I Cant seem to get in the required amount of calories..HELP!

byebye200

I eat probabaly 1100-1300 calories a day but i burn no less than 700 at the gym 4-6 days a week, sometimes burning over 1000 on those stressed out days..I am 208 however, and 5'5 33, Do you think that this will cause me to go into starvation mode and hault my weight loss?..I mean my body should know when its hungry right???? Soo confused but scared that i will sabotage myself without even trying...:-(

lilRicki

drink your calories! have some apple juice, or chocolate milk...i really like almond chocolate milk...

veteranrob1973

Your body needs energy to burn fat. Be careful.

elainecroft

Try eating an energy bar or those little gelly things before you work out. 700-1000 calories is a LOT for your body to burn, so give it some energy to do it with!

erickirb

Try using nut butters with fruit, eat full fat, or higher fat, versions of food (switch from skim to 1% or 2% milk), add olive oil to sauces and on salads, add avocado to salads or sandwiches, a handful of nuts is a great snack, so is dehydrated fruit. You don't have to eat more quantity of food to get more calories, just eat more calorie dense foods.

byebye200

Thanks guys...i had some nuts today and a yogurt for snack...it just feels weird eating when im not hungry , like I am doing somthing SOO wrong..lol...i even tried not buning so much at the gym...but that never works..ill get to 350 and say oh just do to 400, get there oh might as well do 500, and so on...uugghh...But I have lost about 22 lbs since Oct 12...and ive only been back at the gym for 4 weeks tomorrow....thats not too much right?...

mccorml

id say do what your doing if your body feels full it wont go into starvation mode just kinda make sure your eating under your calorie goals and just make sure your listening to your body if you feel tired gets some more long lasting carbs in their like apples if you feel sore get more protein

Edestiny7

Just make sure your net calories do not go below 1200 each day. If you can not consume enough to keep your net calories at 1200 or higher, you will HAVE to exercise less. Sad, but true. When we were cycling this summer, I had to cut back because I could not possibly consume the calories to keep my net above 1200 calories. Good luck.

RyanEli

Don't eat when you're not hungry if that's something your'e not comfortable with. Just eat more calorie-dense foods when you are hungry. Don't fill yourself up with celery (for example) when you could be eating some hardboiled eggs or something with many more calories.

byebye200

I am eating lots of fruits and veggies, no red meat tho...i was thinking about adding some in once a week...i really dont like the heaviness i feel after eating it though...

shastacrystal

snack on fruits or veggies and I think protein bars are a good start too. Even a protein shake since you can drink it and not feel like you are forcing food in your mouth. Honestly though if you are burning 1000 cal at the gym you should be eating much more then 1100 or 1300 a day.

What is your current eating routine? Like 3 meals a day? If you are not already doing this try eating 5 or 6 smaller meals per day, each ranging from 200-300 cal and not more then 3 hrs apart.

untamedheart

Also, don't add in your exercise until the end of the day. For some reason MFP will give you the extra calories you burned working out but then tell you that you rick going into starvation mode. Get as close to your 1200-1300 calorie goal as you can, just watch your fat and sugars the most. Additional protein will help you to build lean muscle which burn fat and protein helps you feel full too.

lisa451999

You should eat every 3-4 hours to keep your metabolism revved. Eating as little as you are will cause your body to go into starvation mode and it will start to store fat. . You should definitely be eating more than 1000-1200 if you are burning 700 in the gym. You need the calories to fuel your workouts. Eat lots of protein to feed your muscles and to make you feel fuller longer. Eat clean foods.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your weight loss.

byebye200

Yup , I am eating for instance... today egg whites with low fat cheese and a slice of whole 12 grain bread 8oz oj(b) , green tea and yogurt and pistachios half cup or so (snack), its been time or me to eat my lunch but im NOT hungry..im going to eat it now tho, i have whole grain crackers, a pear and an apple to get through along with a healthy choice steamer thingy..n thats only 220 calories.....i guess ill eat more pistachios and my apple with that....then when i leave work i go straight to gym..then go home n cook n eat...its seems perfect just not enuff food.....im going to work on this..Thanks again guys!....Boy is this a process...lol

tolygal

As long as you are feeling good and eating at least 1200 calories a day (I'm not talking about "net" calories), you will probably be fine. And change it up a little - try not to eat the same thing or the exact same # of calories every day. Then, if you feel good and strong, I wouldn't workout less - I just wouldn't worry about stuffing yourself to eat what you burn. If you're not hungry, then you're body isn't asking for food, right (assuming you eat at least 1200 calories)?? That's how I feel anyway!

