Calorie Intake

abigail100
abigail100 Posts: 8 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
i have a question... ever since i started MFP, i have been constantly under my calorie goal. It's not that I'm depriving myself of food, I just don't get hungry. I try to eat my 3 meals a day, and my snacks in bewteen, so I'm not usually hungry. I try to stick to my meals 300 calories or less, and have never gone over my daily calorie allowance for a day. Should I be eating more to fill the daily quota of 1200 calories in order to loose weight? This past week I ate the same, but did however work out harder, and instead of losing weight I gained 2 pounds. I'm so confused...any thoughts?

Replies

  • suziblues2000
    suziblues2000 Posts: 515 Member
    Yeah, eat more.
  • jmatecki
    jmatecki Posts: 32
    My thoughts are that your body is going into starvation mode. The calorie reccomendation of 1200 is something that you NEED to hit esp if you are working out hard. Remember if you are under that and then burn off more during exercise your body is NOT getting the nutrients and such. I would suggest you really push to get to that point. Also if your body things you are starving itself it will store EVERYTHING and that is how you gain the weight instead of losing....I have been there many a times. I hope this helps. =)
  • tonskee
    tonskee Posts: 12
    hey abigail! Everybody's body is different so try not to worry too much. I was at 213 when I first started using MFP 3 weeks ago. Since then I've lost 14 lbs and I now weigh 199. As much as possible I kept my calorie intake to 1500 and under. I ate lean meats, more vegetables and fruits and drank only water. I cut out all junk foods and fast foods and I use craisins, dannon low fat yogurt, and nuts as my snacks. No chips or cookies or anything like that. On top of that I was going to the gym 5-6 days a week and working out at least an hour per visit to burn the calories away. I did have a cheat day maybe once or twice a week but those meals made me feel guilty and I only hit the gym harder for my next workout. I'm not suggesting that you do this routine to lose weight but I hope this can help as a guideline to help you get where you need to be. GOOD LUCK! ~ anthony
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
    i dont think you are starving yourself. and im guessing you are gaining muscle instead of fat. soooo, that could be part of the reason. plus you should try to get to at least 1100-1200 calories. and maybe change up the times you eat your snack too. :) that would help. as for me is breakfast then lunch then mid snack and dinner and if im still hungry or need to add a bit more calories to make sure i get around 1200 calories then i do that. cause i dont want to be TOOOO Under my calories. and you should be eating some of your calories back for doing more exercise like intense.
  • dianaemanuel
    dianaemanuel Posts: 3
    Eat more!
    Also, make sure you add realistic calories to your tracking to account for exercise
    Do you eat right after a workout? You should. within 30 minutes after a workout - mixture of protein and carbs (my suggestion: scoup of protein powder, 1/2 banana, 1 cup skim milk in a blender). Your body needs fuel right after a workout.

    My weight loss has always been best on weeks when I exercise and hit my eating targets. Weeks I eat less I lose the first week but plateau or start to gain after that.

    Good luck!
  • arfletcher
    arfletcher Posts: 143
    It can be hard to make that magical 1200! I struggled with it ALOT at first. Eat healthy and stop when you are full - your body should get used to regular meals and the exercise that you are doing and will probably start to be hungry for all 1200 of those calories. Thats what happened to me! And now I eat healthy (most days:laugh: ) and have no problem meeting my goals! My body has actully started requesting more from me
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