Struggling to eat all my calories

rickyd88

Hi everyone,

I'm on Day 12 of MFP and have lost 6lbs. My weight has been static for the past 3 days and although I'm unhappy I've not lost over those 3 days I need to keep telling myself that I've lost quite a bit in such a short amount of time. However, I think the reason I've not lost in the past 3 days is because I cannot eat my calories.

My target is 1,320 a day and if I do any exercise I try to eat back my calories, but I always end up with around 150-200 calories a day that I cannot eat without going over on carbs/protein/sugar etc.

I plan my meals the day before and try to factor in snacks before I eat them to see if I'm 'allowed' to have them. I'm never HUNGRY but I tend to feel peckish for something else to eat, but cannot find anything that will allow the calories without going over on my other allowances (if that makes any sort of sense?!). Eg: cannot have an apple because I go over on carbs and sugar.

I guess it means I need to be more selective about what is in my meals, but what else can I do? I am worried this is the start of my plateau if I cannot eat my recommended calories.

Any help appreciated!

curlyclo

First off, 6lbs in 12 days is insanely fast! Be proud of yourself!

Second, I highly doubt this is a plateau. Three days does not a plateau make.

Third, don't worry about going a bit over in any one category. It's not that big of a deal. Those are guidelines, and you'll still do great if you're over.

docHelen

First off, 6lbs in 12 days is insanely fast! Be proud of yourself!

Second, I highly doubt this is a plateau. Three days does not a plateau make.

Third, don't worry about going a bit over in any one category. It's not that big of a deal. Those are guidelines, and you'll still do great if you're over.

agree

sufikitkat

I would worry more about cals than going over a specific macro-nutrient. I actually track Carbs, Sat Fat, Protein, Calcium, and overall fat. This really helps me to not go over in the "bad fats" vs my overall fat intake. I am a distance runner so I don't worry too much about the carbs...they are definitely needed!

The most important part is that you have a balance of the three macro nutrients. Also, don't worry about the sugars from fruit. The fiber benefits from eating fruit outweigh the negatives of the sugars in them. I would be much more concerned about intaking unnatural sugars such as High fructose corn syrup, etc.

I hope this helps and good luck with your journey!!

mandydanyele

Don't panic if you go over a bit in a category. An apple isn't going to make you gain back the 6 pounds you've lost. It's really about what you eat now vs. what you use to eat. If you use to eat a lot of junk food and now you are eating healthy, you will be fine. But don't eat if you aren't hungry either. You shouldn't force yourself to eat as long as you are eating reasonably.

chubiD

First off, 6lbs in 12 days is insanely fast! Be proud of yourself!

Second, I highly doubt this is a plateau. Three days does not a plateau make.

Third, don't worry about going a bit over in any one category. It's not that big of a deal. Those are guidelines, and you'll still do great if you're over.

ditto!

bigfluffyjujubird

i wouldnt worry about making up the calories from exercise, any diet i have done before just tells you to add exercise in and then use it on top if you want but its not necessary. I dont make up mine all the time, just make sure you eat your base line calories and remember you may be losing inches and not necessarily weight so measure yourself as well if you are worried, for me its being able to fit into a dress size i want rather than being a specific weight.

ashleigh2311

It is hard to reach your calorie allowance 100% perfectly whilst still staying under or on target with absolutely everything else.
I find myself often slightly under my calorie allowance but always over my fibre and protein.
But it's okay.
To get foods that equalled perfect totals in every single category would be insane.

If i still have a lot of calories left towards the end of the day i put in healthy snacks that might make me go over on sugar or protein like fruit or fat-free yoghurts, but at least my body is getting the calories it needs.

Just make sure you are eating enough, 6lbs in 12 days is loads!

good luck!

pupcamper

You aren't drinking enough water! Drink 8 - 10 a day and the scale will move!

trishlambert

Be careful about setting up unrealistic expectations of yourself. You had a fast weight loss up front, but realistically you can't (and shouldn't) expect to keep that up. If you can lose 1 to 1.5 pounds per week from here on out, that will be fantastic. I understand the desire to take the weight off quickly but, really, slower is better because you have a better chance of keeping it off permanently. Otherwise you may end up stuck in "yo-yo" hell. I'm speaking from experience!!!

soniaa777

eat spinach

RealMattHopkins

I always go over on my protein but then I find my body responds well to a higher protein diet and therefore am not at all worried. I'd be watchful of salt more than anything, though MFP doesn't really consider that element.

Also... don't weigh yourself every day! You are going to drive yourself absolutely crazy and once you get over the initial hump, it'll be pretty depressing to see yourself gain and lose weight from day to day. You won't go down every day OR even every week, especially if you are weight training (which you should do).

I happily weigh in every weekend and am doing so later today. This will be my fifth weigh in as a MFP user and I went from 310 to to 305, to 302, to 293. I didn't really do anything different last week to get a 9lb loss. It's just that your body will do weird stuff as this process unfolds.

czechsmate

First off, 6lbs in 12 days is insanely fast! Be proud of yourself!

Second, I highly doubt this is a plateau. Three days does not a plateau make.

Third, don't worry about going a bit over in any one category. It's not that big of a deal. Those are guidelines, and you'll still do great if you're over.

Agree...you may also try just weighing yourself once a week and not everyday, you may see some scale movement afterall!

rickyd88

Thanks so much everyone. I've got something useful out of every post.

- I've stopped monitoring cholesterol and replaced it with 'sat fats', which is a relief because I couldn't eat an egg without feeling bad.
- I'm going to stop weighing myself every day.
- I try to drink at least 1.5l of water a day, not including cups of tea but I'm slacking today so I'm going to get a bottle of water now.
- I'm going to enjoy more fruit without feeling bad about the sugars.
- I'd now be happy with 1-2lbs of weightloss per week, as that would get me to my goal weight by next summer.

I feel better already

czechsmate

:flowerforyou:

HMonsterX

Losing that amount of weight at first is not uncommon. The majority of it will be excess water held in your body by the sodium. When you start "dieting", you eat less sodium, therefore you lose that excess water, hence water weight.

All that's happening now is you aren't losing water, and will now start the real job of losing fat, with a bit of muscle, which is of course much slower.

Don't forget it takes a calorie deficit of roughly 3,500 to lose 1lb of fat.

RealMattHopkins

Funny. I did my weigh in today and lost only 1lb this week when last week I lost 9lbs. Another great reason not to weigh yourself every day! I guess my water is gone!