To adjust or not to adjust calories

malavika413

The dining hall does offer more than poptarts and chocolate. The trouble is, I'm usually on the go and have five minutes to eat or less. I have to have the granola bars every day or it's nothing until 1 pm. And then dinner's usually around 8 or 8:30. I get hungry, and poptarts are cheap and easy.

sodakat

Then whatever you're eating now in the dining hall, eat less of it. For example, if you're clearing your plate, then leave some food from now on or ask whoever is serving to give you less than the normal serving size. It still won't be accurate but if you can't change any other variable then this will have to make do.

That's what I was thinking too.

Plus, I've never seen a dining hall without fresh fruit available. Whole apples, oranges, bananas, etc. Nothing wrong with eating a couple apples a day. The old "apple a day keeps the doctor away" is based on the fiber content in apples if I remember correctly. May not be perfect choice but better than no fiber.

Last suggestion I have is to ask dining hall staff if you can look at bulk packaging some day when they are not too busy. I sometimes sub in the school cafeteria in my district and I know they are required to meet caloric and nutritional guidelines set by government. Most of the packaging on the processed food they purchase has detailed nutritional info on it. I'll bet they have a monthly sheet they produce that lists all the info you need in fact, because the paperwork now required to meet federal guidelines is super strict and really a PITA. Just ask for some info from the dining hall manager.

malavika413

Then whatever you're eating now in the dining hall, eat less of it. For example, if you're clearing your plate, then leave some food from now on or ask whoever is serving to give you less than the normal serving size. It still won't be accurate but if you can't change any other variable then this will have to make do.

That's what I was thinking too.

Plus, I've never seen a dining hall without fresh fruit available. Whole apples, oranges, bananas, etc. Nothing wrong with eating a couple apples a day. The old "apple a day keeps the doctor away" is based on the fiber content in apples if I remember correctly. May not be perfect choice but better than no fiber.

Last suggestion I have is to ask dining hall staff if you can look at bulk packaging some day when they are not too busy. I sometimes sub in the school cafeteria in my district and I know they are required to meet caloric and nutritional guidelines set by government. Most of the packaging on the processed food they purchase has detailed nutritional info on it. I'll bet they have a monthly sheet they produce that lists all the info you need in fact, because the paperwork now required to meet federal guidelines is super strict and really a PITA. Just ask for some info from the dining hall manager.

The nutritional info is available online, they just aren't really clear about what the serving sizes are.

I WISH we had fruit. We get some bruised apples and green bananas. All other fruit is reserved for the athletes on campus. Berries, juicy fruits, etc. It's all for our prized football team.

tara_means_star

I work full time and I'm a graduate student. I was the best proponent of "I don't have time to exercise" and it was easy to believe because I am ridiculously busy all day every day. BUT I decided to stop using that excuse and find places to add in a bit of exercise. Some times that literally means I'm waiting for class to start while doing some stretches or walking a few times around the school. Sometimes, a few minutes open up and I can actually take a real walk. At the very least, I can hold my legs up under my desk and contract my core muscles.

If I can find time to exercise anyone can.

lemonyradiomen

If you are on the go and don't have the time or resources to feed yourself healthfully or exercise (and I'm sure you know what this means -- not subsisting off high-sodium high-sugar processed foods but whole fruits and vegetables, fresh etc.) then you have no business trying to lose weight.

Weight loss is so hard on the body - a large percentage of weight loss is guaranteed to be from muscle unless you are strength training and eating enough protein - and if you are not eating a balanced diet I doubt you'll be able to lose anything at all without being driven to distraction by hunger, and losing energy, alertness, and the concentration and mental acuity you need for your classwork. Please, try to figure out how you can eat healthfully before you start restricting your calories. I'm sure the people here are more than happy to offer suggestions for how you can gain access to the kind of food you need or figure out exactly what's in your cafeteria food.

On the other hand, weight loss for many people will make you more hungry. It's okay to feel hunger on a daily basis. Grabbing a poptart at the first sign of hunger because you have no time for anything else is like stopping a workout and sitting down as soon as you get a little tired; you need to "push through" to an extent as long as you aren't overdoing it. I hope this helps!

Lourdesong

If you're eyeballing your food, you're probably going over. Your deficit is so small it doesn't allow much room for imprecision. And it doesn't sound like you have much interest in being precise, so, perhaps you should aim for a bigger deficit to act as a buffer for all the eyeballing you do. Perhaps 1400 or so calories in your world where you eyeball everything is actually your current calorie goal.

Increase protein and fiber intake to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Otherwise, there's not much other advice for you other than please don't use all your excuses as justifications to gorge and get fatter in college.

malavika413

If you're eyeballing your food, you're probably going over. Your deficit is so small it doesn't allow much room for imprecision. And it doesn't sound like you have much interest in being precise, so, perhaps you should aim for a bigger deficit to act as a buffer for all the eyeballing you do. Perhaps 1400 or so calories in your world where you eyeball everything is actually your current calorie goal.

