princessash, You're probably a lot more active than me.
Well, no, that's the point. . . even with my level of activity (which is walking to everywhere and running around in the kitchen), if I ate 2550 calories a day, I'd gain about 5 pounds a week :-)
Remember, most people overestimate their activity. I'm fairly honest with myself and recognize that I probably score between couch potato and corpse.
I know, Noddy, I know :-) I was debating between "lightly" and "moderately" active, remembered that for every three times I decide to go to the gym, I actually go, well, none, and factored in my "brisk walking"- ie, always being late for class 8 or 10 blocks away :-)
I think, however, that's a measure of all the calories your body might burn in a day. . . at peak performance. . . my metabolism happens to be slow, so 2000 is already high for me. . .
If I ate as many calories as that calculator recommends, I'd explode. Something is seriously wrong with that calculator. I'd love to see what they base their calculations upon.
Princesssash--
Pedometers cost under $10--or perhaps you can borrow one. When I'm living my ideal life of torpor and sloth I walk less than 400 steps a day.
Reality is such a humiliating experience.
Butrflynet--
That particular table makes no effort to deduct calories for age and age slows the metabolism. After 40 or so--according to Nature's Plan--most women aren't expected to chase toddlers full time.
Besides, remember that you don't want to maintain weight. You want to lose weight.
Noddy, You make a very good point about not factoring in age into their calculation. Heck, I know my metabolism slowed about 80 percent from the time I was in the 'work force.'
hi friends ! all your talk of diets and calorie counting etc. is making me a little nervous. have you ever considered consulting a nurse/dietician before going on a diet ? i know that in our fair city the hospital makes nurse/dieticians available for consultation - even on a phone-in basis. re. TOFU i remember reading about a study that was recently completed. you may find this article of some interest : (lost the site, will look for it) c.i. : i am on a "waterpill" to keep my somewhat elevated bloodpressure on an even keel. my physician INSISTS that i have my potassium level checked at least once a month, since waterpills can throw the potassium balance out of kilter. he explained to me that EITHER a low or a high potassium level can have some serious side-effects, legcramps being one of them. here is a website with some info on this subject :
www.digitalnaturopath.com/cond/C466089.html wishing you all GOOD HEALTH ! hbg
hi again : found the tofu study. it was actually reported on in a medical science program on CBC not that long ago, and included an interview with the researchers. i don't think it means that we should not eat ANY tofu, but we should be aware of possible side effects when larger amounts of tofu are consumed. i guess, as always, moderation is probably a good approach (even in exercise). hbg
hbg, I think where it concerns exercise, it would depend on the level of exertion and length of time. I read someplace several years ago that moderate paced walking is just as beneficial as brisk walking - for our health. I love walking, but only do a great deal of it only when I'm on vacation in a foreign land. I go from about 5 miles a week to a couple miles a day - and sometimes a lot more. As for moderation, that's the principal I live by. I allow myself some goodies once in awhile, but we haven't bought ice cream since we've been on this low-carb diet.
From the August issue of Obesity Research (summary printed in Discover:
Weekends are a danger zone for weight gane. A study analyzed the food consumption of thousands of Americans. The average 19 to 50-year-old consumes 115 more calories a day (mostly from alcohol and fat) on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays than on Monday through thursday. This can add up to a weight gain of almost 5 pounds a year.
Adults ages 51 to 70 average 74 more calories, mostly from fat, on weekend days.
Noddy, That study is accurate. We went to my wife's hospital's christmas party last night at a restaurant in San Jose (paid for by the doctors), and I had two glasses of red wine, ate bread, and had the dessert. We both had the salmon, but they were double portions, and I almost finished the whole plate. I think it was much more than 115 more calories.
Oh, I can so vouch for that. . . however, I would amend that whenever going out to restaurants is involved, that alcohol and fat increase would be similar. . . my family eats out often during the week, whereas I think most people tend to reserve that for weekends. . . and I STILL dread going to restaurants, even when I'm not paying, because I have the sneaking suspicion I'll be eating extra. . .
c.i.--
You social types drag up the "average" for the rest of us. I hope you enjoyed the dissipation.
princesssash--
I believe in doggy bags. When my will power is weak, I ask the rest of the table if they would mind if I got a doggy bag before I gave into temptation and picked up my fork again. You can get some delicious leftovers this way.
I wish. . . if you put it in front of me, I'll eat it. . . that's why I buy food once a week and put the rest of my money away in the bank :-)
Noddy, I rarely refuse "free" food and drink.
c.i.--
For some people in this wicked world, thrift can be a brick in the Road of Good Intentions.
But mine is paved with gold.
mrs. h and i like to eat well - fish usually three times a week. our main meal is in the early afternoon; let's say between 1 and 3 pm.. we are fairly flexible and don't really have a set time for our main meal - the advantage of being retired. in the evening we usually just have some fruit and a small sandwich. when we go out for a main meal - which is pretty rare - i make sure that i never have dessert and have no or little gravy. at home we hardly ever have dessert, but we do have a cup of tea and a small piece of homemade cake or a cookie in the afternoon(icecream is strictly a summer treat - with freshly picked strawberries if possibly). when we are on an active holiday, such as our october holiday in germany/switzerland, i eat like a horse (should that be pig ?) : PIGKNUCKLES WITH SAUERKRAUT, HOT BOILED BLOOD- AND LIVERSAUSAGE WITH ONIONS AND MASHED, drink plenty of good beer - well, usually not more than a couple pints - and sleep like a ... and don't seem to gain any weight. the exercise seems to make the difference. hbg
