I'm having trouble sticking with my calories per day.
ivery28
Posts: 15 Member
I know everybody probably thinks that means I am eating "too much" but I am actually not eating enough (according to MFP) I am always under my calorie intake. No matter if I exercise that day or not. I eat consistently all day long such as greek yogurt, almonds, oatmeal, apples, chicken breasts, kale, fish, carrots... All day long I am popping food. Is this bad that I am only eating between 600-1200 calories a day? If I eat more I feel like I was a glutton. My main focus is making sure I get enough protein and fiber and stay low on my sugar, sodium and carbs intake. Help what do you think I should do? If I NEED to eat more what types of things should I eat?
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Replies
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Hold on.
Do you have a food scale? And open your diary.0 -
Yes, eating only 600-1200 calories is bad. Our bodies look for that energy from somewhere. When we don't feed it enough it breaks down our fat stores (this is good - we lose weight) but when we really don't feed it our bodies also break down our lean muscle mass. Not only will this slow down your metabolism after a prolonged underfeeding, but it can cause a host of other health problems.0
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Your body is probably in starvation mode. If you have days of only consuming 600 calories, you will NOT lose the weight you want to lose. I don't know your height and weight, but being that you are female and you workout, I would try to get above 1200 every day. I have read several articles stating no one should consume under 1200 calories. Your body will burn that much just sitting aroudn doing nothing (basal metabolism). Do you lift weights? Not that you need to be a bodybuilder, but putting on lean muscle is a great fat burner. Again, depending on your weight, 80g of protein should be sufficient. weightandwellness.com has some good recipes and ideas on what to eat for each meal. Most importantly, have a balanced meal. Make sure you are getting fats, carbs, and protein at the same time. That was a mistake I was making. I'd have oatmeal and an english muffin for breakfast....all carbs. Hope this helps!0
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i struggle to keep to 1200, i usually have between 1200-1500. the days i eat closer to 1500 are when i feel fitter, open your diary so we can give advice better but eating more nuts and fruit can help,0
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I agree with the others' comments --- it's not healthy or realistic to try and eat 600 calories a day. I try to stay around 1200 and even that's hard sometimes. I've upped my protein from what MFP suggested and that's helped but some days I'm still hungry so I eat.0
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add some healthy fat like some olive oil or avocado.0
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Okay so I hear what everyone is saying and I GET IT! My only problem is I dont feel satisfied when I eat more I feel full and gross. I guess it is just me. I dont "try" or "want" to eat less calories, it just feels better on my body to eat less. Again I eat all day long but I guess not enought when I do... Its fustrating because before I was eating TOO MUCH and now not enough. Ill have to add those "healthy" fats in. At the end of the day I am not hungry which is why I thought I was doing fine. Does any one have any other healthy fat options? Avocado is out of the question :-) Thank you0
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I do not have a food scale. I opened my diary to friends. Wanna become a friend? :-)0
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Try not to "fill up" on nothing but low calorie foods. Instead of eating "more" aim for something higher in calories.0
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It sounds like you have the same challenges as people who eat poorly their entire lives. Then, when they are trying to eat healthier on MFP, have trouble coming up with ideas for a balanced diet. However, 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)0 -
Okay so I hear what everyone is saying and I GET IT! My only problem is I dont feel satisfied when I eat more I feel full and gross. I guess it is just me. I dont "try" or "want" to eat less calories, it just feels better on my body to eat less. Again I eat all day long but I guess not enought when I do... Its fustrating because before I was eating TOO MUCH and now not enough. Ill have to add those "healthy" fats in. At the end of the day I am not hungry which is why I thought I was doing fine. Does any one have any other healthy fat options? Avocado is out of the question :-) Thank you
I'm not trying to be mean, but if you can eat so little, how did you become overweight in the first place?0 -
I know everybody probably thinks that means I am eating "too much" but I am actually not eating enough (according to MFP) I am always under my calorie intake. No matter if I exercise that day or not. I eat consistently all day long such as greek yogurt, almonds, oatmeal, apples, chicken breasts, kale, fish, carrots... All day long I am popping food. Is this bad that I am only eating between 600-1200 calories a day? If I eat more I feel like I was a glutton. My main focus is making sure I get enough protein and fiber and stay low on my sugar, sodium and carbs intake. Help what do you think I should do? If I NEED to eat more what types of things should I eat?
