Not eating enough calories!

jensiegel39

Hi there,

Well, it's my third day on this site, and I'm totally not eating enough calories. Today, I had a net of -45 calories! And I felt full and feel like I ate a lot! I kind of had a stomach ache at dinner and was in a no meat mood. I made a big salad. I meant to put cheese on it, but I forgot. I also thought to put hard-boiled eggs on it but was lazy about washing out the pot! Anyway, I can't believe I'm struggling to eat enough calories! I'm not usually a big eater at all; I've always been heavy but never was one to eat as much as my thin / adopted sister or others I know.

Anyway, what can you suggest for me to up my calories? Should I work out less? I forgot tonight was Zumba and went to the gym. So, I ended up doing both. I burned like 1600 calories working out, I think. I still have no idea how to estimate the calories burned in an hour-long Zumba class. What do you think?

Thanks all for amazing support! I'm so glad I found this site! It's very enlightening and encouraging...

Jen

ldula88

when I need to add on some cals to meet my minimum, I eat 1-2 tbsp. of nut butter (I prefer almond, but peanut butter works too). 1-2 tbsp isn't enough to make you feel too full, but it's 100-200 extra calories to get you right over the edge. Plus, who doesn't like eating spoonfuls of peanut butter???

Mokey41

It's not hard to add some calories. Full fat dairy, peanut butter, eggs, nuts, oils. Also your exercise calories look pretty high for what you did. Where did you get those numbers?

ETA: Just looked closely at today's food. Almost everything you ate was either low fat, no fat, sugar free or a vegetable. You don't have to eat the chemical infused diet foods to lose weight. Buy the real versions and you'll have no problem meeting your budget.

Siansonea

You really think you burned 1600 calories working out?

Umm, no, I don't think you did. You even say you have no idea how to estimate calories burned in a Zumba class. How did you arrive at your numbers? If you want to lose weight, you are going to have to learn how to count calories in and calories out ACCURATELY. Losing weight is just a math problem. X is the number of calories you need to eat each day to lose weight. Solve for X, and you'll lose weight.

What is Zumba anyway? Sounds like a character from the Lion King. Is it like, lifting baby lions? :huh:

jensiegel39

No, I'm totally wrong. I don't know why I typed 1600. I burned 1050 calories working out. I burned 450 doing the arc trainer. I also lifted weights for a half hour but I didn't put those because I have no idea. And as for Zumba - which is aerobics to music from all over the world - the system said around 800 calories for 1 hour, but I put it at 600. I really don't know, which is why I posed the question.

Bobbie8786

Nuts, you get a lot of calories and protein for a relatively small serving size. I couldn't live without my daily pistachios. Peanut butter on apples is another go to.

ldula88

What is Zumba anyway? Sounds like a character from the Lion King. Is it like, lifting baby lions? :huh:

Got a good chuckle out of this :P But I agree with a Mokey41. Skip the low fat, low sugar, etc. and go for natural products with less chemicals. It doesn't seem to make sense, but eating full fat products and the like make your body waaaaay happier and you will lose more weight

jensiegel39

I understand what you mean about not buying diet foods, but I am trying to watch the sugar and carbs. That's why I get the sugar free fudge pops and stuff instead of the regular. As for milk, I've always had skim milk. I couldn't fathom drinking whole milk. I think for other things though, I will look for healthier choices that aren't "diet". I just have to reevaluate what I can eat, I guess.

Siansonea

I lost plenty of weight eating nothing but chemicals. Since all matter is comprised of chemical elements, you literally cannot eat anything except chemicals. :huh:

I do agree that "low fat" is wrongheaded. Dietary fat needs to be renamed, it gets a bad rap. I always make sure I get enough fat, protein, and fiber from all the junk food I eat. :bigsmile:

Siansonea

I understand what you mean about not buying diet foods, but I am trying to watch the sugar and carbs. That's why I get the sugar free fudge pops and stuff instead of the regular. As for milk, I've always had skim milk. I couldn't fathom drinking whole milk. I think for other things though, I will look for healthier choices that aren't "diet". I just have to reevaluate what I can eat, I guess.

