Calorie Problem

noelibear

I am having an issue that I would love feedback or advice from anyone that could help. My calorie goal is set at 1260 per day. However, I am having trouble reaching that many calories and staying honest with myself. I am eating what I consider to be ALOT of food. However, it is saying I am at a "starvation" risk... I had always had an issue with overeating. However. since eating healthier my stomach began shrinking. I just can't eat as much as I used to. If I am full, and eating balanced meals. Are calories really that important? Feel free to look at my diary over the last few days. Any positive feedback is appreciated

beattie1

You'll need to open your diary if anyone's going to be able to comment. At the moment it's set to "private". If you go to "My Home" then "settings" then "diary settings" you can change that.

noelibear

Opened It was at friends only, now public

tania2287

Yeah cause you'll want to avoid yoyo dieting. Eat close to just under 1200. Look at my diary logs as an example (EXCEPT FOR TODAYS LOL).

See, the reason why diet and exercise go hand-in-hand is because that exercising we do burns off the calories to make room for another (much needed) meal.

Example: My BMR is 1700 kcal
My daily requirement to maintain my current weight is 2,200 kcal

I want to lose 2 lb. a week, so I have to cut back 7,000 kcal/week (3,500 kcal = 1lb. of fat)

2,200
-1,000

---

1,200/day


My day:

Breakfast - 500 kcal
Lunch - 700 kcal

Exercise - (-500 kcal)

---

So far: 700 kcal

By then I'm feeling hungry as fck, and if I don't eat something else to bring me up.. well, it's just a matter of being hecka hungry and feeling bleh. I hate that feeling SO I WANNA EAT!! >:O This may not be the case for you. However, our bodies do things for a reason. Men get morning wood so we don't pee ourselves, we throw up when we ingest something bad as to prevent poisoning, we get diarrhea to flush out all the bad crap, and our stomachs grumble when we are hungry.

I know from past experience that if I deny myself another meal or ignore my hunger, it'll only fester and grow and my mind will become more obsessed with FOOD. FOOD. FOOD.

So then I eat dinner - 500 kcal.

TOTAL: 1,200 kcal I CAN LIVE WITH THAT.

The reason why we work out is because it's hard just diet and live on a 1,200 or whatever calorie daily intake. It's to buy us that extra meal or snack. Because although we're flushing out the calorie expenditure and whatnot, the stomach still wants food and the hormones and enzymes and metabolism and homeostasis and the circle of life and the universe expect it and want it and is like omg wtf is it when it's not there ITS ABOUT VARIETY REGULARITY AND BALANCE DO YOU GET IT!?


Just think about the physicality of your body and consider your stomach as a pet that needs to be fed regularly throughout the day, despite how you may be feeling. It's for the best and the body adjusts and adapts, trust me you'll be feeling better. Also it's important to eat more instead of strictly 'burning off the calories' because we still need daily amounts of vitamins and minerals. You risk gaining deficiencies on a daily diet under 1,200 kcals. Trust me there's a lot more to this than you may think, and if it were just 'straight' and 'simple,' weight loss would be a breeze for many of us.

MFP does a good job with the calorie and macro-nutrient (fats, carbs, proteins) counter, so don't focus on low-carbs or low-fat because even protein will be stored as fat if you go over. Just stick to being equal or under the daily amount the site suggests for you and you'll be fine. Try to get as close to all of those numbers as you can without going too far over. If you go over, it's perfectly fine too, it just means your weight loss will be pushed back for a little bit longer. Don't believe the hype of the low-carb bs just eat what you need daily. I'd only worry about it if you were diabetic like me.

AmyRhubarb

One way to get more calories without stuffing yourself with more food, is to eat more calorie dense foods - avocado, raw almonds or walnuts, nut butters, olive and coconut oils, full fat or 2% dairy rather than non-fat. Don't let the fat scare you, we need some fats, and the nut & oil fats are healthy ones.

HMToomey

Are you having an issue just getting to 1260, or getting to a net of 1260? There is differing opinions on here but you don't HAVE to eat to your net, I don't all the time. If it's hard for you to get to 1260 with no exercise calories how many calories are you off by on average? How much weight are you trying to lose in total? In a week?

Devild0ll

Do you really believe you're eating balanced meals? I see a lot of meals light on the veggies. Also, are you sure you're measuring right?

70davis

Bump

xxnellie146xx

There are a fair amount of days that you exceed your calorie goal. I think instead of focusing so much on the calorie count, you should try to eat less fast food and processed frozen meals. If you are only going to eat 1200 or less calories, make those lean meats, fruit and vegetables. Also, MFP recommendations for protein are low and you should always aim to go above your suggested amount. Like someone had suggested, if you are having a hard time eating enough food and meeting your calories, try calories dense foods.

chlorisaann

You are coming really close to your goals... Maybe just switch to full fat dairy or add a couple Tb of peanut butter or a handful of nuts... It would not take much!

noelibear

I am NOT eating fast food at all anymore..Like I stated. I am just having trouble getting to my calorie goal, and I don't want to be counter productive by cutting myself short. I know some of you might not approve of all of my food choices. But I am doing the best I can. It takes time to teach yourself.Especially when you have eaten differently your entire life. Please do not message me with negative statements. I was asking for advice so I can get healthy for my children. Please keep your negativity to yourself. As for all of the ones with productive advise! Thank you so much! Keep it coming.

msafunk

One way to get more calories without stuffing yourself with more food, is to eat more calorie dense foods - avocado, raw almonds or walnuts, nut butters, olive and coconut oils, full fat or 2% dairy rather than non-fat. Don't let the fat scare you, we need some fats, and the nut & oil fats are healthy ones.

