Calories

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irule22
irule22 Posts: 4
edited September 2024 in Introduce Yourself
Ok so I weigh 290 pounds (used to weigh 308) lost 18 pounds in 3 weeks is that bad? and it said I was suppose to be eating 2,140 calories plus I go up and down 3 flights of stairs 3 times a day (taking my dog to use the bathroom). And i put everything I am eating in my food diary it totaled up to 1,441 calories so anything else I could eat to keep my calories to 2,140?

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  • aladd2
    aladd2 Posts: 70
    18 pounds in 3 weeks is a lot, it could partly be water weight. You sound like you're on the right track though. You should eat only if you're hungry and your portion sizes should be enough to fill the palm of your hand. If you want something light and filling, fruits and veggies are usually always good. Oatmeal, fresh lean meats, and I usually like to eat those 100 calorie snacks if I have a craving :) There's also tons of low calorie/low fat recipes online. Simple changes helped me to lose some weight, like drinking nothing but water, switching from whole or 2% to skim milk, and whole wheat instead of white bread.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    A good portion of that was likely water weight, it's normal to lose at a pretty fast rate in the first couple weeks and then level off to a slower rate.

    However, you don't want to have too high of a deficit. MFP already includes a built in deficit based on your loss per week goal, regardless of exercise. So if you eat under goal, you make that deficit larger, which is usually unhealthy and unsustainable.

    Planning is key. If you know you'll be working out, increase cals throughout the day. Eat frequently - 3 meals and at least 2 snacks per day. Just 50 cals more for each meal/snack adds up. Focus on balanced macros (protein/fat/carbs) in each meal/snack. If you're not feeling hungry, a good way to increase cals without much volume is healthy fats from natural oils (olive/canola), nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts), and avocados. Also, I would stay away from "low cal" or "low fat" options - partly because you want to increase cals, and partly because those foods are usually processed and not nutrient dense, and the cals or fat they take out is replaced by sugar (real or substitute) and sodium - not a good trade off. A fruit smoothie, protein shake or chocolate milk are good cal boosters, because drinking cals can be easier than eating when you aren't feeling hungry.
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