I feel like I'm eating enough, but...

ckay220

I think my net calories are too low...does anyone mind looking at my diary and letting me know their thoughts?

thanks.

gogonunubean

Yes, I would agree - on some days you are barely over 1000 calories and still have exercise calories to eat.

You are also way under on your potassium goal - is this a goal you are hoping to hit daily?

ckay220

MFP says my calorie goal is 1200..so that's where the barely over 1000 calories comes from. And no, potassium isn't a goal at all...someone just told me yesterday that I should try to balance my sodium intake with potassium.

BeantownSooner

The 1200 calorie goal they gave you is Net, i.e. Food you eat - calorie deficit - exercise calories.

If you eat 1200 and then burn 400 your Net is 800. That's not enough. If you went back into your goals for a minute and change it to "Maintain" you'd see that it gives you a different number than 1200. By setting it to "lose 1lb per week" it will take 500 calories off of your Maintain number. However, it will never drop that number below 1200 as it's very unhealthy to do that.

Since you've probably set it up to "lose Xlbs per week" you already have a reduction built in to lose weight. Not eating back your exercise calories hypothetically increases the "lose Xlbs per week" to "lose Ylbs per week" but if you go under a Net 1200 for too long you'll end up stalling.

So simply start eating back your exercise calories and you should be good to go.

Only other recommendation I would make is to change your Macro Nutrient Levels (Carbs%/Protein%/Fat%). MFP's default is 55% Carbs which you eat a lot of. I'd try to be more balanced and do something like 40%/40%/20% or 40%/30%/30%.

emnk5308

You can eat more! You should If you just aren't hungry then don't eat.. but calories that low aren't good for you over time.. Try a spoonful of peanut butter or some milk or something! Mm

ckay220

I think I'll try to put more small snacks in during the day...Beantown, where's "Maintain"? I don't see that.

soccerella

The 1200 calorie goal they gave you is Net, i.e. Food you eat - calorie deficit - exercise calories.

If you eat 1200 and then burn 400 your Net is 800. That's not enough. If you went back into your goals for a minute and change it to "Maintain" you'd see that it gives you a different number than 1200. By setting it to "lose 1lb per week" it will take 500 calories off of your Maintain number. However, it will never drop that number below 1200 as it's very unhealthy to do that.

Since you've probably set it up to "lose Xlbs per week" you already have a reduction built in to lose weight. Not eating back your exercise calories hypothetically increases the "lose Xlbs per week" to "lose Ylbs per week" but if you go under a Net 1200 for too long you'll end up stalling.

So simply start eating back your exercise calories and you should be good to go.

Only other recommendation I would make is to change your Macro Nutrient Levels (Carbs%/Protein%/Fat%). MFP's default is 55% Carbs which you eat a lot of. I'd try to be more balanced and do something like 40%/40%/20% or 40%/30%/30%.

agree with all of whats said here, and just add that MFPs protein is way low....I changed mine to 40/30/30

BeantownSooner

I think I'll try to put more small snacks in during the day...Beantown, where's "Maintain"? I don't see that.

If you go from the main Home screen you should see "Goals" on the Blue bar at the top. Hit that and then "Change Goals". Do guided for now. At the bottom of that form it asks, "What is your goal?"...one of the options is "Maintain my current weight". Change that and Update Profile. You'll see that it increases your calorie goal.

Step 2 would be to go back into Goals but do custom instead of guided. Change the Carb, Protein and Fat %. Update Profile again and there's your new settings.

Just remember to go back and change your goal back to "Lose X lbs per Week" then do the Custom Goals to change your macros.