Eating too little?

GinaB30
GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
edited September 18 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm confused. I admit it! lol :ohwell:

I'm 5'8 and 205 (lost 7 lbs in the first week)

and I put in all my info when I joined and it said I could eat 1600 calories/day.......
So I've been logging my food and water in take and I've been getting full because I drink LOTS of water with each meal to fill up faster.

So at the end of the day I've eaten (usually) around 1000 calories, but I'm FULL! (Also don't eat past 7-ish)
I do breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack but I'm making much better food choices....
Is this a bad thing?
I lost in the fist week, but over time will this hurt rather than help? I watch the biggest loser and I remember the guy not eating enough or something like that...and he didn't lose, but I'm not doing those huge workouts like they do on the show, so I don't think I"d need to eat AS much....
Any experienced people out there that know?
I have had problems with not eating anything and over-exercising in the past, but this doesn't feel like that did, I just want to feel healthier and so far I am.....
healthier but confused...lol

Replies

  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    I'm confused. I admit it! lol :ohwell:

    I'm 5'8 and 205 (lost 7 lbs in the first week)

    and I put in all my info when I joined and it said I could eat 1600 calories/day.......
    So I've been logging my food and water in take and I've been getting full because I drink LOTS of water with each meal to fill up faster.

    So at the end of the day I've eaten (usually) around 1000 calories, but I'm FULL! (Also don't eat past 7-ish)
    I do breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack but I'm making much better food choices....
    Is this a bad thing?
    I lost in the fist week, but over time will this hurt rather than help? I watch the biggest loser and I remember the guy not eating enough or something like that...and he didn't lose, but I'm not doing those huge workouts like they do on the show, so I don't think I"d need to eat AS much....
    Any experienced people out there that know?
    I have had problems with not eating anything and over-exercising in the past, but this doesn't feel like that did, I just want to feel healthier and so far I am.....
    healthier but confused...lol
  • erin83070
    erin83070 Posts: 78 Member
    Hi there! Lots of water is awesome, I have a huge issue with getting enough, but I'm pretty sure some people can get edema (water weight) if you drink more than 24 oz a day ,exclusive of you meals. As far as caloric intake, and this is just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.... you can't get the nutrition you need to be healthy taking in less than 1200 calories/day. For me, I can't imagine the body being able to construct muscle out of thin air.

    Are you able to meet all of you fat/carb/vitamin requirements daily?
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    Yep, I'm meeting the fat and protein/carb requirements......and I'm certainly eating well....I just get full faster and have been eating BETTER things. I think that my stomach shrank too because I used to be able to eat soo much more.
    Some days I end the day around 1200 or so, but it's always under the 1660 that I am allowed. And then I go and exercise and it adds another few hundred calories that I am allowed, but I wouldn't think it would be a good thing to eat when I am full. =o/
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3293-undereating-not-counting-calories-not-hungry

    Here's a thread with some great information on the topic.

    I was also an undereater. Here's my two-cents of advice:
    drink some calories. I re-added my favorite treat, a skim latte (150 calories) and almond milk (100 calories)

    add in some high good-fat foods. avocado is great (and will bump your calories way up) and a handful of nuts is an easy way to get calories and a quick snack.

    I've added a sensible amount of fat back into my cooking (more oil in my salad dressing, for example)

    Hope that helps. I hit a brick-wall plateau, that more eating has broken.:flowerforyou:
  • erin83070
    erin83070 Posts: 78 Member
    Yep, I'm meeting the fat and protein/carb requirements......and I'm certainly eating well....I just get full faster and have been eating BETTER things. I think that my stomach shrank too because I used to be able to eat soo much more.
    Some days I end the day around 1200 or so, but it's always under the 1660 that I am allowed. And then I go and exercise and it adds another few hundred calories that I am allowed, but I wouldn't think it would be a good thing to eat when I am full. =o/


    Maaaaaannn, you're so lucky! I earned 165 cal and I've spent them already! :embarassed: As long as you're meeting your nutritional requirements, then I suppose it really doesn't matter. Like you, I'm more concerned with eating better. I'm avoiding emotional/impulse eating and avoiding processed anything.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I strongly suggest that you read my thread on Undereating. It IS an issue, and should not be taken lightly. :smile: This is your health we're talking about. You only get one body.
  • bittersweet22
    bittersweet22 Posts: 47 Member
    songbyrd, I read your post, some of it understood, but some of it didn't. I am like mamapants. I eat plenty through out the day, I don't much exercise though. most days I am still 200 or a little more under my daily calorie intake,I had wondered the same thing that mamapants said. I get plenty of fiber, veggies and fruit. some thoughts on this please!
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    songbyrd, I read your post, some of it understood, but some of it didn't. I am like mamapants. I eat plenty through out the day, I don't much exercise though. most days I am still 200 or a little more under my daily calorie intake,I had wondered the same thing that mamapants said. I get plenty of fiber, veggies and fruit. some thoughts on this please!


