Calories per day

[treythalomew]

How many calories are you guys taking in and still losing weight?? Plus how many calories should i try to burn on Workout Mode on DDR

[Japguy18]

I play about 250 calories worth of DDR then do another 200 on an excercise bike (When i get frustrated with my soft pad )and i have about 2000 calories a day. Might be cutting down though to about 1500 (never realized how much 2000 was until now ) HOPE THAT HELPS!

[FaerieLink3]

really does depend on body weight and what not... i am cutting down to 1200.... it is not very many...but your body gets used to it..

NEVER NEVER NEVER get bellow 1100.... your body goes into starvation mode....and you will gain weight...

you can find charts and stuff all over the net about how much you should be eating for your height and weight...

one that i know my friend likes is www.3fatchicks.com they have all sortsa calculators there... even exercise ones...

as for DDR... i play 30 min...that burns about 400 calories fo rme... i am going to try and play 30 in the monring and another 30 at night... if i can... *yawns* hehe...but... yea... check out some sites and do what is best for your body... =)

*hugs*

[sean]

First of all, here's a link to an online version of the kCalculator, which is as close to an accepted calculator of your MINIMUM caloric needs per day than anything else:

anabolicforum.com/kcalculator.htm

Keep in mind that this is a measure of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which indicates how many calories you need just to function. Once you add in regular DDR (which this calculator lets you do), that number shoots up high.

Secondly, Jessica, if you weigh 240 pounds (as the front page of getupmove.com says you do), I can tell you right now that 1,200 calories per day is WAY, *WAY* too low for you. Not only will not taking in enough calories cause you to lose muscle mass, but it can also cause bone loss and do tremendous damage to your internal organs. Just guesstimating at your age and height, the kCalculator told me you should be getting a minimum of 1,900 calories per day, and that's without factoring in exercise or DDR. I would strongly advise you to PLEASE increase your caloric intake to a more manageable number.

If you're serious about losing weight, I can tell you what worked for me. (With the caveat that I'm not dieting right now because I've got too many emotional stressors in my life.)

1. Cut your calories from fat to 15-20%. (Grams of fat per day times 9 divided by total number of calories per day.) Even if you're only having 1,800 calories a day, that's still 30-40 grams of fat a day you can have, and that's a lot more than you'd imagine.

2. Don't pay attention to the "carbs are evil" people, although keep in mind some carbs (whole wheat, fruit and veggies) are better than others (refined flour, sugars). As long as you're getting in half an hour of DDR or some other kind of exercise every day, your body will be active enough that it won't be able to metabolize excess carbs into fat. And don't get me started on what putting your body into ketosis -- the end result of Atkins and similar diets -- does to your body.

3. Be sure to vary your exercise patterns. DDR every day, certainly, but do other things as well, because varying the kind of exercise you do helps you to lose weight faster. I remember you said you did yoga in a previous thread, and so do I, so that's good. Even just going out for a walk once a week can do wonders for your weight loss as well.

4. Don't deny yourself too many pleasures. If you just really need a candy bar or a piece of cheesecake or something, have it. Just keep in mind that you'll have to readjust the food you eat later accordingly to "make up" for the extra calories and/or fat.

5. If you aren't vegetarian, consider going veg. There really are a lot of health benefits to the vegetarian lifestyle, one of which is that vegetarian meat substitutes are a LOT better on calories, fat and cholesterol than the genuine article. To help you off, here's a link to a couple of my low-fat vegetarian recipes:

www.backwash.com/content.php?jouid=8097

And if you've read this far you're scaring me. Seriously.

[FaerieLink3]

scaring you??

well... i am already a veggie... so i am good to go there =)

As for the calories... i dunno..i am just following what my mother did to lose all her weight....she has lost over 100 lbs and basically did the 1200 and worked out 5 days a week...*shrug*.... i dunno...hard when you hear so many things from so many different people...

anyhoo....guess we just have to see what works for people...

[iguanagrrl]

She doesn't want to listen to me. I keep telling her that she needs more than that, but she won't listen to me.

You're burning at least 2600 calories per day from NORMAL activity. If you add your exercise on top of that, you might be burning up to 3000 calories. If you're only eating 1200, you're going to never lose weight because you're starving yourself. It's a numbers game.

