Not hitting daily caloric intake

tbandoni08

Hey there,

So I need some advice or insight.
I am 5'3", 160lbs, 28y/o.

I am trying to loose 35lbs. The MFP calories set for me was about 1500 a day. I have been really bad in the last year and have had no problem gaining the extra 35lbs so eating over 1500 calories of bad food is easy but I have found eating 1500 calories of good food is hard. I seem to only be logging 700-1000 calories a day and don't want to eat any more than that.

If my body is full at that caloric intake am I still setting my metabolism up for thinking I'm starving and in turn, slowing it down? Confused... I guess.

Thanks for the help!

malibu927

No. It takes a very long time of eating that little to affect your metabolism. However, prolonged undereating can cause you to lose muscle and run the risk of other health problems.

Definitely try to hit your goal if not daily, then over the week. But also make sure you aren't underestimating your intake, which is also possibly if you feel full on that little calories.

Aaron_K123

So eat some "bad" food as part of your diet to hit your target calories. The only reason to avoid "bad" food is if it is causing you to overeat...no reason to avoid it otherwise provided you are within your calories and getting adequate nutrition.

Have a slice of pizza or some ice cream
...problem solved.

snickerscharlie

How accurate is your logging? Are you weighing everything on a food scale? If not, you could be eating more than you think.

vespiquenn

snickerscharlie wrote: »

How accurate is your logging? Are you weighing everything on a food scale? If not, you could be eating more than you think.

This. I'm always a little hesitant to tell someone to eat more when they aren't using a food scale. Unless you are, it's likely that you are eating closer to 1300-1500. Has your weight loss mirrored the goal rate MFP has set? Such as, if you're set to lose a pound a week, are you losing that pound or are you losing more/less?

tbandoni08

Thanks for all the help!

Yes, I am scaling everything that has gone passed my lips and added into the tracker, aside from some liquids. I have been drinking tea (brewed green nothing added) and water without logging that.

I am set to loose a pound a week but I have lost four last week and I know that's not how I want to do it.

piggysmalls333

This is a good problem but yes starvation mode will only last so long and it will get unhealthy quickly. I agree with previous poster to add a small treat in there once in a while to help you meet your goal.

tbandoni08

Too add a little insight into my day I have twin 2 year old boys. There's not much of me sitting down and eating a full meal. So when I do eat I'm then distracted and come back to an unfinished meal and eat the rest later, as if it were a new meal. So it's not like I'm not trying.

It was much easier before to microwave a huge calorie food and scarf it down than doing all this. But that's what got me here so... lol

I will try and add something at the end of the day, as much of a good thing as I can.

vespiquenn

piggysmalls333 wrote: »

This is a good problem but yes starvation mode will only last so long and it will get unhealthy quickly. I agree with previous poster to add a small treat in there once in a while to help you meet your goal.

Ugh no. Just no. Aside from the treat thing, starvation mode doesn't exist and depriving your body is not a good problem to have.

OP, if you are weighing, then you do need to up the calories. Even with water weight losses, that's a decent chunk over projected goals. Things like nuts, oils, butters, etc can add in extra calories while providing some nutrition. You don't want to lose too quickly or you will be losing more lean mass than necessary. As mentioned, don't be afraid to add in the foods you enjoy, as to not burn yourself out.

Aaron_K123

tbandoni08 wrote: »

Thanks for all the help!

Yes, I am scaling everything that has gone passed my lips and added into the tracker, aside from some liquids. I have been drinking tea (brewed green nothing added) and water without logging that.

I am set to loose a pound a week but I have lost four last week

Out of curiosity why choose to drink an appetite suppressant if your problem is your appetite isn't allowing you to eat enough?

tbandoni08

I love it and use it for the caffeine to replace coffee. Trying to pull back on the caffeine slowly. I tried cold turkey and got massive head aches. Didn't know it was that much of a suppressant.

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

tbandoni08 wrote: »

Thanks for all the help!

