Advice please- not eating enough calories
wheninroam
Posts: 44 Member
Hi all:) I am hoping I can get some advice on how I should go about getting my eating habits/body fixed. I feel kinda bad asking this when so many are struggling with the opposite issue, but I'm struggling none the less.
I've been on MFP for a couple of months now with a calorie goal of 1200 for a 1lb/week weight loss. I am finding it difficult to meet that 1200 while at the same time eating healthy (I mean sure, I could go grab a 900 calorie burger) but opting for healthier foods is filling me up.. but not meeting my calorie goals. Usually I have to force a protein bar down me to at least get to the 1000 calorie minimum where MFP won't "yell" at me for not meeting the minimum.
To add to that issue, I've also been regularly working out, usually burning 800-1000 calories during the day..and I certainly hadn't been eating back any of them, let alone 50%. (which I only recently found out was a bad thing)
So now my dilemma, do I stop excising until I can eat back those calories? Do I opt for higher calorie foods, but not as healthy, so I can meet my calorie requirements? I've been in a funk the last two days because I'm just not sure how to attack this, as a result I haven't met my step/exercise or calorie goals!
Any suggestions are appreciated.
I've been on MFP for a couple of months now with a calorie goal of 1200 for a 1lb/week weight loss. I am finding it difficult to meet that 1200 while at the same time eating healthy (I mean sure, I could go grab a 900 calorie burger) but opting for healthier foods is filling me up.. but not meeting my calorie goals. Usually I have to force a protein bar down me to at least get to the 1000 calorie minimum where MFP won't "yell" at me for not meeting the minimum.
To add to that issue, I've also been regularly working out, usually burning 800-1000 calories during the day..and I certainly hadn't been eating back any of them, let alone 50%. (which I only recently found out was a bad thing)
So now my dilemma, do I stop excising until I can eat back those calories? Do I opt for higher calorie foods, but not as healthy, so I can meet my calorie requirements? I've been in a funk the last two days because I'm just not sure how to attack this, as a result I haven't met my step/exercise or calorie goals!
Any suggestions are appreciated.
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I struggled with this for a while, and started adding more calorie dense foods to what I was already eating. Add chicken or another lean protein to your salads, or avocado, or an egg to your meal. You don't have to go all-or-nothing, lettuce or Big Mac.4
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Is this a new "problem" for you? It seems like you went from one extreme to the next .. clearly you didn't gain weight on this 'formula' you are at now, so what gives? How long has this been happening? If it's a few week problem it's cool, but if it's something ongoing then you should reevaluate your thinking3
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lemonychild wrote: »Is this a new "problem" for you? It seems like you went from one extreme to the next .. clearly you didn't gain weight on this 'formula' you are at now, so what gives? How long has this been happening? If it's a few week problem it's cool, but if it's something ongoing then you should reevaluate your thinking
Meeting the 1200 goal is not a new problem, I've been struggling with that all along. Where my newly-found concern stems from is that I hadn't realized that I should have been accounting for and eating back 50% of my exercise calories, so I fear I've been severely short-changing my body. If I've been struggling meeting the 1200 calories, how on earth am I going to meet, say 1700.0 -
Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods
eat more calorie dense foods!
Thank you for the link!!!0 -
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wheninroam wrote: »lemonychild wrote: »Is this a new "problem" for you? It seems like you went from one extreme to the next .. clearly you didn't gain weight on this 'formula' you are at now, so what gives? How long has this been happening? If it's a few week problem it's cool, but if it's something ongoing then you should reevaluate your thinking
Meeting the 1200 goal is not a new problem, I've been struggling with that all along. Where my newly-found concern stems from is that I hadn't realized that I should have been accounting for and eating back 50% of my exercise calories, so I fear I've been severely short-changing my body. If I've been struggling meeting the 1200 calories, how on earth am I going to meet, say 1700.
How much weight have you lost during these three months? There are so many ways logging can be inaccurate including database entries and difficulties getting accurate calorie burns. If you're losing at the 1lb/week, I wouldn't mess with it. If you are losing faster, then increase your calories to match your goal rate. About 250 cals/day/0.5lb.1 -
Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »what they are saying is tho is that you got over weight by eating more calories.. so they are just trying to understand why you cant seem to do that now, and is thinking your approach in general outside of just the calories being too low might be also an issue
Oh, the original weight gain was due to pregnancy... I had NO problem eating then.. and had actually put on 80lbs with my second child! After pregnancy, I lost most of the weight both kids put on me with the exception of 20lbs that I'm now trying to lose. (Figure 7 years is long enough to hold on to it)
ETA: Prior to using MFP, I wasn't paying attention to what I was eating. I wasn't gaining, so I wasn't too concerned. Now that I am focused on losing and eating better, a lot of the foods I used to (LOVE) to eat had insane calories. (I was dismayed to find my favorite Johnny Rockets burger was a whopping 950 calories) So based on that revelation, I imagine I was maintaining my calories through high-calorie/unhealthy foods, which I have since given up.0 -
Healthy food doesn't have to equate to low calorie - fats are particularly calorie dense and will add calories without a lot of volume. They also make food delicious
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nutmegoreo wrote: »How much weight have you lost during these three months? There are so many ways logging can be inaccurate including database entries and difficulties getting accurate calorie burns. If you're losing at the 1lb/week, I wouldn't mess with it. If you are losing faster, then increase your calories to match your goal rate. About 250 cals/day/0.5lb.
