eating enough calories but staying under

lilmzzgreeneyez

i cant eat enough calories most days and stay under sugar/salt max limit. i dont know what to do about it. For the most part i eat healthy foods (i mean like 60 percent of most days foods are healthy then the other 40 percent are a little less) i add dark chocolate to my day to get some more calories but stay low in sodium (not too low in sugar though) i eat greek yogurt to add calories and protein but i have come to find i dont like plain flavor and vanilla is high in sugar too. my max on sugar is usually 39 g (with no exercise) and my sodium 2500 which is normal i know. anyway i have been trying not to overestimate my calories in exercise (at first i was just taking whatever mfp tells me but i dont think im honestly burnign 1079 calories in one hour of zumba so i shorted it to 873 calories) ANYWAY any help will be greatly appreciated. am i going to do myself harm when i dont hit my calories? today i have a headache thats lasted most of the day and i am worried its because of my nutrition or lack thereof.

happyfeetrebel1

Zumba doesn't burn that many calories, LOL..I'd sure love to think it does tho

lilmzzgreeneyez

Zumba doesn't burn that many calories, LOL..I'd sure love to think it does tho

well unless you know my exact weight you cant be sure how many calories i burn in an hour of high impact aerobics. i mean even with low impact aerobics i would burn about over 600 calories in that hour.

happyfeetrebel1

I"ve looked through your food diary, you have just so much processed/junky foods...it's gotta be so hard to eat like that. You don't eat a lot of calories really, but it's a lot of pretty bad ones.

Try more fruits/veggies and just natural foods. Greek yogurts can be an excellent source of protein; I add a packet of Stevia to mine..but I don't care for the plain flavors either.

I'm SO not trying to pick on you..I'd eat the same as you do if I had the choice, but if I did, I'd not accomplish my goals

Good luck!

happyfeetrebel1

Hmm..I started at 301 and am pretty sure I never burned that many, even at hi impact!

Why do you have such a low sugar limit? Just honestly wondering?

lilmzzgreeneyez

I"ve looked through your food diary, you have just so much processed/junky foods...it's gotta be so hard to eat like that. You don't eat a lot of calories really, but it's a lot of pretty bad ones.

Try more fruits/veggies and just natural foods. Greek yogurts can be an excellent source of protein; I add a packet of Stevia to mine..but I don't care for the plain flavors either.

I'm SO not trying to pick on you..I'd eat the same as you do if I had the choice, but if I did, I'd not accomplish my goals

Good luck!

i dont know. i dont always get to buy a lot of healthy foods. because we dont have alot of options at walmart lol i mean thats the only place i get to buy food from is why. i have to eat whats here. i dont want to "eat clean" honestly. i dont know. i have been taking small steps at replacing my more unhealthy foods with healthier versions.
and i dont know about my sugar limit it was what it gave me. my daily thing is 1630 calories and like 39 gs of sugar i add my zumba which like i said i lowered it to 873 because it was more realistic and it ups my sugar some. but i dont even eat my net before exercise most days. oh and i breastfeed my son so i add the breastfeeding thing which subtracts 300 calories from my food. and also another thing. i am full most of the time. i eat every few hours not big meals but its like when i wake up i eat, i eat again in 3 or so hours and again every 3 hours after that. small amounts. i never adjusted my meal thing so i just put it as close to the hour as possible.

lilmzzgreeneyez

Hmm..I started at 301 and am pretty sure I never burned that many, even at hi impact!

Why do you have such a low sugar limit? Just honestly wondering?

i dont have the money to buy a heartrate monitor but going by the elliptical at the gym when im working fast my heartrate gets to around 165-170 and i know that when im in zumba i work that hard (im sweating like crazy my heart is beating hard not painfullly but my breathing is very labored) i called it medium intensity on the "zumbacalories" site and they gave me 1079 calories in one hour well i went down to low intensity for 873 just to be safe. i weight 282 now i was 305 when i started zumba. anyway i am just going by what i can find out on mfp exercise calculator and what other calculators that are available for calories.

