MFP: "You are eating too few calories..."

postrockandcats

I do feel hungry eating like this but that's not what's important here.

Learning how to eat properly is what's most important, not just losing weight. What do you think is going to happen once you hit your goal and you stop logging if you keep starving yourself?

The importance of that statement cannot be overemphasized. OP and others, PLEASE read it again. Relearning how to live and eat to be healthy for LIFE is what is critical here, not dropping those lbs right now or yesterday.

x2

malery06

What I don't understand is (unless you are here in order to gain weight after an ED/or have a medical condition) if you are on MFP to lose weight then, at some point, you were quite easily eating your TDEE in calories and beyond to have gained. So why is it now magically so hard to eat your goal calories which falls either 500 cals or 20% below your TDEE?

Seriously. If you have calories allotted - eat them. Your allocated calories are a goal to eat at not aim to be waaay under. Plan a little to have some more calorie dense foods on hand for those times when you think 'I can't eat 5 kilos of lettuce to make up another 100 cals'..then have a little 25g piece of cheese/30g of nuts - it is still healthy.

Maybe because i was pregnant. Pregnant women have a bigger appetite, that's why it was so easy for me to eat all the cAlories I did eat while pregnant. Now that I'm only eating for one and since my weight is still considerably high I am required to eat more than I can actually eat. I'm 5 3 and have always weighed between 130 and 135, I honestly don't think that's being overweight, bus as of now I am.

All I'm trying to do is lose the weight, but how am I supose to do that if according to MFP I need 1200!
On top of that sometimes I eat less and have no room for the remaining calories....then i have people telling me I won't lose any weight because according to weight height gender age activity level blah blah blah in order to lose weight and keep it off I gotta consume way more than 1200.

I mean that's what were hear for right? To lose weight and learn from each other.

malery06

My TDEE is around 1700-1800 cal. With a deficit of 20% I'm looking at 1360-1440. And thats defenetely not what MFP says and defenetely can not eat all that

you are confusing your BMR and TDEE.... you shouldn't eat below your BMR and somewhere between the two is best.

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..

Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

malery06

Idk ......I hope some one can help:sad:

Jacwhite22

definitely. That said 1360-1440 is not that much.....eat......or don't. The choice is really yours. I like eating.

My TDEE is around 1700-1800 cal. With a deficit of 20% I'm looking at 1360-1440. And thats defenetely not what MFP says and defenetely can not eat all that

you are confusing your BMR and TDEE.... you shouldn't eat below your BMR and somewhere between the two is best.

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..

Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

Sarauk2sf

My TDEE is around 1700-1800 cal. With a deficit of 20% I'm looking at 1360-1440. And thats defenetely not what MFP says and defenetely can not eat all that

you are confusing your BMR and TDEE.... you shouldn't eat below your BMR and somewhere between the two is best.

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..

Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

Why can you not eat that much - it is not much at all? Do you get full or do you think you will gain weight?

MB_Positif

I haven't read through all of the responses. In my own experience I lost more weight and felt more energetic when I was eating all ofmy calories from MFP plus all of my exercise calories. I had no trouble losing 50 pounds that way. Eat as much as possible while still being able to lose weight. You'll be thankful you did it when you switch to maintenance!

felice03

I don't get that message...I changed my settings so if I ever go under a crazy, knife wielding clown comes out of my closet. I find much more effective.

Rubyayn

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..

Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

You should take your 20% deficit from your TDEE, not your BMR. Your BMR is the amount of calories just to keep you alive and breathing, TDEE includes your daily activity (which I'm sure you have plenty of with a new baby!) I would suggest checking out Dan's thread here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/682138-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I was basically about to type this whole thing, but he's already done it for me!
Sidenote- if you're breastfeeding, that uses 300-500 more calories a day, on top of regular activity. I don't know the specific numbers as I've never done it, but if you search the forum for "breastfeeding calories" I know I've seen tons of threads about it.

This! You can also use the Scooby site below and plug your number sin, it does all of the math for you. Please be sure to at least eat above your BMR, especially if you are breastfeeding.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

alexroet

I see that message every single day. My goal is 1200 and I refuse to go over. (if I ever do, I make up for it the next day). I do not eat any exercise calories. In fact I do not log my exercise, except in the notes.

