A little lost here... The system calculated 1470 cals per day, but I can't eat that much!

annyruch
annyruch Posts: 1 Member
edited November 15 in Introduce Yourself
I have now reduced to 1200 cals a day, and can't even reach that most days. I have only been on myfitnesspal for 7 days and am already loving it!

One thing I don't like though is that there are so many options to choose from. Green apple, juiced, varies in cals, in carbs, for instance and homemade tuna salad sandwich goes to triple the calories depending on brand!

Any advice?

Replies

  • DeniseBarone
    DeniseBarone Posts: 80 Member
    Get tuna fish packed in water, not oil. That will save a lot in calories.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    edited January 2017
    1470 isn't a lot of calories to eat. Mine is set at 1810 and I usually get near there. What did you set in your profile? Sedentary, Lightly Active, Active, or Very Active?
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Are you using a food scale? Weighing and logging semi-solids, oils, liquids, condiments? Vegetables?

    1200 is so easy to get to.
  • KatKat1209
    KatKat1209 Posts: 229 Member
    If you're here for loosing weight.. well probably didn't earn the excess weight with 1200cal a day... none of us here did so.
    Some tips that are giving regularly:

    - are you weighing your food properly (with a food scale - in grams)
    - if you eat out: you might underestimate portion size a lot (eyeballing is only for the advanced ;) )
    - Don't log your homemade tuna salad sandwich as a homemade tuna salad sandwich with an entry from the library. If it's homemade you can weigh it. I mean every ingredient (except for Salt and Pepper etc.) Bread, Tuna, Condiments and whatever goes on your Tuna Sandwich.


    (Look at my diary for today for example - it's around 1400-1500cals. of food so you can get an idea of what you can eat)
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    I have days where I have to really try to get mine over 1,000. If I am depressed or anxious or have something on my mind my appetite disappears. Could that be the case for you also? Another thing, if your carbs are low that can also affect appetite. If you eat a lot of vegetables it takes a lot more to get your calories up because most vegetables are low calorie. The best way to get the calories up is to add a little fat to your meals. It makes a big difference.
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    You've been at this 7 days and are all excited to begin a new program. The hunger will be back when you stop having fun.

    As to logging, using your tuna sandwich as an example, log the bread *you* used, log the amount of tuna *you* used, log the amount and exact type of mayo *you* used, etc. Don't rely on generic, all-in-one entries- they may not resemble what/how much you ate at all.
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    Yes, you are better off picking the individual ingredients you use (so for the tuna sandwich each part of it), weighing and logging it - either save it as a meal or a recipe if you have it a lot. For things like fruit I would say try to find the USDA listing - usually it lists the actual weight in those (not just something like 1 large apple) and so you can actually get an accurate reading since you want to be sure you are using a food scale to weigh everything. A lot of people underestimate when they just pick something like "large apple" - sometimes what you think is large is really extra large.
  • KW1688
    KW1688 Posts: 25 Member
    You can also try to scan the bar codes of some of the products you're using! My sister had to show me because I had no idea. I was selecting some of the generic things I was finding in the lists and then realizing that the calories were off once my sister told me to scan things lol
  • KatKat1209
    KatKat1209 Posts: 229 Member
    KW1688 wrote: »
    You can also try to scan the bar codes of some of the products you're using! My sister had to show me because I had no idea. I was selecting some of the generic things I was finding in the lists and then realizing that the calories were off once my sister told me to scan things lol
    Though you should check when using barcode scan for first time products if the result that shows up matches with the nutritional info on the package. I believe I had a incorrect one once or twice. Though most of the time it matches :)
  • KW1688
    KW1688 Posts: 25 Member
    KatKat1209 wrote: »
    KW1688 wrote: »
    You can also try to scan the bar codes of some of the products you're using! My sister had to show me because I had no idea. I was selecting some of the generic things I was finding in the lists and then realizing that the calories were off once my sister told me to scan things lol
    Though you should check when using barcode scan for first time products if the result that shows up matches with the nutritional info on the package. I believe I had a incorrect one once or twice. Though most of the time it matches :)

    Sheesh I never thought of that as well! Talk about making things more complicated lol thanks for he tip!!
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    KW1688 wrote: »
    KatKat1209 wrote: »
    KW1688 wrote: »
    You can also try to scan the bar codes of some of the products you're using! My sister had to show me because I had no idea. I was selecting some of the generic things I was finding in the lists and then realizing that the calories were off once my sister told me to scan things lol
    Though you should check when using barcode scan for first time products if the result that shows up matches with the nutritional info on the package. I believe I had a incorrect one once or twice. Though most of the time it matches :)

    Sheesh I never thought of that as well! Talk about making things more complicated lol thanks for he tip!!

    Trust nothing in the MFP database... check your packaging.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    bbell1985 wrote: »
    Are you using a food scale? Weighing and logging semi-solids, oils, liquids, condiments? Vegetables?

    1200 is so easy to get to.

    99% of over weight people eat way more than 1200 calories. Are you over weight? are you weighing your food? do you count everything? Do you know Peanut butter is a miracle Macro?
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