Calorie Deficit - Seems to be a hot but confusing topic.

Cindyinpg

I have to ask, how it is you have trouble eating at least 1200 calories? No offense but you didnt get to a place where you need to lose weight by under eating. i know I didn't. What is your plan after you lose the weight?

I echo this. Boy, all of us ate way over our calorie allotment to put on weight, therefore I don't understand how eating some healthy calories can be difficult.

Many of us don't have big stomachs - we got fat on sweets, pastry, sweetened drinks etc, not on big quantities of food. When switching to a clean diet you can feel full on 800 calories a day - for a while. It's just an adjustment period, that I personally don't see needing to be "fixed" as long as you know what's going to come next.

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food. As for the rest, I certainly got fat by eating big quantities of food. It was not because of what I was eating, because i eat the same now. Eating too little, especially at the very start, is not wise.

TavistockToad

When I first started with the Gazelle, I was gaining muscle but burning fat.

no you were not...

your muscles were retaining water from the new exercise which is why you gained weight, but by doing lots and lots of steady state cardio and eating a VLCD you are losing fat and muscle.

drop_it_like_a_squat

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

darrensurrey

Oh wow. I honestly don't think I've ever felt this much animosity in a forum or been attacked so harshly.

I'm afraid it's just the way it is these days on MFP but not without reason - you won't have been the first person to have mentioned how they are happily eating under 1200 kcals.

Irrespective of whether you feel full or not or whether you feel good or not, if you under-eat, at some point you will experience some of the following:
-fatigue (which can lead to injuries due to a lack of concentration)
-hair loss
-low libido
-low immunity (so you'll get infections, colds, flu etc)
-depression

So figure out how you can pack more calories in whilst still losing weight.

mwal74

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

OK maybe someone could give me some direction there...? If I'm eating until I feel full so I don't overeat, but I'm not meeting my required calories, what next? Should I substitute some water with a caloric protein drink maybe? I love Whole Body Green, and a variety of protein drinks.

mumblemagic

Eating under 1200 calories is not sustainable for the long term. Netting 400 calories is way too low for your health. I have to ask, how it is you have trouble eating at least 1200 calories? No offense but you didnt get to a place where you need to lose weight by under eating. i know I didn't. What is your plan after you lose the weight?

Same thing, but said much more kindly than this:

How'd you gain 50 lbs? Did the magical weight fairy kiss your forehead and bestow glitter and starshine calories upon you? Dude, that's totally how I got fat.

I kind of agree. The other day I ate like normal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, small snack at about 4p.m.), then I had a nibble of ice cream and a couple of cookies and woah, i'm into the 2000 calories range. So easy to eat too much, hence why I am overweight.

That said, there have been a couple of days where I have eaten a bit more than normal, but because I've walked to and from the bus stop, gone for a run, then proceeded to vigourously clean my house, moving stuff up and down stairs as I tidy, and ended up burning 700 or so calories, not able to NET much more than about 1200 without feeling over-full.

Summary: I think you need to reevaluate why you can't eat more than 1100 calories total. What are you eating? Are you logging everything? (even a cup of tea with milk is 12 calories).

Edit:
Eat cookies and ice cream if you're stuggling! I know they're not "clean", but if you're getting enough vits elsewhere, they are a yummy way of upping your calories and rewarding yourself for doing so well :-)

mwal74

Oh wow. I honestly don't think I've ever felt this much animosity in a forum or been attacked so harshly.

I'm afraid it's just the way it is these days on MFP but not without reason - you won't have been the first person to have mentioned how they are happily eating under 1200 kcals.

Irrespective of whether you feel full or not or whether you feel good or not, if you under-eat, at some point you will experience some of the following:
-fatigue (which can lead to injuries due to a lack of concentration)
-hair loss
-low libido
-low immunity (so you'll get infections, colds, flu etc)
-depression

So figure out how you can pack more calories in whilst still losing weight.

Thank you for that! I know I'm in for it in the long run, but for now, I have none of those symptoms of poor nutrition. I promise that I will keep those in mind and fix things

Cindyinpg

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

I agree 100%. I was simply pointing out to the previous poster that is unlikely to be the case here, as she was suggesting that perhaps switching to eating clean was why the OP is feeling full.

TavistockToad

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

OK maybe someone could give me some direction there...? If I'm eating until I feel full so I don't overeat, but I'm not meeting my required calories, what next? Should I substitute some water with a caloric protein drink maybe? I love Whole Body Green, and a variety of protein drinks.

eat more calorie dense food - full fat milk & dairy, higher calorie meat (beef/pork instead of chicken/turkey) higher calorie fish like salmon or tuna, peanut butter is always a winner, and in all honesty a bit of cake or icecream every so often wont do any harm!

mwal74

Summary: I think you need to reevaluate why you can't eat more than 1100 calories total. What are you eating? Are you logging everything? (even a cup of tea with milk is 12 calories).

Edit:
Eat cookies and ice cream if you're stuggling! I know they're not "clean", but if you're getting enough vits elsewhere, they are a yummy way of upping your calories and rewarding yourself for doing so well :-)

I am logging every bite, every drink. I don't really drink anything but water and protein drinks. I haven't had soda in years, I hate the crap.

