TOO LITTLE CALORIES?!?!? Thyroid problem?

2

Replies

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    It's just around 20 I think and differs between different nutrients and calories. It's a complicated regulation.
  • scottwilson16
    scottwilson16 Posts: 71 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    What your saying is the total of what you eat on an intuitive basis only equates to around 800kcals. You then see the deficit compared to your target intake and feel like you have to force yourself into making up the deficit?

    I would look at each meal/snack you have and increase the portion size ever so slightly each week so it's less of a hardship. Another option, which I would only really use with someone who has a low appetite, is smoothies and shakes. You generally get lower satiety levels with shakes as you are drinking your calories and it's possible to make them reasonably nutrient dense. But I really would try to make that a short term thing and move to eating your calories over the long term.
  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    What your saying is the total of what you eat on an intuitive basis only equates to around 800kcals. You then see the deficit compared to your target intake and feel like you have to force yourself into making up the deficit?

    I would look at each meal/snack you have and increase the portion size ever so slightly each week so it's less of a hardship. Another option, which I would only really use with someone who has a low appetite, is smoothies and shakes. You generally get lower satiety levels with shakes as you are drinking your calories and it's possible to make them reasonably nutrient dense. But I really would try to make that a short term thing and move to eating your calories over the long term.

    Starting to feel judged here! Thank you though! That's really helped!
  • scottwilson16
    scottwilson16 Posts: 71 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    What your saying is the total of what you eat on an intuitive basis only equates to around 800kcals. You then see the deficit compared to your target intake and feel like you have to force yourself into making up the deficit?

    I would look at each meal/snack you have and increase the portion size ever so slightly each week so it's less of a hardship. Another option, which I would only really use with someone who has a low appetite, is smoothies and shakes. You generally get lower satiety levels with shakes as you are drinking your calories and it's possible to make them reasonably nutrient dense. But I really would try to make that a short term thing and move to eating your calories over the long term.

    Starting to feel judged here! Thank you though! That's really helped!

    Don't feel judged at all. Everyone is trying to help, in their own way. I haven't looked at your diary yet so just going on what you've said here. I can have a look later and see if there is anything that jumps out as non optimal.

    What's your exercise schedule look like? How's your energy levels? Do you sleep ok? Keep hydrated throughout the day?
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    Okay but... it does hit over 800 calories for the most part. You're eating more than you think.

    And think about it.... you are eating, when you're not hungry, because a computer program is telling you too? Ya, that makes sense.

    Cut out carbs and sugars, eat more protein and healthy fat. Eat when you're hungry, don't when your not. Weigh and measure your food, all of your food. Try that for a couple weeks and see how that goes.

    cutting out carbs and sugar has nothing to do with it. Just log accurately and get a food scale and eat less of all foods.

    Totally agreed. Just trying to come up with some options. Sometimes changing small things here and there for a little while makes all the difference in the world. We all know it comes down to the number of calories.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    It's just around 20 I think and differs between different nutrients and calories. It's a complicated regulation.
    it still is just a ballpark. If you are eating 1200, even weighed and logged it could easily be 1500. For a smaller person that could add up quick.

    Article zero ice cream supposed to be 300 cal for the whole point tested at double that for 3 out of 7 flavors.

  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    Something is wrong here. It's impossible for you to hit your macro nutrients but end up way below your calorie goals. Maybe you're using unreliable database entries.

    It is possible to hit macro's and end up below a calorie target. But it takes a lot of work, food prep, food planning and good measurements. I've been practicing cron on and off and it works (for me), just takes time and effort.

    It's not possible though....... Take 2,490kcals as an example. You've eaten the following;

    170g PRO
    70g Fat
    295g CHO

    4 cals per gram for CHO & PRO
    9 cals per gram for fat.

    You hit your macros, you can't avoid the number of calories that are associated with them.

