Undereating

ktno1

So last year, under the recommendation of my mother (yo-yo dieter for life), I went on a diet called "Bodytrim". For anyone who hasn't heard of it, it's basically a low carb, high protein, five meals a day to "boost your metabolism" deal.

Basically at each of your 5 meals you had to have 50-100g of a protein (I usually went for chicken, fish or eggs, not a huge meat fan) and as many veggies as you like. No fruits. No grains.

Since I have started logging what I eat and counting calories on mfp (and actually eating carbs), it scares me how woefully inadequate this diet would have been calorie-wise. I would have been eating well below what my body needs to function.

I suppose the idea is that the high amounts of protein in the diet prevent muscle loss, forcing fat loss instead. Whether or not this actually works is a whole different story.

But man, this just seems so dangerous. No wonder I was always so lethargic and moody on this diet. It's ridiculous!

I still struggle to make it up to 1200 calories a day and I think part of the reason for this is that my brain is conditioned to think "carbs bad! calorie-free veggies good!" Retraining my brain that it's okay to have things in moderation and balance is tough but I know I will be healthier in the long run and actually able to maintain the changes I am making long-term.

I guess I wanted to ask some tips for making sure I'm meeting my calorie needs each day. What sorts of carbs are good for my body? I've been doing wholemeal bread at lunch but not much else.