I can not meet my suggested calorie intake!!!

livnlite

I have been faithfully filling in my food chart daily. I have been some what cautious about my food intake (choices and portions), have even increased physial activities .. yet, every day I am well under suggested calorie intake. My fat, protein and carb intake are often under .. sometimes over .. but I never seem to be able to meet the calorie intake suggestion (it's always under) and I keep getting the message that I should increase due to the body going into starvation mode.

If I were to eat the calories suggested .. I would be eating the same as I was before I started this program .. and that's how I got overweight in the first place. The more exercise I do, the more suggested calories increase .. There is no way I CAN eat more ! I am not hungry, I feel satisfied, I have even been sleeping better .. It's been an all around great experience.

There has been many times where all the other columns are in the red .. yet my calories are not even close .. Other than drinking coffee (that would only add calories and none of the other requirements like fat, carbs and protein) .. what else could I consume to increase calories only?

My scale hasn't budged .. and it's been over a week. Am I missing something?

2Bgoddess

can you open your diary so that we can see, and then be better able to make suggestions.

vaderandbill

A week isn't long at all. being patient is the key.

Also, if you're worried about being short on calories you could try adding a meal replacement bar/shake as a snack during the day.

livnlite

can you open your diary so that we can see, and then be better able to make suggestions.

How do I do that?

lynn1982

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

trud72

as long as you are eating 1200 cals a day(and the right stuff)! you will be fine just make sure you have enough and you do not have to eat back your exersice cal i never have!

livnlite

A week isn't long at all. being patient is the key.

Also, if you're worried about being short on calories you could try adding a meal replacement bar/shake as a snack during the day.

Would that increase all the requirements .. my fat, protein and carb requirements are sometimes already maxed .. it's only the calories that I'm having trouble with

EDesq

I have been faithfully filling in my food chart daily. I have been some what cautious about my food intake (choices and portions), have even increased physial activities .. yet, every day I am well under suggested calorie intake. My fat, protein and carb intake are often under .. sometimes over .. but I never seem to be able to meet the calorie intake suggestion (it's always under) and I keep getting the message that I should increase due to the body going into starvation mode.

If I were to eat the calories suggested .. I would be eating the same as I was before I started this program .. and that's how I got overweight in the first place. The more exercise I do, the more suggested calories increase .. There is no way I CAN eat more ! I am not hungry, I feel satisfied, I have even been sleeping better .. It's been an all around great experience.

There has been many times where all the other columns are in the red .. yet my calories are not even close .. Other than drinking coffee (that would only add calories and none of the other requirements like fat, carbs and protein) .. what else could I consume to increase calories only?

My scale hasn't budged .. and it's been over a week. Am I missing something?

You are missing something...THINK! Doing the SAME things and Expecting a Different Result = INSANITY!

livnlite

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

snookumss

Also, I am not able to see your diary to know, but make sure you are eating at least 3-4 times a day.

My Mom only eats once a day, she eats a good sized plate, but I know its never over 1k calories a day. She isn't eating healthily, but she swears thats all she needs! I've tried to get her to understand... but to no avail!

It may be that you are in starvation mode already (like my Mom) AND you've been eating foods that aren't the healthiest. Those combined will give you trouble with your suggested calorie intake.

If you open up your food diary, it will help us give informed answers dear... and as already said. A week isn't a long time at all to worry about it yet!

livnlite

I have been faithfully filling in my food chart daily. I have been some what cautious about my food intake (choices and portions), have even increased physial activities .. yet, every day I am well under suggested calorie intake. My fat, protein and carb intake are often under .. sometimes over .. but I never seem to be able to meet the calorie intake suggestion (it's always under) and I keep getting the message that I should increase due to the body going into starvation mode.

If I were to eat the calories suggested .. I would be eating the same as I was before I started this program .. and that's how I got overweight in the first place. The more exercise I do, the more suggested calories increase .. There is no way I CAN eat more ! I am not hungry, I feel satisfied, I have even been sleeping better .. It's been an all around great experience.

There has been many times where all the other columns are in the red .. yet my calories are not even close .. Other than drinking coffee (that would only add calories and none of the other requirements like fat, carbs and protein) .. what else could I consume to increase calories only?

My scale hasn't budged .. and it's been over a week. Am I missing something?

You are missing something...THINK! Doing the SAME things and Expecting a Different Result = INSANITY!

But, I am not doing the same things ... I have become more aware of what I am consuming, and making better choices.. AND have increased my physical activity. All very logical ... and I am feeling the results of my efforts by how I feel in general .. MY problem is meeting the requirements of the suggestion of calorie intake.

rbloedow

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

Pay more attention to your calories - protein and fat are not of much concern as long as you are under you caloric goal.

HeidiMightyRawr

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

The fat/carb/protein requirements are not "that" important. Some people may favour high protein/low fat, some high fat/low carb. It's not a one size fits all thing and once you find out what works for you, that's when you get the results. You can change your %'s of those in Home>Goals>Change goals>Custom. I have 35% protein and carbs with 30% fat I think. It works for me. Also, going over on protein is rarely going to harm you, in fact an increase in protein can aid in weight loss as they keep you fuller for longer.

pitbullmama

to open your diary.... go to my home, settings, diary. you can change it there to make it public if you wish. I have about 70 more to go and mine is open to friends, so feel free to add me if you like.

2Bgoddess

can you open your diary so that we can see, and then be better able to make suggestions.

How do I do that?

at the top of this page, click "settings". under account settings, click "diary settings". scroll down, under diary sharing, click "public".

lol when i walked thru it, realized my own was set to private. i thought i had it open....

livnlite

can you open your diary so that we can see, and then be better able to make suggestions.

How do I do that?

at the top of this page, click "settings". under account settings, click "diary settings". scroll down, under diary sharing, click "public".

lol when i walked thru it, realized my own was set to private. i thought i had it open....

Done .. Now that I've printed my full report .. I see that I have occassionally met those requirements but more often not.

livnlite

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

The fat/carb/protein requirements are not "that" important. Some people may favour high protein/low fat, some high fat/low carb. It's not a one size fits all thing and once you find out what works for you, that's when you get the results. You can change your %'s of those in Home>Goals>Change goals>Custom. I have 35% protein and carbs with 30% fat I think. It works for me. Also, going over on protein is rarely going to harm you, in fact an increase in protein can aid in weight loss as they keep you fuller for longer.

How do I know what goals would be suggested for someone like me (in my age group). I understand these are only a guideline. I don't want to set unattainable or unhealthy goals.

grobbygru

I was having the same problem - always have - small eater - fussy eater - easily skip meals and don't even bat an eyelid etc etc - anyways, this keeps me on track to try to strive to eat the correct amount of cals - I am usually still under but I bet it is more than what I was eating before. So I am guessing I was way into starvation mode - it took probably about a month (like I saw some article on here about if you do a search) and off I went!!!! by dinner time today I still had 1499 cals to use - I was like how will I ever do that!!! I have got it down to about 410 and will probably have a spoonful of peanut butter now prior to bed. I think just making a concentrated effort to have as much awareness of nutrating (is that a word lol) yourself is the key.

livnlite

I was having the same problem - always have - small eater - fussy eater - easily skip meals and don't even bat an eyelid etc etc - anyways, this keeps me on track to try to strive to eat the correct amount of cals - I am usually still under but I bet it is more than what I was eating before. So I am guessing I was way into starvation mode - it took probably about a month (like I saw some article on here about if you do a search) and off I went!!!! by dinner time today I still had 1499 cals to use - I was like how will I ever do that!!! I have got it down to about 410 and will probably have a spoonful of peanut butter now prior to bed. I think just making a concentrated effort to have as much awareness of nutrating (is that a word lol) yourself is the key.

When I was younger..I used to do that .. I can't say I was a fussy eater though.. I was more like a 'forgetful' eater. I would be so busy I would literally 'forget' to eat during the day. Food was a neccessity not an indulgence. Mind you I was in my 20's and 30's and very slim, very active. I belonged to a dance company, took or taught aerobics, my kids were younger then so I was always participating in stuff with them too. I was in the best shape of my life, back then. Come to think of it .. Back then, it was high carbs to keep up my energy levels.

When I hit 40 and stopped doing dance, and aerobics and became more immobile (due to a desk job) I started gaining .... and so it seems .. have never stopped (I'm in my 50's now). It's only NOW that I realize I am in BIG trouble (no pun intended).

HeidiMightyRawr

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

The fat/carb/protein requirements are not "that" important. Some people may favour high protein/low fat, some high fat/low carb. It's not a one size fits all thing and once you find out what works for you, that's when you get the results. You can change your %'s of those in Home>Goals>Change goals>Custom. I have 35% protein and carbs with 30% fat I think. It works for me. Also, going over on protein is rarely going to harm you, in fact an increase in protein can aid in weight loss as they keep you fuller for longer.

How do I know what goals would be suggested for someone like me (in my age group). I understand these are only a guideline. I don't want to set unattainable or unhealthy goals.

Well generally alot of people here agree that the protein levels are too low at 15%. These are set by government guidelines and are meant to be a minimum. It's recommended 1g per lb of lean bodyweight for an active person, and also as you get older you lose muscle mass, so this would help maintain lean mass provided you are exercising as well

With fat and carbs if really is a matter of trial and error.The majority of the population eat a diet quite high in carbs, and this is ok with some people but also some like it a little lower as it can leave a bloated feeling. A balanced diet is between 40 and 55% carbs I believe. MFP sets it to 55%. My opinion is that the type of carbs matters more than those in general, fruit, veges, wholegrains etc are good, and sugary foods and white bread/rice/pasta are not so good (although I still eat white bread etc)
Most people follow a diet low in fat, a balanced diet I think is between 20 and 30% from fat. Whatever you choose, do beware of reduced fat products as these can contain horrific levels of sodium and sugar to make it taste nicer. It would probably be better to go with the full fat version 90% of the time, fat on it's own does not make people fat, it is (for the majority of people) mainly just calories in vs calories out. I say most because alot of people will argue against how the types of food matters) and while obviously healthy foods would be best, there are lots of healthy foods high in fats.
Also it is recommended that for females, you should not go below 30g of fat a day (40g for men) as some is essential for the body.

Maybe start off 30% fat and protein, and 40% carbs. See how that works for a few weeks, and change it around as it suits you. You should find at some point what works best for you

Acg67

olive oil, avocados, nuts... It's actually quite easy.

Would those not also increase protein and fat?

The fat/carb/protein requirements are not "that" important. Some people may favour high protein/low fat, some high fat/low carb. It's not a one size fits all thing and once you find out what works for you, that's when you get the results. You can change your %'s of those in Home>Goals>Change goals>Custom. I have 35% protein and carbs with 30% fat I think. It works for me. Also, going over on protein is rarely going to harm you, in fact an increase in protein can aid in weight loss as they keep you fuller for longer.

to elaborate a little, ratios for macros is silly, there is no magic ratio that is optimal for everyone. It is best to meet a minimum of certain macros (pro and fat) then fill in the rest of your daily cals as you please