    Let's not discuss this here because I don't want to hi jack her post. But if you'd like to message me feel free and we can discuss in detail. Thanks :smile:
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    If it looks like your gaining weight, then maybe you have to consider it to be water.
    Salt holds on to water
    Carbs holds on to water.
    Maybe you may want to consider to eat more potassium

    Question - I was looking at your Food Journal, for just the last 3 days or so and I didn't see Fish, or Turkey, or chicken, is there a reason?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    BTW, how long have you been logging and how much weight gain did you have?
  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    I'm on mobile so I can't see your diary. There is no way you're gaining weight eating too little. So the options are these.

    1) you're lying to yourself over what you're eating. Self reporting is hard. It's really easy to just forget something you ate especially if you're a snacker.

    2) you're drinking your calories but not logging them.

    3) you're guesstimating your portions. Weigh everything no matter how minor it seems.

    4) you're just not ready to lose, which is leading to the above situations.

    None of the above makes you a bad person, just human like the rest of us.

    Solution? Plan your food for the whole day. Then if you eat something outside of that you'll most likely remember it because it was off plan. Weigh everything. Finally be honest with yourself. It's just food not a moral judgment on who you are.

    I promise i log absolutely everything, i wouldn't have gotten this app if i wasn't going to.

    i have 6 cups of tea a day, 4 green and 2 normal with milk, they're all logged.

    i weigh my fruit and my cereal, the amount of cottage cheese i have on my rice cakes etc, i have the same every day, everything else like crisps and string cheese and what not, i scan the pack and use those measurements.

    I'll take your comments on board though and i'll try harder.. that's what we're all here for..

  • scottwilson16
    scottwilson16 Posts: 71 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    Something is wrong here. It's impossible for you to hit your macro nutrients but end up way below your calorie goals. Maybe you're using unreliable database entries.

    It is possible to hit macro's and end up below a calorie target. But it takes a lot of work, food prep, food planning and good measurements. I've been practicing cron on and off and it works (for me), just takes time and effort.

    It's not possible though....... Take 2,490kcals as an example. You've eaten the following;

    170g PRO
    70g Fat
    295g CHO

    4 cals per gram for CHO & PRO
    9 cals per gram for fat.

    You hit your macros, you can't avoid the number of calories that are associated with them.

    Let's not discuss this here because I don't want to hi jack her post. But if you'd like to message me feel free and we can discuss in detail. Thanks :smile:

    Thanks for the offer to discuss but i think it's important for others that may read this, but may not be commenting, to understand how you believe this is possible.
  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    wow..thats harsh :neutral:
    I am sorry. Didn't plan it to sound harsh. Just trying to say you have to be sharp. Trans fat is another place they scam you. Just because it says 0 grams doesn't make it true. That can say zero if it is less than a gram. It took me a long time to figure out that the lables are kind of crap.

    NO HAHA! The fact theyre allowed to lie is harsh!
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    Something is wrong here. It's impossible for you to hit your macro nutrients but end up way below your calorie goals. Maybe you're using unreliable database entries.

    It is possible to hit macro's and end up below a calorie target. But it takes a lot of work, food prep, food planning and good measurements. I've been practicing cron on and off and it works (for me), just takes time and effort.

    It's not possible though....... Take 2,490kcals as an example. You've eaten the following;

    170g PRO
    70g Fat
    295g CHO

    4 cals per gram for CHO & PRO
    9 cals per gram for fat.

    You hit your macros, you can't avoid the number of calories that are associated with them.

    Let's not discuss this here because I don't want to hi jack her post. But if you'd like to message me feel free and we can discuss in detail. Thanks :smile:

    Thanks for the offer to discuss but i think it's important for others that may read this, but may not be commenting, to understand how you believe this is possible.

    No... no... I'm sorry about how that came out. I am not stupid and I certainly know it's a mathmatical certainty that hitting your macros means hitting your calories. In terms of logging especially on MFP, there are a lot of generic entries and there is a lot of incorrect information out there provided by users and even actual nutritional labels. Sometimes even the best and most accurate logging can result in a few calories under (or over) here and there while hitting your macros. Does this make more sense? :blush:


  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    BTW, how long have you been logging and how much weight gain did you have?

    started properly more than a month ago - ish?

