a bit confused, way under daily calorie count.

needsenergy
needsenergy Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hay everyone, I am pretty new and having some trouble:

I have worked out from this site that what I eat is not the problem but the drinks I do drink are.

I was having a min of 20+ coffee's a day, occasionally swap a coffee for a hot Milo at night.

I am still eating all the foods I was eating normally for my entire life and it's telling me I need more calories every day and yet I am stuffing my face all day long. I don't eat much meat (maybe twice a week) and I am a celiac so cakes, biscuits and bread that is worth eating is out for me. I live on eggs, vegies, fruit, beans, gluten free pasta, some gluten free bread (maybe 2 slices a week), salads and that's about it. When I cut out the coffee's and swap them for water I am only reaching maybe 700 calories a day which is about 1000 under what I am supposed to be eating. If your supposed to be eating back your calories you loose in exercise then i'm about 1500 under. =(

Today I have had a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, 1 capsicum (snack), 2 apples (snacks), huge plate of steamed veg, 2 scrambled eggs and pasta for dinner. including exercise calories i'm around 1300 under for the day or 800 odd for the daily count. Everything is under, fat, protein, carbs ect

Has anyone else had this trouble where it's the drinks and not the food?? and does anyone know if I will still loose weight if i'm so far under.

Replies

  • Pandy1962
    Pandy1962 Posts: 105 Member
    Try adding a small amount if your coffee back say 5-10 cups not the 20 you were on before.
  • MarcelineAbadeer
    MarcelineAbadeer Posts: 8 Member
    Hay everyone, I am pretty new and having some trouble:

    I have worked out from this site that what I eat is not the problem but the drinks I do drink are.

    I was having a min of 20+ coffee's a day, occasionally swap a coffee for a hot Milo at night.

    I am still eating all the foods I was eating normally for my entire life and it's telling me I need more calories every day and yet I am stuffing my face all day long. I don't eat much meat (maybe twice a week) and I am a celiac so cakes, biscuits and bread that is worth eating is out for me. I live on eggs, vegies, fruit, beans, gluten free pasta, some gluten free bread (maybe 2 slices a week), salads and that's about it. When I cut out the coffee's and swap them for water I am only reaching maybe 700 calories a day which is about 1000 under what I am supposed to be eating. If your supposed to be eating back your calories you loose in exercise then i'm about 1500 under. =(

    Today I have had a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, 1 capsicum (snack), 2 apples (snacks), huge plate of steamed veg, 2 scrambled eggs and pasta for dinner. including exercise calories i'm around 1300 under for the day or 800 odd for the daily count. Everything is under, fat, protein, carbs ect

    Has anyone else had this trouble where it's the drinks and not the food?? and does anyone know if I will still loose weight if i'm so far under.



    LOL don't worry about it, it just means that you'll reach your goal weight faster
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Perhaps one of the reasons you do not have energy is that you do not eat. Try nuts, dried fruit, chocolate.
  • Amlong1977
    Amlong1977 Posts: 125 Member
    You'll still lose weight, but will probably plateau. Then you'll need to up your calories. I have trouble getting all my calories in everyday also. I'd suggest protein shakes. I picked up some whey protein powder at Walmart & add milk, a frozen banana, & 2 ice cubes in a blender. Drinking 1 or 2 of those a day should help a lot. The one I drank yesterday was 300+ calories. If you don't eat meat very often then I'm sure you can use the protein anyway. How much weight do you want to lose? Your profile doesn't say.
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    lol Zyntx, I do eat loads but I don't like nuts and dried fruit, I don't enjoy eating chocolate unless i'm in a real mood to (maybe once every 4months or so) my lack of energy comes from another issue.

    Amlong1997: I had not thought of the protein shakes, thank you that may be a good answer. I will have to look into them and where I can get them here. I am wanting to loose 38kilo's as that would take me back to my pre- 3 kids weight but anything over 25kilo's I would be stoked with.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    It's true that when you cut out gluten you cut out a lot of calories. But there are other things you can and should eat that do have calories. Anything that forms the basis of some culture's diet has lots of calories.

    Beans, lentils, peas
    Milk, cheese, yoghurt
    figs, dates
    rice, couscous (you said you don't eat wheat or barley)

    One big glass of whole milk is almost 200 calories. It's not hard to add that to your daily food and cut out a cup of coffee.