Seriously?! Cookies and ice cream to up my intake and still lose weight?! Now you're talking!!

And thank you so much for constructive advice!

drop_it_like_a_squat

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

OK maybe someone could give me some direction there...? If I'm eating until I feel full so I don't overeat, but I'm not meeting my required calories, what next? Should I substitute some water with a caloric protein drink maybe? I love Whole Body Green, and a variety of protein drinks.

Eat more calorie dense foods.
If you really struggle to eat enough, ditch the cardio. Cardio is not going to increase your muscle mass, neither is it helpful to keep existing lean body mass. It is a great tool for fitness (endurance etc.) and to add some extra calories to your daily goal. If you still want to do it, do less so you have to eat back less exercise calories.

mwal74

eat more calorie dense food - full fat milk & dairy, higher calorie meat (beef/pork instead of chicken/turkey) higher calorie fish like salmon or tuna, peanut butter is always a winner, and in all honesty a bit of cake or icecream every so often wont do any harm!

I see. My first reaction was to wrinkle my nose. I hate milk, haven't had it since I was a kid :laugh: The meat issue is a big one for me. I've been a vegetarian for 5 years, and have just started reintroducing meat into my diet in the last couple of months. I will shoot for more meats. I love salmon and tuna. Peanut butter is awesome, thank you.

mmm... second person to recommend cake or ice cream. Just gotta remember to do those in moderation now. Before I would eat about half a cake (9x13 cake pan) and when I had ice cream, I made sure to dump a couple hands full of m&ms into it. Obviously not the intelligent thing to do

mumblemagic

I am logging every bite, every drink. I don't really drink anything but water and protein drinks. I haven't had soda in years, I hate the crap.

Seriously?! Cookies and ice cream to up my intake and still lose weight?! Now you're talking!!

And thank you so much for constructive advice!

Glad I could be helpful.

I know cookies aren't that great for you but if you're eating an otherwise healthy diet you should let yourself have treats. Everything in moderation. As long as you maintain the MFP calorie goal you will still lose weight.

I feel that people have been mean here, unnecessarily so. Not entirely sure why people got so irate about your diet choices! Worried is fair enough as I'm not sure that you're eating enough, but angry - why? You're not hurting them! Maybe people are jealous that you feel full on less than 1200..... Honestly I am a little bit too

drop_it_like_a_squat

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

I agree 100%. I was simply pointing out to the previous poster that is unlikely to be the case here, as she was suggesting that perhaps switching to eating clean was why the OP is feeling full.

Aw okay, sorry. Didn't read all the previous posts & got your sentence wrong.

geekyjock76

The reason she is feeling full on so little net calories is primarily due to leptin serum concentration levels decreasing along with the LEP-R receptors becoming unreliable in monitoring changes in leptin levels. In short, her hunger cues are disturbed and not reliable in terms of meeting energy needs. Additionally, her body's proficiency in burning the optimal amount of calories throughout the day is decreasing at a considerable rate relative to the degree and duration of restriction. The result is, over time, she needs to eat less and less to maintain her weight. These are common side effects from chronically restricting calories via a semi-starvation diet and, combined, is also what leads to obesity relapse once one increases calories back up to adjusted maintenance.

mwal74

Eat more calorie dense foods.
If you really struggle to eat enough, ditch the cardio. Cardio is not going to increase your muscle mass, neither is it helpful to keep existing lean body mass. It is a great tool for fitness (endurance etc.) and to add some extra calories to your daily goal. If you still want to do it, do less so you have to eat back less exercise calories.

Thank you for pointing that out! I hurt my foot last week (not enough stretching, too much exercise at once, plantar faciitis, yay) and I've been doing a lot of floor work (crunches, obliques, leg lifts, pushups etc...) instead of the cardio. I'm still losing weight at a good pace.

You may have just helped me fix my issues!! :drinker: :flowerforyou:

darrensurrey

Peanut butter is my "go to" source of calories. 1 jar, 1 spoon. There's no video.

TavistockToad

Peanut butter is my "go to" source of calories. 1 jar, 1 spoon. There's no video.

there should totally be a video!

Cindyinpg

From perusing her diary, I doubt that the OP is eating too little because she is eating copious quantities of clean food.

A calorie is a calorie, no matter if the food you eat is "clean" or not. Calories = energy. Not enough calories = not enough energy. You can eat 20lbs of cotton wool every day, that still doesn't mean you're eating enough.

I agree 100%. I was simply pointing out to the previous poster that is unlikely to be the case here, as she was suggesting that perhaps switching to eating clean was why the OP is feeling full.

Aw okay, sorry. Didn't read all the previous posts & got your sentence wrong.

No problem. :flowerforyou: I'm half asleep, and it's 3am here, and I'm using MFP as a sleeping pill, so I doubt I've contributed anything too coherent. :laugh: Night all, good luck, OP. :yawn:

darrensurrey

Peanut butter is my "go to" source of calories. 1 jar, 1 spoon. There's no video.

there should totally be a video!

But would it be real PB or fake?