Do I need more calories

silverbullet07

I fairly new to MFP and have been using it for about a month. I started my diet 3rd week in January by counting calories, cutting my fat ( pizza, burgers chinese buffetts was my worst enemy) and increasing fruits and vegitables, into my diet along with 30 min strength and 30 min elliptical at least 4-5 times a week. I was 260 pounds 6'2 male 43 then and now down to 228 with much more to go. I wont to get to and stay about 187

As I've been tracking my calories my net calories are averaging around 800 and on my rest days I'm seeing just under 1200. Some days if I work out extra hard I've seen -200 to -300 on a few days.

I count my calories correctly and during the 1-2 month time I've not been hungrey or light-headed but recently I'm starting to experience the feeling. I've been adding in some snacks ( banana and peanut butter ) to help out between meals. My meals average just under 400 calories each with some exception on weekends when I am moving around more.

I hate to add many more calories because I set my goal of 200 by end of May and I'm hard headed and strong willed and hate to alter my plan. Maybe the 200-400 in snacks will help me.


Also, I just started biking some days to break up the elleptical machine and it seems I've turned up the weight loss by this change up.

UponThisRock

No way a guy your size should be <2,000 calories.

jennkess

No way a guy your size should be <2,000 calories.

^^^^^ totally agree. I calculate a man of your size and current weight with light exercise TDEE 2560 calories and your BMR @ 2133 calories - perhaps see a nutritionist, or spring for a single session with a personal trainer. 1200 calories isn't even enough to keep your vital organs functioning correctly when laying in bed all day let alone moving around with daily life.

you may not seem hungry because your body has slowed down to compensate for the lack of nutrition. go to a few sites, you need to fuel your body to lose weight. just chose the right kind of fuel.

good luck!

Scarlettdawn764

I thought that less calories was the way to go as well, and I struggled with losing weight. Really anything less than 1200 and you are putting your body into starvation mode. I finally wised up and I eat no less than 1500 a day and I've had so much success since I made that decision. I agree with above posters, as a guy you probably need closer to 2,000.

thomassd1969

I agree, My boyfriend is 6 ft 5in and muscular. He is slightly overweight at 319 lbs. Due to health issues his doctor has told him to shed 20-50 lbs. He told him he needed at least 3000 calories a day without exercise and add 500 calories a day if he does exercise. 1200 calories is a dangerous level for you. Your activity level needs to be figured in too. My boyfriend is a welder all day for 11 hours so he stays pretty active. You may want to reconsider your calorie intake. Remember this is a change in life not a vacation from it. Good luck hope this helped.

nixirain

I have said this before and I will say it again. You do not need to eat like a starving child in Africa to lose weight.

If you are unsure about your intake goals then start with what MFP says and that includes eating back you exercise calories. You are not feeling well because you are not eating enough food for the amount of exercise you are doing.

Listen to your body and I am just guessing but I assume that you DON'T want to gain the weight back? Think about after you reach 187, are you going to be able to maintain this lifestyle? If you eat at an extreme deficit your body will get used to it. Then you will have to deal with the physiological AND physical struggle of finding your happy medium with your calorie intake. That part can ruin everything for you. Trust me, it happened to me and it happens to a lot of people

keiraev

On 1200 a day you must be starving...literally.

My 180lb husband needs to eat 2000 calories to LOSE. The least a man should ever eat even to lose weight is a minimum of 1800.

silverbullet07

I have not felt like I'm starving and the quanty of food I'm eating seems to be the same minus those foods that pack on the calories like my favorite food Pizza.

The last couple of months have not been hard at all. Maybe my body was living off the fat (LOL) and now it is needing more I guess. The 400 (good) calories in a meal just seems fine for me at one eating. Now if I add fat to the diet in a form of cheese it would increase it easy but I do not want that.

Lets say... if I had a 4 oz skinless boneless chicken breast with a 1 cup fresh spinach and 3/4 cup brown rice. This is under 400 Cal and a lot to eat. How should I increase this with more good calories and not feel to full or should I do a 200 - 300 calorie snack later in between the meal?

