Is it useful/pointless to count daily nutrient intake?

[DizzyDesii]

My daily intake—
1200-1300 calories daily
(sumn said eat at least 1200/day)
2000-2100mg of sodium daily
(sumn said eat less than 2300mg/day)
230g carbs daily
(sumn said eat at least 225/day)
30g fat daily (not enough)
(sumn said eat at least 44-77g fat/day)
175mg cholesterol daily
(sumn said no more than 300mg/day)
65g protein daily (not enough)
(sumn said eat up to 100mg/day)
1595-1880mg potassium daily (not enou)
(sumn said eat 3500mg/day)
? Fatty fish (not enough)
(sumn said eat at least 3.5oz/day)
4.6mg iron daily (not enough)
(sumn said 8-14mg/day)
100mg calcium (not enough)
(sumn said 1000mg/day)
180% vitamin C daily
8% vitamin A daily
25% magnesium daily
70% vitamin B6 daily
Yes i realize i spelled “something” as “sumn”. But Any tips on how to increase the protein, iron, calcium intake, etc? Also, i do cardio 30 mins to an hour at least 4 days a week but i’ll eventually include weight lifting or whatever else and try to do at least 6 days of exercise.
#FeelFreeToList #DailyNutrition

Updates

+1 y

can't believe I finally put down the soda 😭 its only been like 2-3 months but when i try to sip one on my cheat day, it doesn't even taste good anymore :( I can never even finish it. It just tastes like acidic water. I was addicted to soda since age 3. I never thought i could quit something i’ve been drinking over 20 years. But damn... its happening. All i drink is water, sportsdrinks, cranberry juice and sweet tea now. Its disgusting but about all i’ll drink

Updates

+1 y

Mon-Thurs i just eat a daily balance of bananas, apples, grapes, pineapples, brioche bread with processed low sodium turkey/ham (sandwich), 2-4 bottles of water, popcorn, baked or panseared chicken, and canned veggies (lots of salt but i balance it). I can already fit clothes i couldnt the week before. I exercise 30 min-hour 4 days a week. But on Fri-Sun, i go crazy and eat like BBQ or fast food or soul food 🤣

[TheSpaceGnome]

It's useful to calculate the required amounts you need per day and then form a habit of exceeding that by simply adding in tastey things that have those nutrients, also listen to your cravings, they are signs of difficiencies, and the daily value or serving size on food and vitamin labels is just an estimate based on the middle number, or average of the general public (kind of like how people's body temps range from 92.3 to slightly over 103, so the middle ground is 98.6, but that doesn't mean your body temp is supposed to be 98.6, that could be a fever (or too cold) to run your specific body.

It's extremely difficult to overdose on most vitamins, as almost all of them just get safety excreted when you eat/drink too much of them, though exceptions exist.

Proteins are actually lots of different things, not just one thing, so that depends on which proteins you are not getting enough of, and what your goals are for health outcome.

You don't actually eat cholesterol (or at least when you do it doesn't stay as cholesterol after digestion). Cholesterol is something your body makes to build bodily tissues, bile, and hormones. fat, also known as low density or high density lipoproteins, acts as sort of a boat for cholesterol, transporting it to where it needs to go, and eating carbohydrates is your body's main way of producing fat. wheras eating fat usually produces acids, bile, or hormones.

Most people get enough calcium in their diet, but when you eat a lot of bread, grains, nuts, or seeds, the phosphoric acid in the plant seeds in those foods binds to the phosphorus in your food, preventing you from absorbing it, causing bone and tooth deminerlization because you can't absorb calcium without phosphorus (you also can't absorb calcium without vatamin D, vitamin C, sodium chloride, potassium, iron, or magnesium. and so there are some obvious culprits here if you know what to look for, for example, viamin C in most juice drinks is dead, because heating it for pasturization destroys vitamin C, resulting in it becoming just ascorbic acid.

Also if you eat piping hot foods, microwaved foods, or drink any alcohol, you kill the gut bacteria that produces vitamin b12, which at that point means your only reliable sufficient sources are probiotic yogurt, cheeses, and cooked red meat until you build that back up pver an average six month span.