HartJames

Eating cleaner is the way to go. Try eating 2 of your meals a day clean maybe? Walmart most definitely has everything you need- lean meats, fresh fruit & veggies, whole grains. If the problem is that you want to lose weight but not eat healthy then that's kind of a contradiction. If health (weight-loss) is a priority then eating healthy (not just low cal) needs to be part of your goals to achieve successful weight loss. Also, you don't know what you are burning unless you have a quality heart rate monitor. It's good you are underestimating though!

Also, a lot of people don't count sugar from fruit/veggies.

happyfeetrebel1

Ellipticals are notoriously TERRIBLE for estimating calories burned...I used to think I was doing SO well, and then I got a HRM

It almost made me cry

lilmzzgreeneyez

Eating cleaner is the way to go. Try eating 2 clean meals a day maybe? Walmart most definitely has everything you need- lean meats, fresh fruit & veggies, whole grains. If the problem is that you want to lose weight but not eat healthy then that's kind of a contradiction. If health (weight-loss) is a priority then eating healthy (not just low cal) needs to be part of your goals to achieve successful weight loss. Also, you don't know what you are burning unless you have a quality heart rate monitor.

okay well there are days i eat lots of chicken and veggies and some fruit. but i have a limit on what we eat. we dont eat pork or beef in our house almost ever. (my boyfriend and I dont like it) so i use ground turkey to make meals like taco soup chili and other foods with lots of beans and veggies. or i use chicken and just eat it like it is or on a salad. and then tuna which i know is "processed" but i like it. i have a limit on how much i spend on food and i have to feed 6 people so i dont know how to buy better for all of us. i try and i run out of money. i cant get a hrm so i have to go off estimates on here. no other choice.

lilmzzgreeneyez

Ellipticals are notoriously TERRIBLE for estimating calories burned...I used to think I was doing SO well, and then I got a HRM

It almost made me cry

im sorry i have no idea. its the elliptical at the gym. its fairly new and its the only machine i use that checks heartrate. the treadmills dont do it. i just cant afford 100 dollars for a monitor we struggle to buy extra stuff every month. after buying food, paying car insurance, rent, phones, extra bills, gym (which is 30 dollars for both me and boyfriend) and gas for my van and his crappy car we are close to broke most of the time. i buy food with coupons and when its on sale so whatever i buy is usually cheaper than normal.

HartJames

Ok, well I don't eat anything but chicken for meat myself. Eggs are cheap. Frozen fish as well. Sweet potatoes and brown rice-cheap. I don't see anything wrong with tuna personally, certainly a lot less processed than much of your diary.

I coupon like a fiend! We don't however, buy unhealthy foods just because they are cheap or on sale. We save 40-60% over what we used to spend

Just keep editing out the bad and replace with better. Larger portions of whole healthy food and keep going, you're moving in the right direction!

annahiven

1. Do NOT trust the machines at the gym, or the MFP estimations of calorie burn. You will grossly overestimate your burn, I promise. I used to think that I'd burn 400-500 calories a day, but when I got a HRM, it turns out I was only burning 60-70% of that. So always log lower burns if you aren't using a HRM.

2. Sodium used to be my enemy number one. Sodium is high in processed food. If you eat out, that is going to probably be the highest sodium intake of the day. So that is the meal where you have to eat smart. I went from having a 1,000 sodium lunch (Chick-fil-A), to a zero sodium lunch by starting to drink a protein smoothie instead. It is cheap, delicious, fills me up, has protein and none of the bad stuff. In two weeks I lost three pounds and that was the only change I made. If you have a Smoothie King around where you live, you are golden.

Good luck!

niciemetts

I am having a similar problem...............you can check out my diary ........i think??.........i am burning 300-400 calories a day exercising and eating fresh veggies lean meats..............a salad twice a day..................i am eating healthy.............limited processed foods but just can't get to my 1210 a day............current weight 216............goal weight 165......if anyone wants to add me or has any advice......please let me know

lilmzzgreeneyez

Ok, well I don't eat anything but chicken for meat myself. Eggs are cheap. Frozen fish as well. Sweet potatoes and brown rice-cheap. I don't see anything wrong with tuna personally, certainly a lot less processed than much of your diary.