If you are eating all day long things like Greek Yogurt, almonts, Oatmeal, apples, Chicken, Fish Carrots then you are not recording your food properly. I do not see how you could be only taking 600-1200 calories with those foods, greek yogurt has roughly 140 calories, a serving of amonds can be up to 200 calories, oatmeal is going to be around 100-200 and apple is another 100 calories, depending on the size of the chicken breast you are looking from 120-400 calories fish is going to be another 100-300 calories depending on the fish. Someone suggested that you weigh and messure your food and I think that is a good suggestion most chicken breasts are not one serving they are 2 sometimes 3.0 -
you know your not eating enough so try for a day to eat a burger and fries eat extra sweet fruit , normal yogurt just one day so you can bust your metabolism and the next few days eat around 1000cals do that 3/4 times a month ......I know everybody probably thinks that means I am eating "too much" but I am actually not eating enough (according to MFP) I am always under my calorie intake. No matter if I exercise that day or not. I eat consistently all day long such as greek yogurt, almonds, oatmeal, apples, chicken breasts, kale, fish, carrots... All day long I am popping food. Is this bad that I am only eating between 600-1200 calories a day? If I eat more I feel like I was a glutton. My main focus is making sure I get enough protein and fiber and stay low on my sugar, sodium and carbs intake. Help what do you think I should do? If I NEED to eat more what types of things should I eat?0 -
I can definitely understand how you can be under your calories, I had the same problem as well at first. I have always been fairly thin because I don't eat a lot. However, when I gained quite a bit of weight last year, it wasn't because I was eating a lot more, but rather because I was eating foods that were more calorie-dense (e.g. my dinner may have only been a bagel, but it was slathered in butter, cream cheese and jam). So, when I started eating healthy by eating the same volume but just switching out all my crappy foods for fresh fruit and veggies, I found I was way under my calorie goals.
That being said, you said you seem to be constantly eating and the things you claim to be eating are all some of the higher-calorie healthy foods. I am therefore guessing you are either not correctly tracking your food (i.e. assuming you are eating smaller portions than you actually are) or not actually eating as often as you say you are. As someone else mentioned, if you are actually constantly eating full portions of the foods you say you are, there should be no way you are that far under your calorie goal. I would suggest what other have, which is to get a food scale. If you find that you actually are eating proper portions of these foods and are still significantly under your calorie goal, I would reevaluate whether or not you are really eating "all the time." I usually try to add in a higher-calorie snack at the end of the day if I find I'm low. Most people say peanut butter, but as I can't have it, I usually stick to some nuts or even some cookies.0 -
Avocado
Almond Butter
Nuts
I can add 1000 calories to my day by adding those 3 things as a snack or a supplement to a meal
(avocado on sammy, salad, etc.).0 -
whiskey
beer
wine
oh, and CHEESE! YUM!0 -
... If you don't own a food scale, then how are you accurately logging your food portions? You're most likely eating more than you think you are.I do not have a food scale. I opened my diary to friends. Wanna become a friend? :-)0 -
Thank you everybody! To answer a few questions, I became over weight after I had my boys. For the past few years I have been eating a little but when I did it I ate poorly, Mcd's for lunch nothing for breakfast and a bog dinner. Cake, candy the works. In the past month I have tried my hardest to eat better. I eat Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogart which is only 80 Cal, 12g Protein and 1g sugar. I also eat Oatmeal but the light kind so only a little over 100 calories from that. I eat carrots, and apples, Jello... I know it sounds crazy but I feel better eating this way. Im not hungry at night so I dont feel the need to eat. And for someone who has eaten like crap for so long that feels good. Thank you for your suggestions and I am definately going to start eating more!0
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f that, I ate 2 meals today one was 1967 cal and one was 1015 cals0
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Okay so I hear what everyone is saying and I GET IT! My only problem is I dont feel satisfied when I eat more I feel full and gross. I guess it is just me. I dont "try" or "want" to eat less calories, it just feels better on my body to eat less. Again I eat all day long but I guess not enought when I do... Its fustrating because before I was eating TOO MUCH and now not enough. Ill have to add those "healthy" fats in. At the end of the day I am not hungry which is why I thought I was doing fine. Does any one have any other healthy fat options? Avocado is out of the question :-) Thank you
How did you gain weight?? Probably by eating a lot more than you are now. Add more dense food, peanut butter, avocado, add olive oil to your cooking, etc.0 -
Thank you everybody! To answer a few questions, I became over weight after I had my boys. For the past few years I have been eating a little but when I did it I ate poorly, Mcd's for lunch nothing for breakfast and a bog dinner. Cake, candy the works. In the past month I have tried my hardest to eat better. I eat Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogart which is only 80 Cal, 12g Protein and 1g sugar. I also eat Oatmeal but the light kind so only a little over 100 calories from that. I eat carrots, and apples, Jello... I know it sounds crazy but I feel better eating this way. Im not hungry at night so I dont feel the need to eat. And for someone who has eaten like crap for so long that feels good. Thank you for your suggestions and I am definately going to start eating more!