    I put on 3lbs.
  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    If it looks like your gaining weight, then maybe you have to consider it to be water.
    Salt holds on to water
    Carbs holds on to water.
    Maybe you may want to consider to eat more potassium

    Question - I was looking at your Food Journal, for just the last 3 days or so and I didn't see Fish, or Turkey, or chicken, is there a reason?

    I'm a vegetarian :')
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    wow..thats harsh :neutral:
    I am sorry. Didn't plan it to sound harsh. Just trying to say you have to be sharp. Trans fat is another place they scam you. Just because it says 0 grams doesn't make it true. That can say zero if it is less than a gram. It took me a long time to figure out that the lables are kind of crap.

    NO HAHA! The fact theyre allowed to lie is harsh!

    it's not lying. They have tolerances that are required to hit. So a type of food can be XX calories +/- 25%. Ever weigh a bagel? Compare the difference in the weight. Not every thing, even with standard manufacturing, will be exactly as marked on the package.

  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    If it looks like your gaining weight, then maybe you have to consider it to be water.
    Salt holds on to water
    Carbs holds on to water.
    Maybe you may want to consider to eat more potassium

    Question - I was looking at your Food Journal, for just the last 3 days or so and I didn't see Fish, or Turkey, or chicken, is there a reason?

    I'm a vegetarian :')

    in the loosest term possible :')
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    Okay but... it does hit over 800 calories for the most part. You're eating more than you think.

    And think about it.... you are eating, when you're not hungry, because a computer program is telling you too? Ya, that makes sense.

    Cut out carbs and sugars, eat more protein and healthy fat. Eat when you're hungry, don't when your not. Weigh and measure your food, all of your food. Try that for a couple weeks and see how that goes.

    With all due respect, this same computer program is also telling people to eat less against their perceived hunger, too.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    Protranser wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    amyr271 wrote: »
    Having had a quick flick through your diary, I have noticed that you have only has one day under 1000 calories, the rest were fairly close to your goal. Definitely no 800 calorie days..

    Have missed the point of this post?

    Haha no - what im saying is what i eat in normal day comes to about 800 calories, i try and make my calorie amount up after my day is done because i know i've not eaten enough even though im not hungry, does that make sense? =/

    "I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!" <
    is what you said in your original post.

    So which is it?


    I'm saying what i eat at work and when i get home, it doesn't hit over 800 calories, so i feel like i have to eat alot more when i dont particularly want to to hit my goal...

    Sorry if it doesnt make sense..its hard to explain.. =/

    Okay but... it does hit over 800 calories for the most part. You're eating more than you think.

    And think about it.... you are eating, when you're not hungry, because a computer program is telling you too? Ya, that makes sense.

    Cut out carbs and sugars, eat more protein and healthy fat. Eat when you're hungry, don't when your not. Weigh and measure your food, all of your food. Try that for a couple weeks and see how that goes.

    With all due respect, this same computer program is also telling people to eat less against their perceived hunger, too.

    Well at least you said "In all due respect" :smile:
    Yes I know. Again, just trying to help and come up with different views, ideas, thoughts, etc.. I know people who have lost weight eating almost 100% carbs. I know people who have lost weight on all different calorie ranges, I know people who are always hungry and who are never hungry...

    The bottom line here is something is not working. So make one or two small changes and see if that changes the situation. If not, try something else and keep trying different things until something work with the underlying baseline being calories in/calories out.
  • scottwilson16
    scottwilson16 Posts: 71 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    Something is wrong here. It's impossible for you to hit your macro nutrients but end up way below your calorie goals. Maybe you're using unreliable database entries.

    It is possible to hit macro's and end up below a calorie target. But it takes a lot of work, food prep, food planning and good measurements. I've been practicing cron on and off and it works (for me), just takes time and effort.

    It's not possible though....... Take 2,490kcals as an example. You've eaten the following;

    170g PRO
    70g Fat
    295g CHO

    4 cals per gram for CHO & PRO
    9 cals per gram for fat.

    You hit your macros, you can't avoid the number of calories that are associated with them.

