About
Hi! My name is Lori Pirog and I am a professional Nutritionist and self-taught artist. I am happily married with one daughter. At 57, I am enjoying the privilege of good health and the time for creative pursuits including my online business and art. I have a wonderful but ornery black cat named Mona.
I am committed to living a healthy lifestyle. My mission is to encourage women to eat healthy, exercise, and enjoy life now! By making appropriate diet and lifestyle choices you can lose weight and succeed in maintaining that loss, increase your energy, feel better, look better, and multiply your enthusiasm for life! Check back often to learn more about healthy portion-wise diets, low calorie nutritious food, and the benefits and fun of exercise.
In addition, to help guide you in your journey to better health and wellness I share reviews of worthwhile products and services. I wish you the very best!
Have a question or comment? I would love to hear from you!
Lori
Dam to Dam Half-Marathon Run 2009
Dam to Dam Half-Marathon Run in 2010. What a day for a race! Ran nearly the entire first half in the rain. This photo was taken near the finish line when I was hot, wet, and very tired. But I made it for a second time!
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Dear Lori,
I really like your website, womenandweight. It has been very helpful. I am 60 and in serious need of some weight loss and continued weight control, therefore, you offer practical solutions appearing to be aimed right at me. Thanks.
I’m so glad you have found my information to be helpful. Thanks for letting me know. I do work hard to provide the most accurate, up-to-date, and helpful articles I can!
Managing weight and staying healthy is a just as much of a challenge for nutritionists as it is for anyone else. Do let me know if there is anything you would like to learn more about that you are not finding on my website.
Lori
Lori,
Just now found your site. Looks like it is what I’m looking for and will bookmark it. Especially like the 1200 and 1500 calorie diet plans. They look healthy. My problem is that I eat fairly healthy but just eat a lot of it. Portion control is my main issue.
Lori,
What a wonderful site! I’m 46 and also exploring life in a new way, trying to eat healthier, lose weight and try new ways to get healthier. I’ve lost 14 pounds but have a long way to go on my way to a healthy weight while getting my health problems under control. If you have a chance, check out my new blog at http://www.livingbetterfeelingbetter.typepad.com/.
I would love to see some suggestions on your site for ways to create diet breakfasts with organic ingredients. I can’t eat any foods with preservatives or nitrates due to chemical sensitivities.
Thanks so much!
Lori H.
Lori, you have so many great recipes! I will try some more. I have enjoyed your recipes with blueberries since we spend a week in Maine every summer, picking wild blueberries.
Keep up the good work! Your site is very professional.
Thanks Pam!
Lori……thanks so much for all this great information and inspiration! I have spent hundreds of dollars on weight loss plans and programs, and even managed to lose 50 pounds on Atkins, but of course have gained it nearly all back! But your website offers more healthy alternatives, fantastic advice and ways to eat real food, and all for free! God bless you for what you do for us! I will be keeping up with you….I am just beginning to get myself organized to lose 50 pounds. At 53 with two toddlers (!!!) I am in need of some serious weight loss and exercise and healthy living! Thank you again!! Debra
Hi Debra,
53 with two toddlers! Wow! Good for you! Thank you for sharing your story and your kind words. Hearing from individuals such as you is what keeps me going. We live in an environment/society that makes managing weight very difficult.
There are many things about our country and our way of life that make me proud, however, there are other things that make me angry. But I won’t get started with that… Suffice it to say that knowing how to go about making the right kind of choices for weight loss and better health (and then actually doing it) is not easy. I will keep on writing and sharing suggestions about healthy eating and living for as long as I can. (My mother will soon turn 90. If I take after her, I could be at this for a long time!)
Lori,
I am a 55 year old woman who has been battling weight issues for years!!! I became over weight in my 30′s when I was put on medication. I am no longer on the medication but my weight has been up, up, up and down every since. I need help with knowing the right diet and exercise for myself. I am hippy and have trouble with stomach and belly fat.
Can you help me?
Hi Tonee,
Yes, absolutely, I can help you. Your struggles are similar to those of many women in their fifties including me. Do you remember when Rhoda (think that was her name) in the Mary Tyler Moore show said “I don’t know why I bother eating this…I might as well just glue it to my hips?”. Great remark for women in their 30s and 40s. But at some point in the 40s or 50s the problem shifts to the belly because of hormonal changes.
