Diet or calorie counting to lose weight?

[Lizzyxoxo]

Hey guys

I am trying to lose some weight, I am not over-weight but I am trying to slim down a little. Which would you say is the best way to lose weight, a diet such as slimming world, weight watchers etc. or calorie counting e.g. eating 1500 calories a day.

Thanks! xx

 

[Tiggy77]

I do 1200-1500 cals a day to include minimum 75g of protein and that really works for me. Hope that helps X

 

[lfbarnett717]

I do 1300 calories a day max, and then have a 10 minute a day exercise video (Vicky Pattinson from Geordie Shore - not a fan of the show but great video). I was at 73.5kg and now down to 66.4kg on Friday. Tomorrow morning I start running with the dog for an extra boost - I struggle to cram in time for exercise with a full time job and beauty business too! It's all about what works for you though - good luck! Xx

 

[Lizzyxoxo]

thanks for ur replies! when calorie counting, do you guys count everything e.g. milk too for your hot drinks?
how long did it take to see results?
xx

 

[Emily S]

I wasn't massively over weight but I did the calorie counting last year and I do believe my mind is now trained into it enough so that I've maintained my loss since around October/November.

I was eating 1200 a day and went from 9 stone 12lb to 8 stone 7lb between March last year and October.

I don't keep my diary anymore but I do weigh myself most days, first thing in a morning and I've fluctuated between 8.7lb to 8.13lb since Xmas, today I'm 8.10lb... When I feel like I'm gaining I just rein myself back in a little and occasionally do a little check on my Fitness Pal to see that I'm on track.

I eat something 'bad' most days but I've cut my portion sizes down and instead of full sized bread slices I have 'thins', I no longer have butter in a sandwich I just have my filling.

I did do a lot of weighing out and it surprised me how much a 'normal' portion size was classed as, I'm now pretty aware of what I'm eating and don't just nick that one chip off my son's plate as I now realise it still counts... As daft as that sounds. The food diary really helped me!

Whatever you decide, good luck x

 

[lfbarnett717]

I do count everything and like Emily S wrote it all down. I also found weighing out portions helped massively! Eventually I got used to the calorie values of food and what I should/shouldn't have. I'm looking to lose just another 2.5kg or so and then maintain my loss, and get fitter! I felt better after just a week - less bloated etc. Took a couple of months for other people to spot the difference and comment on it, which was lovely! Xx

 

[Beauty Tips]

My Fitness Pal is amazing to calorie count with - it's in my routine now and I still add all my calories and exercises. I eat 1200 calories a day, occasionally going to 1300 when I've been to the gym.
I've lost a stone since January and like everyone has said once you get used to it you know what you can and can't eat and how much without really thinking about it.
I find calorie counting so much easier than dieting as I can eat what I want - if I have a doughnut one day at work then I know I have to be extra good the next day or reduce something else.

 

[tiatia22]

I'm doing slimming world but not going to class. I can't seem to shift anything so I've bought some alli tablets to give me a boost. I'm good all day then let myself down on an evening with a tipple or two lol x

 

[Emily S]

My Fitness Pal is amazing to calorie count with - it's in my routine now and I still add all my calories and exercises. I eat 1200 calories a day, occasionally going to 1300 when I've been to the gym.
I've lost a stone since January and like everyone has said once you get used to it you know what you can and can't eat and how much without really thinking about it.
I find calorie counting so much easier than dieting as I can eat what I want - if I have a doughnut one day at work then I know I have to be extra good the next day or reduce something else.

This is exactly why i like it!

My friend does Slimming World and she seems much more restricted when we eat out, it really wouldn't be for me.

