1,000+ calories left, but at fat & sodium limit

mtmjr90

Hey guys,

First time posting. I've got around 2,000 per day and I eat around 1,300 (when I'm being really good about what I eat). I exercise a bit, giving me an extra 300 calories. So by those calculations, I generally end up with 1,000 left per day...BUT I'm usually at my limit for grams of fat and mg of sodium...which basically leaves green vegetables, liquor and sugar based candy to round out the calories.

Obviously, the latter two are probably not ideal and eating 1,000 calories in green vegetables (without any additional fats or salts especially) is actually quite difficult - a) because preparation without using fats or salts doesn't exactly excite me and b) I generally don't feel hungry enough to eat that much.

So I guess my question is, am I missing something?

btc1987

I'd take a closer look at what is making up those 1300 calories.

Here is a relatively filling meal with about 360 calories and only 1g of fat and low sodium:
1 serving Kashi GoLean (52g)
1 Chobani Simply 100 yogurt
1 medium apple

That's my go-to meal when I've had a particularly fatty splurge meal (burger, ribs, wings, etc).

elphie754

If you are at your sodium limit, is it safe to say you eat a lot of pre-prepared foods? If so, swap some of those out for fresh meals you make if possible. You can also try to plan ahead so that you don't reach that predicament. Also, the nutrition guidelines are not set in stone, you can tweak them to what works for you. Are you really low on something else? Carbohydrates or protein? If so try to add more of those in.

It would help if you opened you diary, but if you don't want to that is okay too.

ana3067

You know you can eat fruit too. But you also can eat more fat than your goal, as well as more sodium. Sodium doesn't contribute to caloric value.

Are you saying your goal is 2000 a day? How is it only 2000 a day, are you like 150lbs?

girlviernes

Well, especially as a male you really need to be eating at least 1800 per day. I wouldn't worry about going over on fat, and it's OK to go over on sodium as well if you don't have high blood pressure that is adversely affected by it. You'll have to eat mostly home prepared foods to get the sodium low. Learn how to use spices and you can get a lot of flavor while low on salt.

47Jacqueline

Unless you've got hypertension, if you occasionally go high on sodium I wouldn't worry about it. If it's always, prepared foods are likely the culprit.

lemurcat12

A potato or sweet potato is going to be mostly carbs, no fat, and balance out the sodium with way more potassium, so you could eat that (obviously I mean roasted or some such, not fried).

Or what girlviernes said. On the whole, unless you are under medical advice to be following a particular diet, in which case you should talk to your doctor, I would get the calories down before worrying about sodium or fat and in the long run you may decide that the MFP standard fat goal is too low for you. I lowered my carbs and increased my fat and protein a little.

malibu927

If your goal is set to 2000, that's what you should be eating. You're risking not receiving enough nutrients by missing it by 700-1000 calories, which can hinder your overall health. Going over on fat is not a big deal, especially if you're still within your goal. A lot of people look at the fat/protein goals as minimums.

mtmjr90

Thanks for all the advice I'm certainly not trying to only eat 1,300...it just ends up that way when trying to stay under the fat cap. I'm also trying to be "low-carb" since I find that when I avoid carbs, I just make better eating decisions in general.

I think what I'll end up doing is just integrating more fruit into my diet. I have a sort of knee-jerk negative reaction to fruits and even most dairy due to the natural sugars and thus carbs (I grew up with a parent who was on South Beach for a good while, so a lot of that is internalized).

I've had eggs, chicken and fish today, yet I'm still under on protein...so I'll have to figure that out too. I'm by no means someone who doesn't like to eat (or cook for that matter), I just haven't yet figured out the right combination of items to achieve both the calorie target and the overall balance, while also being relatively low carb.

ana3067

So... you're trying to eat low carb and low fat and you're not meeting your caloric needs?

Of course you're under on protein, fish and eggs are fairly high in fat for their protein value. There is no need to be low carb to lose weight, and if you're not willing to eat high(er) fat to compensate for eating low carb then you're pretty much never going to meet your caloric and macro needs.

allieallieoxenfree

Fat free Greek yogurt?

girlviernes

Frankly, if you eat low carb you will need to increase your fat intake significantly. Generally speaking low-carbers eat low-carb, high fat, moderate protein.

girlviernes

And your priority should be getting enough calories, don't worry about carbs, fat, protein etc when you are so much below your minimum. Find out what mix allows you to eat at least 1800-2000 calories per day.