There are important diet and exercise choices that can help to minimize the problem. I will be honest in saying that it isn’t easy. But it can be done. If you follow my tips that I share each week you will learn something that makes the challenge a little bit easier. Making the appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes one at a time makes a difference. I’m sure you have heard that before but it is absolutely true. The hardest thing may be finding the right person to follow.
I hope you will keep checking back here. I have LOTS of important tips I’ve shared in previously posted articles. You can find that list by clicking on the link at the top of each page on the menu bar. In addition, I will be sharing a series of articles soon on what women need to know in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. It is a little different for each decade. I will also be writing more articles and sharing tips on how to target fat loss and specifically belly fat!
For now I would suggest you read my article entitled How many calories do I need? Metabolism Part 2 Next take a look at my 1500 calorie diet plan It may not be the right number of calories for you but at least you will be getting a sense of how a balanced and healthy diet plan works. Let me know what you learn after taking a look at this information.
I don’t have a mailing list right now but you can subscribe by way of an RSS feed. Do you know how to do that?
Feel free to ask more questions. I wish you the very best and hope to see you back here on this site leaving comments and asking questions.
Lori
Lori, is this a “Blogger” blog? I’m interested in following but not sure how I can besides with RSS. Also, I don’t know if this blog is still active because I don’t see dates on the entries…? Thanks.
Hi Jeanie,
Yes, this blog is still active. I’ve had a difficult several years or more because of frequent travel to care for elderly parents. Right now I’m behind on posting for a week or two because I am also in the midst of selling my house and moving to another state. If that weren’t enough, we had a family emergency to deal with!
I’m pleased to say I am finally back in my office after traveling to our new state to find a place to live and I’m ready to get back on track with my blogs. We have a sale pending on our house and a move lined up in about 5-6 weeks but we are making progress.
No this is not a blogger blog. I own this blog outright. It is run with the open-source software called wordpress and hosted by a high quality site for which I must pay monthly fees. I’m sharing this with you because you need to be careful when you own a blogger blog. I don’t trust Google. I had a great spam-free blog on blogger that Google shut down from one day to the next without any warning. It must have been hit by spammers in some such way. Google finally gave it back to me over a year later but ALL the blog entries had been removed. Do back up your blog frequently and save the file to your computer!
As for subscribing to my blog, yes you will need to do so with an RSS feed or join the group of us on Facebook. I will have an email list soon after we move.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you visit again!
Lori
Hi Lori,
thanks for putting so much time and effort in this blog.
It’s so helpful. I recently started to pay more attention to food choices and it’s astonishing what one doesn’t know about nutrition and one’s own body.
I’m on winter break from university at the moment and hope not to fall back into former habits once I’m back in my daily routine. But your ideas for brown bag lunches are great.
You’re right ‘Knowledge is Power for Weight Loss’.
Thanks again. You’re doing a great job!
Francie
Thanks Francie!
It’s been a rough few weeks with not enough time to devote to my websites. Getting such positive feedback from you and others always helps me to get back on track and keep on keeping on. I am on a mission to increase awareness of the challenges people face when it comes to weight management. I’m also committed to providing solutions.
Healthier, better living comes from learning more about nutrition and the environment we live in. It’s a challenge for everyone including nutritionists and dietitians!
I hope you will come back for another visit and share your thoughts.
Thanks again,
Lori
Hi! I am very happy to have found this website. I am in 26 and I have never really said this, but am obese. I weigh 275 or so and I have struggled with losing weight. I gained a lot of it at the last of high school and then into college. I recently found that I have PCOS and that is why I have to lose this weight! I am too young and want to have children but not when I am so unhealthy. I have tried low calorie in the past with exercise and had success but never continued. I always go back to making horrible food choices and then I feel so bad that I eat more! Its crazy! I have also done low carb but find that the first time I see bread or chips I go nuts! Hoping the 1500 calorie will allow me to have some of the things but keep moderation of those items. Thanks again for all the information on this site!
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad you found this website also. Thank you for your kind remarks.
Yes, it is all too easy to get into a never ending cycle of eating poorly. You are not alone with that!
