Thursday, December 15, 2005

Cutting Calories

I agree that it's not enough calories, but I also don't want to eat for the sake of eating. I know I wasn't going to talk about the Adipex , but if I'm gonna speak honestly about this journey, I can't leave that part out. I think once I am done with the Adipex, it will not be as easy to keep the calories that low. I have been doing a lot of internet reading on cutting calories and I think we are going in the right direction, but I think we need to watch our fat intake also. Most sites tell you to cut calories, not food intake. We are cutting food intake. I think that is due to the pill though. Most of the information suggests that cutting food intake will make you hungry and make it harder to control cravings. We just aren't seeing that now because we have our little friend. I was reading also, that you shouldn't take it for more than a few weeks. I'm on week 4 and going back to get refills next week!?!

If you type "cutting calories Here is one article I found that I likto lose weight" into a google search you will find all kinds of stuff. Most articles suggest that we should be getting between 1000-1200 calories a day. I'm going to shoot for atleast 1100 a day. I need to make sure those aren't empty calories though.

Here is one fo the articles I found and liked:

"When people cut food intake right down they often experience an increased appetite and a general craving for food. Some believe this is because they are eating less however, it may actually be driven by a deficiency or lack in the correct amount of certain nutrients. In other words, the appetite is trying to force the individual to eat more food in the hope that eventually these nutrients will be consumed. Most convenient foods are low in nutrients so if only fast, processed products form the basis of the diet then the appetite may crave the consumption of more food in order to gain essential nutrition.
If the dieter is exercising to lose weight the body requires more essential nutrients to aid recovery and growth of muscles. A diet devoid of nutrient dense foods may only cause further cravings and a larger boost in appetite. Cutting calories by reducing the amount of high-energy, fast foods is an effective way to lose weight permanently but only if other processed foods are replaced with healthy, nutritionally dense foods that are low in calories.
Cutting calories will be more effective if we learn to eat healthy meals regularly. This requires the introduction of healthier choices into the diet by gradually replacing each meal with low calorie, highly nutritious food or varieties. The dieter must veer away from the idea that they are "on a diet" by changing eating habits for the long term. Calories will automatically reduce when nutritiously dense foods replace high-energy package foods for most meals. An occasional treat should be left for when one has earned it by achieving a small goal or weight loss target"

2 comments:

Tiff said...

Yeah when we stop taking our pill I am sure that our appetite will go up some. I only have 31 left and I am not going to get anymore when they are gone. I am going to try to ween myself off (take halves, skip days toward the end, etc.) and that way it will last a little longer and by the time I am finished with them my stomach will have shrunk and I will be used to not eating as much.

I agree watching fat is just as important as watching calories.

I think another that I need to really do is even if I don't snack I need to make myself eat 3 meals a day. For instance, the past two days my calorie intake was between 800 - 1000 BUT I didn't eat breakfast and I think if I did I would AT LEAST be at the 1000 - 1100 mark IF not the 1200 depending on what I eat.

The thing with me is the foods I eat; however, I do need to "shrink" my stomach because if I find something I like I keep on until I eat the whole thing and don't think twice!

Traci said...

Great idea on the pills!

Since we eat out a couple of times a week, I've been looking at the menu and deciding what I want and then when I get the food, before I even take a bite, I split it up and Brayden and I share, or I throw the other half away. That way, if I am half way through it and really like it.... too bad, the other half is in the trash or in Brayden's tummy! Cutting Fast food calories in half is huge! I have been trying to make low fat fast food choices though - no fries allowed!!