Maintenance Seems Too Low?
deannasawyer
Posts: 47 Member
Hey everyone. I was just hoping for a little bit of advice (my food diary is public).
I am 5'4" and 111lbs. I am currently working on becoming stronger, so that I can do work around the farm more easily, and have no access to a gym where I live. MyFitnessPal has calculated my maintenance calories at 1560 a day, which means I often need to go on an hour-long brisk walk just so that I can eat dinner without going over. We're operating on a very limited food stamp budget (about $110), so I don't have a whole lot of flexibility as far as food goes, especially with the garden winding down, the new flock of chickens aren't laying yet, and it's not time to send the pigs to freezer camp.
Today, for example, I ate:
Breakfast
-peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast (fresh bread and canned jelly)
-mug of coffee
I may have overestimated the peanut butter and coffee creamer a little, as I tend to be very sparing with condiments, but not by a noticeable amount. Between breakfast and lunch, a liter of water.
Lunch
-Leftover roast from the other night
-Another mug of coffee (my coffee pot makes 2 mugs full, so I drink 2 a day)
That about uses up all of my calories for the day. I am making a leftovers pineapple beef stew meal served over rice for dinner for everyone, which means I'll need to go on a long walk to win back some calories, and even then I'll be over.
Does anyone have any advice on what I can do?
(Note: days I didn't log or where restaurant meals appear, my fiancé and his family took me out to eat)
I am 5'4" and 111lbs. I am currently working on becoming stronger, so that I can do work around the farm more easily, and have no access to a gym where I live. MyFitnessPal has calculated my maintenance calories at 1560 a day, which means I often need to go on an hour-long brisk walk just so that I can eat dinner without going over. We're operating on a very limited food stamp budget (about $110), so I don't have a whole lot of flexibility as far as food goes, especially with the garden winding down, the new flock of chickens aren't laying yet, and it's not time to send the pigs to freezer camp.
Today, for example, I ate:
Breakfast
-peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast (fresh bread and canned jelly)
-mug of coffee
I may have overestimated the peanut butter and coffee creamer a little, as I tend to be very sparing with condiments, but not by a noticeable amount. Between breakfast and lunch, a liter of water.
Lunch
-Leftover roast from the other night
-Another mug of coffee (my coffee pot makes 2 mugs full, so I drink 2 a day)
That about uses up all of my calories for the day. I am making a leftovers pineapple beef stew meal served over rice for dinner for everyone, which means I'll need to go on a long walk to win back some calories, and even then I'll be over.
Does anyone have any advice on what I can do?
(Note: days I didn't log or where restaurant meals appear, my fiancé and his family took me out to eat)
0
Replies
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I eat net 1550 and get 3 meals and a snack in without too much trouble.
Start on MFP's number, but you may find you can actually eat more.1 -
dang, it gave you more than me. five three, 120 lb and only 1400 for maintenance. I am confused as to how the foods you listed get anywhere near 1560 unless the portions are quite large?8
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Well, peanut butter and jelly sandwich = lots of calories.
Same with a roast (if it's beef) Beef is expensive and high calorie. I have it maybe once every two weeks.
I eat on about $4 a day, 1600-1700 cals.
Beans, rice, chicken on sale, oats (rolled, in the big container about $.012 per serving) eggs, cheese in a big 2lb loaf, on sale $4, tuna, bacon or sausage. Butter and yogurt, frozen vegetables, fresh lettuce, apples, bananas, melon, tomatoes, avocado, onion.
Buy stuff in bulk on sale. Buy spices and whatever else is available fresh at the dollar store.
It's possible. 1600-1700 calories is my maintenance cals without exercise - however I'm taller, weigh 30 pounds more and I'm waaaaay older, so take that with a grain of salt. You'll need to track your intake for a couple months to dial that number in.3 -
I am glad to hear that number doesn't seem abnormally low!
Breakfast was 641 calories:
My bread recipe is 276 calories for 2 slices,
Peanut butter is 190 calories for a serving,
Coffee jelly is 32 calories,
and a brewed 12 fl oz mug of coffee w/ 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of non-dairy creamer is 143 calories
Lunch was 820 calories:
The leftover pot roast was originally a slow-cooker 3lb roast, which I split up into 6 servings. I ate one serving for lunch, which MFP said was 677 calories.