 

[Lizzyxoxo]

I'm doing slimming world but not going to class. I can't seem to shift anything so I've bought some alli tablets to give me a boost. I'm good all day then let myself down on an evening with a tipple or two lol x

How long have you been going to class for? xx

 

[Lizzyxoxo]

So when you buy something to eat e.g. a sandwich or breaded chicken, do you just look at calories only or do you look at the fat content and sugar content etc. too? I'm not too sure how much is considered too high, all I know is that the Green and Ambers are best for fat and sugar content

 

[Beauty Tips]

So when you buy something to eat e.g. a sandwich or breaded chicken, do you just look at calories only or do you look at the fat content and sugar content etc. too? I'm not too sure how much is considered too high, all I know is that the Green and Ambers are best for fat and sugar content

With My Fitness Pal you enter your goals (weight loss etc.) and they will then calculate how many calories you need to eat a day to achieve this as well as the right amount of fat, protein and carbs.
They also have a nutrients section where you can see the average sugar, saturated fat, fibre etc. etc. you should be eating daily.
When out during the day you can scan the food product into the app using the bar code scanner and it will all be entered for you. It will tell you if it's high in fat or something similar It's handy too as it has a lot of restaurant meals stored.

I sound like the apps biggest fan haha

 

[Emily S]

I sound like the apps biggest fan haha

I think it makes you like that, I'm exactly the same simply because it worked.

I'm no good at knowing what's healthy and what's not and didn't particularly want to just eat healthy food but i wanted to lose weight and it really did come off so easy, I'm always twittering on about it!!

 

[tiatia22]

How long have you been going to class for? xx

I went to class about 2 months. Have poached egg on toast for breakfast. Sw quiche and salad or jacket potato and beans for lunch. Chicken dinner or salmon jacket potato beans or gammon sw chips dry fried egg beans. A treat in the evening eg couple of jaffa cakes or small chocolate eclair (5.5 syns) . Then I ruin it with 2 glasses of wine to unwind. I'm a hairdresser so on my feet 8 hrs a day, and walk my dogs. Feel deflated .x

 

[Lizzyxoxo]

I went to class about 2 months. Have poached egg on toast for breakfast. Sw quiche and salad or jacket potato and beans for lunch. Chicken dinner or salmon jacket potato beans or gammon sw chips dry fried egg beans. A treat in the evening eg couple of jaffa cakes or small chocolate eclair (5.5 syns) . Then I ruin it with 2 glasses of wine to unwind. I'm a hairdresser so on my feet 8 hrs a day, and walk my dogs. Feel deflated .x

that doesn't sound too bad, did you lose weight from it? x

 

[byKaty]

I'm doing slimming world but not going to class. I can't seem to shift anything so I've bought some alli tablets to give me a boost. I'm good all day then let myself down on an evening with a tipple or two lol x

Well that would be the issue there. If you want to lose the weight then lose the drink. Empty cals that your body can't store. So anything else you eat will be stored as the alcohol is used for energy.
Personally, I wouldn't use those alli tablets. Waste of time.
Healthy eating combined with exercise is best way to drop fat.
Lots of water helps too.

 

[Angelaznailz]

Im doing the Blood Sugar diet (book by Michael Mosley ) It is intended to keep me from getting highs and lows from sugar cravings, and is a help for those who are heading towards diabetes. As a self confessed chocoholic, I must say that it's working. I haven't had chocolate in 3 weeks - or even felt like having it. It's based on 800 cals per day which seems very low, but I can pack a lot of good stuff into it
Typical days meals .....
Breakfast- yoghurt & berries
Lunch - salad with feta, chicken, or prawns (I make it up & take it into work)
Snack - fruit
Dinner - fish or chicken with steamed veg. A yoghurt
No carbs.
I've lost 11lbs in 3 weeks and can honestly say that I've never felt hungry and ive lost my craving for sweet things. I don't eat after 7pm but chew gum when I'm watching tv
Good luck on your journey. [emoji256]

 

[xkayla_herex]

