Lose weight by counting calories .. easier than you think!!

Precise Calorie counting:
It totally works.. I have done it before and Im doing it again now post-pregnancy.

Its really simple.. I used the livestrong app to log my calories. To lose 0.5 kg per week one needs a deficit of 3500 calories so that means eating 500 calories less than maintance daily.

By logging everything I eat, its easy to keep an eye on my goal.
2 years ago I hit 70 kg my all time high. Then I started the calorie counting diet (no time for exercise, only 30 minute walk to work to and fro).
And trust me it was easy, I also went on vacation in this time, ate all I wanted pizza,pasta etc. just sticking to my limits. Ofcourse, there are off days.
And some days one can enjoy all good food by eating maintenance. So if I eat 500 deficit for 7 days out of 10 and rest 3 days I eat maintenance, I will lose 0.5 kg in 10 days.
This way I lost 6kg in 4 months .. not bad at all!


How to do it the easy way ::
Now Im on it again, and losing 1.5-2 kg per month

However, now I no longer log my calories.
Instead I calculate calories in my mind.
I keep 100 calories =~ 1 point
Once you start logging you will know the calories of most stuff, its not important to be so accurate.
My maintenance is 1900 cal, so my calorie goal is 1400 cals = 14 points
My average day goes like this:

breakfast :
cornflakes in milk = 3 points
OR milk = 2 points and 2 bread slices = 2 points

lunch :
3 chapati = 3 pts
1 sabji = 1 point (from the oil mainly)
if dal = 1 point

so after lunch I know how much I have left.. generally its 14-8 = 6 points

So I know if I goto cafeteria and have a piece of cake (which I used to do a lot), that wil be 4 points, and I will left with only 2 pts for dinner whaatsmiley

So that gives me the strenght to control my craving. I have some snack that has 1 point instead.. eg. 1 fruit , small soup portion, some mini pretzels etc.
So now I have 5 points left for dinner and I can enjoy a nice home cooked meal in that!!

Now, what happens if I know I will go out for pasta dinner...
That day I try to not cross my maintenance that is 1900 cals = 19 pts.
I know pasta dinner plus desert would be arnd 11 pts.
So I limit my breakfast+lunch to 19-11=8 pts..

totally works!!


Right now I lost 3.5 kg in 2 months, including eating out a lot , no exercise(not a good thing but oh well)...

For those of you in US, just see the labels and soon you will have an idea of how many points each thing has, just round up to next integer.

Even if you are in India, you can still do it by knowing calories of daily eaten foods.

food points (1pt=~100 cal) for some common foods:
1 slice bread = 1 pt
1 cup 3% milk = 2 pt
1 tsp butter = 1 pt
1 tbsp oil/ghee = 1 pt
1 fruit = 1 pt
1 avocado = 2 pts
1 roti = 1 pt
1 cup cooked rice = 2 pts
1 medium katori dal = 2 pts
half cup curd = 1 pt
bag of chips = 3-5 pts !!
pizza slice = 3-6 pts !!
1 packet maggi = 4 pts (my weakness)
1 portion boiled pasta = 3 pts
1 portion pasta sauce = 2 pts
5 almonds + 2 walnuts = 1 pt
coke zero = 0 pts
vegetables with no oil = 0 points


I hope this can help someone.
Since my mom came here 3 months ago, she weighed her all time high of 71 kg.
I made her a paper chart where I taught her to record her points after each meal.
Now at end of 3 month period, her weight today is .... 66.8 kg yumsmiley
She was so happy, and now shes leaving for India and will continue the same way to reach her ideal weight of 62 kg.

 

Hi unicorn,
no i am not following weight watchers. I used livestrong website and app to log calories the last time.
This time I already have idea of calorie values of most foods and I add up 100 cals= approz 1 pt in my mind..
you can find calorie values of indian foods from caloriecount.about.com or livestrong or daily plate websites

 

Inviting ILs to continue on my point wt loss journey with me..
anyone interested?
aim will be to lose 0.5 kg per week.

 

Thats great! Lets post points here lavanya for accountability.
What is your maintenace and goal pts?

dharmesh, is your maintenace arns 2500 so that your goal is 2000?