Nutritionist suggested 1300 cal leaves me feeling starved

A simple solution would be to enter your information into this site, and pick the .5 or 1 pound per week weight loss. That should give you more calories and you can still lose weight and not be hungry. This weight loss tool does work, if you work it.

Hope that helps and welcome to MFP

i spend over 2500 calories to maintain my weight every day and with a 1385 calorie diet every day that myfitnesspal suggests me, i sometimes do go hungry to bed. but surely there is an upside to that.

Pick the .5 or 1 lb/week weight loss option like I said above, instead of the 2 lb/week option. Much more manageable. If you are expending 2500+ cals a day, you could eat as much as 2000-2200 cals and still lose weight. Sounds like you picked the 2 lb. per week option and set yourself to sedentary. If you are set at 2 lbs/ week and sedentary you should definitely "eat exercise calories back" or change your lifestyle to moderately active and not sedentary. That is how this site is designed.

Also keep in mind that what you eat is also an important factor. Try substituting a meal or snack that is high in fats with one that is more nutritionally balanced. It's never easy losing weight no matter you're situation, age, or how much you want to lose. That's why it's great we have a place like this so we can all help each other out not matter what. Hang in there, it'll get easier.

Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.

Yes, I did let her know that I don't just sit at home eating potato chips, and that at given moments I am required to lift, push, and pull 100+ lbs, and that I work a few days in a nursing home so not only am I walking, and lifting, and bending...I'm also standing the majority of the time. She gave me a meal plan, that was high fiber almost 35 grams daily, but I let her know that due to my gastric issues my GI suggested a 10-20 gram fiber diet. She didn't have one that caters to different health problems. The other issue with the menu is that it doesn't give me a way to substitute foods that I don't tolerate well, or even like. So, I have been looking for something online where I can exclude the dairy, because of lactose intolerance and sub it for something, and just sub the cereal and bread because I just don't like the texture or taste and have not eaten that stuff since I was very young. I'm working on it though, and thanks for your support.

Sounds like it may be time for you to scrub the net and find foods that will fit your medical needs. It won't be easy, trust me, but doable. Start with what you actually like to eat and find subs if they don't meet what your nutritionist suggested. Having medical issues is a PITA. With all the work you do I bet you have quite a bit of muscle!

1300 net. So add in all the time you spend cleaning and working under your cardio. Those are all calories that you can eat back. If you burn 800 calories working and cleaning, then you are allowed 2100 calories.

Also keep in mind that what you eat is also an important factor. Try substituting a meal or snack that is high in fats with one that is more nutritionally balanced. It's never easy losing weight no matter you're situation, age, or how much you want to lose. That's why it's great we have a place like this so we can all help each other out not matter what. Hang in there, it'll get easier.

Yes what one eats is important, but promoting lowering fat is BAD advice, unless you meant canola, soy, trans fats. Our bodies NEED fat (far more than 30%) and fat promotes satiety. And yes, losing weight can be easy, speaking from experience (I said "easy" not "fast"). If anything should be lowered it would likely be sugars and processed grains-assuming the OP is following a "balanced" Standard American Diet.

OP: You definitely need to eat more since you are very active, and even if you weren't. Unfortunately most nutritionists are following the status quo of "calories in, calories out" and have very little understanding of metabolism. The body is far more complex than that and under-eating is detrimental to health. Even if you lose weight in the short term it would likely not be sustainable. Yo yoing is more damaging than just staying a bit over-weight.

Are you seeing a nutritionist for a medical need or because you wanted to get off on the right foot for a lifestyle change with eating? If it's the latter, then I recommend just looking for some great advice here and with your actual physician. If it's the former, then talk to your physician, because obviously you got a nutritionist that wasn't good for your specific medical eating needs.

MFP may put you at 1200 or 1300 calories, but you also eat back exercise calories. I'm guessing the nutritionist didn't take that into account (once again calling into question for me the validity of this particular provider you saw). Do be aware that MFP's calories burned calculator can drastically overestimate calories burned. What I do for items that I need MFP to calculate how much I burned is to keep it lower -- did I walk at a moderate pace for 20 minutes? Then I pick walking at a slow pace for 20 minutes to help compensate for the overestimation. If I walked at a slow place for 20 minutes, I might put down that I walked for 20 to account for it. Then I make a note using the 'edit/save note' feature with my exercise to put in what I did so I remember that.

If you are feeling starved, you're not going to be successful long-term typically. Being hungry isn't the end of the world, but weight loss can be a mental game too, and trust me, there are ways to beat it! Finding ways to substitute high calorie foods that aren't filling for foods with fewer calories and more 'fill factor' is critical. I like to leave a lot of my calories for dinner so I can bend and flex with what the family decides, even if it's pizza. So I have a packet of oatmeal for breakfast, which always fills me up, and I have lots of small snacks the rest of the work day of vegetables and fruits. Then for dinner, it's whatever. I still try to keep it healthier, because this is a major lifestyle overhaul for me, and I feel way better putting better fuel in my body then the typical fast food crap I used to. However, I still have that crap sometimes as long as it is within my calories.

Don't forget healthy fats. Your body does need them. Avocados, healthier oils, etc. Don't eschew fats because of the unhealthy popular health claims of 'low-cal/low-fat = only way to go." It's unsustainable and isn't balanced!

