Under-eating...

jammiemd
jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So i'm new to this. I signed up a long time ago, but have just now started logging in daily. I have a problem with under eating. I have to make myself eat. I've been told that this is part of the reason that I am obese. I do not eat enough to get my metabolism started. I typically do not eat until around 4pm and until recently it wasn't anything healthy. Does anyone have any quick, simple, breakfast ideas/tips? I could also use some quick and simple snack ideas as well...
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Replies

  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    Also, i'm not sure if i'm eating enough calories. Im 730 under for today and I dont plan on eating anything else. Is this a bad thing or will it help to not eat as many calories as my page suggests?
  • jmatney79
    jmatney79 Posts: 80
    What is your calorie goal set at?
  • jmatney79
    jmatney79 Posts: 80
    Also, you should eat something in the morning with in the first hour of waking. It jump starts your metabolism. If you wait to long in the day, your body goes into starvation mode. Same thing happens if you don't eat enough calories. You body thinks its starving so it holds on to all the calories that you consume.
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    It's at 2140. That's what automatically generated when I entered my height and weight. That just seems like a lot of calories...
  • 8kidsmom
    8kidsmom Posts: 40
    I am not a breakfast eater either, but what I found works for me is this:
    Green smoothie,
    1 cup orange juice
    1 frozen banana
    5 cups of spinach
    1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

    blend the oj and the spinach first, then add the other stuff, that way the spinach gets all chopped up. You can add vanilla, I make it with less oj now b/c I am used to it, if it is too green add another banana, then gradually decrease the fruit.

    This way you get lots of veggies before most people eat lunch, which is healthy.

    HTH
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    girl, oatmeal for breakfast is awesome.
    i like to add some cinnamon, or light brown sugar. you can add pure maple syrup, or pb for extra protein! takes just a few minutes and can tide you over, plus is good for you!

    for snacks i like cottage cheese, that offers good fiber and is good with fruit or salt and pepper.

    pears are delicious too and a good snack, half a cup of cottage cheese and a medium pear are filling with fiber, and are maybe 160 cal total.

    snacking on fruit in general is good, i cannot have grapes but i hear frozen grapes are a nice treat!

    if you have time, i enjoy to make an egg and cheese sandwich on a bagel, those are yum too!
  • meryl135
    meryl135 Posts: 321 Member
    Protein shakes are a great way to start the day if you don't particularly have much of an appetite in the morning.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    It's at 2140. That's what automatically generated when I entered my height and weight. That just seems like a lot of calories...

    that does seem like a lot...hmmm...
    yes agree with jmatney, too little calories is no gouda!
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    That sounds interesting...so when you say spinach (and I know im probably retarded for not knowing this :)) are you talking frozen spinach...fresh spinach leaves...?

    And I love cottage cheese, so I will definitely keep that in mind!
  • chocoholicdiva
    chocoholicdiva Posts: 345 Member
    It all depends on your diet and exercise regime. I don't know about you, but my daily calorie intake is 1380. If I exercise, depending on which exercise I do, it's more. The more calories you burn, the more calories you EARN BACK. I can burn as little as 84 calories a day and still manage to stay in my limit. So what's yours? It does make all the difference!!! :happy:
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    My daily calorie goal according to MFP is 2140. Again, that just seems like a lot of calories, but I haven't really started an exercise plan as of yet. My goal is to start off by working out at least 3 days a week for at least 30 mins.
  • jmatney79
    jmatney79 Posts: 80
    A good way to know if your getting enough calories is to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate. It is the calories you burn just by being alive!
    Here is a link:
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
    My diary...
    My BMR is 1835. So If I eat 1200 calories (the absolute minimum before starvation mode) I will lose a little more than 1 pound per week, just because my heart is beating.
    A pound is 3500 calories consumed or burned so...between my BMR and calorie intake I have a 635 deficit per day. Multiply the deficit by 7 days a week, that is a 4445 calorie deficit. Divide the total deficit by 3500 (calories that equal 1 pound) That is 1.25 pounds per week just being alive!
    I swim every morning at the YMCA for almost an hour, that is an 800-1000 calorie burn (according to MFP and my weight)
    I go on the elliptical as long as I can (I'm up to 20 minutes) and fill the rest of the hour with some aerobics, for another 500-800 calorie burn. So I burn an additional 1000-1500 calories a day in cardio exercises! That is another 2.5 or so pounds.
  • LithaKelitha
    LithaKelitha Posts: 8
    I am also bad at eating breakfast. Today I had a banana. Then on the way in to work I had a muscle milk protien shake. I did just try nutella. Let me tell you its amazing! Tomorrow I plan on having a waffle with nutella. Sounds good. Havent had it before
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    ok...so....my BMR is 2554.8. If I eat 1600 calories a day that is a 954.8 deficit and I would lose 1.91 lbs a week without exercise...and more with exercise. That sounds like a plan! :)
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    I also had a banana for breakfast...and I didn't even want it. I have to train myself to eat right and I know breakfast is like the "make it or break it meal" because it starts up your metabolism for the day. Basically, I choked down the banana just because I knew I had to eat something. Hopefully my body will get used to it soon!
  • sdoldsMD2013
    sdoldsMD2013 Posts: 128
    I have been having the same problem for the last few days. :-(
  • saltskinmermaid
    saltskinmermaid Posts: 10
    I'm not a big breakfast eater cause I like to sleep as long as possible and run out the door, so I typically just do toast with peanut butter and slices of banana with a cup of almond milk/coffee/tea
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    Try eating a boiled egg or two. Or some toast with peanut butter. Anything to get your metabolism up and running :) I always go for oatmeal and add chia seeds (about 80 cals per tablespoon--a great supplement if you need the extra calories; plus, they're a good source of Omega 3's).
  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
    yes, this sounds extremely unhealthy and counter productive, you are sabotaging a healthy lifestyle and still got getting results ie, weight loss. You absolutely need to eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner every day, watch calories and nutrition but you are harming yourself!
  • heddylyn
    heddylyn Posts: 173 Member
    Protein shakes are a great way to start the day if you don't particularly have much of an appetite in the morning.