I could go on for hours and hours with this stuff honestly, metabolism is like a spider web, but basically, a whole baked potato, cheese, an apple, and raw broccoli. has every single nutrient you need aside from the once ounce of water per pound of body weight per day x customized electrolytes.

It's hard to reccommend foods or volumes of them though without any background history. For example I need 5 times the salt, twice the iron, twice the water, 3 times the fat, half the carbs, and far less potassium and magnesium than the reccomended daily intakes. And you might be different entirely.

Also worth noting, food doesn't repair you unless you are in REM sleep.

[TheSpaceGnome]

You also need to be hydrated enough and in REM sleep long enough to get the job done, assuming you have enough of each nutrient. this is why aging happens to people without serious injuries, because they fail to meet needs like this.

[TheSpaceGnome]

vitamin D in your skin also can't be produced by ingestion, only UV rays from sunlight or specific lamps are able to create that in skin.

[DizzyDesii]

Yea i used to sleep like 4-6 hours a night. I sleep like 7-10 hours now. I drink 2-4 bottles of water a day

[TheSpaceGnome]

I don't reccomend trying to microcalculate exact amounts by the way, because the amounts you use in any given hour with differ with activity level, stress level, exaustion level, injury, infection, perspiration, urination, defication, etc. so it's never going to be exactly the same amounts needed each day.

[TheSpaceGnome]

will differ* not with differ

[DizzyDesii]

Ahh didn't know that

[TheSpaceGnome]

10 hours is best for sleep in most cases unless muscles are cramped or some other exception, if you are healthy and as an example, 128 pounds, you would most likely need exactly a gallon per day of water, which you will only transfer between intracellular and extracellular space via sodium chloride and potassium. but potassium causes you to pee sodium chloride out, so you usually will need more of the latter than the former to retain water and transfer it from blood to cell and back again.

[TheSpaceGnome]

The iron amount reccomendations are tricky as well, tomato products are pretty high in it, as is beef, really most natural foods that are red, i retain most of mine the entire month from lack of period bleeding. but I also need more because I get dried out easier, including in the blood.

[DizzyDesii]

Lmao im definitely not 128 😂 my goal is 125 and im not near that. I often sleep between 12am-3am and have to wake by or before 10am. So i definitely won't get 10 hours

[TheSpaceGnome]

If you consume the amount of water you would need per day for a 125 weight while being fatter than 125, your body will be difficient in water for its volume of fat cells, and it will shrink your fat cells by converting lipid proteins into water and glucose, causing weight loss.

[TheSpaceGnome]

That method of weight loss though can sometimes lead to joints being dehydrated for bit, which for some leaves them more prone to injury.

[TheSpaceGnome]

I only picked 128 so I didn't have to do math lol, 128 ounces of water = a gallon.

[TheSpaceGnome]

The exact weight you should be depends on how big your skeleton is, as well as it's shape.

[DizzyDesii]

My period hasn't been on since December. My body works weird af. So maybe im retaining like you lol. I stopped eating tomatoey thingnd due to acid reflux. But i eat spaghetti maybe twice a montj

[TheSpaceGnome]

lack of calcium makes acidic foods result in acid reflux (which is why they say take tums, but tums are calcium carbonate, good for the stomach ph but its harder to absorb than calcium citrate so its not great for building skellies and teeth or being used in nerve conduction or acid reflux prevention, only after the fact relief.

[TheSpaceGnome]

beef is high iron, but heme is also carcinogenic, so maybe brocolli or spinach? spinach is pretty acidic, but not as much as say, ketchup would be.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont eat ketchup. I onlybeat beef on weekends. Check update. I mainly eat chicken. Im not crazy about spinach but i eat collards every 2 weeks

[TheSpaceGnome]

Fo you feel sick or uncomfortable in any way? or are you just looking at labels and thinking you are deficient because of the amounts? granted most people are difficient before they notice, but if you feel good and aren't over or under weight, you are probably fine diet wise.