There are several things that need to happen for successful long term weight loss. You need to have a STRONG DESIRE to change. You need a HEALTHY DIET PLAN such as what I offer here. And you need to BELIEVE you can achieve whatever goal you desire.
In your instance you have the additional challenge of having PCOS. Do work closely with your physician on that. A healthy diet should help but I am not an expert on PCOS.
Lisa, dig deep and find the most compelling reason you can to go after what you want. Losing weight and getting healthier so that you can someday have healthy children may be just the motivator you need!
I wish you the very best,
Lori
Oh yes, one more thing. 1500 calories may not be enough for you starting out. I can’t say for sure because I don’t know your height. But I am wondering if 1800-2000 calories might be better. Then you can lower the calorie intake a bit each time you lose 15-20 pounds. Find a role model such as someone who has been involved with the Biggest Loser program to inspire you with your weight loss (just don’t do crazy amounts of exercise like they do on the show. Small amounts work well. The weight just comes off more slowly but that’s o.k.)
Hi,
I just found your site searching for 1,200 calorie sample meal plans. So glad I found you – I’ve added your site to my favorites.
It seems you take a very sensible, healthy approach to eating right, exercising, etc. I need to lose about 30 lbs (would be happy with 20!), and plan on using your site as reference and motivation.
Thanks Erika!
Be sure to let me know if you are not finding the information you need for your weight loss journey.
Best of luck,
Lori
Hi there,
Firstly I would just like to say that the information you provide on your website is what I have been searching a long time for. It covers topics that are so relevant and offers real hands-on/practical advice. I almost couldn’t believe it when I found it. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
I am a 25 year old Psychology PhD student currently living in South Africa. I am 168cm tall and weigh 57kgs. Apparently my B.M.I is 20.2 and that is ‘good’, but I am still unhappy with my body because I feel I could eat much more healthily (I’m also not too happy with how it looks). I have decided to go on a 1200 calorie diet so that I can lose a few kilograms and make wiser food choices.
Before coming across your website I only had a very vague idea of what 40% carbs; 30% fats; 30% protein actually meant in practical terms. I sat up all of last night working out what I do eat – I don’t get nearly enough fats or protein. I’ve started really working out in the last two months (5 days a week; 500-calorie burn on the treadmill/elliptical) and haven’t lost weight. I think this might have something to do with my drastically protein-deficient diet!
Based on your recommendations, I worked out that I should have the following each day:
Protein: 65g; Fat: 29.5g; Carbs: 170g – could you advise me as to whether or not I worked this out correctly?
I’ve had a few questions for a long time now that I haven’t been able to find the answer for. I would really appreciate it if, if you had the time, you could tackle a few of them for me:
- Just how bad is Coke Zero? I get through quite a lot of it (sometimes 2 liters in a day!) and I was wondering if it is a good weight-loss tool or if it is damaging my body? I can easily cut it out if need be.
- I drink a lot of green tea each day. I actually love it! I do, however, mix a little milk and sweetener with it and I was wondering if this detracts from the nutritional benefits of it at all?
- Every day I have one steaming cup of boiled water with 30ml of pure lemon juice mixed in. Apparently this is a great detox for the body. I actually like the taste. Is this just a myth? Would it be better if I added some ginger to it?
- This is a really dumb question I know, but I was looking at the nutritional value we get from fruit and I can’t believe how little it is! From one apple we only get about 17g of carbs! Do we still need to eat fruit because of the vitamins? (Like I said, dumb question!)
- Is it unadvisable to eat five egg whites every day? I discovered they’re high in protein and extremely low in fat.
- I’ve heard that cayenne pepper is extremely healthy. Here in South Africa, however, we don’t have cayenne pepper pills – only the powder. I find the stuff too terrible to drink! Is it strange if I roll up a little bit of the pepper into a tiny piece of bread (pill-size) and swallow it? Will I get the same nutritional benefits? The first time I almost choked to death because the piece of bread was far too big, but the second time it went down perfectly. [Or am I just losing my mind? ]
I came up with this menu plan for the day based on the proteins/fat/carbs requirements above:
10 x Provita’s (wholewheat cracker)
15g marmite (yeast extract)
250g carrots
200g Oatso (strawberry oats sachet)
5 egg whites
500g yoghurt
I realize it’s a bit kooky and doesn’t look like a normal daily menu but I’m just battling to find things around the house that fit the daily nutritional requirements! Would this menu be better if I added some fruit to it?
