Should I eat more calories?

Jchambers1130
Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Could anyone look through my dairy and see if my nutrition and amounts look good? Currently 5'11 195lbs I find myself struggling with fatigue around the 2pm time. I also eat dinner around 6-7pm and find myself starving just before bed at 9-10pm. I don't really get shaky, but I get where my lips will tremble and I know it's time to eat. I think I keep things pretty balanced and I also just started Insanity.

Anyone else experience the tremble in your lips or eye twitches when your hungry?

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Why are you eating so little? You aren't even hitting the MFP goals.
    As a male you definitely should be eating more than the 1200 calories you seem to be hovering around. Why not aim for MFP's goals?

    ETA - yikes, I just looked closer, on a lot of days you weren't even getting 1000.

    Are you logging everything?
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    You're 29 years old, 5'11" and 195 lbs and you do Insanity? According to the schedule I imagine...

    According to this site: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ - your estimated TDEE is at least 2900 calories daily (estimating at 3-5 hours a week moderate - once you bump up to the longer Insanity videos this will go up). You should be eating somewhere around 2300 calories daily.

    As a 5'7" woman of 37 years old I lost over 30 lbs eating an average of 2100 calories daily and I still managed to lose 5 lbs of lean mass in the process.

    When you eat very little, your body is shedding lean mass at a ridiculous rate. Eat at least 2000 calories daily and get like 170g protein each day. That's my advice fwiw.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    EAT MORE
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You never reach your calories goal and you're hungry... why are you surprised?
  • Jeanniekellar
    Jeanniekellar Posts: 10 Member
    Eat more protein and drink more water.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    EAT MORE
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    So I was just checking out your profile. Congrats on your weight loss to date!

    Having said that, this is your 3rd time losing over 50 lbs. The reason you're having a hard time keeping it off is that the process of low calorie dieting is ruining your ability to burn calories properly.

    Your BMR should be somewhere between 1800-1900 calories daily. That's the amount of energy your body needs to be alive but comatose... for your heart to beat and your brain to work and your digestive system to work and all the processes to take place that need to take place just to keep you alive. That's roughly how many calories you'd get in liquid form if you were in the hospital in a coma.

    Every single other thing you do in a day demands more energy. Not just your workouts, but everything: eating, walking, showering, cleaning up, driving, sitting at a computer... whatever. Everything.

    When you spend years eating more than you need your body will get good at burning as much as it can. If you're lifting weights and working hard you'll gain muscle too... if you're not, you'll gain additional fat. If you're just eating plain too much you'll gain both muscle and fat.

    When you only give your body 1000 calories to do what it needs 2000 to do, it figures out how to do it with what you give it. While it will tap into fat reserves, it will also shed muscle quickly since it is too "costly" to maintain (your body would rather maintain organ function if it has to choose), and slow down processes in your body (hair growth, nail growth, cellular regeneration etc.) to conserve energy for the most vital of functions.

    You, in essence, teach your body to function with less. Your body has learned to do everything you're demanding of it with just 1000 calories/day. Then, when you begin to eat more after you get to your goal weight - even if you only go back up to something, like, say 2000 calories daily (when before dieting you may have been maintaining on 3000 or more!) you're starting to store extra as fat while your body, once again, has to learn how to burn more.

    This is what is known as yo-yo dieting. Each time you lose weight on a VLCD (very low calorie diet) you are likely to gain it back... and more. Each time losing lean mass (which burns calories) and gaining fat mass.

    The key to successful weight loss is a reasonable deficit, lifting weights and eating plenty of protein. See my note above.
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    Only recently have I been getting hungry between meals. I have been slowly going higher as I manually changed my MFP up to 1550. Prior to this week I had never really felt hungry and had to set my phone alarm to go off to make myself eat. I will move MFP up to 1800 and see how I do and if the weight keeps moving. Right now I go by measurements.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    So I was just checking out your profile. Congrats on your weight loss to date!

    Having said that, this is your 3rd time losing over 50 lbs. The reason you're having a hard time keeping it off is that the process of low calorie dieting is ruining your ability to burn calories properly.

    Your BMR should be somewhere between 1800-1900 calories daily. That's the amount of energy your body needs to be alive but comatose... for your heart to beat and your brain to work and your digestive system to work and all the processes to take place that need to take place just to keep you alive. That's roughly how many calories you'd get in liquid form if you were in the hospital in a coma.

