How many calories should I be eating?

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Replies

  • daisyeyes
    daisyeyes Posts: 144
    Just listen to your body! If you feel full and have enough energy, then of course you shouldn't up your calories. But if eating only 1000 calories makes you kind of weak then you could do what the others suggest and eat more calorie dense foods. Peanut butter is about 100 calories per TBSP. and will give you that energy boost!
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    To add the awesome links posted above:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    If you choose full fat dairy, nut butters, raw almonds/nuts, avocados, eggs, lean meats, olive oil/healthy fats, and protein powder...you should have zero issues hitting goal every day.
  • ALittleBitLess1
    ALittleBitLess1 Posts: 119 Member
    That's cool then, just keep a check on it, its far to easy to get carried away and too focused on one aspect of our lives for some of us.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    If you want to lose weight safely and not kill your metabolism(and lose a lot of lean muscle mass) you need to Calculate your BMR and eat at least that many calories daily.

    Your estimated BMR is: 1,338 calories/day.

    So please eat at least 1340 calories a day if you do not exercise.

    Eat 1340 calories a day + whatever you burn during exercise.

    This will give you the safest daily deficit to lose weight.

    It's so hard though as Im full at about 1000-1100!

    I suggest you stop buying "diet" foods like low fat or low carb. Eat full fat yogurts/milks/cheese and add avocado to soups, salads, and toast. Cooking with olive oil and eat a handful of nuts for snacks. If you did all of this in one day you would easily add 400 calories with very little "grams" of food to make you feel any fuller.

    If you eat rice or noodles, you can add an extra cup to each meal, that would be 100 calories easy without really being much more food.

    You beat me to it!

    Sage advice. :drinker:
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
    Yep, it sure is! :) Okay, first thing: no more low-fat or low-cal, or skim anything. If you don't like whole milk, try 2% or 1%, but add some more calories that way. Second thing: eat a fuller lunch - more protein, fewer carbs. Third thing: Double your protein intake. If that means you have to drink a protein milk shake, then so be it.

    You're eating very small amounts for each meal. I know it's hard since you feel so full, but if you could *finish* that bagel, instead of leaving 1/4 of it on the plate....or maybe use a cream cheese spread instead of just a small amount of butter.....

    Are you a vegetarian? If so, there are lots of ways to get protein with beans and soy products. If not, go get some chicken breasts and have a chicken sandwich!

    That's a good way to start, along with peanuts. That's how I started out - I started eating an extra ounce or two of peanuts each day. It gave me extra protein and the good fats, and they gave me a LOT more calories without filling me up. More protein, fewer carbs. Some carbs like veggies will actually fill you up faster, too, so that may be part of it as well.

    Ready? Set? Go! :wink:
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    Just listen to your body! If you feel full and have enough energy, then of course you shouldn't up your calories. But if eating only 1000 calories makes you kind of weak then you could do what the others suggest and eat more calorie dense foods. Peanut butter is about 100 calories per TBSP. and will give you that energy boost!

    I will try that thank you! I am perfectly fine at around 1000-1100 calories that's whats not making sense! I feel like I have more energy than when I was eating 2000+ calories of bad food!
  • ajbltn
    ajbltn Posts: 57
    I agree. Eat the whole food, full fat stuff. Avoid diet products (they're so full of crap anyways). The healthy fats will do your body and metsbolism good. :)
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    Yep, it sure is! :) Okay, first thing: no more low-fat or low-cal, or skim anything. If you don't like whole milk, try 2% or 1%, but add some more calories that way. Second thing: eat a fuller lunch - more protein, fewer carbs. Third thing: Double your protein intake. If that means you have to drink a protein milk shake, then so be it.

    You're eating very small amounts for each meal. I know it's hard since you feel so full, but if you could *finish* that bagel, instead of leaving 1/4 of it on the plate....or maybe use a cream cheese spread instead of just a small amount of butter.....

    Are you a vegetarian? If so, there are lots of ways to get protein with beans and soy products. If not, go get some chicken breasts and have a chicken sandwich!

    That's a good way to start, along with peanuts. That's how I started out - I started eating an extra ounce or two of peanuts each day. It gave me extra protein and the good fats, and they gave me a LOT more calories without filling me up. More protein, fewer carbs.

    Ready? Set? Go! :wink:

    Thank you so much for the advice! Yep I am a vegetarian so I will try and get more protein!
  • emmarosemc
    emmarosemc Posts: 5
    I think it's the tea thats making you feel full. Tea does that to me too. It's almost like a meal delayer and then I just forget to eat or don't feel hungry. Try only drinking 1 cup a day.
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    I think it's the tea thats making you feel full. Tea does that to me too. It's almost like a meal delayer and then I just forget to eat or don't feel hungry. Try only drinking 1 cup a day.
    Yeah I've been noticing that it is quite filling! Okay I will try thank you!
  • oscarsson
    oscarsson Posts: 32 Member
    Just listen to your body! If you feel full and have enough energy, then of course you shouldn't up your calories. But if eating only 1000 calories makes you kind of weak then you could do what the others suggest and eat more calorie dense foods. Peanut butter is about 100 calories per TBSP. and will give you that energy boost!

