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I would look more at what you're eating. I'm in a similar situation - I lost about 40 lbs over the course of middle school and high school - and I've kept it off, but still have a few problem areas I'd like to get rid of. I initially counted calories (and aimed for about 1300-1400 a day, but I'm really crazy short) but as I started to eat the right foods, I stopped needing to since my body told me when it was full.
Now I'm working on cutting things like excess sodium, refined sugar, etc, for those extra little bits of unhealthy habits. Maybe you could look at that? I had previously cut out all pop (diet included!) meat (I'm veggie for ethical reasons, but I lost weight when I made the switch) and most baked goods that I didn't make myself. It's worked pretty well!
I put on about 10 lbs after my wedding last August and starting not fitting into my clothes and such.
So I found My Daily Plate at Livestrong.com to start counting calories. It lets you input your current weight and weight goals to determine the target amount of daily caloric intake. It also has a daily food tracker (which allows you to look up tons of different foods - homemade, store-bought and restaurant) so you can track the calories that you put into your mouth. It's been really good for me as I tend to forget what I eat as the day goes on. I've lost 15 lbs since Jan. My weight loss goal is 2 lbs per week so it limits my calories to 1158 per day. It doesn't sound like much, but I eat a lot of little meals during the day so I'm never really hungry. Good luck!
I'm 5 nothing and vary between 98-103 pounds depending on the time of month and how dedicated to my eating I am. Generally speaking I eat between 1250-1500 calories a day.
It is funny but some days I find it hard to even get up that high! Like Lilyfaith, I think that is because of the type of foods I eat. I like to eat low cal, low fat, nutrient dense foods. Lots of chicken breasts and turkey (my tummy does not agree with red meat), whole grains, healthy fats (I love my natural peanut butter, sunflower seeds, etc.), and nonfat dairy. When you start cutting out all the processed junk from your diet you will find that you can actually eat a LOT more and keep your calorie count much lower.
And of course as I'm typing this I am devouring a box of Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies :)
there is no magic caloric intake that works for everyone. 2000 calories may be maintenance for some, but i know if i ate that many i would gain a lot of weight. i usually eat around 1200-1300 calories a day, but i'm really short and tiny and thats what it takes to maintain my weight at my current fitness level. like lilyfaith said, what you're eating is very important as well. If you are going to restrict your caloric intake to help weight loss, then you really need to make those calories count - they should be full of the good stuff, vitamins and minerals, and low on the bad stuff like saturated or trans fats and sugar. the healthy calories leave you feeling fuller longer as well (unlike super sugary things where you eat them, and then 1/2 hour later are hungry again).
That's my two cents. your daily caloric input for maintenance or weight loss will depend on your current weight and how active you are.
@ lilyfaith & babyboo - Yes, I agree with you both that I should look at "what" I'm eating. I have already started cutting back on breads, red meat, and processed sugar. I was doing really good until I went on vacation and it kind of spiraled, but now I'm starting over so I'll focus on that.
I don't like raw veggies at all UNLESS they are in a salad that has salad dressing on it. I love cooked veggies and will eat those no problem. I don't really like raw fruit either, except bananas, so sometimes figuring out what to have for a SNACK is tough. I also don't like yogurt, except greek yogurt, but I'll try to make myself eat it for health's sake.
Today:
Breakfast: Small bowl of Special K Protein cereal with skim milk - approx 160 cal
SNACKS: Whole can of sliced pears (del-monte NO SUGAR kind) in their own juice - 160 calories
I also had a Kashi cereal-type bar thing with high fiber & low sugar.- 120 calories
Lunch: Ham & cheese sandwhich on whole wheat low calorie bread & 2% milk cheese & mustard. AND Doritos :P (I know, bad news) & diet coke (approx 450 cal total)
As you can see, I am already up to 900 calories for the day. If I were following the 1600 calorie diet plan, that would leave me 700 calories left for dinner &/or a snack this evening.
*sigh* I'm not hungry right now, but I don't know that this sandwhich will last me all evening until I get home after 7:30 PM (I have a weird schedule) AND i worked out today, which makes me hungry.
