Keeps telling me I'm not eating enough!!

RobinM1976
RobinM1976 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So I restarted this again after taking a couple of weeks off. I am down 40+ pounds and feel great. Started this again because I just wanted to make sure that I am eating right. Well every day I post my calories and it tells me that I am not eating enough. I watch what I eat and don't feel hungry. anyone else have this problem??

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    So I restarted this again after taking a couple of weeks off. I am down 40+ pounds and feel great. Started this again because I just wanted to make sure that I am eating right. Well every day I post my calories and it tells me that I am not eating enough. I watch what I eat and don't feel hungry. anyone else have this problem??

    Nope because I see food as fuel and I rather lose fat than fat and muscle. Also, I realize that if I don't fuel my body, your metabolism will adapt and become slower which makes it easier to gain weight back. Also, if you have trouble getting enough calories, than change what you eat. Add higher calorie foods; nuts, avocado, high calorie protein shake or protein bar, cook foods in EVOO or eat peanut butter out of the jar.
  • kperito
    kperito Posts: 4
    Yes, me too! I wouldn't have a problem reaching my calorie goal if I would break down and eat a "cookie". I'm trying to keep to a healthy eating plan, though, lol. I usually end up eating a piece of fruit instead.
  • RobinM1976
    RobinM1976 Posts: 6
    That is what I do too. I am afraid of eating the sweets again. Don't want to gain the weight back.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
    Like psulemon said above though, lots of healthy foods that can be high in calories and nutrients too! Definitely make sure you are fueling your body.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    When you go for long periods not eating enough then your body eventually 'adjusts' and compensates for the lack of energy it is being fed by instigating a metabolic slow down. The slower your metabolism is the longer it takes to lose weight. The more time you hit plateaus the more you try to exercise then eat less. If you are not feeling "hungry" in most cases of 'dieting' it is because your body has slowed your metabolism and not because you are actually eating enough.
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
    It only told me that once when I didn't eat back any of my quite extensive exercise calories for that day. It really didn't matter by the end of the week, however. Some days I eat under, some days I eat over. As long as it averages out to a reaonable deficit, it's all good.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    That is what I do too. I am afraid of eating the sweets again. Don't want to gain the weight back.

    Sweets didn't make you fat. Too many sweets made you fat.

    If you can't moderate your intake, that's fine. But you may want to start practicing for long term success.

    MFP sets a calorie goal for you and if you are eating very low calorie that won't be healthy. Like psulemon said, you can start to lose muscle.
  • ariellyn
    ariellyn Posts: 5 Member
    So I restarted this again after taking a couple of weeks off. I am down 40+ pounds and feel great. Started this again because I just wanted to make sure that I am eating right. Well every day I post my calories and it tells me that I am not eating enough. I watch what I eat and don't feel hungry. anyone else have this problem??

    I have this problem too. It tells me I am eating too little almost every day, but then congratulates me on my newsfeed for being "under my calorie goal." Isn't this a bit of a contradiction? I usually just ignore the warning message every day since I feel full and like I am getting enough to eat.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    You can eat more without it being a cookie. Nuts, full fat yogurts, avocado, cheese, peanut butter are all good for you and pack a calorie punch. Being healthy and fit doesn't mean starving yourself on lettuce and lean chicken.
  • moreORless50
    moreORless50 Posts: 261 Member
    my cals are set at 1250 if i eat 1201 its fine but if i eat 1199 it says i am not eating enough this seems to be because i at 1 cal under the 1200 so to be constantly told your not eating enough maybe its because your eating less than 1200 the lowest that u should go
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Don't take your lack of hunger as necessarily being a sign that your body doesn't need more food. It's not uncommon for people to lose their appetite when they consistently under-eat. As others have said, getting enough to eat doesn't mean you have to eat sweets (not that eating sweets will necessarily make you gain weight back). Just eat more calorie-dense, nutritious foods until your appetite returns. Nuts, seeds, nut butters, cheese, avocados, eggs, full fat dairy, healthy oils in cooking and salads etc. You can also drink your calories in the form of milk, nut milks, protein shakes and smoothies.
  • goofyblonde
    goofyblonde Posts: 47 Member
    my cals are set at 1250 if i eat 1201 its fine but if i eat 1199 it says i am not eating enough this seems to be because i at 1 cal under the 1200 so to be constantly told your not eating enough maybe its because your eating less than 1200 the lowest that u should go
    This.
    It will always give you that message if you eat below 1200 calories in any given day, since for most (if not all) women, 1200 is the absolute lowest you should go for your body to have enough calories to function properly.
  • Softrbreeze
    Softrbreeze Posts: 156 Member
    I wish! lol
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    my cals are set at 1250 if i eat 1201 its fine but if i eat 1199 it says i am not eating enough this seems to be because i at 1 cal under the 1200 so to be constantly told your not eating enough maybe its because your eating less than 1200 the lowest that u should go
    This.
    It will always give you that message if you eat below 1200 calories in any given day, since for most (if not all) women, 1200 is the absolute lowest you should go for your body to have enough calories to function properly.

    When mine was originally set to 1200 calories, there was so way I could do it AND I wasn't losing weight at all. As soon as I changed it to 1450, I started dropping the pounds and also didn't feel like I was starving myself every day. I now average about 1300 calories ate a day with anywhere from 250-400 calories burned.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    The program automatically decides that universally anything under 1200 is potentially going into "starvation mode".

    In general it is a bad idea to eat less than your BMR because that causes your metabolic rate to slow and you lose more muscle along with fat.

    You should really get your BMR checked and set your calorie goal from there.
  • jangyxox
    jangyxox Posts: 24
    It will tell you you are eating too little if you eat under 1200 calories.
    Most women need at least 1200 calories intake a day to function properly.
    Like MFP will tell you if you eat less than 1200 it is highly likely you are not getting enough nutrients either.

    One of the reasons you are not feeling hungry could be, like other have already suggested, that your body is used to the low calorie intake and possibly have gone in to starvation mode - body adapts very quickly. IF you constantly under-eat it will slow down your metabolism to adapt and it also means that once you start eating a little more it will store all your food in to fat (as it thinks you are going through famine).

    I understand you are worried about being tempted to eat sweets as a means to increase your calories... but there are plenty of healthy food that is high in calories.
    For example, avocado, nuts (e.g., 1 serving (30g) of pistachio nuts are 168 calories) full fat milk, full fat yoghurt, natural peanut butter (or any nut butters such as almond butter) and some fruits (e.g., grapes)

    well done on your weight loss so far and good luck! :-)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    It seems to be a popular number to get stuck on around here but there are very few people who should be eating 1200 calories. MFP does math, whatever you tell it then it spits out a number. It's up to you to add the common sense part to the equation.

    I'm 5'2", 115 lbs and 55 yrs old. My BMR is right around 1100 calories. You should eat at least 100 t0 200 calories over your BMR just to have any energy at all. Most people on here are trying to lose weight and have far higher BMR numbers than I do just based on my height and age alone.

    You need to think of your BMR as the floor, the absolute bottom number you need to be eating. Your TDEE is your ceiling, the number you never go higher than. Find a place in the middle and eat there for a month. See how it goes. You can't do it for a couple days and say it doesn't work. Your body needs time to adapt. Chronically undereating messes with all your systems and although you may lose weight you're losing muscle and depriving your organs of nutrients they need.

    Dieting isn't about who can eat the least or suffer then most. It has to be a lifestyle change and the first thing that has to change is getting your brain wrapped around the idea of being healthy not just thin.

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