    Also . . . are you measuring and weighing your food? It is really easy to under-estimate. For example, a grilled cheese sandwich with butter for the frying, 2 oz of cheese, and bread is not a light meal. Yummy, but not light.
  • pkaz
    pkaz Posts: 1
    I have found that weight will NOT come off if I under eat. I was told if you are not putting enough in your body it hordes everything. It wants to save the nutrients for the coming famine you are pacing yourself for, or some such nonsense. Thus the lack of energy. I do my best when I eat within 500 cal of my target. Def make sure you are measuring correctly and add some milk to replace your coffee. (I know, not the same but you need the calcium and I recently heard that some 2% , or even whole milk, is good for you)
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    Hay nxd10
    Yea I was having what I considered to be the fatty choices of my diet to see if I could get my calories up and it still didn't work. I measured the cheese but guessed the butter and they have the exact gluten free bread in their menu. I don't like a lot of stuff and hate dressings and sauces so everything is really plain. I had not thought of a glass of milk being so many calories I could certainly add some of that. =)
    Thank you
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    Thanks pkaz,
    I will add some milk and protein shakes to my day.
    I hope you have got your calories working for you. good luck!
  • kayre2
    kayre2 Posts: 5
    I definitely agree with adding nuts to your diet! They're a great source of healthy calories and also help add fibre and vitamins. I love pistachio nuts but always carry a small container of almonds with me just incase I get the munchies!
  • ClaireM8
    ClaireM8 Posts: 26
    Hey, my husband is coeliac and everything I cook is gluten-free - we'll have to recipe swap sometime.
    I often make pancakes (crepes) to use instead of wraps. They work brilliantly if you just add one extra egg to a regular crepe recipe...and they don't snap or crumble like shop-bought gluten-free wraps. Then you can just roll it up with chicken and salads inside to take as part of a lunch. I also sometimes layer them with mince and tomatoes to make a "lasagne"
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    Hey, my husband is coeliac and everything I cook is gluten-free - we'll have to recipe swap sometime.
    I often make pancakes (crepes) to use instead of wraps. They work brilliantly if you just add one extra egg to a regular crepe recipe...and they don't snap or crumble like shop-bought gluten-free wraps. Then you can just roll it up with chicken and salads inside to take as part of a lunch. I also sometimes layer them with mince and tomatoes to make a "lasagne"

    When I was working I used to take the pancakes, they worked really well filled with stuff. I had not thought about using them in a lasagne, I will have to try it. The gluten free lasagne sheets here are stiff and hard when you cook them.
    I am in love with a company's products called Passage foods. They make the most divine gluten free sauces that taste like food used to 20 odd yrs ago before I was diagnosed. They are so easy and my fussy 3 kids and (gluten free hating) partner all love and have seconds. They have Indian, Thai, Moroccan, Europium, Italian and many other dishes to try.

    Thanks for the idea x
  • ajy1976
    ajy1976 Posts: 8 Member
    One thing I've learned is that when you eat can matter too. After so many hours without food, your body slows metabolism going into starvation mode. Eating a meal within 1 hour of waking up is important to kick starting your metabolism.
  • RobKarmic
    RobKarmic Posts: 108 Member
    I am also a coffee addict

    I suggest you try switching to black coffee it's got almost no calories and with the caffeine you'll have more energy to exercise to build up an apatite try eating meat more often such as grilled chicken breasts usually people who have trouble eating enough when dieting aren't getting enough exercise and protein
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    Thank Ajy I am really trying to keep my snacks up between meals, today was the 1st time I have actually felt hungry and it was about half an hr after I finished my work out so I had a big lunch.. Still only 300 calories but it was big!

    Hi RobKarmic it's nice to meet another coffee addict!
    I have added some of my coffee in with the milk to get my calories up but leaving out the sugar. I was having 2 sugars to a cup which made it over 40tsb of sugar a day. I think that was my biggest problem from what I have come up with on this site. I kinda always new that was bad but I didn't know how bad till I seen it on the calorie list and then it was beyond awful to see =(

    good luck guys =)
  • uclown2002
    uclown2002 Posts: 79 Member
    One thing I've learned is that when you eat can matter too. After so many hours without food, your body slows metabolism going into starvation mode. Eating a meal within 1 hour of waking up is important to kick starting your metabolism.
    OMFG!!
  • larbot3000
    larbot3000 Posts: 12
    Hay everyone, I am pretty new and having some trouble:

    I have worked out from this site that what I eat is not the problem but the drinks I do drink are.