@ mkendrick - I will check out that Daily Plate site! Thanks :)
I'm terrified to think about how many calories I consume on a normal day. My office caters all of our meals in addition to having a fully stocked kitchen with every sort of snack, candy or cereal you could possibly want. No matter how hard I try it's REALLY hard to watch what I eat. Just because I like them more, I eat a mainly vegetarian diet (~75%), but most restaurant veggies are still coated in oils, and that pesto mayo on the veggie wrap is not likely to be light-mayo based. Even the egg whites are grilled on a skillet with butter! I run 3 mi each morning and walk 1.5 mi each way to work. While I do this in part to stay healthy, I also do it to keep myself from blowing up at work. I'm the only person in the world that LOSES weight when I got home for Christmas. I can do nothing but shovel cookies in my mouth from Xmas Eve to New Years, and I still eat less than my reguarl M-F work week. If I had to guess, I'd say I consume between 2000-2500/day and burn 500-600/day working out which keeps me at between 125-130 for my 5'7" frame.
Just a quick suggestion - you're making great changes! I know cereals like Special K and bars like Kashi are quick, easy fixes, but I've found that food with real nutritional "pow!" keeps me going more - i.e., an apple with peanut butter instead of the cereal bar, and an egg & whole wheat toast instead of Special K.
I use myfooddiary.com to track calories. I have it set up so that it tells me how many calories to eat per day to lose the amount of weight I want to by a certain time. It also tells me how many calories each day to maintain weight. Its $9 per month, but I love it. It has a great food database so that you do not have to have the nutritional information. I also heard of a similar website that is free, myfatsecret.com, but I've never used it. As for getting/staying motivated, I don't have too much advice on that. I have a hard time as well. I am still about 10 lbs away from my goal weight, but I am happy with where I am now, so its hard to keep going.
@ twalila - Must be nice! I haven't seen 130 lbs since I was 14!! And I'm only 5'4"!
Jogging is definately a kick-butt workout though. I used to do that back in the day, but I didn't jog 3 miles a day. It was more like a jog-walk-jog-walk-jog.. you get the idea heh.
And it is DEFINATELY hard to keep from over-eating at work, especially when you're bored or stressed. I have that problem too, but luckily my office doesn't supply all kinds of tasty food for us daily. Thank God, cuz I'd look like a whale! :P
i think you could look into your breakfast a bit more. special k really doesn't fill me up at all and i feel like when you eat breakfast then you're hungry again by 10am it gets you in a "i'm dieting and thus hungry all the time" mind mode and you can't think about anything but eating all day. Or maybe thats just me. :)
Anyways... I am way too lazy to make eggs in the morning but what I've been eating lately that actually really fills me up until lunch is 1 cup of kashi go lean crunch (lots of fiber!) mixed together with 1 cup danon light and fit strawberry yogurt. It looks a little gross, but it tastes like dessert and it really keeps me full!
@twalia: I hear you on the eating healthy at work part. I go to school full time and work three days a week at an after school program. Part of our job is to feed the kids snack. However, because we operate out of a classroom on campus all of our snacks are prepackaged from Smart & Final (cheeze-its, ritz, wheat thins, fruit snacks, etc.). I try to bring my own healthy snack but it is sooo hard not to give in to temptation and eat what they are eating.
@okqueenbee: for a quick breakfast I make a half cup oatmeal with 1 cup skim milk instead of water. It fills me up (lots of protein and fiber) and still keeps my calorie count low.
@ lilyfaith - Thanks :) I actually DO like apples with peanut butter! They are very tasty, but I tend to shy away from peanut butter because you don't get very much and it is SO calorie-heavy. I know it's healthy though, and I love it. I do love eggs and toast, so I guess I need to find the extra time in the a.m. to cook different healthy things so I don't get burnt out on cereal and so I'll get a mixture of nutrients to start the day.
