I ate 600 calories today and I was full. Help.
lilxmissxhavic
Posts: 21 Member
Hi, I've only just started losing weight again this time round. I'm 21, I weighed 90 kilo's, I weigh closer to 88 now, and I'm about 175cm tall.
Over the last week I've been measuring everything I've eaten. And since I've been doing that I've found that I'm struggling to get to 1200 calories a day.
For example today I had cheerio's and lowfat milk for breakfast, a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and veggies with a bit of butter for dinner. It amounted to 600 calories and I was full. Knowing that eating such a small amount of calories is dangerous I forced myself to eat another 600, via McDonalds fries and some chocolate.
I don't want to be eating junk, but everything healthy I could think to eat that would be able to double my calories was going to be far too filling.
However I also worked out today on the rowing machine and had a lifeguard shift, so I did a lot of walking. So I should be eating more than just 1200 a day.
I'm not going out of my way to eat such a low amount either, cereal, a sandwich and a convenient work dinner. But I was nicely full and not wanting any food.
How do I do this safely?
Over the last week I've been measuring everything I've eaten. And since I've been doing that I've found that I'm struggling to get to 1200 calories a day.
For example today I had cheerio's and lowfat milk for breakfast, a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and veggies with a bit of butter for dinner. It amounted to 600 calories and I was full. Knowing that eating such a small amount of calories is dangerous I forced myself to eat another 600, via McDonalds fries and some chocolate.
I don't want to be eating junk, but everything healthy I could think to eat that would be able to double my calories was going to be far too filling.
However I also worked out today on the rowing machine and had a lifeguard shift, so I did a lot of walking. So I should be eating more than just 1200 a day.
I'm not going out of my way to eat such a low amount either, cereal, a sandwich and a convenient work dinner. But I was nicely full and not wanting any food.
How do I do this safely?
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Replies
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Eat more nutrient dense foods. Peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy. Don't think of foods in terms of good and bad, it's all just food.0
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Every night when I log my dinner and then save the days diary it tells me I have not consumed enough calories for the day
I'm not hungry so I don't eat any more
I hope you get some more replies because I'm interested as well0 -
Most sandwiches I put together are close to 1000 calories alone, so I really don't have any advice except add more stuff to yours, for starters. Oh, and some veggies is not a dinner, it's a snack, at best. I always wonder why people can't eat enough when they're trying to lose weight.0
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Laurend224 wrote: »Eat more nutrient dense foods. Peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy. Don't think of foods in terms of good and bad, it's all just food.
^^Good advice here. When you say you ate 600 calories are you first deducting your exercise calories? 600 actual calories consumed is a tiny amount. It is essential that you get an adequate intake every day. At a point, your body will respond negatively to your low calories.
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1) if you have not hungry days followed by hungry days it doesn't matter so much as you can work your defecit over the week
2) you didn't get overweight by not knowing how to eat more
3) if you are netting 600 a day that's ridiculous - if you're netting over 1200 don't worry too much
4) you need a wide nutrient rich diet
5) MFP exercise database overestimates - eat back 50 - 75% so your net calories is over 1200
6) it's a control thing - bring back all the foods you love to your diet and work out how to eat them to correct portion sizes within your weekly defecit - then you won't crash and burn - if I removed all my loved food and just ate vegetables for supper I would want to hurt someone - don't do it
7) when you say measuring I hope you mean weighing on a digital scale - otherwise nope - you have no idea how many calories you're consuming
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Yeah I'll go back to full fat milk and cheese, thats a good idea. I'll try and eat some more dense stuff.Laurend224 wrote: »Eat more nutrient dense foods. Peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy. Don't think of foods in terms of good and bad, it's all just food.neanderthin wrote: »Oh, and some veggies is not a dinner, it's a snack, at best.
I still live at home with my parents while I'm finishing my uni degree, I have to work with whats in the fridge/freezer. The only meal that I would have been able to take to work with me without wasting food was going to be a large tupperware container full of veggies. I suppose I could have done another sandwich instead, but I would have still been up to 700 calories.
