not eating enough

12always

My weight has been an issue my whole life. I have yo-yo'd for years. I am really liking MFP to track my foods, but I am afraid that I am not eating enough. My goal says 1700 calories but I never eat that much. I just hope my body doesn't go into starvation mode. I feel satisfied and don't like to eat just to add more calories.

diannethegeek

I'm not sure if there's a question here or not, so I'll answer the two possibilities.

Since we don't know how much you are eating (your diary is closed) it's impossible to say whether or not eating too little is a problem for you right now. How far below your goal are you? Are you getting adequate protein, fats, vitamins, etc? Are you certain of your intake or is it possible you're actually eating more than you're logging.

If you're looking for ideas of how to eat more, look for more calorie dense foods to add to your diet. It should be relatively easy to increase each meal by a few hundred calories with a little planning. Avocado, cheese, nuts, nut butter, full fat dairy, Greek yogurt, sour cream, ice cream, full calorie dressing and condiments, fruit juices, protein shakes and smoothies, whole eggs, bacon, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.

12always

How do I open my diary?

diannethegeek

How do I open my diary?

Settings > Diary Settings > Public and Save Changes.

12always

I just found the setting to open diary.
They majority of the things you listed in your comment I try to avoid,, cheese, bacon, whole eggs

QuietBloom

Right off the bat, I can see you are not getting enough protein or fats. Those two you really shouldn't skimp on. Up your protein goal to at least 100 grams a day. For more fat, skip the margarine and go for real butter. Eat some nuts, peanut butter or almond butter.

Also, invest in a food scale. It's possible you are eating more than you think. It's difficult to imagine you are not hungry on only netting 1,000 calories a day.

12always

I have a food scale I weigh everything. I am taking bee pollen so I am not feeling hungry. I try to have a meat and green vegetable for at least two meals. Thanks for the advice I will try to up some of the fat and protein.

hill8570

Have you tried eating real food, instead of all that diet food? Whole milk, real butter, real cottage cheese? That would help a lot. More protein, too - whole eggs, chicken, turkey, steak. Eating diet food just sets you up for another yo-yo.

nikkihk

Hello OP!

1. There is no such thing as starvation mode... 1700 is a good number to start your journey. IF you don't see progress there is a chance you might need to adjust up or down based on what you daily recommended calories are for your activity level.

2. EAT FAT AND PROTEIN!!! They are necessary additives to your diet and will help your progress. Like QuietBloom said? 100+ grams of protein are good for your diet helps maintain the muscle.

3. I'm always confused when people say, "Can't eat enough"... Sincerely, a doughnut or an order of fries will clear up a 350 cal deficit all while tasting awesome... not that I recommend dounuts... But I damn sure recommending a dounut.

4. Eat in a way you can maintain. DON'T CUT OUT ANYTHING!! Reduce stuff that might be a trigger for you, (mine is bread...Gawd I love dinner rolls...) But don't eliminate any one food group. I still have fast food several times a week sometimes, eat candy, and chips... I just make sure it fits into my calorie limits and keeps me close to my macros.

Last... DON'T MAKE IT COMPLICATED!! Just eat, get good sleep, and exercise. Look in to weight training to build your muscles (secret is, muscle burns more fat then fat can, which would make fat a cannibal and that's weird.... ;D)

nikkihk

Have you tried eating real food, instead of all that diet food? Whole milk, real butter, real cottage cheese? That would help a lot. More protein, too - whole eggs, chicken, turkey, steak. Eating diet food just sets you up for another yo-yo.

^^^ THAT!! Diet food is a joke.

12always

I am losing every week, so far. I am just concerned that my counts are too low and I don't want the weight loss to stop or become unhealthy. I guess I can't comprehend how to eat ''real food'' and lose weight when it is full of fat so I am afraid to eat those things.

pickered

excellent advice from obvisouly smart people here. Only thing I can repeat is ensure you are following your macros! Hopefully you have that set up within MFP so it is easy

diannethegeek

I am losing every week, so far. I am just concerned that my counts are too low and I don't want the weight loss to stop or become unhealthy. I guess I can't comprehend how to eat ''real food'' and lose weight when it is full of fat so I am afraid to eat those things.

Fat is amazingly good for you, though! It keeps your skin and nails healthy. It helps your body rebuild damaged cells. It's necessary for vitamin absorption. Try not to worry about the fat in those foods because your body needs some of it.

hill8570

I am losing every week, so far. I am just concerned that my counts are too low and I don't want the weight loss to stop or become unhealthy. I guess I can't comprehend how to eat ''real food'' and lose weight when it is full of fat so I am afraid to eat those things.

