Too little calorie consumption?

brooshie

Here's my problem. I eat around 1500 calories a day. This is eating one big meal, and then several small meals throughout the day. (largest meal being around 700 calories). I'm never hungry, and I don't feel starved at all. I generally only eat around 400-500 calories BEFORE i hit the gym, and i feel completely fine.

So, in essence, I don't have a problem. However, I just feel that 750 is clearly too low for net calories. i'm 6'1 and currently 210 lbs. Should I reduce my workout regime or increase my calories by A LOT, or should I just keep doing what I"m doing?

I might just add a serving of brown rice to my main meal to add a quick 150 calories, but still 900 is lower than most suggest. But, again, I am NOT hungry.

I'm losing around 2 lbs a week, so I'm not concerned about my progression; I'm more concerned about how healthy I am.

Also, if any active members would like to be friends, I'd appreciate it. Send me a request if you do. I didn't think I'd use MFP a whole lot other than do calculate my calories, but it seems I'm a lot more active on it than I expected

psuLemon

Yea more than likely its too little calories. I am 30, 5'11, 200 @ 12% bf and i eat 2600-2800 calories to lose weight and i am doing the p90x/insanity hybrid. Do you know your body fat?

brooshie

i don't have the slightest idea on my body fat.

but if increase my calories by a lot, i'll literally have to FORCE myself to eat. that's my dilemma .

psuLemon

i don't have the slightest idea on my body fat.

but if increase my calories by a lot, i'll literally have to FORCE myself to eat. that's my dilemma .

First, if you go to the gym ask a trainer if they can measure, its uber important in understanding your weight goal.

Second, you can either start eating more frequently, start having more than one big meal (probably better than just one meal a day) or start incorporate a high calorie protein shake like muscle milk. Also, more calorie dense items, nuts, avocado, cooking meats in evoo or eating peanut butter out of the jar.

its_rierie

If you open your food diary, we can have a look at what you're eating and suggest where you might be able to fit more calories in.

A quick way to add calories is switching from reduced-fat to full-fat, and also to add 2tbsp of PB to your snack.

brooshie

Diary is opened.

I eat the same thing every day, pretty boring. been about 3 weeks since I've had anything different. oh well haha.

its_rierie

Chop up your apple and dip the pieces in PB and/or cream cheese.
Eat full-fat yoghurt instead of "Light".
Have a smoothie (banana, full-fat milk, and something else -- chocolate protein powder? I don't make smoothies) in place of your meal replacement shake.
Drink some juice! :drinker:
Have full-fat milk in place of the skim.

Just a few ideas to help get your started. :flowerforyou: Feel free to add me/send me a message to talk about anything. I know the knowledge, but fail in the implementation.

brooshie

Chop up your apple and dip the pieces in PB and/or cream cheese.
Eat full-fat yoghurt instead of "Light".
Have a smoothie (banana, full-fat milk, and something else -- chocolate protein powder? I don't make smoothies) in place of your meal replacement shake.
Drink some juice! :drinker:
Have full-fat milk in place of the skim.

Just a few ideas to help get your started. :flowerforyou: Feel free to add me/send me a message to talk about anything. I know the knowledge, but fail in the implementation.

I'm from Wisconsin, I can't switch milks it's what i was raised on. I already dip my apples in yogurt! I drink SOME juice (i don't record it because they're just gulps throughout the day). So technically, I guess it probably adds an extra 100 or so.

i suppose i could always switch up my yogurt though as a start.

brooshie

and is it really that important for me to increase my intake, even if i'm never hungry?

its_rierie

I'm from Wisconsin, I can't switch milks it's what i was raised on. I already dip my apples in yogurt! I drink SOME juice (i don't record it because they're just gulps throughout the day). So technically, I guess it probably adds an extra 100 or so.

i suppose i could always switch up my yogurt though as a start.

I'm not from the States, so I don't know why being from Wisconsin means you can't switch milks, but it's up to you. :laugh:

Make sure you record EVERYTHING you put in your mouth! Those gulps and whatnot can really add up.

And don't be afraid to switch it up and treat yourself to something "naughty" sometimes, since you've got the calories to spare!

its_rierie

and is it really that important for me to increase my intake, even if i'm never hungry?

Looking at what you're at, I'd only be concerned that because your diet is so repetitive, there could be some vitamins and stuff that you're missing out on.