    I was having a min of 20+ coffee's a day, occasionally swap a coffee for a hot Milo at night.

    I am still eating all the foods I was eating normally for my entire life and it's telling me I need more calories every day and yet I am stuffing my face all day long. I don't eat much meat (maybe twice a week) and I am a celiac so cakes, biscuits and bread that is worth eating is out for me. I live on eggs, vegies, fruit, beans, gluten free pasta, some gluten free bread (maybe 2 slices a week), salads and that's about it. When I cut out the coffee's and swap them for water I am only reaching maybe 700 calories a day which is about 1000 under what I am supposed to be eating. If your supposed to be eating back your calories you loose in exercise then i'm about 1500 under. =(

    Today I have had a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, 1 capsicum (snack), 2 apples (snacks), huge plate of steamed veg, 2 scrambled eggs and pasta for dinner. including exercise calories i'm around 1300 under for the day or 800 odd for the daily count. Everything is under, fat, protein, carbs ect

    Has anyone else had this trouble where it's the drinks and not the food?? and does anyone know if I will still loose weight if i'm so far under.

    Just curious, how have you gone from 20 cups to no cups? I am struggling to give up coffee and fear that I will get caffeine withdrawal/headaches?
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    When I cut out the coffee's and swap them for water I am only reaching maybe 700 calories a day which is about 1000 under what I am supposed to be eating.

    you we're surviving on coffee for energy instead of eating properly. you need to eat more. increase your portion sizes and if you aren't eating breakfast (you missed it out on your "i ate today") you should start doing that.

    you need to eat more. don't listen to people who say "ohh its cool, you will lose weight faster" or "fill the black hole in your diet with black coffee" - you need to eat more to be healthy.

    you need to eat more. you need to eat more. you, need to eat, more. really. you need to eat more.

    larger portions. vegetables, fish, whatever. just more.

    ok?
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    hi larbot I have had massive migraines and shakes since cutting out the coffee but they are getting better with every day.
    i'm not enjoying it one little bit but trying hard to keep it up.


    nikilis: Yes I did miss breaky that day, I have insomnia and finally fell asleep at 7am then got up at 11 and made an early lunch. During the week or if my partner is off at work on weekends I have to get up at 7 no matter if I I have had 2hrs sleep or not. I eat loads and my bowels are full and so are my platefulls. Today I have had breaky: gluten free cereal, huge lunch: 2 eggs, chicken, 3x cups of steamed vegies ( I was starving after a work out), 3 fruit snacks, 1 after breaky and 2 after lunch before dinner at different times,1 x coffee, banana smoothy, and dinner is about to follow soon which is an egg and cheese burger (no meat) and a massive pile of vegies. I have not factored in dinner yet but I have 1951 remaining calories for today. I am trying to do this correctly and I can guarantee you I am not eating small amounts. I just don't eat much of anything that counts but I eat massive portions of things that don't due to health restrictions and tastes.
    Before it's brought up Coffee does not keep me awake and my insomnia is caused from PTSD. I do have loads of different sleeping pills but I don't like the way they make me feel.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    hi larbot I have had massive migraines and shakes since cutting out the coffee but they are getting better with every day.
    i'm not enjoying it one little bit but trying hard to keep it up.


    nikilis: Yes I did miss breaky that day, I have insomnia and finally fell asleep at 7am then got up at 11 and made an early lunch. During the week or if my partner is off at work on weekends I have to get up at 7 no matter if I I have had 2hrs sleep or not. I eat loads and my bowels are full and so are my platefulls. Today I have had breaky: gluten free cereal, huge lunch: 2 eggs, chicken, 3x cups of steamed vegies ( I was starving after a work out), 3 fruit snacks, 1 after breaky and 2 after lunch before dinner at different times,1 x coffee, banana smoothy, and dinner is about to follow soon which is an egg and cheese burger (no meat) and a massive pile of vegies. I have not factored in dinner yet but I have 1951 remaining calories for today. I am trying to do this correctly and I can guarantee you I am not eating small amounts. I just don't eat much of anything that counts but I eat massive portions of things that don't due to health restrictions and tastes.
    Before it's brought up Coffee does not keep me awake and my insomnia is caused from PTSD. I do have loads of different sleeping pills but I don't like the way they make me feel.

