strugling to use up my calories daily....will this stop me l
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I think more than anything it is a head game we play with ourselves. I've only been logging on MFP for a week or so, before that I was using another program and was 'secretly' proud when I was under my calories for the day. I was getting a thrill out of it.. wierd I know. I kept reading about what we need at a minimun and I'm slowly retraining myself to think of food and diet in a healthy way. Just out of highschool a couple years into college I beganpurging and extreme exercise, I did that for about 4 years, until I saw the ultrasound of my first child (a girl). once she and (her three sisters) were born I just kept gaining, because I didn't know how to manage my wieght without extremes and I knew I didn't want them to see that. To be honest I know my intake right now is too low and I need to bump it to 1200 and I'm trying..
My suggestion to you is educate yourself daily by reading what healthy is, I think it will sink in. I want permanent fitness and weight loss this time so I'm really trying to change the 'head game' I've played for so many years. Not much help I'm sure, but it is how it has been for me. Best to you!0 -
You could sneak a bit of chocolate in
Love this answer! 0 -
natural peanut butter or almond butter on your fruit - apples, bananas, etc - it'll add some calories, protein, and good fat.0
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As for suggestions of what to eat to bump up the calories... Check your food diary and see what you're missing. Keep in mind that MFP's default protein goal is really low... only 15%. I have mine set for 25%, but I aim for a minimum of 100g a day.
If you're low on protein, have more protein. A slightly larger serving of chicken, fish, eggs, beans, beef, pork, or a protein shake or bar. I have some protein bars that are as delicious as a candy bar, but good for me. Vanilla whey protein powder mixed with chocolate milk is AMAZING... it's like dessert. Even if I don't add the protein powder, I like to have a glass of chocolate milk right before bed.
If you're not getting enough fruits and vegetables, get more of them. Veggies are typically very low in calories, but on average, one serving of fruit, whether it's a banana or a cup of blueberries, is around 100 calories.
If you're low on fat, have some peanut butter or avocado, or cook with olive oil. And cheese. I love cheese.
If you're low on carbs... have fun! Unless you have a medical problem that is adversely affected by carbs (ie, diabetes), there's no reason to go "low carb." I have bagels, bread and pasta daily. A normal serving of regular pasta is 210 calories. Measure out a little bit more or less as your calories dictate.0 -
Thanks for the ideas....... And in regards to the lovely lady who posted comments about me being pretty and jelousy..... I'm lucky I don't carry weight on my face, but I do carry it around my belly after having 2 babies it's the first place to stick and I have no shape or tone to my thighs quite chunky...... I'm aiming to get to around 9 and a half stone (im currently 11st 2lb and 9 and a half stone was my weight after baby #1 and im 5' 5.5" ) but I'll never be stick thin as I'm very large on the boobie side of things haha and child bearing hips ( prob why I had 2 monster size babies)
I don't want to lose weight very quickly as I know it will be harder to keep off in the long run, I'm only looking to lose 2lb a week as I know this is the most sensible way and it's quite funny that some of the people posting the unhelpful and pointless posts haven't got the held thirst of diets and one of them wants to work with obese children!!!0 -
I think the mean comments stem from jealousy. You're a pretty girl and don't look like you have a lot of weight to lose, and I think that makes some people a little bitter, especially when you say that its not hard for you to eat less. Thats what most people struggle with on this site.I don't really have any advice for you, I really have no idea about starvation mode. But I think that everyone is different, and if you are a smaller -framed person to begin with, maybe 1000 calories a day is enough for you. My mother in law is very petite, she eats extremely healthy but I would guess she doesn't need as many calories than other people bc she is pretty short. If you are still concerned, I would ask your dr! No one on these forums is an expert and everyone's advice is different bc it's based on their own experiences. Good luck, and let your haters be your motivators!
Bullpoopie.
The "mean" comments are from people who KNOW that eating that little is detrimental to one's health. Eating very little is nothing to be proud of. It will shut down your metabolism, cause you to lose muscle mass, and leave you malnourished.
I wish someone told me years ago that I was being an idiot. That I was going about everything all wrong when I was eating under 1000 a day. I got to my goal weight, and still had back fat rolls, a muffin top, double chin and flabby thighs. I weighed less, but I had the same body I had when I was heavier. Just a smaller version of the same body. So I beat myself up, thinking I had a slow metabolism, thinking I lacked discipline, thinking I was just stuck being the shape I was, thinking I would have to eat even LESS if I wanted to lose weight. So I gave up, because I'd rather eat what I wanted, be happy, and weigh a little more, than feel deprived to weigh a little less.
So now, getting proper nutrition and regular exercise, I'm about the same "goal weight," but wearing clothes two or three sizes smaller (2 or 4 vs. size 8), with small waist, a tight, high booty, a sexy back, and just one chin, and eating easily TWICE what I was when I was foolishly starving myself.
So... no, I'm not jealous of someone who only eats 1000 calories a day. Been there, done that. I eat that much for dinner now.