Looking at your calorie levels, I would say that you're doing alright, but increasing it probably couldn't really hurt -- adding in those calorie-dense foods like we've mentioned. I also don't see why you *need* to either, but I'm not one of the many "experts" around -- so I really can't say.

brooshie

and is it really that important for me to increase my intake, even if i'm never hungry?

Looking at what you're at, I'd only be concerned that because your diet is so repetitive, there could be some vitamins and stuff that you're missing out on.

Looking at your calorie levels, I would say that you're doing alright, but increasing it probably couldn't really hurt -- adding in those calorie-dense foods like we've mentioned. I also don't see why you *need* to either, but I'm not one of the many "experts" around -- so I really can't say.

My cheat days are on Tuesdays where I go out for Tacos. and Wisconsin is the dairy state!! so we're pretty picky with our dairy I'm lucky enough I was able to ween myself off of cheeses! haha.

I also take Green Tea pills, a Multi-vitamin, and Omega-3 pills.

I know I should record my gulps, but I really only take them when I take the vitamins (3 times a day). Other than that it's water.

hyperionfall

There are so many factors at play in how your body is responding. Yes a calorie deficient lifestyle will loose weight. However, there are some important things to understand about nutrition.
1. The first thing is to define your goals very specifically. loose weight-gain muscle- loose weight and gain muscle-pure maintenance. If you just wish to loose weight and eat at an undisciplined caloric deficit you will start to burn muscle. keep in mind the more muscle you have the better your body burns fat so nutrition is very important in preventing that
2. the goal you set determines (partly) what your nutritional needs are. On average you can figure your daily caloric intake at about 8 times your weight so at 210 you should probably consume around 1650 to 1700 kcal a day this should put you between 10 to 20% bellow you BMI/TDEE giving you a healthy deficit resulting in 1 to 2 pound loss a week. (remember everyones body responds differently and it takes time to learn how your body responds to food and excersice) als o keep in mind this is general guide lines.
3. where do the calories come from. fat, protein and carbs make up the calories. you need to understand how each plays a part in your nutrition carbs=energy they break down to sugars that feed necessary processes that keep you functioning day to day if you eat to few you will start to feel tired and listless,however, if you eat to many you flirt with hypoglycemia. If your body has to many sugars from the carb process it will store that sugar as fat in muscle cells as well as other places....fat regardless of it being a nasty word is needed in your diet. for one thing it is required for healthy skin..it is also needed in other various body function to complicated to delve into here....protein...ok this is a subject of much debate but there is some basic undeniable truths about protein...it burns more calories to digest protein that carbs or fat therefore it sort of boosts your metabolism...it is required to build and maintain muscle...everything else about protein is unimportant unless you are a bodybuilder or competition weightlifter.
4. ok so how much of each do you need. The standard most agree on is 50% carb 30% protein 20% fat. remember these are general rules and can vary from person to person. Guidelines only. learn your own body.
5. If you do lots of cardio you will burn calories..many people say too much cardio burns muscle..there are new studies that show this to be incorrect if proper nutrition is maintained...in my opinion for healthy weight loss you need both cardio and strength training (keep in mind the more muscle you have the more fat your body will burn (kind of..it actually burns it more efficiently) and if you strength train then you have got to maintain a proper protein intake (for women a good general rule is .6 to .8 times your body weight in grams s at 210 pounds 126 to 168 grams of protein a day)
6. DRINK WATER>>>DRINK WATER>>>>DRINK WATER....drink at least 8 cups a day...WARNING..DO NOT PUT IT OFF TILL 2 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME OR YOU WILL PAY THE PIPER AND BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR TOILET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

ok so what....can you loose weight with out all of this above? sure, you can loose weight eating nothing but Twinkies if you maintain a caloric deficiency. but is the weight loss healthy? absolutely not.
Bottom line here is that nutrition and not just maintaining a caloric deficit is a key component in healthy weight loss. loosing 8 pounds a week is not healthy (usually unless supervised by a professional) you will burn muscle be weak and yoyo, it is difficult to maintain and sustain weight loss longterm this way (major cause of failure).
one more hint...one of the most effective ways to cut calories is substitution. replace mayonnaise with low fat mayo, replace whole milk with 1% or skim milk, replace that syrup for your pankakes with sugar free syrup, get sugar free jelly or jam, get fat free coffee creamer etc etc. you would be amazed how many calories a week you can cut with nothing other than substitution. in our house we discovered we cut so many calories through substitution (and then the added calorie burn from cardio and strength training) that the amount of food we eat is actually greater than before even maintaining a 10 to 20 % caloric deficit. we even have sugar free icecream sandwiches a few times a week.