Let me reevaluate what you can eat for you, to save time: You can eat any foods.

Just make sure you've got the math right. Calories. That's all that matters. But do try to eat enough protein, fat, and fiber. You'll feel less hungry.

jensiegel39

Ooh, peanut butter on apples. That makes me smile! And I love pistachios. I have always been in "diet" mode with all the low fat and low sugar stuff. In my head, fat is bad, cheese is bad, meat it bad. But now I'm learning it's not. When I go grocery shopping again in a few days, I will have to buy a lot of different things and readjust my mind to what I "can" eat!

ldula88

I understand what you mean about not buying diet foods, but I am trying to watch the sugar and carbs. That's why I get the sugar free fudge pops and stuff instead of the regular. As for milk, I've always had skim milk. I couldn't fathom drinking whole milk. I think for other things though, I will look for healthier choices that aren't "diet". I just have to reevaluate what I can eat, I guess.

I understand the reasoning behind all that, since I used to eat that way too. (I'm with you on the skim milk thing, but I don't drink milk anymore, so I haven't had to worry about it) But since my conversion to Paleo, I still eat low carb and low sugar (15% daily intake from carbs, usually under 25 g of sugar a day) without worrying about making sure what I'm eating is sugar-free or low carb. Just a different way of approaching food, but it's honestly been easier to keep my carbs and sugar low since I switch to all whole foods. Obviously, Paleo isn't for everyone, but even trying a more "whole foods" approach might be something that could help you. Good Luck!

Siansonea

Ooh, peanut butter on apples. That makes me smile! And I love pistachios. I have always been in "diet" mode with all the low fat and low sugar stuff. In my head, fat is bad, cheese is bad, meat it bad. But now I'm learning it's not. When I go grocery shopping again in a few days, I will have to buy a lot of different things and readjust my mind to what I "can" eat!

You will find that being able to eat foods you like will help a lot with the psychology of losing weight. To me, it was important that I be able to eat foods that I enjoy, that I could grab and eat without any fuss (thus my fast food addiction). It was also important that I have "enough" to eat—that I was able to feel full. That meant making some smart choices with regards to food volume versus the number of calories per meal. Usually if you ditch carbohydrates and sauces, you knock out a LOT of calories. Vegetables in general have proportionally fewer calories per unit volume, so throwing a bunch of lettuce in your tacos can make them feel a lot more substantial than the same calorie value of cheese, for instance. I've also learned the trick of using minimal salad dressing, by having the dressing on the side, and just dipping the fork in the dressing before spearing the food on the fork. And choosing the right dressing for a salad can save HUNDREDS of calories.

Really, side salads are a great way to add physical volume to a meal that might otherwise be a total bingebloat. One slice of thin-crust pizza with a side salad will feel satisfying if you eat it slowly and savor each bite. :bigsmile:

jensiegel39

Yes. I think the more I'm learning, the more I'm realizing that I really am eating some of the wrong things. I love peanut butter and nuts and fruit and some veggies. And eggs sometimes. I will look to incorporate more of those items and look for others I like to help me reach my calorie goals.

Thanks for the feedback, all!

Siansonea

We really do want to help you succeed. Just remember, it's all math. Make the math work for you. Best of luck! :flowerforyou:

jensiegel39

I've always done the salad dressing / fork trick. My mom taught it to me when I was little. I'm a type of person who doesn't put a lot of sauces on stuff. People laugh at my pb&j sandwiches; there's barely anything in between the bread. When I have spaghetti, I like the sauce on the side and I only use enough to lightly coat the noodles. I guess I just like the bread and noodles better than what goes with it!

Also, I'm a type of person who always wants something with my main course. Instead of potatoes or rice, I've been opting for salads loaded with veggies and some raw almonds, which I love. I wish I liked steamed veggies, but I seem to like everything raw. So, that's my big veg for each meal. And when I make chicken sandwiches or tacos, I do put a lot of lettuce in them.