I've lost 8lbs so far. The last two weeks have been at a standstill.0 -
wheninroam wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »How much weight have you lost during these three months? There are so many ways logging can be inaccurate including database entries and difficulties getting accurate calorie burns. If you're losing at the 1lb/week, I wouldn't mess with it. If you are losing faster, then increase your calories to match your goal rate. About 250 cals/day/0.5lb.
I've lost 8lbs so far. The last two weeks have been at a standstill.
So a bit slower that would be expected, assuming everything were completely accurate.
Have you been eyeballing foods, using a food scale to weigh things, using measuring cups, or going off package sizes for servings?
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The goal is not to eat the lowest calorie food you can. The goal is to eat food you enjoy and fit your bodies needs within your calorie goal. Calories are not the enemy, calorie dense food is not something to avoid. Add calorie dense foods you enjoy.7
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What's wrong with a burger if you've got the calories for it?10
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You don't HAVE to eat back 50% of exercise calories, not sure where you heard that. If you calculate you TDEE correctly then you can just workout and eat your calories and you dont even need to track your workout with MFP. Eat some more calorie dense foods, if that involves a burger than go for it, and then have some fruit and veges after. #balance #IIFYM.0
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How much fat and protein are you eating?
Add in Nuts, seeds, salmon, nut butters.
And I eat burgers, pizza & ice cream also.0 -
beckygammon wrote: »You don't HAVE to eat back 50% of exercise calories, not sure where you heard that. If you calculate you TDEE correctly then you can just workout and eat your calories and you dont even need to track your workout with MFP. Eat some more calorie dense foods, if that involves a burger than go for it, and then have some fruit and veges after. #balance #IIFYM.
If you've used MFP to work out your calorie goal you should be eating back the calories as it doesn't factor in exercise only your NEAT. OP is on the lowest calorie goal of 1200 and should not be netting below that for a healthy intake. Lets not confuse matters by referring to TDEE which is entirely different to the method MFP uses.1 -
I.never undestand these posts. It's.not hard.to eat.1200'cals a day at all....yes, even in a healthy way
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Where are all the fruit and vegetables in your diet?
Perhaps you should start with how you are defining healthy eating, what foods you feel you need to exclude and why.
A good approach to "fixing" a diet is to start from what to include rather than what to exclude.3 -
Just looking at your diary for yesterday, it looks like you drank three of your meals and only ate a small something at dinner. You need to actually eat food. Protein shakes are not food. Can I ask if you have had disordered eating issues in the past? This is VERY restrictive and seems almost punishing. Are you afraid of cooking because you think adding oil and ingredients will raise the calories too much? A healthy diet would have a few meals that would each have protein, fat and fiber along with healthy carbs to give you an energy boost. Aim for 2-3 small meals and a few snacks per day. A healthy lunch might look like 3 oz grilled chicken, a small helping of veggies like broccoli or bell peppers and maybe a small sweet potato or piece of fruit. That right there is bigger than your dinners.
It seems like you are afraid to eat. I was like that at one time but it really worked against me. I lost muscle along with fat and though I lost 60 pounds, I had a higher percent of body fat at the end than when I started. Your body needs fuel.1 -
Just looking at your diary for yesterday, it looks like you drank three of your meals and only ate a small something at dinner. You need to actually eat food. Protein shakes are not food. Can I ask if you have had disordered eating issues in the past? This is VERY restrictive and seems almost punishing. Are you afraid of cooking because you think adding oil and ingredients will raise the calories too much? A healthy diet would have a few meals that would each have protein, fat and fiber along with healthy carbs to give you an energy boost. Aim for 2-3 small meals and a few snacks per day. A healthy lunch might look like 3 oz grilled chicken, a small helping of veggies like broccoli or bell peppers and maybe a small sweet potato or piece of fruit. That right there is bigger than your dinners.
It seems like you are afraid to eat. I was like that at one time but it really worked against me. I lost muscle along with fat and though I lost 60 pounds, I had a higher percent of body fat at the end than when I started. Your body needs fuel.
Protein shakes are food, but a diet made up of them isn't likely to be balanced or satisfying.3 -
A suppressed appetite could be due to a variety of things. If it is in fact due to the food you're eating, you need to overhaul what you're eating.
A burger isn't unhealthy btw, even a 900 cal one. A day with that along with fruit/veg, your preferred starches (if any), and some leaner proteins (to comp for the saturated fat in the burger) is a healthy diet. I regularly eat like that and my blood work is really, really good. Try to rethink how you've labeled healthy and unhealthy foods. That mindset seems to be damaging your relationship with food.5 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »wheninroam wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »How much weight have you lost during these three months? There are so many ways logging can be inaccurate including database entries and difficulties getting accurate calorie burns. If you're losing at the 1lb/week, I wouldn't mess with it. If you are losing faster, then increase your calories to match your goal rate. About 250 cals/day/0.5lb.
