Eat more?
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paulaGetshealthy
Posts: 464
I've been netting under 1000 calories all week. I got laid-off from my job, so I've been home all week and I just eat less and exercise more since I'm no longer as active as I was at work. Well, since I've started eating less, I've starting losing little to no weight. Obviously I need to eat more; however, I feel like I eat enough. How am I supposed to eat more if I'm not even hungry?
Everyday I have the same thing for breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs, a piece of flax toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter, half a banana, and a glass of soy milk.
This keeps me full for 3-4 hours, at which point I'll have a small container of greek yogurt. Then this will keep me full for a couple of hours, then I'll have a fiber bar and either an orange or an apple. After that, another couple of hours and it's dinner time. This usually comes out to about 1250 calories. I typically burn anywhere from 350-500 calories from exercise, so I'm netting under 1000 calories.
Should I really eat more even if I'm not at all hungry? Not only am I not hungry, I'm stuffed! All right, let's hear it.
Everyday I have the same thing for breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs, a piece of flax toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter, half a banana, and a glass of soy milk.
This keeps me full for 3-4 hours, at which point I'll have a small container of greek yogurt. Then this will keep me full for a couple of hours, then I'll have a fiber bar and either an orange or an apple. After that, another couple of hours and it's dinner time. This usually comes out to about 1250 calories. I typically burn anywhere from 350-500 calories from exercise, so I'm netting under 1000 calories.
Should I really eat more even if I'm not at all hungry? Not only am I not hungry, I'm stuffed! All right, let's hear it.
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Replies
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Yes you should eat more:
As an example your day to day requirements are like a tank of gas. if you use a tank of gas/week going to and from work, if you go on any extra trips or errands you will need to add more gas in order to have enough gas to get to work. So if you need 1200 for day to day stuff (you will lose weight with 1200 cals and no exercise), then when you do extra (workout) you need to put more calories in your body.
See. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390145-should-i-eat-my-exercise-calories
Not eating the extra calories is only a good idea if you have 100+ lbs to lose or you increase your activity level to account for exercise. changing your activity level will give you more calories so you will be eating enough, without the thought of "eating your exercise calories".
Essentially you are setting your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) then creating a deficit from that to lose weight. This is what most trainer/doctors/nutritionists do. Most professionals will tell you not to eat your exercise calories back because they added it into your TDEE, whereas MFP ignores exercise and only accounts for it when you perform it. Either way should get you to the same place.
As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1750 everyday regardless if you workout.
So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 12,250 (1750*7) almost the same number of cals for the week. The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.
What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1750/day above.0 -
Yes. I wasn't netting more than 1000 cals a day and since I've been forcing myself to eat a little more and net at least 1200-1300 a day, I started losing again0
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wow.. i'm sorry, but that is so unhealthy on so many levels!
i eat twice as many calories as you and work out 3-4 times a week ..0 -
yes.
even if its just more calorie dense foods like nuts or avocado.. add more olive oil to your cooking. use full fat dairy/dressing/etc. little changes can add up 0 -
most people will disagree with me but i am of the mindset that if you eat when not hungry just to fulfill someone elses preset number...0
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Yes. I wasn't netting more than 1000 cals a day and since I've been forcing myself to eat a little more and net at least 1200-1300 a day, I started losing again
she said EATING 1000 calories, not netting ... that's what's scary!0 -
Also I noticed you don't have much more to lose, which means even 1200 cals is probably not enough for you. Not eating enough calories when you don't have a lot to lose can lead to a lose of lean muscle which slows your metabolism down. Here is a safe guide to setting weekly weight loss goals:
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.0 -
Maybe if you add protein or weight loss shakes into what your already eating might help and not make you feel too full0
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Yes. I wasn't netting more than 1000 cals a day and since I've been forcing myself to eat a little more and net at least 1200-1300 a day, I started losing again
she said EATING 1000 calories, not netting ... that's what's scary!
no she said netting, she said she is eatin 1250 before exercise0 -
Eat more calorie dense foods if you feel you need them. When cooking your eggs, use a tablespoon of olive oil instead of spraying the pan with the zero calorie stuff. With your apple or orange have a handful or two of your favorite kind of nut, walnuts and almonds are best. If you like sweets, have a small sized bar of dark chocolate after dinner for dessert. Dark chocolate isn't considered a calorie dense food but its good and its said to melt of belly fat if eaten in small amounts everyday.
This alone could potentially add 300 calories or more.0 -
Yes. I wasn't netting more than 1000 cals a day and since I've been forcing myself to eat a little more and net at least 1200-1300 a day, I started losing again
she said EATING 1000 calories, not netting ... that's what's scary!
no she said netting, she said she is eatin 1250 before exercise
wow.. i literally read "eating"
either way.. MPF has already created the deficit for her and if she is still below that it's still unhealthy.
that's what happens when i toss & turn all night "/0 -
I did change my activity level from active to sedentary and it decreased my calorie goal from 1590 to 1250. I used to be able to eat 1590 calories easily, but now I find it difficult to eat 1250, let alone net the 1250.
But like I said, I actually feel stuffed after I eat, not just satisfied. I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat after that. Also, I eat tons of protein and fiber.
Oh, well, I'll take your advice and add things like nuts to my salad, or actually have a lunch lol. I just didn't think it was a big deal that I wasn't netting 1200 since I'm not intentionally starving myself.0 -
when i have trouble reaching my calories, these things help:
-100 calorie packs of almonds for snack.
