Sincere question about calorie intake...

samanthapaineparadis
samanthapaineparadis Posts: 36
in Food and Nutrition
MFP says that I am not eating enough although I eat around 1200 per day. I'm 5'3" 181 lbs. I have a goal of 130 lbs. Please keep in mind that I am mostly bed-ridden due to surgery. I do try to get up in my wheelchair and do some Wii tennis for cardio, but it's still not a lot. I sincerely need to know from those who know, am I eating enough? I have struggled with eating disorders in the past and don't want to go down that road again, but I need to get this extra weight off. Ideas, tips, advice?

Replies

  • jmiltenberger
    jmiltenberger Posts: 35
    Slow and steady wins the race!

    Personally, I believe that 1200 is *too few calories*.

    It also matters what you "spend" your calories on.

    I can eat 1200 calories of chocolate covered raisins in the blink of an eye :)

    But I can also make 1200 calories of good and healthy choices throughout the day.

    Higher protein
    Lower carb (the body still needs some!)
    Higher fiber
    Lower sugar

    Try to find foods that match those parameters. Lean meats, chicken, and fish of course are excellent choices for protein. Veggies are wonderful for fiber and low carb.

    There are nutritional shakes out there as well that can help by replacing a meal or two, but still giving excellent nutrition with low calories. That's what I've been doing and it's worked well for me. Each person has a personal preference, though.
  • Molly_Maguire
    Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
    Given your height and current activity level, I would say that 1200/day is probably ok. Make sure you are eating clean foods, nothing processed, to make sure you are getting all the nutrition you can out of those calories. Don't waste them on junk food, processed food, or sugary drinks.

    Keep in mind that 1200 cals/day is not for everyone, and it may take a while to get used to.

    ETA: the poster above me has some excellent points. I second them.
  • Cat_296
    Cat_296 Posts: 40
    For some great advice check this out:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    You can then calculate what your BMR is (the number of calories that you need to keep you alive if you did absolutely nothing), your TDEE (even sitting up will add calories to your daily burn) and then you can find the number of calories that is a sensible place to start. Give it time, and good luck!!

    ETA: There are loads of BMR calculators out there, but this one is a reasonable place to start as it is very simple to use: http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html
  • samanthapaineparadis
    samanthapaineparadis Posts: 36
    Thank you! Great tips and help. I may have to bump it up a little. So far I've changed to fewer processed foods, and more veggies (which I've never been a fan of until now.) I'm also trying to drink more water/herbal tea and no caffeine and sugary drinks. My biggest weakness is my Whirley-Pop popcorn and gorp. Giving up the sweets wasn't too bad, but Christmas day will be hard (yum pie.)

    Again thank you.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    IMO 1600 calories and drop 100 calories when weight loss slows. Eat as much as possible to maintain your metabolism speed.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Maybe concentrate on getting MORE vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fibre, protein, antioxidants and less on the total calorie goal? This will help you recover quicker from your surgery so you can be more active, and there are plenty of naturally low to moderate calorie highly nutritious foods. The 'Smarter Science of Slim' podcasts are excellent, there is no calorie counting just eating surprisingly large amounts of water, fibre, protein and micronutrient rich foods.

    Personally I would focus on nine servings of non starchy vegetables and low sugar fruits in the full rainbow of colours (antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fibre), oily fish (minerals, protein, essential fatty acids), low fat dairy (minerals, protein), a little red meat, a little certain nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, ground flax for minerals, healthy fats and fibre). You can get all the nutrients in grains/ cereals elsewhere in your diet for fewer calories. Research has linked various nutrients with lower bodyfat, from antioxidants in berries and citrus to omega-3s in oily fish to calcium in dairy to the fatty acids in coconut.
  • marypatmccue
    marypatmccue Posts: 521 Member
    Every. day! I wish people would use the search function..... GEEZ...

    Hungry.jpg

    Ok... sorry... but seriously, the road map is a great group of peeps!

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