Will this slow my weight loss

lovingmyjaybird · March 2010

Totals 994 116 29 58
Your Daily Goal 1,630 224 54 61
Remaining 636 108 25 3
Cal. Carbs. Fat. Pro.

So I put in my planned meals for the day and this is the results. I can never seem to get to my calorie goal BEFORE exercise, let alone after. This is

yogurt and cereal for breakfast

Grilled chicken wrap and yogurt for lunch

Tuna salad on crackers for dinner

I don't eat much more during the day, because of work.. Is is bad that I can't seem to make my calorie intake? Will it slow my weight loss...

AmyLynn4321 · March 2010

I'm no expert but i do seem to do better at weight loss when i eat more (but stay w/ in my goal) Try adding some veggies. I'm finding lots of fruits and veggies in little pre packaged containers. I may eat something similar to you but have some strawberries as a morning snack. And I eat two afternoon snacks. Usually carrots and celery and some fat free southwestern dip as 1 and then some Wheat thins toasted chips and a wedge of laughing cow light cheese as the second. Try to at least hit the 1200 mark every day.

robin52077 · March 2010

if you mean you are only taking in less than 1000 calories a day AND you are exercising. then yeah that's bad. You need to eat more or you will not lose weight. I know it sounds weird but you have to eat MORE to lose in your case. Get up to your recommended amount.
There is much debate over eating exercise calories so I won't say you HAVE to eat them (I eat most of them) but you REALLY have to eat more than you are.

indiankel · March 2010

I would try and get at least close to your calorie goal...even if it's 200 under. Throw in a couple snacks during the day like fruit which will give you energy or veggies. My day looks like this with a calorie goal of 1200
Breakfast...oatmeal, flaxseed, skim milk and blueverries (raspberries, blackberries etc in my oatmeal)
Snack...yogurt
Lunch...Turkey brat with peppers and onions
Snack...apple with piece of cheese
Dinner...lean meat and veggies
Snack...popcorn (100 calories per bag)
Even after all this I still only come in at about 900-1000 calories. I have also started taking vitamins and feel 10x's better! Your body is your car so to speak. You have to keep fuel in it or it won't keep going. Just make sure it is a healthy choice that you choose. But, I would add a little more into your diet.

kwardklinck · March 2010

If I ate like that I'd be a raving lunatic by the weekend and eat everything in sight. I don't see any fruits or vegetables in there. You could add a salad to your lunch with a low fat dressing. You could add an egg or some turkey bacon as well as a fruit to your breakfast. I would also replace the tuna and crackers with 4 ozs of meat and a vegetable and maybe a piece of toast. You really have to get at least 1200 and balance all your food groups to lose weight effectively. I can eat 1400 cals and lose if I try to eat all the food groups with my meals. It's about being healthy and getting your proper nutrition as you lose weight.

mromnek · March 2010

IMHO I would be concerned that if you are eating 700ish calories, and exercising for say 300-400 calories, you are only bringing in a few hundred calories. With your current weight, I don't worry about the most severe effects of starvation mode, but I do worry about your ability to keep it up without going into severe binges.

Don't think about this as a diet, but as a lifelong change in habits. Also, go back to the basics... i.e. the food pyramid. You need a balanced diet to avoid binges. Try to get more fruits and vegetables.

A few things you can do to add to your caloric intake would be add some cottage cheese, a baked potato, some rice. Low carb diets have begun to brainwash Americans to believe that carbs are bad. Not necessarily the case. I did low carb years ago, and have come to believe (IMHO) that low carb is a yo-yo diet.

realityhack · March 2010

Yes it will.
You will slow your metabolism as your body thinks it is starving. Then it will begin to cannibalize muscle instead of just fat. With less muscle your resting metabolic rate will drop.
Don't kill yourself getting to your exact goal, and you may be able to ignore calories added from excessive, but get close. Figure out which meal you have time to make something a bit bigger. You should be able to eat more than tuna crackers at dinner, but some people are most hungry at lunch. Figure out what works for you but stay feed.

stormieweather · March 2010

I'd increase all the meals, by adding veggies and lean protein to them. You can also have snacks that are low calorie. For example, a zip lock of baby carrots, or celery sticks, or some grapes or an apple. You'll feel a LOT better if you eat enough and be able to maintain it long-term if you are eating enough.

lovingmyjaybird · March 2010

Thanks everyone for your honest input. I did this post quickly before work yesterday, and didn't make it very detailed. For lunch, the chicken wrap was wrapped in lettuce, with tomato, onion, and skim motz cheese the tuna salad had onions, lettuce, and tomato.. and ended up adding a banana in as a snack at work. My biggest issue is I'm not hungry. If I was hungry, I would eat, I don't want to starve myself or be on a yo yo diet! I grew up with my entire family being over weight and my son's fathers family is overweight, and I want to break the cycle before it gets to my son. He's 2, and loves exercising with me,and I want to create a healthier lifestyle for us, and show him the importance of a healthy diet and exercise before he's old enough to make unhealthy choices for himself. I have only lost 0.4 lbs since my last weigh in.. Not good!

I take a prenatal vitamin everyday (no I'm not pregnant, my doctor said they are okay to take, because they will ensure I get all of my vitamin's). I drink 10-12 glasses of water a day. A friend of mine said I should lower that to 8-10 so I may get more hungry.

