Losing Weight But Not Getting My Calories

PamWOhio

Hi. I am only 2 weeks in to my journey. I have lost 10lbs in that 2 weeks but ever since I switched from eating all the frozen meals and fast food and started eating better, I am not hungry. I don't drink coffee so I have a little bit of Soda Stream Cola in the morning to stave off the caffeine headache since I cut WAY down on it but I usually don't eat anything till lunch time. I am drinking my water and am staying in my numbers. I cannot exercise much yet. I only get a mile or two of walking in a day. My back is having issues after sitting on my butt for 6 years and putting on all the weight.

It is really hard to eat when I am not hungry. Unfortunately, I don't like many vegetables and have never been a fruit eater which makes some of this difficult. I don't know what I am supposed to be doing as far as Carbs, Fat and Protein. I have just been staying under the allotted grams for the categories. If I do want pasta, is it ok to eat them for dinner or would it be better for lunch? Is all fat that I take in going to impede weight loss? Is too much protein bad?

Please, take a look at my food diary. Any input would be appreciated. I could really use some more friends that have more knowledge about all this stuff. I am 5'3" tall and started off my journey 2 weeks ago at 204.5lbs. I am a 47 year old female. I am now at 194.4 but am afraid I am losing muscle which I probably don't have much of to begin with instead of the fat that I want to lose.

Thanks in advance for any help and would welcome any friend requests and advice.

snickerscharlie

A quick burst of weight loss such as you've experienced is very common in the beginning - especially if you're obese. This rapid loss won't continue, and is mainly due to losing retained water because you're probably consuming A LOT less salt than you were previously.

PamWOhio

I understand that the quick burst is just that and that it won't last. My goal is to find out now the best way to continue so I am not harming my efforts after that burst is over. Is it OK to eat less if I am not hungry or do I HAVE to get that minimum of 1200 calories to stay at a 1-2lb loss a week after my "burst" is over?

3dogsrunning

PamWOhio wrote: »

I understand that the quick burst is just that and that it won't last. My goal is to find out now the best way to continue so I am not harming my efforts after that burst is over. Is it OK to eat less if I am not hungry or do I HAVE to get that minimum of 1200 calories to stay at a 1-2lb loss a week after my "burst" is over?

First - you need to be sure that your intake is actually as low as you think it is. It is not uncommon to underestimate your calorie intake.

The other thing is that drastic changes to food intake can affect hunger levels. Hunger isn't a reliable indicator to whether or not you are actually eating enough. Some people find they are not hungry at first.
My suggestion would be - if you are sure you are under your calorie goal - to aim to hit your food goal.
You don't have to necessarily eat more or stuff yourself. Very often when people first start dieting, they get into the habit of eating "diet food". Low calorie/low fat versions of food. If you are doing that, simply switch out one. Get a full fat version of the food. Or add some PB or other fat source to a meal.

PamWOhio

So fat isn't necessarily going to go right to my *kitten*? I LOVE my cheese but good LORD is that stuff bad in the fat dept....lol

3dogsrunning

PamWOhio wrote: »

So fat isn't necessarily going to go right to my *kitten*? I LOVE my cheese but good LORD is that stuff bad in the fat dept....lol

Fat does not make you fat. It is also necessary. If you are staying under you calorie goal you don't need to fear fat.

PamWOhio

I have a food scale. I am measuring everything now. The only thing I am not measuring is the prepackaged stuff that is already in individual servings like fiber bars and if I have a prepackaged meal.

asholijen

If you eat too little, your body goes into starvation mode and will pack as much away as possible, so it's finding that balance.

Also, a lot of people who don't like vegetables don't like them because our parents just boiled them and that really brings out the metallic flavor in them (which tells your brain "this is bad/don't eat this"). Try looking at alternative ways to cook veggies that doesn't ruin the flavor, and see if they're more palpable to you then.

3dogsrunning

asholijen wrote: »

If you eat too little, your body goes into starvation mode and will pack as much away as possible, so it's finding that balance.

Also, a lot of people who don't like vegetables don't like them because our parents just boiled them and that really brings out the metallic flavor in them (which tells your brain "this is bad/don't eat this"). Try looking at alternative ways to cook veggies that doesn't ruin the flavor, and see if they're more palpable to you then.

That actually doesn't happen.

vespiquenn

PamWOhio wrote: »

I have a food scale. I am measuring everything now. The only thing I am not measuring is the prepackaged stuff that is already in individual servings like fiber bars and if I have a prepackaged meal.