-add a tablespoon of chocolate protein powder to my coffee every afternoon.
-add 1/2 cup of granola to my yogurt.
-add chick peas, avocados, or olives to my salad.
-vita muffins!! they're 100 calories and give u some extra vitamins, plus they taste good :bigsmile:
don't be scared to eat! as long as you're eating healthy and stay active, which it sounds like you are, you're gonna do just fine :flowerforyou:0 -
your body doesnt really know the difference.. it just knows its not getting enough food to function properly long-terml. I just didn't think it was a big deal that I wasn't netting 1200 since I'm not intentionally starving myself. 0 -
You've gotten a lot of good advice so far, but it should also be mentioned that since you have done such a fantastic job of losing weight and are only 6 lbs from goal weight, you might be at a plateau. Generally speaking, guys like me who are shedding TONS of weight can be a little less scientific with our intial diets because simply exercising and not eating like a rabid whale is enough to lose. Try changing up your workouts, adding some protein powders into you days, maybe intensify your cardio....something to shake things up. But I agree with everyone before me, you should probably eat more.
Oh, and try to do something active that isn't gym related, like taking walks. That's what I do with my kids. Zoos, Museums, Parks, Malls.0 -
Right.
Not all pauses in weight loss indicate you are doing something wrong.
Personally, I see no reason, no reason AT ALL to eat if you are not actually feeling hungry. There is no benefit to force feeding, period.
Your body will adjust to its new routine.
MFP applies a one size fits all formula, you must learn to adjust it as you go. One size fits all solutions do not work for everyone, despite the fact others will defend the "magic number" to the death.0 -
Right.
Not all pauses in weight loss indicate you are doing something wrong.
Personally, I see no reason, no reason AT ALL to eat if you are not actually feeling hungry. There is no benefit to force feeding, period.
Your body will adjust to its new routine.
MFP applies a one size fits all formula, you must learn to adjust it as you go. One size fits all solutions do not work for everyone, despite the fact others will defend the "magic number" to the death.
One size does not fit all but you also have to keep in mind that hunger is not the best indication of the body's nutritional requirements.
I could do an all liquid diets and ingest over 3000 cals and still be hungry even though I don't need any more nutrition, or I could eat carrots all day and be full on 600 cals, but not have anywhere near what my body needs.
Hunger is only a small part of the equation, if she is eating calorie dense nutritious food no way should she be full on so few calories.0 -
most people will disagree with me but i am of the mindset that if you eat when not hungry just to fulfill someone elses preset number...
my post got editted because appearently 'ideas' and 'concepts' have feeling to, utter nonsense0 -
o.O your post wasn't edited AFAICT..most people will disagree with me but i am of the mindset that if you eat when not hungry just to fulfill someone elses preset number...
my post got editted because appearently 'ideas' and 'concepts' have feeling to, utter nonsense0 -
o.O your post wasn't edited AFAICT..most people will disagree with me but i am of the mindset that if you eat when not hungry just to fulfill someone elses preset number...
my post got editted because appearently 'ideas' and 'concepts' have feeling to, utter nonsense
steven cut it in half0 -
interesting, i just didnt see that it was edited.
steven cut it in half0 -
interesting, i just didnt see that it was edited.
steven cut it in half
there is nothing to show or say it was, i just know what it originly said0 -
I've been netting under 1000 calories all week. I got laid-off from my job, so I've been home all week and I just eat less and exercise more since I'm no longer as active as I was at work. Well, since I've started eating less, I've starting losing little to no weight. Obviously I need to eat more; however, I feel like I eat enough. How am I supposed to eat more if I'm not even hungry?
Everyday I have the same thing for breakfast:
2 scrambled eggs, a piece of flax toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter, half a banana, and a glass of soy milk.
This keeps me full for 3-4 hours, at which point I'll have a small container of greek yogurt. Then this will keep me full for a couple of hours, then I'll have a fiber bar and either an orange or an apple. After that, another couple of hours and it's dinner time. This usually comes out to about 1250 calories. I typically burn anywhere from 350-500 calories from exercise, so I'm netting under 1000 calories.
Should I really eat more even if I'm not at all hungry? Not only am I not hungry, I'm stuffed! All right, let's hear it.
I agree with a lot of what's been said, especially since you are so close to goal that those last few pounds might just be REALLY stubborn. I totally understand where you are because I have days where I want to eat everything in sight and other days where I feel like I am force-feeding myself just to hit 1200.
My suggestion would be to eat a bit more - not a lot - for a few days to see if it helps. Additionally, you can zig-zag your calories if you like, e.g., eat 1300-1400 one day, then 1100-1200 the next, etc.
A few easy ways to add in a few extra calories without your probably even noticing - eat 3 eggs instead of 2 - eat another Tbsp of PB - eat the whole banana - have a protein bar (~200 cals) instead of a fiber bar (~100-150 cals).
It also helps to vary what you eat. I tend to get in ruts because I find something I like to eat that's easy to do and want to keep eating it. For example, I have coffee with a touch of half-and-half and a Greek yogurt almost every day for breakfast, but some days I add in a piece of whole wheat toast (50 cals) with some sugar-free preserves or, if I'm feeling like it might be a while before I eat again, a reasonable amount of butter. Sometimes I'll make eggs instead, since 2 eggs = same calories as a Greek yogurt.
I hope this helps!0 -
Also, I'm sorry to hear you got laid off
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