Calorie blues

Not quite what you think, I'm having problems GETTING TO 1200 calories a day. Then I work out and have no clue how to grab up the calories I burned off to have a proper deficit. I only way i know how is to eat junk (I.E. bread, etc.) which i know is wrong. I'm still pretty new to this and I'm just wondering if it truly matters where the calories come from as long as I meet my minimum to loose weight. I know I need to eat, but eat what? (peanuts are out of the question unfortunately; allergies) I work a lot so I'm still adapting.

I don't have much weight to loose but I know I need to learn proper, you know?

Replies

  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    What's wrong with bread? I eat a lot of bread, cereal, etc. Yogurt is another I love for calorie boosts.
  • awebs89
    awebs89 Posts: 53 Member
    Greek yogurt
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    What's wrong with bread? I eat a lot of bread, cereal, etc.

    I always thought too much bread would be bad for you? I know I got here by eatin lots of pasta and bread and so on. Like I said, if I'm wrong please provide some insight. :) I love bread too!
  • blondieellie
    blondieellie Posts: 46 Member
    Fruit, hummus and veg, almonds, dried fruit, boiled eggs, crackers, porridge, smoothies could be ideas.
  • emAZn
    emAZn Posts: 413 Member
    Eat bread and put peanut butter on it, if you have the calories left over by all means go for it!
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    Could grazing be an answer? Like just snack all day on healthy snacks to meet my goal?
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    What's wrong with bread? I eat a lot of bread, cereal, etc.

    I always thought too much bread would be bad for you? I know I got here by eatin lots of pasta and bread and so on. Like I said, if I'm wrong please provide some insight. :) I love bread too!

    You probably got to where you are by eating *too much* pasta, bread, etc. Portion control is the key. Eliminating entire food groups, unless you have a medical reason for it, is not necessary. I eat 2-3 servings of wheat bran cereal most days. Bread and pasta are also a very frequent part of my meals.
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    What's wrong with bread? I eat a lot of bread, cereal, etc.

    I always thought too much bread would be bad for you? I know I got here by eatin lots of pasta and bread and so on. Like I said, if I'm wrong please provide some insight. :) I love bread too!

    You got here by eating too many calories. Bread won't make you fat, as long as it's within your calorie limit for the day.
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    Eat bread and put peanut butter on it, if you have the calories left over by all means go for it!

    I'm allergic to peanuts :(
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    What's wrong with bread? I eat a lot of bread, cereal, etc.

    I always thought too much bread would be bad for you? I know I got here by eatin lots of pasta and bread and so on. Like I said, if I'm wrong please provide some insight. :) I love bread too!

    You got here by eating too many calories. Bread won't make you fat, as long as it's within your calorie limit for the day.

    So back to my original question, does it really matter much what I eat as long as I hit my necessary calories and do my exercise routine?
  • All nuts or just peanuts? (I ask bc peanuts are a legume, not a tree nut - we dont eat peanuts in my house either)
    So I had this problem for a little while bc I eat a higher fat and protein diet. Which if its all good fats, its usually not as high in calories, think coconut, nuts and avocados. But I just added an extra "snack" in, and made sure I Ate breakfast. If you have time, cook some eggs, bacon or sausage (I don't eat pork, so its turkey or beef bacon for me, which are still pretty lean). If you don't have time, grab a protein bar. Not one of the frou frou ones filled with junk, but one that has a decent amount of fiber along with protein. Quest bars are awesome, like 15 grams of fiber per bar, and the strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fudge ones are legit!! (And No peanuts :) yay!) Breakfast is seriously important. If it were me, I wouldn't carb out in order to meet your calorie intake, I'd make sure I'm eating breakfast and not doing low fat freezer meals. Oh and if you're doing weight training, drink a protein shake afterwards. Like literally put down the bar, mix your drink and drink. Helps your body switch and burn more fat then muscle. Plus it's calories :)
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    All nuts or just peanuts? (I ask bc peanuts are a legume, not a tree nut - we dont eat peanuts in my house either)
    So I had this problem for a little while bc I eat a higher fat and protein diet. Which if its all good fats, its usually not as high in calories, think coconut, nuts and avocados. But I just added an extra "snack" in, and made sure I Ate breakfast. If you have time, cook some eggs, bacon or sausage (I don't eat pork, so its turkey or beef bacon for me, which are still pretty lean). If you don't have time, grab a protein bar. Not one of the frou frou ones filled with junk, but one that has a decent amount of fiber along with protein. Quest bars are awesome, like 15 grams of fiber per bar, and the strawberry cheesecake and chocolate fudge ones are legit!! (And No peanuts :) yay!) Breakfast is seriously important. If it were me, I wouldn't carb out in order to meet your calorie intake, I'd make sure I'm eating breakfast and not doing low fat freezer meals. Oh and if you're doing weight training, drink a protein shake afterwards. Like literally put down the bar, mix your drink and drink. Helps your body switch and burn more fat then muscle. Plus it's calories :)

