Too Scared To Eat More

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Minner_Tinner
Minner_Tinner Posts: 81
in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone! I'm new here, got this site from my Aunt and super happy that I did. So far all I have come across are wonderful people. You guys are just great! Here's the problem. I don't intake many calories a day and I'm logging but it keeps telling me I'm not eating enough. I'm too scared to eat MORE. It seems contradicting and I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm a busy mom who usually just forgets to eat... I'm not hungry. I do binge at night sometimes and that's part of my lifestyle change adding heavier exercising to it as well but I'm afraid that my eating habits are going hinder me from losing weight. I truly just don't eat that many calories a day. Would it benefit me to change and up my intake? I don't know what to do. ~Frustrated~
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Replies

  • cominupmilhouse
    cominupmilhouse Posts: 257 Member
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    If you're stuck in a plateau, I've heard eating more can be very effective for a lot of people- but not everyone! It certainly did not work for me. I started MFP eating my BMR which was 1540 cals a day, wasn't losing, tried upping it to 1800 for a couple weeks after doing some research on the forums and gained 3 lbs. Then in May I tried aiming for 1200 cals a day and bingo! Been losing almost 3 lbs a week pretty consistently. I also drink lots of water and try to go for a 30-60 min walk each day for exercise.

    I hope you find what works for you, but remember everyone is different! What works for some may not work for you. Experiment! But give yourself enough time for results before you change our routine again.

    Hope this helps :)
    Best of luck!
  • Minner_Tinner
    Minner_Tinner Posts: 81
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    Thank you very much. I'm new to this whole weight loss story and not only do I feel fat but I feel ignorant as well. I've never been on a diet before, I don't know what to do what to eat etc etc. I'm basically teaching myself as I go. I love to walk so that is something I've been doing a lot of. I haven't lost many pounds but my body looks different so I'm assuming I lost inches. I wish I would have measured myself in the beginning. :(
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    How much under MFP's recommendations are you eating? Maybe you could open your diary to the public so we can see and better help you :)
  • Minner_Tinner
    Minner_Tinner Posts: 81
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    How do I make my diary visable to the community?
  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Hey Minner!! So glad your aunt guided you here!! We're about the same age, both married & mommies!! This is not easy....of it was...everyone would be tiny & healthy!! I've been a MFPhreak for almost a year now & have lost 80ish lbs. I'm down to 278.4 as of this morning! I love doing 5k's...even though I'm usually last. I am still a recovering food addict and still fall....but I have learned to recognize, deal with and move forward! I am NOT going back!
    Decide NOW! You need to eat what is recommended! Open your diary and I may can offer more specific advice.
  • Minner_Tinner
    Minner_Tinner Posts: 81
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    Diary open, Mind and ears open!! One thing that I need to accept is that this is not going to happen over night. I'm SO impatient and I'm always wanting the "Right Now" option. But I want to do this right, get this weight off of me and keep it off. I'm looking for a complete lifestyle change. I even quit smoking and haven't had a cigarette in four months. My husband and I quit together. I want to be the person I'm teaching and molding my children to be. I want to BE what I am preaching. I've never been heavy but broke my back and that's when all the weight hit me. I want it GONE! I miss the old me, I definitely took advantage who I was and what my body looked like. I'll do anything to get her back.
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    You are not eating enough. What exercise(s) are you doing that burn 1000+ calories?
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,280 Member
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    You are not eating enough. What exercise(s) are you doing that burn 1000+ calories?

    What they said...

    And you need to eat more normally. If you ARE burning that many calories (though I question it), then you are burning everything you take in. This is not considered healthy!
  • littlepinkhearts
    littlepinkhearts Posts: 1,055 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less This link might help convince you to eat a little more then what you're eating. It at least has lottsa reading material on the subject.
  • RoosMommy01
    RoosMommy01 Posts: 88
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    I'm going through a similar situation right now. I started my weight loss journey about a year ago and have lost 50lbs but have recently stalled out. I had been gaining and losing the same 2 lbs for months! I came on here and started asking questions and everyone was telling me that I needed to be eating tons more.

