Am I eating enough?

MinyMinnie

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day so far.

So here's what I'm looking at,
I am 19 years old, 5'4, and about 160lbs? I've changing my eating habits for a few months and I was wondering if I was on track. So, according to my fitnesspal my goal is to eat 1260 calories. I've been eating a vegetable filled omelet for breakfast(Usually if not, it's oatmeal) and a cereal with fruit for the other two meals.(Either that or a soup or salad) I easily eat about 1100 calories everyday but exercise on a elliptical for an hour and it comes and burn about 600 calories.

i usually have 700 calories left over I don't use. Is this a bad thing? Should I exercise less or eat more? Or should I keep doing what I have been doing?

Any help would be wonderful.

ashdawg8790

You should be eating more than cereal so you can get more nutrients into your diet.

MinyMinnie

Hello thank you for the response!

I actually forgot to mention I snack on fruit and sometimes a fiber bar.

ashdawg8790

What kind of cereal are you eating??

MysticRealm

I'm 25, 5'4, 149 ish and eating 1800 calories and the scale is moving in the right direction.
I eat pastas, fruits, meats, treats, ect.

MinyMinnie

Kellogg's whole grain cinnamon toast crunch with silk natural soymilk.

MinyMinnie

Thank you for your response as well!

Do you exercise?

MysticRealm

Yes I exercise about 4-5 times a week. 30 mins cardio and weights. I could still easily be losing weight at 1800 calories a day without working out as my TDEE is 2500 not including exercise.

ashdawg8790

Sounds yummy but not enough variety. I'm 5'4" and I eat around 1700-1800 calories per day. I weigh 127 or so but my diary is public if you want to see it. Today was a Ramen day so disregard that. Otherwise, usually I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, etc. I don't eat much cereal... I do eat the occasional cookie though. I don't exercise much either and I don't gain much weight unless I go way over on my calories... It's all about balance.

CassieReannan

Hi smilingkiddo,

Firstly, have you worked out your BMR and TDEE? BMR (Basal metabolic rate) is the calories you would burn if you lie in bed all day and not move, its the amount of energy you need for your body to keep working. TDEE (Total daily energy expediture) is the average amount of calories you would need to maintain your weight.

I have used this calculator to figure out your numbers
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Your BMR is: 1547
Your TDEE is: 2398 (I based this off you being moderately active 3 -5x a week)
Daily calories: 1918

You should be eating 1918 calories a day.

labellecanuck

Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. If you're always feeling tired and energy depleted, you're probably not eating enough.

Mlkmaid

Honey, you need more protein throughout the day. I don't know how you're functioning on a carb heavy diet. If I don't eat enough protein I'm STARVING!

MinyMinnie

Honey, you need more protein throughout the day. I don't know how you're functioning on a carb heavy diet. If I don't eat enough protein I'm STARVING!

Hello!

I think the energy comes from the sausage I put in the omelet (With TONS of vegetables) and the tea I drink breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

I do get hungry and I'll eat an apple but my friend said it's better to go to sleep a little hungry.

MinyMinnie

Sometimes you just have to listen to your body. If you're always feeling tired and energy depleted, you're probably not eating enough.

Now that you mention it I do feel a little tired now and days but this has just started recently and I've been doing this for a while. Thank you for your input!

MinyMinnie

Sounds yummy but not enough variety. I'm 5'4" and I eat around 1700-1800 calories per day. I weigh 127 or so but my diary is public if you want to see it. Today was a Ramen day so disregard that. Otherwise, usually I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, etc. I don't eat much cereal... I do eat the occasional cookie though. I don't exercise much either and I don't gain much weight unless I go way over on my calories... It's all about balance.

I appreciate your help! I will take a look at that!

MinyMinnie

Hi smilingkiddo,

Firstly, have you worked out your BMR and TDEE? BMR (Basal metabolic rate) is the calories you would burn if you lie in bed all day and not move, its the amount of energy you need for your body to keep working. TDEE (Total daily energy expediture) is the average amount of calories you would need to maintain your weight.

I have used this calculator to figure out your numbers
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Your BMR is: 1547
Your TDEE is: 2398 (I based this off you being moderately active 3 -5x a week)
Daily calories: 1918

You should be eating 1918 calories a day.

