Nutritionist suggested 1300 cal leaves me feeling starved
Gbajon80
Posts: 5
Hello everyone,
This is my first time on this site, and I must say that so far it is much easier than trying to keep a handwritten account of everything that I eat, and the bonus of getting the calorie count right away is wonderful. I've tried some diets before, but now I have this nutritionist that suggests only 1300 calories a day and a 30 min walk daily. I can see that if I were leading a sedentary life where my only exercise came from rolling out the bed, and walking to the kitchen. I don't think they realize how many calories are burned in a day by a mother who cleans her own home, a CNA who has to not only provide personal care (bathing, bedpan, ambulating) as well as housekeeping and shopping for clients actually burns while at work. I don't feel like a walk after having been standing, walking, bending, pushing (100-215 resistant lbs) in any given 4-8hr period daily. So, then the problem becomes that the 1300 calories leaves me feeling starved, literally, and tired. Looking for some balance. I didn't eat that much to start with because I really don't like food and the foods I like are few, so hopefully I can get a couple of suggestions to feel full and not give in to that double quarter pounder with bacon after work when I'm feeling past famished.
This is my first time on this site, and I must say that so far it is much easier than trying to keep a handwritten account of everything that I eat, and the bonus of getting the calorie count right away is wonderful. I've tried some diets before, but now I have this nutritionist that suggests only 1300 calories a day and a 30 min walk daily. I can see that if I were leading a sedentary life where my only exercise came from rolling out the bed, and walking to the kitchen. I don't think they realize how many calories are burned in a day by a mother who cleans her own home, a CNA who has to not only provide personal care (bathing, bedpan, ambulating) as well as housekeeping and shopping for clients actually burns while at work. I don't feel like a walk after having been standing, walking, bending, pushing (100-215 resistant lbs) in any given 4-8hr period daily. So, then the problem becomes that the 1300 calories leaves me feeling starved, literally, and tired. Looking for some balance. I didn't eat that much to start with because I really don't like food and the foods I like are few, so hopefully I can get a couple of suggestions to feel full and not give in to that double quarter pounder with bacon after work when I'm feeling past famished.
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Replies
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A simple solution would be to enter your information into this site, and pick the .5 or 1 pound per week weight loss. That should give you more calories and you can still lose weight and not be hungry. This weight loss tool does work, if you work it.
Hope that helps and welcome to MFP
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i spend over 2500 calories to maintain my weight every day and with a 1385 calorie diet every day that myfitnesspal suggests me, i sometimes do go hungry to bed. but surely there is an upside to that.0
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i spend over 2500 calories to maintain my weight every day and with a 1385 calorie diet every day that myfitnesspal suggests me, i sometimes do go hungry to bed. but surely there is an upside to that.
Pick the .5 or 1 lb/week weight loss option like I said above, instead of the 2 lb/week option. Much more manageable. If you are expending 2500+ cals a day, you could eat as much as 2000-2200 cals and still lose weight. Sounds like you picked the 2 lb. per week option and set yourself to sedentary. If you are set at 2 lbs/ week and sedentary you should definitely "eat exercise calories back" or change your lifestyle to moderately active and not sedentary. That is how this site is designed.0 -
Agreed.
OP - you're burning shed loads of calories so you need more than 1300 a day.0 -
Also keep in mind that what you eat is also an important factor. Try substituting a meal or snack that is high in fats with one that is more nutritionally balanced. It's never easy losing weight no matter you're situation, age, or how much you want to lose. That's why it's great we have a place like this so we can all help each other out not matter what. Hang in there, it'll get easier.0
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Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.0
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Thank you I didn't realize that I had myself set to sedentary. I will change that because I don't like feeling starved in as literally.0
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Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.
Yes, I did let her know that I don't just sit at home eating potato chips, and that at given moments I am required to lift, push, and pull 100+ lbs, and that I work a few days in a nursing home so not only am I walking, and lifting, and bending...I'm also standing the majority of the time. She gave me a meal plan, that was high fiber almost 35 grams daily, but I let her know that due to my gastric issues my GI suggested a 10-20 gram fiber diet. She didn't have one that caters to different health problems. The other issue with the menu is that it doesn't give me a way to substitute foods that I don't tolerate well, or even like. So, I have been looking for something online where I can exclude the dairy, because of lactose intolerance and sub it for something, and just sub the cereal and bread because I just don't like the texture or taste and have not eaten that stuff since I was very young. I'm working on it though, and thanks for your support.0 -
Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.
