I need some nutrition help please :)

Chronic underfeeding can be bad for a variety of reasons but it won't negatively impact fat loss unless the underfeeding results in over-eating later.

And so while this doesn't directly answer your question about inexpensive foods, you don't really need to worry about starvation mode.

Can you make your diary public so we can see what you are eating and make specific suggestions?

For the budget statement
Read this article
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/eating-healthy-is-hard

zaleyy wrote: »

Hi there,

I have been tracking my food intake for the past 6 days, and I have been having 2 main problems. I cannot eat enough calories to meet my goal. I've been given a limit of 1200 calories, I'm trying to lose 10-15 lbs just to feel a little bit better about my body, but I physically don't have it in me to consume that many calories in one day, after I complete each food diary entry it tells me that I am not eating enough to safely lose weight and it will not generate me a 5 week report. My other issue is that I will finish a day with 300 or more calories left, but I will be over on my carbs and sugar almost every time.

I don't have access to a lot of money, so the groceries I am able to get are definitely not always the healthiest since they aren't the name brands or they are frozen/canned/etc. but I really do try to keep a lot of fruit and vegetables in my daily diet.

Really, I would just like some recommendations on foods that are affordable and easily attainable, but that have the right nutrients in the right places so that I can meet my calorie goal and actually succeed at losing weight instead of my body trying to retain fat because it thinks it is starving. I do not have a big appetite, but I don't want to be underfeeding myself, if that makes any sense.

Any recommendations would be a huge help, thank you so much!!

This isn't happening. My guess, from my experience only, is that you're actually eating more than you think you are. Your body is not in starvation mode. Also, you got to a point where you want to lose 10-15 lbs so you ultimately can, and have, eaten way more than you needed to in a day (TDEE) to maintain the weight you want.

It's very difficult to survive on 900 calories/day, so I would venture that you're eating a whole lot more than you think and that is why you aren't losing.

Second - it's only been 6 days. It took me a whole year to maintain a loss of 50lbs. It takes a long time, with consistent effort. It's not going to happen over night - you didn't gain the weight in one day, right? Of course not so you aren't going to lose it in one day, either.

Third - frozen veggies are no less nutrient packed than fresh. They're usually flash frozen at their most ripe point so that when you consume them they still contain the nutrients they would have when they were fresh. I buy frozen veggies all the time. And when I make smoothies I usually use frozen fruit for it - unless something is in season and it's cheaper that way. I am single, so my budget is tight as well. Buying frozen meat/veggies is totally ok . . . canned, and someone said, isn't as great because they're often packed with salt to preserve them. Just be careful with it.

Overall, you're probably eating more than you think but just give it some time of consistent effort. 6 days is not a lot, and you are not putting your body in starvation mode. You. Just. Aren't.

zaleyy wrote: »

Alright I guess I should have included this information in the original post.

For those of you saying that I obviously got myself to a point of needing to lose weight, I really didn't. I am at a fine weight for my height. I am 5'1'' and weighed 120 lbs when I first started watching what I ate. I wasn't chubby at all. I just figured I'd feel a little better about myself again if I had lost a few lbs that I thought might have been excessive. I have struggled with eating disorders in the past, about 2 years ago I weighed in the 80s.

I'm just trying to figure out how I can get down to a weight that I could feel better about, because it's not the way I look that is bothering me, it's just the actual number on the scale. That probably doesn't make sense, but if you've ever struggled with food and eating in the past, you might understand.

To those of you not focusing on the fact that I'm trying to lose weight and are actually focusing on helping me figure out proper nutritional balance, I really appreciate it.

People saying that obviously me eating enough in a day to get to my healthier weight must have been excessive, that's really one of the last things somebody in my position needs to hear, so yeah. Thank you.

I don't think any of this changes the bottom line - you have been able to eat more than 900 calories in the past and can do it again with some of the suggestions above.

If you are in treatment for an eating disorder then a counselor should be helping you with this. If you aren't, you should be.

Check budgetbytes.com for recipes.