I coupon like a fiend! We don't however, buy unhealthy foods just because they are cheap or on sale. We save 40-60% over what we used to spend

Just keep editing out the bad and replace with better. Larger portions of whole healthy food and keep going, you're moving in the right direction!

okay i eat egg whites some times im not big on eggs in general but i mix hardboiled eggwhites with my tuna. i dont eat much fish because i dont like the taste or maybe i cant cook (thats it i suck at cooking) and i hate sweet potatoes and rice lol okay not hate but they are not foods i prefer at all. i dont normally have alot of dairy i mean i drink almond milk because i cant drink cows milk and i got those laughing cow cheese wedges just because i heard they were good and they were on sale. i am trying thanks for the advice. i just literally suck at cooking is all. i bet if i was good at it then i would like most of the foods more.

lilmzzgreeneyez

1. Do NOT trust the machines at the gym, or the MFP estimations of calorie burn. You will grossly overestimate your burn, I promise. I used to think that I'd burn 400-500 calories a day, but when I got a HRM, it turns out I was only burning 60-70% of that. So always log lower burns if you aren't using a HRM.

2. Sodium used to be my enemy number one. Sodium is high in processed food. If you eat out, that is going to probably be the highest sodium intake of the day. So that is the meal where you have to eat smart. I went from having a 1,000 sodium lunch (Chick-fil-A), to a zero sodium lunch by starting to drink a protein smoothie instead. It is cheap, delicious, fills me up, has protein and none of the bad stuff. In two weeks I lost three pounds and that was the only change I made. If you have a Smoothie King around where you live, you are golden.

Good luck!

well i understand but since im not even eating those extra calories yet im not going to worry about it too much. i just need to meet my regular daily calories (1630 plus 300 extra from breastfeeding on days my son is attached to me) and i know what u mean about eating out. i like subway when im in a big hurry and i dont have time to cook (it happens too much because i have 4 kids and lots of errands to run) and its very high in sodium. i try to avoid most places but if i do eat out i always try to get what is healthier. i dont drink meal replacements (I think thats what u mean) because i was told its not good for me. i dont have a smoothie king nearby at al. i am loosing weight fine though. im just trying to avoid running myself down by not eating enough or having too much of the bad stuff (sodium and sugar)

lilmzzgreeneyez

I am having a similar problem...............you can check out my diary ........i think??.........i am burning 300-400 calories a day exercising and eating fresh veggies lean meats..............a salad twice a day..................i am eating healthy.............limited processed foods but just can't get to my 1210 a day............current weight 216............goal weight 165......if anyone wants to add me or has any advice......please let me know

you sound like me and my calories are much higher. im 282 right now and my ultimate goal is 150-165 (idk it will depend on what i think when i get there) i try to eat healthy but i just dont eat "clean" im losing weight which is great but i dont want to stall or plateau because i am not eating enough or get sick.

SuffolkSally

I can see you're really trying to get fruit and veggies into your diet. There is still an awful lot of processed stuff, and your sodium is very high a lot of the time 2,500 is recommended max and even that's arguably high - if you can cut it down it's not only good for your blood pressure it may well help with your weight loss as it causes water retention...

If you want to get your calories up in a healthy way, then whole eggs, whole milk full fat yoghurt, healthy fats (olive oil and it's variants like the gorgeous nut oils), nuts and seeds, coconut, avocado...

lilmzzgreeneyez

I can see you're really trying to get fruit and veggies into your diet. There is still an awful lot of processed stuff, and your sodium is very high a lot of the time 2,500 is recommended max and even that's arguably high - if you can cut it down it's not only good for your blood pressure it may well help with your weight loss as it causes water retention...

If you want to get your calories up in a healthy way, then whole eggs, whole milk full fat yoghurt, healthy fats (olive oil and it's variants like the gorgeous nut oils), nuts and seeds, coconut, avocado...

i dont like the yolks of eggs and i cant have cows milk and i try to avoid fattening foods for the fact they give me stomach problems. (gallbladder being out) i am hoping that i can continue to tweak my diet and get myself at the right place.

niciemetts

i refuse to eat processed foods............i have had 1 1/2 cups of dry pasta before cooked in the last two weeks................some ppl might disagree.............but think about eating more meat to get your calories up there .....................without adding sugar which your body will have to burn before it burns your fat..............

lilmzzgreeneyez

i refuse to eat processed foods............i have had 1 1/2 cups of dry pasta before cooked in the last two weeks................some ppl might disagree.............but think about eating more meat to get your calories up there .....................without adding sugar which your body will have to burn before it burns your fat..............

im not big on meat. i just guess ill have to buy it more. (its so expensive)

niciemetts

look for it marked down.....................walmart has it marked down all the time...........i like my fresh fruits and veggies.......also seasonings to add calories without adding alot of sugar........if you like sweet stuff add some splenda to it if its not sweet enough......

