How many calories should I consume?

Tinks32

I have just started swimming 5 days a week, for roughly 45 mins at quite a steady pace. After xmas I plan to start counting calories to loose about a stone, can anyone tell me how many calories i should be eating to loose wait steadily?

madnotstupid

There are a quite a lot of free apps you can find that will help you work out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. You should take into account your present weight as well as how active you are. I use one called calories counter to work out how many calories I'm burning off - it gives you an idea of what you will burn off doing housework, shopping, gardening etc as well as more sporty forms of excercise.

Scottish Slimmers work out what your calorie intake should be based on your present weight and assuming an average level of activity. To make calculating simpler they convert calories into 'checks' each check is worth 25 kCals. So a woman weighing under 65Kg would eat 40 checks (1000 kCals) + 2 portions of fruit and 2 portions of low fat dairy a day. For a man at the same weight it would be 50 checks (1250 kCals) + fruit and dairy. At 66-85 Kg the woman's check amount increases to 45(1125 kCal) , the man's to 55 (1375 kCal). Also, you don't count most vegetables with the exception of starchy ones like spuds and parsnips and pulses like peas and beans.

I found the app awarded me lots more calories than Scottish Slimmers. However, I've lost 2.5 stone following Scottish Slimmers.

HTH

BoracicLint

Tinks32 wrote: »

can anyone tell me how many calories i should be eating to loose wait steadily?

Firstly try and work out how many calories you need to maintain your current weight by keeping a diary of everything you eat and weigh yourself once or twice a week.

Reduce this number by 250cals and weigh yourself a week later. Keep reducing your intake by 250cals until you are losing 1-2lbs per week, this will ensure you are losing weight at a healthy rate.

ca55ie

To lose a pound in weight you need to burn 3500 calories(this really shocked me when I first found out) - best to do this by reducing calories and increasing exercise. Ha ha easier said than done!! Well done for starting and good luck.

grey_lady

It depends how much you weigh currently - e.g if you weigh 10 stone then you would probably need 1200 to maintain and 1000 to lose a couple of pounds a week.

If you weighed 12 stone you could increase that. The swimming probably wouldn't make a huge amount of difference if it wasn't quick.

However i think that not all foods are equal, if you have a protein based breakfast (eg eggs) most days, a low fat/cal sandwich or soup or salad with fruit for lunch most days then you can eat a bit more at dinner-time. And i don't mean every-day but say 4/5 days a week.

adamb89

just to throw a spanner in the works here;

I study quite a lot about this and have experiences with people telling me how the best way is to lose weight but more importantly keep it off. Using a calorie deficit diet will work to cut the weight off but there's a few flaws in the diet. You need calories to sustain a healthy lifestyle and also to give your body the energy it needs for the day, plus how do you expect to give your body the vital vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly without eating the foods which contain calories.

A much better way to lose weight is to work on your lifestyle and that can be hard but when you put your mind to it, it can be very achievable. Lifestyle can be a variety of things one thing being the diet. The diet I tend to recommend is a deficit of certain aspects of the diet for example, your body needs proteins, carbohydrates and fats along side those key nutrients vitamins and minerals which of course you can get from a wide range of fruit and veg. What I also suggest is eating the correct carbs and the correct fats for example, carbs should be less starchy as the starch will convert to sugars and your body will burn them as a primary energy source rather than using fats or the fats stores along side your complex slow burning carbs. So swap the white pastas, rice, bread anything that can be in wholemeal form, what your looking for is low GI foods and also fat sources as well. Coconut oil is fantastic so research that one its a fatty acid but actually aids in slimming, avoid low fat specific foods because you do need the fat just look at better sources and ones that your body can burn like eggs contains fats and proteins so eggs are normally quite good. But mainly just cut on sugary based foods and get plenty of exercise and not just aerobic/endurance based that target fat lose but also do weight training as it's not just for people trying to gain "big muscles" but actually is one of the best ways of toning. Try and research weight training for toning or something like that.

Anyway I've rambled on enough so reply if you want some more advice but I hope I have been of some help.

Yornaldo

It depends on you that how much you want to get calories. According to me 2000 to 2500 calories are enough to get in a day. I don't like to get enough calories.

Tinks32

Thanks for all the replies, Adamb89 what you siad is what the pesonal trainers at my club have said. I am staying away from any proccesed foods and sugar and bad carbs. I am also trying to do a 30 min session at thye gym and a class each week. I am 12.2 stone at the moment and most of me is toning up nicely, so my weight isn't changing but my body shape is! I would like to be 11.7 stone ideally but as long as i look toned i am not really bothered about how much i weigh! Also I am having little food frequently, and do try not to have any carbs after 6pm.

Tinks32

Yornaldo wrote: »

It depends on you that how much you want to get calories. According to me 2000 to 2500 calories are enough to get in a day. I don't like to get enough calories.

less food in mouth is far easier.

spam has about 600 calories/can, and is against forum rules.
(i have copied and pasted Closed response, as I think this is a brill response)....:D

lady_noluck

Firstly Tinks32, stop weighing yourself!! :j Muscle weighs more than fat and scales are the enemy. You may be losing body fat and gaining muscle mass but normal scales won't show this, letting you think you're not losing weight. Use either a tape measure or clothing as a guide to weight loss. If your clothes are getting baggier you're doing well :T There is a formula to work out how many calories on average you should be consuming each day. If you'd like me to work yours out just pm me. However, Adamb89 is right. it's about the type of food you eat as well as the amount.
Low fat foods are usually full of chemical rubbish and Special K is a massive con (full of sugar!! :eek: )
If you can, have a lean protein rich breakfast like scrambled eggs on a couple of slices of wholemeal bread. Protein is great for keeping you full for longer. Carbs are necessary for a healthy brain so don't cut them out completely, just ensure good portion sizes.
If you'd like any nutrition info or help (i'm a qualified PT and Nutritionist) just send me a pm.......

Tinks32

Thanks ladynoluck,
That would be great, I have PM'ed you:)
Yes the special K is so loaded, I can't believe that people fall for that diet!
I would appreciate all the help you can give me..