Consistent 1000 calorie warning. What should I add to my diet, please?
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melstampz
Posts: 28 Member
Hi All,
I'm a little stumped, so I've opened up my diary to public and am seeking advice on the most healthy nutrient-dense foods to add to my diet. I've found the community here so incredibly supportive and so I thought I'd reach out for help.
Considerations that might help:
----I keep getting the warning that I am not eating enough calories (under 1000) for the last 10 days and having to add more food. I thought I was eating enough nutrient dense foods, but I am not losing weight like I once was, since I started tracking and cleaned up my diet even more. When I add foods to try to get to the suggested calorie minimum I seem to overdo it on protein or carbs or sugars from fruits. Is that okay? Am I overthinking it perhaps?
----I have dietary restrictions due to Celiac & food allergies (no gluten, dairy, soy, egg, beef, almonds, rice, grains, or potatoes). I am not a vegetarian, however. Protein-wise I eat chicken & salmon primarily.
----I am 42 years old, 5 foot 7. So far I have lost 74 lbs mostly through diet changes. I currently weight 174. I started at around 250 and I have yet to lose around 25-30ish to be at my target. Though I'm not attached to a number as my goal has become about strength and muscle versus weight. (I had a plateau that lasted 1 month plus.) I seem to lose and add the same 2lbs lately.
----I don't workout at the gym yet, but I do powerwalk intensely for at least 70 minutes 3-5 times a week and get in a good deal of general light exercise doing day to day things.
----My estimated BMR (here on MFP) is: 1,502 calories/day, but my goals have set my calorie intake at 1200 ... based on my activity level and trying to lose 2lbs/week. I'm wondering if I have to be satisfied with slowing the weight loss down now that i am nearing my goal weight?
----I am open to eating more if that seems wise. I just want to know what specifically to add to my diet without backsliding. I would be very grateful for suggestions for exercise additions as well. I've been seriously considering lifting or weight training.
Thank you ever so much, in advance, for your time,
Mel
I'm a little stumped, so I've opened up my diary to public and am seeking advice on the most healthy nutrient-dense foods to add to my diet. I've found the community here so incredibly supportive and so I thought I'd reach out for help.
Considerations that might help:
----I keep getting the warning that I am not eating enough calories (under 1000) for the last 10 days and having to add more food. I thought I was eating enough nutrient dense foods, but I am not losing weight like I once was, since I started tracking and cleaned up my diet even more. When I add foods to try to get to the suggested calorie minimum I seem to overdo it on protein or carbs or sugars from fruits. Is that okay? Am I overthinking it perhaps?
----I have dietary restrictions due to Celiac & food allergies (no gluten, dairy, soy, egg, beef, almonds, rice, grains, or potatoes). I am not a vegetarian, however. Protein-wise I eat chicken & salmon primarily.
----I am 42 years old, 5 foot 7. So far I have lost 74 lbs mostly through diet changes. I currently weight 174. I started at around 250 and I have yet to lose around 25-30ish to be at my target. Though I'm not attached to a number as my goal has become about strength and muscle versus weight. (I had a plateau that lasted 1 month plus.) I seem to lose and add the same 2lbs lately.
----I don't workout at the gym yet, but I do powerwalk intensely for at least 70 minutes 3-5 times a week and get in a good deal of general light exercise doing day to day things.
----My estimated BMR (here on MFP) is: 1,502 calories/day, but my goals have set my calorie intake at 1200 ... based on my activity level and trying to lose 2lbs/week. I'm wondering if I have to be satisfied with slowing the weight loss down now that i am nearing my goal weight?
----I am open to eating more if that seems wise. I just want to know what specifically to add to my diet without backsliding. I would be very grateful for suggestions for exercise additions as well. I've been seriously considering lifting or weight training.
Thank you ever so much, in advance, for your time,
Mel
0
Replies
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This may be a helpful discussion for you:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
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When you say "nutrient dense foods" are you trying to say calorie dense foods? They are two very very different things that happen to be on opposite ends of the spectrum.0
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Peanut or other nut/nut butter? Oily fish? I love smoked mackarel....good fats.0
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Nuts are a good choice. I don't eat cashews anymore because one serving doesn't even fill my palm so if I ate enough to be satisfied, I'd end up eating 5-6 servings! ^_^; And if I need a snack when I get home to tide me over till dinner and have the calories, I eat a couple pieces of toast with peanut butter. Or apples and peanut butter if I have some granny smith apples.