I actually have not done that. Although that seems like a lot of calories for me to eat. Why does my fitness pal say I should be eating about 1200 calories per day? Thank you for your help!

psuLemon

Hi smilingkiddo,

Firstly, have you worked out your BMR and TDEE? BMR (Basal metabolic rate) is the calories you would burn if you lie in bed all day and not move, its the amount of energy you need for your body to keep working. TDEE (Total daily energy expediture) is the average amount of calories you would need to maintain your weight.

I have used this calculator to figure out your numbers
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Your BMR is: 1547
Your TDEE is: 2398 (I based this off you being moderately active 3 -5x a week)
Daily calories: 1918

You should be eating 1918 calories a day.

I actually have not done that. Although that seems like a lot of calories for me to eat. Why does my fitness pal say I should be eating about 1200 calories per day? Thank you for your help!

1. That is before exercise
2. You probably put an aggressive weight loss goal like 2 lbs per week

With 30 lbs to lose, you will be lucky to lose 1 lb per week.

RMNPHike

You really mustn't cut your calories so low! You will wreck your metabolism. I know - I have done it and it is a slooooooooow recovery once you fall into that trap. The MFP recommended daily calories are good advice, and you have to have extra on the days you exercise or you will not lose weight properly - you might lose a bunch fast but it will be so much easier to gain it back if you have starved yourself. I have been following the guidelines for the most part and have lost 4 pounds in 2.5 weeks. You probably can lose even faster if you have more weight to lose (I was only trying to lose 14 pounds). I've done every diet on the planet, and not all of them were healthy. Take it from me - DON'T UNDER EAT!

MinyMinnie

Hi smilingkiddo,

Firstly, have you worked out your BMR and TDEE? BMR (Basal metabolic rate) is the calories you would burn if you lie in bed all day and not move, its the amount of energy you need for your body to keep working. TDEE (Total daily energy expediture) is the average amount of calories you would need to maintain your weight.

I have used this calculator to figure out your numbers
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Your BMR is: 1547
Your TDEE is: 2398 (I based this off you being moderately active 3 -5x a week)
Daily calories: 1918

You should be eating 1918 calories a day.

I actually have not done that. Although that seems like a lot of calories for me to eat. Why does my fitness pal say I should be eating about 1200 calories per day? Thank you for your help!

1. That is before exercise
2. You probably put an aggressive weight loss goal like 2 lbs per week

With 30 lbs to lose, you will be lucky to lose 1 lb per week.

That makes more sense and I believe I did put 2 pounds per week. Then I'm really at a loss what to do then, I thought what I was eating was appropriate healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. People eat cereal for breakfast so I thought why not lunch and dinner? I also saw people ate salads all the time to lose weight. What do you eat? What should I avoid eating? I don't see how I'd lose weight if I switched back to meals like pasta, spaghetti, rice with beef, ect that are higher in calories, sodium, and carbs.

MinyMinnie

You really mustn't cut your calories so low! You will wreck your metabolism. I know - I have done it and it is a slooooooooow recovery once you fall into that trap. The MFP recommended daily calories are good advice, and you have to have extra on the days you exercise or you will not lose weight properly - you might lose a bunch fast but it will be so much easier to gain it back if you have starved yourself. I have been following the guidelines for the most part and have lost 4 pounds in 2.5 weeks. You probably can lose even faster if you have more weight to lose (I was only trying to lose 14 pounds). I've done every diet on the planet, and not all of them were healthy. Take it from me - DON'T UNDER EAT!

That makes me feel a lot better. Thank you for your advice. But then why exercise at all? I always hear "eat healthy and exercise to lose weight." but it seems like it would be less of a hassle to just eat the calories I'm supposed to eat and call it a day. If you could, could you expand more on your journey on weight lost? I'd love to lose at least 10 pounds in few months!

nicleed

You can lose weight without exercise - but exercise will improve your cardiovascular health and make you feel better And if you do weight training, it will make you look better as well.

Cereal is actually not a very good option at all - for any meal.

Lean protein, vegies, wholegrain etc.

MinyMinnie

You can lose weight without exercise - but exercise will improve your cardiovascular health and make you feel better And if you do weight training, it will make you look better as well.

Cereal is actually not a very good option at all - for any meal.