Just as a suggestion, you could cut back on your carbs/increase your protein intake and it will feel like you're eating more without getting more calories. Right now, my husband is doing P90X, and he literally cannot force down all the food on their 1800 calorie high-protein diet. He's doing about 1600 calories a day because that's all he can stomach... And he is not a small guy (6'3", currently weighs 220). :) I don't think all their recipes taste great, but if you made a few changes based on their suggestions (more protein for breakfast, protein bar or shake for snack, etc...) you might see a difference.
@okqueenbee: with peanut butter make sure you are getting the all natural/no sugar added kind. (The only ingerdient on the ingredient list is peanuts). Also, I've learned to measure out 1/2 tablespoon before I use it, its a lot more than you think! I use 1/2T pb with 10 sticks of celery (about 4") and it is plenty for a snack, while only being 50cal, 4g of (healthy) fat.
When I lost a lot of weight in the past, I didn't count calories. I was eating the right kinds of foods, so I didn't really need to. I avoided red meat, had grilled or baked chicken or fish, and had veggies and a salad with every meal. For snacks, I would have nuts or fruits. I also drank only water and unsweetened tea. I avoided things like the 100 calorie packs, usually because I'd end up having 2 or 3 (hah...100 calories x3) and they're still junk food. :)
@okqueenbee, I am right there with you...lost a lot of weight last year then gained back almost 10 lbs in the last few months. I use sparkpeople to track my calories, when you fill out a profile they tell you how many calories you should be eating a day in order to reach your goal. I believe they only "allow" for 2 lbs a week which is a healthy weight loss amount for 1 week. Anyway, I eat about 1200-1550 calories a day. Some other ideas for breakfast: I hard boil a bunch of eggs at the beginning of the week and take them to work with a couple pieces of bread (I get the Sara Lee 45 cals per slice bread) I toast the bread and put laughing cow lite cheese on it (35 cals) and slice up an egg and make a little egg sandwich for 195 calories total. If I eat cereal I eat fiber one raisin bran clusters, it keeps me full for a good 4 hours. I'll also eat greek yogurt with strawberries, peaches, blueberries and then a little granola or almonds mixed in. You could also get frozen whole grain waffles and put a little PB or jelly on it. For me at least, having a variety to choose from makes dieting slightly better.
Eat small snacks throughout the day!! High protein, high fiber, low calorie. NO SODA! No fast food. No alcohol. Cottage cheese in the evening! Workout 4-5 days a week. You'll be golden! That's what I do and it works. It's been working at least! FH and I are going to Barnes & Noble tonight actually to pick up a book I saw on Good Morning America its all about healthy foods that are low calorie and they're easy to make. Damn I forgot to write the book name down lol I'll go on the website and check and let you know whenever I find it. Anyway they had 35 calorie brownies on the show (from his book)!
http://abcnews.go.com/gma/recipes
MMMM! Rocco's low-cal low-fat meals!
I was a religious calorie counter until the first of the year when I read 'In the Defense of Food' by Michael Pollan. Since then, I have stopped counting calories (I was eating 1400 a day) and have lost 29 pounds by only eating 'real food'. No refined sugar (so no Super K), no refined flours, no soda of any kind and I can say that I honestly haven't been hungry since! We shop at Whole Food and the Farmer's Market and read the labels on everything we eat. I had severe psoriasis, and had tried every cream and pill to get rid of it for almost 20 years, within 3 weeks of changing our diet, it was completely gone! If you don't want to read the whole book, you can read the 'cliff note version' called Food Rules. I also recently read The Eat Clean Diet, and although it is some what different than Pollan's book, it has a lot of the same basis. Being an informed consumer and eater. Best of Luck!
YEAH I HEARD THAT TODAY! I neverrr knew about this "refined flour" and "refined sugar" what a difference it makes!! I'm going to be so careful about those two things now.
@ MrsErinBoucher - 35 calorie brownies?! Sounds more like a recipe for disaster!
I'd probably be like "hmm.. only 35 calories. I think I'll have 6" LOL!
