Interesting Dilemma

FlabULessFoodie

Thank you Shannon that's helpful I will pickup some this weekend.

I don't know if it would work for oatmeal but I add 1/2 tbsp of coconut oil to my smoothies to increase the calories.

db34fit69

The "recommended" 8-cups-a-day thing is a myth propagated by vested interests in the bottled water industry. There is no reason to drink that much unless you are thirsty or just like drinking water. Here you go:

8 glasses of water a day 'an urban myth'
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/8-glasses-of-water-a-day-an-urban-myth-1.1196386

Snopes
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

judy20in2011

Water and I have a love/hate relationship. I often get heartburn from water and left feeling bloated! If you feel like your forcing it, don't do it. Follow your bodies lead, sip on a glass over the course of an hour or something.. If you aren't sweating it out you may not need that amount. And that is a lot of oatmeal at a serving! Do you add fruit or anything to it besides flax?

TheVirgoddess

Before I began tracking I wasn't eating healthy so that's totally not the direction I want to go. Before tracking most days I didn't eat breakfast at all. I ONLY drink water. NO juice. NO soda. NO tea.]

So before you started to lose weight, you never drank water? I'm really confused. You're overweight - and you want to lose over 100 pounds. But you can't eat 1,000 calories in one day because water. It just doesn't add up for me. You'd rather drink 4 cups of water in one sitting (because you "can't" get your water in any other way) than actually eat a healthy amount of food.

Good luck.

llUndecidedll

I'm a bit surprised people think 1.5 cups is a lot of oatmeal.:laugh:

I easily eat two cups with a large banana. Sometimes I make it with 1% milk, sometimes with water.

Maybe try something different? Eating breakfast with something like 50% fruit and have the other 50% consist of protein, dairy, and whole grain (your oatmeal).

---

There is absolutely no science behind my response.

FlabULessFoodie

Oh it doesn't "add up" for you? Well let me see if I can help you. Before I began my journey Dr. Pepper was a very close friend of mine. I rarely if ever drank water or anything else other than that delicious devil. In December my New Year's Resolution was to give up soda completely. I haven't indulged even once all year. According to my Doctor the prescriptions I'm on require me to "drink enough water". So I'm trying to drink a minimum of 8 cups though Doc would prefer I drink more. If I open a 16oz bottle of water in the morning to drink leisurely it may be 8pm before I actually finish that bottle (and that's with effort). I'm NEVER thirsty. There have been days that I've only sipped enough to take my meds and then no other liquid all day. So I have to force it. The problem with that is when I'm pushing to get in the 8 it leaves me full. Some days I don't eat at all because of the water. I can easily consume well over 1000 calories but not in addition to water. It leaves me feeling bloated, stuffed, and miserably uncomfortable. I'm not sure I can explain it any better for you.

Before I began tracking I wasn't eating healthy so that's totally not the direction I want to go. Before tracking most days I didn't eat breakfast at all. I ONLY drink water. NO juice. NO soda. NO tea.]

So before you started to lose weight, you never drank water? I'm really confused. You're overweight - and you want to lose over 100 pounds. But you can't eat 1,000 calories in one day because water. It just doesn't add up for me. You'd rather drink 4 cups of water in one sitting (because you "can't" get your water in any other way) than actually eat a healthy amount of food.

Good luck.

FlabULessFoodie

Thanks! I'll try that.

I'm a bit surprised people think 1.5 cups is a lot of oatmeal.:laugh:

I easily eat two cups with a large banana. Sometimes I make it with 1% milk, sometimes with water.

Maybe try something different? Eating breakfast with something like 50% fruit and have the other 50% consist of protein, dairy, and whole grain (your oatmeal).

---

There is absolutely no science behind my response.

FlabULessFoodie

Babs I'm going to try having an egg white omelet with veggies

Why would you "force" 4 cups of water? Spread it out over the whole day, sip it as you go. I might suggest something different for breakfast sometimes like eggs with some vegetables, if you like that sort of thing. Filling and satisfying but won't make you feel bloated. Good luck!

soidade

Four tbsp of creamy Jiff peanut butter = 500 calories. I'm SURE you can eat four tbsp of peanut butter. It's a very small amount of food.

soidade

Also, egg whites kind of defeat the purpose if you're having trouble making your goal... Very low calorie.

JazzFischer1989

How can you not manage 1,000 calories a day w/water when you're at least 100lbs overweight?

I'm not trying to be a **** or anything but I've seen so many people on here who are overweight saying they can barely meet mfp's minimum requirement. It just makes me wonder how they got to where they are if they apparently eat like birds.

heybales

Don't forget the 4 oz of water in the oatmeal you did intake.

That's why the post above about myth of 8 glasses is so true. It was supposed to include water in EVERYTHING you ate.

Probably only need a few more glasses on days where you actually eat something.

Ever had a vitamin or mineral deficiency, or know someone who did?
How long did it take for symptoms to show up to the point they had a blood test and confirmed what was low?
Did they crave what they were low on the whole time?

You can have calorie deficiency too. You need some to lose weight obviously, but too much and you'll have bad side effects, may take a while to show up, may not.

But just as most interested in eating healthy would eat some nutritious food just to handle any possible vitamin or mineral deficiencies before the lack caused problems, eat enough to start with before the problems show up.

