Trying to eat enough calories

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Sherbear1109
Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Been seriously trying to lose weight for about a month now and have been tracking cals here for 3 weeks now. After having my second son, I got into a really bad eating routine. I usually forgot to eat until I was just starving in the late afternoon. Then I would eat a bunch of snacky food and dinner. I've been conciously making sure to eat 3 meals a day. I'm now averaging 1600 - 1700 calories a day, but I'm burning about 400 - 450 cals a day with my cardio workout and another 100 or so with walking. MFP keeps telling me I'm not eating enough calories, but I'm full. Is this calorie ratio going to keep my metabolism slowed down? So far I'm losing inches and pounds. (I know it looks like I haven't, but my guess on my starting weight was wrong.) By MFP's calculations, I should be eating about 300 - 400 more cals than I do on most days, but that's like a whole extra meal! I feel like I would be overstuffed eating that much. Should I be worried about my metabolism staying slow and try to squeeze more food into my diet or should I just keep doing what I'm doing? Any helpful opinions and knowledge would be welcome on this.
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Replies

  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    Are you weighing and measuring foods and checking labes to make sure you're logging accurately? And are you belng consistent with your logging, as in doing it every day, every meal?

    It may help to know your stats (height, weight, age) and if you wouldn't might, make your diary public so we can make more constructive suggestions.
  • Sherbear1109
    Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
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    Yes, I'm logging everything I eat, everyday. This is day 21 on MFP. I'm 5' 6" tall, weigh 210.8, & am 33. 1st time I weighed myself was 5/31 and I was 216, then. I will make my diary public temporarily, but this weekend is a really bad example as I had a few events to attend and didn't eat my normal meals. Plus I missed my cardio workout Sunday. For those of you who choose to look at my diary and comment, please be kind. In other words, constructive criticism is welcome, but please don't be rude.
  • LeanButNotMean44
    LeanButNotMean44 Posts: 852 Member
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    Diary is not open......
  • Sherbear1109
    Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
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    Sorry. Is it open now?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Are you weighing and measuring foods and checking labes to make sure you're logging accurately? And are you belng consistent with your logging, as in doing it every day, every meal?

    It may help to know your stats (height, weight, age) and if you wouldn't might, make your diary public so we can make more constructive suggestions.

    I echo this for emphasis.
    Logging is one thing.
    Logging accurately is the other.
  • Sherbear1109
    Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
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    My logging is pretty accurate. Dinner is maybe not exact because I cook to feed my whole family and we eat the same thing. I did just notice and start using the recipes, though. Now I am inputting my recipes and spooning it all out to count the portions in each meal. So now I can accurately know how many calories per serving in dinner, too.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    My logging is pretty accurate. Dinner is maybe not exact because I cook to feed my whole family and we eat the same thing. I did just notice and start using the recipes, though. Now I am inputting my recipes and spooning it all out to count the portions in each meal. So now I can accurately know how many calories per serving in dinner, too.
    I'll put it out there one more time.

    If you aren't weighing your food. Everything. Then you are not logging accurately.

    Are you putting your portions on a food scale? If not, then you're not logging accurately
  • seabirdie12
    seabirdie12 Posts: 13 Member
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    I think you're doing fine. MFP usually overestimates on the calories burned. It wants you to NET the 1600-1700 calories. So that means eating back your exercise calories. If you already have your activity level factored in, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you start to feel lethargic, or are noticing that you're craving more than usual, then I'd start eating back some of your exercise calories.

    Edit: Just to make it clear, you're not saying that you're having trouble losing weight, right? You're just concerned that MFP wants you to eat more? How is your progress going?
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    You don't have to necessarily weigh your food - I haven't for the past couple years.

    However, I did weigh for about a year to get started and am planning to again in November because I want to bulk and NEED to know that I'm getting enough calories.

    Your post doesn't make sense, so you need to weigh your food for a period of time to see where you really are. I know it's a PITA, but even a month or two would give you really good insight into how much you're really taking in. It's going to be invaluable to figure out what changes, if any, you need to make.
  • Sherbear1109
    Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
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    That's fine. I'm not going to argue about wether or not I use a scale. I use measuring cups or count out the number for things like veggies. Just wondered if I should be worried about not eating as many cals as MFP says I should.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
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    That's fine. I'm not going to argue about wether or not I use a scale. I use measuring cups or count out the number for things like veggies. Just wondered if I should be worried about not eating as many cals as MFP says I should.
    not really. You obviously are more than that while gaining, so I'm guessing you are physically able to eat that many calories?
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    That's fine. I'm not going to argue about wether or not I use a scale. I use measuring cups or count out the number for things like veggies. Just wondered if I should be worried about not eating as many cals as MFP says I should.
    if you aren't weighing your food, you may already be eating more.
    Problem is, you don't know what you're eating.... so why get upset at a message on MFP?

    If you're not losing, but not gaining... doing it how you're doing... then isn't that a win already? Why change?

    Thing is, if you're not sure what you're eating... and decide that you want to lose, what number are you going to cut from if you have no accurate basis for comparison?
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    I'm just gonna leave these right here...

    Read these:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here?hl=so+you're+new+here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

    TL:DR the link right above this one then ->http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

    Want to lift heavy things?
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    Stronglifts Summary
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

    Stronglifts Womens Group
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
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    My logging is pretty accurate. Dinner is maybe not exact because I cook to feed my whole family and we eat the same thing. I did just notice and start using the recipes, though. Now I am inputting my recipes and spooning it all out to count the portions in each meal. So now I can accurately know how many calories per serving in dinner, too.
    I'll put it out there one more time.