nutrition (learn about food)...learn your body...cardio..strength train...drink water=healthy weight loss and a better more energetic you I PROMISE
if you do these things with diligence and patience you will not only loose weight heathily you will form a new lifestyle that will become habit. it will be easier to eat out because you know food and how to budget it...you will form a habit of a healthy lifestyle.

sarahrbraun

Here's my problem. I eat around 1500 calories a day. This is eating one big meal, and then several small meals throughout the day. (largest meal being around 700 calories). I'm never hungry, and I don't feel starved at all. I generally only eat around 400-500 calories BEFORE i hit the gym, and i feel completely fine.

So, in essence, I don't have a problem. However, I just feel that 750 is clearly too low for net calories. i'm 6'1 and currently 210 lbs. Should I reduce my workout regime or increase my calories by A LOT, or should I just keep doing what I"m doing?

I might just add a serving of brown rice to my main meal to add a quick 150 calories, but still 900 is lower than most suggest. But, again, I am NOT hungry.

I'm losing around 2 lbs a week, so I'm not concerned about my progression; I'm more concerned about how healthy I am.

Also, if any active members would like to be friends, I'd appreciate it. Send me a request if you do. I didn't think I'd use MFP a whole lot other than do calculate my calories, but it seems I'm a lot more active on it than I expected

I actually had a similar problem a few months ago! I chose to cut my cardio from 65 minutes to 35 minutes. I also made sure I have nuts on hand to snack on. My current fave is 1oz each of cashews and pecans--that can add almost 400 calories!

Helloitsdan

LOL your BMR is 2004!

Why on earth are you eating like that?!

Probably have a TDEE in the 3000s!

I say cut to 2500, 2300 in the least and watch the fat fall off.

If you were a woman id say eat 2100 daily so either way you dont eat properly for your build.

brooshie

LOL your BMR is 2004!

Why on earth are you eating like that?!

Probably have a TDEE in the 3000s!

I say cut to 2500, 2300 in the least and watch the fat fall off.

If you were a woman id say eat 2100 daily so either way you dont eat properly for your build.

i eat when i'm hungry. when i'm not hungry, i don't eat.

everhard

Maybe you should have more fat ( with a plain greek yoghurt, some olive oil or canola oil, plain milk, some olive, fish like salmon ) .

jmoralesx5

If you look at my meals, you can see that I'm eating all the time! I'm not a nutritionist, but I am losing 2lbs a week just like you and my calorie intake is around 1400 without working out and I've been doing P90X. Now I eat back what I workout too though so if I burn off 500 calories I then eat 1900 calories (net)...right? Most days I'm not even over my netcalorie count. I have been supplementing my diet with multivitamins and fish oil, but I'm sure I'm missing out on something too. I would most certainly talk to your doctor.

Oh and I'm in WI too. Friend me if you'd like!

beansprouts

If you are (a) not hungry or weak...and (b) making all of your nutrient goals with the food that you are eating...Why do you feel that you need to eat more/ add more calories? Sad to say...gluttony is the only food disorder that too many people on mfp fail to recognize...DON"T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!

NesianStyle

We are of similar build I'd imagine although I'd say I'm carrying around a lot more fat than you. I'm 6'3 and my TDEE is just over 3000 so I think yours would be quite similar. Grab a couple of whole grain breads with PB and that will easily put your calories up a few hundred.

brooshie

If you are (a) not hungry or weak...and (b) making all of your nutrient goals with the food that you are eating...Why do you feel that you need to eat more/ add more calories? Sad to say...gluttony is the only food disorder that too many people on mfp fail to recognize...DON"T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!

well because all the people that believe in "eat more to lose more", and 750 net calories does NOT seem like a lot. that's why i said i have a problem but it's not really a problem, because i don't really know what to believe. if i gotta eat more to lose weight, why wouldn't i do that? i'm not disappointed in my current results. but hey, if they can be better, why not! right?

i'm just not knowledgeable and i know there are people here that are more informed than i am and could possibly help.

Helloitsdan

LOL your BMR is 2004!

Why on earth are you eating like that?!

Probably have a TDEE in the 3000s!

I say cut to 2500, 2300 in the least and watch the fat fall off.

If you were a woman id say eat 2100 daily so either way you dont eat properly for your build.

i eat when i'm hungry. when i'm not hungry, i don't eat.

You dont eat enough to even take care of basal needs.

I set up diets for members that work.