You're roughly my age. We grew up during the "fat is bad" era. Most of the youngsters here grew up in the "carbs are bad" era. Both viewpoints are crap. Fats, carbs and proteins (in addtion to a zillion micronutrients) are all necessary for health.

For losing weight, all you need to do is keep your calories under your goal. If you're having trouble getting close to your goal (as your initial post indicates), fats (at 9 calories per gram) are a great way to get the calories up. And foods that haven't been processed to make them "healthier" are more likely to have their micronutrients intact than the factory foods.

12always

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely not new to dieting but definitely new to seeing all the charts. I eat 2 eggs and the cholesterol goes too high. I eat yogurt and couple pieces of fruit a day and the sugar goes nuts. Yes, it is hard for me not to watch the fats. I'm not as was previously said just eating diet foods I am eating what I normally did minus the pastas, white starches, and substituting a meal with candies, cookies or chips,,, that was main downfall. I will get it figured out eventually. Thanks again for the help.

klkateri

I tend to stay away from diet food cuz it's got so many additives and quiet honestly, it taste like crap.

I'd rather eat real food but less.

When I have a deficit I need to deal with that's when I look for a treat.

Donuts, bagel and full fat cream cheese, ice cream, nacho's, fast food (YUM!!)... anything that I know is a lot of calories and I save for big deficit days or days when I've really workout a lot.

I.E. today --> as of breakfast and lunch ( I eat my largest meal at lunch) I have 550 food calories left to eat and another 300 exercise calories I can eat. You know what I'm gonna have for "dinner" then... HOME MADE NACHO'S!! Hell yeah!! I also had 2 cookies just now as well to up my calories.

Just try some good, real food that you enjoy and the weight will come off!! It is for me so far!!

Good luck on your journey!!

malou1985

Right off the bat, I can see you are not getting enough protein or fats. Those two you really shouldn't skimp on. Up your protein goal to at least 100 grams a day. For more fat, skip the margarine and go for real butter. Eat some nuts, peanut butter or almond butter.

Also, invest in a food scale. It's possible you are eating more than you think. It's difficult to imagine you are not hungry on only netting 1,000 calories a day.

I AGREE!!

12always

I'm still learning how this site works,, thanks for the support and patience.

Its real hard for me not to watch the fat. And the charts are making me worry not enough of this and that. I just find it hard to believe I can take in 1700 cals and lose weight. I'm sure the key is the choices and quantity. So you said just keep under the calories preset. That is what concerns me can the calories be too low? If I am not hungry I don't feel right eating to up the calories.

diannethegeek

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely not new to dieting but definitely new to seeing all the charts. I eat 2 eggs and the cholesterol goes too high. I eat yogurt and couple pieces of fruit a day and the sugar goes nuts. Yes, it is hard for me not to watch the fats. I'm not as was previously said just eating diet foods I am eating what I normally did minus the pastas, white starches, and substituting a meal with candies, cookies or chips,,, that was main downfall. I will get it figured out eventually. Thanks again for the help.

It can definitely be overwhelming with all of the information out there. You sort of have to pick and choose which numbers and limits are the most important for you, personally, to track.

For instance, MFP's default sugar goal is based on the minimum amount of recommended added sugars, which makes it a very low goal, but it doesn't differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. Since I don't have any health reasons to watch my sugars, I prefer to swap out that particular column in my chart with fiber, because getting enough fiber is more important to me than watching my sugar.

The cholesterol in your food doesn't have a large effect on the cholesterol in your body. If you don't have medical reason to track cholesterol (high cholesterol, family history, doctor's orders, etc) then maybe it's okay to eat the eggs. Obviously if you do have medical reasons to track cholesterol then you should watch it.

The point is that you're never going to have one day where you are 100% perfect on every nutrient there is. You're always going to be over or under on something. If you're eating a varied diet, getting your vegetables, and staying within your calorie goals, then you're twelve steps above most people.

Track the nutrients that are important to you depending on your personal needs. Keep an eye on the others and make changes as necessary. But try not to sweat the small stuff too much.

Best of luck!

hill8570

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely not new to dieting but definitely new to seeing all the charts. I eat 2 eggs and the cholesterol goes too high. I eat yogurt and couple pieces of fruit a day and the sugar goes nuts. Yes, it is hard for me not to watch the fats. I'm not as was previously said just eating diet foods I am eating what I normally did minus the pastas, white starches, and substituting a meal with candies, cookies or chips,,, that was main downfall. I will get it figured out eventually. Thanks again for the help.