Increase protein and fiber intake to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Otherwise, there's not much other advice for you other than please don't use all your excuses as justifications to gorge and get fatter in college.

I measure almost everything I can. I just can't weigh my food. I'm sure a lot of people here can't weigh their food because they don't cook or prepare any of it. If I could, I would. I've tried larger deficits, I just hate feeling hungry all the time, as it distracts me from my schoolwork, my job, and everything else.

malavika413

If you are on the go and don't have the time or resources to feed yourself healthfully or exercise (and I'm sure you know what this means -- not subsisting off high-sodium high-sugar processed foods but whole fruits and vegetables, fresh etc.) then you have no business trying to lose weight.

Weight loss is so hard on the body - a large percentage of weight loss is guaranteed to be from muscle unless you are strength training and eating enough protein - and if you are not eating a balanced diet I doubt you'll be able to lose anything at all without being driven to distraction by hunger, and losing energy, alertness, and the concentration and mental acuity you need for your classwork. Please, try to figure out how you can eat healthfully before you start restricting your calories. I'm sure the people here are more than happy to offer suggestions for how you can gain access to the kind of food you need or figure out exactly what's in your cafeteria food.

On the other hand, weight loss for many people will make you more hungry. It's okay to feel hunger on a daily basis. Grabbing a poptart at the first sign of hunger because you have no time for anything else is like stopping a workout and sitting down as soon as you get a little tired; you need to "push through" to an extent as long as you aren't overdoing it. I hope this helps!

This is why I'm having difficulty dropping my calorie intake. I'm already tired all the time. I already lose focus. I get enough sleep and I don't drink any caffeine or alcohol. I'm just always hungry and the hunger makes me feel lethargic and incapable of going through my day.

cavia

If you're eyeballing your food, you're probably going over. Your deficit is so small it doesn't allow much room for imprecision. And it doesn't sound like you have much interest in being precise, so, perhaps you should aim for a bigger deficit to act as a buffer for all the eyeballing you do. Perhaps 1400 or so calories in your world where you eyeball everything is actually your current calorie goal.

Increase protein and fiber intake to help keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Otherwise, there's not much other advice for you other than please don't use all your excuses as justifications to gorge and get fatter in college.

I measure almost everything I can. I just can't weigh my food. I'm sure a lot of people here can't weigh their food because they don't cook or prepare any of it. If I could, I would. I've tried larger deficits, I just hate feeling hungry all the time, as it distracts me from my schoolwork, my job, and everything else.

If you eat less than you burn, you're going to feel hunger at some point. That's how dieting works. You're claiming you can't eat more protein and are limited to higher carb food items which has been pointed out, is less filling than higher protein and healthy fat foods. So your choices are to accept that you can't change anything for the next two years until you leave this really bizarre sounding college or try incorporporating more protein and healthy fats into your diet to help with satiety(tins of sardines, tuna, jerky, nuts, nut butters which will keep in your room - surely someone you know has a vehicle and would be willing to drive you to a grocery store to stock up).

If you want different results, you need to make different choices.

Francl27

Well, something's got to give. You're hungry because you eat high carbs, low protein and low fat foods. If you're serious about it, you'll find a way to make it work and eat healthier foods. I don't believe that there isn't a shop where you can buy some fruit (or some of the stuff mentioned above), and I don't believe that your dining hall only serves junk. Do you have access to a fridge or microwave at all?

malavika413

Well, something's got to give. You're hungry because you eat high carbs, low protein and low fat foods. If you're serious about it, you'll find a way to make it work and eat healthier foods. I don't believe that there isn't a shop where you can buy some fruit (or some of the stuff mentioned above), and I don't believe that your dining hall only serves junk. Do you have access to a fridge or microwave at all?

My dining hall does have healthy food, but very few options. Meats are fried or cooked without flavor. Everyone here eats meat 3 times a day, which I am not at all comfortable with. Our campus is not vegetarian friendly. There isn't a shop I can go to, I don't have transportation.

MFP gives me a 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein split. Is there a better ratio to use? I'm not quite sure.

MKEgal

I posted yesterday about the fact that I haven't lost weight in several months, and that I think I've actually gained weight.

If you're eating more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
If you're eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
You'll be most full with more protein, more fat, more fiber, fewer simple carbs.

Higher protein consumption leads to weight loss:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553

I've been eating around 1700 calories a day, to lose 0.5 a week with light activity. I'm 5'3, 150 pounds, looking to lose 25 or 30 pounds. I've tried adjusting the calories to 1490, but I'm always so hungry with that restriction.

My doctor & dietician told me to eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories.
So at 1700 you're eating to support 170 lb.

Going by BMI, you should be 105 - 135, so eating 1350 calories would be reasonable.
(That's total, not net. Ignore net, esp. since you can't really know how much food you're eating, & what's in it.)
In order to get the nutrition you need at that low of calories, you're going to have to eat better food.

