A little confused!!

Options
Well, I woke up really hungry today but was in such a rush that I have not been able to eat anything other than a few crackers!! Is that bad being that I woke up around 10am and it is now 2:40pm?? I am fairly new at this whole trying to eat right thing (this is my 3rd day)and am concerned that this isn't going to help!! Also, my daily calorie goal is 1,920 and the last 2 days I have only eaten around 1,500 calories!! Is that good or bad?? Do I NEED to eat close to the 1,900 a day or what??

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
    Options
    Relax. It's easy to obsess over stuff when you have a great plan like the one here.

    If you try to stay within your calorie allotment, you'll probably feel better.....I'm just sayin....

    But to lose 125 pounds, it is going to be a learning curve for you that will change many times as you go along. Try not to let the process become overwhelming. Just do the best you can whenever you can, and if you have a bad day or three, just get back on track.

    You will only fail if you quit.
  • LynnBirchfield
    LynnBirchfield Posts: 580 Member
    Options
    As long as you are getting a balanced diet and you're not starving, then I would say you're good.
  • chelcc85
    Options
    Doctors rec. in general not to go under 1200 a day. I made mine lower than what it suggested. You will be ok, just don't starve yourself and keep that metabolism going! You don't have to eat all of those cals. it's just your personal suggested cal intake. Depends on your BMI and such. Believe me, I LOVE my fit pal, I started about 1 month ago and love it, its easy and makes you realize how much you really eat, exercise and so forth.....keep it going and you will love it, if you have the app on your phone you will REALLY love it, I barely log on! Keep it up! You can do it!!!!!
  • lesley12345
    lesley12345 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    I am not sure what calories you should eat, that all depends on your current weight, how much you want to lose and how soon you want to lose it, and how much you are excersing daily.
    But you need to eat an adequate amount of calories to boost your metabolism. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. "Skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult. Breakfast skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high-calorie snacks to stave off hunger." (from webmd)
    When you skip meals, especially breakfast you tend to snack more and eat bigger portions for other meals. It's better to eat 3 small meals and 3 snacks. Try to start off your morning with a protein enriched breakfast to give you a boost of energy in the morning. Also, you need eat close to your recommended calories because your body can go into starvation mode, and the food you do eat will be absorbed rather than be burned off.
    My fitness trainer gave me some great tips to help me boost my metabolism, and it's done wonders for me. I have lost 25 lbs so far.
    1. Breakfast!!!!
    2. Eat 6 times a day (small portions)
    3.Drink plenty of water
    4.Cardio 30 min daily
    5.Build Muscle 1-3 times a day for 20 minutes
    6. Intervals
    7. Stop eating 2 hours before bed.
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Options
    Just do the best you can whenever you can, and if you have a bad day or three, just get back on track.

    You will only fail if you quit.

    ^^^ This ^^^.

    Is it slighty better to eat something earl to kick start your day? Probably.

    Should you eat every single one of your alloted callories every day? Ehhh depends on how well you estimate things. Was the banana a medium or large? Did you walk a little more today than usual? There's definately a fudge factor in everything.

    Does any of that make nearly the difference being aware of what you're eating and trying to be healthier does? Not even remotely.

    Stick with it and keep plugging away. You've just started this race and have a long way to go, so don't worry so much about doing everything exactly perfect, just do what works for you and keep at it. You'll start to see things fall in place soon enough. :-)
  • PocketNaomi
    Options
    If you eat fewer calories, down to a certain rough don't-overdo-it point, you'll lose weight faster, but it may be harder to keep at that general level and therefore keep it off. Part of the reason they advise that you eat at, rather than below, your calorie target, is that if you eat too few calories your body will start trying to conserve its resources against the possibility of starvation (evolution doesn't necessarily take things like dieting into account) and you'll lose weight slower because your metabolism is attempting to hang onto it. Part of the reason is that you're less likely to get adequate nutrition at lower levels. Part of the reason is that you're unlikely to be able to *keep* sticking to an unreasonable calorie level, and therefore if you rebound and drop your diet because it's "too hard," it won't help you.

    Where does all this leave you? Well, you're not likely to screw up your metabolism at around 1500 instead of 1900, and you're obviously not feeling deprived enough to rebound if you're not even noticing that you didn't eat. So long as you're getting enough protein, vitamins, etc., in that 1500, I don't see any reason it'd be a problem for you, so I would just say relax, make sure you're getting enough food to satisfy you and enough nutrients to fuel your body, and if that leaves you at less than your target calories rather than right at it, no problem. I'm not a doctor and I'm pretty new at this too, so my opinion is worth what you paid for it, but that's my take on the situation. Just don't go much over your target calories and you'll keep losing weight; if you go under your target -- well, just make sure you're getting good nutrition and not feeling bad, and it ought to be fine!
  • lesley12345
    lesley12345 Posts: 89 Member
    Options
    I agree with the previous post, you just started. It takes a while to find your way to diet and excerise. But once you figure it out, it's amazing how easy it really is. Be patient with yourself. Look at this as a hobby and a chance to make yourself feel good on the inside and out.
  • trish1215
    Options
    The 1900 calorie goal is just what you should be eating to stay at the weight your at or wanting to be at. The best thing for you to do is to eat a variety of GOOD unprocessed foods. Whole wheats are the best..they say the more color they have the better they and the more work you have to put into eating it (breads will flaxseed and the nutty kind of breads) the better they are. As for the waking up at 10AM and only eating a few crackers, I would suggest keeping the same schedule on the weekends as you would during the week - or as close as you can get. Skipping breakfast is a big no no! Breakfast kick starts your metabolism in the morning.
  • CoachLisaP7287
    CoachLisaP7287 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    It can be very confusing with all the "advice" out there! I agree with trish1215, the calorie goal is how many calories you should eat to maintain the weight you are at now. I think that eating less than the 1900 calories would be fine, just don't eat too few calories because that will cause you to "fall off the wagon" and go on an eating binge and eat everything in your cabinet (guilty as charged LOL). It is a good idea to stick with a schedule, even on the weekends. Trish1215 has a lot of good advice! lesley12345 also makes a great point...5-6 small meals (I would even go so far to say 3 "regular" meals and 2 or 3 healthy "snacks"). According to Livestrong.com, "The idea is, your metabolism stays elevated because your body is constantly burning calories to digest food. This in turn leads to faster weight loss. It can also keep your energy levels high and prevent you from overeating. If you want to eat four to five meals a day for weight loss, you need to plan those meals carefully." Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/41772-eat-four-five-meals-per/#ixzz14eXZHzQp