowing.

Also re the fries, you've no idea if the butcher has drizzled a load of oil/butter over them.

Triceratops Ballet

DisneyLover wrote:

What do yous do when you dont have calories on the food ? I mean measuring doesnt help much. I used to just check MFP and put in whatever the highest was ! I mean sayI get sweet potato fries that has seasoning on it from the butchers - Do I just weigh it and not count the seaoning / chilli etc ??

What you're doing is better than nothing, but tbh I'd me making them myself. You've no idea what the butcher is putting on them. I rarely eat food I can't log fully

livedadream

Sorry mondays are loooonnng gym sessions! Yeah pm me away...
It took me almost two years so I can't give you a quick fix it's hard work but gets easier...
Message away my dear...

DisneyLover

Lads can I just ask about my workout too for a min !

Like today I did:

20 mins on my bike, changing from level 8 to 14. Says I burned 260 but log it in MFP as 200.

Also did 14 mins of kettlebells: did arms and core. - Normally do 20 mins.

Also did 15 mins of cardio from youtube ? Like mixing up these and more ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcN37TxBE_s&t=588s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnY040imnsE

Will they plus walking help fat burning ??

DisneyLover

Tigger99 wrote: »

I avoid food that doesn't have calories written on it as I suspect they are full of crap and very fatty. I mean the enchilada sauce alone could easily be 200+ calories. You've no way of knowing.

Also re the fries, you've no idea if the butcher has drizzled a load of oil/butter over them.

True ! Got some in Lidl yesterday so gonna try learn how to make them nice from online recipes Thanks !

Mellor

DisneyLover wrote: »

They dont say anything ! I once put all the food in my fitness pal - peppers, chicken etc and they round off around 285 cal !

The wrap alone is probably 150-200 cals.
If you want to have them you're better off making your own. I'd emaginevthe 460 figure us close to correct for ready made ones

whoopsadoodles

I'd say we may have found where you're going wrong with MFP.

You're never going to be accurately able to count food without labeling and this is where your issue with fat loss most likely lies.

I'm sure it must be hard to cook from scratch to begin with if you haven't always done it but these are the kind of changes that will make the difference for you. And imo, food tastes so much better when cooked at home with fresh ingredients.

Enchiladas are quite easy to make and don't have to be high in cals. Ease up on the cheese and go for fat free greek yogurt instead of sour cream

Sweet potatoes wedges can be tossed in teaspoon of rapeseed oil and sprinkled with salt and rosemary or even smoked paprika if you prefer those flavours. There are 40 calories in a tsp of rapeseed oil so these are the kind of places you can lose a lot of cals by guessing.

bladespin

bucketybuck wrote: »

I didn't make the original comment, I just think its a rather pointless place for such pedantry and serves little purpose in this instance.

Apologies, had this confused with the other weight loss thread - for the rugby player

mathie

Calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories, calories.

That's all I see in this thread.

Caloric measurement is at best "close". You cannot be sure the amount stated is correct.
Everything being reduced down to calories means that you can eat 2000 calories of cake and you're grand.

Don't people see the insanity of that?
The idea of all calories being the same suits companies that produce rubbish. Coca-Cola actually used it in an advertising campaign "A calorie is a calorie". WRONG!

Rewind 100 years. Even 50 years. Obesity is going up, up, up.
https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/obesity-graph.jpg

Were people counting calories in the 1950s? 1900s? 1800s? 1700s? Did they even know what calories were?
Obesity rates weren't what they are now. Now we fret about calories.

Most studies that follow calorie counting show it (for most people) does not work.

People need to focus on good quality fruit and vegetables foremost.
Non-starchy vegetables and low fructose fruits.
Good quality sources of fat (nuts, seeds, avocados)
Good sources of protein.

Your plates should be two thirds vegetables.
You shouldn't restrict the amount of food you eat which is what counting calories does.
You should eat as many vegetables and good quality proteins and fats as you like.

People need to ditch the processed foods, the nutritionally void food that has emerged ever since the "low-fat" fad was sparked in the 1970s. "low-fat" generally means "high sugar". Breads, pasta, rice. Nutritionally very low.

People need to focus on the QUALITY of the calories.
If you eat good quality food then your body will work out the rest.

bladespin

mathie wrote: »

Most studies that follow calorie counting show it (for most people) does not work.

Really? Are you saying that if I eat 1000cal of MaccaD's a day I'll put on weight while if I eat 5000cals of meat and veg (god just imagine the qty) I'll loose weight?

Yes food quality and it's macro breakdown is important but much less so at this stage IMO.

Blacktie.

mathie wrote: »

People need to ditch the processed foods, the nutritionally void food that has emerged ever since the "low-fat" fad was sparked in the 1970s. "low-fat" generally means "high sugar". Breads, pasta, rice. Nutritionally very low.

Mentions how low fat has resulted in high sugar foods with 3 low sugar examples :pac:

Alf Veedersane

mathie wrote: »

People need to focus on the QUALITY of the calories.
If you eat good quality food then your body will work out the rest.

Everything isn't being reduce to the caloric number and nothing else. People are suggesting cooking from scratch so that the OP controls the ingredients and improves the quality.