Yes, I did let her know that I don't just sit at home eating potato chips, and that at given moments I am required to lift, push, and pull 100+ lbs, and that I work a few days in a nursing home so not only am I walking, and lifting, and bending...I'm also standing the majority of the time. She gave me a meal plan, that was high fiber almost 35 grams daily, but I let her know that due to my gastric issues my GI suggested a 10-20 gram fiber diet. She didn't have one that caters to different health problems. The other issue with the menu is that it doesn't give me a way to substitute foods that I don't tolerate well, or even like. So, I have been looking for something online where I can exclude the dairy, because of lactose intolerance and sub it for something, and just sub the cereal and bread because I just don't like the texture or taste and have not eaten that stuff since I was very young. I'm working on it though, and thanks for your support.
Sounds like it may be time for you to scrub the net and find foods that will fit your medical needs. It won't be easy, trust me, but doable. Start with what you actually like to eat and find subs if they don't meet what your nutritionist suggested. Having medical issues is a PITA. With all the work you do I bet you have quite a bit of muscle!0 -
I'm 6' tall and target 1500 calories (and eat 1500-1800 in practise.) Personally I found that I was overestimating my activity level and underestimating my calories consumed. Targeting 1500 works for me (to lose around .75 pounds per week.)
My current philosophy is that my scale doesn't lie. If you are losing rate at a rate that works for you at a higher calorie level than 1300, go for it. It's your life and your body.
Personally I had to go the other direction and cut my consumption target from 2000 to 1500 a day.
I've become used to managing hunger and fatigue as part of the process. I do look forward to eating 2000+ again once I hit my goal weight, but that's still a few months out for me. - Bart0 -
1300 net. So add in all the time you spend cleaning and working under your cardio. Those are all calories that you can eat back. If you burn 800 calories working and cleaning, then you are allowed 2100 calories.0
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Sounds like this nutritionist isn't qualified to be your weight loss guide. She should be able to cater it to meet your medical needs. I hope you aren't paying much!0
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Also keep in mind that what you eat is also an important factor. Try substituting a meal or snack that is high in fats with one that is more nutritionally balanced. It's never easy losing weight no matter you're situation, age, or how much you want to lose. That's why it's great we have a place like this so we can all help each other out not matter what. Hang in there, it'll get easier.
Yes what one eats is important, but promoting lowering fat is BAD advice, unless you meant canola, soy, trans fats. Our bodies NEED fat (far more than 30%) and fat promotes satiety. And yes, losing weight can be easy, speaking from experience (I said "easy" not "fast"). If anything should be lowered it would likely be sugars and processed grains-assuming the OP is following a "balanced" Standard American Diet.
OP: You definitely need to eat more since you are very active, and even if you weren't. Unfortunately most nutritionists are following the status quo of "calories in, calories out" and have very little understanding of metabolism. The body is far more complex than that and under-eating is detrimental to health. Even if you lose weight in the short term it would likely not be sustainable. Yo yoing is more damaging than just staying a bit over-weight.0 -
you're eating calorie dense foods that don't offer a lot of lasting power for hunger. 1st step is to cut out fast food. Find alternatives that are less in calories but still easy to eat or prepare after a long day at work. Pre-make some home made food and freeze portions of it that are easy to reheat. Get some low calorie snacks to hold you over until you get home.0
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Are you seeing a nutritionist for a medical need or because you wanted to get off on the right foot for a lifestyle change with eating? If it's the latter, then I recommend just looking for some great advice here and with your actual physician. If it's the former, then talk to your physician, because obviously you got a nutritionist that wasn't good for your specific medical eating needs.
MFP may put you at 1200 or 1300 calories, but you also eat back exercise calories. I'm guessing the nutritionist didn't take that into account (once again calling into question for me the validity of this particular provider you saw). Do be aware that MFP's calories burned calculator can drastically overestimate calories burned. What I do for items that I need MFP to calculate how much I burned is to keep it lower -- did I walk at a moderate pace for 20 minutes? Then I pick walking at a slow pace for 20 minutes to help compensate for the overestimation. If I walked at a slow place for 20 minutes, I might put down that I walked for 20 to account for it. Then I make a note using the 'edit/save note' feature with my exercise to put in what I did so I remember that.
If you are feeling starved, you're not going to be successful long-term typically. Being hungry isn't the end of the world, but weight loss can be a mental game too, and trust me, there are ways to beat it! Finding ways to substitute high calorie foods that aren't filling for foods with fewer calories and more 'fill factor' is critical. I like to leave a lot of my calories for dinner so I can bend and flex with what the family decides, even if it's pizza. So I have a packet of oatmeal for breakfast, which always fills me up, and I have lots of small snacks the rest of the work day of vegetables and fruits. Then for dinner, it's whatever. I still try to keep it healthier, because this is a major lifestyle overhaul for me, and I feel way better putting better fuel in my body then the typical fast food crap I used to. However, I still have that crap sometimes as long as it is within my calories.
