problems with calorie intake

jharnes0831

I recently started with MFP. Initially I was encouraged by the quick loss of weight but after reading on the forums found that I was essentially starving myself. My 1 pound per week calorie intake daily is 2600 calories. I am having problems eating better foods and exercising and eating enough to stay over 2000 calories. I have not eaten this much this often ever.

Do I need to add some high calorie food to keep my intake up or should I exercise less?

Or do I just try to hit 2000 calories a day and not try to eat back my exercise calories?

I am in this for the long haul. I just wanna get healthier, lose some weight, and not sabotage myself.

Any information on this would be awesome!

Thanks.

michellekicks

It depends. What does your exercise routine look like?

You don't have to eat salads and fat-free/sugar-free/non-foods... eat normal food, full fat, high fiber, good protein. It shouldn't be too hard for a man to eat over 2000 calories. I eat about 2300 daily and I'm a 37 year old woman.

Have you seen this?
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

jharnes0831

I have just been walking 1 to 2 hours a day.. 3.5 to 4mph. It gives me an additional 900 calories to eat. I was going to give the walking thing a month or so before I start lifting weights.

michellekicks

I'd cut it back. It's not necessary to walk that long...45-60 minutes is great and gives you that routine... eventually you can change it up and use the time you would be walking to lift 3 days a week.

There's no point earning all those calories to eat if you can't eat them. MFP's calorie goals already include the caloric deficit needed to lose weight. I'd never suggest not exercising, but just using walking as a way to make daily exercise a habit is all you need. If you walk one hour a day, you'd be eating more like 2000/day to lose, right?

That's not hard to get to...

Then, when you know you're going out to a party or something and want to eat more, you can do a little extra cardio if it makes you feel better. But don't get stuck in the trap where you have to work out 2 hours a day to support your diet. It doesn't make sense.

jharnes0831

Thanks I appreciate the help.

Colossus882

I'm in the same situation as you. My net target calories is 2350, and I'm also walking about 7-10km a day meaning a lot of extra calories to eat. I find eating things like multigrain bread, peanut butter and cashews/nuts is a way to get a dense calorie load without having to eat a huge amount of extra food. Just watch the sodium intake when eating more. This is working for me so far. I am eating around 3000-3200 calories a day and netting 2300-400 a day after exercise and have lost 3kg (7lb) in 15 days.

Having said that, I work 4 weeks straight and then have 2 weeks off, so I have had plenty of time for that extra cardio. When back at work that will obviously change and the calories will reduce.

jharnes0831

Sounds like that will work perfect for me... a couple extra oz of nuts a day should keep me on track.