And for your first comment, I would say you're stressing too much about the makeup of your foods. In fact, if you've gotten the nutrition you need for the day, having a sweet of some kind is a tasty way to add some extra calories to hit your calorie goal for the day.0 -
Nuts are a good choice. I don't eat cashews anymore because one serving doesn't even fill my palm so if I ate enough to be satisfied, I'd end up eating 5-6 servings! ^_^; And if I need a snack when I get home to tide me over till dinner and have the calories, I eat a couple pieces of toast with peanut butter. Or apples and peanut butter if I have some granny smith apples.
And for your first comment, I would say you're stressing too much about the makeup of your foods. In fact, if you've gotten the nutrition you need for the day, having a sweet of some kind is a tasty way to add some extra calories to hit your calorie goal for the day.
Normally I would agree with this. But to me, it's really only true if you're eating appropriately for your body. The OP is currently eating less than her BMR. So in this case, she probably does need every single calorie to be packed with nutrients or else risk serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies and possible health detriments..
My suggestion to the OP would be to always eat at least your BMR and then you can follow the above bolded advice.
I also ask if you weigh and measure all your foods? At 1200 calories properly measured, you'd be losing weight fast. Faster than recommended in fact. So maybe you are eating more than 1200 without knowing it. It's very easy to do. I've done it myself in the past.
Also, do you tend to have days where you lose control? That happened to me too when I was eating below my BMR. And actually I find I do it when I'm even not eating enough above my BMR. Which of course, happened often enough to wipe out my weight loss (I can really pack in the food when I decide to). 300 calories a day above BMR is where my body seems to like to eat to keep it less stressed and a steady slow loss (0.4 lb a week for me). It is still below my TDEE though.0 -
Hi All,
I'm a little stumped, so I've opened up my diary to public and am seeking advice on the most healthy nutrient-dense foods to add to my diet. I've found the community here so incredibly supportive and so I thought I'd reach out for help.
Considerations that might help:
----I keep getting the warning that I am not eating enough calories (under 1000) for the last 10 days and having to add more food. I thought I was eating enough nutrient dense foods, but I am not losing weight like I once was, since I started tracking and cleaned up my diet even more. When I add foods to try to get to the suggested calorie minimum I seem to overdo it on protein or carbs or sugars from fruits. Is that okay? Am I overthinking it perhaps?
----I have dietary restrictions due to Celiac & food allergies (no gluten, dairy, soy, egg, beef, almonds, rice, grains, or potatoes). I am not a vegetarian, however. Protein-wise I eat chicken & salmon primarily.
----I am 42 years old, 5 foot 7. So far I have lost 74 lbs mostly through diet changes. I currently weight 174. I started at around 250 and I have yet to lose around 25-30ish to be at my target. Though I'm not attached to a number as my goal has become about strength and muscle versus weight. (I had a plateau that lasted 1 month plus.) I seem to lose and add the same 2lbs lately.
----I don't workout at the gym yet, but I do powerwalk intensely for at least 70 minutes 3-5 times a week and get in a good deal of general light exercise doing day to day things.
----My estimated BMR (here on MFP) is: 1,502 calories/day, but my goals have set my calorie intake at 1200 ... based on my activity level and trying to lose 2lbs/week. I'm wondering if I have to be satisfied with slowing the weight loss down now that i am nearing my goal weight?
----I am open to eating more if that seems wise. I just want to know what specifically to add to my diet without backsliding. I would be very grateful for suggestions for exercise additions as well. I've been seriously considering lifting or weight training.
Thank you ever so much, in advance, for your time,
Mel
It's helped me to think of protein as a minimum, not a maximum. For that matter, going over on any of your macros really isn't a bad thing - I find it takes quite a bit of work to hit my targets exactly (40/30/30 for me; YMMV).