Weigh prepackaged items. Weigh everything. Prepackaged items can be off by 20% as long as it benefits the consumer. I can't count the number of times I have my 190 calorie granola bar turn into ~220 calories. Do that multiple times and you're looking at an additional 100-300 calories. It might not be much, but as you continue to lose, your room for error will shrink. Creating the habits now will benefit you in the future.

varuamoon

Depending on how strict I am when I plan meals (protein, vegetables and fruits, some long grain rice), I was routinely coming up around 900 calories. I was plenty full, but still. So to bump up my calories to at least 1200 I would eat an ounce of almonds and consume a tablespoon of healthy fats. This was by choice as I felt I needed to relearn portions and healthier eating. I looked to keeping my protein up around 100 and my carbs around 150 for me. Fat content would fall were it may. I though do weight training followed by cardio. This is what works for me.

If you're having lower back pain. A pair of spanx briefs that are high wasited may help. I was fine on the treadmill myself until I did ab work, after that when I worked on inclines on the treadmill it felt like my lower back was being squeezed and my lower abdomen was being slowly pulled out. In other words, complete agony that I could only last ten minutes. Spanx briefs helped me to continue my cardio. I am still continuing to work on my core muscles.

Your mileage may vary.

snickerscharlie

vespiquenn wrote: »

PamWOhio wrote: »

I have a food scale. I am measuring everything now. The only thing I am not measuring is the prepackaged stuff that is already in individual servings like fiber bars and if I have a prepackaged meal.

Weigh prepackaged items. Weigh everything. Prepackaged items can be off by 20% as long as it benefits the consumer. I can't count the number of times I have my 190 calorie granola bar turn into ~220 calories. Do that multiple times and you're looking at an additional 100-300 calories. It might not be much, but as you continue to lose, your room for error will shrink. Creating the habits now will benefit you in the future.

^^^ This.

2snakeswoman

I think it's pretty common to come out under your calorie goal when you eliminate things you were eating too much of. Your appetite will catch up to your diet soon enough, then it will be a struggle not to go over your goal. At least that's how it happened for me.

Rocknut53

asholijen wrote: »

If you eat too little, your body goes into starvation mode and will pack as much away as possible, so it's finding that balance.

Also, a lot of people who don't like vegetables don't like them because our parents just boiled them and that really brings out the metallic flavor in them (which tells your brain "this is bad/don't eat this"). Try looking at alternative ways to cook veggies that doesn't ruin the flavor, and see if they're more palpable to you then.

No, no and emphatically no! Wherever you came up with this tidbit of misinformation please do some research and post helpful advice. This topic has been discussed ad nauseum on this site with links to credible research.

TravisGM92

Pam, I love how detailed your question is.

There is a lot of evidence to suggest that eating too little calories will put you into starvation mode, but there is also evidence that for heavier people, initial faster weight loss is better for long term weight loss.

Lyle McDonald (a man that I absolutely love to cite) talks about the weight loss fundamentals on his website: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/category/fat-loss/fat-loss-fundamentals/.

Basically, weight loss is eating less calories than your body needs on a daily basis. What you should do is calculate how many calories you need for what's called maintenance, then subtract about 10-20%. For example, I'm 155lbs. To lose weight, I should eat 1,700cal everyday. Check this website out to calculate that: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macronutcal.htm.

But, as Lyle says, if you can go more than 20% caloric deficit, there has been evidence that the rapid weight loss will be beneficial for you in the long run. The "starvation mode" is actually more myth than scientific evidence.

PamWOhio

I have been reading up a lot today on the "myth" of starvation mode and it makes sense to me so I am not going to be concerned with taking in a minimum of 1200 calories. If I am not hungry, I am not going to force myself to eat. I used the calculator in the link you provided TravisGM92 and for the goal of fat loss, my target caloric intake is 1473 but they didn't have an activity level for me. I would probably be slightly below the lightly active category because I don't do moderate exercise. Just starting out so I can only do a mile or 2 of walking ...usually 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile at a time at 2.5-4mph. Starvation mode doesn't make much scientific sense to me. If you have large stores of excess stored fat, why would my body think it needs to save what I am taking in when it has plenty there to burn? Anyway, your advice and help is greatly appreciated. You guys are all great.

