Friday, May 17, 2013

My fitness pal

I really struggle to keep my food intake in check without help, I LOVE FOOD! I have been using myfitnesspal on and off since Jan 2012 when I started this whole concerted effort to lose weight/train for a triathlon shenanigans. The myfitnesspal website allows you to calorie count, keep in touch with friends and there is a nifty little phone app that can scan barcodes and build recipes etc, FOR FREE!

Even though I've been doing it for 18 months, and I obviously understand that to lose weight (or at least maintain weight!) what goes in my mouth must be equal to my outgoing actions, I still don't really know what is a good intake for me.

Currently I am lightly active (getting more so!) at the gym, this week I have been 4 times and tried an Aquafit class (yay me!), and if I know I have an 'expensive' cal fest ahead of me (wine!), I will make sure I have been and burned a few cals so that I have them in the bank. My motto is generally 'if I burnt them, I earned them!'
Thanks to Weightwars over on facebook for sharing the motivation
Given that I am attempting to lose the last 07lbs I gained over the last few weeks of recuperation, I am eating 1850 calories a day. That sounds like a lot of cals whilst on a 'diet', but I am 6ft tall and my ideal weight is 13st07lbs.. so I am not going to be eating an A-typical ladies portion.

When I am at my ideal weight and in full on tri training mode, cycling stupid distances, I eat, merely as my base line, 2200 cals a day and maintain my weight effortlessly.

So, my point is. How do you know when enough is enough? NHS guidelines suggest an average of 2000 cals a day for a woman.. I buy light versions of my specific favourite foods, we cook nearly everything from scratch and I often eat less of a portion than my 6yr old.. But still I can't seem to spread my cals far enough!

How does it work? I love myself, I respect myself and I understand that I don't enjoy being 4st heavier - I have a hideous pic of me at my heaviest in my loo, great motivation first thing in the morning (and during the day!) - but sometimes I just want to eat the damn cake! Surely I can have my cake and eat it?
 I don't have the answers, but I am intrigued to see if any of you have an opinion? You can 'friend' me on myfitnesspal - my username is 'anamcarra'.

Go on, tell me how YOU do it.
Thanks for reading x x

3 comments:

  1. I'm still trying to work out the balance. The main lesson I've learned is that the type of calories matter A LOT for me. Grains/white starches have an immediate negative effect on me. I try to make sure I get my calories from foods that will benefit my training. I also eat around 1,850 calories a day, even though I'm only 5 ft. 3. The weight isn't falling off, but it does come off slowly at this rate as long as at least 95% of the calories are clean!

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    1. Great feedback PP, thank you. I wholeheartedly agree about the type of cals making a difference!

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  2. Calorie counting didn't work for me whilst exercising, I just never had the energy. Slimming World gave me the push to lose 2 stone (you don't limit calories, you eat until you are full - and then more if you get hungry again - fab if you are very active). Nowadays I am finding the last stone is gradually slipping off and I AM having my cake and eating it. I am sure I don't need to tell you my secret.... but it begins with r ;-)

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