You are correct in that things are probably going to slow down now that you're closer to goal (your deficit is not as big, as you are physically smaller); perhaps consider switching your profile to lose either a pound a week or half a pound a week. Then go ahead and eat the calories. Nut butters, jerky (I make my own), dried fruit, etc.0 -
This may be a helpful discussion for you:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
^Agreed. Pick something off the list that meets your dietary restrictions and incorporate one or two off the list.0 -
Nuts are a good choice. I don't eat cashews anymore because one serving doesn't even fill my palm so if I ate enough to be satisfied, I'd end up eating 5-6 servings! ^_^; And if I need a snack when I get home to tide me over till dinner and have the calories, I eat a couple pieces of toast with peanut butter. Or apples and peanut butter if I have some granny smith apples.
And for your first comment, I would say you're stressing too much about the makeup of your foods. In fact, if you've gotten the nutrition you need for the day, having a sweet of some kind is a tasty way to add some extra calories to hit your calorie goal for the day.
Normally I would agree with this. But to me, it's really only true if you're eating appropriately for your body. The OP is currently eating less than her BMR. So in this case, she probably does need every single calorie to be packed with nutrients or else risk serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies and possible health detriments..
My suggestion to the OP would be to always eat at least your BMR and then you can follow the above bolded advice.
I also ask if you weigh and measure all your foods? At 1200 calories properly measured, you'd be losing weight fast. Faster than recommended in fact. So maybe you are eating more than 1200 without knowing it. It's very easy to do. I've done it myself in the past.
That's why I said to add them if you're getting the nutrition your body needs first. Hell, I have a horrible diet and a lot of people would say I'm not getting the nutrition I need. But the only thing I ever test low on is B12 because for some reason I can't absorb it very well through my digestive system. So it's not hard to get the nutrients you need on 1000 calories, just not ideal.
OP: is the number you said your BMR or TDEE? Those are two different things, and I've never met anyone with a BMR of 1500 calories.0 -
From your Thursday diary, another helping of the chicken and another helping of the beer sausage get you exactly to 1200 calories. I picked those because your protein number was a bit low. Similar algebraic exercises can be done for your amusement.0
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How much has your weight loss slowed down? By looking at your diary, it appears you could have a lot of inaccurate entries. Generic items, things listed in halves, cups, tablespoons, etc. You may very well be eating 1200 or more calories per day and not realizing it.0
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since youre not allowed to eat all kinds of food, be careful you dont lack vitamins. Avocados have lots of nutrion and are very healthy all round vitaminbombs. Prepare a avocado/banana smoothie with a type of milk that you like, rice or cocomilk, add some citrusjuice and you will have a nice filling, calorierich smoothie. By the way, check if you can eat sweet potatoes, might be a good filler with lots of vitamins as well (I prepare them boiled combined with banana as a smoothie as well)0
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Nuts are a good choice. I don't eat cashews anymore because one serving doesn't even fill my palm so if I ate enough to be satisfied, I'd end up eating 5-6 servings! ^_^; And if I need a snack when I get home to tide me over till dinner and have the calories, I eat a couple pieces of toast with peanut butter. Or apples and peanut butter if I have some granny smith apples.
And for your first comment, I would say you're stressing too much about the makeup of your foods. In fact, if you've gotten the nutrition you need for the day, having a sweet of some kind is a tasty way to add some extra calories to hit your calorie goal for the day.
Normally I would agree with this. But to me, it's really only true if you're eating appropriately for your body. The OP is currently eating less than her BMR. So in this case, she probably does need every single calorie to be packed with nutrients or else risk serious vitamin and mineral deficiencies and possible health detriments..
My suggestion to the OP would be to always eat at least your BMR and then you can follow the above bolded advice.
I also ask if you weigh and measure all your foods? At 1200 calories properly measured, you'd be losing weight fast. Faster than recommended in fact. So maybe you are eating more than 1200 without knowing it. It's very easy to do. I've done it myself in the past.
That's why I said to add them if you're getting the nutrition your body needs first. Hell, I have a horrible diet and a lot of people would say I'm not getting the nutrition I need. But the only thing I ever test low on is B12 because for some reason I can't absorb it very well through my digestive system. So it's not hard to get the nutrients you need on 1000 calories, just not ideal.
OP: is the number you said your BMR or TDEE? Those are two different things, and I've never met anyone with a BMR of 1500 calories.