Coffee was made the same way as this morning.
I am full now, and will not eat dinner until about 8-8:30pm, but I couldn't have gone all the way until tomorrow on this.
EDIT: Hello, cmriverside! Looks like you posted while I was typing. Those foods you describe would be lovely, but planning just 21 dinners for 4 people put me at $100, and that was relying on things I already had preserved, spices I have already stockpiled, and meat purchased on sale. That leaves me with very little I can do for other meals, since dairy needs to be conserved for dinners. I am a breadbaker, so bread is something easy to come by.4 -
Can you explain me what is that Donkin Donuts coffee? Just curious about the high caloric value, and I'm not familiar with that kind of coffee0
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deannalaverty wrote: »I am glad to hear that number doesn't seem abnormally low!
Breakfast was 641 calories:
My bread recipe is 276 calories for 2 slices,
Peanut butter is 190 calories for a serving,
Coffee jelly is 32 calories,
and a brewed 12 fl oz mug of coffee w/ 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of non-dairy creamer is 143 calories
Lunch was 820 calories
The leftover pot roast was originally a slow-cooker 3lb roast, which I split up into 6 servings. I ate one serving for lunch, which MFP said was 677 calories.
Coffee was made the same way as this morning.
I am full now, and will not eat dinner until about 8-8:30pm, but I couldn't have gone all the way until tomorrow on this.
So you're making the choice to use nearly 300 cals on bread, 190 cals on PB etc...
my breakfast is usually around 300 cals of protein enriched cereal with milk or fat free Greek yoghurt with granola...
I'd look at where you can make better use of your cals tbh.4 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
So you're making the choice to use nearly 300 cals on bread, 190 cals on PB etc...
my breakfast is usually around 300 cals of protein enriched cereal with milk or fat free Greek yoghurt with granola...
I'd look at where you can make better use of your cals tbh.
The breakfast you just described would cost as much as a dinner, not accounting for needing to feed the rest of my family. I can make a whole loaf of bread for the cost of 3 cups of flour, 2 tsp of yeast (purchased in 1lb increments for $5), and water. Other ingredients are added when I have extra. Jellies are already in my cupboard from canning over the last year.
The dunkin donuts coffee is a bag of coffee grounds that I was gifted for Christmas last year. The brewed black coffee itself has 0 calories.3 -
My maintenance calories before exercise are 1560. I am 5'4.75" and 133. I am older than you at 48. I usually end up eating about 1800 calories a day. My plan is usually 450 for breakfast 450 for lunch and that leaves me 660 for dinner and an evening snack. If I do no exercise. I don't work out at a gym. I do 30 minutes of yoga (dvds) on weekdays and I walk about 3 miles daily ,so unless I'm sick I will get some extra calories every day. My typical breakfast is 2 boiled eggs (140 cal) a greek yogurt (100 cals) 2 cups of coffee with 2 tsp sugar and 2 tbsp half and half each (140 total cals) and some fruit. That puts me at 380 calories before I add the fruit and I usually have around 25-50 calories worth of fruit. Based on today's breakfast and lunch it seems to me like you might be able to cut back your calories at breakfast and lunch if you want to have more calories for dinner. Are you doing chores on a farm every day? I would think that you could either add that in as exercise, or consider yourself lightly active and get some more calories that way.2
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deannalaverty wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
So you're making the choice to use nearly 300 cals on bread, 190 cals on PB etc...
my breakfast is usually around 300 cals of protein enriched cereal with milk or fat free Greek yoghurt with granola...
I'd look at where you can make better use of your cals tbh.
The breakfast you just described would cost as much as a dinner, not accounting for needing to feed the rest of my family. I can make a whole loaf of bread for the cost of 3 cups of flour, 2 tsp of yeast (purchased in 1lb increments for $5), and water. Other ingredients are added when I have extra.
The dunkin donuts coffee is a bag of coffee grounds that I was gifted for Christmas last year. The brewed black coffee itself has 0 calories.