    might be best to open up your diary so its public and we can have a look. whats your calorie intake and what was your weightloss goal?
  • needsenergy
    needsenergy Posts: 19
    Nikilis: how do I open it up?
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    Nikilis: how do I open it up?

    go to the food tab and then go to settings, should be at the bottom.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    One thing I've learned is that when you eat can matter too. After so many hours without food, your body slows metabolism going into starvation mode. Eating a meal within 1 hour of waking up is important to kick starting your metabolism.

    This is crap. Starvation mode takes a lot longer than 8 hours to kick in. There is no kick start to your metabolism. Some people prefer to eat within an hour of waking up, some people don't. There are no benefits either way except psychological ones.
  • mommypennylane
    mommypennylane Posts: 67 Member
    You should eat every 3-5 hours.

    Awesome job on giving up coffee!!! Caffeine actually can increase your appetite.

    No matter what you figure out I hope your weight comes off. :) Good luck!!!
  • trink68
    trink68 Posts: 48 Member
    Bottom line is you have to eat.....for me it doesnt matter what it is,rather the quantity.I eat all day,small things usually.But it has worked well.Exercise of course.But not eating is not helping you.Being 1500 cals under sounds good.But your doing more damage than good.....One thing in life I will NOT give up is coffee....Im like you.Prob 20+ cups a day,and its staying that way!
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
    Hi there - some thoughts:

    I understand if you are at 20 cups a day of caffeine, it may not be an option, but I found that cutting out caffeine did wonders for me on all levels. Particularly if you have anxiety as I did/do, and it caused mood-related, reflux, fatigue and even binge-related issues for me (caffeine would make me less hungry for prolonged amounts of time, then I would become ravenous.) The first month was terribly hard as my body had become used to caffeine and processed foods, but I feel so much better now.

    If on top of your calorie targets, you make your goal getting all your nutrients, you may find your calorie count goes up and you feel better as well. Also you need fuel for exercise - all of these things require calories so your body has something to run on and burn. Make sure you are getting enough protein, fiber and drinking lots of water too. Protein really helps level out my blood sugar and the effects of caffeine.

    Granola(I am also amazed at how many calories it has), Avocado - those usually have a nice amount of calories.

    Good luck...
  • kjm3579
    kjm3579 Posts: 3,974 Member
    Check this out: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

    My wife has celiac and just being gluten free still didn't clear all of her symptoms so she is trying this....
  • m_shuman
    m_shuman Posts: 179
    You need to increase you calorie intake to increase your energy level. I would try adding nutrient dense foods into your diet like peanut butter, nuts (I know you said you don't like them but try different kinds until you find one you like), avacados, greek yogurt, fish, try roasting your veggies in olive oil, beans, lentils, quinoa, grits, dairy products and cheese. All of these are GF and packed with protein and calcium. I have a feeling if you are not eating alot of meat you are not getting enough protein in your diet. If you increase your protein you energy levels will increase too.
  • wimeezer
    wimeezer Posts: 404 Member
    Hi!

    Gradually replacing coffee with water should help; if you're like me coffee kills my appetite.


    I was vegetarian when I started then discovered I was celiac too. I started adding meat back into my diet to meet protein macro. I can't have any grains.

    Protein shakes are a good option, adding a natural nut butter or coconut oil will up the cals and provide good fats.

    I'm still usually a bit lite on calories, but I'm working on it :)


    Keep experimenting..you'll find a combo that works for you.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member

    Just curious, how have you gone from 20 cups to no cups? I am struggling to give up coffee and fear that I will get caffeine withdrawal/headaches?

    once you give up caffeine, you'll feel a lot better. i don't understand the notion that caffeine gives you energy. it doesn't. it's a drug... a stimulant. it affects your nervous system. you can get real energy for the day by eating nutritious food in the morning. that's the energy your body REALLY needs. caffeine gives you the illusion of energy for awhile, until you crash and need more.

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