    ^ Amen! That's me in a nutshell...I already read those things on that post songbyrd and I didn't quite get it because I am eating a lot (in my opinion) all my meals and snacks and water and am FULL....so I don't know...so yeah, I'm confused.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Is there anything you'd like me to expound upon? Remember, hunger isn't indicative of your caloric needs. It's important to realize that there are different types of hunger, and they're cause by many different things. Your should detach your hunger feelings from your caloric needs. This may mean that some people feel hunger more often, and others feel full more often.

    You also NEED to exercise. It is unhealthy and unrealistic to lose fat without any exercise. I think both of you should read more about exercise while dieting..there are a lot of threads here. I think icandoit recently posted one up and there were tons of great points. I've talked about it on length as well. If you can't commit to an entire lifestyle change, your fat loss will not be as permanent, you will not keep much muscle, and you will have a terrible time trying to keep the fat off while your metabolism is downregulating. I don't know how my make myself any clearer...you need to exercise and you need to eat enough.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    Who said I didn't exercise?????? lol
    Never mind, I guess I'll figure it out!!!

    Side note to anyone else who may be lost.....

    I realize I need to eat more calories (and I did really well with that today).....BUT I feel like it can't be good to force myself to eat when I am not hungry.
    I used to OVER eat (back when pregnant and then afterwards while breastfeeding) and now have control of that (thanks to this website/prayer/etc) and I think it would be foolish of me to shove food down when I am not hungry.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Who said I didn't exercise?????? lol
    Never mind, I guess I'll figure it out!!!

    Side note to anyone else who may be lost.....

    I realize I need to eat more calories (and I did really well with that today).....BUT I feel like it can't be good to force myself to eat when I am not hungry.
    I used to OVER eat (back when pregnant and then afterwards while breastfeeding) and now have control of that (thanks to this website/prayer/etc) and I think it would be foolish of me to shove food down when I am not hungry.

    Oh no, I was directing that part to bittersweet; she mentioned that she doesn't exercise. If you are exercising, then I IMPLORE you to eat more. You don't have to shove food down your throat, just eat *enough*. I'm not telling you to overeat, because right now you're undereating, so if you eat more, you're just eating enough. :tongue: Believe me, I know it seems backwards, but I promise you it's beneficial.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    I think both of you should read more about exercise while dieting..

    I had thought that was directed at me as well...but if not, cool- I don't exercise a tonne just yet because I just started this on the 1st and am trying to work my way back in to things little by little.
    I do exercise though and being on the move all day between chasing a two yr old, and regular housework, I do burn my fair share of calories I think.....
    I did do much better today as far as calories go, but I am still under my limit.....arg. It frustrates me because I want to lose weight and do so healthfully, but when I'm not hungry @ 8:00 p.m. I dont know what else to do....=o/
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I think both of you should read more about exercise while dieting..

    I had thought that was directed at me as well...but if not, cool- I don't exercise a tonne just yet because I just started this on the 1st and am trying to work my way back in to things little by little.
    I do exercise though and being on the move all day between chasing a two yr old, and regular housework, I do burn my fair share of calories I think.....
    I did do much better today as far as calories go, but I am still under my limit.....arg. It frustrates me because I want to lose weight and do so healthfully, but when I'm not hungry @ 8:00 p.m. I dont know what else to do....=o/

    Ah yea, I caught that afterward...for some reason I thought she said that, like you, she didn't exercise, but she was just talking about having the eating part in common. If it really becomes a problem, you can go to your doctor and ask for an appetite stimulant. Or try to do the opposite of what hungry people do...eat calorie-dense foods, like PB, fattier fish, olive oil, red meat.
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    Noooo I wouldn't want a stimulant to make me hungry, it's taken me a long time now to get to the point where I can say "I am full" and walk away from food and pointless eating (from stress or boredom)...so definately don't need that lol
  • destiny_206
    destiny_206 Posts: 430 Member
    Mamapants. Hi this is just my opinion but as long as you are eating healthy and getting the food groups in I would not suggest forcing yourselve to eat, your body will tell you what it needs. Congrats on staying under your calorie allowence and keep up the good work.
  • Loretta_Jo
    Loretta_Jo Posts: 609 Member
    :noway:
  • GinaB30
    GinaB30 Posts: 725 Member
    What's the shaking head about? *thinks* lol

    I'm trying hard now to use up my calories =o)
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