I've lost 8lbs so far. The last two weeks have been at a standstill.
So a bit slower that would be expected, assuming everything were completely accurate.
Have you been eyeballing foods, using a food scale to weigh things, using measuring cups, or going off package sizes for servings?
I have been using a food scale and using the packaged serving sizes for serving size/nutritional information. I think my logging has been as spot on as possible.
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skinnyinnotime wrote: »I.never undestand these posts. It's.not hard.to eat.1200'cals a day at all....yes, even in a healthy way
It's possible, of course, to lose one's appetite due to psychological trauma, grief, physical illness, etc., but when I see an overweight person who is actively seeking to reduce their weight and is unable to reach a minimum of 1200 calories, I generally assume that they have bought into some hard core "clean eating" propaganda and can't stuff enough twigs and seeds down their gullet to reach the minimum.
Or they are drinking Goo Tea from the Black Lagoon three times a day plus eating all the zucchini spirals and turmeric they want.
Or they have an eating disorder lurking just below the surface, whispering in their ear, "hey, look how incredibly dainty we are, we can't even eat 1200".
Anyway. Eat the kitteny burger. And some kittenish peanut butter on a nice ripe kitty cat banana. And a bowl of mamacat cherrios and kitty milk and be done with it. Or whatever you like that will fit into your day and your calorie limit! Boom..problem kitty cat solved. :-)9 -
Just looking at your diary for yesterday, it looks like you drank three of your meals and only ate a small something at dinner. You need to actually eat food. Protein shakes are not food. Can I ask if you have had disordered eating issues in the past? This is VERY restrictive and seems almost punishing. Are you afraid of cooking because you think adding oil and ingredients will raise the calories too much? A healthy diet would have a few meals that would each have protein, fat and fiber along with healthy carbs to give you an energy boost. Aim for 2-3 small meals and a few snacks per day. A healthy lunch might look like 3 oz grilled chicken, a small helping of veggies like broccoli or bell peppers and maybe a small sweet potato or piece of fruit. That right there is bigger than your dinners.
It seems like you are afraid to eat. I was like that at one time but it really worked against me. I lost muscle along with fat and though I lost 60 pounds, I had a higher percent of body fat at the end than when I started. Your body needs fuel.
Yesterday (and the day before for that matter) were terrible for me, I know that and MFP wouldn't even let me close it out per say. I wish you would have looked at another day! lol. I was was overbooked on decorating cakes and didn't even think of food. But that is my problem in general.. I don't really think of food or get much hunger pains. Probably due to my long-term bad habit of having just coffee for breakfast, occasionally something for lunch, and then dinner. I've been trying to change this (not that you can tell that from yesterday) and have been focused on getting something in me for breakfast/lunch as well as a protein shake after workout. Yesterday's protein shake came at 10pm when I realized I had barely eaten anything and had to get something in me.
I think my problem has been that I have been making the mistake of believing healthy=low calorie. So when I've been eating all of these low-calorie meals, I'm filled but not coming close to meeting my minimum calorie requirements.
Thank you for your insight:)1 -
Thank you for everyone's replies. They have been VERY helpful and insightful. I've apparently been focusing on low-calorie foods, thinking that was the way to go, and then of course being frustrated when I can't meet the minimum requirements. Seems so obvious now of course, but I had been in the mind set to avoid the burgers, opt for egg whites in order eat healthy. I've got the calorie dense list bookmarked and will certainly put in an effort for this week!3
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OP, it sounds like you are figuring things out nicely. Low calorie foods enable us to eat a greater quantity of food, but if that is not important to you or is even problematic on busy days, there is nothing wrong with eating more calorie dense foods instead, but merely in smaller portions. I've lost over 100 lbs eating mostly small portions of calorie dense foods myself. Good luck to you - you can get it worked out!1
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OP what you've described is very common. When people make up their mind to lose the weight and be healthy, and start logging foods on MFP, they get a bit of sticker shock if you will, at seeing how calorie dense some of their old favorites are. They cut out a lot of the foods they used to eat, or calorie dense sugary drinks, and start eating more nutrition dense foods which tend to fill them up for less calories. That's great, BUT...
It's also important to find a balance. Getting adequate calories is also important, to fuel busy lifestyles (sounds like you are a busy working mom) and exercise routines (sounds like you do that too). It's ok to eat a mix of foods, almost every food (even Johnny Rockets burgers) provides nutrition. Maybe a 950 cal burger can't fit every day, but a single with cheese could. Or if burgers sound good, make them at home for less calories. Look over the link of calorie dense foods posted above to find some quick wins of things to add to get you up to the minimum Cals (1200 NET is what you should be aiming for) but also just try to find a balance of foods that provide you nutrition, satiety, and enjoyment. Cutting everything out that you love in favor of low cal options is often not a sustainable long term solution. Most people here find their way to a balanced diet that includes those foods they love in moderation.
Good luck.5
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