@ DCB - that egg sandwich sounds really good! I might try it! :)
@ sally - I believe you on the whole foods thing. I really wouldn't mind switching to entirely whole foods, but I don't think hubby would go for it.
@okqueenbee: I thought that I was going to be a lone ranger on this one. But my FI tried a couple of things that I made and bought and within 3 weeks of me starting, he has joined in. Though he hasn't given up the Diet Coke. He has lost 10 pounds (and he was already 6' and 170lbs, size 30, though his doctor wanted him to drop a few after he quit smoking two years ago). I have found a lot of things to eat that we really enjoy, even more than junk food! With some small adjustment, Martha Stewarts Everyday Food (magazine and 2 cookbooks) are great resources 
I stopped counting calories a long time ago when it started becoming an unhealthy competition (my mentality at one point: how low can you go?). Thankfully, I never pushed it too far (the "hangry" would show up and my friends would "feed the beast"), but it made me realize that for my personality, I need to focus on healthy not quantity. So, when I needed to drop a couple pounds, I switched from high-calorie delicious food to chicken breast, veggies and brown rice for dinner.
I figure, I can come in at 2,000 calories eating crap and 2,000 calories eating things that are actually good for me, and I've elected to go with focusing on the healthy options (and to put that competitive streak to good use "let's see how 'good' I can eat today!").
I swear by exercise. I am 5'6'' and about 120 and eat between 2300-2500 cal/day. I also burn about 600 cals/ 6days a week.
I am counting calories these days. I am 5'4, aiming for 1,700 calories or less per day. I really only eat lunch and dinner (I know, bad) so I try to keep those at around 600 calories and then I've got a buffer for any snacks (bananas, yogurt) or tea I may drink throughout the day. I had been going to the gym 5 days a week and not dieting and I wasn't losing ANY weight, and I was really frustrated because it was taking a lot out of my day to go and do something I hate. I got inspired by Ms. Rainbow and her weight loss in January to go find out what I was doing wrong. I never realized that to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you take in. I thought that was impossible but now I know I've been eating unhealthy amounts all my life and I am just now starting to get it under control and actually LOSING WEIGHT by counting calories and exercising. While people say it matters what you eat, I find that by counting calories I actually can't eat the crap stuff anyway.
OP, I think you just need to find some inspiration to get motivated again. Hopefully this thread will help. Best of luck to you all! :D
I'm 5'7, 151 lbs (looking to get down to about 140 lbs). I keep track of calories, but I'm not too rigorous with the counting. I aim for 1200-1400 a day, and I burn about 500 calories 5 days/week. I've been losing between a pound and two a week.
I work for about 1400 but more when I work out. It kind of sucks, but I'm trying to lose 10 lbs right now.
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In 2004 I lost a lot of weight, 60 lbs to be exact, and have successfully managed to keep all but 10 lbs of it off (thanks HUBBY. just kidding :). When I was at the peak of my weight loss journey, I was EXTREMELY dedicated to calorie counting, as well as intense 1 to 1 1/2 hr workouts at least 5 days a week. I would only eat 1600 calories a day. I was religious about it, and allowed myself 1 cheat day a week.
Nowdays, with approximately 15 lbs total that I could stand to lose, I'm definately not as rigid with my diet/workout program as I once was. I think I look OK (I try to avoid staring too long at my wobbly bits in the mirror or I might change my mind), hubby is great about compliments, etc, and I just don't have the fire under my butt to be as strict on myself as I should be for the results I want.
I count calories to an extent, but if I go over 1600 my attitude about it is kind of "oh well." I definately try not to go over 2000 for the day, which from what I understand is the "maintenance" caloric threshold.
I just wondered who else counts cals and how many do you allow yourself per day?
I can't stand the thought of dipping below 1600. I couldn't stand it then, and I don't want to try it now. I get EXTREMELY irritable when I'm hungry or feel like I'm depriving myself. Trust me, it wouldn't work.
How do I get more strict with myself again? Will I reach that point now that I'm older and there are other factors involved? (i.e. married, not that big, etc).
Something to think about...