Am I eating enough calories?

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rosielclements
rosielclements Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
My goal is 1380 a day. I am finding this really easy, always eating less calories often quite a lot less. When I complete entry at the end of the day it keeps telling me I am sending my body into starvation mode. And now I am going to the gym more often my net calories is even lower.

I don't know what to do it seems stupid to eat for the sake of it! I am eating 3 meals a day and snacks. Relatively normal proportioned meals, even chocolate and treats some days.

So should I force myself to eat more? It just seems stupid, as I am trying to stop eating things I do not need.

Any advice please?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    So eat more calorie dense foods - peanut butter, nuts, avocado, etc... There's no reason to try to starve yourself. Also be sure you're actually logging both your food and your exercise accurately. Your diary is locked - you might get more advice if you opened it.
  • rosielclements
    rosielclements Posts: 5
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    Thanks, I have made it open now!
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
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    It's not just eating for the sake of eating. It's eating for the sake of proper nutrition :)
  • rosielclements
    rosielclements Posts: 5
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    Hmm, maybe I'll start eating more breakfast, maybe that will help.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
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    I looked at your diary and you are eating tremendously healthy stuff. Way to go!

    Are you eating enough? I don't know. I'd need to know how tall you are and how much you weigh. From that there are various ways to determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure, including the one MFP uses.

    I do wonder are hungry on what you're eating now? Because what you said was that you eat "relatively normal proportioned meals, even chocolate and treats some days." So, one of two things is happening. A) You're like me and your TDEE doesn't fit the "normal" calculations -- I am 5' 6.5", weigh 154 and maintain on 1650 cal/ day. The calculators all say 1800-1900 should be my maintenance. (I've had a fairly unique endocrine issue since I was seven. I went two years without growing. Normal is not a word that has applied to my life.) or B) you are underestimating your intake. Do you weigh or at least measure everything you eat? If not, you may be eating more than you think. Most people do.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Some of the nutrition information in your diary entries looks a little off. For example, the salmon with 0g of protein. Are you verifying that the calorie counts are accurate?
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
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    I would up the breakfast to 300 calories and have morning and afternoon snacks of 200. It would probably help to have a post-workout snack with a good # of protein so you get the most out of your workout.

    If you need to add calories without density, consider adding seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds are my favs), having a glass of 2% milk, or adding nuts to meals (I love pine nuts). Feel free to check out my diary for some ideas.

    The problem with eating low calorie is that it promotes yo-yo dieting. It took me 15 years to stop it myself!
  • rosielclements
    rosielclements Posts: 5
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    MelissaPhipps I am 5'3 and weigh 164 pounds. I always eat when I am hungry, so am not hungry on what I have been eating at the moment.

    I weigh everything that doesn't tell me on the packet, although my scales are slightly dodgy, but I weigh everything a few times and get the average.

    AliceDark, Thanks, maybe I should check more...

    LexiMelo, Thanks, although I don't feel like this is a yoyo. I've been doing this for a month and it feels pretty normal to me now.
  • SuziQGettinFit
    SuziQGettinFit Posts: 28
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    Melissa Phipps. Would you be able to look at my diary and see what you think? I am 58 years old. Approximately 5'5" and right now weigh 174. I started this time at 186. (I don't think I entered that into my diary properly - think it says I started at 182) But anyway, I haven't lost weight in a couple of weeks and am concerned. I have decided to up my calories and aim for 1300 on days I burn 150 or so and keep to 1200 when I don't exercise (which is only the days that I work). Any advice you can give me would be great.:flowerforyou:
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    MelissaPhipps I am 5'3 and weigh 164 pounds. I always eat when I am hungry, so am not hungry on what I have been eating at the moment.

    I weigh everything that doesn't tell me on the packet, although my scales are slightly dodgy, but I weigh everything a few times and get the average.

    AliceDark, Thanks, maybe I should check more...

    LexiMelo, Thanks, although I don't feel like this is a yoyo. I've been doing this for a month and it feels pretty normal to me now.

    I'd weigh everything, even if it tells you on the packet. It was kind of eye opening for me.

    Are you eating back your exercise calories at all?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Food = Fuel & Nutrition

    Just because you may not be hungry doesn't necessarily mean you are eating enough. However, make sure you truly are eating what you think you are eating (weigh/measure/log - food scale is best).

    If using MFP to figure your calorie goal, make sure you chose the correct setting for "I want to lose __ pounds per week". 2 pounds isn't appropriate for most people. Remember MFP does not include exercise in it's calculation, when you do exercise, it gives you more calories for that.
  • JaxNole82
    JaxNole82 Posts: 21
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    I would up the breakfast to 300 calories and have morning and afternoon snacks of 200. It would probably help to have a post-workout snack with a good # of protein so you get the most out of your workout.

    If you need to add calories without density, consider adding seeds (chia seeds, flax seeds are my favs), having a glass of 2% milk, or adding nuts to meals (I love pine nuts). Feel free to check out my diary for some ideas.

    The problem with eating low calorie is that it promotes yo-yo dieting. It took me 15 years to stop it myself!

    ^^^ This is good advice. IMO, you are not eating enough calories. Some other things I noticed is your meals get larger as the day goes on. You may want to try to reverse that, with your breakfast being the largest meal and dinner your smallest or try to keep the calories consistent each meal. Id definitely suggest uping your breakfast as it is key to jump start your metabolism when you wake up. Also, maybe you just arent logging it, but it does not appear you drink any water. Drinking water is key in weight loss.
  • thequietesthush
    thequietesthush Posts: 15 Member
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    I've been worried about the same thing, and just wanted to come in here too (not to hijack!) - thought it might make more sense to add it in here than make a new thread. I was on MFP for ages last year and definitely lost weight doing it but then got uber busy with exams/uni and completely stopped. I've gained a bunch of weight back recently, and want to actually lose it in a healthy way this time, and not go through fad phases like I normally do.

    MFP put me on 1200 but looking at some of the forum advice, I upped it to 1300. I have poly-cystic ovaries, which means that it can be harder for me to lose weight at times, so I'm worried about upping my calories too much. I'm 5'5 and 167 lb and my goal weight is 143 lb - this may vary depending on how I look/feel later on! Any advice for me at all? :)

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