Secondgoround

I also shop very often at Walmart and do not have a problem purchasing good, clean foods. You can buy chicken on sale in an economy pack and freeze it serving sizes. I buy eggs, brown rice and cans of black beans for like 58 cents. I also get fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts.

I think processed and junk foods are much more expensive. They don't fill you up and you end up with way too much sodium.

ypod375

One thing I think about processed foods and eating out is the money I use to buy those foods I could use to buy the ingredients in those foods and have much more to eat (and less salt), try eating nuts they are high in calories. also with packaged dishes (pasta sides ect.) if it has a lot of sodium use half of the seasonings they give you (most likely at least half of the seasoning is sodium).

lilmzzgreeneyez

I also shop very often at Walmart and do not have a problem purchasing good, clean foods. You can buy chicken on sale in an economy pack and freeze it serving sizes. I buy eggs, brown rice and cans of black beans for like 58 cents. I also get fresh vegetables, fruit and nuts.

I think processed and junk foods are much more expensive. They don't fill you up and you end up with way too much sodium.

i dont know maybe i just suck at grocery shopping. im about to head there now because we ran out of most of our healthy foods already this week. i am going to have to try to find good options. more meat like chicken and maybe fish. and just try stuff

Vodkha

I have kind of gotten to the point that I realize that if I want to lose weight and look and feel good, I have to suck it up and eat foods I might not necessarily like. I first tried plain greek yogurt and thought it was disgusting. Now I suck it up and eat it because it is a good food to eat and it is actually good to me now. Protein is important. I'd rather spend 100 calories eating something I don't really like (and getting 18g protein) than eating 100 calories of chips just because I could.

lilmzzgreeneyez

I have kind of gotten to the point that I realize that if I want to lose weight and look and feel good, I have to suck it up and eat foods I might not necessarily like. I first tried plain greek yogurt and thought it was disgusting. Now I suck it up and eat it because it is a good food to eat and it is actually good to me now. Protein is important. I'd rather spend 100 calories eating something I don't really like (and getting 18g protein) than eating 100 calories of chips just because I could.

well i am going to try to eat all good foods and make them taste good somehow but i will stay with vanilla yogurt and just watch my sugars in any other area (cut out chocolate i guess) cause i cant eat the plain stuff without serious adding of other stuff.

happyfeetrebel1

Why don't you give the Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit, or the Oikos Key Lime a try? They are much MUCH yummier than the plain. Yes, they have sugar in them, but so does a lot of processed foods, and they're better for you

hazelovesfood

Looking at your diary, your eating far too much bread and corn chips, too much fast food too, Ive been to walmart loads of times and to say you cant get healthy foods, thats bull. They sell meat, fish and fresh vegetables.
Eat more protein, steak, chicken, nuts etc, egg whites, they all help to burn calouries in the body.Set a good example for your kids and keep away from the drive in.
I can quite easily take in 1200 a day and thats eating healthy foods.

foreverangel

Zumba doesn't burn that many calories, LOL..I'd sure love to think it does tho

Who's to say it doesn't?
I burn about 1200 cals in an hour of Zumba as i work very hard.
And the source which tells me I have burnt that many is apparently quite accurate to that of a heart rate monitor.
However, I am in the process of purchasing a HRM to test this myself but I doubt there is much difference. It depends on your weight and how much effort you put in. The Zumba training game that I used takes all this into consideration.

Pfeiffer24

Taco soup has so.much sodium.... Try marinating chicken.in pinappple juice add.chili flakes and pepper... Then grill or bake and add bbq sauce... Eat alot of broccoli steamed. Freeze some sweet grapes and munch on those all day...even if ur eating under make sure its healthy...:)