Too Few Calories??

Options
faberlleplasty
faberlleplasty Posts: 1
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hello, I'm new to using myfitnesspal to track what I eat. I have recently decided that I want to lose weight and get lean and mean. In the past I put myself on a strict diet (balancing protiens, carbs and fats and eating 5-6 times a day) and workout plan which worked but I was miserable. Also, there was no thingking to it. I had A days and B days and did exactly what it said. Since then I have put back on about 25-30 lbs, mainly from not exercising. I did still however keep a somewhat healthy diet. I always eat plain oatmeal with peanut butter for breakfats and a piece of fruit, and always have a salad with chicken or tuna for lunch. Dinners are usually where I cheated a lot. After my recent vacation I decided I needed to get back to managing my diet. I cut out all alcohol and fried foods since the beginning of the month and and last week I got back into a workout routine. On Monday I decided to set real goals on what I'm eating by using myfitnesspal. (Which is where this post comes into play)...

I seem to be taking in too few calories and seem to be going over on things like fats and sugars. My workout routine will consist of either circut training, running, or various afterburn cardio exercises. Some days I'm doing less but always do at least 10-15 min of cardio (for instance, yesterday all I did was a round of M100s).

If you look at my diet for the last 3 days (keep in mind that for the rest of today I've put in what I'm going to eat for dinner and snacks), is there anything that sticks out? Is it okay? Can I be supplementing anything? Please give me some feedback. Thanks!!

Replies

  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    First of all welcome!

    Secondly you need to be honest with yourself. You do not put back on 25 to 30 pounds from not exercising. You put the weight back on because you were overeating. Own this.

    Don't worry about fat grams. This is not the 80's where everyone went fat gram crazy and fat free ice cream was the craze. It's all about calories.

    You can go under your calories but not by too much.

    Your log looks good but you just started. Also, you are barely going under in calories. I always try to go under by a couple hundred calories because this is not an exact science.

    You are doing fine, I don't see any red flags.
  • athenalove46
    athenalove46 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    IMHO, you need to eat more. Go fill out this calculator and figure out your BMR (basal metabolic rate...aka what you burn when you're in a coma) and TDEE. Then, if you want to take your TDEE and subtract 15% and that is how much you should be eating. You should ALWAYS be eating above your BMR!!!

    Secondly, I would change up your macro % and increase protein (recommended is about 1 gram per kg of lean muscle mass). Fat is essential (think coconut oil, REAL butter, eggs, avocado) and will actually aid you in your weight loss journey. I would suggest keeping your carbs to around 150-200 grams a day for now. Increase protein and fat and overall calories based on TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    According to that calculator, with me at 313 pounds, if I lost 6 pounds per month it would be VERY DANGEROUS for me to do so. Yeah right.
  • verbatima
    verbatima Posts: 7
    Options
    Using the BMR as the yardstick hasn't worked for me. Results vary widely, and by some formulas, my BMR is just 900 calories and change -- way below the recommended 1200-per-day calorie minimum. And honestly, if I were to reduce that 900 by 15% to figure out my daily calorie "ceiling", I just couldn't live on that. Mind you, I'm still in the overweight range. So on the one hand, BMR tells me that to reach my normal BMI, I need to go way below 1200 calories per day, on the other hand, I am told that I shouldn't under any circumstances go below 1200 calories per day. Frankly, I lost patience with all that.

    So here is my method: I work out 7 days a week, and I make sure that I burn at least as many calories as I take in.
  • Deborah100660
    Deborah100660 Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    I find it more accurate to measure body fat. It is not expensive to order a body fat caliper on the internet. BMR doesn't reflect body fat. Ideally, you want to gain lean muscle and lose body fat. I also find that I need at least one hour (60 minutes of cardio) daily. I have a treadmill at home and watch TV while I walk. If I am tired, I decrease the intensity by lowering the incline and slowing the mph. I went to the internet and found out what my aerobic pulse rate should be for my age. I exercise in the lower end of my rate so I can go for longer. Try increasing ;your exercise time. Be sure to exercise at a rate that puts you in the correct zone for a cardio workout, but is not too strenuous.