    Let's not discuss this here because I don't want to hi jack her post. But if you'd like to message me feel free and we can discuss in detail. Thanks :smile:

    Thanks for the offer to discuss but i think it's important for others that may read this, but may not be commenting, to understand how you believe this is possible.

    No... no... I'm sorry about how that came out. I am not stupid and I certainly know it's a mathmatical certainty that hitting your macros means hitting your calories. In terms of logging especially on MFP, there are a lot of generic entries and there is a lot of incorrect information out there provided by users and even actual nutritional labels. Sometimes even the best and most accurate logging can result in a few calories under (or over) here and there while hitting your macros. Does this make more sense? :blush:


    Yes of course, I've seen them. The calorie only entries etc! Sometimes think users should need to pass an online assessment to add in a database entry on myfitnesspal!
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    This might be a bit of a rant, i'm starting to get really worried so i'm trying to get through to see a dietitian, however in the meantime - i'd really love your opinions.

    As my bio says, i'm not a big foody at all, i'm a serial snacker, and that doesn't bother me as all i seem to snack on is fruit, however, since logging everything, i noticed that something isn't right and i cant fix it! I am spot on, on my nutritional values so i know i'm getting everything i need, however my calories are really really low, I never seem to go above 800 calories no matter what, but like i said, my nutritional values and macros are really good!

    The thing that worried me most is, i weighed and measured myself last night and i've put on weight and inches around my bum thighs and waist.

    I do have a thyroid problem, i'm due for a check up this month so my weight gain COULD have something to do with that, however if it isn't, is my weight gain because my body isn't consuming enough calories?

    Something is wrong here. It's impossible for you to hit your macro nutrients but end up way below your calorie goals. Maybe you're using unreliable database entries.

    It is possible to hit macro's and end up below a calorie target. But it takes a lot of work, food prep, food planning and good measurements. I've been practicing cron on and off and it works (for me), just takes time and effort.

    It's not possible though....... Take 2,490kcals as an example. You've eaten the following;

    170g PRO
    70g Fat
    295g CHO

    4 cals per gram for CHO & PRO
    9 cals per gram for fat.

    You hit your macros, you can't avoid the number of calories that are associated with them.

    Let's not discuss this here because I don't want to hi jack her post. But if you'd like to message me feel free and we can discuss in detail. Thanks :smile:

    Thanks for the offer to discuss but i think it's important for others that may read this, but may not be commenting, to understand how you believe this is possible.

    No... no... I'm sorry about how that came out. I am not stupid and I certainly know it's a mathmatical certainty that hitting your macros means hitting your calories. In terms of logging especially on MFP, there are a lot of generic entries and there is a lot of incorrect information out there provided by users and even actual nutritional labels. Sometimes even the best and most accurate logging can result in a few calories under (or over) here and there while hitting your macros. Does this make more sense? :blush:


    Yes of course, I've seen them. The calorie only entries etc! Sometimes think users should need to pass an online assessment to add in a database entry on myfitnesspal!

    Haha! Agree! I have fallen victim to those entries more times than I care to acknowledge. Thinking "omg I totally did so awesome today, hardly any carbs! But wait... didn't I eat an entire loaf of.... oh." heehee :blush:
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.
  • CharCharJo
    CharCharJo Posts: 22 Member
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.

    So would you suggest weighing my banana instead of using the average of a medium sized banana?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.

    So would you suggest weighing my banana instead of using the average of a medium sized banana?
    Absolutely. A medium banana is like 60 calories. The average banana I eat (i initially though medium) was actually 130 calories. Now extrapolate that by all your food.
  • scottwilson16
    scottwilson16 Posts: 71 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.

    So would you suggest weighing my banana instead of using the average of a medium sized banana?

    This is what I do, but I am quite anal about my tracking. The amount of variance wont be much (25kcals is nothing - you could have taken 200 more steps that day and it's negated it), but if you have the same over 5 to 6 different foods, every day) it could by something like 250kcals a day.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    wow..thats harsh :neutral:
    I am sorry. Didn't plan it to sound harsh. Just trying to say you have to be sharp. Trans fat is another place they scam you. Just because it says 0 grams doesn't make it true. That can say zero if it is less than a gram. It took me a long time to figure out that the lables are kind of crap.