Yes, I am scaling everything that has gone passed my lips and added into the tracker, aside from some liquids. I have been drinking tea (brewed green nothing added) and water without logging that.

I am set to loose a pound a week but I have lost four last week

Out of curiosity why choose to drink an appetite suppressant if your problem is your appetite isn't allowing you to eat enough?

cerise_noir

Are you using a food scale, OP?

Also, if.you are using a food scale, or if you start using one and find that you are still under, add more fats. Eat full fat foods instead of diet.

It's okay to eat treats if they fit your calories. I eat chocolate every day.

nuttyfamily

A handful of nuts (28g) is close to 200 cals so would be easy to boost your cal count that way. Avocado? Lots of dense calorie founds out there that are healthy.

nowine4me

2 tbsp peanut butter, handful of almonds, protein bar, kind granola, full fat yougurt are all /- 200 cals and super quick to eat.

Philtex

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

So eat some "bad" food as part of your diet to hit your target calories. The only reason to avoid "bad" food is if it is causing you to overeat...no reason to avoid it otherwise provided you are within your calories and getting adequate nutrition.

Have a slice of pizza or some ice cream
...problem solved.

What Aaron said.

SLLRunner

tbandoni08 wrote: »

Hey there,

So I need some advice or insight.
I am 5'3", 160lbs, 28y/o.

I am trying to loose 35lbs. The MFP calories set for me was about 1500 a day. I have been really bad in the last year and have had no problem gaining the extra 35lbs so eating over 1500 calories of bad food is easy but I have found eating 1500 calories of good food is hard. I seem to only be logging 700-1000 calories a day and don't want to eat any more than that.

If my body is full at that caloric intake am I still setting my metabolism up for thinking I'm starving and in turn, slowing it down? Confused... I guess.

Thanks for the help!

There is not good and bad food, just food. You might want to eat more calorie dense foods and allow yourself a treat once in awhile. It's important to meet your calorie goals because you want to properly fuel your body and get adequate nutrition.

cerise_noir

vassar15 wrote: »

SLLRunner wrote: »

tbandoni08 wrote: »

Hey there,

So I need some advice or insight.
I am 5'3", 160lbs, 28y/o.

I am trying to loose 35lbs. The MFP calories set for me was about 1500 a day. I have been really bad in the last year and have had no problem gaining the extra 35lbs so eating over 1500 calories of bad food is easy but I have found eating 1500 calories of good food is hard. I seem to only be logging 700-1000 calories a day and don't want to eat any more than that.

If my body is full at that caloric intake am I still setting my metabolism up for thinking I'm starving and in turn, slowing it down? Confused... I guess.

Thanks for the help!

There is not good and bad food, just food. You might want to eat more calorie dense foods and allow yourself a treat once in awhile. It's important to meet your calorie goals because you want to properly fuel your body and get adequate nutrition.

I have never heard that one before.

It's very true though. Even my dietitian will say this. Food is food is food. She will say that there are no good/bad foods, they are just unhealthy relationships with food.
Everything in moderation is perfectly acceptable (yes, that includes sugary/salty treats).

daniip_la

vassar15 wrote: »

SLLRunner wrote: »

tbandoni08 wrote: »

Hey there,

So I need some advice or insight.
I am 5'3", 160lbs, 28y/o.

I am trying to loose 35lbs. The MFP calories set for me was about 1500 a day. I have been really bad in the last year and have had no problem gaining the extra 35lbs so eating over 1500 calories of bad food is easy but I have found eating 1500 calories of good food is hard. I seem to only be logging 700-1000 calories a day and don't want to eat any more than that.

If my body is full at that caloric intake am I still setting my metabolism up for thinking I'm starving and in turn, slowing it down? Confused... I guess.

Thanks for the help!

There is not good and bad food, just food. You might want to eat more calorie dense foods and allow yourself a treat once in awhile. It's important to meet your calorie goals because you want to properly fuel your body and get adequate nutrition.

I have never heard that one before.

It's true.

Unless the food is spoiled, or laced with arsenic, it's just food. Nothing bad about it.