Ideal Calorie Meal Plans

(Note to readers: Always consult with your health provider on any dietary or health changes before acting out on them. Your health provider could advise on the best possible course and may or may not go with these plans.)

Hello everyone, Jessy here with the second part of the calorie intake plan. Here is an average idea of what the meal plans should look.
When you finished with calculating your daily calorie intake, you would match it up closely to a suitable meal plan that can work out for you.
Their are five different plans for the different calorie ranges: 1200, 1500, 1800, 2000, and 2200.

Again, this is all ideal of what can be used and follow.

(Reference Note: "My One Day: A Ready-Set-Go Guide for Healthy Living," from TOPS Club Inc. pages 12-21).

1200 Calorie Intake (23 food exchange cards)
Breakfast:                                                               Lunch:
1 Starch                                                                  1 Starch
1 Fruit                                                                    1 Fruit
1 Milk                                                                     1 Non-starchy Vegetable
1 Protein                                                                2 Protein
1 Fat                                                                       1 Fat

Supper:                                                                  Snack:
2 Starches                                                              1 Fruit
1 Non-starchy Vegetable                                        1 Milk
2 Proteins
2 Fats

1500 Calorie Intake (29 food exchange cards)
Breakfast:                                                               Lunch:
2 Starches                                                               1 Starch
1 Fruit                                                                    1 Fruit
1 Milk                                                                    2 Non-starchy Vegetables
1 Protein                                                                2 Proteins
1 Fat                                                                      2 Fats

Supper:                                                                 Snack:
2 Starches                                                             1 Starch
2 Non-starchy Vegetables                                     2 Fruit
2 Proteins                                                             1 Milk
2 Fats

1800 Calorie Intake (34 food exchange cards)
Breakfast:                                                               Lunch:
2 Starches                                                               2 Starch
1 Fruit                                                                    2 Fruit
1 Milk                                                                    1 Non-starchy Vegetables
1 Protein                                                                2 Proteins
1 Fat                                                                      2 Fats

Supper:                                                                 Snack:
2 Starches                                                             2 Starch
2 Non-starchy Vegetables                                     2 Fruit
2 Proteins                                                             1 Milk
2 Fats                                                                   1 Non-Starchy Vegetable
                                                                            2 Fats
2000 Calorie Intake (37 food exchange cards)
Breakfast:                                                               Lunch:
2 Starches                                                               3 Starch
1 Fruit                                                                    2 Fruit
1 Milk                                                                    1 Non-starchy Vegetables
1 Protein                                                                2 Proteins
1 Fat                                                                      2 Fats

Supper:                                                                 Snack:
3 Starches                                                             2 Starch
2 Non-starchy Vegetables                                     2 Fruit
3 Proteins                                                             1 Milk
2 Fats                                                                   1 Non-Starchy Vegetable
                                                                            2 Fats

2200 Calorie Intake (41 food exchange cards)
Breakfast:                                                               Lunch:
2 Starches                                                               3 Starch
1 Fruit                                                                    2 Fruit
1 Milk                                                                    3 Non-starchy Vegetables
1 Protein                                                                2 Proteins
2 Fat                                                                      2 Fats

Supper:                                                                 Snack:
3 Starches                                                             3 Starch
3 Non-starchy Vegetables                                     2 Fruit
3 Proteins                                                             1 Milk
2 Fats                                                                   1 Non-Starchy Vegetable
                                                                            2 Fats
Also, allow daily three free food exchanges that doesn't fully go with the counts. EX: Coffee, Teas, etc.

Now, the ideal way to keep track is with charts close to the refrigerator or up on the cabinet door above the stove to help with reminders of how much to consume daily.
Plus, using a journal to write out what you have daily to be sure you stay within your calorie range helps. But, you could also use apps on your phone to keep track, such as, Lose It!, FitBit, MyFitnessPal, etc.

Calorie Cards

I use cards to assist me and help me out with keeping track of my daily intake. Now, these cards I have received through my TOPS chapter, while we were refreshing over the food exchange back in January.

Now, its actually easy to make your own cards. Take a few index cards, cut them in half. Following the calorie intake numbers for each meal and mark them. you can use an envelope in your date book or journal and move them to another envelope stating used, til the end of the day and start over the following day.

I really enjoy using this tracking system as well as the cards and my FitBit app that I use on my phone. This is a more convenient way to prevent over eating or mindless snacking, like I used to do when I was younger.