This is not neccessarily about the number on the scale and more about getting healthy and in shape to show my son that being healthy is important!

Totals 994 116 29 58
Your Daily Goal 1,630 224 54 61
Remaining 636 108 25 3
Cal. Carbs. Fat. Pro.

So I put in my planned meals for the day and this is the results. I can never seem to get to my calorie goal BEFORE exercise, let alone after. This is

yogurt and cereal for breakfast

Grilled chicken wrap and yogurt for lunch

Tuna salad on crackers for dinner

I don't eat much more during the day, because of work.. Is is bad that I can't seem to make my calorie intake? Will it slow my weight loss...

chgudnitz · March 2010

If you have a friend that said to drink less water, you need to NEVER listen to that friend again when it comes to nutrition. You need to eat more food than that. Congratulations on making the right choice to get healthy in order to break the cycle with your kid. I did it for a very similar reason. Kids need that positive role model.

Focus seriously on eating more. I work all day too but I pack a bag every morning with stuff to snack on during the day. Give it a shot. The reason you're not hungry is probably because your metabolism has slowed down to the point where it doesn't burn any more than it needs to.

Good luck with everything. :drinker:

lovingmyjaybird · March 2010

Thanks, I'm going to try that. Maybe if I have it on hand, I will eat.. So a banana, apple slices and rice cakes are going into my lunch bag .. Stuff I can eat at work, or while on the way home.. Also I've heard two sides to this argument..

I don't start work until 5, but I leave at 3:30 to get there..

I will eat lunch at 2:30-3:00 (I ate breakfast at 10) then I'll try to snack, but I won't get home until midnight..then to bed by one.. Should I not eat when I get home, and pack myself dinner for while at work. I work retail, so I usually try not to take a lunch break.. but then there's no time to eat.. Should I start taking a lunch break and eat dinner at work, instead of eating when I get home.. I've heard two sides to this, that it doesn't matter if you eat before bed, as long as you exercise enough, and I've heard not to eat before bed...

chgudnitz · March 2010

Thanks, I'm going to try that. Maybe if I have it on hand, I will eat.. So a banana, apple slices and rice cakes are going into my lunch bag .. Stuff I can eat at work, or while on the way home.. Also I've heard two sides to this argument..

I don't start work until 5, but I leave at 3:30 to get there..

I will eat lunch at 2:30-3:00 (I ate breakfast at 10) then I'll try to snack, but I won't get home until midnight..then to bed by one.. Should I not eat when I get home, and pack myself dinner for while at work. I work retail, so I usually try not to take a lunch break.. but then there's no time to eat.. Should I start taking a lunch break and eat dinner at work, instead of eating when I get home.. I've heard two sides to this, that it doesn't matter if you eat before bed, as long as you exercise enough, and I've heard not to eat before bed...

I've never stuck to the no eating before bed rule. Ever. I lost weight just fine. I think it's a total calorie thing and not a 'what time you eat those calories' thing. Going from 2:30 until midnight though without eating is probably not a good idea. It's a long time not to refuel. Think about your car, if you have enough gas in the tank to go 50 miles but you try to go 100, you won't make it, right? It's like that with your body except your body will break down lean muscle to give you the extra fuel while at the same time slow down your metabolism to try and protect you from having to burn the lean muscle again the next day.

Try to take the lunch break and get some food into you during the evening. My bet would be you will see a pretty dramatic change in your energy level too at work.

lovingmyjaybird · March 2010

Thanks again.. that makes since. I'm going to attempt to do just that

KajunDC · March 2010

Well, I think everyone has covered how bad your calorie deficit diet is for your health and metabolism.

I would recommend adding a few protein shakes throughout the day to bring your numbers up - very easy and portable and many are quite healthy for you.

nikbrown · March 2010

I keep a bag of true north pecan almond peanut clusters at work (http://www.truenorthsnacks.com/#/pecan-almond). I grab a pear or apple on the way out the door and eat 1 serving (5 clusters) once I get to work. Those 5 clusters have 170cal in them

julieruby17 · March 2010

As many other people have already said, focus on adding protein and veggies to your diet. When I made this change, I actually reduced my carbs without realizing it. I didn't cut them out totally, just reduced them. For me, adding more protein was the key. I was never a breakfast eater, so I added a plain rice cake, with a teaspoon of peanut butter on it (Quite tasty I might add!) as my breakfast. Gives me a little protein, and gets my metabolism started in the morning.

Congratulations on making a life change in your eating and exercise habits. It's not easy, but a necessity if we want to stay healthy!

aippolito1 · March 2010

I definitely think you should eat more. AT LEAST get to 1200.

lovingmyjaybird · March 2010

Thanks everyone.. This is so far today, but I've already added in my work snacks which I obviously haven't eaten yet.. getting ready to head there now.. This is also with my 30 cardio minutes added in.. So.. I'm getting there.. I was going to have a salad for dinner, but I'm going to make it a grilled chicken salad, with a light dressing and an apple on the side..

Totals 1,083 152 26 50
Your Daily Goal 1,879 258 62 70
Remaining 796 106 36 20
Calories Carbs Fat Protein

Will this slow my weight loss

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