Thank you so much for your time!
Yours sincerely,
Sharon
P.s. I saw the photo’s on your website and I have to say that your body is amazing. My goal is to have a body like yours!
Hi Sharon,
What your body needs for weight loss and overall health is a well-balanced diet with variety. Yes, you may need to achieve a better balance with protein, carbohydrates and fat BUT you also need variety with food. Your proposed daily intake is not good. Your body needs a variety of foods because no one food or small set of foods contains all the nutrients you need.
I can see that you have a sharp and analytical mind. However, what you may need to do is place your trust in a Nutritionist or Dietitian who can guide you on how to select a simple healthy diet of regular foods. It works. Eating right with normal every day foods and exercising is how I stay in shape at age 57. (Thanks for the kind comments) It can work for you also!
I am currently writing a short ebook on how to go about creating a healthy menu for a low calorie diet that will hopefully be available by the beginning of the new year.
Lori
Do check back.
Hi Lori,
Found some really interesting stuff on your site but not sure how to solve my problem. I’m trying to lose weight after gaining around 3 stone on steroid treatment which stopped about a year ago. Lost a stone after illness 18 months ago but can’t shift the rest. Have been exercising intensely 2 hours per week with personal trainer for last 8 weeks and been on reduced carb diet for same period, around 12-1300 cals, cut out white carbs entirely, having oats/granola for breakfast and no other grains/potatoes/pasta at all, lots more veg., lean protein. Result: no weight loss at all, although body fat down from 42% to 39% and lost almost 2 inches off waist. I weigh 11 stone and am 5ft 1, age 55. I know muscle weighs more than fat so that could explain what’s going on but my trainer says he would have expected some weight loss by now. On the positive side I’m feeling good, more energy, strength and flexibility etc but would like to see some movement on the weight front. Any suggestions?
kind regards,
Colette
Hi Colette,
You seem to be doing a lot of things right so I can understand your frustration. Weight loss can be so difficult, and sadly, more so for some individuals than for others.
Can you give me a sense of the kind of macronutrient balance you have on average? By that I mean about what percent of your diet is protein, how much fat, and how much carbohydrates? Knowing this MIGHT give me a better sense of what could work better for you.
That you are feeling good with more energy, strength, and flexibility is all good but I can totally understand your desire to return to your previous weight before the steroid treatment. Despite stopping the treatment there seems to be some sort of residual effect and possibly some change from your previous hormonal balance. Have you worked with an Endocrinologist?
Lori
Hi Lori,
Thanks for speedy response. Haven’t worked out exact proportions but typical intake is as follows:
breakfast: 27g porridge, tsp sugar or 50g granola with skimmed milk
lunch: tin sardines or tuna & salad no dressing or 2 small slices wholemeal bread,salad, egg/chicken/cheese or home made veg, bean soup
dinner: mostly chicken portion or fish, plus veg such as broccoli, peppers, tomato etc, red meat once or twice per week as a chilli maybe (no rice)
snacks: half handful mixed nuts
Occasionally also have a banana or low fat yoghurt, but not every day
Drinks: tea/coffee with skimmed milk, green tea, water
Fats: minimal olive oil only for cooking
As I said, am limiting the carbs so have not eaten potato, rice or pasta for 8 weeks. Interestingly, just worked out today’s total calories which were only 650 by 7pm as prawn stir fry dinner was very low. Didn’t feel hungry but had a couple of oat crackers with peanut butter for supper to boost up levels. Maybe I’m not eating enough?? Don’t think I eat enough fruit tho and trainer is urging me to drink more water overall and cut back on black tea (green tea is ok apparently).
Anyway, have made appointment with my doc to discuss whole issue and will ask about thyroid and hormone tests. Have already asked gastro team whether current meds (remicade, methotrexate – immuno modulators) have weight implications but they have no evidence.
