Only had 697 calories today and I've already eaten dinner!

CarthagoDelendaEst
CarthagoDelendaEst Posts: 154
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone,

So I've been on MFP since last Friday and have been doing really well. Except yesterday where I only ate about 850 calories. But I thought it'd be OK as it would be a one off. But today, I've only had 697 calories and I've just had dinner!

Thing is, I'm not hungry and I'm sort of reluctant to eat anything else. Before Friday, I had real trouble knowing when I am not hungry any more and so ended up eating for the sake of eating. Now I finally feel like I have this under control, but I completely understand the consequences of eating too little.

What should I do? Do you think I should eat more tonight, or would I be OK doing this two days in a row? It is just my first week :)

Replies

  • maeflower1234
    maeflower1234 Posts: 87 Member
    bump
  • NatalieBrooke88
    NatalieBrooke88 Posts: 240 Member
    Let your body guide you. It will tell you when it needs food, or when you are giving it too much food. If you are hungry in a couple of hours, eat a snack. If not, don't. :)
  • whittrusty
    whittrusty Posts: 533 Member
    It sounds like your metabolism is really low. I'd say you're OK for today if you really don't want to eat anything else, but maybe you could try increasing your food by 100-200 calories each day until you each at least 1200 calories every day. You definitely don't want your metabolism to tank because your body thinks it's starving!
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    It sounds like your metabolism is really low. I'd say you're OK for today if you really don't want to eat anything else, but maybe you could try increasing your food by 100-200 calories each day until you each at least 1200 calories every day. You definitely don't want your metabolism to tank because your body thinks it's starving!

    This.

    I think it is okay to go under 1200 on occasion... but not as a rule for most people. There are definitely days I struggle to get 1200 of healthy food though. I do find that eating a good breakfast and then lunch/dinner/snack helps in getting the calories in though.

    For me... I'd love to be able to just listen to my body and eat when I am hungry. That is one of my goals when I get to maintaining my weight loss. For now though, I know that I have to eat even if I am not hungry. That doesn't mean that I eat when I am so full I can't think about food -- but it does mean that right now I plan on having about 5 small meals a day (breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, after-dinner snack). My body is slowly catching on... I never used to be able to eat breakfast and now I am hungry in the mornings. Same for afternoon snack time. :) (Admittedly, I am at home parenting a preschooler who still eats a snack so snack time is a big deal around here!)
  • Aspynmom
    Aspynmom Posts: 166 Member
    I am weirdly envious right now! I have to struggle to make sure I don't go OVER my calorie limit, and I still feel actual hunger pangs!
  • LoveMy3Boys
    LoveMy3Boys Posts: 562 Member
    ME TOO!! I have a heck of a time staying UNDER... having excess calories is not an issue for me lol
    I am weirdly envious right now! I have to struggle to make sure I don't go OVER my calorie limit, and I still feel actual hunger pangs!
  • HealthyChanges2010
    HealthyChanges2010 Posts: 5,831 Member
    This is where pre-planning our meals out ahead of time really helps.:flowerforyou: Pre-plan for the week and it's easier to know what's coming up when you look at your food diary each day.

    You'll get the proper cals in and all the nutrients you need for that day to properly fuel your body. As several have shared one day won't be a big issue but it's not the best habit to put our bodies into such low fuel sources, it's rather like driving a car on fumes.:noway:
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    Becca is so right. Pre-planning so helps especially in the beginning. While doing this once or twice isn't bad, you don't want to make it a habit and unfortunately it can become one very easily. Simply because you can train your body to NOT be hungry for those calories. Then enters Mr. Plateau. Its a vicious cycle! Way too many times in my journey I got comfortable eating not enough calories because I wasn't active enough. I wouldn't loose weight and I would think why? I'm staying below my calories! I would just stay at the exact same weight Starvation mode is not a myth.

    You have to retrain your body to want those calories. Listening to your body is one thing. For example at dinner you eat a piece of pizza: Do you really need a second one? Or before bed...do you really need a late night snack or can you get by with a drink of water, maybe a couple of carrots? However 1200 is the lowest amount your body should have of calories. Regardless if your body is hungry or not. I'm not saying to eat now by any means...I'm saying to eat more snacks during the day. Carrots, clementines, veggies, cheese stick, nuts, yogurt...whatever works to help boost that end number! :o)
  • CarthagoDelendaEst
    CarthagoDelendaEst Posts: 154
    Thanks for the bump maeflower and thanks everyone for the advice. In the end, I stayed up late and so got the calories up to 1013, not too bad after all.

    I've taken this all on board and it's a new day. I think that as I'm not doing much exercise at the minute (it's exam period so I'm revising) then my body just doesn't need it. But as soon as exams are over, I will be back to being my busy old self, when I will probably want (NEED!) to eat my weight in food.

    So thanks guys and I'll try to eat at least 1200 today :-)
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