I feel like I'm putting a lot of meat on my sandwiches, perhaps mfp is calculating the ham I'm using wrong.bryant28408 wrote: »Laurend224 wrote: »Eat more nutrient dense foods. Peanut butter, avocado, full fat dairy. Don't think of foods in terms of good and bad, it's all just food.
^^Good advice here. When you say you ate 600 calories are you first deducting your exercise calories? 600 actual calories consumed is a tiny amount. It is essential that you get an adequate intake every day. At a point, your body will respond negatively to your low calories.
600ish flat. I know it's too small that's why I'm asking for help. Especially since I did about 15,000 steps today and spent half an hour on the rowing machine. And tomorrow I have the 5am shift at the pool which will mean I'll walk about 20,000 steps before 10am. I feel like thats not nearly enough
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For example today I had cheerio's and lowfat milk for breakfast, a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch, and veggies with a bit of butter for dinner. It amounted to 600 calories and I was full. Knowing that eating such a small amount of calories is dangerous I forced myself to eat another 600, via McDonalds fries and some chocolate.
just a quick one
40g cheerios looks like nothing - with low fat milk that would be 200 calories - if you weighed and measured - if you used a cup or guessed by the bowl then you're eating more - if you took more than 125ml milk you're eating more
what kind of cheese and ham sandwich has less than 500 calories on it's own
chocolate is fine0 -
Try adding a small salad with your sandwich or an avocado. Or adding hemp hearts to your cereal would help give you some protein as well as adding a bit more calories. If you are feeling full from just that all I can think is your body and stomach have been used to eating such small low calorie and low protein meals. Try having an egg with fruit in the morning too. A drink of whatever milky prefer- I like almond milk. Ive started to drink a protein powder drink or a protein bar to help. Good luck!0
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1) if you have not hungry days followed by hungry days it doesn't matter so much as you can work your defecit over the week
2) you didn't get overweight by not knowing how to eat more
3) if you are netting 600 a day that's ridiculous - if you're netting over 1200 don't worry too much
4) you need a wide nutrient rich diet
5) MFP exercise database overestimates - eat back 50 - 75% so your net calories is over 1200
6) it's a control thing - bring back all the foods you love to your diet and work out how to eat them to correct portion sizes within your weekly defecit - then you won't crash and burn - if I removed all my loved food and just ate vegetables for supper I would want to hurt someone - don't do it
7) when you say measuring I hope you mean weighing on a digital scale - otherwise nope - you have no idea how many calories you're consuming
1: I havn't been hungry for about a week now, this is why I'm worried. I've been having to eat cookies/chocolate/coke to get to the 1200calorie mark :S
2: This is true, but I'm trying not to eat junk, I was full and happy with what I'd eaten today.
3: I am struggling to get to 1200, today has been the only day I've done 600.
4: I'm working on that, gotta try and make do with what I have at home.
5: I'm trying, but I'm not hungry and I feel bad eating back the calories with junk.
6: I'm not removing all my loved foods, I've had the 25g serving of milk chocolate every day this week so far and tomorrow I'm eating out. When the mood strikes me I'm drinking coke, but I'm loving my green tea at the moment.
7: digital scale for solids and measuring jug for liquids.0 -
I'm sorry but your profile says you need to lose 44 pounds?0
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Instead of just eating veggies for dinner, maybe add some protein (meat, fish, tofu, beans etc) and some rice or pasta.
Eat some nuts as snack, don't use low fat milk.0 -
just a quick one
40g cheerios looks like nothing - with low fat milk that would be 200 calories - if you weighed and measured - if you used a cup or guessed by the bowl then you're eating more - if you took more than 125ml milk you're eating more
what kind of cheese and ham sandwich has less than 500 calories on it's own
chocolate is fine
Like I said, I'm measuring everything. Digital scale.
