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Will not eating enough really stop me from losing weight? Suggestions please!

I don't have a very big appetite, ironic as that may be in a woman weighing 300 lbs. I know I don't eat correctly, but aren't calories calories, regardless of where they come from. As I've started this change today, I am going to make a conscious effort to eat better, but I still don't see me eating as many calories as is recommended. Suggestions please!!

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  • Posts: 25,763 Member
    Are you saying that the calorie number that MFP recommends for you to lose weight is higher than what you were eating before you began trying to lose weight?

    That doesn't make sense unless there is an error in how you input your data.
  • Posts: 1,710 Member
    Eating too little will ruin your health but will not prevent weight loss.
  • Posts: 3,077 Member
    edited August 2015
    You won't really know how much you're eating until you start logging. May be more than you think.
  • Posts: 2,389 Member
    Log what you'd normally eat. You may be shocked at how many calories it truly is. And honestly log servings. An actual serving of pasta is a lot less than one might think. Same goes for ice cream, and most other foods. I know if left to my own devices, a "bowl" of ice cream or pasta or rice would easily actually be 2-3, if not 4, servings.
  • Posts: 20 Member
    For instance, today is my first day of this, and as I said in my first blog, I wasn't prepared, I just jumped right in. So my eating today is more of a normal day and not an "I'm trying to lose weight day". I already know what I'm having for dinner so I have logged that. My allotted calories is 2390, and after logging everything I've eaten today and what I will eat for dinner, I am only at 1177. No where near what I should be.
  • Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited August 2015
    Eating too little will not stop you from losing weight.

    litnbug wrote: »
    My allotted calories is 2390, and after logging everything I've eaten today and what I will eat for dinner, I am only at 1177. No where near what I should be.

    I suggest opening your diary. Usually when that's happening, there are inaccuracies in the logging.
  • Posts: 3,077 Member
    Can you open your diary?
  • Posts: 20 Member
    it's open, I just haven't posted it yet because I thought I may have something else tonight. Hang on and I will!
  • Posts: 2,229 Member
    I used to think I didn't eat much until I started accurately logging everything I eat and drink here in MFP. You should watch this video, very eye opening:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=KA9AdlhB18o
  • Posts: 9,487 Member
    How accurate is your logging? Did you use a food scale for all the solids and a measuring cup for any liquids? Use accurate entries, etc?
  • Posts: 25,763 Member
    litnbug wrote: »
    For instance, today is my first day of this, and as I said in my first blog, I wasn't prepared, I just jumped right in. So my eating today is more of a normal day and not an "I'm trying to lose weight day". I already know what I'm having for dinner so I have logged that. My allotted calories is 2390, and after logging everything I've eaten today and what I will eat for dinner, I am only at 1177. No where near what I should be.

    It sounds like you may be having an issue with accurate logging. It's unlikely that you would be in the position to lose weight if a normal day for you was around 1,200 calories. It's very easy to underestimate what we're consuming, even when we think we're logging it correctly. Would you be willing to open your diary?
  • Posts: 20 Member
    I have logged everything that has gone into my mouth today and used measuring spoons for the measurements. Food scale wasn't necessary for today's eating, there was nothing to weigh. Can y'all see my diary?
  • Posts: 20 Member
    I fixed it. It is public now
  • Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited August 2015
    this video changed my mind about using a food scale

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVjWPclrWVY
  • Posts: 25,763 Member
    litnbug wrote: »
    I have logged everything that has gone into my mouth today and used measuring spoons for the measurements. Food scale wasn't necessary for today's eating, there was nothing to weigh. Can y'all see my diary?

    At least one of the foods you ate (peanut butter) can have significant variations in calories when you don't weigh it.

    However, if you're truly confident that these counts are accurate and that it represents a typical day for you, I'm not sure how you gained weight eating 1,200 calories a day. Perhaps continue logging for a week or so to see if this truly does represent a typical day?
  • Posts: 3,077 Member
    edited August 2015

    At least one of the foods you ate (peanut butter) can have significant variations in calories when you don't weigh it.

    However, if you're truly confident that these counts are accurate and that it represents a typical day for you, I'm not sure how you gained weight eating 1,200 calories a day. Perhaps continue logging for a week or so to see if this truly does represent a typical day?

    How are you viewing her diary? When I click her profile, it says it's private.
  • Posts: 41,865 Member
    there's no way in hell that your average day can look like your diary does today and leave you in the position to where you need to lose weight.

  • Posts: 1,213 Member
    I always suggest people log for at least 2 weeks without changing a thing. You'll usually be able to see where you're having an issue and where you can make cuts. Sometimes, even the smallest cuts can make a huge difference.
  • Posts: 3,077 Member
    Nevermind. I found it. OP, do you usually skip breakfast?
  • Posts: 2,229 Member
    edited August 2015
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    there's no way in hell that your average day can look like your diary does today and leave you in the position to where you need to lose weight.