SaintsFanBob

I'm in a similar situation. One thing I try not to do is eat carbs after dinner. I have a hard time with all the eating decisions because I am just one person in a family of four and the only one who is tracking so meals can be a challenge. I often have lots of calories left, but most of the time I am not hungry and feel like eating for the sake of caloric intake seems counter-intuitive (if not counter-productive). I find if I am even remotely hungry I will do microwave popcorn (yea I know air popped would be better) especially since I enjoy salty rather than sweet. I have been on my journey for a while and still have a hard time understanding the idea of eating less and working out and not just starving myself, but then again getting enough each day.

girlviernes

Of course, all of this advice hinges on the calorie numbers coming from accurate counting. That's another thing to check if you are full on very few calories. Are you weighing and logging everything?

Otterluv

You are overthinking this. Unless you have a medical condition, don't sweat the sodium too much. Your body needs carbs. It needs protein. It needs fats. That's why they are the macronutrients. There are also a bunch of micronutrients to fit in.

Make sure you get enough protein (MFP levels are too low), and fats, and carbs. If you fit it in your calorie range, eating mostly whole foods and some fruits and veggies, then you are likely getting what you need. There is no need to make this so complicated.

mtmjr90

Otterluv wrote: »

You are overthinking this. Unless you have a medical condition, don't sweat the sodium too much. Your body needs carbs. It needs protein. It needs fats. That's why they are the macronutrients. There are also a bunch of micronutrients to fit in.

Make sure you get enough protein (MFP levels are too low), and fats, and carbs. If you fit it in your calorie range, eating mostly whole foods and some fruits and veggies, then you are likely getting what you need. There is no need to make this so complicated.

That actually brings up another question...(Apologies if this is off topic and/or already existing in another thread.)

MFP lets me set a target ratio of fats, protein and carbs...but I have no idea what that balance should look like. Any suggestions for my situation, particularly to lose weight but still be healthy.

ana3067

girlviernes wrote: »

Of course, all of this advice hinges on the calorie numbers coming from accurate counting. That's another thing to check if you are full on very few calories. Are you weighing and logging everything?

this is all true. And wtih regards to carbs at night, there's no reason to avoid them. I actually do much better eating most of my carbs at night than I do eating them during the day because if I don't have a good macro ratio for my breakfast and lunch I will get hungry really easily and quickly despite eating over 600 calories each meal. But I can eat over 100g of carbs in the evening and not be hungry by the time I go to bed. There are also a lot of calorie-dense carb options like pasta, rice, donuts, bananas, PB is a good carb + fat source, baked goods in general... none of these are likely to leave you feeling stuffed when combined with your normal intake. If you eat your dinner and you still have 500+ calories left but you aren't that hungry, eat a piece of cake or some chocolate or a few tbsp PB with a banana, and you'll be golden.

Otterluv

mtmjr90 wrote: »

Otterluv wrote: »

You are overthinking this. Unless you have a medical condition, don't sweat the sodium too much. Your body needs carbs. It needs protein. It needs fats. That's why they are the macronutrients. There are also a bunch of micronutrients to fit in.

Make sure you get enough protein (MFP levels are too low), and fats, and carbs. If you fit it in your calorie range, eating mostly whole foods and some fruits and veggies, then you are likely getting what you need. There is no need to make this so complicated.

That actually brings up another question...(Apologies if this is off topic and/or already existing in another thread.)

MFP lets me set a target ratio of fats, protein and carbs...but I have no idea what that balance should look like. Any suggestions for my situation, particularly to lose weight but still be healthy.

