How many are under their calorie goal?

BaddS4
BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
Just curious how many of you are under your calorie goal or finding it hard to eat enough to reach it??
Everyday I have to make up food I haven't eaten so the app will let me close out my food log for the day..
im allowed 2200 calories a day but on a weekday I might get in 900 of them.. Unless I have 1200 minimum it gives the the "you might not be eating enough" message...
Also with all the exercise I do I can realistically eat over 3000 per day but I feel guilty if I dip into them..
Also I'm low carb, so no bread, rice, pasta or potatoes for me...

Im sûre im not the only one who's having this issue... Or am I???
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    why aren't you just eating more food...? peanut butter is your friend....
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    You're a male and only eating 900 calories, why?

    Add in a spoonful of nut butters.
    Eat some chicken skin crisped up in the oven. Lovely with chilli powder sprinkled on.
    Pork scratchings/rind
    Drink a protein shake.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    Wait, what? You're seriously having 900 calorie days and you're a guy? Are you doing an IF protocol like 5:2IF?

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Fat. You need to eat more fat. Nuts, avocado, olive oil, butter, chicken wings, something. If you are only eating 900 calories you are not eating enough fat.
  • butterfli7o
    butterfli7o Posts: 1,319 Member
    A grown man, exercising and only eating 900 cals a day. Something is wrong.
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    Oh I eat the skin on the chicken, I try to eat the fatty stuff.. Just when I close out my log and see that all I've eaten is not a hell of a lot. I eat mostly fresh veggies, eggs, cheese, and lean proteins.. I drink about 150 to 170 oz of water a day. I work the afternoon shift so my eating schedule is a little off and by the time last break comes along I'm just not hungry.. Lately when I get home I'll have a few beers (which gets me around 1200 or so cals for the day! And it's not that I have an eating disorder.. I'm just not that hungry.. But I like the idea of peanut butter... I'll add that in to get some extra fat and calories!!!
    Thanks for that!!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    Oh I eat the skin on the chicken, I try to eat the fatty stuff.. Just when I close out my log and see that all I've eaten is not a hell of a lot. I eat mostly fresh veggies, eggs, cheese, and lean proteins.. I drink about 150 to 170 oz of water a day. I work the afternoon shift so my eating schedule is a little off and by the time last break comes along I'm just not hungry.. Lately when I get home I'll have a few beers (which gets me around 1200 or so cals for the day! And it's not that I have an eating disorder.. I'm just not that hungry.. But I like the idea of peanut butter... I'll add that in to get some extra fat and calories!!!
    Thanks for that!!

    Eat bigger portions of everything you eat.
  • jeshutt
    jeshutt Posts: 19 Member
    How do you feel on it? (I just ignore the 'you're not eating enough'. You can log it, it just won't appear on your news feed.)
    Calorie restriction may promote good health - it improves insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces fasting glucose concentrations and it reduces abdominal obesity. So long as you are getting enough nutrients, and you feel good, you'll be okay.
  • jacobsl221
    jacobsl221 Posts: 75 Member
    I am also having trouble reaching 1200 calories a day unless I purposely eat something like peanut butter. I am getting 850 or so calories a day and feeling very full. I seriously don't understand why I should just eat more to reach a number goal. I am losing about 1- 1.5 lbs. a week. Should we eat just for the sake of eating?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    jeshutt wrote: »
    How do you feel on it? (I just ignore the 'you're not eating enough'. You can log it, it just won't appear on your news feed.)
    Calorie restriction may promote good health - it improves insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces fasting glucose concentrations and it reduces abdominal obesity. So long as you are getting enough nutrients, and you feel good, you'll be okay.

    But the reason we are saying 'eat more' is because it's VERY difficult to get adequate nutrients on less than 1200 cals.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    jacobsl221 wrote: »
    I am also having trouble reaching 1200 calories a day unless I purposely eat something like peanut butter. I am getting 850 or so calories a day and feeling very full. I seriously don't understand why I should just eat more to reach a number goal. I am losing about 1- 1.5 lbs. a week. Should we eat just for the sake of eating?

    It's difficult to get adequate nutrition on only 850 cals.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    jacobsl221 wrote: »
    I am also having trouble reaching 1200 calories a day unless I purposely eat something like peanut butter. I am getting 850 or so calories a day and feeling very full. I seriously don't understand why I should just eat more to reach a number goal. I am losing about 1- 1.5 lbs. a week. Should we eat just for the sake of eating?

