Keeping the Calories Green: How Much Can I Lose This Week?

Last Updated on May 21, 2023 by Michael Brockbank

Time is not on my side. I have just a few weeks to go to lose as much as I can. So this week, I am focusing my attention on making sure the calories stay green in MyFitnessPal. How much can I lose in a 7-day stretch?

I guess that depends on how well I stick to my diet while keeping active. But, I think I have a way to really get the ball moving this week.

What Does it Mean to Keep Calories Green for a Week?

One of my favorite weight loss apps is MyFitnessPal. I’ve been using it regularly for more than six years. And it’s been instrumental in helping me lose the last 80 pounds.

MyFitnessPal works by showing your food intake throughout the day. By scanning every morsel you eat, you can see where you stand in terms of caloric intake as well as carbs, various vitamins, cholesterol, sodium levels, and much more.

The phone app has a widget you can place directly on your phone’s screen, making it easier to record your food as you go.

MyFitnessPal also connects and uses data from Fitbit. The more active you are, the more you can eat.

In my case, I’ve set my calorie goal to 600. So if I want dinner at some point, I need to get up and move in some fashion. Usually, this is through walking or playing the Xbox.

To keep the calorie count green, you need to make sure you only eat according to your intake goals. If you go over, the numbers go red.

How I’m Keeping Green for Calories This Week

It’s been a very long time since I’ve been able to keep my calories in the green for longer than three days. This time around, I have a good plan of action that will help me reach my goals.

So, what makes this time any different?

Making an Absolute Effort

First of all, I am putting maximum effort into this week. As I said, I don’t have much time left. If I want to look good for the calendar photo shoot in October, I need to start slimming down wicked fast.

If I want those extra snacks, I better get up and earn them. This is how I lost 20 pounds inside of six weeks in the beginning. I’m sure I can do better, especially since my snacks consist of low-carb alternatives.

The trick is to make sure I keep that mentality. I need to gain the passion back that I had six years ago, and this time around, there’s a lot more at stake.

Doing a Case Study for ColoradoPlays.com

This week, I’m doing a case study for ColoradoPlays.com for how much weight I can lose in a week playing the Xbox Kinect. I’ll record calorie burn from the gym vs what I burn in front of the TV.

The plan is to play at least one session of the Kinect on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Then, I’ll play twice on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The vast majority of the calories I burn for the next seven days will definitely be from Xbox play. But, I’m kind of interested to see how much I can lose overall. And I don’t want the data to be skewed, so I am going all-in on this one.

Focusing on Sticking with Keto-Friendly Foods

To keep my calories in the green this week, I’m still focusing on foods tailored for the keto diet. By dropping my intake as well as carbs, I’m sure to burn through the fat pretty quick.

In fact, depending on how well the next 7 days go, I might just turn this into a two-week experiment.

In any case, I have a lot of keto-friendly food here at the house. Besides, my friend, Sam, has been sticking with her keto diet better since I started this journey with her. So, I am quite influential to keep her on track.

Even after I’m done with keto, I still promised I would eat a lot of the same things she does. After all, we’ve made some really tasty meals over the past month.

Keeping Up with Gym Workouts

As I said, I’m keeping up with the gym workouts. I’ve seen and felt quite a few improvements since going to Planet Fitness. And I’m pretty excited to see just how far I can take it over the next month.

Although I don’t get the same elevated heart rate at the gym as I do playing the Kinect, it’s still working towards strength and definition.

Not to mention that I’m kind of excited to set a few new weight lifting records for myself. In fact, I am pretty close to breaking my all-time high on the machine fly and chest press.

I almost forgot about how much fun I have trying to break personal bests while at the gym. I’m within striking distance of several today.

Meal and Snack Planning?

I would like to do better meal and snack planning. Mostly because I simply forget what foods I have here at the house. I’ve let things go moldy because I forgot they were in there.

On the upside, Sam made a ton of burger and cabbage, which I simply love. So, I think I’ll be eating that all week. I just need to remember to mix in a salad before the lettuce goes south.

At any rate, if I plan what I intend to eat for the day, it should help me keep the calories green. The trick is to remember, though. I don’t have the best short-term memory at the moment.

The fun of getting older.

How Much Will I Lose?

If I can keep the calories green all week, I should lose quite a bit. Especially being on keto and still doing all of the workouts I have planned. Theoretically, keto should allow me to melt through the fat at a profound rate.

But, we won’t know until I put in the work. So, here’s to seven straight days of keep MyFitnessPal calories green and losing some weight.

I got this in the bag!

About Author

Michael Brockbank

Since 2015, Michael has put in the effort to lose more than 80 pounds by gamifying fitness and eating proper portion sizes. He conducts extensive research into various health and fitness products to provide the best answers possible according to his own experience and knowledge.

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