    NO HAHA! The fact theyre allowed to lie is harsh!

    it's not lying. They have tolerances that are required to hit. So a type of food can be XX calories +/- 25%. Ever weigh a bagel? Compare the difference in the weight. Not every thing, even with standard manufacturing, will be exactly as marked on the package.

    That. It's impossible to be exactly the same.
    Even fresh whole foods don't necessarily have the same amount of calories. Get a tomato that didn't get as much sun and it has less calories than the USDA standard tomato. Or something, I'm not a botanist.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    wow..thats harsh :neutral:
    I am sorry. Didn't plan it to sound harsh. Just trying to say you have to be sharp. Trans fat is another place they scam you. Just because it says 0 grams doesn't make it true. That can say zero if it is less than a gram. It took me a long time to figure out that the lables are kind of crap.

    NO HAHA! The fact theyre allowed to lie is harsh!

    it's not lying. They have tolerances that are required to hit. So a type of food can be XX calories +/- 25%. Ever weigh a bagel? Compare the difference in the weight. Not every thing, even with standard manufacturing, will be exactly as marked on the package.

    That. It's impossible to be exactly the same.
    Even fresh whole foods don't necessarily have the same amount of calories. Get a tomato that didn't get as much sun and it has less calories than the USDA standard tomato. Or something, I'm not a botanist.

    Not at all talking about basic ingredients. I am talking about the proven falsehoods on American food lables. Diet food especially. When tested in labs it is regularly 30% higher in calories than reported. Argue all you like but there is a reason people who regularly eat prepared food, even diet food, don't lose. It is just something to keep in mind when reaching for that kind of meal.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.

    So would you suggest weighing my banana instead of using the average of a medium sized banana?

    Yes.!!!!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    psulemon wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    I just got my blood work back and dang no thyroid problems. I wanted a reason, so badly, for the growth of my fat A**. No such luck. I was just eating way more than I thought and relying on food lables to be accurate. For example, I love dried apricots. The package says 7 for 140 calories. When I weigh that in grams it's 4 not 7. You really have to be careful in the USA. Food companies are given a 3
    That got cut off. It's a 30% leeway. That can really add up. No wonder Americans have such difficulty being healthy. They are legally allowed to lie.

    wow..thats harsh :neutral:
    I am sorry. Didn't plan it to sound harsh. Just trying to say you have to be sharp. Trans fat is another place they scam you. Just because it says 0 grams doesn't make it true. That can say zero if it is less than a gram. It took me a long time to figure out that the lables are kind of crap.

    NO HAHA! The fact theyre allowed to lie is harsh!

    it's not lying. They have tolerances that are required to hit. So a type of food can be XX calories +/- 25%. Ever weigh a bagel? Compare the difference in the weight. Not every thing, even with standard manufacturing, will be exactly as marked on the package.

    That. It's impossible to be exactly the same.
    Even fresh whole foods don't necessarily have the same amount of calories. Get a tomato that didn't get as much sun and it has less calories than the USDA standard tomato. Or something, I'm not a botanist.

    Not at all talking about basic ingredients. I am talking about the proven falsehoods on American food lables. Diet food especially. When tested in labs it is regularly 30% higher in calories than reported. Argue all you like but there is a reason people who regularly eat prepared food, even diet food, don't lose. It is just something to keep in mind when reaching for that kind of meal.

    Curious, do you have any studies? I know that the FDA allows for foods to fall within a tolerance (some of my bagels are above and some are below the suggested amount) but I haven't seen a widespread issue outside of that. Not saying that companies don't lie because just look at the whole supplement industry, but would like to have more concrete data.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited September 2015
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Start using a food scale. The average banana is 130 calories, you have 105. One doesn't not lose weight by eating too little.

    So would you suggest weighing my banana instead of using the average of a medium sized banana?

    Why are you not weighing your food? You said in your first response you weigh your food...
    CharCharJo wrote: »
    absolutely everything i weigh yeah =/
This discussion has been closed.