[DizzyDesii]

I feel fine but sometimes my lower arms feels like its being squeezed tight. And sometimes my back shoulder twitches uncontrollably for a few minutes.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Thats an electrolyte defficiency problem, aka dehydration, I would say drink a v8, but maybe get your calcium levels up enough to not get acid reflux first.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont drink v8 but my fam does. I used to drink gatorade and powerade weekly. haven't in a few months. Should I start back?

[TheSpaceGnome]

gatorade is pretty horrible at hydration tbh, a lot sugar, not enough salt, very little of the other vitamins, maybe juice some fresh veggies, it won't be as acidic as v8 because the added citric adic is just to extend shelf life.

[TheSpaceGnome]

I usually just put a bit of salt in water and eat food with it like normal, but most people don't care for that.

[DizzyDesii]

Lol i never juiced veggies before 😭 im so picky. I only like tomatoes when its salsa or spaghetti. I only like corn, peas (from the can), and beans. I only eat careots and green beans in veggie soup but not in general. I love potatoes but like tomatoes, they trigger acid reflux. I love celery but onlybwhen cooked. I wanna try it raw and maybe i’d juice that

[TheSpaceGnome]

Juicing cooked veggies is going to taste like ass lol, its also pointless.

Even potatoes trigger acid reflux? hmm.. thats unusual, but kinda makes sense since starch is very hard to digest (because it soaks up water like a sponge, drying out out stomach and intestines, so your body makes more acid to cope in breaking down the food)

Also your diet is terrible, never eat canned veggies, you ingest toxic metals that way because the citric acid to preserve them also eats away at the can, plus they are nutritionally garbage from being "pickled".

You might benefit from cutting starch out and drinking more water, meaning no corn, wheat, potatoes, and rice products, you mentioned low calcium absorption, acid reflux from even non acidic foods, and dehydration symptoms, so it seems to match up.

[TheSpaceGnome]

just make sure you replace anything those foods gave you that you need with other sources

[DizzyDesii]

No i said i prefer cooked celery. I wouldn't juice cooked celery. A baked potato is fine but not fried or mashed potatoes. It triggers it bad. Google it. And corn is the only veggie i have trouble giving up. Its the only veggie I've eaten consistently since age 2.

[thebestalt]

It is useful depending on what you're doing. If you have a medical condition where you need to look at the levels of sodium or sugar you take in a day, it's very important. If you take vitamins (Gummies or pills) it's useful so you don't overdose. So unless you're short-term dieting, working out daily, have a medical condition, or OCD, then it's not useful.

[DizzyDesii]

Just wanting to lose weight

[thebestalt]

Paying attention to the Daily Nutritional Intake won't help in that regard. Some good tips would be eating some protein-dense foods while also eating more fruits and vegetables. Do some cardio. Jump rope is a fun and very effective way to lose weight. But you have to be consistent. Cut out excess carbs like bread and drink much more water. Also, stay away from artificially flavored foods. Eat more natural foods and you'll be all set. Minimal to basically no working out while losing weight effectively and healthy.

[DizzyDesii]

Read my bold chart above. And i eat lots of fruits daily

[thebestalt]

Are you already pretty athletic and fit right now?

[DizzyDesii]

Was. I’ve been out of shape since the pandemic hit

[thebestalt]

Cut down on the sweet tea and do some explosive cardio. Drink a protein shake in place of meals.

[DizzyDesii]

I onlybdrink sweet tea like two days a week. I’m considering protein shake because im not intaking enough protein daily

[thebestalt]

Have you been noticing a change in your weight more recently?

[DizzyDesii]

I can fit clothes i couldn't before

[thebestalt]

Get a scale and write down your weight daily. You are losing weight but you just aren't noticing it. However, you probably already know this and I don't want you to think I'm speaking down on you.

[DizzyDesii]

Im kinda scared to get a scale because if i dont lose weight fast enough i’d get disappointed andfeel less motivated

[thebestalt]

I can understand that fear. If you feel as if it would be more of a detriment to getting one, then don't. But I say look at it as motivation to work harder and more to reach your desired weight.

[DizzyDesii]

In Hs i definitely saw the scale as motivation. But i haven't had my old HS shape since 2018. so i figured maybe but the scale a month or two from now

[thebestalt]

Sounds like a good idea then.