Haha yeah, it's hard to get the nutrition. I'm not great at it either. It is nice to eat bit more to allow you to relax a tad though
I'm 5' 6" and 140ish and my BMR is around 1400 (though I am 27 not 41). So, OP feel free to correct me, I would think the number she said is her BMR (she's an inch taller and a higher weight for now than me, age plays a factor). Her TDEE is probably a least 1800. probably more, but depends on her activity. I'm just throwing that number out there.0 -
I_Will_End_You wrote: »How much has your weight loss slowed down? By looking at your diary, it appears you could have a lot of inaccurate entries. Generic items, things listed in halves, cups, tablespoons, etc. You may very well be eating 1200 or more calories per day and not realizing it.
I was going to say this.0 -
Thank you all so very much! Great advice. I just got a scale, so my measurements are about to get more accurate. I'll revisit things then. And I think I'll switch things out for some of the foods you've suggested. Much appreciated! P.S. it was BMR I can post a screengrab if that would be helpful? 0
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No need for a screen grab, I was probably off on my estimations. ^_^;
Your BMR is what you need to simply exist in a coma. Find a calorie calculator and get your TDEE and take the deficit off that. It'll be higher than your BMR, and be a lot easier to adjust to.0 -
Thank you! I found this TDEE calculator & got these results: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=42&lbs=177&in=67&act=1.55&bf=30&f=1 I can see I definitely need to do some reading & research to learn more about the math behind weight loss, macros etc.
I'm measuring anything that's a carb, or protein, or has substantial fats via scale now. Veggies I may still guesstimate, since I make stir-fry a lot and so many salads, or steamed/grilled veggie salads that are all mixed in together. I cook many servings all at once then eat leftovers. I guess I could pick it all out & weigh each vegetable category, but that seems a little time-consuming (and mildly obsessive? I could see myself going there; it would be more accurate.) lol
There's no doubt I've been over-estimating how many proteins I've been eating. 100g of chicken turns out to be twice as much as I thought it was. I could be full all day on that. Eating in restaurants really complicates things as well since there's no scale. I'm going to start having more dinner parties & picnics so I can weigh it all!
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Thank you! I found this TDEE calculator & got these results: https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=imperial&g=female&age=42&lbs=177&in=67&act=1.55&bf=30&f=1 I can see I definitely need to do some reading & research to learn more about the math behind weight loss, macros etc.
I'm measuring anything that's a carb, or protein, or has substantial fats via scale now. Veggies I may still guesstimate, since I make stir-fry a lot and so many salads, or steamed/grilled veggie salads that are all mixed in together. I cook many servings all at once then eat leftovers. I guess I could pick it all out & weigh each vegetable category, but that seems a little time-consuming (and mildly obsessive? I could see myself going there; it would be more accurate.) lol
There's no doubt I've been over-estimating how many proteins I've been eating. 100g of chicken turns out to be twice as much as I thought it was. I could be full all day on that. Eating in restaurants really complicates things as well since there's no scale. I'm going to start having more dinner parties & picnics so I can weigh it all!
If you're having trouble losing, it's best to weigh everything including veggies. After a month or two you might have a better ability to estimate weights and you could relax then. That being said... people always say do things as you might continue to do after... so if you could do it your way and see how it goes.
As for veggies, watch out for corn, peas, carrots, etc. They add up really fast. Love them, but they're higher calorie veggies. As compared to lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and watery things.
Restaurants are tough. If you eat out often, try doing 1.1 x a dish when you enter it (110% of the website calories). If you don't eat out often, just use what's on the website.0 -
Got a digital scale. Going to weigh it all here on in. Thanks again, everyone!
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Wanted to check in and say thank you! The plateau has been broken! I think I was eating far more calories than I realized. Since I started measuring everything I've lost 3.8 lbs. and that's with adding avocado to get more healthy fats. I found it made me crave less of the junky stuff and less simple carbs. I'm also staying out of restaurants for now. You guys are the best. So grateful! 0
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Wanted to check in and say thank you! The plateau has been broken! I think I was eating far more calories than I realized. Since I started measuring everything I've lost 3.8 lbs. and that's with adding avocado to get more healthy fats. I found it made me crave less of the junky stuff and less simple carbs. I'm also staying out of restaurants for now. You guys are the best. So grateful!
I'm really glad it's working for you! Great job :flowerforyou:0
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