If there are any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to your health provider for more information.
And all so, feel free to leave me a comment and let me know what you think and what you would enjoy seeing me cover next time.

Have a good day/night!!

YouTube!!!

Yup, just as the title pointed out. We're hitting YouTube, but not in a bad way.
I'm just announcing the fact that I now have a YouTube channel that's now linked up for my page here as well as my page on Facebook.
Feel free to check it out and give me a few ideas what else you like to see me vlog about or to share.
I have a few videos and regular posts coming up that I'm working on between my work and home time, but they will be out soon.
Have a great weekend everyone!

My YouTube Channel

Calculating Daily Calorie Intake

Happy Monday everyone!
Are we all ready for the new week and for spring to come? I know I am.
In my last blog, I talked about a new kick start on the resolution, by doing it quarterly. Well, here is apart of that start.

How to calculate your daily calorie intake.

Yeah, so math is involve and I know we're all like, seriously do we have to or that's so high school/college. But, yes to find out the best calorie intake for how to lose weight or maintain it, we need to do a little math.

Now there's 7 steps total. And as a heads up, step seven has two parts, one is to lose weight and the other is to maintain your present weight.

First off, need to find what is the ideal body weight for your height (I've provided a chart below to help)

Next Step, take your present weight and divide by your IBW.

EX: 240/120=2

Step 3, take the result from step two and times that by 100.

In step 4, you have two choices.

If your result in step 3 is 130 or more continue to step 5. If not, go straight to step 6.

Step 5, is determining your adjusted body weight or ABW.

A) Your weight subtract from your IBW.

EX: 240-120=120

B) Result from A times .25

EX: 120x.25=30

C) Round result from B to nearest whole number.

D)Add Result from C to your IBW.

EX: 30+120=150

E) Round result from D to nearest whole number.

This number is your ABW. Use this number instead of your actual weight for remainder of steps.

Step 6, is to convert pounds into kilograms.

You divide your weight in pounds by 2.2.

EX: 150/2.2=68.18

Here we are in step 7, now this has two parts. And those parts also have two parts. One is for inactive days (part A), the other is for active days (part B).

The first part is to calculate if you want to lose weight:

A) Multiply your weight in kilograms by 20 to find your intake for inactive days.

EX: 68.18x20=1363.6

B) Multiply your weight in kilograms by 25 to find your intake for active days.

EX: 68.18x25=1704.5

The second part is to calculate if you want to maintain your weight:

A) Multiply your weight in kilograms by 25 to find your intake for inactive days.

EX: 68.18x25=1704.5

B) Multiply your weight in kilograms by 30 to find your intake for active days.

EX: 68.18x30=2045.4

I know that's a lot of figuring, but in the end it will pay off. And there is so many apps to help keep track. EX: Lose It!, MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, etc.

You can find those on the app store, or you can keep your own journal and just look up how many calories each of your portions contain.

I do both long hand (journal tracking) and since I have a Fitbit, it also helps track my calorie intake.

I will note here, that all my information I am sharing has come from the TOPS booklet: "Real Life: the Hands-On Pounds-Off Guide", page 5.

It is very helpful and it's a good start to begin this health journey.

Please feel free to comment or if you have any questions, contact me below. Also, like and follow me please.

Have a good day/week!

Resolution Restart

Hey Everyone!!!
I know its been a while since any posts. But its been a whirlwind over the last 3 months. Between dealing with work, home and health.
Right now though, that's a lil about whats happening, but it's not what we're gonna talk about. We're gonna touch base on our New Year's Resolution. Yup, the vow or promises we all made back on New Year's Eve/Day.
Such as my own, going to the gym 2 to 3 times a week, and to lose up to 20 pounds by the end of the year. Neither I have yet to commit for between keeping busy or with the weather being hard for travel.

There is a solution, for all of this, that I realized why do we have to make a resolution that covers a whole year when we could break up the resolution into quarters. That's right! For every 3 months make a resolution for those three months.

Example: January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December.

I still have my prime resolution of losing up to 20 pounds by the end of the year. Now, I have a new resolution to make for this coming up quarter. One to get to the gym more often, to work on eating by the food exchange system and to keep up on my writings.
Then by the end of June, I'll start making new resolutions for the new quarter.

To me, this will be easier then focusing on everything all at once when life is being demanding consistently.

What you all think? Leave me a comment or pass on some ideas.
Have a good thoughtful day!