    Eating shouldn't just be about feeling full. Food is fuel for you body. If you don't provide enough fuel, it will take it from somewhere else. Ideally this would be fat stores, which is why we create a deficit. But if your deficit is too large your body won't be able to get enough fuel from food and fat stores and will begin to breakdown other things in your body for nutrients. Things like muscles and organs and bone.
  • megomerrett
    megomerrett Posts: 442 Member
    Crikey. I'm on 1200 a day (short female) and it's a challenge!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jeshutt wrote: »
    How do you feel on it? (I just ignore the 'you're not eating enough'. You can log it, it just won't appear on your news feed.)
    Calorie restriction may promote good health - it improves insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces fasting glucose concentrations and it reduces abdominal obesity. So long as you are getting enough nutrients, and you feel good, you'll be okay.

    Nutrients as in vitamins and minerals? Those don't support your heart MUSCLE. Protein and fat (which have calories) are dietary requirements also. We do have fat stores but our bodies don't get 100% of what it needs from those. Your body will break down existing lean muscle mass too.

    Google aggressive dieting and hair loss. That would be the body's way of saying....I can fuel a full head of hair, or I can fuel the brain.

    Promoting very low calorie diets are against MFP guidelines. Very low calorie diets are often PRESCRIPTIONS from medical professionals. These diets are closely monitored. Not do-it-yourself-plans.
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    I think the biggest factor for me is keep my carb count to 50 grams a day or under and foods that are low in carbs generally don't carry a lot of calories in them.. I do enjoy smart carbs like baby carrots and a sweet potato on the weekend with a 8 oz steak :) I eat till my body says enough then put the fork down and push the plate back.. I never go hungry.. When I need to eat I eat, it's just in smaller portions, but I'm trying to find that balance still. I have a long way to go on this journey and I'm very committed to hitting my target weight..
    I really appriciate everyones input on this.. Thank you very much!! :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jacobsl221 wrote: »
    I am also having trouble reaching 1200 calories a day unless I purposely eat something like peanut butter. I am getting 850 or so calories a day and feeling very full. I seriously don't understand why I should just eat more to reach a number goal. I am losing about 1- 1.5 lbs. a week. Should we eat just for the sake of eating?

    You are not eating for the sake of eating. You are eating to become a healthier person. Being a healthier person is not just a number on the scale.

    When we lose weight we lose fat+lean muscle mass. Fast weight loss doesn't lower your body fat % by as much as moderate paced weight loss does. A lower weight (but a higher body fat %) is not a good look. Google skinny-fat.

    Hunger is not an indicator of adequate nutrition. There are anorexics who will tell you they are never hungry. Calorie dense foods: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    jeshutt wrote: »
    How do you feel on it? (I just ignore the 'you're not eating enough'. You can log it, it just won't appear on your news feed.)
    Calorie restriction may promote good health - it improves insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces fasting glucose concentrations and it reduces abdominal obesity. So long as you are getting enough nutrients, and you feel good, you'll be okay.

    A male eating 900 calories isn't about the feelz...part of proper nutrition is taking in enough calories (energy) to support your body and activity.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    I think the biggest factor for me is keep my carb count to 50 grams a day or under and foods that are low in carbs generally don't carry a lot of calories in them..

    This is not true. Carbs have 4 calories per gram and with fiber not all of those are absorbed making the calorie count per gram even lower.

    Fat has 9 calories per gram.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    You're killing your lean muscle mass :(

    At best you'll be skinny fat. It is not a good look.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    I think the biggest factor for me is keep my carb count to 50 grams a day or under and foods that are low in carbs generally don't carry a lot of calories in them.. I do enjoy smart carbs like baby carrots and a sweet potato on the weekend with a 8 oz steak :) I eat till my body says enough then put the fork down and push the plate back.. I never go hungry.. When I need to eat I eat, it's just in smaller portions, but I'm trying to find that balance still. I have a long way to go on this journey and I'm very committed to hitting my target weight..
    I really appriciate everyones input on this.. Thank you very much!! :)