Sounds like you're doing really well. Try not to stress about all the theories too much - do what works for you!! And what you're doing seems to be working well.

islandnutshel

my two cents: I lost weight when I ate more. I eat half my exercise calories plus my allotment. When I ate less, my progress slowed. Try eating a whole egg or two. If they are free range and organic they will give you the nutrition and energy you need for your work-outs. Don't be afraid of good fats. Avocado, nuts & seeds, extra virgin olive oil. The make you healthy, are good for your skin and hair, and help you absorb nutrients in your food. If you eat low fat everything there are vitamons that you are not absorbing. Be healthy and happy.

jac2lyn

Don't force yourself to eat more foods, try almonds and dried fruit for a snack with yoru yogurt. I like to put peanut butter on my apples and today I even had some Nutella as a treat on my apple. Trying these types of things will help you out. Nutella has a lot of sugar but it was a treat. Sometimes I put dried cranberries in my salads, its only an extra 20 cals but tasted great and adds a little extra when I burned alot of calories.

I try not to drink my cals unless the cals are a good source of protein or a recovery drink. I like chocolate milk once in a while (its the perfect recovery drink) and I like to have orange juice with ice in a blender as a dessert or treat, add a few strawberry pieces and get a really good slushy dessert. These will add healthy cals but def. dont eat just to eat!

babygurl1

I am trying to get rid of that last 19-20lbs. MFP set my calorie intake at 1200 and I am always under. I am a plain jane kind of girl I don't really eat anything fancy. Lots of subway, turkey with lots of veggies on whole wheat things like that but, everyday I am still under my calorie intake. Not sure what I'm doing wrong..any ideas. I would like to kick that last 19 before Christmas. Thanks = )

byebye200

I am trying to get rid of that last 19-20lbs. MFP set my calorie intake at 1200 and I am always under. I am a plain jane kind of girl I don't really eat anything fancy. Lots of subway, turkey with lots of veggies on whole wheat things like that but, everyday I am still under my calorie intake. Not sure what I'm doing wrong..any ideas. I would like to kick that last 19 before Christmas. Thanks = )

Hey , just read through what everyone was telling me....We can do this!....

I forgot to mention all that i take a appy suppressant! DUH!!!! im going to Stop taking it Sunday..ANd Monday I will work on getting more cals in...and less (maybe) working out..(i luv SWEATING)..lol

MisdemeanorM

also, get a Heart Rate Monitor to be sure of your burn if you don't have one already. 700-1000 is a LOT and would be a full hour to hour and a 1/2 at max heart rate. if you're going by the machine, it might be telling you over double what you are really burning! And then you might overeat thinking you need more cals.

But, no matter what the # turns out to be, work on eating more. It will help you and you can get in cals easily! almost 300 in just one bite of peanut butter - tell me you can't stomach that when you don't feel like a full meal! You don't have to eat huge amounts of food, just chose high cal foods wisely!

MisdemeanorM

I am trying to get rid of that last 19-20lbs. MFP set my calorie intake at 1200 and I am always under. I am a plain jane kind of girl I don't really eat anything fancy. Lots of subway, turkey with lots of veggies on whole wheat things like that but, everyday I am still under my calorie intake. Not sure what I'm doing wrong..any ideas. I would like to kick that last 19 before Christmas. Thanks = )

Note, this goal is likely unrealistic. Especially when you have so little to lose at 20 lbs (pending that your goal is not lower than your body wants to go, then it will take even longer! (to do it healthily at least!)) 1 lb per week is more likely and when you get to the last 10 lbs - losing at about 1/2 per week is more likely. So, in 5 weeks - you can expect to lose 4-6 of those 20 lbs. Don't let this discourage you and don't sabotage your long term results by trying unhealthily for a short term goal! (Especially with the holidays - you should allow yourself a little wiggle room to be able to enjoy this time of year (w/out going overboard!)). Under eating is a hugely misunderstood method to losing weight.

(PS, i recently kicked up my eating an extra 400 or so cals a day plus the majority of my exercise cals, putting me at 1900-2400 a day, and "immediately" (3 weeks, but I was loosing .25-.5 a week before) lost almost 4 lbs!)

ginnyroxx

I'm in the same boat! add in trying to watch my sodium level and it's a tricky balance, i'm finding.