And before people jump down my throat about starvation mode... This is what works for me. When I had plateaued before, I thought maybe starvation mode was the problem, so I tried making sure to eat 1200 every day, and eat back my exercise calories, and I gained. Fast.

Since I've started being EXTRA meticulous about tracking (especially making sure I measure my portions and don't just guess), and exercising (cardio) for 30 min 5x a week, I've lost consistently. almost 10lb in 7 weeks. It's a decent rate, not TOO fast, not too slow, and I'm not having so many ups and downs.

Basically, if I eat more than 1200, I gain. I wish it weren't so, but, it seems to be that way. And less scientifically- if I go to be a little bit hungry, I lose. That's a good marker for me.

the bottom line is- do what works for you. People here will get all fired up about macros/starvation mode/exercise calories/low carb vs low fat etc etc etc. Everyone thinks their way is the best/only way and that anything else "may lose weight but it isn't healthy". But that's not true. if it works for you, go for it.

(but to the girl who is freaking out about losing 3lb to get to 115 from 118.... that is not a healthy attitude.)

pspam

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..

Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

What you are thinking of for BMR is the amount of Calories required to sustain your essential organs if you had no activity during the day. If you intake less Calories than this, you will burn Calories from your body. If your body has triggered a conservation mode, where it has a reasonable belief that it is starving (neighborhood of 1,200 Calories), your body attempts to conserve every gram of fat, as fat stores have more energy gram-for-gram, and will non-selectively catabolise proteins (muscle-including your heart) in order to feed itself until such a point that you lack enough muscle to support your weight, and then it will dip into fat and muscle stores for energy. Without citing any peer-reviewed literature, your should understand that it is generally accepted that going under 1,200 Calories per day for more than 48 hours can trigger this mode. The other problem is that when you do this, your body drops its BMR lower to save itself. You don't get the physical performance or even mental acuity you are used to. Read several of the above testimonies to that effect.

Some basic hypothetical math to illustrate the potential:
1,500 Calories eaten - 1,400 Calories BMR - 200 Calories exercise = 100 Calories burned off
Conservation mode
1,100 Calories eaten - 800 Calories BMR - 200 Calories exercise = 100 Calories gained and entirely stored as fat. To boot, your body tends not to repair and grow muscles when in a Calorie deficit, so you may feel even more tired.

*Notice that by cutting the Calories too far, you can end up gaining because of an automatic severe drop in your metabolism.

So, going below safe levels, somewhere around 1,200 Calories every day, is a higher risk behavior that should be discouraged as a method of weight loss for normal dieting adults.

The exception is when you have higher risk medical conditions than the risk of permanent heart damage from aggressive diets, and these are monitored and prescribed by physicians with expert advice of dieticians and nutritionists. I strongly discourage against anyone advocating "in the blind" below around 1,250 unless they have good malpractice insurance. That would be a dangerous recommendation (not just relating their own prescribed plans and success) for both parties.

Cheers.

malery06

My TDEE is around 1700-1800 cal. With a deficit of 20% I'm looking at 1360-1440. And thats defenetely not what MFP says and defenetely can not eat all that

you are confusing your BMR and TDEE.... you shouldn't eat below your BMR and somewhere between the two is best.

This is a little hard to understand since I've only started counting calories since I had my baby which was like October..
I know my bmr is about 1520 and I know that with a deficit of 20% in order to lose weight I should consume about 1220.

You do make sence tho bean with the whole eat 500 more cAlories lol but yeah I just recently started tracking my body fat % but haven't been able to compare it, ill do that a week from now..


Btw I'm 5'3 157 lb 22 yrs old

Why can you not eat that much - it is not much at all? Do you get full or do you think you will gain weight?

I get full. I eat as much as i like throughout the day, if i feel hungry I eat. Sometimes i reach my 1200 calories but a lot of the times I don't. Towards the end of the day I notice I didn't consume my required amount and I start rambling through the fridge trying to find a few things to snack on. The question is should I eat (for the sake of my recommended daily calorie intake)even if I'm not hungry?

isitsororo

(but to the girl who is freaking out about losing 3lb to get to 115 from 118.... that is not a healthy attitude.)