Eating low calorie can be addictive. That is how anorexics end up anorexic(speaking as someone who was anorexic), if the predisposition is there. Be sure you are not walking from one fire into another, especially when you have children to consider. They need their mother to be healthy, no ? It is easy to get enough calories, without feeling overstuffed, and without eating unhealthy. A tbsp of peanut butter is 100 calories, for a start. A handful of almonds is about 160. A large egg can be as many as 100 and all three are nutritious foods. A chicken breast is around 200, depending on weight. Forget the low fat, rubbish yoghurts, often with added sugars and goodness knows what other rubbish. Those are actually worse for your weight. Go for plain, 2% of full fat Greek yoghurt and add in your own healthy fruits and seeds. Lots of nutrition there that you do not get in the light and fit.
You will destroy your metabolism and set yourself up for even more weight issues if you carry on messing around with your body like this.0 -
Thank you everybody! To answer a few questions, I became over weight after I had my boys. For the past few years I have been eating a little but when I did it I ate poorly, Mcd's for lunch nothing for breakfast and a bog dinner. Cake, candy the works. In the past month I have tried my hardest to eat better. I eat Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogart which is only 80 Cal, 12g Protein and 1g sugar. I also eat Oatmeal but the light kind so only a little over 100 calories from that. I eat carrots, and apples, Jello... I know it sounds crazy but I feel better eating this way. Im not hungry at night so I dont feel the need to eat. And for someone who has eaten like crap for so long that feels good. Thank you for your suggestions and I am definately going to start eating more!
You don't necessarily have to eat more just eat higher calorie stuff - Instead of having dannon light have the full caloried version same with oatmeal eat the full kind not the light kind - if your still under your calorie goal just add a spoon full of peanut butter here or there it will bring u up closer to 12000 -
Thank you everybody! To answer a few questions, I became over weight after I had my boys. For the past few years I have been eating a little but when I did it I ate poorly, Mcd's for lunch nothing for breakfast and a bog dinner. Cake, candy the works. In the past month I have tried my hardest to eat better. I eat Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogart which is only 80 Cal, 12g Protein and 1g sugar. I also eat Oatmeal but the light kind so only a little over 100 calories from that. I eat carrots, and apples, Jello... I know it sounds crazy but I feel better eating this way. Im not hungry at night so I dont feel the need to eat. And for someone who has eaten like crap for so long that feels good. Thank you for your suggestions and I am definately going to start eating more!
Nix anything with "lite" or "diet" in it's name; eat the full fat yoghurt & normal oatmeal & you're halfway there. Have a glass of milk as a snack, add chia to your yoghurt, put some real butter on a nice piece of grain toast; eat when you are hungry but when you do eat, make it count!
ETA: JERF - Just Eat REAL Food.0 -
Ok.. I started where you are. baby steps.. make your goal 100 - 200 more calories each week or two until you are where you want to be.. Nix all the fat free/ low fat items from your diet. eat a full serving of everything you eat. eat breakfast. i started by making a shake with yogurt and fruit in the mornings and now i eat all kinds of stuff for breakfast. Just don't lose your focus and keep reaching towards your goals. You will get there.
baby steps. Don't let these people make you feel like you are nuts. it's *hard* to eat when you don't feel hungry. You have to gradually increase your intake. switching to full fat foods is not only healthier it's also more ful-filling.0 -
I think drinking your extra calories would be an excellent idea this way you don't feel like your eating them
Milk is wonderful0 -
OP, a lot of us have been where you are. I started at 1200 (and promptly hit a plateau). I also had trouble eating all my calories. I listened to everyone on the forums, and started eating full-fat everything. Now, I'm actually throwing in some diet stuff because my calories are going TOO fast.
It's a balancing act, and it's one you will get better at the more you practice. I've never eaten regular cottage cheese...in my LIFE. I didn't even know what it would taste like...lol. But now, that's all I buy. Sometimes it just depends on my mood. If I'm really hungry one day, I stick to eating a lot of low calorie foods. The days I'm not hungry, I eat high calorie foods. Most days, I mix it up with a combo of the two.
Just keep working at it. It will get easier, and once it does....you will realize just how little 1200 calories really is.0 -
BUMP !!Your body is probably in starvation mode. If you have days of only consuming 600 calories, you will NOT lose the weight you want to lose. I don't know your height and weight, but being that you are female and you workout, I would try to get above 1200 every day. I have read several articles stating no one should consume under 1200 calories. Your body will burn that much just sitting aroudn doing nothing (basal metabolism). Do you lift weights? Not that you need to be a bodybuilder, but putting on lean muscle is a great fat burner. Again, depending on your weight, 80g of protein should be sufficient. weightandwellness.com has some good recipes and ideas on what to eat for each meal. Most importantly, have a balanced meal. Make sure you are getting fats, carbs, and protein at the same time. That was a mistake I was making. I'd have oatmeal and an english muffin for breakfast....all carbs. Hope this helps!0
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