    I will try that thank you! I am perfectly fine at around 1000-1100 calories that's whats not making sense! I feel like I have more energy than when I was eating 2000+ calories of bad food!
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    !
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Just listen to your body! If you feel full and have enough energy, then of course you shouldn't up your calories.
    Really bad advice, sorry. It's very common for people who under-eat to not feel hunger, and it's very common for people who over-eat to feel hungry. "Listening to your body" doesn't tell you how much food you actually need.

    OP - you're already a healthy weight. Any further fat loss is going to happen slowly. If you're currently losing 2 lbs a week (or were) then I hate to tell you, but that's very unlikely to be 2 lbs of fat a week. Be eating so low, you are risking losing lean mass (eg. muscle, and bone density). Your body just cannot let go of fat as quickly as someone who is obese. If you lose muscle mass, apart from the fact that's it's very unhealthy, you will likely end up unhappier with how you look. At this point, you're better off focusing on body composition than the number on the scale.

    Hunger is a complicated thing, and not feeling hungry is not a good indication that you don't need more food. Drastically under-eating over time can screw up your hormones. If you can get more calories in, you'll probably find that your appetite returns. The easy way to do that is to aim for more calorie dense foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, cheese, eggs, oils, chocolate, peanut butter, protein shakes, full fat dairy etc. Stop eating anything labelled "diet" or "low fat".
    Does anyone think I should put my calorie goal up? Also I've seen a lot of people say that they don't eat back their exercise calories but I think I have to? This is so confusing!
    You've already been given a lot of good advice. Unfortunately you seem to be listening to the bits you want to hear. Set MFP to lose 0.5 lbs a week at the most, eat back at least most of your exercise calories. If you don't already, look into the option of strength training, which will make a much bigger difference to how your body looks than anything else.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Eating about 1000, net is about 500!

    No good. Eat at least your BMR as suggested above.

    Because you do not have a lot of weight to lose, you cannot drop to such low calorie levels without your body cannibalizing your muscle mass for energy. This is not a good thing, you want to preserve your muscles because they burn more calories, and because it is healthier long term to have good muscle mass.
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    Just listen to your body! If you feel full and have enough energy, then of course you shouldn't up your calories.
    Really bad advice, sorry. It's very common for people who under-eat to not feel hunger, and it's very common for people who over-eat to feel hungry. "Listening to your body" doesn't tell you how much food you actually need.

    OP - you're already a healthy weight. Any further fat loss is going to happen slowly. If you're currently losing 2 lbs a week (or were) then I hate to tell you, but that's very unlikely to be 2 lbs of fat a week. Be eating so low, you are risking losing lean mass (eg. muscle, and bone density). Your body just cannot let go of fat as quickly as someone who is obese. If you lose muscle mass, apart from the fact that's it's very unhealthy, you will likely end up unhappier with how you look. At this point, you're better off focusing on body composition than the number on the scale.

    Hunger is a complicated thing, and not feeling hungry is not a good indication that you don't need more food. Drastically under-eating over time can screw up your hormones. If you can get more calories in, you'll probably find that your appetite returns. The easy way to do that is to aim for more calorie dense foods like avocados, nuts, seeds, cheese, eggs, oils, chocolate, peanut butter, protein shakes, full fat dairy etc. Stop eating anything labelled "diet" or "low fat".
    Does anyone think I should put my calorie goal up? Also I've seen a lot of people say that they don't eat back their exercise calories but I think I have to? This is so confusing!
    You've already been given a lot of good advice. Unfortunately you seem to be listening to the bits you want to hear. Set MFP to lose 0.5 lbs a week at the most, eat back at least most of your exercise calories. If you don't already, look into the option of strength training, which will make a much bigger difference to how your body looks than anything else.

    Okay I ate around 1700 today and burned about 475! It was a bit harder in the morning but I didn't feel overly full. Thank you for all the advice!
  • RebeccaSarah16
    RebeccaSarah16 Posts: 59
    Eating about 1000, net is about 500!

    No good. Eat at least your BMR as suggested above.

    Because you do not have a lot of weight to lose, you cannot drop to such low calorie levels without your body cannibalizing your muscle mass for energy. This is not a good thing, you want to preserve your muscles because they burn more calories, and because it is healthier long term to have good muscle mass.

    Okay I've have upped my calories a lot today and I will continue to! Thank you for the advice!
  • ALittleBitLess1
    ALittleBitLess1 Posts: 119 Member
    Okay I ate around 1700 today and burned about 475! It was a bit harder in the morning but I didn't feel overly full. Thank you for all the advice!
    [/quote]


    Well done you, that sounds just about right with a bit of wriggle room either way!!

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