not eating enough calories??

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eswartz0728
eswartz0728 Posts: 47
in Food and Nutrition
As you can see by my food diary it says I have 1,050 calories to go!! Only meal left of the day is supper which I will just eat my 190 calorie yogurt and granola. But Im not starving myself, I guess im just not hungry. Can anyone tell me the reason why you need to eat so many calories?
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  • crissyniko
    crissyniko Posts: 47 Member
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    you don't have your diary set to "public" so nobody can see it...go to your profile and you can change it.
  • eswartz0728
    eswartz0728 Posts: 47
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    Thank you!!! I think I fixed it :) I only have today posted as this is the first time I've used this site but I have been counting calories and this is a normal day for me.
  • LJSmith1989
    LJSmith1989 Posts: 650
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    Because you know you need to. Because your starving yourself. Because your vital organs can't function properly without proper nutrition and calories. Because you have a daughter. Because you need to set a good example.

    And so you have enough energy to be AWESOME!
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    How did you gain weight, if you ate so little?? Eat more dense food, like avocado, nuts, peanutbutter, they have a lot calories, but small portions.
  • eswartz0728
    eswartz0728 Posts: 47
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    I gained weight from having 2 kids. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer while pregnant with my youngest and was on bed rest. . . I went from 127 to 210 pounds as I was only on bedrest!!! Before I got pregnant with her I was diagnosed with graves disease so I lost a lot of weight. Know they believe my graves disease is coming back, It makes me really shaky and quite honestly I could go days without eating. I eat because I know I need to, I have to remind myself that I need to eat. I do like nuts and peanut butter. . . so maybe I will try snacking on these during the day.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    MFP isn't about trying to eat the fewest possible number of calories. It's about learning to eat at a healthy level for your body - not too much and not too little.

    So you do need to eat all of your base calories and at least half of your exercise calories. Here are some ideas for adding healthy calories:

    Chicken with the skin
    Steak
    Cheese
    Whole eggs (including deviled eggs, egg salad)
    Full fat dairy (including cottage cheese, yogurt)
    Fruit,
    Peanut butter or other nut butters
    Nuts
    Avocado
    Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, apples)
    Dark chocolate
    Salmon
    Add Chia seeds to salads or yogurt
    Olive oil
    Smoothies
    Granola/sports nutrition bars
    Whole grains or whole grain products (like brown rice, Quinoa, oatmeal)
  • crissyniko
    crissyniko Posts: 47 Member
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    you fixed it :) I don''t know how long you have been tracking your calories, but you did say today was the first day on this site. Maybe you are all gung-ho when first starting this process and that makes you under your goal. there are days I don't reach my goal either but never by 1000 calories, eat an avocado (they are yummy) and it is a good fat for you, maybe eat 2 chicken strips for lunch? I would strive to eat as close as possible (within 200 calories) or you might binge one day. Almonds, peanut butter, protein, fiber.....I have found when I eat these foods, it sticks with me longer.
  • bacitracin
    bacitracin Posts: 921 Member
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    Almond butter and celery sticks for the win.

    And, apparently, according to the 105 year old lady, BACON.
  • JezzD1
    JezzD1 Posts: 431
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    At first I thought this was a joke, but I see your serious.
    Ok so people on this site get really upset when people don't eat the allotted calories they think are needed to survive. i see that what works for one person won't always work for another.
    Since you have medical issues I suggest you talk to your doctor about what calories he thinks you need just so that your organs and brains can function. Then tell your doctor you want to lose weight and ask your doctor what your calorie intake should be. Tell your doctor you eat about 500 calories a day and then let your doctor tell you what is best keeping in mind your medical issues.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    If you're feeling too full, try changing the diet soda to a protein drink or just water. Eat a few handfuls of peanuts or almonds.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    As you can see by my food diary it says I have 1,050 calories to go!! Only meal left of the day is supper which I will just eat my 190 calorie yogurt and granola. But Im not starving myself, I guess im just not hungry. Can anyone tell me the reason why you need to eat so many calories?

    BMR = basal metabolic rate. These are the calories your body would need if you were in a COMA. Heart, lungs, nervous system, brain ... they all need calories everyday.

    When your body does not get enough calories .... it will take from fat stores .... this is a good thing. However, not everything needed can come from stored fat. Your body will tear apart existing muscle if it needs to build blood cells for example.

    Very low calorie diets result in lots of muscle loss. Losing lots of muscle does not help you in the battle to reduce your body fat%.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    10 French fries and 1 chicken strip for lunch? Under 500 calories total for the day?

