Q & A
How many calories do you eat per day? And how many calories did you eat when you were losing weight?
Currently (and while losing weight), I eat 1800-2200 calories a day.
How long did it take you to get to your maintenance stage?
As for my weight loss journey, it took me a good year to lose the weight (150 to 130 lbs.) before my body settled around 130. (My weight fluctuates between 127-130 now.) I’ve maintained my weight for about 6 years now, but it was definitely a journey to get here– lots of hard work!
How is it that you eat the same amount of calories now as when you were trying to lose weight?
Before losing weight, I ate about 2,500 – 3,000 calories per day. So, when I reduced that amount to 1,800 – 2,200 calories and started exercising more frequently, the weight came off. I continue to consume 1,800 – 2,200 calories per day, so I’ve maintain my weight for almost 6 years now.
I know you love sweets/dessert/etc, so when you first started losing weight, did you let yourself have these treats?
Yes, absolutely! Not sure if you’ve seen this page on my blog: http://carrotsncake.com/weight-loss, but it explains my thinking on the subject. As you know, I loooovveeee sweets… and wine… and nachos, and I knew when I was trying to lose weight that giving up these delicious foods would make me miserable. I still treat myself to goodies (just about everyday), but in small portions (200 calories or so). I think this small indulgence makes a big difference in how I view food– nothing is “off limits” to me.
How did you stay motivated during your weight loss? I see that it took you about a year to lose all of your weight.
Losing weight was tough and staying motivated was ever tougher! What kept me motivated through it all was knowing that I was making a lifestyle change. Even though I was changing my eating and exercise habits for good, I still slipped up and over-ate every now and then. However, I always made sure to get myself back on track the very next meal/day. Losing weight is all about about consistency, so if you slip up, try to re-focus and not worry about it. Eat well at the next meal and fit in a sweaty workout. Sometimes you just have to “fake it until you make it!” 
After reading about your weight loss journey, I was wondering, how do I find out how many calories (approx.) I should be aiming for in a day, if I’m trying to lose weight?
Good question!I used an online calculator to figure out how many calories I needed to lose about 0.5 pounds a week. Check out this calculator from A Healthy Me: http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calneed. It will give you the approximate number of calories to lose, maintain, or gain weight based on your height, current weight, age, and activity level. Good luck!
How do you seem to eat such indulgent foods (cookies, cupcakes, cheesecake, etc) so often but not gain weight?
It’s all about portion size. I eat small portions of indulgent foods.
I recently started working full-time after graduating from college and I have a really hard time sticking to my regular healthy diet. Do you have any suggestions that would help me to get back on track?
I hear ya! I gained the most weight in my first job after college. I was sitting at a desk most of the day, not working out a lot, and indulging in Happy Hour way too frequently! My best advice to you would be to eat more during the day. Have a “mini-meal” every 3-4 hours, and try to balance healthy carbs (lots of whole grains and fiber) with protein and fat. Also, try working out in the mornings. I find if I don’t workout first thing in the morning, I find plenty of “excuses” not to go to the gym after work. Also, check out my weight loss “Tips” for more ideas: http://carrotsncake.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-tips. Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.