Not enough calories?

WinoGelato wrote: »

statci wrote: »

You guys are probably right. But I think less than 1/2 a pack of pasta with some sauce a day would shouldn't be over 1200cal. i know pasta is bad for me so when i do eat it i try not to eat any carbs for dinner, i would grab tuna or something

Ok just for reference here is what my meals look like for the day.

Breakfast - 1 slice of whole wheat buttered toast (most morning i eat nothing because i HATE breakfast)

Lunch (i don't usually eat everyday)- 1 cup of cooked rice/pasta (when im really hungry) and a bite of chicken ( im not much of a meat eater)

Dinner - 1 cup of cooked rice/pasta with lil gravy or sauce (no meat - my dog loves me because she gets my share)

I am a creature of habit so this is what my weekly meals look like

OP I think you've gotten good advice so far about getting a food scale, but I really think it would be helpful for you to open up your food diary. Additionally, what you've outlined above, that's what you've started eating since you started trying to lose weight? What were you eating before? Because if you are only eating a piece of toast for breakfast (or nothing) a cup of pasta or rice and ONE BITE of chicken for lunch and pretty much the same for dinner, there is no way you shouldn't be losing.

Also, carbs and pasta are not bad. No food is bad. Doritos, juice, soda - those can all fit within the context of a balanced, nutritious diet, and still lose weight. But what I'm seeing so far is not balanced or nutritious - it seems.... incomplete. Something must be missing?

I agree that opening up your diary will help you get more specific advice. It's not just about what/how much you eat but how you log it as well. There are a lot of inaccurate and outdated entries in the database so if you are choosing those it's very easy to think that you are eating 1200 calories but end up eating a lot more than that. Add in that you don't use a food scale and it's easy to get to your maintenance calories. People in here who have been around for awhile will be able to determine if this is the issue by looking at your diary.

I was reading your comments, and I just wanted to say, good for you for deciding to make some positive changes. I felt deeply your frustration with how much to eat, what to eat, how to track, measure, weigh. Sometimes, it all just seems so incredibly ominous. I struggle EVERY day. EVERY day.

But in those struggles have come victories. I thought some of these might help you in your journey. Losing weight shouldn't be your only goal. It took years to put it on, and finding out why, is the key to healing. It's hard, addictions to food are cruel. An alcoholic can stop drinking, but no one can stop eating. So you are faced every day with trying to balance, and you don't always "win".

Before you start, I suggest you take 10-14 days, of eating just like you normally would BUT measure it (so measuring cups and tablespoons aren't very accurate, so what? it's a start), weigh it, write it down. When you eat, how you feel, and I mean write it ALL down. The Starbuck's tall nonfat latte, the mini tootsie roll you saw on the console as you drove to work, everything. Get a fitbit or a tracker or just one of those cheap little step counters. Write down how many steps in that journal. (Just to let you know, my first few weeks of a fitbit, I was walking less than 1500 steps a day).

During this time, reflect on foods you really enjoy. You "hate" vegetables, but, when you order a Whopper at Burger King, do you have them hold the lettuce and tomato? Do you pick them off? Or, do you actually like them on a burger? These kinds of questions will help you incorporate foods you like, because, sadly, this isn't a temporary thing. You don't starve for six months, get to a healthy weight, and then just go eat whatever you want. It doesn't work that way! I hate the word diet, in that context. So think of it more like trying to learn how to nourish yourself.

Start off small. If you love peanut butter, don't stop eating it! Just swap from Skippy or Jiff to Laura Scudders all natural (like 6 to 7g LESS sugar per serving). Like Mayo on stuff? Swap from regular to olive oil (4 less fat and 40 fewer calories per serving). Replace one or two fast food meals with a home cooked one. Aim to walk 1000 steps farther per day for 2 weeks than you did in your journal. A 5 minute walk, 3 times a day. (Not saying you don't walk enough already, just in general, an idea!) It's for life, so you have to be able to sustain it!

I couldn't stick to a diet like the one you are outlining. By 8PM I would be downing like bread, cheese, muffins, cookies. I wish you all the best, and hope to hear how you're doing.

What about liquids? Milk, soda, juice? What about snacks?

Weigh and log every piece of food and drink that you consume, and don't try to be eating less because of a diet right now, just log your normal intake for a little while.

I'd actually be more concerned about malnutrition with a very restrictive diet like this - particularly protein deficiency.