Reaching calorie intake

krmsotherhalf68

Hi all - I've only been using the MFP system of tracking what I eat for a little less than a week. I'm having trouble reaching my calorie goals each day without going over on either sodium, carbs, proteins, and/or fats. No surprise that I love my carbs and sugars! That's what got me to this weight in the first place, but the amount of sodium in some foods was a surprise. Can't believe things like frozen veggies and yogurt need to have sodium added.

Anyway, maybe it's the fact that I'm disabled and can't always plan meals a day ahead to know exactly what I'm eating the next day (I find this type of tracking a bit too boring). I think I should be able to fill out my log as I plan the meals that day and still be able to balance everything.

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

A*

366to266

Hi

Can I see your food log before replying?

weblur

I log my food as I eat it or after I eat it. I don't log everything ahead of time or plan everything out meticulously.

Logging has helped me identify which foods work better for me and which don't.

In terms of frozen veggies, I choose mine based on ease of preparing - I don't buy the kind that come with sauces or added spices, and prefer the steam-in-bag because I never have enough time in the day to cook. I would suggest you do a search for "sodium" on the main forums to get a feel for what people think about the sodium issue.

I'm not sure if that even approaches answering your questions.

Perhaps you could look at logging as a learning experience? Learn which yogurts work better for you, learn what proteins work better for you, etc?

krmsotherhalf68

Sure you can! I'm kinda' still learning how to navigate around here, etc., so I hope I did this right.

krmsotherhalf68

Thanks for your help. You certainly did give me a great response.

xael1234

I have the same problem. To keep sodium down and carbs down I am only getting about 900 calories. I have to add stuff to get the calories up then that ups my carbs. I can't eat gluten or dairy or some pollen borne fruit (allergist says if it has seeds to be careful) and am salycitate sensitive. Have been waiting to meet a nutritionist but until then I feel your frustration

Valereee

Yes, sodium is really an issue for me, too. Right now I'm on a very strict budget and can't afford to buy healthy foods. It seems like all the low-cost foods are super high in sodium. Because I've had two heart attacks and have congestive heart failure I really need to keep my sodium low, but rarely achieve that.

dhaemon

Sodium is not my primary concern. It's all about calories for me. Since I am a picky eater, sodium ends up being on the high side. But I now drink at least 3L of water a day and try to keep my potassium up.

Sodium does not make you gain fat weight, just water weight. Drink a lot of water each day and enough potassium and you'll pee it out. You could even try a sauna and sweat out the sodium.