[DizzyDesii]

What do u think of what i mentioned in the update

[thebestalt]

Relax on the amount of salt cause that will hold water weight on you.

[DizzyDesii]

Oh wow didn't know that. But it says im intaking less than 2300 mg of salt so thats fine right?

[thebestalt]

Eat the least amount of salt possible. It may sound counterintuitive but it's actually better for you. If you need to salt your food for flavor, use spices and seasonings or use natural sea salt or Himalayan pink salt.

[DizzyDesii]

Yea i just bought sea salt but haven't tried it yet. And i saw the himalayan salt and wondered how that would taste

[thebestalt]

Taste exactly the same. The difference is where and how they are sourced. With salt like Morton's Salt, it's been processed to be only Sodium Chloride with an industrial anti-caking agent powder and ionized. That anti-caking powder is really bad for you. Himalayan pink salt is natural salt mined from the Himalayan Mountains. It's 98% Sodium Chloride while it also contains 2% of other Essential Minerals. And Sea Salt is naturally occurring salt from the sea that's been dried, packaged, and sold. They all taste the same but are better for you than Morton's Salt and other name-brand salts.

[DizzyDesii]

Yea my mom often cooks with morton. I def wanna try himalayan after reading its pros

[thebestalt]

It's the only salt I use besides Organic Maine Sea Salt. It has organic seaweed and another sea plant that gives it naturally occurring Iodine (Highly needed for the human body). Taste like salt but has more of a benefit. But I use it sparingly because too much iodine can cause your thyroid to produce too much hormones and cause you to overdose.

[DizzyDesii]

Ok now u got me scared to try it lol

[thebestalt]

That's just the organic salt lol. Himalayan Pink Salt is fine.

[DizzyDesii]

Oh okay haha

[HugoThe2nd]

There is no way your macros would add up that way.
Protein, fat and carbs have fixed energy values.
1g of carb/protein will always be 4 kcal, 1g of fat will be 9kcal.
If you were to reach those macro goals you would be somewhere around 1700 kcal.

1200 is the lowest amount of calories in which you could realistically meet most of your nutritional goals (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals etc) that is why it is often recommended as the bare minimum.
But this takes a diet of very specific foods and so called "high quality calories" (such as avocados, nuts, vegetables, fish, lean meat etc)- there is very little leeway, especially in terms of carbs.

Eating just 1200 kcal of empty carbs, for example, wouldn't be very good for you (not even in a relatively short run).

The most important macro to meet while on a calorie restricted diet is protein, the least important are carbs.
Not enough protein in your diet will trigger protein breakdown in your body almost immediately (basically, your body will start breaking down its own muscle to get essential amino acids because there is nowhere else for it to get them from).

But this is all useless information until you know your own energy expenditure.
You are looking for a deficit of around 500kcal.
So, if you burn around 1800 kcal a day, you wanna go down to those 1300.

Honestly, plain hunger is a more reliable thing to hold onto than calorie charts.
This is because your energy expenditure will wary day by day, so sticking to a fixed goal may not be that useful.
If it's dinner time and you aren't hungry, then skip dinner, if you feel like you aren't hungry the whole time- you are eating too much:
You want to go feeling hungry for about 2~4 hours every day, this is how you know you are in a deficit.

[DizzyDesii]

Ahh i forgot all about the number of calories i burn. I was so focused on the intake. But i was listing the total of how much seevings im eating based off the back of the diff food item nutrientd

[HugoThe2nd]

You may not need to go all the way down to 1200kcal, especially if you exercise and have some muscle- that makes for a lot of difference.

If you are working out those 4 days a week and are of average build and height, you could easily be around those 2000 kcal a day to maintain, so 1500 kcal would be enough for losing 1lb a week.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont have muscle aside from maybe leg. But i need to tone my arms and i wanna gain thigh muscle

[DJB72]

I'm diabetic so I take note of what is in my food. If I don't get enough salt I suffer from restless limb syndrome, but my doc insists too much is risky as well.

Carbs are the big one. I try to go for fats and proteins mainly, vegetables as much as possible and minimal carbs. Too much and I have to take insulin to stay in the "safe" level of blood glucose.