But yeah if you're so full on 900 calories, it's very likely that you're eating more than you think (but with only 15 lbs to lose and being only 23, you can eat WAY more than that and still lose weight anyway).

do you get the weekly grocery flyers? use those and figure out what you can buy for cheap that is filling (i.e. right now, my grocery store has 10/$10 greek yoghurts - each of those is about 130cal and a great filler if needed (protein and carbs)

zaleyy wrote: »

AliceDark wrote: »

I feel like when people ask about not being able to hit 1200, the most likely explanation is that they're underestimating their intake and, in reality, they're eating more than they think. However, I also feel that there's a small population of people who have a lot of practice at ignoring their hunger cues and who could legitimately have some short-term trouble in reaching 1200.

(From personal experience, I'd put people who are already at a low(ish) body weight, people with histories of body-image issues or eating disorders, people with anxiety issues or people going through short periods of intense anxiety or stress, and smokers who are using nicotine as an appetite suppressant as potentially in that second group. Not that all of those people belong in that second group, or that other people don't also belong there...blah blah disclaimer...).

The short version of that is to say that you're probably underestimating and eating over 1200, but there's a chance you might not be, and we can't tell with the information you've given us. Would you be comfortable opening your diary for a short time so we can take a look?

As for cheap sources of protein and fat, think about things like eggs, canned tuna/chicken, jerkey, cottage cheese, etc. You can also look for sales on larger packages of frozen chicken so you get more for your investment.

I'm glad you're basically the only person that took the possibility of a history of eating disorders and body image into consideration, I feel that I should have really just been bold enough to include that in my initial entry.

I didn't that my food diary was private but I think I have made it public now. I'll definitely be looking into all of those foods, and I know that eggs are typically healthy for you because of the yolk, but I don't know if egg whites are able to work the same way, I am not really supposed to eat eggs with the yolk unless they have been baked into something (I have a weird allergy). But everything else definitely sounds doable, thank you so much!

Honestly, "you're underestimating" is usually the right answer, but I took a peek at your profile yesterday and a couple of things in your post and your profile pointed me that way. You're new to MFP, so I totally get why you didn't want to mention it earlier. Here's the thing, though: people here are awesome, and they will try their hardest to give you the most accurate information for your specific situation. Don't take it personally when people say things like "you used to be able to eat enough to need to lose..." or "you must be overeating...", because they're giving you what would be the most accurate advice for most people based on the limited information in your original post. Now that we know more, we'll be able to give you better information.

People with ED histories or food issues tend to be really good at ignoring their hunger signals, so intuitive eating (eating just when you're hungry, essentially) isn't always the best plan. You really do need to be getting adequate nutrition, and 900 calories isn't going to cut it. 1200 needs to be your bare minimum, although you probably need more.

There are a few different ways to approach upping your calories; I'd recommend choosing whatever doesn't increase your anxiety, but you do need to make sure you're getting a good mix of macros (protein, fat and carbohydrates). For some people, it's easier to add more low-calorie foods (like vegetables or fruits) so they feel fuller. I suspect that might not get you to your calorie goal, though, and might result in you feeling too full. Another way to go is to add calorie-dense foods (foods that are high in calories but don't take up a lot of room in your stomach). Things like peanut butter, olive oil, avocado and nuts are good examples here.

zaleyy wrote: »

CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »

can you have peanut butter and other nut butters? you could always say have an apple and dip it in some kind of nut butter for a healthy snack . some greek yogurt with fruit and a little honey in it is also good but healthy. They even have a sunbutter made out of sunflower seeds.3 lbs when you dont need to lose any weight is not a good thing. but you are trying to fix the situation so thats a good thing.if you have food allergies of course avoid those foods.

I cannot have peanut butter but I'm not allergic to other nuts so those would be a possibility. I do love Greek yogurt, I used to make my own little parfaits with honey, fruit and granola in the yogurt I should probably start doing that again, it was definitely good!

yeah thats just a start with the healthier snacks. and you will cover some of your macros too(fat,carb and protein). also there are some yummy greek yogurt protein drinks out there too that you could pair with a fruit or whatever else you want to eat. you could even make your own smoothies if you have a blender, add some greek yogurt,water,fruit and veggies(I use spinach,bok choy,kale-just about a handful), some chia/hemp or flax seed mixed in for fiber and protein(I add protein powder to mine,but you dont have to).very filling and healthy of course,. the possibilities are endless too with putting things together. you could always try tofu/seitan too if you dont really like meats that well.as for going over your sugar,track fiber instead since most of your sugar seems to be from fruits which is ok.

eggs baked - what about something like frittata (eggs with vegetables/meat) - you can pretty much put anything you want in it - its my go-to for many meals