New and hopeless

jamie9138

I am just starting out, I don’t really understand Macros etc. I obviously know to keep my calories in deficit to lose weight ( my goal ) I have been told to stay under 1500 calories per day, I have some fruit in the morning and a protein shake at lunch and a healthy dinner around 6/6:30. My calorie intake for each day this week has sat around the 1000 mark. I’m only feeling hungry when I should be. However the app is saying try more nutrient rich snacks/food/ beverages. Does anyone have any advice & or recommendations for these? I can’t train for 3 weeks due to injury so atm very inactive. Should I be worried about the lack of calories? What is the best way to increase my nutrient intake? Apologies for the long essay. Just very in the dark with this. Thanks in advance.

janejellyroll

You absolutely should ensure you're eating enough, especially if you're recovering from an injury.

What kinds of foods were you eating before you began this plan? Chances are you were already eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods. Is there a reason why you're only having a shake for lunch? Adding more foods to breakfast and lunch would be an easy way to ensure you're getting enough to eat.

Nony_Mouse

You don't need to worry about macros right now (just use the default MFP macros as a guide). And basically, eat more actual food. Like have a proper lunch instead of a protein shake. I'm a great fan of protein shakes as a snack to get my protein intake up, but they're not a meal. Add some Greek yoghurt to your breakfast fruit. Etc.

If you were able to eat enough to need to lose weight, you're able to eat enough to hit your calorie goal. Forget 'good' and 'bad' as food labels. Start by eating similarly to what you used to, just less. Then look at things that aren't worth the calories and replace them with lower calorie items.

And yes, you should worry about the lack of calories. You can't get good nutrition on that calorie intake, and will lose too rapidly (not a good thing). You risk malnutrition, which can result in thinning hair, brittle nails, dull skin, and losing lean body mass in addition to fat.

CupcakeCrusoe

Nutrient rich foods.

So your breakfast of fruit does have a lot of nutrients.

Your lunch of a protein shake has a lot of protein, and probably calcium, maybe a couple other things depending which protein shake.

"Healthy dinner" could mean anything, but let's say it's lean protein + veg + healthy starch (sweet potato, rice, barley, etc).

Those are all good things. What you need is more. I would say that 1000 calories is not sustainable and probably not a smart thing to do. Try to hit your calorie goal.

You could have the fruit with peanut butter, a great source of healthy fat and magnesium, and zinc.
You could, along with the protein shake, eat some more vegetables, if you'd like to keep the shake, or meal prep some lean protein, veg, and starch.
You could add some fruit to your dinner, or you could add some healthy fat like avocados or a nice drizzle of olive oil.

Your body is a machine. It needs things while you're losing weight:

1. Protein, to keep lean muscle mass as much as possible
2. Healthy fats, for brain function.
3. Sodium, for proper electrolyte balance
4. Micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, for bones, blood, and muscle function.
5. It needs to feel like you're not starving. That's just for you to feel better while weight loss happens. So try to fit in the occasional treat with your calorie allotment.

(there are others, but I'm having a hard time braining right now)

So, it's time to experiment and tweak. Take a look at the pie chart at the bottom of your food diary (if on your phone) or "view full report" button at the bottom of your food diary if you're on the computer. See where you're lacking, and google what foods can help you reach those goals. It's an ongoing process, but you'll get better at it as you go.

jamie9138

My diet was terrible. I am only having a shake for lunch just to try lose weight. The malnutrition thing is what I’m worried about. I really am clueless about this side of things. I would prefer more actual food during the day. It’s just choosing the right thing to eat at the right time I’m struggling with. I’m not a fan of having chicken etc I’ve made the night before the next day. So stuck for ideas. Thanks very much for replying to me

CupcakeCrusoe

jamie9138 wrote: »

My diet was terrible. I am only having a shake for lunch just to try lose weight. The malnutrition thing is what I’m worried about. I really am clueless about this side of things. I would prefer more actual food during the day. It’s just choosing the right thing to eat at the right time I’m struggling with. I’m not a fan of having chicken etc I’ve made the night before the next day. So stuck for ideas. Thanks very much for replying to me

If it helps, timing doesn't matter. Find what works for you, and go with it.

Whole foods tend to be more nutrient dense, so find ones you like, and then google the recipes. As for packing lunch pre-prepared, I get it. They do sell frozen pre-grilled chicken you could microwave at your destination, same with salmon and other protein sources, if that's something that interests you. I LOVE frozen bagged vegetables, as it takes all the work out of prepping them. Microwave, done.

You can do this. Experiment a little with what you like, and what works for you and your life. And if you roughly hit macronutrient targets (protein, fat, carb), you can then focus on what in those categories satisfies your micronutrient targets (calcium, iron, fiber). But malnutrition is only really going to happen if you're not eating, or if you're eating foods that don't fulfill your macronutrients or micronutrients. It's not an immediate thing, so you have time to find what works. You can friend me if you need ideas! I'm always tweaking to get better nutrition.

jamie9138

Perfect thank you very much. The idea of microwaving on the day is much better. Just a personal preference about re-heating.

I’ll try all what you said. Appreciate your help. Thank you