That depends on your other fitness goals as well, and how much LBM you already have. You should be doing some strength work of some sort as you lose to hold onto as much lean body mass as you can. As far as macros are concerned, I shoot for around 150 grams of protein. You should be a bit higher. But, I'm guessing as I don't know your body composition. A good rule of thumb is 30% of your calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% for carbs. It's a very generalized recommendation, but better than MFPs presets, and you can tweak it to fit your activities.

mtmjr90

Otterluv wrote: »

mtmjr90 wrote: »

Otterluv wrote: »

You are overthinking this. Unless you have a medical condition, don't sweat the sodium too much. Your body needs carbs. It needs protein. It needs fats. That's why they are the macronutrients. There are also a bunch of micronutrients to fit in.

Make sure you get enough protein (MFP levels are too low), and fats, and carbs. If you fit it in your calorie range, eating mostly whole foods and some fruits and veggies, then you are likely getting what you need. There is no need to make this so complicated.

That actually brings up another question...(Apologies if this is off topic and/or already existing in another thread.)

MFP lets me set a target ratio of fats, protein and carbs...but I have no idea what that balance should look like. Any suggestions for my situation, particularly to lose weight but still be healthy.

That depends on your other fitness goals as well, and how much LBM you already have. You should be doing some strength work of some sort as you lose to hold onto as much lean body mass as you can. As far as macros are concerned, I shoot for around 150 grams of protein. You should be a bit higher. But, I'm guessing as I don't know your body composition. A good rule of thumb is 30% of your calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% for carbs. It's a very generalized recommendation, but better than MFPs presets, and you can tweak it to fit your activities.

Thanks, this is really helpful!

elphie754

Is there a specific reason you are trying to limit carbs?

mtmjr90

elphie754 wrote: »

Is there a specific reason you are trying to limit carbs?

Mostly just that it's worked for me in the past, but honestly it probably wasn't a very healthy means of losing weight. I have to recondition my mind to accept natural sugars (thus carbs) from fruits and dairy as well as whole/complex carbs as being okay.

Everyone in this thread has been so helpful in reinforcing it too

elphie754

mtmjr90 wrote: »

elphie754 wrote: »

Is there a specific reason you are trying to limit carbs?

Mostly just that it's worked for me in the past, but honestly it probably wasn't a very healthy means of losing weight. I have to recondition my mind to accept natural sugars (thus carbs) from fruits and dairy as well as whole/complex carbs as being okay.

Everyone in this thread has been so helpful in reinforcing it too

Unless you have a medical condition, carbs are not bad . There is also no difference between "natural" sugars and "other" sugars. Sugar is sugar. There is no need to restrict any type of food as long as it fits into your calorie allowance. That being said chances are an apple will keep your more satisfied than a cookie, but if you want the cookie, there is no reason not to (again as long as it fits into your calorie allowance).

There is also really no way to do low carb and low fat .

RodaRose

mtmjr90 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice I'm certainly not trying to only eat 1,300...it just ends up that way when trying to stay under the fat cap. I'm also trying to be "low-carb" since I find that when I avoid carbs, I just make better eating decisions in general.

I think what I'll end up doing is just integrating more fruit into my diet. I have a sort of knee-jerk negative reaction to fruits and even most dairy due to the natural sugars and thus carbs (I grew up with a parent who was on South Beach for a good while, so a lot of that is internalized).

I've had eggs, chicken and fish today, yet I'm still under on protein...so I'll have to figure that out too. I'm by no means someone who doesn't like to eat (or cook for that matter), I just haven't yet figured out the right combination of items to achieve both the calorie target and the overall balance, while also being relatively low carb.

You are almost on the right track.
Think of the MFP fat and protein as absolute minimums and the carbs as optional.
You need more protein.
Eat double or triple servings of the protein you are already eating: fish, eggs, chicken.
Buy some hamburger meat or steak.
Eat some nuts, tuna, salmon, pork chops, full fat cheese.
Granola has plenty of calories and is simple to purchase: One cup can be 240 - 500 calories with some fat, protein, carbs -- depending on the mix.

Sued0nim

If you're low carbing then you need to eat high fat and protein

I've never found that low carb works in the long-term though, unless you are able to stick to it for life, whilst I lost weight quickly and easily following a low carb programme I couldn't stick to it and put it all back on just as quickly, and more ... but if you are able to stick for life then good luck