This calculator will tell you not only your BMI, but how many servings of various foods to eat to maintain that weight.
If you enter your healthy goal weight, this will help you plan your food intake.
https://www.bcm.edu/research/centers/childrens-nutrition-research-center/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html


Changes:
Skim milk.
More beans. More fruit. More veggies. More nuts. More eggs. More yogurt (not frozen, just real).
More protein, maybe a little more fat, fewer carbs (simple carbs, at least; complex carbs & whole grains would be great).
Smaller portions.
Do they have a sandwich bar? Salad bar?
Get up a few minutes earlier so you can have breakfast. Have half your calories for breakfast.
(See the last half of this post for the studies to support that: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-10-some-studies-about-weight-loss-667818 )

Less candy. Less ice cream. Fewer pop tarts. Fewer cookies. Fewer candy bars. Fewer granola bars. Fewer doughnuts. Fewer brownies. Ditch the Starbuck's.
Seriously, you have a "treat" pretty much every day, sometimes several times a day.
Eat more of the healthy things you have access to, have the unhealthy things maybe a couple times a week.

We get some bruised apples and green bananas. All other fruit is reserved for the athletes on campus. Berries, juicy fruits, etc. It's all for our prized football team.

Then you need to have a chat with someone...
doctor on campus (about poor nutrition available, see if they can influence dining services)
person in charge of dining services
student council
"diversity" office

And take some of those green bananas, keep them in your room until they ripen.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

MKEgal

MFP gives me a 50% carb, 20% fat, 30% protein split. Is there a better ratio to use? I'm not quite sure.

Here's a table which explains the healthy ranges:
http://www.iom.edu/Global/News Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx

page 1, carbs, 45 - 65% of calories (4 cal per gram)
page 2, fat, 20 - 35% of calories (9 cal per gram)
page 4, protein, 10 - 35% of calories (4 cal per gram)

So for someone with a calorie goal of 2000 per day, that would be
50% carbs, 1000 cal, 250 g
25% fat, 500 cal, 56g
25% protein, 500 cal, 125 g
(just to take the simplest example as a starting point; adjust for your own needs, to see where you feel best)

malavika413

I posted yesterday about the fact that I haven't lost weight in several months, and that I think I've actually gained weight.

If you're eating more calories than you burn, you will gain weight.
If you're eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
You'll be most full with more protein, more fat, more fiber, fewer simple carbs.

Higher protein consumption leads to weight loss:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-08-09-high-protein-diet-685553

I've been eating around 1700 calories a day, to lose 0.5 a week with light activity. I'm 5'3, 150 pounds, looking to lose 25 or 30 pounds. I've tried adjusting the calories to 1490, but I'm always so hungry with that restriction.

My doctor & dietician told me to eat 10x my healthy goal weight in calories.
So at 1700 you're eating to support 170 lb.

Going by BMI, you should be 105 - 135, so eating 1350 calories would be reasonable.
(That's total, not net. Ignore net, esp. since you can't really know how much food you're eating, & what's in it.)
In order to get the nutrition you need at that low of calories, you're going to have to eat better food.

This calculator will tell you not only your BMI, but how many servings of various foods to eat to maintain that weight.
If you enter your healthy goal weight, this will help you plan your food intake.
https://www.bcm.edu/research/centers/childrens-nutrition-research-center/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html


Changes:
Skim milk.
More beans. More fruit. More veggies. More nuts. More eggs. More yogurt (not frozen, just real).
More protein, maybe a little more fat, fewer carbs (simple carbs, at least; complex carbs & whole grains would be great).
Smaller portions.
Do they have a sandwich bar? Salad bar?
Get up a few minutes earlier so you can have breakfast. Have half your calories for breakfast.
(See the last half of this post for the studies to support that: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-10-some-studies-about-weight-loss-667818 )

Less candy. Less ice cream. Fewer pop tarts. Fewer cookies. Fewer candy bars. Fewer granola bars. Fewer doughnuts. Fewer brownies. Ditch the Starbuck's.
Seriously, you have a "treat" pretty much every day, sometimes several times a day.
Eat more of the healthy things you have access to, have the unhealthy things maybe a couple times a week.

We get some bruised apples and green bananas. All other fruit is reserved for the athletes on campus. Berries, juicy fruits, etc. It's all for our prized football team.

Then you need to have a chat with someone...
doctor on campus (about poor nutrition available, see if they can influence dining services)
person in charge of dining services
student council
"diversity" office

And take some of those green bananas, keep them in your room until they ripen.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read

1350 calories...that sounds like starving. I know it isn't, and I've eaten at 1200 before, but with how stressed and tired I've been, 1350 sounds like starvation.

I agree I eat too much sugar. It's hard not to when that's the only thing here at college that I really like. I've eaten traditional Indian food my whole life, it's hard to adjust to a relatively bland American diet.