MelKut

add some 'good fats' into your meals like make the spinach a salad (add tomato, maybe a little bit of chopped nuts) and drizzle some olive oil over it?

Also it might help to open your diary so we can maybe see ways you can up your calories without having to eat too much

silverbullet07

oh my average meals are like this:

Breakfast
1 serving oatmeal made with water
1 bananna
1/2 cup skim milk
coffee and creamer
350 calories

lunch
1 multigrain sandwhich thin
4 oz ham or turkey
mustard
apple

Sometimes add shredded cabage

325 calories

dinner

4 oz chicken, fish or pork
serving veg - spinach, calaflower, broccoli, squash, Asparagus
serving sweet potato, rice

try to be around 400 cal.

On weekends I may add a non-fat greek yoghurt or an extra apple.

No snacks and lots of water. Oh...Once a blue moon I have a Non fat swiss fudge bar.


Normally this would be plenty for me.

silverbullet07

I opend my Diary " I belive" if you can help.

susannamarie

The last couple of months have not been hard at all. Maybe my body was living off the fat (LOL) and now it is needing more I guess. The 400 (good) calories in a meal just seems fine for me at one eating. Now if I add fat to the diet in a form of cheese it would increase it easy but I do not want that.

Lets say... if I had a 4 oz skinless boneless chicken breast with a 1 cup fresh spinach and 3/4 cup brown rice. This is under 400 Cal and a lot to eat. How should I increase this with more good calories and not feel to full or should I do a 200 - 300 calorie snack later in between the meal?

I would speculate that yes, your body's starting to run lower on energy reserves/use them more sparingly. Is there a reason you're worried about fat? I don't know how your body works, but when I ate lower-fat for a while (on a different tracker) I was hungry/lightheaded a lot more, even when I was consuming quite a bit of calories and protein. Adding a bit of good fat (olive oil, nuts, etc.) to your diet may help with feeling fuller longer.

PinkEarthMama

I'd switch back to all full fat products. That way you don't need to eat MORE, your body is just getting better quality food.

erickirb

I have not felt like I'm starving and the quanty of food I'm eating seems to be the same minus those foods that pack on the calories like my favorite food Pizza.

The last couple of months have not been hard at all. Maybe my body was living off the fat (LOL) and now it is needing more I guess. The 400 (good) calories in a meal just seems fine for me at one eating. Now if I add fat to the diet in a form of cheese it would increase it easy but I do not want that.

Lets say... if I had a 4 oz skinless boneless chicken breast with a 1 cup fresh spinach and 3/4 cup brown rice. This is under 400 Cal and a lot to eat. How should I increase this with more good calories and not feel to full or should I do a 200 - 300 calorie snack later in between the meal?

You don't have to eat more food to eat more calories, just eat calorie dense foods. Add olive oil to your rice and chicken, have nut butters as snacks, drink some cals (have a glass of juice in place of a glass of water) have a handful of nuts, or put sliced almonds in the rice, etc

Your net should not be lower than 1600, but preferably higher.

kaizen31

If you were a woman of about 5'2", your intake would be perfect. As it is, you're going to kill your metabolism. The weight is coming off now, but it won't forever, and you'll have more trouble than ever getting it off. Do this healthy, do this long-term. Keep it realistic. Painful to do, I'm betting, but much better in the long run. You'll have a better chance of keeping that weight off.

cvpis4me

My husband and I are losing weight together. He's 6'4", about 226 pounds and wants to get down to 200 like you. His calorie intake for a 2lb-a-week loss is about 1880 and sometimes he struggles to eat all those calories, sometimes he doesn't. He eats cereal for breakfast, two sandwiches for lunch with pickles and we eat the same dinner, he just gets a larger portion. His snacks include things like yogurt, chips and homemade salsa, etc. He's losing on a regular basis. I'm eating 1,200 calories a day and I understand how you feel. A chicken breast is only about 110 calories, veggies are about 60-100. That of course can fill you up, why eat more?. But like the others say, I still suggest finding more calories to eat throughout the day. Maybe you can drink them in the form of milk or juice or just have an extra salad at lunch or dinner? Even adding an extra 200 calories a day to your diet should help.

trysha1231

Add some snacks in between. You should eat 5-6 small meals a day, and of course lots of water. You can up your calorie intake with healthy snacks in between, like a protein shake... this will also help to keep your metabolism going.

