Hello - seeking advice on this new journey

Good afternoon,
I’ve recently joined this app, tracking my meals for about a month so far. It’s been really informative, and making improvements as I go. I was curious if there are other vegetarians here who struggle to meet a target calorie count while keeping fats and sugars low. I consistently am short on calories, by a few hundred calories!
I’m hoping to lose another 15-20lbs, but not in a crash…slow and steady, built on a healthy routine.
I target no more than 12g Saturated fat, and try to keep sugar below 20g….for my daily numbers. Protein target is around 85-90g. Also get about 35-40g of fiber daily.
appreciate any guidance on healthy carbs that I could add, while not substantially adding to sugars.
Looking forward to continued progress while using this and my health apps!
Wishing you all the best!
Thoughtsandplus
Replies
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Hello and welcome!
I'm a long-term vegetarian, but no . . . I don't struggle to eat enough calories. I'm concerned about you, because adequate calories are the foundation of health. Being hundreds under goal is generally not a good, health-promoting idea.
I also don't think that keeping fats low is a great idea - at least not for someone who doesn't have a specific major health condition that requires that kind of eating. Perhaps you have such a condition? Otherwise, fats literally contain essential nutrients - essential fatty acids, EFAs - that our bodies can't manufacture out of any other intake, so we need to eat some. I can understand wanting to manage saturated fats, but monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may still be an option. As a vegetarian, I also supplement omega-3 fats (using an algae sourced supplement).
Therefore, I'd say that one option of things to add would be sources that are high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, since fats are calorie dense. Some things to consider would be avocados, nuts, seeds, nut butters, even oils like olive oil used as dressings or in cooking.
Personally, I have no concerns about inherent sugars in fruits, no-sugar-added dairy (I'm ovo-lacto veg), veggies, etc. The major health authorities (NIH, WHO, NHS, etc.) suggest we should limit added sugars, but in a context of overall good nutrition, they don't consider inherent sugars a matter of concern.
Still, if you want to limit sugar, starchy veggies relatively lower in sugars could be a way to go. Some examples are sweet potatoes, Winter squash, legumes (lentils, peas, beans, etc.). They do have some sugars. Grains or pseudo grains that are lower in sugar are barley, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth.
If you're concerned about the glycemic index (GI) of foods, then combining foods in mixed meals (i.e., protein, fats and fiber along with the GI choices that may concern you) will reduce the effective GI and glycemic load.
I'm sure part of the reason I don't struggle to get enough calories is that I don't apply many other restrictions to my eating. I simply strive to eat foods I like that add up to my nutritional and calories goals on average, plus stick to vegetarian choices.
I'm in long term weight maintenance now, eating 1850 calories plus exercise calories (so usually 2100-2200 total), targeting minimum 100g protein, minimum 50g fats, and a bare minimum of 400g of varied, colorful veggies and fruits (ideally 800g+). When I do that, fiber ends up averaging over 40g, and most micronutrients fall into place without micromanaging. Perhaps unlike you, I'm open to eating more calorie-dense treat foods once my daily nutrition minimums are met or exceeded, which also helps calories not be lowballed.
I think some of that may not be the answer you want, since you seem to have certain dietary goals that aren't part of my personal practices, so I don't fully understand them. I'm not trying to be a jerk by saying that, either. I hope maybe something I typed will help, even if we're not fully on the same track.
Best wishes!
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