Concerned with Calorie intake - too little?

Palermo1121

I have completely revamped my daily diet since I've been on MFP (which has only been about week). I have been a vegetarian for 18 years....started eating fish 5 years ago. But I started eating way too much cheese, dairy, breads/pastas and other junk. So recently my daily consumption has been consisting of a LOT of fruits and vegetables, shrimp, and avocado stuffed tuna fish (YUM!). I am also exercising 30 min a day on my elliptical machine. I eat all day and I'm not very hungry. But my calories by the end of the day end up being under 1,000. Yesterday I had to finish my day with 1/2 cup of ice cream just to get me up to 920 calories. I just don't want to add unhealthy things everyday to my diet just to get up to 1200 calories (which is MFP suggestion for me) .

So my question is, am I doing this wrong? I'm not hungry, I'm eating LOTS of fruits and veggies, my protein levels are either at or above level. Will 1,000 calories a day ruin my metabolism? I'm hearing/reading very conflicting things. Can anyone tell me if 1,000 calories a day will be helpful or harmful? Thank you ALL for your help

Haley

gupton11

Read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/81391-starvation-mode-myths-and-science

John8188

1000 is really not alot. If you are working out more then you need to eat more. I wouldn't force yourself to eat if your not hungry. But there are snack bars that are good and will give you about 140 cals.

lilmom1

You have to read your own body, never eat when you are not hungry, but having been a veg. also in the past, I would add dried fruit and nuts full of healthy fats. Good luck to you!!! Congrats on your journey so far.

knittygirl52

Yeah--ice cream should be an occasional treat, but are you eating lots of beans and nuts to make sure you get complete proteins? And dairy is fine as long as it is low-fat. Great source of protein. It's only when you get into those full-fat cheeses and cream and the like that it is problematic. Also grains--do you eat whole wheat bread & pasta and the like? Yes, there are more calories than vegies, but there are a lot of other good things in there, too.

suzikelley

I asked my friend (who is a persoanl trainer) the same question. I was having a hard time getting my 1200 calories some days. She told me that she wouldn't worry so much if it was just 100 calories under, but if it was closer to 200 under or more, she said to eat something else. (but don't wait until right before bed to eat it). She said it will definitely slow your metabolism if you don't get enough calories, no matter how much you're eating.

Palermo1121

Thank you everyone for such wonderful suggestions! The article, snack suggestions, personal experiences - they all are very helpful! I am absolutely loving MFP and all the people on here!


Continued info/suggestions are also helpful