It's hard to eat enough ?_?

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maggy90
maggy90 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I'm Maggy. This is my first time posting. I'm 22, 5' 4" and 109 pounds.

For 7 years I was a vegan until I realized how weak I was (even while on vitamins), also I was diagnosed with epilepsy and migraines, nearly every day I got lightheaded, so I ended veganism (I was an extremely strict ethical vegan so that was hard as hell). But I did use myfitnesspal before I stopped and I realized I regularly ate less than 800 calories a day. Most days I ate only one meal with some snacks, I didn't even try to, I just wasn't hungry or had an appetite possibly due to medication. I never tried to have an eating disorder, I hope I didn't. I guess I always had a fear of gaining weight but I DID eat when I was hungry.

This summer I decided to put my health first at all costs so I quit veganism and was told I;m allergic to gluten. So I made my calorie limit 1300 for now and I'm joining martial arts where I will raise my calorie intake even more.
It's been a month and mostly every day I am under the calorie limit (under 1000) unless I stuff myself. It normally helps when I eat out, or have a lot of snacks, but that's not healthy. I am definitely trying my best to go over every day.
Did I damage my body by eating so little for so long? Or is it too early for my body to get used to this? (it's been about one month on 1300 calories)

Replies

  • maggy90
    maggy90 Posts: 3
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    Gee thanks ._.
  • Aventuria
    Aventuria Posts: 151
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    Can you make your diary public, so that people can see what you eat? :smile: That makes it easier to help...
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,554 Member
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    Hi Maggy, it sounds as though eating a bit more will help you get healthier especially if you are adding in more exercise.
    Try adding in some more calorie dense foods - things like avocados, olive oil, nuts, tahini, seeds, bananas, sweet potatos all give you good nutrition and a fair few calories without filling you up so much.
    If you eat dairy you could also look at cheese or yoghurt. And if you've taken up fish - salmon or other oily fish is full of good calories too.
  • LuxHappens
    LuxHappens Posts: 72 Member
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    Damage? Ehhh, not so much. But slow down your metabolism and put yourself at risk to become infertile? Yes.

    You have to start eating more!
    I know that sometimes it feels like you aren't hungry but you just have to eat. (I struggled with a similar issue.)


    Check out this post:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

    This should help!
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Try adding in some more calorie dense foods - things like avocados, olive oil, nuts, tahini, seeds, bananas, sweet potatos all give you good nutrition and a fair few calories without filling you up so much.
    If you eat dairy you could also look at cheese or yoghurt. And if you've taken up fish - salmon or other oily fish is full of good calories too.

    ^^^ All of these things.

    2 large salmon fillets & sweet potato with olive oil dressing
    Greek yoghurt mixed with 1 scoop protein powder for desert

    That's about 800-1000 good calories in 1 meal depending on serving size.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    Because I am carb sensitive, I set a goal for 60+% of calories to come from fat. More than half end up coming from animal fat.
    Back before the government created mass neurosis around fat intake, it was well understood and still true today, that fat in the food is not fat on you.
    There is actually more science that disagrees with what the government food fascists tell us to eat than agrees with it. It comes back down to trusting the feedback your body gives you.
    The vegan (cult) diet and vegetarianism are both very unhealthy for me. And from what everything I have ready that has been written by practitioners of veganism, it clearly impacts the ability of the brain to process information in a rational manner. :)
    Most vegetable protein sources are high starch. Not good if you are carb sensitive. Soy is also not healthy for children, teens or adults. Soy milk is great for natural estrogen replacement in some women.
    Besides, our bodies metabolize whey (milk) protein far more efficiently than soy.

    I don't trim fat off food. Full fat blue cheese dressing is very good and healthy.

    As for those who claim that animal fat is bad for the heart and will raise cholesterol, I call BS.
    Two things happened when I cut starchy vegetables and kept carbs to less than 100g a day while increasing fat intake in the form of whole eggs, chesse, sausage, pork, steak, etc. After 8 months, my cholesterol dropped 30% and is well below the max now. And I am no longer pre-diabetic.

    I don't eat any potatoes. But I do eat limited amounts of corn and carrots.
    For me, a nice ribeye steak with grean beans is far better for me than adding sweet potatoes to a lean mean.
    Being carb sensitive means my system turns carbs into fat rather than usable energy. But this is something you will probably never hear from anyone at NIH or any "establishment trained" nutritionist. However, many medical doctors are realizing this is true for a segment of the population.
  • maggy90
    maggy90 Posts: 3
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    Thanks, I made my diary public. I'll try all the things you suggested. Hopefully I'm not infertile O_O I definitely want kids. But yesterday and today I've been able to eat more, and was hungry again so I ate even more :D I went over my calorie limit without needing calorie dense junk food. Had ice cream today though, blah. So yeah I guess I did have to ease into the calories again. hurray.
  • ColoradoRobin
    ColoradoRobin Posts: 510 Member
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    Being flexible in what you eat is better in the long run. There are no forbidden foods! Just some high calorie foods you should eat in moderation, like ice cream. What you do 90% of the time will determine your results, not that last 10%. So don't worry about an occasional treat. If you think you can NEVER have a food you love again, you will crave it more. So eat a measured amount, enjoy it, and continue with your healthy diet.

    As for not eating enough, peanut butter, avocados, cheese, oily fish, olives, nuts, and whole grains are all quite calorie dense. They should have plenty of healthy calories without a lot of volume. Your appetite will probably increase as you start eating enough to support your metabolism.

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