Need help -900 over my alloted calorie intake smh

addat02

I'm in desparate need of some help here. My first day writing everything down and I'm over my calorie intake by 900 calories as well as all the other aread...it's really crazy and troubling. I thought I didn't eat a lot because I never really ate a lot but i snack a lot and the stuff I'm eating is adding up..I was really shocked! I'm trying to figure this site out and having a difficult time trying to learn how to calcualte my meals. I've gone into the meals section and entered various meals to help me plan my meals for the following days but I'm not doing it correctly. If I meet the calorie intake I'm not meeting the protein or the fat portion. I need help and advice from those out there on trying to plan theri meals correctly and within the amount suggested by this site...can anyone help me and offer me some advie? I would appreciate it...

taso42

Planning ahead is key. Good for you for already attempting that. Focus on including a source of lean protein and complex carbs in every meal. Also try to include vegetables as often as possible. Here's a big list of foods to draw ideas from http://bodyforlife.com/library/food-list

Fairysoul

Well for snacks some people like the 100 calorie packs... or just maybe snack on things like carrots and celery..ect..

CallejaFairey

as you are just starting, i would suggest just focusing on your calories for now. get that under control and then start looking at the other listings like fat and protein. really, for most people, the calories are the only thing they ever have to worry about. it's pretty much all i look at. as you start to eat healthier and keep your calories under control, you will probably find that most of the others just fall into place as well.

tiedye

Many people on this site (including myself) drink a lot of smoothies/shakes with greek yogurt or protein powder and fruit to get low-cal protein in. Large salads are key to feeling full and staying under. People also like soups, hummus, turkey hot dogs or meatballs instead of red meat, whole fruit instead of juice, and the list goes on!

Good luck!

You can also do a few message board searches and look at the recipe section to get ideas.

New_Hope

It's going to be hard to get all your calories perfectly balanced through all your groups. For example: I'm suppose to have 50% of my calories from carbs, 30% from protein, and 20% from fat ... But that very rarely happens. Just try to get as close as possible while still being healthy and don't worry too much if it is exact. Trying to get it perfect is what will drive you crazy (trust me ... been there, was hospitalized for that ) ....

kdm97

bump

whatwentwrong

it's your first day, don't be so hard on yourself! the first step is learning how many calories you're intaking, and work to cut down- if it's too hard to suddenly drop 900 calories, try to go down by 1-200 each day while staying below your maintenance calories.

i don't personally pay attention to fat/sugars/etc- i just try to make healthier choices, and as long as i'm not over by 100 grams or anything, i'm fine. that's just my approach tho, so it's really up to you to figure out what works. experiment!

and if you're snacking a lot, try looking for low-calorie snacks- i keep lots of popcorn, veggies, and cheese in my house in single-serving packs. i also log before eating anything so i can say, well, if i eat this i have 200 calories left for the day- so maybe i'll choose something with lower calories, so i can have more later.

blarics11

as you are just starting, i would suggest just focusing on your calories for now. get that under control and then start looking at the other listings like fat and protein. really, for most people, the calories are the only thing they ever have to worry about. it's pretty much all i look at. as you start to eat healthier and keep your calories under control, you will probably find that most of the others just fall into place as well.

What she said
I have read on here before that the have the protein set way low, so I would not worry to much ifyou go over on that

vikesfanmb

Just wanted to chime in and let you know that on my first day, I think I was AT LEAST 900 over. I'll have to go back and look - but not to worry, it does get easier. Don't give up! We all have "bad" days. Even those of us who've been at it a while, believe me!

Just think, tomorrow is a new day - clean slate!

geekymom57

Congratulations on taking the first step! The accountability that logging provides may be the most valuable tool--look at what it's already told you today! Once you start logging regularly you will start to identify your culprits, both wasted foods/beverages (low nutrition and/or high calorie) and amount.

That said, as some others have said, there are ways to boost the really important values such as protein. I am lactose intolerant so have to be careful about too much dairy, but I've found that good sources of protein that I can tolerate such as a half-cup of greek yoghurt, half-cup of cottage cheese, vanilla soy milk, etc. Nuts are good in reasonable amounts and have a fulfilling crunch that makes them seem like real food.

Lower-calorie breads (I buy one that is 80 calories for 2 slices) can make a big difference if you are a bread-person. I also start with half the portion size on the box for things such pasta, rice, beans, cous cous. These make big differences once they are tallied up.

Stick with it and don't give up! It starts to come together after a while.

efriling

All the previous ideas are really great. You may also want to look at what you're eating for your main meals that are leaving you wanting to snack...if you eat some good oatmeal or lean protein and fiber in the morning, then maybe some fat free greek yogurt with fresh fruit for a mid morning snack, you won't be famished by lunch. Eat lots of veggies, some more lean protien and plan ahead for your afternoon snack, maybe a granola bar, protein shake, popcorn...then you should be in good shape for your dinner. I just started this site last week, so I am no pro by any means, but what I found myself doing was adding in my snacks before I would eat them and seeing- wow that's a lot of carbs, maybe I have another option, and would change it right then I wouldn't sweat balancing everything out in the beginning either, just focus on your calories, and maybe eyeball your fat intake....once you get the hang of it, it will all start to fall into place. Best of luck to you, you will find lots of wonderful and supportive people on MFP!

d2footballJRC

yes focus on the caloric number and not so much on protein and etc til you get the hang of it. Make sure you are taking a mufti-vitamin as well. Also remember working out grants you more calories. If you aren't exercising it will be very hard to snack a lot and not go over.

kysassyblonde1

a thing that helped when I first started was looking at other peoples diarys on here and seeing what they was eating. It helped me alot to figure out some good foods and notice the way other people do it. Another way to get more calories is to exercise then you earn more calories when you log the exercise in. Myself I didnt add the exercise for a few days. It is hard at first to learn what is high and what is low calories but you will get the hang of it in no time..... Stay strong and positive, read these forums and make friends on here to help and support you!!!!! Good Luck to you!!!!!

erinkeely4

That is EXACTLY why this site is so awesome! I had NO IDEA how many calories were in what I ate before tracking everything here. You will start to get a great feel for what is worth eating and what is not as you continue to log everything.

Misiaxcore

Just learn from today, and plan better for the future. When I first started, I didn't even look at the macros and stuff. I just focused on calories. After a while I started paying attention to my macros. They don't really affect me with my weight loss though, but everyone's different.