Just not getting it - Calorie intake

Serenstar75

MFP calculates BMR at 1,539.

I struggle to even reach 1200 calories a day. When I do try to take in more, I often feel bloated and miserable all day as well as sluggish. We're on a heavily limited budget. Two adults trying to live on $100 a month (yes, a month) for groceries for the moment. I'm hoping this is changing soon. I really don't know -how- to get in more calories or what foods I need to look at the most. MFP sets me at between 1200 and 1330 on calorie intake. I'm slow on losing. I had a past where I ate not of anything and lost 50 lbs. I gained back 25 because I entered a relationship and started eating again and a lot of that was fast food.

SW - 230
GW - 150 (for starters)
CW - 199

I work out now 4-5 times a week. Occasionally I'll only do calisthenics one of those so it's not high calorie burn, but to help strengthen my muscles. I want to learn the weight machines and circuits. I really don't know HOW I can do that on the budget we're on. This time, I bought chicken and beans to try to stretch our food throughout. Again, it's still not much. I don't ever want to intentionally starve myself. I hear about TDEE, but don't understand how to factor it or calculate it. Yes, I've been googling...

RuthieCass

Read this post on BMR, TDEE, and setting calorie intake: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

1200 is not very many calories. Most people would probably not do well on 1200 (especially if they are not on a very strict diet to ensure adequate nutrition) unless they had A LOT of weight to lose. Eating enough to support your normal bodily functions should not make you "sluggish" and "miserable"--maybe you feel that way because of WHAT you are eating, not how much.

And you can read everyone's suggestions here on ways to eat healthy for less: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/561651-the-eating-healthy-is-expensive-myth?hl=eating+healthy+more+expensive

But if you two really can only afford $100 a month for groceries for two, maybe you should look into getting some assistance- food stamps, food banks, etc. Or reevaluate your budget. Because it seems like it would be nearly impossible to feed one adult adequately on $1.67 per day, no matter how hard you cut back. If this cuts down your daily food intake as much as I think it would, you will surely lose weight, but it won't be healthy. If you have to do this, I would recommend sticking to only strengthening exercises to prevent some muscle loss as your deficit would be huge.

That said, there are many cheap but healthy foods: bulk rice/grains and dried beans, dried lentils, bananas, seasonal vegetables, and no convenience foods.

bm99

Add beans and rice to your diet. They are highish in calories and supercheap.

Serenstar75

Read this post on BMR, TDEE, and setting calorie intake: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

1200 is not very many calories. Most people would probably not do well on 1200 (especially if they are not on a very strict diet to ensure adequate nutrition) unless they had A LOT of weight to lose. Eating enough to support your normal bodily functions should not make you "sluggish" and "miserable"--maybe you feel that way because of WHAT you are eating, not how much.

And you can read everyone's suggestions here on ways to eat healthy for less: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/561651-the-eating-healthy-is-expensive-myth?hl=eating+healthy+more+expensive

But if you two really can only afford $100 a month for groceries for two, maybe you should look into getting some assistance- food stamps, food banks, etc. Or reevaluate your budget. Because it seems like it would be nearly impossible to feed one adult adequately on $1.67 per day, no matter how hard you cut back. If this cuts down your daily food intake as much as I think it would, you will surely lose weight, but it won't be healthy. If you have to do this, I would recommend sticking to only strengthening exercises to prevent some muscle loss as your deficit would be huge.

That said, there are many cheap but healthy foods: bulk rice/grains and dried beans, dried lentils, bananas, seasonal vegetables, and no convenience foods.

Just did some grocery shopping, got lots of dried beans and some rice. We don't generally do many convenience foods. I do sandwiches at times. I had some higher days just because of potluck at work and that was with trying to watch what I was eating. I wonder too if it's that I'm just so not used to eating more. I discovered when I first started this that I wasn't eating anywhere NEAR enough. So I've been adding more as I go. Man's trying to find a new job so that's where we're hurting. We have bills that suit 2 working adults and DHS doesn't take into account what bills I have going out only what income I have coming in when it comes to food stamps. Tried that. Most of what bills I do have are contract things that kind of have you locked in and I've cut back all that I can on those. My car payment is the killer (got the car when I was in MA and making more money than here in CO and they aren't up for refinancing it yet.) My -hope- is that this is the last month we have to worry about this tight budget. Fingers crossed. I know you all don't need to know my financial stuff, but I'm eagerly reading the ideas because I'm seriously wanting to be healthy about this. I did not grow up in a family that ate healthy at all so it's a lot to learn and undoing many years of bad habits from childhood.

BTW, I -greatly- appreciate the advice and suggestions.

caraiselite

i'm in the same boat.
i can't eat a lot.
i feel very nauseated if i force myself to eat.
so i don't.

some days i barely hit 1000 cals.

mcarter99

You've got enough to worry about without worrying about hitting MFP's calorie goals for you when you're not hungry. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Eat when you're hungry. No one 200lbs. suffers malnutrition on a 1200 calorie/day diet.

I would not even try to get meat on that budget but that's me. Beans have enough protein.

I like the food bank suggestion. Out here, it's not need-based or like a soup kitchen. They just fill up grocery carts of food donated by the grocery stores (I'm guessing it's day old bread and such) and sell it for like $17/cart. You don't get to pick but it's a little of all types of food-- produce, meat, bread, etc.

Serenstar75

I did hit the food banks here (which are only open at certain 1 hour intervals on weekdays now when I'm at work. I used to be able to right after work.) They usually seem to have things like cheetos, velveeta style cheese blocks, cheap cereal that is often sugary, it's basically a lot of horrible food I wouldn't feed anyone wanting to be healthy. I was very disappointed. There's one that is supposed to have better food, but I'm trying to figure out how to get by there or get the man by there. I haven't -seen- what they have in order to be sure. We do chicken as our meat, but I've been getting the sizeable thigh packs and cooking it all at once to serve over several meals. You could be so right about going beans instead. If only I'd get my body to lose -fat- as fuel and make sure no muscle goes with it :P

Pebble321

More calorie dense foods might be the answer for your body and your budget - oats, beans, lentils, frozen veg, pasta, rice, powdered milk, peanut butter (or bulk nuts if you can get them at a better price). Don't be afraid to use oil when you are cooking or to make salad dressing. Cheap cuts of meat are great cooked in the crockpot - and if you add frozen veggies and cooked beans and serve them with rice and pasta, a bit of meat can go a long way.

Don't stress too much about having to eat every single calorie, but 1200 is a very low amount already, so it would be wise to try to get at least this in - your body needs energy, and that energy comes from calories.

RuthieCass

Just did some grocery shopping, got lots of dried beans and some rice. We don't generally do many convenience foods. I do sandwiches at times. I had some higher days just because of potluck at work and that was with trying to watch what I was eating. I wonder too if it's that I'm just so not used to eating more. I discovered when I first started this that I wasn't eating anywhere NEAR enough. So I've been adding more as I go. Man's trying to find a new job so that's where we're hurting. We have bills that suit 2 working adults and DHS doesn't take into account what bills I have going out only what income I have coming in when it comes to food stamps. Tried that. Most of what bills I do have are contract things that kind of have you locked in and I've cut back all that I can on those. My car payment is the killer (got the car when I was in MA and making more money than here in CO and they aren't up for refinancing it yet.) My -hope- is that this is the last month we have to worry about this tight budget. Fingers crossed. I know you all don't need to know my financial stuff, but I'm eagerly reading the ideas because I'm seriously wanting to be healthy about this. I did not grow up in a family that ate healthy at all so it's a lot to learn and undoing many years of bad habits from childhood.

BTW, I -greatly- appreciate the advice and suggestions.

Well, I hope things turn around for you soon. I second the suggestion that you should just concentrate on trying to get at least 1200 calories of good food instead of worrying too much about your macros (protein/fat/carb percentages). One easy way is to not buy any "lowfat" or "nonfat" versions of food. Fats are not going to make you fat unless you are eating over your TDEE. Don't skimp on the oils when you cook. Eat more beans or lentils and just a little bit of meat for flavoring. Instead of cold cereals, buy oats, etc. Buy the "overripe" bananas and use use them in your oatmeal. Nuts can be good, too, if you have a good place to buy bulk. Good luck! :-)