I was thinking of trying to make lettuce wraps tomorrow like they have at PF Chang's. I bet I can find a copycat recipe. I love the chicken in there...

Siansonea

Raw veggies are better than any other form of preparation, so it's good that you prefer them raw. Just remember to log them—just because they're "healthy", doesn't mean the calories don't count. :bigsmile:

And good luck with the lettuce wraps, make sure you log the calories for the meal as accurately as you can with the recipe builder.

mike_ny

Most people overestimate their calories burned from exercise and underestimate their caloric intake. Odds are good that you're not running as big a deficit as you think you are. Exercise machines seem to also be bad at overestimating calories burned. I guess that's what the customers want, so that's what they give them. Counting food calories is a real pain at first with weighing and measuring everything that passes your lips, but if you aren't doing that, then you might be surprised at how far off your guesstimates are when you actually do it.

Give it another week or two and see if you're losing or not. The first five pounds or so tend to be water weight and comes off the easiest. If you don't lose at least 7 pounds in two weeks with the kind of deficit you're claiming, then your math is obviously flawed.

SLLRunner

I looked at your diary. I suspect you are way over-estimating your calorie burns. Where do you get your numbers from?

Also, you put in clearing branches, which is not something I would include. It's simply part of your day. Yesterday I spent about an hour washing my car and cleaning out the inside, but that is part of my day so there was no need to estimate those calories.

I will do my strength training and run at the gym in the morning, which goes into my exercise diary. I will input the exercise at the gym for convenience but then I will change the numbers accordingly after I plug my heart rate (I take it during exercise) into this calculator:

http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators/heart-rate-based-calorie-burn-calculator.aspx

However, in the afternoon I will be shampooing my carpets as well as doing some housecleaning (I'm on vacation this week for the purpose of staying home and getting stuff done), but I won't add that. It's part of my active day.

So, while it looks like to you that you're not eating enough calories, you really are.

SLLRunner

Ooh, peanut butter on apples. That makes me smile! And I love pistachios. I have always been in "diet" mode with all the low fat and low sugar stuff. In my head, fat is bad, cheese is bad, meat it bad. But now I'm learning it's not. When I go grocery shopping again in a few days, I will have to buy a lot of different things and readjust my mind to what I "can" eat!

Been there, done that. It's that good old fashioned diet mentality. This and that is fattening.

Now I know that nothing is forbidden. My job is to accurately log calories in/calories expended, but I can eat whatever I want as long as it fits into my calorie allowance.

I was also a slave to the "sugar free" stuff, but it just made me hungrier. I still have some sugar free but very little.

TheRealParisLove

Your appetite will return, just give it some time. Your body may be going through an adjustment period as you get used to your new eating plan.

You may be like me and experience a delay in hunger after a heavy exercise day. I feel hungry 1-2 days after I have a massive burn, but rarely feel hungry on the day itself. Don't worry about being under now and again. Look at your calories over the whole week, and if you feel particularly hungry or want something high calorie one day, then you week over all will balance out.

TheRealParisLove

I looked at your diary. I suspect you are way over-estimating your calorie burns. Where do you get your numbers from?

Also, you put in clearing branches, which is not something I would include. It's simply part of your day. Yesterday I spent about an hour washing my car and cleaning out the inside, but that is part of my day so there was no need to estimate those calories.

There is scientific evidence that focusing on your effort when doing daily tasks will increase your calorie burns and assist with weight loss. It is all about mindfulness, if you are thinking about what a good burn raking leaves is, then it will be good because you are focusing on that.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17792517

eksero2k

Not to offend you/anyone else, but isn't eating too much the reason you are here in the first place? Surely getting enough shouldn't be that big of a deal?

TavistockToad

What is Zumba anyway? Sounds like a character from the Lion King. Is it like, lifting baby lions? :huh:

i would totally do Zumba if it was this!!!!