I've got my diary set to just display calories, protein, carbs and fats. Unless you have a medical condition that requires that you worry about sugar, cholesterol, sodium, etc. tracking those numbers will just make you crazy. Focus on the main item (calories), try to get a reasonable balance across the major macros (fats, carbs, protein), and just eat a decent variety of real food.

Good luck -- you're doing great so far!

diannethegeek

I'm still learning how this site works,, thanks for the support and patience.

Its real hard for me not to watch the fat. And the charts are making me worry not enough of this and that. I just find it hard to believe I can take in 1700 cals and lose weight. I'm sure the key is the choices and quantity. So you said just keep under the calories preset. That is what concerns me can the calories be too low? If I am not hungry I don't feel right eating to up the calories.

Hunger isn't always the best indicator of whether or not you're eating enough. When you're not eating enough you risk your body breaking down your lean muscle mass. You risk vitamin deficiencies. You may see more mood swings, reduced energy, etc. Hunger is controlled by hormones that your body sends out and those can be suppressed by things like exercise or undereating for a prolonged period of time. You have to look at the big picture because hunger won't always tell you if you're getting enough vitamins, or enough calcium, or if you're losing muscle mass.

Housekat61

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

12always

thanks.... you've been doing awesome,, way to go !

SoreTodayStrongTomorrow222

My favorite kind of eating is when I have to eat to meet my calories - that means I can have something yummy! It's usually on the days I didnt meal plan very well though - and I don't like the "fly by the seat of my pants" part of it.

trogalicious

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

don't worry about meat and carbs? hit your protein goal first, then fats... fill the rest with carbs.

WaterBunnie

I try to eat mostly clean too but have no trouble at all getting through my calories! You don't have to eat child portions or processed diet rubbish to lose weight. As you lose weight your calorie goal will drop too. I'd be very wary of undereating at this stage because your body will get used to surviving on less and you may struggle further down the line.

skullshank

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

don't worry about meat and carbs? hit your protein goal first, then fats... fill the rest with carbs.

look at this fellas ticker.
dude knows whats up.

OP, try to eliminate your fear of ANY food. you can eat whatever foods you want, even the ones you and others may label as "unhealthy" or "junk"

the key is maintaining a healthy deficit.

hill8570

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

Is there anything you specifically are trying to avoid? I noticed some eggs in your diary -- those are always good. Greek yogurt has a lot of protein per ounce. If you can handle the taste of quinoa, it's right up there with beans (and other legumes) on the protein per ounce scale. And you could always supplement with a protein powder (whey if you're OK with milk-based, or hemp or pea powder if you want to stick with plant-based). Protein powder in a smoothie (green or otherwise) with greek yogurt packs a lot of protein.

honsi

For me its about a lifestyle change so eating in a way that is sustainable and healthy for the rest of my life, not just in the short term to lose weight. Try and eat more calories but good quality calories, healthy fats ( olive oil, avacado, oily fish) lean protein, low fat dairy, plenty of veg and fruit. Remember to log what you drink as well. I don't know if you exercise but if or when you do a healthy diet will be especially important. My concern is that eating so few calories is not going to be sustainable for very long.

gypsy_spirit

I am 56 and know exactly what you mean. The mindset that we were raised with was so prevalent in our teen and young adult years. We were told we had to starve to lose. If you weren't hungry, you were not going to lose anything. Then we were told that fat was BAD and everything went fat free and we just got fatter as a society. So much misinformation in our generation.

I have been listening to the young people on here since May 2012. I could not believe that I could eat 1600 - 1800 calories and actually lose weight, but I have. Over 100 pounds now. It was a very hard sale, believe me!

Try this. Work for a week or so on just meeting your calories every day. Take away the low fat fat & fat free things and just eat the real stuff. Work on understanding how much food is in your calorie allowance. Once you have that under your belt - work on meeting macros. As trog said, meet protein first, then fats, then let carbs fill in the rest. It takes some practice, but you can do it. You're going to feel so good and your skin and hair are going to LOVE those good fats.

Best of luck!

WaterBunnie

Just checked out the last couple of days of your diary. How are you not hungry on so little? If the bee pollen is suppressing your appetite to such an extent that you're not eating a healthy amount it may be time to try without it unless it's something you need to be taking for some other reason?

Might be worth adding some friends of a similar weight and goal and poaching food ideas from their food diaries?