Calories targets

[Charles912]

I need to get in shape 

[Gryllotalpa]

We all need to ... Exactly my motivation! I would advise starting with increasing your physical activity. Just walking more has surprising results. Second, control what you are eating. In my experience, your exact kcal counts are not that important but be honest in logging your food. You will soon find yourself thinking twice about that late night snack or second glass of beer! 

Aiming for a 500 kcal deficit ( using rather rough estimates on the income side and Fitbit numbers on the burn side) works quite well for me.

[Glenda]

I read that we need to have a plan of action and a specific measurable goal.    You are on the right track for sure I think in deciding to reduce your maintenance number of calories by 500 each day.  Also you are right in the difficulty in being precise and accurate about calories.  One way is to just always try to go for the lowest calorie version of whatever you want to eat.  there are sugar free chocolate chips for instance, and light "butter'.  sugar free cola,  Just making a decision about what you want to achieve is a good start..   Best wishes.

[Julia_G]

I think it is generally better to eat less processed food rather than ones adapted to be “sugar free” or “low fat”.  There is some interesting evidence that the sugary taste in “sugar free” drinks actually stimulates your brain to have the same insulin repose as if you had the sugar! You won’t get the calories, of course, but with a similar insulin response you may even so stimulate your body to store fat.

Low fat foods often add sugar to compensate, which again stimulates the insulin response.  

Yes, calories are important - if you consistently provide your body with more fuel than you consume then you will gain weight.  The alternative is also true, but it is important to note that recent research suggests that all calories are not the same.  Your body will react differently to different kinds of calories.

There is also increasing evidence that WHEN you eat also matters.  

The calories in / calories out model is just too simplistic.

My best advice is (as much as possible) to eat simple, unrefined foods.   And though exercise won’t necessarily make you lose weight, it is important to keep healthy, and over time may help you moderate your appetite and improve your calorie burn (metabolism).

[Glenda]

No one with even average intelligence is going to eat low fat food with added sugar.  Sugar free drinks are lots better for people than sugar filled drinks .  If a person limits total calories successfully they will be slim.  It works for me.  When I count my blessings, artificial sweeteners is the last one.  I'm grateful.  I don't think you can work off a bad diet of lots of junk food by exercise though.   Just my opinions.  I don't take diet very seriously.

[Julia_G]

@Glenda , I can’t quite agree with you there!  I know a lot of really intelligent people who were ordering “low fat, reduced calorie”  blueberry muffins from Starbucks, before I pointed out to them that a lot of the fat was replaced with sugar.  So even though they were overall lower in calories, many of the total calories came from sugar instead of fat. 

As I said above, it isn’t always simply about calories.  Not all calories are the same.  High sugar produces a metabolic response that is different from high fat.  

[Glenda]

You are right Julia,I I was only thinking about packaged food.  Not so easy to check all  the ingredients in a restaurant.  Restaurants probably always use sugar and most of us dieters easily avoid lots of calories using artificial sweeteners,  I count it as the one of my blessings at the end of a list that begins with, I'm not a patient & pay taxes.  I'm very grateful for aspartame and saccharine etc no matter how terrible.  They are still better than sugar to me.   LOL but I've been on a diet my whole life........thank goodness.  I've just discovered I'm not so healthy after all.  I have a bad case of Gout arthritis and am on crutches,  I definitely couldn't manage this situation if I was over weight.  The majority of our population being overweight, will be in trouble when they get old if they don't try to get their weight back to normal.   Extra pounds require too much extra effort.  My 118 pounds is 8 extra above the necessary 110 to donate blood.

[Gryllotalpa]

I have nothing against sugar ( or honey) in moderate amounts and appropriate contexts. However, with many foods and beverages, I am wondering: why does this have to be so sweet? Sweet is a non-taste, perhaps good to cover that something tastes nasty, and on really rare occasions (e.g. an ice cream or fruit jelly) emphasising some good flavors However, I cannot bring myself to drink ( or even enjoy) most commercial non- alcoholic beverages because they are too sweet to be palatable. Diluting a diet coke to a tolerable level of sweetness means that I am left with some sweet water devoid of any other taste or flavor. This is the case regardless of the cause of the sweetnesdd, be it sugar or Stevia.

Do not consider me lucky, though - as much as I dislike the sweet taste, I do like savory treats (my favorite síň are potato chips, nachos and savory roasted nuts).

[Glenda]

I consider you lucky Gryllotalpa.  How do you pronounce that name?  If you think Coke is too sweet maybe you could consider drinking water.  LOL  I can't smell anything and I don't taste much either,  I can taste sweet and salt and I over salt everything.  Count your blessings.  I can't imagine diluting a coke with anything other than ice.

[Gryllotalpa]

Well, my fluid intake nowadays is mostly tea, usually herbal but sometimes the real thing. Of course, some coffee in the morning (with milk but no sugar) and an occasional beer in the evening (you see - I am not denying my sins).

As for my screen name - it is a Latin name of a rather cute animal ( depending on your perception of cuteness - see my profile picture). Not sure what the English pronunciation should be.