What am I missing in my diet?

Currently I am eating between 600-800 calories a day. I am well aware I should be eating closer to 1200 and my body feels it too as since I have cut back the calories all I want to do it sleep. I am desperately trying to lose the ten pounds I put on while partying a little too hard all summer. I am wondering what would be the best foods to add to my diet to get those extra calories and not hinder my weight loss. Here is a look at my usual diet:

Breakfast: 1 package of High Protein Quaker Oatmeal
Lunch: 1/4 cup egg whites with salsa, 2 slices fat free deli turkey
Dinner: Chicken breast with garden salad and fat free/low cal dressing
Snacks: Apple, 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (50 cals, 3 gm sugar, 1 gm fat)

I was eating cereal and peanut butter by the barrel full so I have cut these 2 things out. As well as bread. I was having smoothies with whey protein as a meal for a long time but found I wasn't losing anything and my diet has a fair amount of protein without the added whey.

...Any suggestions?! Thanks!

Replies

  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    Currently I am eating between 600-800 calories a day. I am well aware I should be eating closer to 1200 and my body feels it too as since I have cut back the calories all I want to do it sleep.

    ...Any suggestions?! Thanks!

    You have already answered your question. You are missing more food. Add an avocado, cheese, peanut butter (you don't have to eat it by the spoonful), whole milk, etc. It's not the foods that are hindering your loss, it's the amount.
  • whatjesseats
    whatjesseats Posts: 228 Member
    What are you missing? Fat! Your body needs dietary fat to run properly. Eat whole eggs. Make a salad dressing with olive oil. Get the full-fat Greek yogurt. Don't shy away from fat! It will boost your calories up to a more normal level and make you feel much better.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    Any calorie dense foods. It truly does not matter which specific foods. Just eat..
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    Eat the full eggs and eat peanut butter, cereal and bread!? Just measure it so it fits your day!
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    Currently I am eating between 600-800 calories a day.

    You're missing a good bit of food. There are stores in your community that sell this product.
    I am desperately trying to lose the ten pounds I put on while partying a little too hard all summer.
    Two desperate actions do not make a right. Eat properly and don't do anything extreme. Just level off your food to a sustainable amount of calories.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
    Any calorie dense foods. It truly does not matter which specific foods. Just eat..

    ^This.

    Also eat whole eggs first off and eat more of anything.

    You can still lose weight and not feel like utter crap.
  • suv_hater
    suv_hater Posts: 374 Member
    What makes 1200 calories this magical threshold for a woman? And 600-800 is just unimaginable.

    I've seen world champion bikini models eat more than that. Like this woman:

    a4eea1fe18e211e386b022000ae90285_7.jpg
    545b6c4af6d711e2979d22000aaa0925_7.jpg
    http://instagram.com/chadyd#

    She eats like a horse. Grinds at the gym. And is a world champ bikini competitor.

    I just don't see how starving yourself for a number on the scale makes you a healthier person in the long run.
  • I've already expressed that I realize I am not eating enough, hence why I am asking what types of food I should be adding. I don't understand sarcastic replies such as "food". Is this not supposed to be a support forum?
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    I've already expressed that I realize I am not eating enough, hence why I am asking what types of food I should be adding. I don't understand sarcastic replies such as "food". Is this not supposed to be a support forum?

    Don't be that person. You do need to eat food; eat foods that will help you to hit your macros. We can't see what those are - try making your diary public.
  • suv_hater
    suv_hater Posts: 374 Member
    I've already expressed that I realize I am not eating enough, hence why I am asking what types of food I should be adding. I don't understand sarcastic replies such as "food". Is this not supposed to be a support forum?
    You say you want to add "extra calories" but don't want to hinder weight loss.... I'm not sure what that means? I would suggest fruit smoothies but you already said smoothies didn't help you lose weight. Throw me a bone here lol.
  • What I am getting at here is when I start adding in these extra calories should I be focussing on adding more meat? Or should I consider adding milk, grains, nuts, etc? Is there one thing (other than the obvious, food) that I am really lacking?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,258 Member
    Food and fat.
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    What I am getting at here is when I start adding in these extra calories should I be focussing on adding more meat? Or should I consider adding milk, grains, nuts, etc? Is there one thing (other than the obvious, food) that I am really lacking?

    Again, we can't see your macros. What do you need more of? Are you hitting your protein, carbs and fats goals? Which are lacking? That's what we need to know to help you out.

    Edited to add: By looking at your meals earlier, I would add a glass of milk and banana to your breakfast. Avocado and another veggie/fruit to lunch and maybe some kind of starch to dinner. That's just me though.
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    Try putting a tablespoon (or 2) of natural peanut butter in your morning oatmeal. Use full fat salad dressing. Put chickpeas and sunflower seeds in your salad. Eat half an avocado as a snack. Saute your veggies in a tablespoon of olive oil and some garlic. When you have an apple, spread some peanut butter on it.

    Are you hungry? I would be dying...
  • soupandcookies
    soupandcookies Posts: 212 Member
    Oops - you don't want to use pb. Would you use almond butter or natural pb? Commercial pb has a lot of sugar, and can sometimes be a little tough to put down.
  • favreervaf
    favreervaf Posts: 54 Member
    Currently I am eating between 600-800 calories a day. I am well aware I should be eating closer to 1200...
    Breakfast: 1 package of High Protein Quaker Oatmeal
    Lunch: 1/4 cup egg whites with salsa, 2 slices fat free deli turkey
    Dinner: Chicken breast with garden salad and fat free/low cal dressing
    Snacks: Apple, 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (50 cals, 3 gm sugar, 1 gm fat)

    I'd up the calories a bit with more protein and do more exercise like weight training. Weight lifting will increase your basil metabolic rate and therefore increase the amount of calories you can burn (even while you sleep). When having eggs, eat the yolk too. It gets a bad rap for cholesterol but dietary cholesterol has little to do with blood serum cholesterol levels. Mostly it is genetic and sythesized in the liver. The yolks contain all the amino acids, and half the protein of the egg. Deli meat you mentioned has tons of sodium and is processed. Increase healthy fats as well, like olive oils and fish oil, it actually helps burn fat. Try to keep high glycemic foods like carbs and sugars (even if it is fruit) to the morning, and as the day goes on; less and less carbs and more protein. Up the calories a little and incease activity. Any other specific questions you can private message me, I have a degree in exercise physiology.