I suppose I should keep going as I know I’m getting fitter but it would be nice to get some answers about the weight. Time for another glass of water I think!
regards
Colette
Colette
Colette,
You appear to have a healthy well-balanced diet for the most part. I like that you seem to be getting plenty of protein and a fair amount of non-starchy vegetables. Limiting the carbs you indicated is probably a good idea! (I wish I could get other people to eat this well!)
On the other hand, I would have to agree that you are not getting enough calories and that may very well be impacting your ability to lose weight. I would take a look at the article I have written on determining how many calories you need. Assess your BMR and add more calories to cover the energy cost of exercise. You may find this is enough to get weight loss started again.
As for what you eat, you might want to consider adding more protein to your breakfast. You could add eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, etc.), cottage cheese, or plain yogurt. You could also add a little more fruit into your daily mix and as many non-starchy vegetables as you want. And you could use more healthy fats/oils such as the olive oil in your cooking.
I lean toward drinking a fair amount of tea of all kinds with an emphasis on green tea. (I got tired of drinking plain water.) I’m not sure why the trainer is discouraging you from drinking black tea. I suppose it might be an issue if you are drinking a LOT.
Let me know if you have any success with these suggestions or if you learn of another issue from seeing your doctor.
I wish you well,
Lori
Hi Lori,
Just stumbled on your site today and I am very excited to begin reading! I am 59, weight around 185, and I am healthy except for the excess weight. I would like to get down to 135. I am having so much trouble losing weight since going through menopause. I have only skimmed your website and plan to read it thoroughly, but I have a quick question. When following the 1200 calorie diet, how much exercise and what kind of exercise should I be doing with it daily to achieve the best results? Thanks for this great website and for showing me that someone my age can do anything she sets her mind to!! Connie
Hi Connie,
You and I are not far apart in age and yes absolutely, we can achieve what we set out to do! The best kind of exercise for you is the kind that you will enjoy doing enough to keep it up. That’s it! Exercise is essential for our health and well-being but it is not essential for weight loss. I know that may not make sense but it’s true.
You can lose weight without exercise BUT you DO want to exercise to help your body burn fat tissue rather than lean tissue such as muscle. For this reason you also want to be sure to get plenty of protein in your diet from low calorie food such as lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans (legumes), or low fat dairy such as low fat cottage cheese or low fat plain yogurt. Adequate protein and exercise work together to protect your muscle tissue and keep it from being burned for energy.
The choices for exercise are many. What do you think you might like to do? Walking? Swimming? Dancing? Bike Riding? DVD fitness routines? Yoga? Pilates? etc. I find I am better about doing the exercise when I have someone to exercise with! But that’s not always possible.
I wish you the very best,
Lori
Oh, I forgot to tell you that I am 5′ 51/2″ inches tall.
Hello
What does “professional nutritionist mean? I am not American, so I would like to know your educational degrees and graduating school. Thank you.
Hello Nola,
My apologies for the long delay in responding. I did a LOT of travel over the holidays to visit with extended family and my elderly mother.
To answer your question about “professional” nutritionist, I hold an undergraduate and a graduate degree in Human Nutrition from an accredited University here in the United States. (I earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the science of Human Nutrition.) I have many years of work experience including human nutrition research, food technology, and community nutrition education. I’ve worked with radio, tv, writing newspaper columns, and teaching weight management classes. And beyond all of that I’ve raised a family and struggled with the challenges of eating a healthy diet despite living in a society that provides far more unhealthy food choices than healthy everywhere I go!
Hopes this helps.
Wishing you a very healthy and happy new year!
Lori
Hey there Lori! I just found your site & I really like it. You are so great about responding to people’s comments & questions.
2 things: I want to read your previous articles, like the “Health” and “Maintenance” tags but I can’t seem to find them. When I clicked on health, it gave me one choice, and that happened to be your most recent post. Maybe there’s a website glitch somewhere?
Also, getting to those articles may answer this, but do you have articles about athletes trying to eat balanced meals throughout the day? I’ve been trying to put together a good plan for my first 1/2 marathon training. My problem is actually eating enough food to maintain muscle & weight. I don’t lose weight easily, but I’m afraid I don’t eat enough in the first place. I need more than 1500 calories a day, so the meal plan may just help with meal ideas.