So I'd say "useful" is an understatement.

I also take note of (to avoid at any cost) anything that starts with the phrases "artificial" or "Non-nutritive". If its Non-nutritive then it has no value to your body. It it's artificial, why not get the real thing?

No actual study of the potential impact on the body of ingestion of large quantities of artificial sweeteners on the body, but in the years since they were introduced - primarily in the West - the number of cases of cancers in the endocrine & digestive system, specifically pancreatic cancer - has increased dramatically, while in the communist block and the Third World where they are too expensive for the majority they are roughly the same level they were a century ago. So I avoid them and sweeten using unrefined sugar or raw honey if I need to.

[DizzyDesii]

Lol yea i eat artificial stuff. But not lately. And i prob do eat some nontruitive things. Check my update tho. And are you talkin bout u use sugarcane?

[DJB72]

Cane is expensive. I'd try it, but what I tend to use is raw demerara or unprocessed brown sugar.

I do use fruit juice as a soft drink and I add sugar to tea - although less than I used to. I prefer butter to plant-based fat spreads, milk/cream over plant "milk". I'm looking into the kind of diet the Victorian upper class had. The life expectancy of the average Victorian may have been 55, but the wealthy - which even most low income households today would come into - ate a varied, rich diet. I'm learning some Victorian recipes and looking into growing some more of my own veg and getting chickens for eggs and maybe meat as well.

[genericname85]

well that would depend on what the point of your diet is xD if you're a high level body builder, you litterally have to manage all the nutrients. if all you wanna do is lose weight, then counting calories is enough and heavily favoring fats over carbs/sugar will make it easier on you.

if you eat a healthy mix of mostly veggies, some meat, some fruit and nuts/kernels, you'll be golden. no need to manage all the makronutrients perfectly.

[DizzyDesii]

I do all that except for nuts

[genericname85]

i find they make a salad just way better.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont even eat salad lol

[genericname85]

yeah i never did before i tried throwing some nuts and kernels in there either :D i mean i "did rarely" but i didn't "like" it.

[DizzyDesii]

Yea those nuts are too dry for me. I prefer a sweatier sack

[genericname85]

sweet is the death of any diet. sugar is the worst you can do besides carbs if you wanna lose weight. you can go for fat but sugar will make weight loss a big struggle.

[DizzyDesii]

What do u think of my update

[genericname85]

i mean i would reduce the bread stuff and replace some of the fruits for veggies for faster progress. but if it works out for you as is... never fix a thing that's not broken xD

[MCheetah]

Pointless. It doesn't do anything, contrary to armchair nutritionists on the internet, and it's near impossible to get an accurate count anyway, especially with liquids.

I only eat about 900-1200 calories a day (one meal), and still have not lost weight from it. "Calories in, calories out" is such a stupid myth only dumb people and Redditors believe in. It would work, in theory, but the body is more complex than that, not all calories are the same (especially carbs!), and homeostasis and insulin are a thing. "Calories in, calories out" ignores all of that and assumes basic math is the "anyone can do it" process to lose weight. Like I said, it's for fools and idiots, even if some people lose weight some other way THINKING it was simply just starving themselves to death every day.

I heard you should just do HiiT (high intensity interval training) and just eat more meat if you want to increase the protein in your body.

[DizzyDesii]

you're supposed to eat at least 1200 cal a day to be healthy

[MCheetah]

That depends on your body size. Skinny/petite people can live off of 1200 a day. The average man supposedly needs 2000 a day. Overweight men need 2400-3000 a day. This is exactly what I mean. It's not a "one size fits all" approach.

[Joey_007]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/UIju_-yZa9k

Calories no your body actually tries to store fat for emergencies so when you adjust your intake it adjusts it's usage, it couldn't care less if you're ripped, fat is actually a safety feature meant to account for any unexpected decrease in food intake.

As for the others you have to be careful where you get your information from a lot of food manufacturers have a conflict of interest when it comes telling consumers which products they should eat.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/-PBf58Molvc

Good call on cutting out sugar.

side note: it's spelt something not sumn.