I've added peanut butter into my snacks and breakfasts. Also fruit is awesome! 1 small banana is just over 100 calories and no sodium!

avocado is high in calories but healthy for you.
almonds - i found some salted w/ sea salt (lower in sodium)

good luck

byebye200

also, get a Heart Rate Monitor to be sure of your burn if you don't have one already. 700-1000 is a LOT and would be a full hour to hour and a 1/2 at max heart rate. if you're going by the machine, it might be telling you over double what you are really burning! And then you might overeat thinking you need more cals.

Yes i go by the machine and use the monitors on it, i add my weight n age as well to get an "accurate" acct of wat i am burning...and i workout a lil shy of 2 hours most days, but mostly 1.20 min....elliptical training on the interval prog, burns over 700 cal easy....it goes from resistance 1 to 8 then back to 1 every minute ( i love it too )..also i have 2 small children, i work full time, cook all my dinners, and a fiance 7 years younger than me..lmao so My calories burned are pretty accurate..im going to up my eating nxt week anyway to change up things so that i wont plateau....i just fin lunch n didnt even eat the whole steamer...uugghh it wsnt that good for one and i think eating the pear first ruined it...now im ful like i ate a steak sandwich...smh...this poor body of mine..lol

autumnbaby1234

i too was wondering how you were getting your calories burned. the only safe way is by a HRM. if you are going by the machines at the gym they are not accurate at all and you may be over estimating. just a thought

pattysw17

Hi Byebye200! Don't dismay...according to my calculations, you should be eating beween 1700 and 2000 calories a week. Try adding some additional protein to your diet, not carbs...this will help you to burn fat when you are exercising....but EAT because you are starving yourself BIG TIME!

MisdemeanorM

Yes i go by the machine and use the monitors on it, i add my weight n age as well to get an "accurate" acct of wat i am burning...and i workout a lil shy of 2 hours most days, but mostly 1.20 min....elliptical training on the interval prog, burns over 700 cal easy....it goes from resistance 1 to 8 then back to 1 every minute ( i love it too )..also i have 2 small children, i work full time, cook all my dinners, and a fiance 7 years younger than me..lmao so My calories burned are pretty accurate..im going to up my eating nxt week anyway to change up things so that i wont plateau....i just fin lunch n didnt even eat the whole steamer...uugghh it wsnt that good for one and i think eating the pear first ruined it...now im ful like i ate a steak sandwich...smh...this poor body of mine..lol

I used to go by the machine, but when i got my HRM I found out that even after putting my weight and age in the machine it was telling me in one hour on high intervals I burned about 750 calories and my HRM told me it was actually about 450.

Also, be sure to shake up your gym routine sometimes too for a weight loss jumpstart and work in weights too if you don't already!

byebye200

OK REALLY??...THANKS..I THINK I WILL PICK ONE UP THIS WEEKEND...AND MAYBE IM NOT IN SUCH BAD SHAPE FOOD WISE ANYWAYS...
oH yes i plan to do some classes next week instead of machines..and yes i do weights after or b4 my cardio workouts.....

MisdemeanorM

OK REALLY??...THANKS..I THINK I WILL PICK ONE UP THIS WEEKEND...AND MAYBE IM NOT IN SUCH BAD SHAPE FOOD WISE ANYWAYS...
oH yes i plan to do some classes next week instead of machines..and yes i do weights after or b4 my cardio workouts.....

Before you buy one - do some looking - general consensus is Polar is the "best" and people love the F6 (that's what i have) and there are a couple other models too. Watch out with lower # models in the Polar range because they are not coded and can pick up other machines and monitors - they're not made for gym use.

Also, check ebay and also ask around. I got mine 2 yrs ago for $75 from one of the Y instructors who I learned was a dealer and could get them for Y members at cost. It was one of my best purchases ever. I use it ALL the time! (I learned I burn over 500 cals an hour playing in the snow! LOL! And was VERY surprised that walking 4 mi an hour burns 700 an hour for me! I was shocked there!)

Jennplus2

Hi Byebye200! Don't dismay...according to my calculations, you should be eating beween 1700 and 2000 calories a week. Try adding some additional protein to your diet, not carbs...this will help you to burn fat when you are exercising....but EAT because you are starving yourself BIG TIME!

Ummm.... I hope you are trying to say 1700-2000 per DAY not week!

Don't forget that the calories on MFP have already been -500 of what you need so you can lose. If you eat 1200, then exercise and -500 you are only giving your body 700!