I wasn't including your post in the "mean comments." You linked to the thread you started, I read it and thought it was interesting and good advice. I think you gave meaningful info, which is what the OP was looking for. I was referring to a couple of the other comments that started off with an extremely rude tone that wasn't helpful to anyone. If someone is new here and has a question like what the OP had, which I think is a legitimate question, I find it extremely weird to see that some people answer with such negativity. And in my life, I've noticed that people with that kind of attitude are just unhappy with something in their own lives and try to share the misery. Also, I do believe that some (not all, and probably not most!) people probably can survive on 1000 calories a day. A shorter person would probably need less calories than a taller one, and if 1200 is the standard for average people, if someone was much smaller I think 200 less may be a proportionately correct amount. The point being that everyone is different, and 1200 is not some magic number that we all have to live or die by.0 -
Nobody has mentioned the fact that you might have a slower metabolism. All bodies are different and some need to eat less than others in order to maintain their weight. I don't know if that's the case for you, but it might be.
As long as you're not losing too much weight and/or body fat, you shouldn't worry. If you feel healthy and happy about yourself there's nothing wrong
You could talk to a dietician if you want to!0 -
I don't want to lose weight very quickly as I know it will be harder to keep off in the long run, I'm only looking to lose 2lb a week as I know this is the most sensible way and it's quite funny that some of the people posting the unhelpful and pointless posts haven't got the held thirst of diets and one of them wants to work with obese children!!!
Actually, for the amount of weight you want to lose, 2 pounds a week would be considered "very quickly." It's really only safe to aim for 2 pounds a week if you have 75 pounds or more to lose. One pound a week would be ideal for now, bumping it to a half pound a week when you're within 10-15 pounds of your goal. With a few more calories, you run less risk of losing from your muscle mass, so while you might be losing fewer pounds per week, it looks like more since it's mostly fat. And by keeping your muscle mass, you'll likely reach your ideal body before you reach your ideal weight.0 -
I think the mean comments stem from jealousy. You're a pretty girl and don't look like you have a lot of weight to lose, and I think that makes some people a little bitter, especially when you say that its not hard for you to eat less. Thats what most people struggle with on this site.I don't really have any advice for you, I really have no idea about starvation mode. But I think that everyone is different, and if you are a smaller -framed person to begin with, maybe 1000 calories a day is enough for you. My mother in law is very petite, she eats extremely healthy but I would guess she doesn't need as many calories than other people bc she is pretty short. If you are still concerned, I would ask your dr! No one on these forums is an expert and everyone's advice is different bc it's based on their own experiences. Good luck, and let your haters be your motivators!
Bullpoopie.
The "mean" comments are from people who KNOW that eating that little is detrimental to one's health. Eating very little is nothing to be proud of. It will shut down your metabolism, cause you to lose muscle mass, and leave you malnourished.
I wish someone told me years ago that I was being an idiot. That I was going about everything all wrong when I was eating under 1000 a day. I got to my goal weight, and still had back fat rolls, a muffin top, double chin and flabby thighs. I weighed less, but I had the same body I had when I was heavier. Just a smaller version of the same body. So I beat myself up, thinking I had a slow metabolism, thinking I lacked discipline, thinking I was just stuck being the shape I was, thinking I would have to eat even LESS if I wanted to lose weight. So I gave up, because I'd rather eat what I wanted, be happy, and weigh a little more, than feel deprived to weigh a little less.
So now, getting proper nutrition and regular exercise, I'm about the same "goal weight," but wearing clothes two or three sizes smaller (2 or 4 vs. size 8), with small waist, a tight, high booty, a sexy back, and just one chin, and eating easily TWICE what I was when I was foolishly starving myself.
So... no, I'm not jealous of someone who only eats 1000 calories a day. Been there, done that. I eat that much for dinner now.
Im NOT starving myself!!! My diary is open so people are welcome to view I eat quite a decent amount! I eat more now than I did before deciding to loose weight just eat healthier things.... The only thing I haven't done is eat breakfast for the last two days as I'm full of cold with a bad chest and suffering bad headaches when I wake up so food is the last thing on my mind BUT I know breakfast is important so will be making sure I def have some tomorrow.... Haters can comment all they like doesn't bother me at all :0)0 -
I'm also doing strength training to help keep my muscle mass x0
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That's great that you're doing strength training and trying to do this whole weight loss thing the right way. My advice to you would be that you are not eating enough, but you're not seriously depriving yourself either. You should be eating AT LEAST 1200 calories, because your body is probably used to more right now and throwing it less and less only will give you bad results in the long-term. Especially if you are weight training, you are going to need to eat more calories, because chances are, you go from more calories to less calories, your body isn't going to be using many calories to re-build muscle, and you may even be using it.
I hate when people say this, but do you know your TDEE? This would be the total amount of calories you expend per day. I would recommend you eat 5% less than your TDEE. It may seem annoying because you want to LOSE weight right now, but in the early stages of strength training (not sure how far along you are), you're going to need calories to build your muscle and you may see serious improvements in the first month or so. Trust me, you want muscle, even if you're not losing weight, rather than the drop of a few "pounds"...high-intensity training has been shown to burn more fat in a 24-hour period than regular cardio and certainly more than if you aren't doing anything, but you need to feed your muscles first.