[DizzyDesii]

You should read the where i mentioned above that i purposely said SUMN... And i quote “Yes i realize i spelled “something” as “sumn”. But Any tips on how to increase the protein, iron, calcium intake, etc?”

[Joey_007]

I know just thought it was adorable you thought someone would call you out on it and felt the need to include that, as for protein I suggest boiled chicken, calcium milk maybe but you'll have to google iron

[DizzyDesii]

I dont like milk. haven't drank it since age 3. I've been baking chicken but do you think boiled is better?

[Joey_007]

Pro, it's cheaper, pro and con, if you cook it on it's own (water, chicken add heat) and force yourself to fill up it will taste like sh. t, probably kill your appetite and will to live. It's really up to you.

[DizzyDesii]

I’d add celery and stuff to it. Maybe broth

[Joey_007]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7zVBY0tI0Y
and she can cook

[DizzyDesii]

Ongeeeee i used to play that somg every morn before work!! But i can't cook 🤣

[Joey_007]

[jaybee281]

Question - How much do you weigh? To increase fat take olive oil whenever you feel like it - I think 1 tablespoon is like 13 grams or something - So if you take 2 on 3 different occasions you already have it locked in - For protein tuna and eggs (take out the yolks if your sodium and cholesterol intakes are good) are best for your buck and are pretty quick.. And is it useful or not - well at the start it is then not so much when you're used to the diet you just know it - what are your goals out of this?

[jaybee281]

And since that I usually don't really bother with iron and calcium and all those minerals - I just buy a multi vitamin that has minerals in it - much cheaper and much easier for your time

[DizzyDesii]

Lol a girls not gonna tell her weight unless she's a happy 125 or less 🤣 I can't stand the smell of olive oil nor vinegar. I tried to intake applcidar vinegar and couldnt keep it up even a few days. I dont eat tuna. Eggs are bareable but i hate the aftertaste so i eat them like once a year. I dont eat the old so im glas you said to remove it. I used to eat boiled eggs every Easter. Maybe i’ll go back to that but once a week at least. My goal is to eventually be 125 but its not the first goal

[jaybee281]

Alright shit I didn't mean to put you on the spot😂😂😂But let me make it clear - you are picky as hell😂😂like if it wasn't for the update I'd be questioning what the hell can you actually eat - Now look I was fat as hell before now I'm 5'11 145lbs (yea ironically on a much leaner side now) - your target is 125 and I'm guessing you do want some thigh and 🍑 muscle - Focus on your protein intake - whatever it takes - So if money is in any way a problem - cut off on carbs a bit - get more chicken and turkey or ham - And get avocadoes (please tell me you like avocadoes or guacamole at least) - and just like that you're all set

[DizzyDesii]

Money is fine. I’ve never tried avocado but am tempted. I def need to buy more chicken. Im really loving how it tastes when pan seared! And yes im super picky haha.

[Jaximus-Lion]

As a dietitian ! If you are following a special diet with professional help! Go for it.
If you have any health problems! Always keep the doctors updated with info, it's important.
I have changed my life style long time ago so all what i do is automatic now when it comes to food. When i started i did write down everything i ate and weighted too and did count all the intakes and after a while i understood the system, understood how to take care of my body and i had help from doctors and personal trainers and for last 6 years am doing my own and not counting my intakes. Changed my cheat day from (once a week) to (once every 3 weeks) and even that i can ignore for months. Try it! See what works for you and make adjustments.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont like going to the doc. They didn't help me the one time i went to them this year in about 10 years. She told me to come back in 5 months. I watched her google the things i asked about. I couldve done that myself. So im my own doctor for the time being. But i writer everything down and you can see my intake above in bold

[Jaximus-Lion]

It is a good start. Keep the doctor in case you have a health problem, not for the daily nutritions. It's a new pattern for you (let's just say that) new habits and new diet, it is flexible. Try it and write your own notes on what you would like to change and what would you replace it with and so on. After a while! you will be doing it without writing it down, you will be just doing it but keep an eye on weight, we all can slip a little 😆 my slip was 12 kg (26 pounds)

[DizzyDesii]

Yea i’ve only kept this up like 3 weeks now lol. Gonna try to last the rest of the year

[Jaximus-Lion]

A year! Who are you? Dwayne THE ROCK Johnson, do it for max 3 months, or you will get out of your mind.