Lean protein, vegies, wholegrain etc.

But the cereal I eat is whole grain.

Thank you for your insight.

barb1241

Almost all cereal is made from super overprocessed grain, even the ones that are "whole grain" They are as carby as pasta or white rice-or lots of other carby things. Try some boneless skinless chicxken breast and salad for lunch. Low fat dressing. If you must have carbs, eat a couple of multigrain crackers or better eve, add a portion of grain such as brown rice, quinoa, black, rice, millert, barley, etc. to your salad. I switch between the salad thingy and eggbeaters most days for "breakfast"-the eggbeateres are super processed too, but lots of protein for very few calories.

If you want cereal for breakfast, try old fashioned oatmeal, or steel cut oats. Takes a little longer to cook, but works in the microwave-my hubs does oatmeal with yogurt stirred in and a piece of fruit almost every morning. The oatmeal is the carbs and the yogurt is the protein. NOT full fat, full sugar yogurt. And the fruit is good for ya in moderation. Blueberries or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. All the berry things with bright colors are excellent.

Eat plenty of healthy good food ( a good bit more than you are eating now), keep up your exercise and give your body enough fuel to work with and you will gain muscle at the same time you are losing fat. Being toned in the muscles helps to burn calories better. And you need more variety to get proper nutrients.

I think I got that correct there.

XDiet_SlayerX

Hello. The information everyone is giving you from what I have read sounds right on track. Keep your calorie intake in check because under eating can shut down your metabolism which will make you move backwards in the long run mainly because this will increase your cortisol levels which makes your body start storing fat.
So what is cortisol?
The adrenal glands produce another hormone that can promote weight gain though. This hormone is called cortisol, and it tends to cause the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. Unlike adrenaline which is produced for only short periods of time, the adrenal glands can produce cortisol long-term. This means that any fat-burning effects from adrenaline will be overcome in the long-run by the fat-storing effects of cortisol. From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. For human cultures in which the primary source of stress is physical stress, this fat storage can help keep people alive during extended periods of living under harsh conditions. The problem is, mental/emotional stress will elevate cortisol levels too, and for individuals who lead particularly stressful lives, the continued high cortisol levels will likely stimulate lower belly fat deposition. Anything stressful to your body obviously like under-eating will cause these levels to rise and you will not get the results you want.
Cortisol not only stores fat in the lower abdomen, it also stimulates the breakdown of muscle and other tissue to use for immediate energy needs. So the more determined a person is to exercise away the fat, the more cortisol is produced, and as I said a moment ago, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, only in this case the weight being lost is muscle and not fat!

The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy.

Other ways that increase cortisol:
Drinking too much caffeine (three cups a day or more)
Being sleep deprived (not enough sleep)
Stressed out/Depressed
Over-training (working out)

Ways to prevent this:
Eat a balanced nutritional diet (that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables. Low-glycemic index foods like eggs help lower cortisol levels in the blood while whole grain products help proteins control the production of cortisol in the body. Stay away from processed sugars and flours. Vitamin B5 and folic acid help lower cortisol levels. They can be found in foods like beans, fish, whole grains, peas, beans, sunflower seeds and fruits such melons and oranges. Also garlic or garlic pills help.)

Exercise on a daily basis to help with weight loss and weight management. Exercise also produces 'feel good' endorphins that are released in the brain and combat stress and anxiety, a natural way to decrease the production of excess cortisol.

Relax by yourself for at least 20 minutes a day. Meditate, read, listen to music, spend time playing with a pet, weeding the garden or praying. Adequate relaxation and downtime is necessary to alleviate and reduce stress, which also serves to regulate hormone production in the body.

Take herbs such as Golden Root or Holy Basil to help lower cortisol levels. Dong Quai and astralgus are also effective and can be found in your local natural health food or drug store.

Take vitamin and mineral supplements, especially Vitamin C and Garlic like I mentioned before, which naturally lowers cortisol levels. Folic acid controls the actions and functions of the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol.

MinyMinnie

Almost all cereal is made from super overprocessed grain, even the ones that are "whole grain" They are as carby as pasta or white rice-or lots of other carby things. Try some boneless skinless chicxken breast and salad for lunch. Low fat dressing. If you must have carbs, eat a couple of multigrain crackers or better eve, add a portion of grain such as brown rice, quinoa, black, rice, millert, barley, etc. to your salad. I switch between the salad thingy and eggbeaters most days for "breakfast"-the eggbeateres are super processed too, but lots of protein for very few calories.

