I am using MyFitnessPal again. The free version helps me keep track of macros (carbs, protein, fat — with a heavy focus on carbs). Remember back in my early PCOS research when I set a goal of 65g of carbs per day? So MyFitnessPal helps me keep track of that much more easily than keeping it in my head.
So I thought perhaps, since I’ve been keeping a food diary for 3 weeks now, that I would show what it looks like for me.
CICO
This seems to be one of those trendy diet terms, but it is basically “Calories In / Calories Out.” Since the majority of weight management is food intake, if you want to lose weight you have to eat less calories than your body burns each day. So how do we calculate how much our body burns each day? The interwebs has all sorts of handy calculators for this sort of thing. Here’s how mine looks:
So then to do some math. A pound of fat is around 3,500 calories, so if you want to lose that fat you need to have a calorie deficit. So say you want to lose 1 pound per week, you’d have to take that base metabolic rate and reduce it by 500 calories (3,500 / 7 days). So with no exercise or activity factored in, my goal would be approximately 1,233 – 1,580 calories per day. I got that by subtracting 500 from the base rate and the sedentary calorie needs from the chart.
Remember I’ve done these calculations before. Back when I was super angry about food diaries and ranting about how CICO doesn’t work. LOL.
Bottom line: My calorie intake goals for each day is between 1,250 – 1,580 to see weight loss of 1 pound per week.
My calorie intake goals for each day is between 1,250 – 1,580 to see weight loss of 1 pound per week.
If I see 1 pound of weight loss per week, I would be at my goal weight (175) in a year, which would still be on my timeline of TCB by my 40th birthday (October 2021).
Food Diary
Here’s where MyFitnessPal comes in. MyFitnessPal has profile settings that allows it to calculate roughly what your calorie goals are for the day. But since I’ve done the math myself, I use it more for the actual tallies and not for the bottom line with their target goals.
Here’s what last week looked like for me:
Thursday
This was Bubs’ birthday, so I factored in one homemade M&M cookie and his chosen dinner choice (Chick Fil A) at the beginning of the day so it wouldn’t throw off my entire day.
Breakfast: Leftover Blaze keto crust pizza and coffee (breakfast of champions)
Lunch: Mozzarella chunk (I wasn’t all that hungry)
Dinner: Chick Fil A sandwich and a few fries
Snacks: I must have really been craving cheese LOL
Friday
This is more representative of my days.
Breakfast: Coffee and some rotisserie chicken I picked up at the grocery store that morning
Lunch: Turkey wrap and a handful of cashews
Dinner: Sauteed green beans and some of that tasty rotisserie chicken
Snacks: a bag of popcorn and a nightcap of whole milk
Saturday
Breakfast: Blueberry protein shake
Lunch: Shrimp and broccoli with ginger dressing
Dinner: Mushroom burger sans bun
Snacks: almonds and yogurt with granola
Sunday
Here is the day I let myself just fall off the wagon. In the grand scheme of things I didn’t even come off the rails that badly, but man I felt like crap that evening and the next day.
Breakfast: thick cut bacon and Krispy Kreme donut
Lunch: Turkey and cheese sandwich with chips
Dinner: Pepperoni and sausage NY style pizza
Monday
I was on such a hangover from the crap Sunday that I didn’t really want to eat on Monday.
Breakfast: frozen wild blueberries with whole fat yogurt and granola
Lunch: Nachos with rotisserie chicken, broccoli and cheese
Dinner: chicken tacos with pineapple mango salsa
Snacks: handful of almonds
Tuesday
Breakfast: wild blueberries, whole fat yogurt and granola
Lunch: tuna and egg on mixed greens
Dinner: Italian sausage tossed in spaghetti sauce with sauteed broccoli and mushroom caps
Snacks: almonds, cheddar and one of Bubs’ leftover dinner rolls (that roll blew up my carb goal for the day, but it smelled good and I let myself have it)