I'm not freaking out. My attitude is healthy for me. Might not fit someone else, but it works for me.

jenmsu83

I get full. I eat as much as i like throughout the day, if i feel hungry I eat. Sometimes i reach my 1200 calories but a lot of the times I don't. Towards the end of the day I notice I didn't consume my required amount and I start rambling through the fridge trying to find a few things to snack on. The question is should I eat (for the sake of my recommended daily calorie intake)even if I'm not hungry?

Could you maybe open up your diary so that we can see it and provide some ideas to add some calories? It is silly to eat more if you are legitimately not hungry. I find that adding in fuller fat foods (cheese, milk, yogurt, nuts etc) helps add more calories without the extra volume...make sense?

Dlacenere

I used to get that message daily back when I first started on MFP almost a year ago. I was set up for 1200 calories and thought even better if I can do 800-1000. I lost weight fast too. I was also constipated, tired, hungry, edgy, my hair was very dry and thin and I was skinny fat. I had calipers done and found out that everything I lost was muscle and I actually gained fat. At that point, I started reading a lot and educating myself and it was scary to get over the hump and get it through my head that I needed to eat more if I want to do it the right way. I may even gain a few lbs before it all gets straightened out, and I have - and it's all lean body mass. I friended a lot of people that posted about eating more, I joined the eat more 2 weigh less group and I dumped any low calorie eating friends. I have surrounded myself with very knowledgable, very supportive friends (some that have responded in this thread) that typically eat more than I do and it helps so...much mentally. When I ate only 1000 calories, if I had a cheat day, I would gain 3 lbs in water weight the next day. What happens is your metabolism slows to the level you are eating, so you are stuck eating less and less to lose because your body doesn't know when it's going to get enough food. The path I chose was to gradually raise my calories and it has not happened without gaining a few lbs a long the way...but now I can eat 2000 calories in a day and the scale stays the same. I never in my life thought this would be a possibility. All of those issues I had before are gone. I have lots of energy to run, lift heavy weights and then some. I know it's hard to grasp, but as so many people told me...it works.

saltedcaramel86

I've had it a few times (when I was tracking before) but also had days when I was over so it evened out.

I've started tracking again this week and today I was 192 cals under (Goal is 1810; food is 1734; exercise is 116 so net 1618) . I am, however, on maintenance and can already feel myself struggling. I'm eating when I'm hungry (three square meals and several snacks) and even on the last two days when I hit the net goal, I felt sick. Panicking slightly as next week I want to start the 30 Day Shred to tone up and after New Year, want to get back into running. I've been told not to lose any more (I'm bang on 9.5stone so 133lbs) and have large chest and slightly solid hourglass frame so being too thin doesn't suit me.

I'm eating plenty of veggies, fruit, wholegrains, oil, full fat diary, beans, etc. As I'm a fairly recent vegetarian, my meals are made up of beans, veggies or Quorn all of which are naturally lower is calories than meat. Not sure what else I can do really. :ohwell:

JustJennie1

I eat whatever amount of calories I have set my goal to regardless of whether or not I exercise. I like to view my exercise calories as a "reserve" for the days I know I am going to indulge.

chrisdavey

Once again, to all those that struggle to eat their cals.




I actually started the MFP speed eating group because of a similar topic a little while back.

So in honour of all the whinger's who can't seem to find a way to eat 1200 cals in 24hrs we shall hold a speed eating contest that requires you to eat 1200 cals.

A few other rules:
Solid foods only (no liquids or protein powders etc)
Minimum fibre 20g
Minimum potassium 1000mg
Maximum fat 50g
No liquid consumption during the eating

So other than that, you can pick any mix of foods that totals at least 1200 cals and the above. Take a screen shot of you're diary to show that it meets the criteria and upload a vid.

I did it in 3m41s. It's really not that hard to eat 1200.