    IA - that's why I posted that video above hopefully she'll watch it.
  • Posts: 1,326 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    there's no way in hell that your average day can look like your diary does today and leave you in the position to where you need to lose weight.

    ^^This.
    There's no way you became 300lbs eating only 1200 calories. Either today wasn't typical and you ate way less than you normally would, or your logging is very inaccurate. Either way, 1200 is the absolute minimum for women unless closely medically supervised. Eating under that won't stop you losing weight, but you'll ruin your health.
  • Posts: 20 Member
    kkenseth, I usually have breakfast at least 4 or 5 days a week, today is my day off and started off with a weird morning.
  • Posts: 20 Member
    2Poufs, I thought about that, just going about normal eating for a week or so, just to have a basis to go on
  • Posts: 1,706 Member
    kkenseth wrote: »
    Nevermind. I found it. OP, do you usually skip breakfast?

    Breakfast is a personal choice, nothing more. It does not " jump start " one's metabolism every morning, it does not provide extra energy, it's just a nice ( or often hurried ) meal if people prefer.
    Meal frequency is a personal choice.
    I ate breakfast ( and did not like it ) for 65 years, because supposedly it was " the most important meal of the day ". When I joined MFP two years ago, I learned otherwise and stopped eating breakfast and now eat two large meals a day. As a volume eater that makes me happy and sticking to the program has become easier for me.
    I have lost 65 plus pounds by doing 18:6 and cutting out breakfast. Of course anyone's mileage varies, but breakfast is not a " must " for weight loss and /or healthy living.

  • Posts: 576 Member

    IA - that's why I posted that video above.

    OP, I have to agree as well. If this is truly how you eat and the amounts listed are absolutely accurate (peanut butter can have a huge caloric swing being just a *little* off on your measurement), you should speak with your doctor for guidance. If you ate like this every day, with a typical calorie consumption of roughly +/- 1200 calories, you would not need to lose weight. I say this with all kindness and compassion that I can, but without some underlying medical condition, it would be virtually impossible to weigh almost 300 pounds while eating only 1200 calories per day. I suspect that you are either leaving something out (drinks or snacks that you think are too small to count maybe ????), grossly underestimating the portions of what you are eating or you have a medical condition and a medical condition is probably the least likely cause.
  • Posts: 20 Member
    cwolfman13, why would I lie about this, lol, that's everything I've had for the day, and it is pretty much a normal day. Some days, I may have ice tea, hot tea, or an occasional soda, but as far as food goes, my husband says I could probably go 24 hours without eating and it wouldn't even phase me. I just don't have much of an appetite
  • Posts: 1,326 Member
    Ang108 wrote: »

    Breakfast is a personal choice, nothing more. It does not " jump start " one's metabolism every morning, it does not provide extra energy, it's just a nice ( or often hurried ) meal if people prefer.
    Meal frequency is a personal choice.
    I ate breakfast ( and did not like it ) for 65 years, because supposedly it was " the most important meal of the day ". When I joined MFP two years ago, I learned otherwise and stopped eating breakfast and now eat two large meals a day. As a volume eater that makes me happy and sticking to the program has become easier for me.
    I have lost 65 plus pounds by doing 18:6 and cutting out breakfast. Of course anyone's mileage varies, but breakfast is not a " must " for weight loss and /or healthy living.

    I think they might have asked that in case OP was forgetting to log her breakfast, or perhaps she eats a big breakfast on other days.
  • Posts: 5,864 Member
    You really need to be honest with yourself about how much you eat. I would starve with the amount of food you have logged.
    A tablespoon is where you can run a knife blade over the top of the spoon. The tiny bit left is a real tablespoon. 1 fl oz of milk is just a table spoon worth also. It wouldn't even colour the coffee.
  • Posts: 982 Member
    edited August 2015

    OP, I have to agree as well. If this is truly how you eat and the amounts listed are absolutely accurate (peanut butter can have a huge caloric swing being just a *little* off on your measurement), you should speak with your doctor for guidance. If you ate like this every day, with a typical calorie consumption of roughly +/- 1200 calories, you would not need to lose weight. I say this with all kindness and compassion that I can, but without some underlying medical condition, it would be virtually impossible to weigh almost 300 pounds while eating only 1200 calories per day. I suspect that you are either leaving something out (drinks or snacks that you think are too small to count maybe ????), grossly underestimating the portions of what you are eating or you have a medical condition and a medical condition is probably the least likely cause.

    well said!
    litnbug wrote: »
    cwolfman13, why would I lie about this, lol, that's everything I've had for the day, and it is pretty much a normal day. Some days, I may have ice tea, hot tea, or an occasional soda, but as far as food goes, my husband says I could probably go 24 hours without eating and it wouldn't even phase me. I just don't have much of an appetite

    Not intentionally lying, but it doesn't add up. I would log for a couple of weeks and see what your average comes out to be...maybe you are over eating on the weekends??
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