    I didn't believe them, because in my mind set it just didn't make sense to me. I have always been told that the way to lose weight is to eat less and exercise more. You need to look up the group "eat more to weigh less" There is lots of helpful info on that sight. When people start explaining it to you, you will definitely be confused but it does get easier.

    I've been eating more for about a month now. I was eating 1,200-1,400 calories a day and am now up to 2,100. Certain days I'm so full that I don't even want to take another bite. Sadly I've put on 4lbs but everyone is saying not to pay attention to the numbers at first because it's my body's way of getting used to eating all that food again.

    I put in a friend's request for you also so if you need more help with anything, let me know. :happy:
  • MissLolli
    MissLolli Posts: 5
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    Hey Minner's, my dear niecie, It is not good for any woman to eat under 1000 calories. Try to eat the calorie intake you were given when you signed up. Mine is 1200. Eventhough you get the extra calorie points for exercising I don't touch them otherwise it will defeat the purpose. I have learned that the first two weeks of sticking to a calorie intake are the worst, BUT if you can get through those first two weeks of sticking to it, it comes natural after that. It is tough and these people are here to help you. Like I told you before they stick by your side, they won't get down on you. They will help you through this. Take any advice you can. Right now I am not eating alot, with this heat exhaustion thanks to my idiocy of walking in the heat. I am drinking alot of fluids and soft foods but I am getting as close as I can to my calorie intake for the day. Keep at it GF and you will be fine. IF you can't go out, Jog in place (at a pace you feel comfortable at) for like 30 minutes. Its still exercise. xoxo
  • olivewalnut
    olivewalnut Posts: 10 Member
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    yes you definitely need to be eating more calories, but those calories should be coming from less processed whole foods (lean meats, veggies, fruit, whole grains).
    I know it can be hard to make the time to prepare food with little ones under foot (I have a 5 and 2 year old that aren't keen on waiting lol) but it is so worth it!
    there are lots of quick foods that you can prepare in bulk to eat through the week... hard boiled eggs, roast up a bunch of chicken breast to use over 5 days, pre cut veggies, large batch oatmeal to reheat in serving sizes... toss in some fruit and it's a great breakfast that's just as fast as high sugar cereal. Greek yogurt is another great thing to have on hand!

    It's a learning curve, for sure, but it gets easier and you find ways to make fast healthy choices.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Minner -- I don't know if I'd trust those exercise calorie burns -- (swimming for 2 hours, it means non-stop, that seems really high for 2 hours of swimming with kids) but you're hitting under 1200 not even counting the exercise. If you're eating a bit more every day, it'll be a lot easier to control the binges.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    You are not eating enough. What exercise(s) are you doing that burn 1000+ calories?

    What they said...

    And you need to eat more normally. If you ARE burning that many calories (though I question it), then you are burning everything you take in. This is not considered healthy!
    That's what I was wondering!! Huge calorie burns and low calorie intake is not good! Gotta fuel that body! On some days your net calories were barely over 100 - how are you not starving? :tongue:

    Feeding your body the proper nutrition and in the proper amounts gives it the fuel it needs to get through the day, and to do whatever exercise you're doing (over a 1000 cals a day, please tell me how!), and it will use it efficiently. Not giving your body the proper fuel can result in your metabolism slowing down, and your body storing everything it can as fat.
  • pixiechick8321
    pixiechick8321 Posts: 284 Member
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    Good support so far from the community, but here are some more specific answers.

    1. You do have to eat what it tells you - doing otherwise is an eating disorder and that's bad.

    2. If you are busy all day, try bringing healthy snacks with you - 1 oz almonds, 2 pieces of fruit, chopped up carrots, cucumber, celery and eat those (log them at the start of the day)

    3. Plan out your meals in advance - on Sunday, take the time to write out a menu for every day, then make sure those foods are in the house (go shopping if needed). This will help you to get everything under control.