About the oatmeal, only because I've seen ones make the mistake before.
That was 1.5 cups of uncooked oatmeal right. To which you added 4 cups of water.

And the MFP food entry was for sure uncooked oatmeal? Many are for servings of prepared, and 1/4 cup at that. You can imagine the difference in calories if you selected the wrong one.
Because 1.5 cups unprepared would make how many cups prepared? 3 cups prepared. That could be 12 servings of those entries where 1/4 cup prepared is a serving.

That might have just increased your calorie count for the day. Not a whole lot to it though but a stomach stuffer. Guess you got your months fiber in.

TheVirgoddess

Oh it doesn't "add up" for you? Well let me see if I can help you. Before I began my journey Dr. Pepper was a very close friend of mine. I rarely if ever drank water or anything else other than that delicious devil. In December my New Year's Resolution was to give up soda completely. I haven't indulged even once all year. According to my Doctor the prescriptions I'm on require me to "drink enough water". So I'm trying to drink a minimum of 8 cups though Doc would prefer I drink more. If I open a 16oz bottle of water in the morning to drink leisurely it may be 8pm before I actually finish that bottle (and that's with effort). I'm NEVER thirsty. There have been days that I've only sipped enough to take my meds and then no other liquid all day. So I have to force it. The problem with that is when I'm pushing to get in the 8 it leaves me full. Some days I don't eat at all because of the water. I can easily consume well over 1000 calories but not in addition to water. It leaves me feeling bloated, stuffed, and miserably uncomfortable. I'm not sure I can explain it any better for you.

Then perhaps it's time to ask your doctor which he/she would rather you do: eat or drink.

VeryKatie

Next time you make oatmeal, cook it with milk, banana, cinnamon, and peanut butter! Then maybe you can have 1 cup but have increased the calories. You can also add other fruit and dehydrated fruit to up the calories without changing too much of how full you feel.

If you need to get more calories in at the end of the day, drinking your calories might actually be an option for you.

eej2004

Babs I'm going to try having an egg white omelet with veggies

Why would you "force" 4 cups of water? Spread it out over the whole day, sip it as you go. I might suggest something different for breakfast sometimes like eggs with some vegetables, if you like that sort of thing. Filling and satisfying but won't make you feel bloated. Good luck!

I totally agree! I bet you have an intolerance to oatmeal (maybe grains in general?) and it's making you bloated, especially with all that water. So that overwhelming bloated feeling is making you not want to eat again. That is exactly what happens to me when I eat oatmeal, or any cereal grains. Try avoiding grains for a week and 2. Replace it with protein and veggies. They are less caloric but you'll get to eat a ton of it and still be able to hit your calorie goals.

mccindy72

Oh it doesn't "add up" for you? Well let me see if I can help you. Before I began my journey Dr. Pepper was a very close friend of mine. I rarely if ever drank water or anything else other than that delicious devil. In December my New Year's Resolution was to give up soda completely. I haven't indulged even once all year. According to my Doctor the prescriptions I'm on require me to "drink enough water". So I'm trying to drink a minimum of 8 cups though Doc would prefer I drink more. If I open a 16oz bottle of water in the morning to drink leisurely it may be 8pm before I actually finish that bottle (and that's with effort). I'm NEVER thirsty. There have been days that I've only sipped enough to take my meds and then no other liquid all day. So I have to force it. The problem with that is when I'm pushing to get in the 8 it leaves me full. Some days I don't eat at all because of the water. I can easily consume well over 1000 calories but not in addition to water. It leaves me feeling bloated, stuffed, and miserably uncomfortable. I'm not sure I can explain it any better for you.

Then perhaps it's time to ask your doctor which he/she would rather you do: eat or drink.

How much of your close personal friend Dr. Pepper did you drink while you were 'never thirsty' before you began this journey? Now you suddenly can't eat at all if you 'force' yourself to drink water? I'm sensing a......

VeryKatie

Oh, for the water thing, why not set an alarm on your phone to go off every 3 hours, and drink 2 cups when it goes off? Then you'll get in 8ish or more cups and maybe not feel so bogged down? I know I feel icky if I chug 4 cups all in one sitting. You could also set that alarm for 1.5 - 2 hour intervals and drink 1 cup at that time.

sarbo1010

I have the same problem with getting fluids in. I might drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee in a day and maybe a glass of water if I am not monitoring myself. I will realize I am getting dehydrated when I start getting dizzy when I stand up. I don't get thirsty until I am really dehydrated and I don't have the time to drink when I am at work. It happens.

TheVirgoddess

Oh, for the water thing, why not set an alarm on your phone to go off every 3 hours, and drink 2 cups when it goes off? Then you'll get in 8ish or more cups and maybe not feel so bogged down? I know I feel icky if I chug 4 cups all in one sitting. You could also set that alarm for 1.5 - 2 hour intervals and drink 1 cup at that time.

I think there's even an app for this.

mccindy72

I have the same problem with getting fluids in. I might drink 2 or 3 cups of coffee in a day and maybe a glass of water if I am not monitoring myself. I will realize I am getting dehydrated when I start getting dizzy when I stand up. I don't get thirsty until I am really dehydrated and I don't have the time to drink when I am at work. It happens.

You don't have time to drink while at work... no breaks, ever? You work 24 hours a day?