Can't meet my Calorie intake

MichaelDrewry
MichaelDrewry Posts: 2 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm eating healthy, working out and I'm 20lbs lost.
My calorie totals at an average of 1000-1300 at the end of the day. I'm male 5'11 @ 183lbs.
I meet all of the suggested goals protein, fats, etc and i feel fine.
Should I worry and what to do?

Replies

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    Yeah, you need to eat more. You're not eating nearly enough for your height and weight.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    That's really too little. You may feel fine now, but you won't for long. Try reintroducing some calorie dense foods into your diet: peanut butter, full fat cheese, butter, oil (to cook with), ice cream, etc. It doesn't take much of those to add a decent amount of calories.
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Eat the same foods you ate that made you overweight--just less of it this time.

    And 1000-1300 calories for a male your height is insanely low. No. Just...no.
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    Send them over here... I'll eat them no problem ;)
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Plug your stats into mfp and eat the calories it gives you. You are grossly under eating. This is providing you're weighing your food and know you are accurately logging. If you aren't using a food scale, chances are you are eating more than you think.
  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
    Can someone give me an explanation as to why everyone freaks out if someone is under eating due to fullness during weightloss? Is it as SERIOUS as everyone acts
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    catwils1 wrote: »
    Can someone give me an explanation as to why everyone freaks out if someone is under eating due to fullness during weightloss? Is it as SERIOUS as everyone acts

    Well, i guess it depends on whether the person wants to retain lean body mass or just simply watch the number on the scale go down.

    Obviously, it won't kill you unless you do it for an extended period of time, and even then it probably won't kill you, it will just make you miserable.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    catwils1 wrote: »
    Can someone give me an explanation as to why everyone freaks out if someone is under eating due to fullness during weightloss? Is it as SERIOUS as everyone acts

    You're probably not getting enough essential macro and micro nutrients and can develop all sorts of medical issues because of that. You're probably losing quite a bit of lean body mass, not ideal or healthy.
  • ajv99ffr
    ajv99ffr Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, sorry if this has been addressed before but when i exercise etc and myfitnesspal adds extra calories, for example today i have eaten 800 cals, dinner to go, and it has said i am "owing" 1900 calories as its taken my exercise into consideration. If i ate that amount of calories i would be the size of a house. Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur exercise. I always thought u cant outdo a work out by eating the cals u have gained.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    ajv99ffr wrote: »
    Hi, sorry if this has been addressed before but when i exercise etc and myfitnesspal adds extra calories, for example today i have eaten 800 cals, dinner to go, and it has said i am "owing" 1900 calories as its taken my exercise into consideration. If i ate that amount of calories i would be the size of a house. Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur exercise. I always thought u cant outdo a work out by eating the cals u have gained.

    You should probably start your own thread to get this question fully answered...

    Start by eating half your exercise calories instead of all of them. Judge you're progress over a month. Then adjust your base calories as needed.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    So your losing weight right? So you gained weight in the first place, by eating more right?

    So you know you can eat more.

    Eating low fat, low cal versions of things? Switch them for the full fat version.

    So why can't you eat enough calories?

    Unless I missed it you didn't give a reason, just said you can't.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    ajv99ffr wrote: »
    Hi, sorry if this has been addressed before but when i exercise etc and myfitnesspal adds extra calories, for example today i have eaten 800 cals, dinner to go, and it has said i am "owing" 1900 calories as its taken my exercise into consideration. If i ate that amount of calories i would be the size of a house. Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur exercise. I always thought u cant outdo a work out by eating the cals u have gained.

    One of the main reasons I exercise is so I can eat more. Keep an eye on your net calories.

  • NoIdea101NoIdea
    NoIdea101NoIdea Posts: 659 Member
    Also, are you totally sure you are eating that many calories a day? Are you weighing everything with a food scale?

    I only ask because we get a lot of people who come here saying that they can't eat more than 1000 calories before they get full, but they aren't weighing their food. They grab a scale and low and behold, they were actually eating more like 1500 calories or something, which is definitely more acceptable. Still an amount you can lose on, and better for your body.
  • MichaelDrewry
    MichaelDrewry Posts: 2 Member
    Looks like I'm buying a scale
    Thanks for the help everyone
  • Labyrinthine93
    Labyrinthine93 Posts: 46 Member
    Macros and micros are important, but what some people forget is that the body uses up calories for everyday functions. You still have to fuel those functions.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    Not to be unsympathetic to anyone's needs or conditions, but I'm always so shocked when people say they struggle immensely to eat over 1000 calories. A banana with a serving of peanut butter will easily knock out 260~ calories in a minute
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    bclarke1990 wrote: »
    Not to be unsympathetic to anyone's needs or conditions, but I'm always so shocked when people say they struggle immensely to eat over 1000 calories. A banana with a serving of peanut butter will easily knock out 260~ calories in a minute

    yeah me too. Obviously these folks managed to put away more than 1000 calories at some stage. Or else they wouldn't be here trying to lose weight. ..

  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    OP, plug your stats into this calculator from the Baylor College of Medicine.
    It will tell you not only your BMI, but how many servings of various foods to eat to maintain any weight.
    If you enter your healthy goal weight, this will help you plan your food intake.
    https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html

    For someone 5'11", a healthy weight range is 135 - 175.
    BMI-Chart-eng.png

    A 32 yo male, _inactive_, at the top of that healthy weight range, would need 1880 calories.
    Active less than 1 hour / day, 2370 cal.
    (See the BCM calculator.)