Sandwich break down
Coles - Light Tasty Cheese Slices-1slice/21g=72cal
Woolies Ham - Champagne Leg Ham, 80g=54cal
Coles Bakery - Multigrain Sandwich Bread, 59.1 g (2 slices)=152cal
Total= 278calories
thats from my food diary today.0 -
I ate 600 cals for breakfast and I'm still hungry LOL, thats what a lot of cardio does for me :-D
What you ate will have been more than 600 calories as others have already said.
If you really did feel full, why not have something small yet calorie dense? Nuts are great for adding extra calories, also peanut butter
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100 calorie ham sandwich? One slice of bread is approx 75-80cals 10g butter approx 70cals 1 slice ham approx 30ish (wafer thin). Not seeing how you get 100 cals?0
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Have you looked into the 5 2 diet program? I haven't done it, but was reading about it inascience journal last week. You eat 'normally' for 5 days, and 2 days a week you do mini fasts- not eating for 15-18 hours (early dinner, nothing else,and then a late breakfast) on the mini fast days you only eat 500 to 600 cal. The study noted that people who ate on this diet were less hungry and felt full after the small amount of calories. Maybe that is what you are experiencing.0
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It isn't my intention to be mean here, but what I am gonna say will come across as such.
You don't need a better eating plan, you need a therapist to help you find out why you are purposefully not eating the right amount and types of food. It sounds like you have food issues in general.-4 -
So add another slice of cheese + butter to your sandwiches? There's another 140 cals right there.0
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Madame, theres a sandwich breakdown a few comments above yours. I never said it was 100calories.
Ruthee, thanks a few people have suggested nuts now will give it a go.
Ellaskat, I havn't looked into it no, I'd be worried that I'd get in to bad habits to easily again. But I might have to give it a go.0 -
No butter or spread on your sandwich? That will add a few more calories. If you could open your diary we might be able to give better advice/suggestions.0
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One handful of peanuts would give you a good amount of cals too. If you want to eat fries thats totally fine! Same for the chocolate0
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lilxmissxhavic wrote: »I still live at home with my parents while I'm finishing my uni degree, I have to work with whats in the fridge/freezer.
Disagree. You are fully capable of shopping for yourself, or going shopping and combining your list with your parents. It's part of being an adult, and stands regardless of living with your folks. The times I lived with my parents after being 18 I always did this. Mom would frequently give me money for groceries, yes, but I wasn't relying on her to stock the pantry. It was one of the things I did to contribute to the house - that and cook dinner a couple times a week, but that's largely because I'm a better cook.
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AdorkableMe2015 wrote: »It isn't my intention to be mean here, but what I am gonna say will come across as such.
You don't need a better eating plan, you need a therapist to help you find out why you are purposefully not eating the right amount and types of food. It sounds like you have food issues in general.
Thats a pretty big generalisation to make from one post. Can I please reiterate I AM NOT STARVING MYSELF, I had a reasonable breakfast lunch and dinner and was full, then I was concerned because I wasn't doing it safely so A) went out of my way to get more calories and
asked for advice.
I'm still eating out, I'm still eating whatever my family happens to be eating for dinner, and I'm still having snacks.
Boom! Great idea! thanks!Madame_Goldbricker wrote: »So add another slice of cheese + butter to your sandwiches? There's another 140 cals right there.
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And still my question goes unanswered. Your profile says you have 44 pounds to lose? My point being how did you come to need to lose 44 pounds if you were unable to eat enough?0
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When you eat a very small amount for an extended period of time, your body adjusts to this amount of food, and ceases to send hunger signals.
Some of us overweight people got this way because we ate so terribly unevenly or did not respond to our initial natural hunger cues that our bodies become resistant to the hunger response. That is, we rarely, if ever, feel hungry.
Me, I hate feeling hungry and rarely experience the sensation. If I only ate when I felt hungry, I would eat only every couple days.
Part of building a healthy lifestyle is retraining one's body to normal levels. Whether that be reducing what you eat, or increasing it, it's important to know a good way to increase and prepare.
