Under My Daily Calories

JaclynDawn

Here's my pickle:

Everyday I am under my calorie goal by at least 200 calories, and every day I get a nice little message telling me my body may go into starvation mode. However, each meal I eat is a healthy, filling meal and I feel like if I eat anymore than I have been eating I am going to make myself sick? I have also been losing weight steadily since I have joined MFP. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. Would anyone like to offer some advice, please? It would be greatly appreciated.

ron2282

Everyone's body is different, but I NEVER eat all my calories. I'm not hungry enough and I will not force myself to eat. I eat 3 meals and also snack pretty much all day but I still can't hit my calorie goal, and I am still steadily losing weight. I've started to focus more one what my body is telling me than what my MFP calorie goal does. I'm usually about 100 - 200 under my calorie goal before exercise.

beachcomber12

I .would listen to my body!!!! If you are satisfied and the weight is dropping and you are not starving yourself, I say keep on doin what you are doin. It's probably just an auto mated response any way. Good job!!!

arewethereyet

Hi. I see your picture and it looks like you have very little to lose, but your ticker looks like you have 104 pounds to go.

This is important because the calories alloted each day are tied to those numbers.

If you are 18 yrs old, your metabolism is good and strong.........you need a bit more to fuel your body. If you are trying to lose 10 pounds, it will take a bit longer to do so.

Now that being said-it takes different numbers for each person so the MFP is a guideline for us.

If you are losing 1 lb a week on your current diet, and eating healthy.............salads, veggies, fruits, low fat high protein meats...then you should be fine.

The problem is, the less you weigh, the less you can eat to lose that pound. So if you are at 1000 calories and losing 1lb a wk, you WILL stop losing at some point real soon.

Add exercise to reduce the caloric intake each day........again don't go crazy, but your young and healthy!!

JaclynDawn

Hi. I see your picture and it looks like you have very little to lose, but your ticker looks like you have 104 pounds to go.

This is important because the calories alloted each day are tied to those numbers.

If you are 18 yrs old, your metabolism is good and strong.........you need a bit more to fuel your body. If you are trying to lose 10 pounds, it will take a bit longer to do so.

Now that being said-it takes different numbers for each person so the MFP is a guideline for us.

If you are losing 1 lb a week on your current diet, and eating healthy.............salads, veggies, fruits, low fat high protein meats...then you should be fine.

The problem is, the less you weigh, the less you can eat to lose that pound. So if you are at 1000 calories and losing 1lb a wk, you WILL stop losing at some point real soon.

Add exercise to reduce the caloric intake each day........again don't go crazy, but your young and healthy!!

Well right now I'm at 214 (I started at 222), and my goal weight is about one hundred pounds less, so I'm not sure if I'm suppose to be eating more or less calories than your typical, average weight teenager.

arewethereyet

You carry your weight well and you are a beautiful young woman!

May I see your food diary? If not that is fine........in my opinion, and that is all it is, you can eat 1200-1400 cals a day of HEALTHY foods and be safe. The issue will come when you get down 50 pounds and have no where to go.

I will use my experience for an example. I started out 168 on MFP. I put in 2 pounds a week and was given 1200 calories a day to lose 2 pds a week. Ok-great. Because of my age my metabolism was much slower so even with exercise each day and 1200 cals, I lost about 1 lb a week.

The big problems started when I lost 20 pounds or so.......could NOT lose another pound. Turns out I was not eating enough. I know this sounds nutz, but the body needs food for energy. You can only drive a car for so long on fumes before it sputters and stops dead. This is what happened to my body.

So, I had to increase my calories to maint. 1800 or so, a little at a time, then drop back down to 1400 PLUS exercise calories to LOSE weight! Amazing I know, but it is a true story.

So what would I like you to take from all of this? Think of this as a lifelong plan. Something you will be able to do tomorrow, next month, next year...........If you take in 1500 calories a day, burn 300..........you are going to lose weight.

Again, this is just my experience and opinion on the subject.

I am proud of you for taking charge and making a difference in your health. Do it now and at 48 you wont be on a bunch of meds to chemically produce what your body can do on its own, in a health state!!

:flowerforyou:

arewethereyet

Oh, and this was the basic rule of thumb I learned at about your age when it comes to weight. Again, basic-very basic.

it takes 15 calories per pound to maintain your weight.

214 x 15 =3210 to remain at your weight.

if you reduce by 1000 cals a day x 7 days = 7000 calories a week, or 2 pounds.

Now to make my point here are my numbers

135 x 15 = 2025 to maintain my weight.

For me to lose weight I need to work out each day, eat about 1400 calories and then I lose about 1/2 pound a week (in theory, when I do what I am supposed to do it works!!)

I hope this helps you with the basic concepts.