If you want cereal for breakfast, try old fashioned oatmeal, or steel cut oats. Takes a little longer to cook, but works in the microwave-my hubs does oatmeal with yogurt stirred in and a piece of fruit almost every morning. The oatmeal is the carbs and the yogurt is the protein. NOT full fat, full sugar yogurt. And the fruit is good for ya in moderation. Blueberries or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. All the berry things with bright colors are excellent.

Eat plenty of healthy good food ( a good bit more than you are eating now), keep up your exercise and give your body enough fuel to work with and you will gain muscle at the same time you are losing fat. Being toned in the muscles helps to burn calories better. And you need more variety to get proper nutrients.

I think I got that correct there.

I got a lot out of that! Thank you.

So should I do what I'm doing by eating healthy but eat a lot more calories? Like for example, with a light salad I add lean protein such as chicken? Or when I eat oatmeal eat a banana? Should I give up on omelets all together? In the cafeteria, the omelet bar allows us to get all sorts of vegetables. I get my daily vegetables this way without forcing myself to include spinach and other vegetables in everything I eat the rest of the day. What about eating soup? I heard soup was good for you as well or perhaps a sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and turkey?

If I ate about 1500 calories per day with an 1 hour exercise that burns 600 calories? Is that still too little?

Again, thank you everyone for your help. I'm truly grateful.

MinyMinnie

Hello. The information everyone is giving you from what I have read sounds right on track. Keep your calorie intake in check because under eating can shut down your metabolism which will make you move backwards in the long run mainly because this will increase your cortisol levels which makes your body start storing fat.
So what is cortisol?
The adrenal glands produce another hormone that can promote weight gain though. This hormone is called cortisol, and it tends to cause the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. Unlike adrenaline which is produced for only short periods of time, the adrenal glands can produce cortisol long-term. This means that any fat-burning effects from adrenaline will be overcome in the long-run by the fat-storing effects of cortisol. From a survival standpoint, cortisol serves the purpose of providing emergency storage of fat for energy when the body is under stress for a long period of time. For human cultures in which the primary source of stress is physical stress, this fat storage can help keep people alive during extended periods of living under harsh conditions. The problem is, mental/emotional stress will elevate cortisol levels too, and for individuals who lead particularly stressful lives, the continued high cortisol levels will likely stimulate lower belly fat deposition. Anything stressful to your body obviously like under-eating will cause these levels to rise and you will not get the results you want.
Cortisol not only stores fat in the lower abdomen, it also stimulates the breakdown of muscle and other tissue to use for immediate energy needs. So the more determined a person is to exercise away the fat, the more cortisol is produced, and as I said a moment ago, if you burn more calories than you take in, you will lose weight, only in this case the weight being lost is muscle and not fat!

The result is a downward spiral of fatigue, loss of muscle mass and strength, and sometimes the development of joint problems as the body eats it's own tissues for energy.

Other ways that increase cortisol:
Drinking too much caffeine (three cups a day or more)
Being sleep deprived (not enough sleep)
Stressed out/Depressed
Over-training (working out)

Ways to prevent this:
Eat a balanced nutritional diet (that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables. Low-glycemic index foods like eggs help lower cortisol levels in the blood while whole grain products help proteins control the production of cortisol in the body. Stay away from processed sugars and flours. Vitamin B5 and folic acid help lower cortisol levels. They can be found in foods like beans, fish, whole grains, peas, beans, sunflower seeds and fruits such melons and oranges. Also garlic or garlic pills help.)

Exercise on a daily basis to help with weight loss and weight management. Exercise also produces 'feel good' endorphins that are released in the brain and combat stress and anxiety, a natural way to decrease the production of excess cortisol.

Relax by yourself for at least 20 minutes a day. Meditate, read, listen to music, spend time playing with a pet, weeding the garden or praying. Adequate relaxation and downtime is necessary to alleviate and reduce stress, which also serves to regulate hormone production in the body.

Take herbs such as Golden Root or Holy Basil to help lower cortisol levels. Dong Quai and astralgus are also effective and can be found in your local natural health food or drug store.