[DizzyDesii]

Out of my mind how?

[Jaximus-Lion]

Counting the intakes for 365 days is pure insanity. Try it! and tell me how sane you are after 3 months.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont have to physically count. I just eat the same thing 4 days a week. So i dont count Fri-Sun because i splurge

[The_Maphio]

If you are in a diet and are able to keep it strict, my compliments for the mental fortitude. Also, in that situation keeping track of these numbers is useful towards reaching your final objective.
Otherwise, causing yourself unnecessary strife is pretty silly. Just know what you're eating and try to hold back a little if you're overdoing it.

[DizzyDesii]

Thank you

[Account]

I keep track of them too. Sometimes I even consume 2000 or even more but I exercise for anywhere from 1-3 hours and keep it balanced. When I don't exercise I consume around 1200 too.

Keeping track of the calorie nutrient intake along with the calories I burn, has helped me maintain my current weight, which is the weight I feel the most comfortable with (50kg).

[Account]

I dont eat healthy by the way. I eat cheat snacks almost every day, I make sure to burn them though. I look normal to thin, but that doesn't mean I am healthy lol.

[Account]

Average* not normal

[DizzyDesii]

I used to cheat everyday too when i had a fast metabolism lol. But that was like 2018 and back. Now i have to eat healthy and exercise

[Astarlessnightsky]

Only usefull if you have any kind of disorder or require a special diet, like diabetis or anorexia.

Otherwise its driving you crazy, or at least it would drive me crazy. I got better things to do than filling out a spreadsheet whenever i eat something.

[DizzyDesii]

Im fine with it so far. I stated everything in bold above. Just trying to get to a weight loss goal

[Astarlessnightsky]

Okay, if you got no problem with it.

[OneManOnly01]

You should take between 1500-1800 calories and do some cardio or some HIIT.

You’ll lose weight more efficiently that way and also be able to take in more nutrients through those extra calories and also you could try lowering the carbs a little if you don’t spend much energy

Cheers!😊

[DizzyDesii]

Even thought it says you need at least 225 carbs daily? Im only eating 230

[OneManOnly01]

You’re right but that’s for a 2000 calorie diet, right. And still even on that you can safely lower carbs to about 150g if you need to lose fat because your body can use protein through gluconeogenesis and fat as well for energy.

Don’t worry about it your carb intake is totally fine unless you do some really physically exerting tasks on daily basis or if you are trying to bulk up lol

[DizzyDesii]

Yea my carbs mainly come from my sandwiches and fruit

[OneManOnly01]

That’s even better, it digest rather slowly than refined carbs. Well, I’m so into this stuff lol. Micro nutrients, macronutrients, cognitive function, nootropics lol. You name it, I got it!😂

Don’t worry though, you can trust my advice😂

[DizzyDesii]

Im really loving your advice

[OneManOnly01]

Thank you!😊

[FakeName123]

Is it useless? Probably not.

Would I recommend it? Probably not.

I know two of these kind of girls who do that and their entire life revolves around counting that jizz. I think it's best to get a healthy balance of movement and healthy food (ideally selfcooked) with the occasional cheatmeal.

[FakeName123]

Oh yeah, also 3 instead of 2 meals and ahve stable meal times does help a lot.

[DizzyDesii]

With my 8-12 hour workshift, i just eat snack, lunch and dinner. No breakfast aside from bananas and water. I cheat Fri-Sun 🤣 but eventually it’ll be 1-2 days a week

[FakeName123]

Snacks is kinda the worst thing you can do, if you want to lose weight. Should try to prepare something for early in the day to take to work. Like get some bread/sandwich done and ready and into tinfoil in the fridge the evening before. Add an apple, banana or clementine to it and you do have something good to go.

[DizzyDesii]

My snack is fruit and water. My lunch is sandwich and popcorn and water. My dinner is chicken and veggies and juice and water

[bannacookies]

I guess counting calories is one way that people try to get into shape and or try to be eating somewhat healthy. But you can eat small amount of calories and it can still be unhealthy food. And vice versa you can be eating healthy food but it could be a lot of calories. In the end I think counting calories is rather stressful and pointless.

