Blue and Scattered

hgallagher7

Ok, diet wise, it's going well - i'm not hungry and I'm losing 1.5-2lb a week, regularly, which I'm happy with.

I am feeling a bit blue and scattered though, is this a nutrient thing?

Any tips for keeping my mood / concentration steady?

AnnPT77

Exercise works well for me - not necessarily anything monster hard, even just a good walk in the fresh air and (if available ) sunshine. If you're low carb-ing, and new at it, it may pass. It's always good to get adequate protein, fat, and micros (i.e., eat your fruit & veg), but there's not enough info in your post to say whether you have some specific deficiency that could be an issue (and your diary isn't public).

hgallagher7

Thanks AnnPT77, I think exercise is def the missing bit, I do walk to work and back but I need to build in extras I guess. And yeah, I don't always pay attention to the nutrient goals - pretty new to this, and still feeling my way

AnnPT77

hgallagher7 wrote: »

Thanks AnnPT77, I think exercise is def the missing bit, I do walk to work and back but I need to build in extras I guess. And yeah, I don't always pay attention to the nutrient goals - pretty new to this, and still feeling my way

Patience, then, and allow yourself some time to adjust & get oriented. You can also experiment with things like your timing of calories through the day (3 meals vs. 3 meals + snacks vs. 5 meals, and more) and nutrient mix (variation within healthy ranges), over time, to see what keeps you feeling happiest & most satisfied. You'll do great!

shadowfax_c11

Loss of concentration/Brain fog can be a sign of not enough calories. How much do you have to lose and how many calories are you eating?

hgallagher7

Shadowfax:

Ugh I am very overweight. I need to lose about five 1/2 stone, but I'm doing it steadily, aiming for 2lb a week at 1380 calories a day.

One thing that does concern me is that I've come across a number of foods in the MFP database where the calorie count is grossly exaggerated - e.g. 100g white rice was in at 310 calories - while the packet said 119.

I'm concerned I may have been accidentally under-eating, which is not good, and I'll be creating my own little food database going forwards.

hgallagher7

AnnPT77:

Thanks Ann, I really appreciate the support, and I think scheduling in some healthy snacks would be an excellent idea. I do get the slight shakiness and 'meh' feeling if I space meals out too much.

callsitlikeiseeit

hgallagher7 wrote: »

Shadowfax:

One thing that does concern me is that I've come across a number of foods in the MFP database where the calorie count is grossly exaggerated - e.g. 100g white rice was in at 310 calories - while the packet said 119.

some rice brands list cooked weight/ calories and some do uncooked .... make sure you are comparing apples to apples .

100 grams of COOKED rice would not be that high. since that is one of the few items i weigh cooked, i cant tell you what the uncooked number would be....

hgallagher7

Yeah I need to be careful with that, I usually weigh when cooked but it does vary. Like I say, I think i'd just feel more comfortable if I was copying the calorie results off the packet where possible,

ManiacalLaugh

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

hgallagher7 wrote: »

Shadowfax:

One thing that does concern me is that I've come across a number of foods in the MFP database where the calorie count is grossly exaggerated - e.g. 100g white rice was in at 310 calories - while the packet said 119.

some rice brands list cooked weight/ calories and some do uncooked .... make sure you are comparing apples to apples .

100 grams of COOKED rice would not be that high. since that is one of the few items i weigh cooked, i cant tell you what the uncooked number would be....

Second this. Rice can be tricky. For my brand of cooked, long grained white rice, 150 grams equal ~200 or so calories. Uncooked, I'm sure 150 grams would be much, much higher.

arditarose

What are your macros like? I do find my mood can be thrown off if I'm low on fat, too high on carbs, etc. It's not the same for everyone though it is important to meet the minimum requirements, for micro-nutrients as well. Take a look through your reports for micros and macros. See if anything seems very low and do a bit of research/ask questions here.

jkestens63

Exercise definitely brightens my mood. It also helps me to do something non-food oriented that I really enjoy, like cross stitch or hitting thrift stores for affordable retail therapy. Make sure you schedule time to do what you want to do, not have to do. I volunteer and try to up my hours, helping people always perks me up.