    Deborah
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Options
    Using the BMR as the yardstick hasn't worked for me. Results vary widely, and by some formulas, my BMR is just 900 calories and change -- way below the recommended 1200-per-day calorie minimum. And honestly, if I were to reduce that 900 by 15% to figure out my daily calorie "ceiling", I just couldn't live on that. Mind you, I'm still in the overweight range. So on the one hand, BMR tells me that to reach my normal BMI, I need to go way below 1200 calories per day, on the other hand, I am told that I shouldn't under any circumstances go below 1200 calories per day. Frankly, I lost patience with all that.

    So here is my method: I work out 7 days a week, and I make sure that I burn at least as many calories as I take in.

    I think you're confused about BMR and TDEE. You would take a 15% cut from your TDEE, which includes the calories you burn through workouts, your day job, etc, not your BMR. BMR is the number most people who use this method would recommend not going under.
  • athenalove46
    athenalove46 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    Using the BMR as the yardstick hasn't worked for me. Results vary widely, and by some formulas, my BMR is just 900 calories and change -- way below the recommended 1200-per-day calorie minimum. And honestly, if I were to reduce that 900 by 15% to figure out my daily calorie "ceiling", I just couldn't live on that. Mind you, I'm still in the overweight range. So on the one hand, BMR tells me that to reach my normal BMI, I need to go way below 1200 calories per day, on the other hand, I am told that I shouldn't under any circumstances go below 1200 calories per day. Frankly, I lost patience with all that.

    So here is my method: I work out 7 days a week, and I make sure that I burn at least as many calories as I take in.

    Woah. You are confused. You find your TDEE and subtract 15% from that number....NOT your BMR. Your BMR is what you burn by doing absolutely nothing. Add in walking, cleaning, working, everything else you do aside from essential body function and you get a much higher number than 900.

    Right now, I'm maintaining my weight, but my body is transforming and I'm doing it all at 2100 calories a day. There is NO REASON ever to feel hungry. You CAN lose weight by eating lots of healthful foods.
  • athenalove46
    athenalove46 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

    According to that calculator, with me at 313 pounds, if I lost 6 pounds per month it would be VERY DANGEROUS for me to do so. Yeah right.

    I'm confused as to what your beef is with this calculator. If you noticed in step 6 you "select your goal"....However much or little you wish to cut and lose....
  • thedarkwombat
    thedarkwombat Posts: 123 Member
    Options
    I'm confused as to what your beef is with this calculator. If you noticed in step 6 you "select your goal"....However much or little you wish to cut and lose...

    That's how I got to the dangerous message. By selecting 25% in step 6.
    Sometimes I find these things are backwards. The more you weigh, the faster you lose the weight. Losing 6 pounds a month if you are over 300 pounds is quite easy, I just think this calculator is off by calling that "dangerous".
  • sunshyncatra
    sunshyncatra Posts: 598 Member
    Options
    Unless you are diabetic, don't worry about going over on sugar. You can easily go over by eating fruits and veggies because of their natural sugar. Just try to avoid large amounts of added sweeteners.
  • justmary4cm
    justmary4cm Posts: 29
    Options
    I used to tell myself the same thing as you do : If I would just exercise, I would lose this extra weight. Only thing is, all of the studies are now showing that weight loss is 80% what you eat and 20% activity! That's good news/bad news, right? :noway:

    Anyway, I have found that the more protein I pump into my daily intake the better off I am. Instead of snacks that are devoid of protein, I make sure that they are packed with it. This has helped me so much to curb my rebound hunger (from fruit and carbs in general) or if I really need to get a bit of carb energy, I am sure to combine protein with it so - a whole grain cracker with thin sliced cheese or the like.

    Give your body a chance to settle in with this new program and re-evaluate after a week or two has gone by. Relax. This is a way of life, not a quick fix.

    Good luck
  • athenalove46
    athenalove46 Posts: 182 Member
    Options
    I'm confused as to what your beef is with this calculator. If you noticed in step 6 you "select your goal"....However much or little you wish to cut and lose...

    That's how I got to the dangerous message. By selecting 25% in step 6.
    Sometimes I find these things are backwards. The more you weigh, the faster you lose the weight. Losing 6 pounds a month if you are over 300 pounds is quite easy, I just think this calculator is off by calling that "dangerous".

    Ah I understand. Well, I have heard that it doesn't do you any good to cut more than 15% from your TDEE. whether that causes you to loss 6 lbs a month or not doesn't matter much. Good luck.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories