How to keep up calories without going over on fat/carbs?

Melissa_Harkess
Melissa_Harkess Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I started with a new small group personal training program. The exercise is fine (though I'm very sore and stiff from squats), it's the nutrition plan that I'm having a hard time with. They are not nutritionists and follow a basic plan of 1300-1600 calories, 30 g fat, 100 g carbs, and 100 g of protein. However I'm a 6'0 230 lb female. My BMR is around 1830, so this should be my minimum caloric intake right?

I'm having a hard time getting enough calories without going significantly over on fat or carbs. I do have to keep my protein levels to 65-80 g per my urologist due to high uric acid and issues with kidney stones.

Yesterday I had:
Breakfast - Egg, canadian bacon, english muffin, & chocolate almond milk
Morning snack - green grapes
Lunch - large salad
Afternoon snack - hummus & carrots
Dinner - chicken quesadilla & small salad

I barely broke 1400 calories. It seems that every calorie dense food I try either has a significant amount of fat or carbs which I am trying to keep under control (though not as low as 30 & 100 g, I think my goal should be closer to 45 & 150 g).

Any advice?

Replies

  • Sofaa1
    Sofaa1 Posts: 19
    Well you could ditch the english muffin and grapes, and have some lean protein instead :)
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    if you want to up cals and you are limited with your protein intake, you're going to have to up fat or carbs. macros are what make up the calorie content of food.

    but dont worry, cutting fat or carbs is unnecessary unless you have a medical reason to do so or it helps you stay within your calorie limit, assuming the former isnt an issue, and the latter is the opposite of your problem, up fat or carbs
  • Anonycatgirl
    Anonycatgirl Posts: 502 Member
    You could just not worry about their nutrition program, which sounds dated, and certainly not designed for someone a) who has specific medical needs and b) is quite a bit taller than the average woman, with higher calorie requirements as a result.
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    If your doctor is prescribing a specific protein allotment, I would heed her advice!
    I would honestly ignore the nutrition part of the program. Your meal plan looks really boring and not sustainable. Have you tried setting up a good plan here? You shouldn't be eating below your BMR. That just leads to yo-yo dieting.

    I would focus on weighing and accurately logging your food. You can eat whatever you want in moderation. Feel free to check out my diary (I am in maintenance and I eat 1650-2000 calories/day).
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    You can't have it all. Your calories have to come from somewhere. You'll have to eat more fat and carbs to keep your protein under 100g, that's basic math.
  • Melissa_Harkess
    Melissa_Harkess Posts: 3
    Thanks. I will ignore their plan. I like the exercise program and need the time with the trainer (I certainly never would have done squats on my own). I'll stress less about carbs and fat now and just work on hitting 1830 calories and readjusting as my weight changes. I appreciate the feed back.
  • LSinVA
    LSinVA Posts: 60 Member
    I just go over right now. I wouldn't worry about it. Just focus on making better choices in general (obviously stick with your protein intake). If there is something more specific you want to get a handle on (i.e. carbs, sodium etc) try it when you have a better handle on your diet. I can't be bothered with that stress right now. It's more important to get the excess weight off than eating 20 extra grams of carbs.

    And yes, that calorie amount seems very low as well. That's my range but I'm nearly a foot shorter than you.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Ok, I see you said you were going to ignore but I just have to add this anyway to give you a heads up on why it's not working the way they said it should.

    Someone didn't do their math right because those macro amounts don't add up to the amount of calories they allow. There are 9 calories per gram of fat and 4 calories per gram of both protein and carbs. So that only adds up to a little over 1000 calories per day.

    As you have a medical condition, don't follow the guidance of folks with little/no nutritional education for the sake of weight loss. Or if you do want to, check with your doctor first. Kidney health is nothing to mess with!
  • Melissa_Harkess
    Melissa_Harkess Posts: 3
    Thanks. The trainers actually recommended I add some high protein shakes to my diet to add calories, even after I explained to them about my protein restrictions (because protein is never bad, right?). I may try to find a dietitian locally to help me work on a base meal plan to help me find ways to add the calories I need.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.

Categories