I'm not making a diagnosis, but 600 calories is less than the intake of an average anorexic person, and based on that alone, and even moreso when adding activity, you'd be diagnosed as such. Perhaps not psychologically, but physically... Many people don't realize that there is more than one kind of anorexia (anorexia as a term means without appetite).
Refeeding can be difficult, but you can do it. If you know you need to eat more, you should regularly and with metered effort increase your diet 100-200 calories every 1-2 days. Don't just jump all at once, as you may feel very sick because of it. Increase daily until you are at a normalized dietary level. Recognize that if you exercise, you need to increase the amount at least modestly in order to not have a similar problem happen.
Ultimately, what can happen if you maintain these habits over a long span of time, is that your body can go into preservation mode, and eventually become problematic for things like your thyroid. It doesn't happen in a couple weeks though... and without knowing how long the 600/day habit has been going on, it's hard to say if you're at risk of such an issue.
For me, I found the easiest way to increase my food was to eat a very small snack every hour. I know, sounds insane, but it's easy to do with a stash of almonds. Eating 10-15 almonds at the top of each waking hour will easily bulk your calories without making you feel like you're going to explode, or leave much remnants in your mouth. Once you get to a normalized calorie level, you can adjust the calorie intake options to other foods and habits, but it gets you there. 0 -
Sorry I'm on my phone so I'd missed the sandwich breakdown. And you'd actually commented 'I suppose I could have had another sandwich to make it up to 700cals'. Hence I would assume you meant you made a 100 cal sandwich. Anyways regardless! You've had some good advice on here from folks.0
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lilxmissxhavic wrote: »AdorkableMe2015 wrote: »It isn't my intention to be mean here, but what I am gonna say will come across as such.
You don't need a better eating plan, you need a therapist to help you find out why you are purposefully not eating the right amount and types of food. It sounds like you have food issues in general.
Thats a pretty big generalisation to make from one post. Can I please reiterate I AM NOT STARVING MYSELF, I had a reasonable breakfast lunch and dinner and was full, then I was concerned because I wasn't doing it safely so A) went out of my way to get more calories and asked for advice.
I'm still eating out, I'm still eating whatever my family happens to be eating for dinner, and I'm still having snacks.
Boom! Great idea! thanks!Madame_Goldbricker wrote: »So add another slice of cheese + butter to your sandwiches? There's another 140 cals right there.
I said I wasn't trying to be mean but your reaction clearly says you are defensive about hearing the POSSIBILITY of an eating disorder. No, you aren't eating enough. I can find a million different ways to get my calorie count to 1200, without even trying, and by eating strictly "healthy" food. To say you "can't do it" is a way to justify your lack of desire TO do it. If you are going to up your calorie intake, that's fantastic. But you asked for people to comment, and my comment was intended to provide a possible insight into why you are only able to consume 600 calories. For me, that's somewhere between breakfast and lunch.-1 -
Because I underate one day? and then was immediatley concerned and looked for help? umm no, thats not what disorders look like.OP, you need to go get to professional help to address your eating disorder.Liftng4Lis wrote: »And still my question goes unanswered. Your profile says you have 44 pounds to lose? My point being how did you come to need to lose 44 pounds if you were unable to eat enough?
Because I ate crap and never exercised. I'm now exercising and trying to not eat junk food. I'm looking for ways to do this healthier than eating a cookie/chocolate/coke every night to make up the total.
Quasita, that was a really well thought out post, thankyou very much 0 -
Just have a bigger bowl of cereal for breakfast, or better yet, have eggs and ham or something. Have some nuts for a snack, or an apple and peanut butter, or a banana. Add some chicken to your dinner.
Can't you ask your parents to buy food you like if it's them who do the shopping. I lived away when I was at university, but when I go home to visit my parents now (and I'm 37) my mum always asks me to e-mail her a shopping list so she can buy food we like to eat.
I think it's fine to have a low calorie day occasionally if you just don't feel like eating for whatever reason, just don't make a habit of it.0
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