Seems like too few calories

shivles

I've been given a guide of 1340 cals a day by MFP, but I struggle to eat that little most days without being starving! Like today I only have 400 odd calories left for the rest of the day but I know I will go over that when I have my dinner, there's no way I can carry on though the night on less than 500 calories. Does it really matter? If I'm eating good foods surely I would still loose weight like this? I run every other day, and so usually have plenty of calories left over on those days even after eating lots but on days where I don't run I'm struggling. Any ideas or suggestions?

casi_ann

You are supposed to eat back the calories you get for exercise. Also, the calculator will give you the calories needed to lose as quickly as you want to lose. This is just an example, not saying you set your calculator at sedentary or whatever, if you put down you want to lose 2 pounds per week it will set you up for calories needed to lose 2 pounds for your weight, activity level and size. If you set yourself for sedentary it will give you less calories. If you run every day you are not sedentary. So, if you don't eat back the calories or you set your guide to sedentary you guide will give you too few calories. I had to reset my calculator because I was hungry all the time on 1200 calorie diet, I don't exercise yet but am a nurse and it is much like exercise, I set myself up for sedentary and they gave me too few calories to get me through the night. So I readjusted my calculator giving me the calories I need to lose but not be hungry. I set it to lose 1.5 pounds per week and am losing a little faster than that.

ka97

I have a horrible time trying to stick to my calorie limit on rest days. I don't have very many complete rest days though, so I just do the best that I can, kinow that I have enough of a deficit on my other days, and if I go over I go over. If you are only going over a couple hundered calories once a week and you still have a defict the rest of the week, it won't impede your progress much.
Or, you can look at it as a weekly average. Figure out what you can stick to on a rest day, and be sure to save enough calories on each of your workout days (i.e. don't eat some back) to compensate.
Also rest days don't have to mean doing absolutely nothing. You could do some leisurely exercise that will burn some extra calories - go for a walk, bike ride with the kids, take a hike. Something intended for fun rather than workout, but still gets you moving.

BSchoberg

If, on running days, you are 200 calories under and on non-running days, you are 200 calories over --- you are at your allowance over time. However, if you said you are active or moderately active, MFP adjusted for your exercise burn when it set up your daily goals.

Try to stay close to your goal daily calories - eat smaller meals more often; drink LOTS of water. If you feel like you are STARVING - have a protein shake. It will fill you up and satisfy your hunger pangs. Choose carefully, though - there are lots of protein shakes (mixes or ready-to-drink) available and some are super high in calories & carbs. Those are more like entire meal replacements.

Good luck!

MrsSWW

I always try to look at mine as a weekly average, there will be days where you have The Hunger and you just can't physically work up the exercise calories required, and others where you either eat very low cal food or just aren't that hungry. For me it works doing it that way.

Another good thing is finding a few foods that are really filling for few calories and try to eat those on your 'rest' days so you don't feel deprived of food. Courgettes, squash, mushrooms, peaches, apricots - not all fruit and veg are so low in cals so you'll just have to learn by trial and error I guess, but that's what MFP is here for, to help us all learn on this road to health :flowerforyou:

shivles

I don't do absolutely nothing on most rest days (there's the odd one) but do general day to day activities like housework, shopping, walking places etc. Maybe I have underestimated how much I do, then again I think over the week I might break even. Will have to work it out I think!