[DizzyDesii]

Ahh that makes sense. But i think im eating pretty healthy. Check the update

[bannacookies]

Yes. You are eating quite healthy.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

What is your goal, weight loss, health, other?

One of the most important things to do for weight loss is drink A LOT of water. Most people don't drink enough and not having enough water can stall your weight loss and contribute to fatigue. Drink more than you need but make sure that you are getting enough of the water soluble vitamins

[DizzyDesii]

I wanna lose weight and gain muscle. I’d like to be 125 pounds. Check update and bold print

[SuccessfulHornDog]

Try not to drink anything with sugar. Even milk has a good amount of sugar
Don't drink juices or sweet teas, or sports drinks with sugar. Drink as much unsweetened tea as you want and drink coffee in the morning.

How easy do you gain muscle?

[DizzyDesii]

I dont drink milk. haven't since age 3. I drink coffee like twice a year. I only drink tea Fri-Sun. I drink 1 cup of juice a day but 2-4 bottles of water. The juice has 23g of sugar, 100 calories. I haven't done any muscle workouts in a long time. I’m starting off with cardio again but want to do some muscle workouts

[SuccessfulHornDog]

I was asking about the muscle because some people (like myself) and many black people, naturally carry a lot of muscle on their frame. The "problem" with this is that having a weight goal of 125 lbs might not be in your best interest. I always weigh a lot more than the charts say I should even when my body fat is around 10%. I might look like I weigh 175 but actually weight 220. If this is true for you then I suggest a different goal. For me it was a certain pants size, regardless of my weight. Just something to think about. It might not pertain to you.

[DizzyDesii]

Ahh this is a good tip. And are you black as well? Never wouldve guessed. But yea in Hs, i was higher than my bmi but looked very fit and slim. My chest and thighs were most of my weight.

[SuccessfulHornDog]

No, I am a white guy but I have always been like this, even when I don't workout.

[BUNroaster]

Goin hard for that bod Nice! I mean it's a bit overboard to calculate all of that but useful sure. Well depends on your metabolism and how you react to different foods and excercises. I lose weight fairly quick if I just eat an average diet. I been drinking protein shakes for protein, they're great but can give you rock hard shits and clog your toilet for days. Balance it with more fiber, I use fiber powder drink mix. Works well for me. I need more cardio in my life

[DizzyDesii]

Yea i eat a lot of fruits for fiber. I haven't tried protein shakes yet. My metabolism hasn't been fast since like 2017 🤣

[Hans222]

I wouldn't do it, but when I'm a little heavy I find these little somethings I can leave out of my diet: some less candy, less soft drings, coffee without sugar,...
I only need it occasionally, as long as I do sports I'm fine 😄

[Jjpayne]

I think it depends on what your counting and how your counting it 🤔

I personally would not do it myself but if you are dedicated enough, I know many people that do well with using that method

[DizzyDesii]

Im counting what you see above in bold

[Jjpayne]

Ok... To expand and clarify
Which one are you going to use, are you going to use one or all of them? Second, are you going to use an app, only do it with a ballpark figure, ... And your question was also asked in general terms, this answer was provided in the assumption that other people would read my response as well

[DizzyDesii]

I write down my daily intake. I dont need an app. I write down all of the above

[Jjpayne]

Fair enough

[Xavier16]

Yeah it is useful so ur not clueless when your trying to be healthy. I do it and i just tried drinking soda today also and i could not drink it. It taste so acidy and chemical lol

[DizzyDesii]

I used to drink 3 sodas a day and for 3 weeks i drink maybe one a week if that. Its just not good

[Justneedtokno]

Hi, I’m not a calorie counter. As long as you add the right amount of exercise. With the right diet ( all food groups) not over doing one group. You are good. Live and be happy.

[DizzyDesii]

Thank you

[midnightmoon05]

Omg!! That’s overwhelming to me.
I eat what I want. As long as they are real.

[DizzyDesii]

Haha okay