    If you aren't weighing your food. Everything. Then you are not logging accurately.

    Are you putting your portions on a food scale? If not, then you're not logging accurately

    QFT (quoted for truth)

    I went through several days of your diary and there is nothing wrong with the foods you are eating. The only things I see is there is no fruit and very little veggies. Unfortunately if you are not weighing your solid foods you are eating more than you think. As long as you are losing does it really matter? Well only you can really answer that. I started out weighing and now it's a habit to just throw everything on the food scale and feels weird if I don't. But if you stop losing that is the first thing you should look at. See this for more information: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    Also, I'm glad to see you going over your protein daily because I think it's set a little too low. The general rule of thumb is 0.8 g/lb of body weight of protein while eating in a deficit. This will help protect your muscles because as you lose fat you will also lose lean body mass. I would also suggest you start a strength training program as well. You cannot gain muscle while eating in a deficit but by strength training to can hopefully slow the muscle loss. I'm not very educated on this so maybe someone else can add here.

    Remember there are no evil foods because you'll get responses saying to avoid carbs, fat or sugar, etc. There is no need for that, just eat everything in moderation like you are already doing. Good luck!
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
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    As Trog mentioned, if you're not weighing your food with a food scale, the things you count and log are really just estimates, so the calorie intake your diary shows may not be the calories that you're actually eating. A food scale is not always necessary to be successful at losing weight - sometimes estimating food is enough to do the trick - but it's important for us to know how accurate your logging is, because if you're not regularly weighing your foods, then you could easily be eating more than you think you are. And if you're eating more than you think you are, it would be inaccurate of us to give you the advice to eat more.

    If you are losing weight faster than you should be (with 50 pounds to lose, that should be no more than 1.5 pounds a week on average) and continue to do so, then it's safe to assume your deficit is too large, and you should eat more. If you're losing 1-1.5 pounds a week or less on average, then you are losing weight at a healthy rate and your deficit is not as large as MFP is telling you it is.

    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
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    That's fine. I'm not going to argue about wether or not I use a scale. I use measuring cups or count out the number for things like veggies. Just wondered if I should be worried about not eating as many cals as MFP says I should.

    No one is arguing. They are actually trying to help you.

    Trog has lost 153 lbs, he just may know what he's talking about.

    I didn't weigh at first, and when I did start weighing it was a huge eye opener. HUGE. I was definitely eating more than I thought.

    Veggies aren't always the exact same size, so one day an avocado may be 30 grams, another day an avocado may be 25 grams. Who knows...but they won't always be the same weight, so if you choose the 25 grams, and the avocado is actually 30 grams, then you are eating more by 5 grams. If you do that with everything you eat, then you are definitely eating more than you thought with everything.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
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    That's fine. I'm not going to argue about wether or not I use a scale. I use measuring cups or count out the number for things like veggies. Just wondered if I should be worried about not eating as many cals as MFP says I should.
    if you aren't weighing your food, you may already be eating more.
    Problem is, you don't know what you're eating.... so why get upset at a message on MFP?

    If you're not losing, but not gaining... doing it how you're doing... then isn't that a win already? Why change?

    Thing is, if you're not sure what you're eating... and decide that you want to lose, what number are you going to cut from if you have no accurate basis for comparison?

    I'm with Trog. If you're not hungry, you are eating more than you think that you are eating.

    I can get away with not weighing because I can pick a number to lose at (as long as it's 1/2 a pound a week, because hungry) and lose at that rate reliably. I can also maintain reliably. I lose fat but don't lose lean mass. So, whatever I'm actually eating, it's working.

    However, I can't GAIN reliably so, if I want to do that, I need to know how much I'm actually consuming. And I need to start weighing.

    Your decisions are up to you, but nobody can tell you whether its ok to eat the calories you are eating, or whether you need more or less because nobody really knows how many calories you are consuming. You need to weigh.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    OP, to your original point, that seems to have gotten sidetracked into a discussion about whether or not you weigh your food...

    If you are losing weight at a rate that is fine for you, then there's no need to eat more. You are eating enough so that you aren't hungry and losing weight so just keep doing what you're doing. When you reach the point where you aren't losing weight for a few weeks (and it WILL happen, trust me) then it's time to shake things up a little and re-think what you're eating.

    You can easily add calories without adding much bulk to your current diet. Add healthy fats to what you're already eating. Olive oil, butter (in moderate amounts), avocado, peanut butter, etc. will all add plenty of calories without feeling like you're eating more.

    By the way, calorie counting is NOT an exact science. Weighing your food will not give you an EXACT amount of calories because even the food manufacturers are giving an estimate of the amount of calories that are in their foods. You'd be a little closer with fresh fruits and vegetables but even then there's a lot of variation in a "medium apple" or a "stalk of celery". The same goes for what you're burning when you exercise. Heart rate monitors will get you much closer than using the formulas built into MFP but even they are just giving you an estimate.

    Good luck!
  • Sherbear1109
    Sherbear1109 Posts: 155 Member
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    Thanks seabirdie. Yes, I am losing weight and inches. I'm just trying to make sure I am eating a healthy diet again instead of the bad food habits and not eating I had been doing. I really did a number on my metabolism, so I do want to make sure it gets back to a normal rate. My progress is good so far. In the last 3 weeks I've lost 5.2 lbs. Inches I've been tracking for a month and I've lost 2" on my hips and my waist and 1" on my stomach.

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