Starving For Life, What Should I Do?

HumansAreFunny
HumansAreFunny Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Here's the story. I had an operation when I was young. I was not allowed to do any intense exercise until very recently and I can now be free as anyone else.

I grew up in a poor community. I ate an average of well under 1000 calories a day (500-800). I was fed junk food up until I was 14 years old. I weighed 230 lbs when I was 12. Yikes!

Well, here's my concern. Since I ate so little all those years, what will happen once I start eating a healthy dose of food? I do intend to do intense exercise and I do enjoy to do so. But I'm extremely worried about how much calories I am to consume under this situation. I feel full when I eat 1000 calories and anything over 2000 calories and I might throw up.

What do I do?

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I feel full when I eat 1000 calories and anything over 2000 calories and I might throw up.
    There's a long way between 1000 and 2000 - 5 steps of 200 calories a day for example.

    If it is the volume or quantity of food that causes a problem then look for something with a higher energy density - a teaspoon of sugar is about 16 calories and a teaspoon of olive oil is over 40 calories.

    So look for the "full fat" versions of things, not the lite / diet / lean / low fat version where fat is reduced and replaced with sugar, starch or water.

    Higher fat cuts of meat are actually cheaper than lean, so that's one way to get in the calories. Bacon and egg is a more satisfying breakfast than rice krispies and skimmed milk, etc etc.

    Snacking on nuts or cheese can also help - 10 almonds or a small piece of cheese won't fill you up but will give you a 80-100 calorie boost.
  • Weatherford102
    Weatherford102 Posts: 10
    I am a little puzzled at how you can eat so little calories on junk food. Fast food/junk food inherently has high caloric values from processed carbs to low quality meats. I would encourage you to do your calorie math again. Assuming your math is right, you must be eating super small amounts on a daily basis, because one McD's big mac meal is about 1000 cals. On top of that, you have gained weight to unhealthy levels on 1000 cals per day. I don't see how that is possible without chemical imbalances. 1000 cals per day is not sustainable or healthy and you have been on it for what sounds like years. You need to see a doctor and find out why a daily caloric deficit is causing you to gain weight. If you are in school still, you could start with a school nurse. If you have a family doctor, go see them now.

    If you are trying to up the calories without making yourself sick, do it by adding adding in 200 cals/day each week. I would take a calorie rich food like cashew nuts and measure out 200 cals worth and divide that into 3 servings. You will be surprised at how little it is. 75 cals worth of cashews shouldn't be so much that you feel overly full on top of any other meal you are eating. After a week of it, you should get used to it and you can add in something more robust, up to 400 extra cals per day and do that for a week. Keep doing this until you are up to a healthy amount. At your weight, you should be at over 2000 per day just to maintain your basal rate. If you pick whole, unprocessed foods, you should see a diet that is a more complete source of vitamins and nutrients. I don't know how your weight will respond. Please see a doctor.
  • HumansAreFunny
    HumansAreFunny Posts: 10
    I am a little puzzled at how you can eat so little calories on junk food. Fast food/junk food inherently has high caloric values from processed carbs to low quality meats. I would encourage you to do your calorie math again. Assuming your math is right, you must be eating super small amounts on a daily basis, because one McD's big mac meal is about 1000 cals. On top of that, you have gained weight to unhealthy levels on 1000 cals per day. I don't see how that is possible without chemical imbalances. 1000 cals per day is not sustainable or healthy and you have been on it for what sounds like years. You need to see a doctor and find out why a daily caloric deficit is causing you to gain weight. If you are in school still, you could start with a school nurse. If you have a family doctor, go see them now.

    If you are trying to up the calories without making yourself sick, do it by adding adding in 200 cals/day each week. I would take a calorie rich food like cashew nuts and measure out 200 cals worth and divide that into 3 servings. You will be surprised at how little it is. 75 cals worth of cashews shouldn't be so much that you feel overly full on top of any other meal you are eating. After a week of it, you should get used to it and you can add in something more robust, up to 400 extra cals per day and do that for a week. Keep doing this until you are up to a healthy amount. At your weight, you should be at over 2000 per day just to maintain your basal rate. If you pick whole, unprocessed foods, you should see a diet that is a more complete source of vitamins and nutrients. I don't know how your weight will respond. Please see a doctor.

    My parents were extremely poor. My father brought an income of $1200 a month. We had 6 people all together.

    Most of the food we ate was chicken, chorizo, eggs (with lots of oil) but even this was not everyday. I know it's not something in me because my parents were skinny when they were young and all of us became overweight eating what they fed us.

    I'm just trying to figure out what would be ideal.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
    What will likely happen when you initially increase your intake is that you might gain a little bit of weight, as your body readjusts to its new normal, i.e. a non-starvation situation. After that, you will in all likelihood lose weight at a good clip if you are eating at a calorie deficit.

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