I was just saying there are many different things you can get that are filling without being 600 calories. Not that you had to eat what I eat.4 -
Lots more vegetables! Substitute Cauliflower rice to serve your stew over. Use spaghetti squash and zucchini as noodles. Keep the bread and peanut butter in moderation. Those things will quickly add up the calories. If it's filling for you, that's fine. Otherwise, bulk up with veggies. This is a great website for inspiration - http://www.hungry-girl.com/
It sounds like you depend upon the land a lot to provide the majority of your food. Can you hunt for your protein sources and then spend your money on fresh fruits and vegetables?3 -
deannalaverty wrote: »I am glad to hear that number doesn't seem abnormally low!
Breakfast was 641 calories:
My bread recipe is 276 calories for 2 slices,
Peanut butter is 190 calories for a serving,
Coffee jelly is 32 calories,
and a brewed 12 fl oz mug of coffee w/ 1 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of non-dairy creamer is 143 calories
Lunch was 820 calories:
The leftover pot roast was originally a slow-cooker 3lb roast, which I split up into 6 servings. I ate one serving for lunch, which MFP said was 677 calories.
Coffee was made the same way as this morning.
I am full now, and will not eat dinner until about 8-8:30pm, but I couldn't have gone all the way until tomorrow on this.
EDIT: Hello, cmriverside! Looks like you posted while I was typing. Those foods you describe would be lovely, but planning just 21 dinners for 4 people put me at $100, and that was relying on things I already had preserved, spices I have already stockpiled, and meat purchased on sale. That leaves me with very little I can do for other meals, since dairy needs to be conserved for dinners. I am a breadbaker, so bread is something easy to come by.
Okay, then if you can't feed your family on the money you have coming in and with your homemade bread plus the other suggestions I listed, then your need is to find some place like a church or food pantry where you can supplement your pantry. I mean, I listed my ways. If you cannot budget the food money-wise, then find a charity.
Nothing wrong with bread and/or beef, if it's the cheapest thing you can afford. It's just less filling food for the calories. More fiber is the best way to feel full longer. Can you make your bread whole grain at least? What about beans and rice? Cheap!
5 -
Hey guys, it seems like some of you may be reading my tone incorrectly. Please understand that I am not offended or being defensive. I am just honestly perplexed and not sure what I can do within my means. I know it is done, I'm just not sure how.
I do wear a fitbit to track my steps, which is why I put in sedentary. My farm consists of 2 goats, 8 sheep, 4 pigs, and a flock of chickens, so I do have some physical chores such as hauling hay & grain, cleaning stalls, feeding, wrestling sheep/goats down for hoof trimmings.. but I am not sure I would consider those major calorie-burners. I am perfectly okay with exercising; I just know I'm not doing something right if I have to exercise just to eat dinner!mom23mangos wrote: »Lots more vegetables! Substitute Cauliflower rice to serve your stew over. Use spaghetti squash and zucchini as noodles. Keep the bread and peanut butter in moderation. Those things will quickly add up the calories. If it's filling for you, that's fine. Otherwise, bulk up with veggies. This is a great website for inspiration - http://www.hungry-girl.com/
It sounds like you depend upon the land a lot to provide the majority of your food. Can you hunt for your protein sources and then spend your money on fresh fruits and vegetables?
Thank you so much for your suggestion! I have been using summer squash and zucchini that I froze to bulk up casseroles, but I am sure that there is more I can do with them. It would be nice to be able to spend money on fresh fruits, since I know that they are recommended for a healthy diet. Currently the only fruits we have available are drops from nearby apple trees (well, the ones good enough for humans anyway! The others go to the pigs). I may be able to work something out. We could cut back further on meat for now, only having it once every 2 weeks instead of once a week until the pigs are ready.
Cmriverside, I do thank you for your suggestions. Currently my family is operating on a net loss as far as income goes, and while I am the one in charge of food, I have no control over the finances. Perhaps once these pigs are in the freezer and we're not spending $75/wk on grain, it may be easier (eggs from the new flock will help, too!).1 -
If it were me and I needed to cut calories I would just have the coffee black, and probably ditch the PB or reduce the amount and have it as toast with either just jelly or just a tiny bit of PB and then jelly.