TavistockToad

meat it bad.

no its not! unless you left it out in the sun all day... then it might be....

p4ulmiller

I understand what you mean about not buying diet foods, but I am trying to watch the sugar and carbs. That's why I get the sugar free fudge pops and stuff instead of the regular. As for milk, I've always had skim milk. I couldn't fathom drinking whole milk. I think for other things though, I will look for healthier choices that aren't "diet". I just have to reevaluate what I can eat, I guess.

Don't worry about macronutrients like carbs and protein yet. You're on Day 3.

Sweat the big stuff - calories in and calories out. Then when you've got the hang of that, move onto fine tuning.

Baby steps, baby steps.

lmckillo

No, I'm totally wrong. I don't know why I typed 1600. I burned 1050 calories working out. I burned 450 doing the arc trainer. I also lifted weights for a half hour but I didn't put those because I have no idea. And as for Zumba - which is aerobics to music from all over the world - the system said around 800 calories for 1 hour, but I put it at 600. I really don't know, which is why I posed the question.

There are a lot of calorie counters apps out there that will help you calculate the amount of calories you burn. Just type in "best calorie counter" and you should be able to fine one you like.

rb16fitness

Not to offend you/anyone else, but isn't eating too much the reason you are here in the first place? Surely getting enough shouldn't be that big of a deal?

^this!^
I keep seeing the 'struggling to eat 1000 cal' statements trotted out, (wls people aside - this group I understand), but then I see their ticker and blatantly they are capable of eating.

Eat properly now (i.e. not an unsustainably ridiculously large deficit) or risk a binge session later.

jensiegel39

Not to offend you/anyone else, but isn't eating too much the reason you are here in the first place? Surely getting enough shouldn't be that big of a deal?

I've never been a big eater. I just ate the wrong things. I'm trying to find things I like that are healthy. I've always struggled in general with food because I don't like meat too much but don't like enough veggies to become a vegetarian. I like carbs, and that's my problem area. I'm just rethinking everything I thought I knew about eating healthy.

As for exercise, I'm going on the calories burned statement on the machines I use. I haven't been logging in weight lifting, which I do every day also. And although I'm new here, I've been doing this for three and a half weeks and now I've lost 8 lbs. I put my current weight as my start weight, so it says "0 lbs lost", but it is really 8. I guess that's a good amount for three weeks?

Thanks!

JoRocka

Anyway, what can you suggest for me to up my calories?

Ice cream

Should I work out less?

It's rare the answer is work out less- especially if you are saying Zumba is your sole workout- I highly doubt you are over doing it on that

Don't use the machines to gauge your calorie burn- they wildly over estimate.

jensiegel39

Most people overestimate their calories burned from exercise and underestimate their caloric intake. Odds are good that you're not running as big a deficit as you think you are. Exercise machines seem to also be bad at overestimating calories burned. I guess that's what the customers want, so that's what they give them. Counting food calories is a real pain at first with weighing and measuring everything that passes your lips, but if you aren't doing that, then you might be surprised at how far off your guesstimates are when you actually do it.

Give it another week or two and see if you're losing or not. The first five pounds or so tend to be water weight and comes off the easiest. If you don't lose at least 7 pounds in two weeks with the kind of deficit you're claiming, then your math is obviously flawed.

I actually put the calories burned in manually in here. When I type in the machine I use and time I was on it, the MFP system puts a certain amount that is more than I know I burned (or what the display said), so I change it. I don't know if it's enough or the right amount. I'm just going on what it said. I'm also making sure my heart rate is in the fat-burning range my trainer suggested so I'm not burning muscle. I don't know what to put for Zumba still, but the MFP said like 800 calories burned for 1 hour. I think that's too high.

I have lost 8 lbs now in 3.5 weeks. I seem to be stuck there all week (gained a pound and then lost it), but I think that's ok for the time. I put my start weight in when I started MFP a few days ago, but I've been at this since 11/1 actually.

Thanks for the advice and support!