I found this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 very helpful. MFP put me at 1360 + eating my exercise calories back, then dropped me to 1200 + eating them back. I reset it manually to 1360 + eating my calories back, but I also went and did these steps in the post, and it was very helpful. My calculation came up to roughly 1700 per day and that was close to 1360+exercise calories. So now, I just do a blend of the 2 -- if I fall somewhere at or near them, I'm fine.

Oh, and in the beginning, you may feel like you have more hunger than you do because you're just mentally used to eating more and unhealthier. Find other ways to fill your gut and tell your brain to shut up. Water, tea, carrots, grapes, etc. Once your body has adjusted to the new you, if you're still feeling starving and you are still using their 1300 only, definitely look at at the very least eating exercise calories back.

Try checking out the recipes at hungrygirl.com - she has some that taste good and you can eat a bunch - this might help till your ready to control portion size better. God Bless You for the work you do as a CNA, it is difficult physically and emotionally!
Feel free to add me as a friend.

If you can spring for it you should check out fitbits. I have one and love that it measures calories burnt & syncs with MFP so you know exactly how much to eat It has really helped me!

I have learned a lot about me on this journey of weight loss and I can tell you what works for me might not necessarily work for you or your lifestyle. I went to a nutritionist and her #1 goal was to find a diet that worked for ME. I have a gluten allergy, was borderline diabetic and high blood pressure. She took all my likes, dislikes, lifestyle, and medical issues into consideration and WE came up with a healthy eating plan with an aggressive, but safe weight loss rate. I stuck with a 1200-1300 cal diet by choice. I could have used 1500 calories with a slower rate of loss. Yes I did fell a bit hungry and still do. To maintain I eat 1400-1500 cals and when I go over and put on a few pounds I go right back to 1200 cals and get it off. For me I also discovered that even when I ate sugary foods I still wanted more and was still "hungry" even if I ate 3000 calories of bad foods. I discovered that eating the right foods and counting calories keeps me knowing that I am not starving. I have an aggressive workout program now, but I didn't start out that way .I started a 15 mins walking on the treadmill. I now run 5-7 miles plus swim for an hour everyday and lift weights 3 days a week. The more weight I lost, the better I felt and wanted to exercise more. I also garden, do household chores, and maintain an active life.

Look at this gnarly woman @ 56 years old. You are an inspiration. I hope OP reads this post and takes note.

My bariatrician has me on 1300 calories a day, too...and it was very hard at first. (I also have to get fewer than 100 grams of carbs and 80-100 grams of protein.

What really helped me was ensuring that I got a little extra fat. So, I add a teaspoon of coconut oil to lots of things, snack on nuts or olives.

Also protein and fiber. And for bulk, you can't beat veggies. I squeeze half a lemon over my salad greens or spinach instead of salad dressing, and have this as a side to every meal. It's a great way to increase the quantity you consume without burning through your calorie allotment too fast.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Did you bring up your concerns to the nutritionist and did s/he give you a meal plan or say for how long to stick to 1300? I have had success with the settings on this site and really like it. But if you fully explained your situation to the nutritionist (whom I am assuming is a registered dietician) then I would personally try it out for a little while.

Yes, I did let her know that I don't just sit at home eating potato chips, and that at given moments I am required to lift, push, and pull 100+ lbs, and that I work a few days in a nursing home so not only am I walking, and lifting, and bending...I'm also standing the majority of the time. She gave me a meal plan, that was high fiber almost 35 grams daily, but I let her know that due to my gastric issues my GI suggested a 10-20 gram fiber diet. She didn't have one that caters to different health problems. The other issue with the menu is that it doesn't give me a way to substitute foods that I don't tolerate well, or even like. So, I have been looking for something online where I can exclude the dairy, because of lactose intolerance and sub it for something, and just sub the cereal and bread because I just don't like the texture or taste and have not eaten that stuff since I was very young. I'm working on it though, and thanks for your support.

Sounds like you need a new nutritionist who can deal with you personally and not just give you some textbook to follow. Also see http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 on this site for one approach to using MFP. You can also set your fiber macros to a custom setting if the preset has it too high. Best of luck!

I have to concur with those that are advising you to upgrade your food choices. Try drinking about 16 oz. of water about 20 - 30 minutes before you eat. I find that it helps fill me up. Good luck!

I am gonna have to agree with knittermom and ang108... I took a look at your diary and I am seeing a lot of fast food and pre-prepared foods on there. If there's one thing I've learned on my journey, it's that we have to teach ourselves to eat in a different manner. And part of that is learning what foods will satiate us better. I find that eating more *whole* foods (vegetables, lean meats, good fats, fruit, whole grains) is what helps us to feel satisfied. This did take me a while to figure out because I was raised not being forced to ever eat breakfast and often being allowed to eat just one giant meal a day -- most often being unhealthy Filipino foods and fast food. Eventually, your body will figure this out if you give yourself as much clean eating as possible. I'm NOT saying that EVERYTHING has to be organic and that you have to cut out fast food all together, but it definitely needs to be considered greatly. Nowadays, if I eat less nutritionally dense foods, my stomach starts talking to me in pain! No kidding at all, my birthday was this past weekend and I ate significantly less than stellar, and my body just about started cursing me out and I felt much more sluggish even if I was walking a lot and staying active. Anyway, just some food for thought! I do hope you consider these words . Good luck on your journey!