    Every single other thing you do in a day demands more energy. Not just your workouts, but everything: eating, walking, showering, cleaning up, driving, sitting at a computer... whatever. Everything.

    When you spend years eating more than you need your body will get good at burning as much as it can. If you're lifting weights and working hard you'll gain muscle too... if you're not, you'll gain additional fat. If you're just eating plain too much you'll gain both muscle and fat.

    When you only give your body 1000 calories to do what it needs 2000 to do, it figures out how to do it with what you give it. While it will tap into fat reserves, it will also shed muscle quickly since it is too "costly" to maintain (your body would rather maintain organ function if it has to choose), and slow down processes in your body (hair growth, nail growth, cellular regeneration etc.) to conserve energy for the most vital of functions.

    You, in essence, teach your body to function with less. Your body has learned to do everything you're demanding of it with just 1000 calories/day. Then, when you begin to eat more after you get to your goal weight - even if you only go back up to something, like, say 2000 calories daily (when before dieting you may have been maintaining on 3000 or more!) you're starting to store extra as fat while your body, once again, has to learn how to burn more.

    This is what is known as yo-yo dieting. Each time you lose weight on a VLCD (very low calorie diet) you are likely to gain it back... and more. Each time losing lean mass (which burns calories) and gaining fat mass.

    The key to successful weight loss is a reasonable deficit, lifting weights and eating plenty of protein. See my note above.

    Awesome explanation!
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Only recently have I been getting hungry between meals. I have been slowly going higher as I manually changed my MFP up to 1550. Prior to this week I had never really felt hungry and had to set my phone alarm to go off to make myself eat. I will move MFP up to 1800 and see how I do and if the weight keeps moving. Right now I go by measurements.

    By increasing calories you may see your weight loss stall... but it's possible you need to let your body heal from severe calorie restriction.

    If you click on "Groups" up above and then look for "Eat More to Weigh Less" you'll find a group of people who are in the process of increasing calories to more reasonable levels and what they're experiencing. Good reading...
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Only recently have I been getting hungry between meals. I have been slowly going higher as I manually changed my MFP up to 1550. Prior to this week I had never really felt hungry and had to set my phone alarm to go off to make myself eat. I will move MFP up to 1800 and see how I do and if the weight keeps moving. Right now I go by measurements.

    Hunger is not a reliable indicator. When you severely restrict calories you suppress appetite, which is why some people who suffer from anorexia don't experience hunger. You are severely restricting your calories.
    1800 is likely too low of a goal for you at your height, weight and activity level.

    Check out this topic
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/963088-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • Jchambers1130
    Jchambers1130 Posts: 173 Member
    Only recently have I been getting hungry between meals. I have been slowly going higher as I manually changed my MFP up to 1550. Prior to this week I had never really felt hungry and had to set my phone alarm to go off to make myself eat. I will move MFP up to 1800 and see how I do and if the weight keeps moving. Right now I go by measurements.

    By increasing calories you may see your weight loss stall... but it's possible you need to let your body heal from severe calorie restriction.

    If you click on "Groups" up above and then look for "Eat More to Weigh Less" you'll find a group of people who are in the process of increasing calories to more reasonable levels and what they're experiencing. Good reading...

    Thanks I will check it out!
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    Only recently have I been getting hungry between meals. I have been slowly going higher as I manually changed my MFP up to 1550. Prior to this week I had never really felt hungry and had to set my phone alarm to go off to make myself eat. I will move MFP up to 1800 and see how I do and if the weight keeps moving. Right now I go by measurements.

    As you lose weight, you'll find yourself needing more food. When you have a lot of weight to lose and you restrict your calorie intake, you feel okay because your body is taking the energy it needs from your fat-- that's what the fat is there for. As you lose fat, your body doesn't have that surplus anymore. If you're feeling weak, you need more fuel.
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
    Could anyone look through my dairy and see if my nutrition and amounts look good? Currently 5'11 195lbs I find myself struggling with fatigue around the 2pm time. I also eat dinner around 6-7pm and find myself starving just before bed at 9-10pm. I don't really get shaky, but I get where my lips will tremble and I know it's time to eat. I think I keep things pretty balanced and I also just started Insanity.

    Anyone else experience the tremble in your lips or eye twitches when your hungry?

    You know the answer to that :noway:

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