Try to eat at least 1800 per day, you'll feel better.

Treythalomew said:

How many calories are you guys taking in and still losing weight?? Plus how many calories should i try to burn on Workout Mode on DDR

This is going to be extremely varied from person to person based on weight and level of activity.

On an average day with no exercise, I burn about 2800 calories. I eat about 2,000.

On days when I exercise, I will burn between 3200-3400 calories. I'll still eat about 2,000-2,200.

Am I losing weight? No, but I'm gaining muscle like a mad woman, so it's really hard to tell other than by measuring my inches. I HAVE lost inches.

[rasty]

So, to lose weight. I'm aiming to burn off all, or most, of the calories that I ingest?

[FaerieLink3]

IguanaGrrl said:

She doesn't want to listen to me. I keep telling her that she needs more than that, but she won't listen to me.

but... i luv you so much

I pull my hair out with this numbers game.. i have so many wonderful people (hugs iguanagrrl) telling me things....giving advice...and it all conflicts...

My mothers personal trainer has her on 1200 with working out 1.5 hours a day....and she weighs as much as me....i try and eat between 1200 and 1500.... depending on my hunger... i really try to stick to the 1200... especially after watching my mother lose over 100 pounds....but if i go over...then it is OK...

i start the day with a breakfast bar...snack on soy crisps (thanks again to Iguanagrrl) ....and then lunch is slimfast pasta.... start dinner off with a large salad ( about 100 calories of salad) and then whatever for dinner....*shrug*....

maybe i am all messed up...and the idea really scares me.... i would hate to have this all wrong...and not lose what i want to...*sigh*

anyhoo... i was not even the one that started this thread....feel like i have stolen the spot light.....but... back to Rasty.... i think that is the idea...but.. .the best person to ask will always be your doctor... ;D

*hugs to all*

[treythalomew]

What kind of breakfast bars do you guys eat???

[FaerieLink3]

i really like the slim fast granola ones... mmmmmm

tastes like a cookie!!

[Cowman715]

Is that all your supposed to have for breakfast, because if it is I'm not eating that... I like food... One little bar isnt going to fill me up lol.

Oh yeah and I eat about 2000 calories of food and play DDR for about an hour which burns about 800 calories, but I dont believe it so I just say 400 lol

[Tigirl]

I consume about 1200 calories on normal days and burn about 700 on DDR... like Cowman, I don't believe that and just say 350! ;D

[marcusantonius]

What a lively thread! Bodies tend to store mass in fat, so first I check my body fat using a <a href="http://www.fitclick.com/body_fat_calculator">body fat calculator</a>. Then, I figure how much to burn to lose, using the <a href="http://www.fitclick.com/calories_per_day">calories per day</a>. Finally, I keep in mind that lowering calorie intake is too simple for a body that took millions of years to evolve... I look to the KINDS of exercise to build muscle, so even though I LOVE TO DANCE I lift weight and do resistance, not endless aerobics. Change-up routine and WIN!

[epi]

Mar 21, 2004 5:36:20 GMT -5 sean said:

Secondly, Jessica, if you weigh 240 pounds (as the front page of getupmove.com says you do), I can tell you right now that 1,200 calories per day is WAY, *WAY* too low for you. Not only will not taking in enough calories cause you to lose muscle mass, but it can also cause bone loss and do tremendous damage to your internal organs. Just guesstimating at your age and height, the kCalculator told me you should be getting a minimum of 1,900 calories per day, and that's without factoring in exercise or DDR. I would strongly advise you to PLEASE increase your caloric intake to a more manageable number.

And if you've read this far you're scaring me. Seriously.

Well first off Sean, you are wrong about the calories. 1,900 calories a day is how many she should eat if she wants to maintain her current weight. When losing weight you need to calculate your BMR to maintain your desired weight (then subtract 100-300 calories from that), and then exercise for at least 30 minutes a day in order to lose weight. If I eat my suggested caloric intake (almost 2,000), then I will end up actually gaining weight slowly (with no activity), if I exercise daily then I maintain my weight.