TommiEgan

I love that PB!!!! I had some yesterday because I was hungry lol

Chinadorian

since you are breastfeeding and have kids to take care of (you have 2?), it may be better to visit the breasfeeding mamas forum and see what other ladies are doing to lose weight while BFing...
Your goals may have to take a little longer than you thought to reach but for the sake of your future health (and if there are othe rkiddos in your future) you want to make this a healthy weight loss not just a "lose weight as fast as possible so you dont have to wear mom jeans for 10 years" kind of thing.
My sister has been breastfeeding for about three years now (2 babies back to back) and when she does Weight Watchers after pregnancy the amount of food she eats compared to what I eat, even when Im working out hardcore, is ridiculous! She will eat a truckload of food, and STILL lose more lbs and inches than I would in our weekly weigh ins. When you are breastfeeding, you need extra everything as far as nutrients go. You're feeding you and the babe...so dont be uncomfortable eating more than you feel you needed to before. Your "Before" wont come fast and wont come easy if you are not eating at least 1200 cals a day. (((insert everyone else's scientifically backed up statements on why eating at least 1200- and thats without breasfeeding or exercise- is essential)))

good luck! and congrats on your babygirl

Chinadorian

sidenote: I do eat back about half or all of my workout calories. I rarely come in under 1400 and even more rarely do under 1200. I workout so I can eat and lose.

Shua89

Every single day. I try to hit my 1200 calories but I typically end up hitting between 1000 and 1200. I do not eat my exercise calories back.

My calories are set to 1200 exactly so if go even one calorie over then it tells me I'm over my calorie limit. I just haven't been able to hit 1200 exactly to make MFP happy yet.

JHoelck0928

Considering my 1-2 lb weight loss a week I assume I am taking in the proper amount of calories, even if its a little less some days. Oh and i don't ever eat back the calories I burn, I didn't know it had to be that way :ohwell:

Two points:
1) Wouldn't the whole process be better if you could lose 1-2 lbs/wk and eat like 500 more calories more (I have no idea the actual numbers, but the fact that you're getting the message suggests that it's less than 1200, and lots of women, lots, lose around 1600 cals/day)
2) You might be losing a higher than desirable % of muscle mass. The problem with that is that when people lose a high % of muscle mass, they get to goal weight and still look doughy. Most people should be trying to lose as high as possible a % of fat, and for that, smaller calorie deficits work better.

^^^^^^^ They are 100% correct!!! Eating more than that will benefit you in the long run!

malery06

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I get full. I eat as much as i like throughout the day, if i feel hungry I eat. Sometimes i reach my 1200 calories but a lot of the times I don't. Towards the end of the day I notice I didn't consume my required amount and I start rambling through the fridge trying to find a few things to snack on. The question is should I eat (for the sake of my recommended daily calorie intake)even if I'm not hungry?

Could you maybe open up your diary so that we can see it and provide some ideas to add some calories? It is silly to eat more if you are legitimately not hungry. I find that adding in fuller fat foods (cheese, milk, yogurt, nuts etc) helps add more calories without
the extra volume...make sense?

I just opened up my food diary...a little fyi my food choice isn't super duper healthy I'm still learning, but I haves made a drastic change, I always ate junk!

malery06

I dnt breasted but i see what you mean.
It's so different for everyone

since you are breastfeeding and have kids to take care of (you have 2?), it may be better to visit the breasfeeding mamas forum and see what other ladies are doing to lose weight while BFing...
Your goals may have to take a little longer than you thought to reach but for the sake of your future health (and if there are othe rkiddos in your future) you want to make this a healthy weight loss not just a "lose weight as fast as possible so you dont have to wear mom jeans for 10 years" kind of thing.
My sister has been breastfeeding for about three years now (2 babies back to back) and when she does Weight Watchers after pregnancy the amount of food she eats compared to what I eat, even when Im working out hardcore, is ridiculous! She will eat a truckload of food, and STILL lose more lbs and inches than I would in our weekly weigh ins. When you are breastfeeding, you need extra everything as far as nutrients go. You're feeding you and the babe...so dont be uncomfortable eating more than you feel you needed to before. Your "Before" wont come fast and wont come easy if you are not eating at least 1200 cals a day. (((insert everyone else's scientifically backed up statements on why eating at least 1200- and thats without breasfeeding or exercise- is essential)))