    4. This is NOT a "diet", it is a lifestyle change and will take time, patience is the key!
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
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    Congrats on taking the steps to make yourself healthier and not being afraid to ask - I was terrified to ask for fear of people thinking I was a dummy. You're already ahead of the game :D

    One thing that really helped me was thinking of my body as a car and food as my fuel - I wouldn't expect my car to get me where I'm going without putting gas in it, even if I told it "well, get me there, and THEN you can have gas." Nope, my car would freak out and leave me stranded - your body does the same thing! Think of the 1200 calories you have as your baseline as the absolute minimum you have to have: that's the oil and water and antifreeze and air in the tires and all of that. Without having oil in my engine, it's gonna seize up. So... Make sure you eat those!

    Also, be mindful that if you've been eating those low calories for a long time, your body kinda freaks out a little when you start giving it adequate fuel - just like my old Chevette did when I finally changed the oil ("Daddy, it's running weird." "No, that's what it's supposed to do. You're just not used to it yet."). Be patient, and keep in mind the scale isn't always the best measure (when I have a very active week, and am within my target calorie range, my weight goes up even as I'm shrinking - that's a good thing).

    And: don't give up!
  • Minner_Tinner
    Minner_Tinner Posts: 81
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    You guys are all amazing and giving me amazing advice. I appreciate it so much! I know that I burn a lot and don't eat very much but I've always been that way. I guess I'm just used to it and that's why I'm NOT losing any weight. I actually ate breakfast this morning and it was kinda nice to have a full tummy for once though it also set of some anxiety. I honestly didn't know I was burning so many calories. I just want to keep my children busy during the summer. My husband works morning to night so it is completely on my shoulders to keep them busy/happy and I guess I'm over doing myself. I felt dizzy on the treadmill yesterday and finally got off of it after 30 minutes of running then fast walking running then fast walking. I guess I'm pushing myself too hard too fast. You guys are such an amazing help. Thank you so very much. I truly need to learn to slow down and BREATHE! I am deciding not to work out today but I am going to take my children swimming again. Thank you all so very much. And please, keep the comments coming, I can never stop learning!!
  • Rilke
    Rilke Posts: 1,201 Member
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    That dizziness on the treadmill is telling, and you did the right thing by stopping. Swimming with your kids sounds lovely :) But even that takes fuel!

    I'm proud of you for eating a filling breakfast. I am not a "big breakfast" person myself but many people swear by it. Whatever works for you, as long as you give your body the calories it needs.
  • DelilahCat0212
    DelilahCat0212 Posts: 282 Member
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    You need healthier food. I love cereal and I haven't eliminated it (or carbs) from my diet but eating it several times a day is not good.

    More protein. One day you had 1 oz (really?) of chicken breast for dinner and that was your protein for the entire day (other than milk in your cereal). Your carbs are too high. Like I said, I am not a low carber in the least bit but there is such a thing as too much. The automatic carb settings on MFP are too high. I suggest adjusting to 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein to start.

    What may have worked for you in the past may not work now. You have to eat healthy if you want to be healthy. Bumping your caloires is great but not if it means another apple/bowl of cereal/nutrigrain bar.

    I hate to say this but your calories burned estimations are too high. You'd have to be swimming fast laps for 2 hours straight to have a burn like that.
  • steph1278
    steph1278 Posts: 483 Member
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    You definitely need to eat more. Less than 1000 calories is not good for anyone in my opinion. And MFP tends to overestimate the exercise calories so unless you are wearing a heart rate monitor, I would not eat all those calories back. MFP already accounts for a deficit when they give you a calorie goal. You need to fuel your body. I have lost almost 100 pounds so far and I eat an average of 2000 calories per day. I have a Body Media Fit, so I use that to determine how many calories to eat as I burn around 3000 calories per day including exercise. Good luck to you.

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