If you are interested I can get you started.

Right now you are burning 2lbs a week and thats great if you just want to lose weight and not worry about how you look when you are done.
But
If you want to lose weight and maintain lean mass and come out looking like a beast.....

A quick example.

I'm 5'6" and 133lbs at 11% body fat.

I maintain at 2500cals.
I cut at 2000 cals.

You are 6 inches taller and heavier which means you generate a ton more energy.

Anywho.
I wont get into an argument about hormones and such because i'm about to head to work but I helped Psulemon and my calculations work.

There are so many factors at play in how your body is responding. Yes a calorie deficient lifestyle will loose weight. However, there are some important things to understand about nutrition.
1. The first thing is to define your goals very specifically. loose weight-gain muscle- loose weight and gain muscle-pure maintenance. If you just wish to loose weight and eat at an undisciplined caloric deficit you will start to burn muscle. keep in mind the more muscle you have the better your body burns fat so nutrition is very important in preventing that
2. the goal you set determines (partly) what your nutritional needs are. On average you can figure your daily caloric intake at about 8 times your weight so at 210 you should probably consume around 1650 to 1700 kcal a day this should put you between 10 to 20% bellow you BMI/TDEE giving you a healthy deficit resulting in 1 to 2 pound loss a week. (remember everyones body responds differently and it takes time to learn how your body responds to food and excersice) als o keep in mind this is general guide lines.
3. where do the calories come from. fat, protein and carbs make up the calories. you need to understand how each plays a part in your nutrition carbs=energy they break down to sugars that feed necessary processes that keep you functioning day to day if you eat to few you will start to feel tired and listless,however, if you eat to many you flirt with hypoglycemia. If your body has to many sugars from the carb process it will store that sugar as fat in muscle cells as well as other places....fat regardless of it being a nasty word is needed in your diet. for one thing it is required for healthy skin..it is also needed in other various body function to complicated to delve into here....protein...ok this is a subject of much debate but there is some basic undeniable truths about protein...it burns more calories to digest protein that carbs or fat therefore it sort of boosts your metabolism...it is required to build and maintain muscle...everything else about protein is unimportant unless you are a bodybuilder or competition weightlifter.
4. ok so how much of each do you need. The standard most agree on is 50% carb 30% protein 20% fat. remember these are general rules and can vary from person to person. Guidelines only. learn your own body.
5. If you do lots of cardio you will burn calories..many people say too much cardio burns muscle..there are new studies that show this to be incorrect if proper nutrition is maintained...in my opinion for healthy weight loss you need both cardio and strength training (keep in mind the more muscle you have the more fat your body will burn (kind of..it actually burns it more efficiently) and if you strength train then you have got to maintain a proper protein intake (for women a good general rule is .6 to .8 times your body weight in grams s at 210 pounds 126 to 168 grams of protein a day)
6. DRINK WATER>>>DRINK WATER>>>>DRINK WATER....drink at least 8 cups a day...WARNING..DO NOT PUT IT OFF TILL 2 HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME OR YOU WILL PAY THE PIPER AND BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH YOUR TOILET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

ok so what....can you loose weight with out all of this above? sure, you can loose weight eating nothing but Twinkies if you maintain a caloric deficiency. but is the weight loss healthy? absolutely not.
Bottom line here is that nutrition and not just maintaining a caloric deficit is a key component in healthy weight loss. loosing 8 pounds a week is not healthy (usually unless supervised by a professional) you will burn muscle be weak and yoyo, it is difficult to maintain and sustain weight loss longterm this way (major cause of failure).
one more hint...one of the most effective ways to cut calories is substitution. replace mayonnaise with low fat mayo, replace whole milk with 1% or skim milk, replace that syrup for your pankakes with sugar free syrup, get sugar free jelly or jam, get fat free coffee creamer etc etc. you would be amazed how many calories a week you can cut with nothing other than substitution. in our house we discovered we cut so many calories through substitution (and then the added calorie burn from cardio and strength training) that the amount of food we eat is actually greater than before even maintaining a 10 to 20 % caloric deficit. we even have sugar free icecream sandwiches a few times a week.

nutrition (learn about food)...learn your body...cardio..strength train...drink water=healthy weight loss and a better more energetic you I PROMISE
if you do these things with diligence and patience you will not only loose weight heathily you will form a new lifestyle that will become habit. it will be easier to eat out because you know food and how to budget it...you will form a habit of a healthy lifestyle.