    Eat 3-4 tb of peanut butter or EVOO. Add some fruits and vegetables in your diet. I bet even your kids eat more per day. Drink Ensure.
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
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    lol a Dr Pepper?!?! is 150 of the 498
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    As you can see by my food diary it says I have 1,050 calories to go!! Only meal left of the day is supper which I will just eat my 190 calorie yogurt and granola. But Im not starving myself, I guess im just not hungry. Can anyone tell me the reason why you need to eat so many calories?

    BMR = basal metabolic rate. These are the calories your body would need if you were in a COMA. Heart, lungs, nervous system, brain ... they all need calories everyday.

    When your body does not get enough calories .... it will take from fat stores .... this is a good thing. However, not everything needed can come from stored fat. Your body will tear apart existing muscle if it needs to build blood cells for example.

    Very low calorie diets result in lots of muscle loss. Losing lots of muscle does not help you in the battle to reduce your body fat%.

    This is a good explanation. And remember, not only does that muscle your body eats help drive your metabolism, but it also includes important parts of your body like the heart. You do not want to risk losing too much muscle on a very low calorie diet.
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
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    I agree since you do have medical issues that many people aren't familiar with, you would be best to talk to a registered dietician. I'm no expert, but I would say your calories for today are too low for anyone.

    To add calories to what you ate today, don't do low calorie yogurt. Go for the full fat. It tastes sooo much better :). Avoid low fat or fat free foods or any other "diet" foods. You are struggling to meet your calories so you don't need to cut them out by eating those things. The real deals are better tasting, so you win there, IMO.

    Do you like ranch dressing? You could add that to your chicken. Or a slice of cheese. Do you think you could eat two strips of chicken at lunch instead of one? You could add bacon to the chicken too, but that really doesn't have that much calories, so it won't raise your count by that much.



    What are you planning on for dinner? I can help you think of ways to add bulk without feeling like you have to eat more than you can consume.
  • eswartz0728
    eswartz0728 Posts: 47
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    10 French fries and 1 chicken strip for lunch? Under 500 calories total for the day?

    Eat 3-4 tb of peanut butter or EVOO. Add some fruits and vegetables in your diet. I bet even your kids eat more per day. Drink Ensure.

    you would be correct my children eat way more than I do, which I'm well aware is not a good thing, but my children also don't have the medical issues I do. I was simply trying to find out what the repercussions of not eating the normal amount was. I guess I'm just confused because my calorie intake has been the same for at least a year but I'm not under weight, I'm overweight. I'm just trying to figure out what deal is. I was given some kind of drink by my doctor to add calories, so I suppose that will help. But if I eat more than I already am I feel like I just took to many trips to the buffet :S
  • eswartz0728
    eswartz0728 Posts: 47
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    lol a Dr Pepper?!?! is 150 of the 498


    I'm glad to know that you think that's funny. . . I suppose I will keep my questions to myself.
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
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    At first I thought this was a joke, but I see your serious.
    Ok so people on this site get really upset when people don't eat the allotted calories they think are needed to survive. i see that what works for one person won't always work for another.
    Since you have medical issues I suggest you talk to your doctor about what calories he thinks you need just so that your organs and brains can function. Then tell your doctor you want to lose weight and ask your doctor what your calorie intake should be. Tell your doctor you eat about 500 calories a day and then let your doctor tell you what is best keeping in mind your medical issues.

    I agree about talking to a doctor or a nutritionist to figure out what you goal need to be. I don't have the same health issues you do but I have a hard time making myself eat enough on most days. I have to limit carbs and fat due to health issues plus I have a hard time eating when I don't feel well. Then when I don't eat enough I feel worse so it creates a cycle. I finally had to break the cycle when I realized it was work to just get out of bed in the morning much less function on a daily basis. I still struggle with eating enough but I force myself each day to eat at least 1200 calories. My dr. set my goal at 1600. Some days I have no problem hitting that and others it is a major struggle. Adding healthy fats like avocados and nuts are an easier way to get to the calorie goal that the doctor/nutritionist might set. Also, like one poster said, start by changing what you are eating to the full fat versions. Drink whole milk instead of a Dr. Pepper with lunch. Adding more water also makes me feel better. I have recently upped my water intake to 4-5 L per day due to having a medication that dehydrates me (The recommendations have changed a bit...you are supposed to at least drink 64 oz per day but in reality to be fully hydrated you need to drink at least 1 oz per 2lbs of body weight, more if you have medications/medical problems that dehydrate you). I feel much more hungry now that I did that, b/c my system is functioning much better.

    Good luck!
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    These are some foods to start. You should adjust the macronutrients so you can track the ones that would be most important for your needs.
    http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/graves-disease/how-eat-well-when-you-have-graves-disease
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    lol a Dr Pepper?!?! is 150 of the 498


    I'm glad to know that you think that's funny. . . I suppose I will keep my questions to myself.

    ..............and people here on MFP wonder why others have closed diaries ...... my diet is not perfect either.

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