However since I want to weight 150 and I am 5'6, 20 years old and a male BMR calculators tell me to eat between 1600-1700 calories a day. I knock 100-300 calories off of that (so about 1300 calories), and I try to maintain that caloric intake. Then I exercise and burn between 300-800 calories a day and the end result is losing anywhere from 2-5 lbs. a week.

PS it is a misconception that losing more than 1-2 lbs. a week is unhealthy, it is only so if your doing so solely off of a diet. The other pounds need to be lost doing physical exercise.

The BMR calculator is a great idea though. I know this post is old, but for future reference I suppose.

[ladyh]

Knowing what we know today.....WHY ARE YOU STILL COUNTING CALORIES? This way of thinking is as bad as looking to surgically remove your responsibility to your health!!! Count calories and you will guarantee imbalance and decease in your future.
Focus on the sustenance, What quality of food your putting into your body. If you focus on health rather then appearance you will lose all the weight you need too as a side effect. You need to feed the body "ONLY!" what will help it to perform in the magnificent way it was meant too. Amino acids, enzymes, fiber( fiber is two fold in that it is a carb too), vitamins,minerals. give the body half your body weight in OZ of water and half your body weight in grams of protein.( start looking at food as a need not a pleasure, entertainment or social event. If you owned a 300,000.00 car and I told you to put diesel in it's engine would you? Of course not...So why are you treating the most valuable thing you have this way...YOU!!! Focus on the goal of health... don't allow yourself too think about time, you will naturally fall into it's seduction and you will head toward the best life you've ever had. So your fat "WHO CARE'S!!!!" Your unhealthy?...Now that something too care about!!!

[legend of croft]

Knowing what we know today.....WHY ARE YOU STILL COUNTING CALORIES? This way of thinking is as bad as looking to surgically remove your responsibility to your health!!! Count calories and you will guarantee imbalance and decease in your future.
Focus on the sustenance, What quality of food your putting into your body. If you focus on health rather then appearance you will lose all the weight you need too as a side effect. You need to feed the body "ONLY!" what will help it to perform in the magnificent way it was meant too. Amino acids, enzymes, fiber( fiber is two fold in that it is a carb too), vitamins,minerals. give the body half your body weight in OZ of water and half your body weight in grams of protein.( start looking at food as a need not a pleasure, entertainment or social event. If you owned a 300,000.00 car and I told you to put diesel in it's engine would you? Of course not...So why are you treating the most valuable thing you have this way...YOU!!! Focus on the goal of health... don't allow yourself too think about time, you will naturally fall into it's seduction and you will head toward the best life you've ever had. So your fat "WHO CARE'S!!!!" Your unhealthy?...Now that something too care about!!!

maybe in the past on here i counted calories, but i haven't played ddr in probably 4 years or so. sure, i've jumped on a supernova machine in an arcade or bowling alley here or there, but i haven't played daily since back then. i will say this though: in 2003 i was 150+lbs. within that first year i dropped about 10lbs. in 2005 i went from 140 to 135 or so, not a big loss. i was playing ddr nightly and on my college's ncaa softball team. most of my loss was fat, not weight because of the muscle i had been building from weight training with the team. in 2007 i went from 135-130. in 2008 i went down to about 125 give or take. in 2009 i went down to 120. in 2010 i went from 120-110. in the last few months of 2010 i got down to 100. none of this was from cutting calories. this was all from my job (i walk dogs, and a lot of them) and the types of food i eat and when i eat them. it took me 1 year to go from 125 to 150lbs in 2001. it took me that long to take it all off.

considering most of these posts are years old and hardly anyone is here anymore, it's hard to be judgmental about the others' posts on here considering everyone was very young then and probably not as nutrition savy as we could have been. you live, you learn. ddr was a very important part of getting me off the couch and computer. unfortunately i live in a second floor apartment and can no longer play such a noisy game, but it was fun back then.

also, i drive a diesel car. i'll continue putting diesel in it and only owning diesel cars for as long as i live. she'll still purr at 200k and i hope she makes it to 300k.

good luck in your weight loss/nutritional adventures. i'll continue to work at my goal of being able to run 5k while eating foods that are good for me and satisfying.