My plan is to try and eat about 300 calories per meal, about 5-6 times a day. I’m trying to up my intake on Fridays and Saturdays to cover my long runs, so I’ll maybe up the calorie intake those days, or add another meal at 8pm or something. It is SO hard to eat enough, I’ve been finding. I have 2 young boys & to remember to eat or pack a good snack is very difficult! I’ve always done the 3 meals a day (no snacks) thing my entire life, so eating more is very foreign to me.
May you think about doing a meal plan for athletes that incorporates long weekend runs? I’m sure you know, since you’re a runner too, that you don’t burn the same amount of calories everyday & that you must rest 2-3 days/week to prep/heal.
Right now my goal is to get into a habit of eating 5-6 meals/day, and add muscle & know that I’m getting the nutritional balance I need. I’m starting to figure things out, but I still need clarification!
Again, I really love your blog! It is so informative.
-Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for your nice comments. And thanks too for letting me know about the problem you were having connecting with certain articles. I am having some work done on my website that might have temporarily interfered but there may be another problem as well. I will try to look into it soon.
Sounds like you are doing well with your marathon training. Good for you!
Because the focus of this blog is weight loss I have not written about energy intake and balanced meals for athletes especially those training for a marathon (or half marathon). Yes, I do understand what you are experiencing with needing to eat lots of small healthy meals.
My best suggestion for you is to make sure you have healthy meals and snacks available for whenever you are hungry. Then when you ARE hungry EAT! My favorite pre-run meals (particularly long runs of 7 miles plus) was to have a bowl of homemade oatmeal made with skim milk and raisins. Along with that I would drink a full cup of hot skim milk with coffee (a little caffeine can boost your endurance). I would also make sure I had a bunch of healthy snacks in a tote bag I kept in my car so I would never be without healthy energy dense choices such as dried fruit or those squeeze packs of peanut butter by Justin and some whole grain crackers such as Triscuits. I used to have a list of healthy snack choices. If I can find it I will post it for you.
Unfortunately for me I had to set running aside for a while and maybe forever. I’ve been so busy with selling a house, moving to another state, getting settled in, and now I’m in the midst of negotiations for a new house. But beyond all that I am 57 going on 58 and my knees are not happy with the running. I had hoped to run into my 90s but that may not be possible. So I’ve purchased kettlebells to do workouts at home, I may join the Y to have access to a swimming pool, and I tried snow shoe hiking for the first time over the weekend. Fun! It’s so important to stay active to be fit.
Enjoy running while you can.
I wish you the very best!
Lori
I should’ve added that I’m 5’6″, 136 lbs, and run a minimum of 10 miles during the week, and 7 miles on Saturdays (going up one mile each week until March). Thanks!
Lori,
I’m 5-7, 268lbs and 32 years old. Would you recommend the 1200 or 1500 cal diet? I’ve been doing about a 1200 cal diet, but not counting the fruits/veges I eat towards my count (kinda doing a weight watchers thing). I’ve lost about 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks.
Thanks,
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
I would definitely encourage you to not go lower than 1500 calories. I actually think you might be better off initially with 1800+ calories.
I’m glad to hear you have lost 10 lbs. in the last 3 weeks. However, I don’t want you to hit a plateau. Given that you have not been counting fruits and vegetables toward your calorie count, it is possible you are closer to 1500 calories anyway. (It takes a LOT of non-starchy veggies to add up to many calories but that’s not true for fruit.)
Keep me posted how it is going for you.
I wish you the very best,
Lori
Hi Lori,
I’ve reached a point where my body is keeping me from my career goals and so I’ve started to try and lose weight. I’m currently starting with a light work out for an hour a day to get myself going with exercise since I don’t have access to a gym or a good place to run. What will challenge me the most, is trying to eat enough during the day.
Being a busy and rather broke student, I normally only ate once…maaaaybe twice a day. I know how bad that is for my body…I just couldn’t get myself to remember to eat more. I think if I start counting calories…or making menus based of a count then I can nip this in bud.
I weigh 260lbs at 5’9.5” and I’m 24 years old. I’ve weighed relatively the same thing since my hormones kicked in at 14 despite being an athlete who worked out daily. I’m no longer that active but I’m going to start working up to that high level of activity soon. Do you have a suggestion for a calorie intake to start at?
