Trying to eat enough calories

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.

Diary is not open......

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.

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?

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?

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!

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.

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!

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".

This is why you want to weigh that "medium" apple, because then you're way the heck more accurate.

Yeah, the high heels thread is still going.

OMG I this!

I know it's hard to post here and ask for help sometimes - and this topic is especially sensitive (I know, I posted it, too ). But understand, people really are trying to help you - and getting a small scale might really surprise you - for me I was WAY over-estimating my intake.

Anyway, congrats on the weight you've lost so far. This journey to better health will continue to baffle you sometimes, and you'll find yourself changing things up often. And most of the people here are genuinely invested in your success.

Good luck

Buy a scale and use it.

that is all.