Trying to understand calories... HELP!!!!!!

RebeccaLeinen

Ok so I've been really watching what I eat... so i usually have a freshly juiced shake in the morning with some protein powder for breakfast, a piece of fruit or 100 calorie pack of nuts or veggies for a snack... a salad with chicken or tuna and an oil & vinegar dressing for lunch...another small healthy snack... and a small portion of meat and steamed veggies for dinner... It's never exactly the same i do mix things up so it can't be my body is use to the same thing... but it always comes up short of my calorie goal and the lil pointer that pops up says its too few calories and my body will go into starvation mode... but i'm still eating all through the day.. is it really going into starvation mode? it's just healthy eating with low calorie counts...is that going to hurt me instead of help me? and I NEVER eat me exercise calories... i barely hit my 1200 mark... can someone please help me!

TavistockToad

carbs arent evil you know... you could try adding a portion of rice or potato to your evening meal.

asyouseefit

Maybe also a slice of bread or a small roll with your lunch salad.

exiledforestfan

The message is right and you will find weight loss harder to have if you eat too few calories. You need to look at what you are eating and try and increase your calorie count if you find that eating all day is not helpful for you. When you plan your meals try and incarease the amount of protein you have. Look at your snacks and see if you can have still healthy choices but ones that give you more calorie intake. Look at what your recommended calorie intake is and aim to increase it towards that. You might want to save 100 calories a day if you like to have a glass of wine. remember that drinks can contain calories so make sure you count them. Milk and yoghurts are a good source of calories and calcium so make sure you are not nutitionally deprived for those. TavistockToads comment is very valid. Carbs are needed so don't cut them out. They provide slow relaease energy throughout the day. I have found increasing my carb intake by a small amount helps to fill me up.

Good Luck!

HeidiMightyRawr

I wouldn't say that's good for you to be having less than 1200, especially if you're not eating exercise calories! You will still lose weight by eating more, and it'll be alot better for your body
A few things to add that will bump up your calories:

Milk w/ the protein shake instead of water. I've seen a few people add things such as peanut butter to it aswell. Although if you already have a shake in the morning I would recommend a breakfast that you can actually eat. As TavistockToad mentioned, carbs aren't evil - you could have a healthy cereal. If you want to stick to low carb, eggs are good in the morning

A yoghurt or slice of toast to go with the fruit/nuts

With salads I always love cheese. You don't have to have loads but it makes a really nice addition. Also, I love things like raisins/sultanas in salads to make it more like a fruit salad. They seem to have a few more calories than alot of other fruits as well.

A carb with dinner such as pasta/rice/potatoes. Sweet potatoes are a nice alternative to regular ones as well If you're still short of calories, an extra portion of meat? Lots of lean meats out there so all you've really be raising is the calories and protein