Calorie tracking to lose weight

[Anonymous]

Everything I have read says the only real way to lose weight it to track calories. DH has gotten into calorie tracking and macro tracking and I am starting to as well.

He is aiming for 2300 calories a day with 180 grams of protein. He lifts 3 days a week and walks 4. Trying to lose 20ish pounds. He is 5’10 and weighs 211.

I am aiming for 1500 calories a day with 140 grams of protein. I walk around 15,000 steps a day plus do yoga or weight lifting 2-3 times a week. I am among to most 10-15 pounds. I am 5’7” and weigh 146.

Do the calorie and protein amounts seem feasible to losing this sort of weight?

[Anonymous]

Op - also what apps do you use to track?

[Anonymous]

Have you thought about your meals? Numbers alone are meaningless if we don’t know what you eat.

[Anonymous]

Op - sorry here is an example of my food

Breakfast - coffee, Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup of granola

Lunch - Cesar salad with 1 cup shrimp

Dinner - 1 large smoothie- 39 grams protein, 57 grams carbs for a total of 450 calories

Snack - handful of nuts or an apple

[Anonymous]

It's hard to tell without more detail. It looks like you've got a bit of non-helpful fat in your diet. And it doesn't look like 140 grams of protein. And are you gradually lifting heavier weights?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's hard to tell without more detail. It looks like you've got a bit of non-helpful fat in your diet. And it doesn't look like 140 grams of protein. And are you gradually lifting heavier weights?

Op - yes I need help getting 140 grams of protein. It’s definitely difficult for me. I don’t like meat but will eat seafood. Sometimes chicken.

I was doing great with weight lifting and going heavier but I hurt myself so had to stop. Getting back on it now.

[Anonymous]

You need to eat real food. A protein smoothie for dinner? You have essentially no fruits or vegetables. Lettuce is a Cesar salad doesn’t count.

Why are you fixated on 140 grams on protein? That’s a lot. Let me guess TikTok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to eat real food. A protein smoothie for dinner? You have essentially no fruits or vegetables. Lettuce is a Cesar salad doesn’t count.

Why are you fixated on 140 grams on protein? That’s a lot. Let me guess TikTok.

Op - well the smoothie has frozen blueberries and banana and strawberries. Veggies are hard for me but I will try and eat more.

My DH said I should eat that many grams of protein based on the math his nutritionist said he should eat

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You need to eat real food. A protein smoothie for dinner? You have essentially no fruits or vegetables. Lettuce is a Cesar salad doesn’t count.

Why are you fixated on 140 grams on protein? That’s a lot. Let me guess TikTok.

Op - well the smoothie has frozen blueberries and banana and strawberries. Veggies are hard for me but I will try and eat more.

My DH said I should eat that many grams of protein based on the math his nutritionist said he should eat

140 grams of protein for a 146 pound woman? That is almost 1 to 1.
Not a reasonable goal for me!

[Anonymous]

Op - yea I thought that was a lot of protein too. I usually can get maybe 100 grams a day if I am pushing it.

[Anonymous]

I would not have the smoothie for dinner. Instead, eat vegetables and meat for dinner, and have fruits as snacks.

That being said, it’s hard to eat a lot of protein when you don’t eat meat.

[Anonymous]

The key to successful long term weight loss and keeping it off is to change your eating habits to long term healthy eating habits.

Sure you'll lose the weight with this diet. But are you really going to continue this restriction forever? Only having a smoothie for dinner? Doubt it. Which means it's not sustainable and you'll end up gaining weight back.

Start by tracking what you eat now and identifying where the problems are. Are you a snacker? Are your meals filled with carbs and fats vs lean protein and veggies? Start there and identify what changes you can make that will last long term.

[Anonymous]

OP I think you’re setting yourself up for failure with those protein goals and that diet strategy.

How old are you? What kind of shape are you in? Why the focus on such a low weight? 146 at 5’7” is a healthy weight. Perhaps if you’re soft, just focus on strength and diet improvement (eat vegetables!) and see how your body shape changes.

[Anonymous]

I use the tracker called LoseIt! and I really like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op - sorry here is an example of my food

Breakfast - coffee, Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup of granola

Lunch - Cesar salad with 1 cup shrimp

Dinner - 1 large smoothie- 39 grams protein, 57 grams carbs for a total of 450 calories

Snack - handful of nuts or an apple

Your breakfast has too much fat - the granola. Add chia seeds and fresh fruit instead. Miss the sweetness of the granola, add a drizzle (not much) of honey or maple syrup.

Your lunch is great, your snack is again too much fat - add hard boiled egg to the apple, or some lean protein (little bit of grilled chicken).

Your dinner is crap. Eat real food, not a smoothie. Go with whole grains - sweet potato, quinoa, brown rice, and lean protein - chicken, fish, lean ground chicken or turkey.