Don't forget healthy fats. Your body does need them. Avocados, healthier oils, etc. Don't eschew fats because of the unhealthy popular health claims of 'low-cal/low-fat = only way to go." It's unsustainable and isn't balanced!
I found this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 very helpful. MFP put me at 1360 + eating my exercise calories back, then dropped me to 1200 + eating them back. I reset it manually to 1360 + eating my calories back, but I also went and did these steps in the post, and it was very helpful. My calculation came up to roughly 1700 per day and that was close to 1360+exercise calories. So now, I just do a blend of the 2 -- if I fall somewhere at or near them, I'm fine.
Oh, and in the beginning, you may feel like you have more hunger than you do because you're just mentally used to eating more and unhealthier. Find other ways to fill your gut and tell your brain to shut up. Water, tea, carrots, grapes, etc. Once your body has adjusted to the new you, if you're still feeling starving and you are still using their 1300 only, definitely look at at the very least eating exercise calories back.0 -
You are eating poorly nutritious food, if you ate the proper food it would fill up your stomach and you would not be starved on 1300 cals a day. No fried food, stay away from fast food as much as possible. If you each junk your calorie amount will skyrocket and you will be starving because you've given your body zero nutrition. Just my two cents...0
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Try checking out the recipes at hungrygirl.com - she has some that taste good and you can eat a bunch - this might help till your ready to control portion size better. God Bless You for the work you do as a CNA, it is difficult physically and emotionally!
Feel free to add me as a friend.0 -
In order to feel fuller you actually need to eat those 1300 calories. In the last several days you ate considerably less and it comes as no surprise that you are hungry. Also you eat a great deal of processed food and while that makes very little difference as far as weight loss is concerned, it does make a difference in regard to how satiated you feel. If you eat a more balanced diet ( whatever you decide your " balance " is ) and not eat almost nothing one day and then overeat the next ( again speaking of being satiated, not speaking of weight loss ) 1300 calories, will make you feel a lot better.0
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If you can spring for it you should check out fitbits. I have one and love that it measures calories burnt & syncs with MFP so you know exactly how much to eat It has really helped me! 0
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I have learned a lot about me on this journey of weight loss and I can tell you what works for me might not necessarily work for you or your lifestyle. I went to a nutritionist and her #1 goal was to find a diet that worked for ME. I have a gluten allergy, was borderline diabetic and high blood pressure. She took all my likes, dislikes, lifestyle, and medical issues into consideration and WE came up with a healthy eating plan with an aggressive, but safe weight loss rate. I stuck with a 1200-1300 cal diet by choice. I could have used 1500 calories with a slower rate of loss. Yes I did fell a bit hungry and still do. To maintain I eat 1400-1500 cals and when I go over and put on a few pounds I go right back to 1200 cals and get it off. For me I also discovered that even when I ate sugary foods I still wanted more and was still "hungry" even if I ate 3000 calories of bad foods. I discovered that eating the right foods and counting calories keeps me knowing that I am not starving. I have an aggressive workout program now, but I didn't start out that way .I started a 15 mins walking on the treadmill. I now run 5-7 miles plus swim for an hour everyday and lift weights 3 days a week. The more weight I lost, the better I felt and wanted to exercise more. I also garden, do household chores, and maintain an active life.0
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I have learned a lot about me on this journey of weight loss and I can tell you what works for me might not necessarily work for you or your lifestyle. I went to a nutritionist and her #1 goal was to find a diet that worked for ME. I have a gluten allergy, was borderline diabetic and high blood pressure. She took all my likes, dislikes, lifestyle, and medical issues into consideration and WE came up with a healthy eating plan with an aggressive, but safe weight loss rate. I stuck with a 1200-1300 cal diet by choice. I could have used 1500 calories with a slower rate of loss. Yes I did fell a bit hungry and still do. To maintain I eat 1400-1500 cals and when I go over and put on a few pounds I go right back to 1200 cals and get it off. For me I also discovered that even when I ate sugary foods I still wanted more and was still "hungry" even if I ate 3000 calories of bad foods. I discovered that eating the right foods and counting calories keeps me knowing that I am not starving. I have an aggressive workout program now, but I didn't start out that way .I started a 15 mins walking on the treadmill. I now run 5-7 miles plus swim for an hour everyday and lift weights 3 days a week. The more weight I lost, the better I felt and wanted to exercise more. I also garden, do household chores, and maintain an active life.