    Just peanuts. I love almonds and pecans and such. What kind of protein shake would you recommend? I drink total lean and the women's active shake when I have to have something on the go but if I could do something better, I'm more than happy to hear it :)
  • I personally drink jay robb strawberry or chocolate, or reserveage grass fed whey. My hubby does the isolyze chocolate. He likes it with milk, says it reminds him of a milkshake :) non of those have soy (hubby can't have peanuts, soy or corn... you can imagine how fun grocery shopping can be sometimes :P lol! ) I usually just mix mine with water or if its as a replacement for breakfast I'll use milk and blend it with ice too. My work out buddy has the low calorie problem. She was trying to hard to do low fat and low carb.. all processed foods.. if you have time, make it yourself!
  • dallasandrews1
    dallasandrews1 Posts: 22 Member
    I personally drink jay robb strawberry or chocolate, or reserveage grass fed whey. My hubby does the isolyze chocolate. He likes it with milk, says it reminds him of a milkshake :) non of those have soy (hubby can't have peanuts, soy or corn... you can imagine how fun grocery shopping can be sometimes :P lol! ) I usually just mix mine with water or if its as a replacement for breakfast I'll use milk and blend it with ice too. My work out buddy has the low calorie problem. She was trying to hard to do low fat and low carb.. all processed foods.. if you have time, make it yourself!

    Yeah Im not gunna lie, shopping can be a bear. My hubby is lactose intolerant so we're a pair haha! I'll definitely look into it. I'm trying really hard to not eat processed foods. I've pretty much been grabbing random things that I know are healthy and trying to go to town but it only gets me so far lol. My workout buddy is trying the "im gunna eat what I want except in smaller portions" diet. I don't know of I buy it, hence why I'm here lol. I just gotta learn to cook again I think. I'm from a Hispanic family sooo I don't really know how haha
  • not gonna lie, if I could successfully pull off "eat whatever I want, but in smaller portions" I probably would. Hahaha! Planning is probably your best bet. I know its a pain in the *kitten*, but if you meal plan, you'll find it much easier to execute. Plus, looking for recipes on the web could find you some awesome foods you might end up loving. For instance, I LOVE carbs. Bread, pasta, mac n cheese especially. But with trying to Get Healthy, I had to change that.. So I started googling for new ideas. Spaghetti squash instead of regular pasta is what I prefer now. And iceberg lettuce instead of a bun for a sammich or burger too. Also, cooking all your meals isn't realistic for everyone. Sometimes I just don't freaking feel like it, if I'm traveling for work, its a pain to try and shop for one to cook a meal in my hotel room if there is even a kitchenette.. Find places that make it easier for you to make the right choice. Chipotle, mooyah burger (love their turkey burger on iceberg, and their sweet potato fries are Uh-Mazing!!!) or fuddruckers, no bun.
    when my hubby first switched to a more primal lifestyle a few years ago, I was so busy with work, I didn't have time to come home and make him dinner. So he ate lots of scrambled eggs, omelettes and ground beef in the beginning, lol! I'm surprised he survived bc he's the type who burns soup, lol!