Hi Dustle,
I agree with you. It is a challenge to eat healthy food and spread meals and snacks out throughout the day when you are a student! I can’t tell from what you’ve written if maybe you are now finished with your schooling? I see you mention career goals.
I’m hoping you can find a way whether you are a student or not to spend a bit of time planning what you will eat each week. There are lots of quick and easy to prepare mini-meals that you can make at home or take with you. Don’t go for fancy. Stick with easy and healthy and as well-balanced as possible. Soups, sandwiches, homemade burritos, wraps, omelets, whole grain pizzas made with pita bread or whole wheat english muffins, salads, cottage cheese, etc. I have lots of suggestions on my website that can help you out.
Your best calorie intake for starting out may be approximately 2000 calories. That may sound high to you but I would suggest giving it a try because it is close to your estimated basal metabolic rate. (If you choose to go lower than that please don’t do less than 1500 calories. And keep track of how you feel.)
I wish you the very best. It will be a challenge but you can succeed if you choose to eat healthy food and small amounts throughout the day!
Good luck!
Lori
Hi Lori,
I’ve been browsing your website and the information is awesome. I’m 36 years old, 5’3″ and about 125 pounds. I know that’s not technically “overweight” but it’s heavy for me. Two babies and a desk job have added about 15 unwanted pounds to my frame, and I’d really like to get rid of them. I downloaded the “Lose It” app to my cellphone, and it’s given me a daily calorie limit of about 1300. Does that sound right to you? The only exercise I get is a 25 minute brisk walk during my lunch break each day.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Ana,
Yes, I believe 1300 calories would be about right. However, these algorithms are based on certain assumptions and averages that may or may not be true for you so it’s hard to say for certain what will work best.
I would give 1300 calories a try and do your best to eat a healthy well-balanced diet with plenty of lean protein and dietary fiber from whole foods. If you begin to lose and you’re feeling good that’s a good sign. If on the other hand you’re always hungry or you feel tired all the time then you will need to revise your diet or the caloric total.
Good luck!
Lori
I am math challenged and attempting to figure out a plan for healthy life style this year. Here are my thoughts. I would like to get down to 110 pounds. This is what I feel good at and was at this weight until the last 5 years when I ignored my eating habits. I just has a checkup and have good cholesterol and normal to low blood pressure but need to lose these pounds. I don’t know how much protien, fat, carbs and fiber I should eat a day. I get mixed up with % and grams. It is easier if I can have all totals so I can understand the amounts.
Here are my specs.
Age: 58
Current Weight: 157
Current Height: 5’2″
Activity: Just started walking 1 hour a day
Current Job: Active police officer
Calories I am thinking I need: 1200 per day
I have no idea how much out of those calories I need to have protein etc.
I would like to get down to 110 pounds at a reasonable time.
Thank you so much and I hope you can assist me with this.
Hi Pamela,
I wouldn’t worry about calculating your protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake to exact percentages. You can achieve a healthy balance of these nutrients by simply eating a well-balanced diet. The diet plans I provide on this website for 1200 and 1500 calories tell you approximately how many servings you need from each of the different food groups each day for balanced nutrition.
Instead of doing calculations and working up numbers all you need to do is become more familiar with how much is a serving and then how many you need of each. For example one whole fruit such as a medium size apple would be one serving of fruit.
Each food group has a range for the number of servings you can have. So if you were wanting to increase your protein intake by a little and decrease your carbohydrate intake you might have three servings of lean protein instead of two and three servings of breads and cereals instead of four (or whatever the range might be).
As for your calorie intake, I would suggest trying 1350 calories a day. With all the walking you are doing you may want to increase that total by 50-100 calories. See how you are feeling over time and whether or not you feel satisfied with the food you are eating. If you choose balance with enough lean protein and plenty of non-starchy vegetables plus a little fruit and whole grains you will hopefully do fine.
(Just add an additional 150-200 calories of your choice to the basic 1200 calorie diet plan to have 1350-1400 calories. Then when you lose 10-15 pounds or more you may need to adjust your caloric intake down a bit to keep losing. But don’t go lower than 1200 calories.)
Let me know how it goes!
Lori
Oops! I had the values just slightly off in my first reply. Hope you read this updated version for the more accurate figures.
Thanks so much and I will keep you posted