    You're way off finding balance at the moment.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    edited February 2017
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    I think the biggest factor for me is keep my carb count to 50 grams a day or under and foods that are low in carbs generally don't carry a lot of calories in them.. I do enjoy smart carbs like baby carrots and a sweet potato on the weekend with a 8 oz steak :) I eat till my body says enough then put the fork down and push the plate back.. I never go hungry.. When I need to eat I eat, it's just in smaller portions, but I'm trying to find that balance still. I have a long way to go on this journey and I'm very committed to hitting my target weight..
    I really appriciate everyones input on this.. Thank you very much!! :)

    If you are on a ketogenic diet, you need foods high in fats (fat is used as an energy source). So replace the lean proteins with a fatty proteins. Incorporate butters and oils. Add in nuts and cheeses. But as a male, you will increase muscle loss with your current plan. The increase in muscle loss will increase down regulation of metabolism, cause you to be weaker (from less muscle), can lead to gallbladder issues, and possibly cause other deficiencies (loss of hair, brittle nails, cracking skin, etc..).
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited February 2017
    jeshutt wrote: »
    How do you feel on it? (I just ignore the 'you're not eating enough'. You can log it, it just won't appear on your news feed.)
    Calorie restriction may promote good health - it improves insulin sensitivity, which in turn reduces fasting glucose concentrations and it reduces abdominal obesity. So long as you are getting enough nutrients, and you feel good, you'll be okay.

    An adult male eating only 900 calories is not doing things in a healthy way and there's almost no chance he's getting in the needed amount of nutrients. This goes way beyond normal calorie restricting.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    Just curious how many of you are under your calorie goal or finding it hard to eat enough to reach it??
    Everyday I have to make up food I haven't eaten so the app will let me close out my food log for the day..
    im allowed 2200 calories a day but on a weekday I might get in 900 of them.. Unless I have 1200 minimum it gives the the "you might not be eating enough" message...
    Also with all the exercise I do I can realistically eat over 3000 per day but I feel guilty if I dip into them..
    Also I'm low carb, so no bread, rice, pasta or potatoes for me...

    Im sûre im not the only one who's having this issue... Or am I???

    LOL I never "close out my food log".
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Your diary is set to private, but my first question is "Are you using a food scale to weigh everything and logging everything into MFP?"

    I would hate to tell you to eat more, only to find out that your 900 calories per day is really 1800 because you are underestimating or not accurately logging.

    Everything I eat or drink.. Minus the black coffee is logged... But I'm going to have to up my count starting now to get a better healthier result.. One more question... Should I be dipping into my workout calories or can I just stick to the daily limit of 2200??
    I want to be lighter, leaner and healthier... Just not sure on how to go about it properly... I went from 275 to 185 in July, but since put back on almost 30... My ideal weight would be 175..
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    BaddS4 wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    Your diary is set to private, but my first question is "Are you using a food scale to weigh everything and logging everything into MFP?"

    I would hate to tell you to eat more, only to find out that your 900 calories per day is really 1800 because you are underestimating or not accurately logging.

    Everything I eat or drink.. Minus the black coffee is logged... But I'm going to have to up my count starting now to get a better healthier result.. One more question... Should I be dipping into my workout calories or can I just stick to the daily limit of 2200??
    I want to be lighter, leaner and healthier... Just not sure on how to go about it properly... I went from 275 to 185 in July, but since put back on almost 30... My ideal weight would be 175..

    Many people eat back 50-75% of their exercise calories.
  • dabeck62
    dabeck62 Posts: 32 Member
    I have 1700 calories a day to eat and usually come within 200 every day. I have wiggle room in what I'm eating to go more low-cal on some options for when MFP lowers my allowance. I never eat my exercise calories unless it was a day I REALLY burned a lot and overate to compensate. To add more protein to my diet, a friend recommended Dannon's Light and Fit Greek yogurt which has about 80 calories and 12g of protein. Breakstone has a 4 oz cottage cheese that is 90 cals and 10g protein; this is a little high in sodium at 350. I also like PB on celery sticks. I've been to many dieticians in my life, and they concur with many of the posts above that eating less than 1200/day is not recommended as our bodies need fuel for energy and bodily functions. If they put someone on less than that due to upcoming surgery, etc., they would add vitamins. Wishing you the best of luck, you'll get it figured out!
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