Good luck!0 -
1000 a day is gross. Seriously you're trying to survive on that? There is a difference between getting healthy and having an eating disorder. You think you can't eat that much? Stop eating such low calorie things! Swap low fat for full fat. Add olive oil. Nuts and nut butters. 1000 a day is unsafe and you're going to wreck your body. Think about what you're doing. What's more important, fast results or living a long healthy life?
Geez, give her a break, she is asking what she can eat to consume more calories, sheesh, no wonder newbies come her, post a few things and then leave ! And looking at your pic, she is not the only one who could use a few more calories...:huh:0 -
Find yourself some good old American peanut butter.0
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I'm new to all this and only started training yesterday but what is TDEE? This is the 1st time ive ever dieted to lose a large amount ....probably skint really daft asking that haha0
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Thanks so much for posting this thread. This is my first post. I signed up for MFP a while back but had success with Atkins so decided to do that again. The thing is that I want more of a balanced diet so this week I've started back on MFP. I've struggled with too few calories as well. I've found so many of the replies as a great help and plan on using the advice!0
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I don't want to lose weight very quickly as I know it will be harder to keep off in the long run, I'm only looking to lose 2lb a week as I know this is the most sensible way and it's quite funny that some of the people posting the unhelpful and pointless posts haven't got the held thirst of diets and one of them wants to work with obese children!!!
Actually, for the amount of weight you want to lose, 2 pounds a week would be considered "very quickly." It's really only safe to aim for 2 pounds a week if you have 75 pounds or more to lose. One pound a week would be ideal for now, bumping it to a half pound a week when you're within 10-15 pounds of your goal. With a few more calories, you run less risk of losing from your muscle mass, so while you might be losing fewer pounds per week, it looks like more since it's mostly fat. And by keeping your muscle mass, you'll likely reach your ideal body before you reach your ideal weight.
This - 2lbs a week is a lot if you don't have much to lose0 -
I had the same problem as well at the beginning. When you switch to healthier foods you find that it's very low in calories so you have to eat more. We easily get a mind set that everything we eat has to be low-cal, low-fat. Try adding olive oil to your cooking instead of spray. Eat more nuts and dried fruits and NEVER forget about protein from lean meats. Don't be afraid to grab some cheese or spreads that arn't low-cal; low-fat and peanut butter. And don't worry about going into Starvation mode. I believe that term is thrown around way to casually. Your body has to be subjected to extreme conditions to really trigger it to go into starvation mode.
I disagree that you have to be "subjected to extreme conditions to really trigger it to go into starvation mode". I have been in a stall since Christmas and have recently upped my calories and allowing myself more generous splurges (similar to the Spike plan) and I have now broken through the stall. And I wasn't eating all that low to begin with as I was eating 1200+exercise calories. But adding 200 calories to my daily allotment seems to have made a huge difference.
That said, many on here recommend not eating below your BMR. You can find your BMR under the Tools menu. I think it's good advice. And then eat most of your exercise calories (I only say not all of exercise calories as I don't trust all the calorie burn estimates on here).0 -
It is seriously not that difficult to eat at least 1200 calories. If you don't want to add more food eat foods with higher nutrient density.. peanut butter, avocado, full fat milk, yogurt and cheese, cook with healthy oils (olive, canola), etc.
You could have easily added more calories using regular whole wheat/grain bread instead of that WW bread.0 -
Nobody has mentioned the fact that you might have a slower metabolism. All bodies are different and some need to eat less than others in order to maintain their weight. I don't know if that's the case for you, but it might be.
As long as you're not losing too much weight and/or body fat, you shouldn't worry. If you feel healthy and happy about yourself there's nothing wrong
You could talk to a dietician if you want to!
If she has a slower metabolism, which really hasn't been established from her information, then she needs to working on fixing it. I have had a slow metabolism for years. Once I found MFP, I got educated enough from some smart people here that there are ways to fix your metabolism so it burns faster, hotter, whatever, and so you can eat more and still lose weight and then, later, maintain your weight without having to watch every bite you put in your mouth.
In fact, except for the extremely obese who need to get weight off for health reasons, I'm now of the mindset that it's more important to fix that metabolism than it is to lose weight. Once you fix the metabolism, weight loss will follow in a healthier manner. And, for the extremely obese with health issues, once they get closer to a healthier weight, I also believe they should switch to fixing their metabolism for awhile before trying to lose more.
I'm loving the changes I'm seeing in my body by focusing on revving up my metabolism, losing weight more slowly, and changing my body composition with the proper exercise and diet for fueling my body. The inches lost and strength/fitness gains are far more satisfying than a number on the scale.
Oh, and I would listen to and follow everything LorinaLynn says.:drinker:0 -
I'm new to all this and only started training yesterday but what is TDEE? This is the 1st time ive ever dieted to lose a large amount ....probably skint really daft asking that haha
It's your Total Daily Energy Ependiture - i.e Maintenance calories.
BMR = the amount of calories you would need to sustain your body if you were in a coma.
look up your BMR and your TDEE and them aim for eating somewhere in between for a safe steady fat loss.
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
Good Luck.0
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