Improving food quality doesn't mean you disregard monitoring calories. Of course improving food quality should mean that you reduce the likelihood of over consumption of calories but that's not a given.

Also most people need to transition from a bad diet to what you're getting at so calorie counting is still important.

mathie

bladespin wrote: »

Really? Are you saying that if I eat 1000cal of MaccaD's a day I'll put on weight while if I eat 5000cals of meat and veg (god just imagine the qty) I'll loose weight?

Yes food quality and it's macro breakdown is important but much less so at this stage IMO.

You said it yourself.
"God just imagine the quantity"
Try overeating vegetables and healthy proteins and fats.
It's incredibly difficult.
You will feel full and push your plate away a long time before you hit 5000 calories.

Now try consuming the same amount of calories from McDonalds.

Lets compare eating your fill of healthy vegetables, fruits, fats and proteins against eating your fill at McDonalds.
Which do you think will be better for you?

mathie

Blacktie. wrote: »

Mentions how low fat has resulted in high sugar foods with 3 low sugar examples :pac:

They weren't examples they were additions.
I see my post could be taken up that way.

I meant avoid high sugar and avoid overly processed carbs.

Alf Veedersane

Most people could put away most of a 200g bag of cashews over the course of a day, grazing away. That's north of 1000 calories.

mathie

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Most people could put away most of a 200g bag of cashews over the course of a day, grazing away. That's north of 1000 calories.

Yeah you can consume a lot of nuts no problem.
I read before that that's the reason why they're generally in hard shells and tough for us to get at. Mass production has put paid to that.
It would have been a lot harder for our ancestors to sit back and eat a bag of nuts.

I'd have nuts and seeds lower on the list than vegetables and protein.
At the top of the pyramid.
As I said earlier two thirds vegetables, then protein then fats.

livedadream

mathie wrote: »

Blacktie. wrote: »

Mentions how low fat has resulted in high sugar foods with 3 low sugar examples :pac:

They weren't examples they were additions.
I see my post could be taken up that way.

I meant avoid high sugar and avoid overly processed carbs.

i have crohns disease so cant eat high fiber or the norm ''healthy foods'' my diet includes a fair amount of carbs (not overly processed but in general carbs) yes calories are just that a measurement of energy, but for a beginner, counting calories is a good way to learn that you were over eating and that you can be satified by a lower amount of food and teaches you to make a more informed choice, ie your  physically hungry at 8pm after your dinner do you grab a packet of biscuits or do you think okay i have 300 calories before i get maxed out so ill have an apple and some peanut butter or an egg to fill my hunger?

Alf Veedersane

mathie wrote: »

Yeah you can consume a lot of nuts no problem.
I read before that that's the reason why they're generally in hard shells and tough for us to get at. Mass production has put paid to that.
It would have been a lot harder for our ancestors to sit back and eat a bag of nuts.

I'd have nuts and seeds lower on the list than vegetables and protein.
At the top of the pyramid.
As I said earlier two thirds vegetables, then protein then fats.

We're not our ancestors though and pyramids are fine as a guideline but nothing wrong in monitoring calorie intake. It's not being touted as a means to allow anyone, much less the OP, to sacrifice food quality.

mathie

livedadream wrote: »

i have crohns disease so cant eat high fiber or the norm ''healthy foods'' my diet includes a fair amount of carbs (not overly processed but in general carbs) yes calories are just that a measurement of energy, but for a beginner, counting calories is a good way to learn that you were over eating and that you can be satified by a lower amount of food and teaches you to make a more informed choice, ie your  physically hungry at 8pm after your dinner do you grab a packet of biscuits or do you think okay i have 300 calories before i get maxed out so ill have an apple and some peanut butter or an egg to fill my hunger?

I think you can make a more informed choice without needing to be a slave to calories.

If you're hungry a couple of hours after your dinner then I'd say you've not eaten a dinner that has provided satiety.

mathie

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

We're not our ancestors though and pyramids are fine as a guideline but nothing wrong in monitoring calorie intake. It's not being touted as a means to allow anyone, much less the OP, to sacrifice food quality.

But that's - by definition - exactly what calorie counting does.
It doesn't care what food you eat as long as you're within a certain calorie range.

livedadream

mathie wrote: »

livedadream wrote: »

i have crohns disease so cant eat high fiber or the norm ''healthy foods'' my diet includes a fair amount of carbs (not overly processed but in general carbs) yes calories are just that a measurement of energy, but for a beginner, counting calories is a good way to learn that you were over eating and that you can be satified by a lower amount of food and teaches you to make a more informed choice, ie your  physically hungry at 8pm after your dinner do you grab a packet of biscuits or do you think okay i have 300 calories before i get maxed out so ill have an apple and some peanut butter or an egg to fill my hunger?

I think you can make a more informed choice without needing to be a slave to calories.

If you're hungry a couple of hours after your dinner then I'd say you've not eaten a dinner that has provided satiety.

and I understand that, but we are both coming from a background of knowing what choices to make,

if the OP is almost 17 stone she obviously hasnt that knowledge or if she does doenst know how to apply it in a reasonable way. from an ED to almost 17 stone the knowledge is either eat nothing or restrict heavily so the basics is the best advise we can give her.
that and see a GP and clinical dietician.