Im doing the Blood Sugar diet (book by Michael Mosley ) It is intended to keep me from getting highs and lows from sugar cravings, and is a help for those who are heading towards diabetes. As a self confessed chocoholic, I must say that it's working. I haven't had chocolate in 3 weeks - or even felt like having it. It's based on 800 cals per day which seems very low, but I can pack a lot of good stuff into it
Typical days meals .....
Breakfast- yoghurt & berries
Lunch - salad with feta, chicken, or prawns (I make it up & take it into work)
Snack - fruit
Dinner - fish or chicken with steamed veg. A yoghurt
No carbs.
I've lost 11lbs in 3 weeks and can honestly say that I've never felt hungry and ive lost my craving for sweet things. I don't eat after 7pm but chew gum when I'm watching tv
Good luck on your journey. [emoji256]

11lbs in three weeks is amazing well done, these no carbs diet seem to be so popular I have tried so many diets (including the no carbs) and it works but to maintain your weight loss you are going to have to keep of carbs for life which Maybe some people can do but I definitely can't.

I done the Dukan diet wich was really good at loosing the weight- the first phase I was loosing a pound a day just by eating meat!

However even after getting to the last maintaining phase I put all the weight on gradually as soon as I st rates eating carbs!

The best diet for me is weight watchers because you can eat whatever you want, but you just have to make sure it's within you points allowance. I have been afraid of eating carbs for so long but I am eating them as normal now and loosing weight! I still eat a takeaway once a week and go out for dinner once or twice a week. My weight loss is slow- one to two pounds a week but it's so easy and more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

 

[Reidebot]

Calorie counting does not work in the long run. When you say you want to lose weight do you mean tone up, slim down or a physical number on the scales?

Anyway you have probably heard before how muscle weighs more then fat right? Well guess what, it also helps burn fat. Fat is literally your fuel source to hold muscle. Then you have your anabolic (building up) and catatonic (breaking down) phases. It is not about the amount of calories you eat but much rather then timing that you eat and what you eat verses the physical activity you do. I know a girl who is tiny, weight trains and eats a whole roast chicken in one meal because she has the muscle to do so.

My fitnesspal is crap. It's inaccurate and dumb. It told em I needed to eat 1200cal. I need more then that just to function without doing anything excluding laying their without breathing. It's an app that helps create eating disorders in my opinion.

Tablets suck. They are bad for your and only make you lose water weight. You need a lifestyle change to slim down, not a magic pill.

Realistically diet is 70-85% of health and exercise/training is 15-30% of your health (hence abs are made in the kitchen). You can't out train a bad diet and you can't use crap to fix a lifestyle of bad habits (just generalising here). Basically a clean diet, plenty of water and consistent training (hypertrophy and strength.... not this cardio bunny thing) is best. Look after your body and it will become the best it can.

Good luck.

 

[Reidebot]

11lbs in three weeks is amazing well done, these no carbs diet seem to be so popular I have tried so many diets (including the no carbs) and it works but to maintain your weight loss you are going to have to keep of carbs for life which Maybe some people can do but I definitely can't.

I done the Dukan diet wich was really good at loosing the weight- the first phase I was loosing a pound a day just by eating meat!

However even after getting to the last maintaining phase I put all the weight on gradually as soon as I st rates eating carbs!

The best diet for me is weight watchers because you can eat whatever you want, but you just have to make sure it's within you points allowance. I have been afraid of eating carbs for so long but I am eating them as normal now and loosing weight! I still eat a takeaway once a week and go out for dinner once or twice a week. My weight loss is slow- one to two pounds a week but it's so easy and more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

2 lbs is not slow. It's actually spot on to the amount you should be losing at most. if I recall. We say 0.5-1kg a week here. Also the body runs off carbs, They are great. But it depends on what carbs. I like to follow a rule of "whats closer to the source". Rice verse pasta. Rice is obiously the better choice as it is less processed for instance.

We were taught (I'm a personal trainer) 50% Carbs, 30% fats and 20% protein is a good guideline to all meals. Of course there are variables but it's a fairly easy one to follow.