My favorite diet plan

[Nanci]

Beachdog,

How many are your base calories for the day?

Nanci

[Helen]

Is 1600 too much for a women ? Also I eliminated bread from my diet plan and I don't know what should I use to reach the same base calories. What product could substitute bread ?

Are you still using bread ?

[snapdragen]

I think you should go with 1200 calories a day and follow the standard 1200 diet plan.

1200 a day?! Please, didn't we go down this road a few months ago? I felt like I was on the eating disorders board.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I am sure I would have known that but anyway ... what I am trying to say is that 1200 calories a day is a standard diet plan. I only pass on the information I read on the internet ...

I'm afraid you are falling into the trap of picking up bad information. Just because it is on the Internet doesn't mean that it is valid. There are good nutrition web sites out there, and there (unfortunately) are bad one too.

You need to consume enough calories each day to support your body in all of your activities.

[runnergirl]

1200 a day is about right for a small, post-menopausal, sedentary woman (like my mom) who is trying to lose weight (she only burns 1800 a day if she's lucky). But as all of us here are active, 1800-2000 is a minimum. I'm with snapdragen, anything below that is eating disorder territory.

[Helen]

As long as you still ride your bike ... you cannot call yourself a sedentary person Cristina. Eat as much as your body needs ... and don't forget to take your vitamins

[mtnmunch]

There is no set caloric intake for everyone, even if they are the same weight. Lifestyle plays a large role, age, and your own body.

One person maybe able to eat 1200 calories and not feel deprived and lose weight.

Another person that may not work for them.

I use a software called Diet & Exercise Assistant. It uses basic math, you make up how what percentage of carbs, proteins and fats you want to have each day, along with how much weight you want to lose and by when. It will do the math and also warn you when your goals are unrealistic (i.e. I want to lose 12lbs in 5 days).

I've found it to be very helpful, and it's up to the end user what they choose to eat or enter in.

[Trek420]

Helen "I eliminated bread from my diet plan and I don't know what should I use to reach the same base calories. What product could substitute bread ?

Are you still using bread ?"

I dunno about you but I eat bread, I just avoid the processed stuff, whole grain, multi grain, complex carbs....if I would just stop slathering it with butter ;-)

[DirtDiva]

I wouldn't have the energy to sit on my arse in front of the telly all day if I only took in 1200 calories.