I'd also probably cut the lunch portion in half, but that's kind of personal preference since I like a smaller lunch and if I eat a big one I get all sluggish in the afternoon.4 -
That sounds like a good idea. I could probably transition to drinking it with just sugar, and eventually black (or not at all). The coffee was a gift, so once it is gone, I will likely not drink it anymore. Peanut butter also seems like a good way to avoid calories, and I don't need to be buying it anyway. Surely just jelly would be fine.1
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deannalaverty wrote: »Hey guys, it seems like some of you may be reading my tone incorrectly. Please understand that I am not offended or being defensive. I am just honestly perplexed and not sure what I can do within my means. I know it is done, I'm just not sure how.
I do wear a fitbit to track my steps, which is why I put in sedentary. My farm consists of 2 goats, 8 sheep, 4 pigs, and a flock of chickens, so I do have some physical chores such as hauling hay & grain, cleaning stalls, feeding, wrestling sheep/goats down for hoof trimmings.. but I am not sure I would consider those major calorie-burners. I am perfectly okay with exercising; I just know I'm not doing something right if I have to exercise just to eat dinner!
It is not true that you have to exercise to eat dinner. But if you are hungry on the 1560, then it is because you aren't making good food choices that are keeping you full.
Bread is an example. If I ate bread at every meal without sufficient protein (like your breakfast - mostly carbs and fat) I would always be thinking about what to eat next. If you were to eat more vegetables, not just potatoes, but a varied diet of fresh or frozen vegetables (and fruit) you would not feel so deprived on 1560. I've been eating at that level for years and I had to learn to eat enough fiber, and mix it with enough protein along with all those (bread) carbs. With grains- oats, corn, whole grain breads and rice only. For more fiber - Beans, whole grains, fruit and vegetables.
You've heard "Man does not live on bread alone." - it's true.7 -
OP, you're choosing calorie dense foods, homemade bread and beef are things that most of us have to plan ways to fit into our calorie goals I would think. Stuff like frozen veggies, dried beans, bulk grains, potatoes, raw chicken parts, eggs etc are filling and inexpensive.
Put half the peanut butter on 1 slice of bread and add a couple of scrambled egg on the side for breakfast.
Eat half that pot roast (677 cals would be like 3 servings of meat for me!) and have some frozen veggies on the side.
I think you said you are working on a farm - did you set your activity level appropriately? I'm a little heavier than you and set at sedentary, and my maintenance calories are around the same as yours. If you are doing physical work every day, that should be reflected in your activity level.7 -
Beef is not the norm for me. Because it is so expensive, it's more of a monthly treat (buy one roast and split amongst several meals) but I get what you mean about the calorie-dense foods.
To be completely honest (and I feel very silly), I've never purchased frozen vegetables. I've always eaten fresh or home-canned. Do they cost much to buy frozen typically?0 -
could you maybe make thinner slices of bread and just put jelly on it. could you half that roast serving and add some baked potatoe with it. Baked potatoes cooked in juices are my go to when I need to fill up on less calories. Also, maybe you could use a tablespoon of milk instead of creamer.3
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deannalaverty wrote: » Beef is not the norm for me. Because it is so expensive, it's more of a monthly treat (buy one roast and split amongst several meals) but I get what you mean about the calorie-dense foods.
To be completely honest (and I feel very silly), I've never purchased frozen vegetables. I've always eaten fresh or home-canned. Do they cost much to buy frozen typically?
I guess it might depend where you live, but here in NY I can buy bags of store brand frozen veggies for $0.99 - $1.29 each. Things like corn, peas, broccoli, spinach, carrots. I usually get maybe 4 servings out of them, but adding veggies to other things even in small quantities can add volume without adding many calories.4 -
Great idea, Shannonkk.
That would also stretch the roast longer. Bread is kind of a toss-up since fresh bread goes bad so quickly, but hopefully when the dry winter air comes that won't be so much of an issue.
I live in rural ME, so those prices should be similar, Kimny72. I'll take a look next time I go to the store. Even if I can't afford too much to start, I can slowly start stocking the freezer.1
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