Take vitamin and mineral supplements, especially Vitamin C and Garlic like I mentioned before, which naturally lowers cortisol levels. Folic acid controls the actions and functions of the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol.

Thank you! I will defiantly keep this in mind.

blanhe2

You need to eat those exercise calories or at lest half of them. And try and increase your protein intake, especially with lots of exercise.

Jess21684

sounds like your not eating enough especially if your only eating 1100 calories and NOT eating any or all your exercise calories back. The way this site is set up is for you to eat your exercise cals back so you net 1260 or whatever your number was and you will still lose that amount of weight your set to lose. I know not everybody eats back their cals and its different for everyone, I honestly usually dont eat mine back unless I get a crazy burn over 600 calories then maybe ill eat half of them back. I am set at 1560 I believe and at one lb loss a wk so i eat 1500 but dont really eat my extra cals burned thru exercise back but im netting 1100-1200 generally still. you wanna try to net at least 1200 so if you cant seem to make a habit of "eating back your calories burned" I would at least up your calorie intake goal then to like 1500 so your still eating a little more. Back when I first started, I was set at 1200 but I was eating back half of my exercise calories and I was dropping weight really well even with eating back half the calories so I would either up your set calories or try to eat back at least half of what you burn!

psuLemon

Almost all cereal is made from super overprocessed grain, even the ones that are "whole grain" They are as carby as pasta or white rice-or lots of other carby things. Try some boneless skinless chicxken breast and salad for lunch. Low fat dressing. If you must have carbs, eat a couple of multigrain crackers or better eve, add a portion of grain such as brown rice, quinoa, black, rice, millert, barley, etc. to your salad. I switch between the salad thingy and eggbeaters most days for "breakfast"-the eggbeateres are super processed too, but lots of protein for very few calories.

If you want cereal for breakfast, try old fashioned oatmeal, or steel cut oats. Takes a little longer to cook, but works in the microwave-my hubs does oatmeal with yogurt stirred in and a piece of fruit almost every morning. The oatmeal is the carbs and the yogurt is the protein. NOT full fat, full sugar yogurt. And the fruit is good for ya in moderation. Blueberries or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. All the berry things with bright colors are excellent.

Eat plenty of healthy good food ( a good bit more than you are eating now), keep up your exercise and give your body enough fuel to work with and you will gain muscle at the same time you are losing fat. Being toned in the muscles helps to burn calories better. And you need more variety to get proper nutrients.

I think I got that correct there.

I got a lot out of that! Thank you.

So should I do what I'm doing by eating healthy but eat a lot more calories? Like for example, with a light salad I add lean protein such as chicken? Or when I eat oatmeal eat a banana? Should I give up on omelets all together? In the cafeteria, the omelet bar allows us to get all sorts of vegetables. I get my daily vegetables this way without forcing myself to include spinach and other vegetables in everything I eat the rest of the day. What about eating soup? I heard soup was good for you as well or perhaps a sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and turkey?

If I ate about 1500 calories per day with an 1 hour exercise that burns 600 calories? Is that still too little?

Again, thank you everyone for your help. I'm truly grateful.

yes, you should be closer to 1900 calories. Calories are fuel, when you provide more fuel to your body, it has the ability to push harder during your workouts. Also what exercise are you doing?

wahmx3

Almost all cereal is made from super overprocessed grain, even the ones that are "whole grain" They are as carby as pasta or white rice-or lots of other carby things. Try some boneless skinless chicxken breast and salad for lunch. Low fat dressing. If you must have carbs, eat a couple of multigrain crackers or better eve, add a portion of grain such as brown rice, quinoa, black, rice, millert, barley, etc. to your salad. I switch between the salad thingy and eggbeaters most days for "breakfast"-the eggbeateres are super processed too, but lots of protein for very few calories.

If you want cereal for breakfast, try old fashioned oatmeal, or steel cut oats. Takes a little longer to cook, but works in the microwave-my hubs does oatmeal with yogurt stirred in and a piece of fruit almost every morning. The oatmeal is the carbs and the yogurt is the protein. NOT full fat, full sugar yogurt. And the fruit is good for ya in moderation. Blueberries or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. All the berry things with bright colors are excellent.