    Since you have so little to lose, and are almost at a healthy weight now, you should aim for1/4 - 1/2 lb per week.
    That's a 125 - 250 cal/day deficit from what you need to maintain weight. (1630 - 1755 total.)
    Men aren't supposed to go below 1500 cal/day.
    Eat slightly larger portions of what you're having now, or use full-fat versions of dairy (milk, yogurt, sour cream),
    and less lean cuts of meat.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    ajv99ffr wrote:
    Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur (sic) exercise.
    I always thought u (sic) cant (sic) outdo a work out by eating the cals u (sic) have gained.
    You can't.
    It's really easy to eat 300 calories, takes a while to work them off.
    Realize that 1 piece of a large pepperoni pizza from Domino's is in the database at 300 calories... :anguished:
    (Why do I have that at my fingertips? Tonight was pizza night at the gym, and that's what I had for dinner.)

    In fact, in most situations it's best to ignore exercise calories. Most people underestimate what they eat, most
    machines (including MFP) overestimate calories burned. Usually, for most people, those cancel out. (This is what
    my doctor & dietician told me, and it's worked well for me.)

    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html


    Here are useful posts for newbies. Especially read sexypants.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1
  • randiewilliams72
    randiewilliams72 Posts: 119 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    OP, plug your stats into this calculator from the Baylor College of Medicine.
    It will tell you not only your BMI, but how many servings of various foods to eat to maintain any weight.
    If you enter your healthy goal weight, this will help you plan your food intake.
    https://www.bcm.edu/cnrc-apps/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html

    For someone 5'11", a healthy weight range is 135 - 175.
    BMI-Chart-eng.png

    A 32 yo male, _inactive_, at the top of that healthy weight range, would need 1880 calories.
    Active less than 1 hour / day, 2370 cal.
    (See the BCM calculator.)

    Since you have so little to lose, and are almost at a healthy weight now, you should aim for1/4 - 1/2 lb per week.
    That's a 125 - 250 cal/day deficit from what you need to maintain weight. (1630 - 1755 total.)
    Men aren't supposed to go below 1500 cal/day.
    Eat slightly larger portions of what you're having now, or use full-fat versions of dairy (milk, yogurt, sour cream),
    and less lean cuts of meat.

    @MKEgal This is so cool. Thank you for posting. I have tried to figure out my BMI on other sites and I have never been sure if I was doing it right. Looks like I was doing it way wrong. lol.
  • edwardetr
    edwardetr Posts: 140 Member
    ajv99ffr wrote: »
    Hi, sorry if this has been addressed before but when i exercise etc and myfitnesspal adds extra calories, for example today i have eaten 800 cals, dinner to go, and it has said i am "owing" 1900 calories as its taken my exercise into consideration. If i ate that amount of calories i would be the size of a house. Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur exercise. I always thought u cant outdo a work out by eating the cals u have gained.

    I turned that feature off. I have a pretty regular workout routine and just assume the calorie burn is steady. Whatever caloric intake gives me the results I want, I stick with.

  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    bclarke1990 wrote: »
    Not to be unsympathetic to anyone's needs or conditions, but I'm always so shocked when people say they struggle immensely to eat over 1000 calories. A banana with a serving of peanut butter will easily knock out 260~ calories in a minute

    yeah me too. Obviously these folks managed to put away more than 1000 calories at some stage. Or else they wouldn't be here trying to lose weight. ..


    Yeah, these always befuddle me. Folks claiming they are full on 1,000 calories, yet are still overweight are pretty common. You would have to be a really small, super sedentary (like comatose) person for this to be at all possible.

    I think they must be terribly bad at counting calories and under estimating all their food.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    ajv99ffr wrote:
    Can anyone tell me why myfitnesspal increases the calories based on ur (sic) exercise.
    I always thought u (sic) cant (sic) outdo a work out by eating the cals u (sic) have gained.
    You can't.
    It's really easy to eat 300 calories, takes a while to work them off.
    Realize that 1 piece of a large pepperoni pizza from Domino's is in the database at 300 calories... :anguished:
    (Why do I have that at my fingertips? Tonight was pizza night at the gym, and that's what I had for dinner.)

    Pizza night at the "gym"?! One way to keep you guys coming back I guess lol.

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Drink some juice. It's healthy, not filling and will give you your extra calories when you cannot eat them. :)
  • lauraesh0384
    lauraesh0384 Posts: 463 Member
    bclarke1990 wrote: »
    Not to be unsympathetic to anyone's needs or conditions, but I'm always so shocked when people say they struggle immensely to eat over 1000 calories. A banana with a serving of peanut butter will easily knock out 260~ calories in a minute

    Same here. I eat anywhere between 1200-1600 since I do calorie cycling and I could definitely eat more on the 1200 days. I'm 5'6" and 159 lbs and it just seems odd when people are taller or weigh more than me struggle to meet their calories. Those people must be eating more than they think.
  • pug11
    pug11 Posts: 23 Member
    Don't need to add you're eating way too little and it's not sustainable, eventually you're going to burn out.

    I'm female, 5'6 and maintain on around 2100 cals a day, sometimes eat more, I lost weight eating 1800 to start with then when I plateaued just dropped it to 1650-1700, no less than that.

    Protein shakes with some type of milk, add a banana, PB....you get the picture....has some good cals in it if you can't actually eat food sometimes. Good luck.
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