UpEarly

Hello, fellow Virginian! I took a peek at your diary. You have some HUGE calorie deficits in there. I see days where you're coming up 1000 (or more!) calories short of your goal.

From my personal experience, you don't have to starve yourself (and you are starving yourself - even if you haven't felt hungry recently). You can still have foods like pizza and cheeseburgers and cake, and be successful with your weight loss. In the past, I've followed diets like the one you're currently on. While you may be very successful in the short term, you usually can't sustain it over the long term. You lose the weight you want, you go back to eating 'normally' and then you put it all back on (and usually a little extra).

When I joined MFP last April, I vowed to not 'diet'. I promised myself I would be patient and take it slow. I focused on eating in a way that I would be happy to follow for the rest of my life. And, it worked!

I didn't give anything up. I focused on total calories and portion sizes. I got my exercise. I weighed in once a month. Everything else seemed to take care of itself!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think you would be happier, healthier and have a better chance of long-term success if you upped your calories. :-)

Cheers!

silverbullet07

Thanks everyone. I've eat more and am up to 1300 calories now but I've burn an extra 1000 calories in exercise today so I've net 300. I am going to have 8 oz of non fat Greek yogurt form140 calories and 1 cup frozen fruit at 90 calories.

Any other ideas?

trysha1231

Peanut butter on whole grain bread. Kidney beans with salsa. Ricotta Cheese (skim) with slivered almonds, cinnamon and stevia. Protein shakes. Give it a try and good luck!

taso42

Your calorie burns seem to be a bit exaggerated so it's not quite as bad as it sounds.

Your TDEE is probably somewhere around 3104 (including exercise). I suggest eating around 2104 to 2604 total (not net) calories a day for a healthy weight loss.

ETA: I was assuming "moderately active". If you're "Very active", then your TDEE would be more around 3454, so adjust accordingly. But the bottom line is, you're way, way off. Not to worry. Just ramp up your intake slowly.

77tes

oh my average meals are like this:

Breakfast
1 serving oatmeal made with water
1 bananna
1/2 cup skim milk
coffee and creamer
350 calories

lunch
1 multigrain sandwhich thin
4 oz ham or turkey
mustard
apple

Sometimes add shredded cabage

325 calories

dinner

4 oz chicken, fish or pork
serving veg - spinach, calaflower, broccoli, squash, Asparagus
serving sweet potato, rice

try to be around 400 cal.

On weekends I may add a non-fat greek yoghurt or an extra apple.

No snacks and lots of water. Oh...Once a blue moon I have a Non fat swiss fudge bar.


Normally this would be plenty for me.

Reading your average day makes me hungry. It's less than this little ol' lady eats.

tangiesharp

Thanks everyone. I've eat more and am up to 1300 calories now but I've burn an extra 1000 calories in exercise today so I've net 300. I am going to have 8 oz of non fat Greek yogurt form140 calories and 1 cup frozen fruit at 90 calories.

Any other ideas?

Spend more time lifting heavy weights than doing cardio. It will help shape your body and you won't have major calorie deficits every day. I just recently did the same thing and it's starting to pay off.

Have you tried adding protein shakes? After I work out, I drink Almond Milk with Optimum Nutrition protein. A 210 calorie snack with 33 g of protein that helps my muscles heal.

But I agree with everyone else. You probably need to increase your calories significantly.

Good luck!

RAFValentina

Dude,

Go to this website and listen to some of the podcasts and use the calculators (they explain MFP stuff too on there...

www.fat2fitradio.com - recommended by one of MFPs!

I too made this CLASSIC mistake... with 2000+ calories spare on some days (despite eating about 1800+ - I workout hard twice a day 5-6days a week plus weights) I was on a negative net... Things I noticed other than no weight shifting? Increased injuries despite nothing unusual/extreme and prolonged healing time? Why? Because my body is trying to get enough energy from my body as fast as it can for my Basal Functions and get enough for my BMR and to workout and just do day to day tasks, so stripped of vital nutrients for repairs and muscle growth... so the fat won't move as the stuff like your muscles is more useful energy and nutrients! Plus hormonally after some time working out you switch from burning fat to muscle which is not good for weight loss as muscle burns you lots of calories and the obvious other part... you're not melting away your fat.