    Agree. I never used to eat breakfast because I have no appetite in the morning. Now I have a protein shake. It's quick, easy and gives me energy to start my day.
  • DanielleRN8
    DanielleRN8 Posts: 409
    I absolutely HATE eating breakfast. I try to eat a blueberry muffin, breakfast bars, toast, or raisin bread sometimes. But yes, you need to eat more. Your metabolism has slowed down because it's used to not needing as much to function. Try eating at least your bmr.
  • IslandDer
    IslandDer Posts: 27
    Breakfast is so important! I used to be a skipper, but when I embarked on my weight loss "odyssey" a few years ago, I made a point of having breakfast every day AND not going longer than 3-4 hours without eating thru the day. Avoid getting "hungry" since, over time, it causes your body to go into "starvation" mode. I tell this to my patients too - sometimes they'll go thru a brief weight gain when they start, but once their body gets used to it and believes it won't be starved, it will stop storing and hoarding those calories.
  • jammiemd
    jammiemd Posts: 46 Member
    Thanks everyone! I appreciate all of the tips. I know its going to be a long, life changing journey and I cant wait!
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 775 Member
    just wanted to say, you dont have to eat " breakfast foods" for breakfast ..

    i rarely eat "breakfast" i might have a wrap or something when i wake up
    my diary says "meal 1" "meal 2" meal 3 .. snack 1 etc

    when i think "breakfast" i think eggs, sausage, grits etc.. but any food counts :flowerforyou:
  • jmatney79
    jmatney79 Posts: 80
    ok...so....my BMR is 2554.8. If I eat 1600 calories a day that is a 954.8 deficit and I would lose 1.91 lbs a week without exercise...and more with exercise. That sounds like a plan! :)

    :) 1600 calories can go really far with lots of veggies!!!!
  • jmatney79
    jmatney79 Posts: 80
    just wanted to say, you dont have to eat " breakfast foods" for breakfast ..

    i rarely eat "breakfast" i might have a wrap or something when i wake up
    my diary says "meal 1" "meal 2" meal 3 .. snack 1 etc

    when i think "breakfast" i think eggs, sausage, grits etc.. but any food counts :flowerforyou:

    So true!! I can't eat cereal, yogurt, oatmeal etc...I need protein in the morning!! If I eat sugar or carbs I get shaky in an hour or two. My blood sugar drops. I usually scramble 2 eggs with lean ham and cheese
  • CrystalGetFitJackson26
    CrystalGetFitJackson26 Posts: 28 Member
    you may want to make sure your "What is your Goal?" is set on Lose 1-pound per week RECOMMENDED option instead of the Gain 1 pound per week that same thing happen to me, my calorie intake was like 2,000 something I knew that had to be wrong lol but it was because I had it set on the wrong thing; hope this helps.
  • CrystalGetFitJackson26
    CrystalGetFitJackson26 Posts: 28 Member
    It's at 2140. That's what automatically generated when I entered my height and weight. That just seems like a lot of calories...


    you may want to make sure your "What is your Goal?" is set on Lose 1-pound per week RECOMMENDED option instead of the Gain 1 pound per week that same thing happen to me, my calorie intake was like 2,000 something I knew that had to be wrong lol but it was because I had it set on the wrong thing; hope this helps.
  • Lightbulb1088
    Lightbulb1088 Posts: 189 Member
    I wasn't a breakfast eater either, so I started slow, with small things to start with. the important thing with eating every 3 to 4 hrs is so you don't put your body in starvation mode. I now have 1 sausage patti and high fiber cereal or greek yougurt.
    When I first started in the morning I started with 2 oz of juice or fruit, then I changed. Pick somehting you like and eat a small amount early in the day. it is better to eat early in the day then later in the day.
    Hang in there you can do this.
  • tabinmaine
    tabinmaine Posts: 965 Member
    You do NOT need to eat breakfast....or lunch for that matter, or 6 meals a day.... it's calories in vs calories out and it's a old wives tale that you have to eat every few hrs..... many many people on this site eat in a 8hr window from noon -9pm and fast for 16hrs, 9pm-noon....

    If you are not hungry in the morning...don't eat, then later on in the day you can have bigger more fulfilling meals....

    You have to fast for at least 48 hrs before "starvation mode or a slower metabolism" kicks in...not 3 stinkin hrs... sheesh....

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