Most of this is nonsense.

teee12

listen to your body, if you arent hungry, then dont eat .my net calories are usually 1000 a day, and i usually eat 1300 or so.:) whatever works for you!!

brooshie

so many different opinions! ahhh, how will i ever choose! lol

beansprouts

If you are (a) not hungry or weak...and (b) making all of your nutrient goals with the food that you are eating...Why do you feel that you need to eat more/ add more calories? Sad to say...gluttony is the only food disorder that too many people on mfp fail to recognize...DON"T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!

well because all the people that believe in "eat more to lose more", and 750 net calories does NOT seem like a lot. that's why i said i have a problem but it's not really a problem, because i don't really know what to believe. if i gotta eat more to lose weight, why wouldn't i do that? i'm not disappointed in my current results. but hey, if they can be better, why not! right?

i'm just not knowledgeable and i know there are people here that are more informed than i am and could possibly help.

If you truly want to be knowlegeable...then start reading all of the nutritional information for yourself!...If eating more to lose more worked in all cases...There would not be any fat people on mfp!

brooshie

If you are (a) not hungry or weak...and (b) making all of your nutrient goals with the food that you are eating...Why do you feel that you need to eat more/ add more calories? Sad to say...gluttony is the only food disorder that too many people on mfp fail to recognize...DON"T FALL INTO THAT TRAP!

well because all the people that believe in "eat more to lose more", and 750 net calories does NOT seem like a lot. that's why i said i have a problem but it's not really a problem, because i don't really know what to believe. if i gotta eat more to lose weight, why wouldn't i do that? i'm not disappointed in my current results. but hey, if they can be better, why not! right?

i'm just not knowledgeable and i know there are people here that are more informed than i am and could possibly help.

If you truly want to be knowlegeable...then start reading all of the nutritional information for yourself!...If eating more to lose more worked in all cases...There would not be any fat people on mfp!

well obviously i didn't exactly mean "the more you eat the more you lose", surely you understood what i actually meant.

psuLemon

It comes down to this; do you want to lose muscle or fat? If you like your muscles you need to eat enough calories to sustain. Also for those who say listen to your body i will say this... hunger signals can be suppressed. Its why people who are anoerexic dont feel hungry while only eat 500 calories... its also the reason why people on interim fasting are starving the first week but after that can sustain longer periods of time without food. If you want to test this, go 2 weeks with eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Then go back yo just eating 1 meal with a couple of snacks and see the hunger difference.

beansprouts

It comes down to this; do you want to lose muscle or fat? If you like your muscles you need to eat enough calories to sustain. Also for those who say listen to your body i will say this... hunger signals can be suppressed. Its why people who are anoerexic dont feel hungry while only eat 500 calories... its also the reason why people on interim fasting are starving the first week but after that can sustain longer periods of time without food. If you want to test this, go 2 weeks with eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Then go back yo just eating 1 meal with a couple of snacks and see the hunger difference.

You are confusing CALORIES with PROTEIN!

brooshie

maybe i can start juicing again.

i used to always make a carrot, apple, strawberry, & ginger juice. that would add a lot of calories with minimal bad things i suppose. wouldn't be hard, and would be cheap (my favorite).

just buy a bundle of carrots & apples.

psuLemon

It comes down to this; do you want to lose muscle or fat? If you like your muscles you need to eat enough calories to sustain. Also for those who say listen to your body i will say this... hunger signals can be suppressed. Its why people who are anoerexic dont feel hungry while only eat 500 calories... its also the reason why people on interim fasting are starving the first week but after that can sustain longer periods of time without food. If you want to test this, go 2 weeks with eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Then go back yo just eating 1 meal with a couple of snacks and see the hunger difference.

You are confusing CALORIES with PROTEIN!

I appreciate your concern but i am not confusing anything.

beansprouts

It comes down to this; do you want to lose muscle or fat? If you like your muscles you need to eat enough calories to sustain. Also for those who say listen to your body i will say this... hunger signals can be suppressed. Its why people who are anoerexic dont feel hungry while only eat 500 calories... its also the reason why people on interim fasting are starving the first week but after that can sustain longer periods of time without food. If you want to test this, go 2 weeks with eating 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. Then go back yo just eating 1 meal with a couple of snacks and see the hunger difference.

You are confusing CALORIES with PROTEIN!

I appreciate your concern but i am not confusing anything.

YEAH YOU ARE Confused!!! Calories alone DO NOT suppress hunger. And for your information...most anorexic people (ie the eating disorder) eat all of the time!