I've just recalled (looking through my diaries when I successfully lost a lot of weight) what my eating and exercise habits were. I still had relatively big burns but I ate closer to my calorie goal AND I even took a week off logging and hardcore CV when I went to my parents Terraces in Italy to help them do some labouring. I didn't restrict calorie intake but I ate healthily but heartily, had wine, a bit of chocolate every day, biscuits, the odd ice cream, the odd pastry... and I lose 2Kg in 1 weeks without trying! And my body suddenly got sore... probably as a result of it being finally able to repair itself. Take heed, despite the laws of thermodynamics, biology also has a huge part to play and sometimes SEEMS to defy laws of energy. Eat more. I too wasn't hungry because I was eating a normal amount of calories for a normal person and filled up on 3 good sized meals a day and the odd snack...but calorie wise wasn't enough, if you're struggling volume wise, add some good healthy oils like olive oil, and things like nuts and seeds and maybe even a protein bar or two.

Also I noticed that I needed more protein and when I ate more I lost weight... probably because my body had enough amino acids to replenish and BUILD some lean muscle mass and also the digestion of proper protein from animals (like rare/blue steak) uses a lot of calories too!

Hope that helps... I have hit a massive realisation with this!

PS your meal plans were almost identical to mine... feels ok and would be OK for a smallish woman on maintenance... it's far too drastic and draining for your body shape and size to be on that little. If your body has the choice of breathing/makingyour heart beat and producing red blood cells over building MORE muscle and repairing, it would choose the essential breathing function / blood cell production first and slowly start patching you up and building muscle.... This is why a less aggressive weight loss plan is recommended.

Nopedotjpeg

Leave the crash dieting and undereating for the 20-something women.

fatshady360

if your finding hard to get the calories in......and your going the low carb route....up your fats and protein.....if your burning between 600-1000 cals per training session take that into account with your food.

aim for between 2500-3000 cals a day,preferably 3000 if your burning 1000cals every training session,leaves you with 2000 at the end of the day and the fat will still be coming off you due to the exercise.

all carbs should be slow digesting,your already eating leafy greens which is great,you could throw in sweet potatoes,beans(whichever you prefer) which are a great source of carbs and protein aswell as loads more health benefits.

if your running low on cals for that day.....peanut butter or nuts are what you want to go for...loads of calories in them.....very healthy fats and great source of protein too.....just to get you up to your cals for the day.

at the moment....depending on how long youve been doing this,your body will go into starvation mode and fight against you to lose fat,with those few cals your taking in...your body will start to eat at your muscle for fuel instead of your fat

bloodbank

Reading your average day makes me hungry. It's less than this little ol' lady eats.

Agreed. OP, I'm a woman who is half a foot shorter than you and I eat significantly more than you do (and come nowhere near your massive burns) while still losing. Eat! Enjoy food! With the exercise you're doing, you could easily be eating 2x what you currently are and still be losing fat. :flowerforyou:

silverbullet07

Well I just added some peanut butter on multigrain sandwich thin and a cup of skim milk. I added around 600 calories after my workout including the plain non fat yogurt fruit and almonds I added.

Now I feel bloated and full.

MelKut

Nice work give your body a few days to a week to adjust....

I also find eating a bit every 2-3 hours makes it easier for me to get all my calories in. Try spreading out your meals so you never are truly HUNGRY and always have food in your stomach... it might help with the bloated feeling?

silverbullet07

Hey I added Walnuts and Dried Cranberries to my oatmeal and I made the oat meal out of skim milk instead of water. I increased it over 150 callories. Wahoo. Now time for a snack.

4flamingoz

I hadn't been losing much at all when at 1200 cals. I upped them to 1500 and lo and behold 3 pounds gone last week! Woo hoo! Play around with the settings to up your calories-I typically don't eat many of my exercise cals, either. Best of luck!