Absolutely this. Those are all amazing foods that you shouldn't feel bad about eating.

noelibear

That is great advice! I will def start looking for "good" calories..I am very new to this. I was very used to convenience eating..Until I started charting it and seeing how horrible it was..lol :P

beattie1

I don't recognise what you're eating most of the time - a problem I have with most American diaries I look at. I did note that you're eating fat free versions of things like yoghurt. You could easily swop this for a higher fat one. Also, how are you getting 2 slices of bread at just 80 calories for both of them - they must be tiny. I find most wholemeal bread is over 100 calories a slice.

Yes it does matter if you're way below your calorie goal day after day after day. I hope that you'll find this an informative read -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

It explains how MFP works much better than I could. To quote from a bit of that explanation above -

"Most people who eat at or below BMR will lose weight for a short time.
Their bodies are no longer getting energy from food and so their bodies turn to fat stores for energy.
Problem is after extended periods of time, their bodies will adapt to the new energy and attempt to balance things out.
This isnt starvation response, we've beaten that horse on the forums over and over, but it is a metabolic slow down. ""

So to lose weight in the long term you need to eat more, now, tomorrow, next week and next month. And so on.

To add some more nutritious calories you could eat nuts, cheese, fruit, veg, you could cook with olive oil, or have a proper breakfast instead of those shakes.

noelibear

Thanks, I didn't think about that on the bread..I intentionally grab it because it is low calorie. Maybe swapping it for a higher calorie healthy alternative would be a good choice

xxnellie146xx

Try peanut butter, nuts in general, greek yogurt (great for protein). Try making meals at home (maybe on the weekend and freeze and defrost the night before) so you know what is in it and it will greatly cut down on your sodium.

SanteMulberry

I am having an issue that I would love feedback or advice from anyone that could help. My calorie goal is set at 1260 per day. However, I am having trouble reaching that many calories and staying honest with myself. I am eating what I consider to be ALOT of food. However, it is saying I am at a "starvation" risk... I had always had an issue with overeating. However. since eating healthier my stomach began shrinking. I just can't eat as much as I used to. If I am full, and eating balanced meals. Are calories really that important? Feel free to look at my diary over the last few days. Any positive feedback is appreciated

If you were formerly eating a lot of sugar and grain (typical diet for most) and you have cut both of them out, you could have a hard time reaching your calorie allotment while staying within the healthy weight-loss range of 75-100 grams of carbs daily (especially if you are also eating low fat). I eat no sugar or grain (they are mostly empty calories anyway) so I have trouble reaching my calorie allotment--even though I usually go over my fat allotment (good fats though, like nuts and avocado). I don't worry about the "too-low" calories as I know I am nourishing my body very well and forcing it to burn fat for energy instead of carbs (scientists are now saying that we were meant to burn fat for energy rather than experience the typical hi-carb ups and downs). I also find that when I am nourishing my body well on lean protein, and lots of vegetables and fruits, that I just don't want my full calorie allotment and I am losing weight instead of my weight stubbornly staying the same. (And I am healthier than I have been in a long time).

kareinlib

I had this problem a while ago too! What I did was I ended up stopping getting the "healthier" versions of things - nix the fat free cheese, light mayo, etc. That helps a lot.

If you reaaally don't want to do that, what I also did was I bought myself a tub of nuts and just ate them throughout the day. They're really healthy for you yet still have a good amount of calories - if you aren't hitting that number, a handful or two of nuts will get you there.

SanteMulberry

Also, organic butter is VERY good for you (in small amounts). It has many compounds and substances (like butyric acid) that you get nowhere else. Butyric acid is a very effective agent for controlling overgrowths of fungus in the gut (yeast in the gut contributes to MANY chronic health miseries). I always add it to cooked vegetables--the vitamin A in the butter contributes to the uptake and utilization of the beta carotene in the veggies. That's why they taste so much better! :happy: Don't worry that the extra good fats will stop your weight loss---it won't as long as you keep your carbs below 100 grams per day. It will actually facilitate your weight loss and help you to gain the maximum nutritional values from your food. There are many nutrients that are poorly absorbed in a no-fat diet. I used to do low-fat diets and I felt (and looked) awful on them. :frown:

SanteMulberry

I had this problem a while ago too! What I did was I ended up stopping getting the "healthier" versions of things - nix the fat free cheese, light mayo, etc. That helps a lot.

If you reaaally don't want to do that, what I also did was I bought myself a tub of nuts and just ate them throughout the day. They're really healthy for you yet still have a good amount of calories - if you aren't hitting that number, a handful or two of nuts will get you there.

Good advice! Also, walnuts and macadamia nuts (and probably others as well) will SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM! Yayyy! :happy: