New Mommy & Need Motivation
- Thread starter MommyofP
- Start date
Emerald1
New member
Welcome hun and congratulations!
Tour the site. It's packed with information on everything under the sun.
As far as tools/calculators, some people like to get an estimate of their BMR. Once you find that estimate, you'll be able to decide where to set your calorie limit per day.
But others just eat what they feel is healthy in proper portions without counting calories and they do just fine for themselves.
It's all up to you and your lifestyle.
See you around the forum ^_^
Hi, and welcome 
The diet I'm using is calorie counting, and I'd recommend, even if you don't want to calorie count (it gets a lot of bad press, and does take a little effort), that you have an awareness of how many calories you need to maintain and lose weight (this'll be an estimate, but it's better than nothing). Start by going to this website and following the instructions: (calculate your BMR, then follow the link and multiply for exercise) This will give you the number of calories a day you need to maintain your weight. Reduce this number by 500 a day for 1 pound lost a week, or 1000 for two pounds (as long as that number doesn't go under 1800 if you're breastfeeding- I think, I just googled that- or 1200 if you're not- the latter number I've seen for women in general in lots of places. I think to be safe you shouldn't reduce the number below 1000 of your maintenance). At a minimum, you can use this number to make better choices about the calorie value of the foods you choose. For your own food, this is a very useful tool for working out how many calories are in recipes:
In general, I'd recommend a diet rich in fruit and vegetables (almost all are very low calorie) and low in processed foods. I also like to make low calorie recipes which I find online (and sometimes adapt). In this forum, there's (as you've seen) a mother's section (I'm not a mother, so I don't know anything about it from that angle). I'd also look at the stickied posts in each sub-forum, and the links under "site navigation" on the left, which are very useful. The most valuable part of this forum for me, though, is the diary section- both for ideas and for support. I'd recommend reading some diaries (each has different styles, I list things in some detail, including recipes which you're welcome to steal), and, if you feel comfortable, setting one up for yourself. They're excellent for accountability if you feel you need it.
Best of luck
The diet I'm using is calorie counting, and I'd recommend, even if you don't want to calorie count (it gets a lot of bad press, and does take a little effort), that you have an awareness of how many calories you need to maintain and lose weight (this'll be an estimate, but it's better than nothing). Start by going to this website and following the instructions: (calculate your BMR, then follow the link and multiply for exercise) This will give you the number of calories a day you need to maintain your weight. Reduce this number by 500 a day for 1 pound lost a week, or 1000 for two pounds (as long as that number doesn't go under 1800 if you're breastfeeding- I think, I just googled that- or 1200 if you're not- the latter number I've seen for women in general in lots of places. I think to be safe you shouldn't reduce the number below 1000 of your maintenance). At a minimum, you can use this number to make better choices about the calorie value of the foods you choose. For your own food, this is a very useful tool for working out how many calories are in recipes:
In general, I'd recommend a diet rich in fruit and vegetables (almost all are very low calorie) and low in processed foods. I also like to make low calorie recipes which I find online (and sometimes adapt). In this forum, there's (as you've seen) a mother's section (I'm not a mother, so I don't know anything about it from that angle). I'd also look at the stickied posts in each sub-forum, and the links under "site navigation" on the left, which are very useful. The most valuable part of this forum for me, though, is the diary section- both for ideas and for support. I'd recommend reading some diaries (each has different styles, I list things in some detail, including recipes which you're welcome to steal), and, if you feel comfortable, setting one up for yourself. They're excellent for accountability if you feel you need it.
Best of luck
Welcome!! I too love the diary section of the forum. Check it out for some good tips, real struggles and a little drama!! The stickies are also very informative.