I need to eat more but I am scared!

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trisha8283
trisha8283 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
For the past three months I have been dieting really hard. I have lost 30 lbs. But I can't say I have exactly done it the right way...I exercise three to four times a week and eat nothing but low fat low calorie foods. I usually stay between 800-1000 calories...it is too low. But psychologically I feel that if I eat more I am going to put the weight back on. I won't even have an occasional piece of pizza. What should I do...I can't force myself...I have tried and have no success. I have maintained my weight of 140 lbs for a while now which is healthy for my weight.

Please help me out!!

Replies

  • ♥seoid♥
    ♥seoid♥ Posts: 476
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    sweetie....you are not eating enough & you are putting your body into starvation mode. you will not lose anymore weight if you don't start eating more. you're just going to have to take baby steps and start adding a few more calories a day. you can do it.
  • sunshinestate
    sunshinestate Posts: 110 Member
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    I just read a great article about this in Women's Health magazine. The thing is, when you eat that little and lose weight, the second you go back to 1300 calories a day (or any other small increase), you WILL gain the weight back. Get your daily intake to what this site, or other reputable site, suggests and stay there. While losing weight is great, you don't want to whack out your metabolism so that you have to continue eating that way to maintain the loss. Look for the article in this month's edition of Women's Health.
  • jlewis2896
    jlewis2896 Posts: 763 Member
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    If you are aware that your problem with eating more is psychological, try eating 'trick' foods, that are healthy but have a lot of good calories. Veggies and dip that is not low-fat. Cheese. Nuts. These are all great superfoods that pack a lot of calories.

    And don't worry, I think a lot of people have this problem!! At least you are trying to adjust your thinking!!
  • kicklikeaGIRL
    kicklikeaGIRL Posts: 867 Member
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    Trisha- You will definitely need to up your calories... 800-1000 calories is not enough, let along when you are exercising a few times during the week. Your body needs the fuel. You may gain weight initially, but I would try adding maybe 50-100 calories more per week until you get to your goal. If you do gain weight you will have to just work harder and exercise more (keep eating your exercise cals or this will happen again) and go from there. A slow, steady weightloss is a good thing...and you will be able to keep it off longer. I know for me..I have exercised 5 days a week for as long as I can remember...... And I have been watching my calories since Sept 2009 and I have only lost 22 pounds since then. But, I am doing it the healthy way. I am eating my calories, exercising and doing everything correctly. You NEED to force yourself to eat more, otherwise this is going to be a really hard road to travel for you. And you CAN do this. Don't get discouraged if you gain a little weight at first, because if you keep eating healthy & exercising you will be able to get to where you want to be. Do your body good and do this the healthy way. Only you can make that decision for yourself.

    There are some articles that are "bookmarked" under General Diet & Weightloss help that will definitely help you understand why you need to eat your exercise calories.... Good luck!!
  • suejonestx
    suejonestx Posts: 256 Member
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    You could slightly adjust what you eat for several weeks, adding a few more calories to your daily count, and see what happens to your body. If you start to gain weight, then readjust. If you don't, then you will have given your mind proof that you can handle more calories. Don't forget that 1 pound equals 3500 calories, so a slice of pizza every now and then isn't going to kill you. It sounds like you KNOW you're not eating enough....
  • mojow
    mojow Posts: 1
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    Trisha - please don't forget that health is more important than waistline! Above all you need to be healthy. Eat good healthy wholesome foods that include natural fats - like nuts and nut butters. Eat whole grains like brown rice, not flour products - even if they're whole grain flour. Sweet potatoes are healthy - just don't put sugar or honey on them, and don't load them with butter - just the plain sweet potato with a little salt is delicious. Our bodies need fat - just make sure they're natural, healthy fats. So, I advise you to eat more calories - definitely - but just make sure they're healthy calories. Those 30 pounds lost (congratulations) won't help you if your body is starving for nutrition. Good luck!
  • akrepel85
    akrepel85 Posts: 9
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    Trisha - Don't forget that gaining weight doesn't mean that you are gaining fat. If you up your calories but include weights into your workout you will likely feel better even with more calories. The use of weights will help build and strengthen muscle, and muscle weighs 3x more than fat. Remember that the scale is just a number, and your body will tell you where it is happiest. Continue being strong and the best of luck on your goals.
  • kas1021
    kas1021 Posts: 92
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    youre not alone!
    ive been like this for a while! and now im hypoglycemic. my body used up all its stored glucose and i kept burning everything i ate. its not a good situation. its not common so dont worry :)
    i still havent gotten over the fear of over eating. and ive NEVER been one to over eat. I just used to make unhealthy food choices. Ive convinced myself that i'm never hungry (part of low blood sugar is loss of appetite). and yesterday I ate less than 50 cals and burned over 400. by the end of the day i was literally too tired to move. I fell asleep in my work clothes and i slept for a solid 14 hours. doesnt sound like anything you want for youself does it? maybe we need to start a support group. Im sure there are plenty of people on here that could benefit :)
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    You're actually (probably) going to lose MORE when you eat more. One must eat more to weigh less. It's about the QUALITY of the calories, not the quantity. Think of food like fuel. Are you gonna put the very best fuel in your beautiful new car, or the cheap crappy stuff that will burn your car out over time? I choose the good stuff!