TravisGM92

PamWOhio wrote: »

I have been reading up a lot today on the "myth" of starvation mode and it makes sense to me so I am not going to be concerned with taking in a minimum of 1200 calories. If I am not hungry, I am not going to force myself to eat. I used the calculator in the link you provided TravisGM92 and for the goal of fat loss, my target caloric intake is 1473 but they didn't have an activity level for me. I would probably be slightly below the lightly active category because I don't do moderate exercise. Just starting out so I can only do a mile or 2 of walking ...usually 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile at a time at 2.5-4mph. Starvation mode doesn't make much scientific sense to me. If you have large stores of excess stored fat, why would my body think it needs to save what I am taking in when it has plenty there to burn? Anyway, your advice and help is greatly appreciated. You guys are all great.

Since you're starting out, it might be a good idea to start slow and begin at 1,473 calories a day. Start by documenting what you eat on a daily basis without changing your regular diet. After a couple of days you can review what you eat and how much and manipulate it as your goals see fit.

Good luck

lemurcat12

Hi, Pam. I started this in 2014 when I was 44, and was over 200 at the time. I'm now fluctuating around 125. (I'm also 5'3.) I'd be happy to be friends if you want. I'm interested in nutrition and try different things, but I also am a big believer in making this sustainable, making small changes, and working with your own preferences and how you like to eat. I also found that I was good not eating that much when I started out (I started eating more when I started logging and realized I was overdoing it, and I think that kept me going over time.)

It sounds to me like you are overthinking this, and worrying about stuff that doesn't matter (understandable given how much we hear those things), and for the most part those can be ignored -- what matters is calories, and starting with MFP's goal is a good place to start (that means around that number -- not way under!).

PamWOhio wrote: »

I cannot exercise much yet. I only get a mile or two of walking in a day. My back is having issues after sitting on my butt for 6 years and putting on all the weight.

Understandable -- you can work up as your back starts feeling better and you get more in shape. Not burning yourself out or making it feel unpleasant is important.

It is really hard to eat when I am not hungry. Unfortunately, I don't like many vegetables and have never been a fruit eater which makes some of this difficult.

It's really okay to start with what you like and make small changes to make it healthier if that's the goal. With vegetables, have you tried different ways of cooking them? I admit I'm lucky and have always liked vegetables, but how they are cooked does make a big difference. Another way I get lots is by putting them in a pasta sauce or topping, a stir fry, or soup.

I don't know what I am supposed to be doing as far as Carbs, Fat and Protein.

This early, I'd say maybe don't worry about it at all, but track them. Note how you feel each day -- hungry, hungry at certain times of the day, stuff like that. After a couple of weeks you can see if there's a pattern or if you are struggling with hunger maybe try changing them up.

Beyond that, if you are interested in starting to track these (for me it was interesting) the first thing to look at is protein. When you have lots to lose you are likely to be losing mainly fat no matter what, but aiming for protein based on the following formula: .65-.85 g/lb of goal or healthy weight can help preserve muscle. I am 125 (I want to lose a bit more but am taking it slow) so for me this is .8 [I chose this from the .65-.85 range] x 125=100, so I aim for 100 g of protein. (I am experimenting with less meat so am not always hitting it lately, and since you can see it's on the high side of the range I'm okay with that.)

If this seems complicated or confusing, just ignore it for now -- it's not yet that important. The main reason to eat more protein is just that lots of people find it filling.

I have just been staying under the allotted grams for the categories. If I do want pasta, is it ok to eat them for dinner or would it be better for lunch?

Either one is fine. The main thing is you don't want to cut too low on fat or protein as some who love carbs do. I eat pasta quite often (for lunch or dinner) and it's fine.

Is all fat that I take in going to impede weight loss? Is too much protein bad?

No, and no. If your calories are right, you will lose!

lemurcat12

PamWOhio wrote: »

So fat isn't necessarily going to go right to my *kitten*? I LOVE my cheese but good LORD is that stuff bad in the fat dept....lol

Heh, in jr high my best friend's mom told me that same thing -- that it would, I mean. Must have been a thing in the '80s.

Rocknut53

What lemurcat12 said! Your body will let you know if you aren't fueling it properly. When I first started out I wasn't hungry in spite of doing quite a lot of hiking and skiing. I was eating 1200 calories as suggested by MFP and eating some of my exercise calories back. I lost fairly rapidly at first and it has tapered off. I'm trying to eat at maintenance now and find that now I am hungry...a lot! I think my struggle has just begun, keeping the weight off and finding that balance of CICO. I have upped my protein because I "feel" like I need it.