Look at this gnarly woman @ 56 years old. You are an inspiration. I hope OP reads this post and takes note.0 -
EAT ORGANIC AND YOU WILL BE FULLER FOR LONGER!!!! AND STAY AWAY FROM THAT MC DONALDS!!!!!!!!0
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My bariatrician has me on 1300 calories a day, too...and it was very hard at first. (I also have to get fewer than 100 grams of carbs and 80-100 grams of protein.
What really helped me was ensuring that I got a little extra fat. So, I add a teaspoon of coconut oil to lots of things, snack on nuts or olives.
Also protein and fiber. And for bulk, you can't beat veggies. I squeeze half a lemon over my salad greens or spinach instead of salad dressing, and have this as a side to every meal. It's a great way to increase the quantity you consume without burning through your calorie allotment too fast.
Hope this helps! Good luck!0 -
Yes, sorry - not wanting to be rude here, but your food diary is open and the quality of your food choices is not going to do you any favors. No need to starve - I don't believe in deprivation. My own personal motto is to eat the maximum amount of calories possible yet still lose weight or maintain, depending on where I'm at. But I'm always trying to improve my diet and my fitness for my health's sake. If you can get on board with that kind of thinking you'll start seeing and feeling positive changes. Good luck!0
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Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.
Yes, I did let her know that I don't just sit at home eating potato chips, and that at given moments I am required to lift, push, and pull 100+ lbs, and that I work a few days in a nursing home so not only am I walking, and lifting, and bending...I'm also standing the majority of the time. She gave me a meal plan, that was high fiber almost 35 grams daily, but I let her know that due to my gastric issues my GI suggested a 10-20 gram fiber diet. She didn't have one that caters to different health problems. The other issue with the menu is that it doesn't give me a way to substitute foods that I don't tolerate well, or even like. So, I have been looking for something online where I can exclude the dairy, because of lactose intolerance and sub it for something, and just sub the cereal and bread because I just don't like the texture or taste and have not eaten that stuff since I was very young. I'm working on it though, and thanks for your support.
Sounds like you need a new nutritionist who can deal with you personally and not just give you some textbook to follow. Also see http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 on this site for one approach to using MFP. You can also set your fiber macros to a custom setting if the preset has it too high. Best of luck!0 -
Ditch your dietician and get a different one. Her JOB is to take all the puzzle pieces that are you and make a diet that works for you, for the long haul.
I'd also recommend getting a fitbit to see what your true activity expenditure is. I work a similar job and some days I can easily hit 15,000 steps. Other days, when client need is less or I'm stuck doing desk work, it's hard to get to 3,000 steps. I underestimated how active I CAN be on the job, but I overestimated how many days I am extremely active on the job.
I personally have not wanted or planned to see a dietician. I don't have any allergies or foods that I don't like. I just need to make better choices on a day to day basis and keep working on being active. I read a lot and try to figure out what foods fill me up, satiate me, or that I need to not feel deprived and have a binge freak out. And I really need to be harder on myself during workouts. This is a fact.0 -
I have to concur with those that are advising you to upgrade your food choices. Try drinking about 16 oz. of water about 20 - 30 minutes before you eat. I find that it helps fill me up. Good luck!0
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Eat the dietician, just enter the calories consumed. A nice Chianti, and some beans ought to do the trick!
Seriously, at least get a second opinion.0 -
I am gonna have to agree with knittermom and ang108... I took a look at your diary and I am seeing a lot of fast food and pre-prepared foods on there. If there's one thing I've learned on my journey, it's that we have to teach ourselves to eat in a different manner. And part of that is learning what foods will satiate us better. I find that eating more *whole* foods (vegetables, lean meats, good fats, fruit, whole grains) is what helps us to feel satisfied. This did take me a while to figure out because I was raised not being forced to ever eat breakfast and often being allowed to eat just one giant meal a day -- most often being unhealthy Filipino foods and fast food. Eventually, your body will figure this out if you give yourself as much clean eating as possible. I'm NOT saying that EVERYTHING has to be organic and that you have to cut out fast food all together, but it definitely needs to be considered greatly. Nowadays, if I eat less nutritionally dense foods, my stomach starts talking to me in pain! No kidding at all, my birthday was this past weekend and I ate significantly less than stellar, and my body just about started cursing me out and I felt much more sluggish even if I was walking a lot and staying active. Anyway, just some food for thought! I do hope you consider these words. Good luck on your journey! 0
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I would talk to your nutritionist before changing anything..Im sure there are things medically we don't know about you. She can advise you on certain foods and even a better meal plan.Show her what you have been eating by taking a print out.0
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