good luck! and congrats on your babygirl

malery06

I used to get that message daily back when I first started on MFP almost a year ago. I was set up for 1200 calories and thought even better if I can do 800-1000. I lost weight fast too. I was also constipated, tired, hungry, edgy, my hair was very dry and thin and I was skinny fat. I had calipers done and found out that everything I lost was muscle and I actually gained fat. At that point, I started reading a lot and educating myself and it was scary to get over the hump and get it through my head that I needed to eat more if I want to do it the right way. I may even gain a few lbs before it all gets straightened out, and I have - and it's all lean body mass. I friended a lot of people that posted about eating more, I joined the eat more 2 weigh less group and I dumped any low calorie eating friends. I have surrounded myself with very knowledgable, very supportive friends (some that have responded in this thread) that typically eat more than I do and it helps so...much mentally. When I ate only 1000 calories, if I had a cheat day, I would gain 3 lbs in water weight the next day. What happens is your metabolism slows to the level you are eating, so you are stuck eating less and less to lose because your body doesn't know when it's going to get enough food. The path I chose was to gradually raise my calories and it has not happened without gaining a few lbs a long the way...but now I can eat 2000 calories in a day and the scale stays the same. I never in my life thought this would be a possibility. All of those issues I had before are gone. I have lots of energy to run, lift heavy weights and then some. I know it's hard to grasp, but as so many people told me...it works.

oh wow. Thanks for your post, its got me thinking now.

reptilegrrl

Unless you have a medical condition (as I said above) if you eat over your total daily energy expenditure you gain. If you eat under the amount of energy you expend you don't. Assuming they were eating over their TDEE rountinely to gain weight would not be an erroneous assumption at all. We became overweight because we put more energy into our bodies than we could use.

Then how do you explain the people who lose or maintain weight while eating enormous amounts of fatty foods? Or those who gain weight while eating very little? People are metabolically different (see Roger Williams's work on Biochemical Individuality) and not all calories are metabolized the same way. There is also the fact that if you eat too far below your energy use, you gain weight because your metabolism slows.

I don't know what "we" you are talking about, but I am not included in it, and I am sure I am not the only one.

reptilegrrl

I dnt breasted but i see what you mean.
It's so different for everyone

Honestly, this might be an issue. During pregnancy our bodies prepare to breastfeed, then all that DHA-rich fat feeds a baby's brain. In the absence of breastfeeding, your body isn't sure what to do with that fat. You've thwarted the mechanism that your body had in place for losing weight.

msbunnie68

Unless you have a medical condition (as I said above) if you eat over your total daily energy expenditure you gain. If you eat under the amount of energy you expend you don't. Assuming they were eating over their TDEE rountinely to gain weight would not be an erroneous assumption at all. We became overweight because we put more energy into our bodies than we could use.

Then how do you explain the people who lose or maintain weight while eating enormous amounts of fatty foods? Or those who gain weight while eating very little? People are metabolically different (see Roger Williams's work on Biochemical Individuality) and not all calories are metabolized the same way. There is also the fact that if you eat too far below your energy use, you gain weight because your metabolism slows.

I don't know what "we" you are talking about, but I am not included in it, and I am sure I am not the only one.

1) the fatty foods people - it's not the type of calories they eat it is a combination of the calories in vs energy out. If they are eating truckloads of fatty foods and not gaining then they either have a medical issue or they burn the calories off. Not the most healthiest of lifestyles but not what we are debating.
2) gaining while eating very little - again energy in vs energy out. Very little could be small amounts of calorie dense foods. For example, I would gain weight if all I ate daily was one jar of peanut butter. One jar, not a lot of food but a butt load of kilojoules/calories. About 2 x my maintenance calories in fact.
3) Yes, people are metabolically different in that they burn calories/kilojoules at differing rates etc but one thing is true: we all burn calories and we all need to eat/injest energy to be able to burn calories.
4) Prolonged eating below your energy use slows your metabolic rate. If you get to the point where this is causing a weight gain then you have created a medical issue yes? I did mention that apart from medical conditions.
5) Really? You are not tracking weightloss as well as your food? Your ticker says otherwise. So join us in the 'we'. Yes 'we' who are trying to lose weight have put too much fuel (more than likely inadvertantly or unknowingly or being not as clued up on nutrition as we can be) into our bodies and now 'we' are trying to fix our issues (weight/sugar levels/cholesterol levels whatever). This site is about taking control of our own selves and getting some better information as to what goes into and on in our bodies. So come join me on the proverbial couch with some air popped popcorn (logged of course) and cruise the forums for snippets and hints before we hit the gym.