    For what it's worth, I started dropping 3+ pounds a week when I upped my calories. You have nothing to fear... and if you put some back on it's okay, really! You can get it off again! You will probably gain a little at first until your body realizes that it's excess and okay to let go of, now that it's not being starved.
  • muth3rluvx2
    muth3rluvx2 Posts: 1,156 Member
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    For the past three months I have been dieting really hard. I have lost 30 lbs. But I can't say I have exactly done it the right way...I exercise three to four times a week and eat nothing but low fat low calorie foods. I usually stay between 800-1000 calories...it is too low. But psychologically I feel that if I eat more I am going to put the weight back on. I won't even have an occasional piece of pizza. What should I do...I can't force myself...I have tried and have no success. I have maintained my weight of 140 lbs for a while now which is healthy for my weight.

    Please help me out!!

    Tricia:

    I totally get it. In order to keep my psyche from flipping out over eating 1400 cals (and believe me, it does! Sent me into a depressive tailspin for a couple of weeks!!), what I've decided to do is not worry too much about how many cals I *consume* but rather how many cals I end my day with!!! Yesterday, I ended with around 950, I think... but I ATE over 1400! My daily goal has been to close my log with less than 1000 cals (burned-consumed). So, if I eat 2000 calories in a day.. so what? Just means I have to burn 1001 calories to put me at 999. So, I'm forcing my body to burn whatever it doesn't need in order to maintain and it's using the nutrients from my consumption to do it. I'm not starving myself, I'm not neglecting my dietary needs... I'm not going to burn off the zinc that was in my diet for the day! My body is going to use that stuff though to help me burn the fat, cholesterol and sugars off that my body ISN'T using and doesn't need!

    Best part - my mental will stay in tact. When I calculate the numbers straightforward adn I see I'm ending on a note of 800 - my brain is happy... but I've eaten alot more than that - so my body is happy too. Win win. :-) So, if your comfort number is 950.. go ahead.. eat those 1300 in cals.. just be sure you burn 350 of them. Oh, and as far as "eating my exercise calories" - I do... sometimes... I just burn them again... :-) Now, this may not work forever but it's what I'm using to get me over my pscychological slump, keep me from freaking out and get me going on my weight loss. I'm sure things will alter as I go - just no idea what that will look like yet.

    Good luck!
  • trisha8283
    trisha8283 Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for the input. I think that I am going to slowly add more calories every week and burn more. You sound like you know what you are talking about! I am not going to eat horrible just add some more nutritious foods to my diet. Hopefully my body will balance out what it needs too!
  • trisha8283
    trisha8283 Posts: 14 Member
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    Another thing is...I eat all day...I eat something small every two hours...whether it be a light string cheese rice cakes, or some veggies. The calories are just not adding up but I am full!!
  • artsyuno
    artsyuno Posts: 20 Member
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    Eating every couple of hours is good, but it sounds like you often eat under 100 calories at a time and that's not enough to keep your metabolism up. I think you'll find that you can do just as well on your diet by eating 200-300 calories every 2 or 3 hours. That'll also help you to increase your overall calorie consumption and to get the recommended number of fruit, veggie, etc. servings in that your body needs, nutritionally.
  • immacookie
    immacookie Posts: 7,424 Member
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    Try sneaking some extra cals in here and there... a small handful of walnuts on your salad, maybe sliced avocado on a turkey wrap... try greek yogurt, it is higher in cals but high in protein also... if you like milk, even adding a glass of milk each day would be a good step.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    Grazing throughout the day is fantabulous! However, you should try eating more calorie dense, high quality foods. :)
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    80 calories in 12 almonds. They're a good, healthy snack for you! Eat them plain, on a salad...however you want!

    I understand though. I've battled too many issues with food and my weight (when I didn't need to) and when I started here I set my calorie goal high to prove to myself that you can eat 1500 net calories a day, get fit and lose weight. You can do this! Body image issues are the bane of my existence :)

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