not eating enough

Hello OP!

1. There is no such thing as starvation mode... 1700 is a good number to start your journey. IF you don't see progress there is a chance you might need to adjust up or down based on what you daily recommended calories are for your activity level.

2. EAT FAT AND PROTEIN!!! They are necessary additives to your diet and will help your progress. Like QuietBloom said? 100+ grams of protein are good for your diet helps maintain the muscle.

3. I'm always confused when people say, "Can't eat enough"... Sincerely, a doughnut or an order of fries will clear up a 350 cal deficit all while tasting awesome... not that I recommend dounuts... But I damn sure recommending a dounut.

4. Eat in a way you can maintain. DON'T CUT OUT ANYTHING!! Reduce stuff that might be a trigger for you, (mine is bread...Gawd I love dinner rolls...) But don't eliminate any one food group. I still have fast food several times a week sometimes, eat candy, and chips... I just make sure it fits into my calorie limits and keeps me close to my macros.

Last... DON'T MAKE IT COMPLICATED!! Just eat, get good sleep, and exercise. Look in to weight training to build your muscles (secret is, muscle burns more fat then fat can, which would make fat a cannibal and that's weird.... ;D)

I am losing every week, so far. I am just concerned that my counts are too low and I don't want the weight loss to stop or become unhealthy. I guess I can't comprehend how to eat ''real food'' and lose weight when it is full of fat so I am afraid to eat those things.

Fat is amazingly good for you, though! It keeps your skin and nails healthy. It helps your body rebuild damaged cells. It's necessary for vitamin absorption. Try not to worry about the fat in those foods because your body needs some of it.

Right off the bat, I can see you are not getting enough protein or fats. Those two you really shouldn't skimp on. Up your protein goal to at least 100 grams a day. For more fat, skip the margarine and go for real butter. Eat some nuts, peanut butter or almond butter.

Also, invest in a food scale. It's possible you are eating more than you think. It's difficult to imagine you are not hungry on only netting 1,000 calories a day.

I AGREE!!

Thanks for the advice. I am definitely not new to dieting but definitely new to seeing all the charts. I eat 2 eggs and the cholesterol goes too high. I eat yogurt and couple pieces of fruit a day and the sugar goes nuts. Yes, it is hard for me not to watch the fats. I'm not as was previously said just eating diet foods I am eating what I normally did minus the pastas, white starches, and substituting a meal with candies, cookies or chips,,, that was main downfall. I will get it figured out eventually. Thanks again for the help.

It can definitely be overwhelming with all of the information out there. You sort of have to pick and choose which numbers and limits are the most important for you, personally, to track.

For instance, MFP's default sugar goal is based on the minimum amount of recommended added sugars, which makes it a very low goal, but it doesn't differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. Since I don't have any health reasons to watch my sugars, I prefer to swap out that particular column in my chart with fiber, because getting enough fiber is more important to me than watching my sugar.

The cholesterol in your food doesn't have a large effect on the cholesterol in your body. If you don't have medical reason to track cholesterol (high cholesterol, family history, doctor's orders, etc) then maybe it's okay to eat the eggs. Obviously if you do have medical reasons to track cholesterol then you should watch it.

The point is that you're never going to have one day where you are 100% perfect on every nutrient there is. You're always going to be over or under on something. If you're eating a varied diet, getting your vegetables, and staying within your calorie goals, then you're twelve steps above most people.

Track the nutrients that are important to you depending on your personal needs. Keep an eye on the others and make changes as necessary. But try not to sweat the small stuff too much.

Best of luck!

I'm still learning how this site works,, thanks for the support and patience.

Its real hard for me not to watch the fat. And the charts are making me worry not enough of this and that. I just find it hard to believe I can take in 1700 cals and lose weight. I'm sure the key is the choices and quantity. So you said just keep under the calories preset. That is what concerns me can the calories be too low? If I am not hungry I don't feel right eating to up the calories.

Hunger isn't always the best indicator of whether or not you're eating enough. When you're not eating enough you risk your body breaking down your lean muscle mass. You risk vitamin deficiencies. You may see more mood swings, reduced energy, etc. Hunger is controlled by hormones that your body sends out and those can be suppressed by things like exercise or undereating for a prolonged period of time. You have to look at the big picture because hunger won't always tell you if you're getting enough vitamins, or enough calcium, or if you're losing muscle mass.

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

don't worry about meat and carbs? hit your protein goal first, then fats... fill the rest with carbs.

I'm having the same problem! I try to eat clean and have got it nailed but am having a hard time meeting my calories..I eat a plant based diet most of the time but it creates a challenge when trying to reach the right amount of cal.s without eating too many carbs or having to add to much meat. I eat nuts , beans and fish and a little dairy And I full at the end of the day . I try to put most of my cals in the first half of the day so Im eating fewer cals at the end of the day. Any suggestions anyone?

don't worry about meat and carbs? hit your protein goal first, then fats... fill the rest with carbs.

look at this fellas ticker.
dude knows whats up.

OP, try to eliminate your fear of ANY food. you can eat whatever foods you want, even the ones you and others may label as "unhealthy" or "junk"

the key is maintaining a healthy deficit.

For me its about a lifestyle change so eating in a way that is sustainable and healthy for the rest of my life, not just in the short term to lose weight. Try and eat more calories but good quality calories, healthy fats ( olive oil, avacado, oily fish) lean protein, low fat dairy, plenty of veg and fruit. Remember to log what you drink as well. I don't know if you exercise but if or when you do a healthy diet will be especially important. My concern is that eating so few calories is not going to be sustainable for very long.

Just checked out the last couple of days of your diary. How are you not hungry on so little? If the bee pollen is suppressing your appetite to such an extent that you're not eating a healthy amount it may be time to try without it unless it's something you need to be taking for some other reason?

Might be worth adding some friends of a similar weight and goal and poaching food ideas from their food diaries?