Eat plenty of healthy good food ( a good bit more than you are eating now), keep up your exercise and give your body enough fuel to work with and you will gain muscle at the same time you are losing fat. Being toned in the muscles helps to burn calories better. And you need more variety to get proper nutrients.

I think I got that correct there.

I got a lot out of that! Thank you.

So should I do what I'm doing by eating healthy but eat a lot more calories? Like for example, with a light salad I add lean protein such as chicken? Or when I eat oatmeal eat a banana? Should I give up on omelets all together? In the cafeteria, the omelet bar allows us to get all sorts of vegetables. I get my daily vegetables this way without forcing myself to include spinach and other vegetables in everything I eat the rest of the day. What about eating soup? I heard soup was good for you as well or perhaps a sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and turkey?

If I ate about 1500 calories per day with an 1 hour exercise that burns 600 calories? Is that still too little?

Again, thank you everyone for your help. I'm truly grateful.

Great advice from everyone so far and glad you are taking it all in and learning from the responses (I am not sure many people listen and learn). Nothing wrong with cereal once in awhile, oatmeal is definitely much better (steel cut oats even better). I have oatmeal 2-3 times a week, done in the microwave, sprinkle cinammon and add some fruit, very filling (yogurt would be good too except I haven't found a way to like any yogurt yet). Salads are great, add chicken, turkey, tuna cheese etc for protein, be careful of dressings though, too much fat, sugar and sodium in many of them. Omlettes are great, don't give them up but if having them for lunch, add a piece of toast (whole grain), fruit or something else as they are low in calories. Soup is great too, just not canned.... make it yourself so you know the sodium content, cream soups can be quite high in fat (unless you make it yourself and are careful of ingredients). Sandwiches are always good choices.... if you use whole grain bread and quality protein choices (not salami and pepperoni or cheese slices). 1500 calories is still too little, never eat below your BMR (one or two days won't hurt) and eat back your exercise calories. Your BMR is the bare minimum you need to survive if you were in a coma.... food fuels your heart, lungs, brain, muscles and every other body organ and function you do.

MinyMinnie

Almost all cereal is made from super overprocessed grain, even the ones that are "whole grain" They are as carby as pasta or white rice-or lots of other carby things. Try some boneless skinless chicxken breast and salad for lunch. Low fat dressing. If you must have carbs, eat a couple of multigrain crackers or better eve, add a portion of grain such as brown rice, quinoa, black, rice, millert, barley, etc. to your salad. I switch between the salad thingy and eggbeaters most days for "breakfast"-the eggbeateres are super processed too, but lots of protein for very few calories.

If you want cereal for breakfast, try old fashioned oatmeal, or steel cut oats. Takes a little longer to cook, but works in the microwave-my hubs does oatmeal with yogurt stirred in and a piece of fruit almost every morning. The oatmeal is the carbs and the yogurt is the protein. NOT full fat, full sugar yogurt. And the fruit is good for ya in moderation. Blueberries or strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. All the berry things with bright colors are excellent.

Eat plenty of healthy good food ( a good bit more than you are eating now), keep up your exercise and give your body enough fuel to work with and you will gain muscle at the same time you are losing fat. Being toned in the muscles helps to burn calories better. And you need more variety to get proper nutrients.

I think I got that correct there.

I got a lot out of that! Thank you.

So should I do what I'm doing by eating healthy but eat a lot more calories? Like for example, with a light salad I add lean protein such as chicken? Or when I eat oatmeal eat a banana? Should I give up on omelets all together? In the cafeteria, the omelet bar allows us to get all sorts of vegetables. I get my daily vegetables this way without forcing myself to include spinach and other vegetables in everything I eat the rest of the day. What about eating soup? I heard soup was good for you as well or perhaps a sandwich with tomatoes, cheese, and turkey?

If I ate about 1500 calories per day with an 1 hour exercise that burns 600 calories? Is that still too little?

Again, thank you everyone for your help. I'm truly grateful.

yes, you should be closer to 1900 calories. Calories are fuel, when you provide more fuel to your body, it has the ability to push harder during your workouts. Also what exercise are you doing?

I see! I just do the elliptical for an hour on with the intensity at 10. Which helps because it helps me work harder and work off a sweat.