Not eating all of my calories
jringold1
Posts: 45 Member
Hey All -
I have an issue I thought I would never have - I’m not eating all of my budgeted calories. Here is an example of today:
Budget: 1,633
Eaten: 903
Exercise: 667 (this is coming from fitbit - not manually posting exercise)
Net: 236
I am about to eat dinner which will be about 400 calories. That will put me at 1303 eaten for the day. So, if I don’t include exercise calories, I am about 330 shy of budget. However, if I include exercise calories I am about 1,000 calories off.
I keep hearing that I should eat all my calories - or at least all of my 1633 and at least half of my exercise calories. But to be quite honest, I am just not hungry and it seems counterproductive to force myself to eat when I am not hungry at all.
I am on Nutrisystem and following the plan as far as getting in my 4 servings of veggies, drinking tons of water, getting in healthy proteins and carbs. But at the end of the day, between work and 10K+ fitbit steps, I am just tired and not hungry at all. Plus, I am starting this weekend with a TRX class.
So is this a detriment to my weight loss or can I continue with this much of a deficit and loose weight at a decent pace?
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or whatever…..
thanks!
Morgan
I have an issue I thought I would never have - I’m not eating all of my budgeted calories. Here is an example of today:
Budget: 1,633
Eaten: 903
Exercise: 667 (this is coming from fitbit - not manually posting exercise)
Net: 236
I am about to eat dinner which will be about 400 calories. That will put me at 1303 eaten for the day. So, if I don’t include exercise calories, I am about 330 shy of budget. However, if I include exercise calories I am about 1,000 calories off.
I keep hearing that I should eat all my calories - or at least all of my 1633 and at least half of my exercise calories. But to be quite honest, I am just not hungry and it seems counterproductive to force myself to eat when I am not hungry at all.
I am on Nutrisystem and following the plan as far as getting in my 4 servings of veggies, drinking tons of water, getting in healthy proteins and carbs. But at the end of the day, between work and 10K+ fitbit steps, I am just tired and not hungry at all. Plus, I am starting this weekend with a TRX class.
So is this a detriment to my weight loss or can I continue with this much of a deficit and loose weight at a decent pace?
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or whatever…..
thanks!
Morgan
1
Replies
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Occasionally not eating enough won't hurt you. Most likely you will have other days when you eat too much. As long as they balance out then all is well.9
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It depends on how your Fitbit is set up. If you earned an extra 600 from it, is it actual intentional exercise or normal daily activity? Fitbit may be basing your calories off of your sedentary number and adding in for additional movement throughout the day. MFP won't be the same as that necessarily.
Since your male, I would just eat 1,500 (today your 900 already eaten and your 400 for dinner plus a little more). 1,500 minimum and ignore the extra you earned because it will either give you a bigger deficit (yay) or it will account for any inaccuracies with your calorie counts which happens frequently to all of us.0 -
TimothyFish wrote: »Occasionally not eating enough won't hurt you. Most likely you will have other days when you eat too much. As long as they balance out then all is well.
This is the best advice.
Just don't do it (what you did today) on a regular basis and you'll be fine.
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By not eating all of your calories you'll actually lose quicker...but at a price (muscle loss plus other health problems that come from malnutrition). Rather than Nutrisystem, start learning about portion control that can help you even after you hit your goal weight. And if you still can't reach your goal, add in some more calorie-dense foods such as nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy, or cooking oils.3
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Mini_Medic wrote: »It depends on how your Fitbit is set up. If you earned an extra 600 from it, is it actual intentional exercise or normal daily activity? Fitbit may be basing your calories off of your sedentary number and adding in for additional movement throughout the day. MFP won't be the same as that necessarily.
It doesn't matter whether it's "intentional exercise" or normal daily activity. The calorie burns are identical whether or not you call an activity "exercise".
I think you don't understand how FitBit works. You don't set an activity level. It assumes that any time it's not reading steps from you (or an elevated heartrate in the case of the heartrate monitoring ones), you're only burning calories as if in a coma (i.e. at your BMR). Whenever you take steps (or elevate your heartrate), it says "oh! you're awake again! now, I'll give you some credit for moving around". So, the base assumption is even less than sedentary and you have to earn every calorie above BMR.
When FitBit connects to MFP, it reports how many calories you've burned so far today. MFP replaces its estimate of how many calories you would have burned based on your selected activity level with the FitBit number. It keeps its estimate for the rest of the day (that hasn't happened yet). So, it mostly doesn't matter what activity level you pick on MFP either since, by the end of the day, all of that estimate will have been replaced by FitBit's measured numbers. The only thing that your MFP activity level affects is how much MFP will overestimate your calories left for the day when you go to bed. (This effect is lower at lower choices of MFP activity level, but that only really matters if you go to bed early. If you're up 'till midnight like I usually am, it's irrelevant.)3 -
Honestly, I'm pretty sure you could toss your veges in some butter, pour some cheese sauce over the top, have a tablespoon of peanut butter, add some bacon to your food, pop some avocado into your lunch etc. Health fats are good for you. Fat does not make you fat.7
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All the above from Susan and Malibu.
I bring to your attention the being tired after 10000 steps.
If this is novel activity for you (I.e. you're still getting blisters).... fair enough.
We all have to start somewhere and being active (= 10k steps) is certainly a very good start. (I should know: my first goal was no day of less than 5k steps, and that took months to accomplish)
So, 10k steps represent about 1.5 hours of moderate activity in a day. A properly fuelled semi in shape male should, after a while, be able to handle that level of activity... without being too tired to do more.
One of the pitfalls of low calories eaten....is getting tired more easily.
I personally believe that deficits should be expressed as a percentage of TDEE.
Thus you can get better results by expanding the activity pie and taking a bigger bite out of a really large pie as opposed to small bites out of tiny pies, all at the same percentage deficit4 -
This is my biggest issue... Honestly, eating has to be a very conscious tho g for me. My hubby is currently out of town for work, and I probably wouldn't cool if it weren't for the kids. It's always been my biggest issue. Don't really have a sweet tooth, nor do I love salt. I use healthy fats and whole grains. I can always connect my weight gain/loss/plateaus to not eating enough. As someone already mentioned, nutrisystem is not ideal, but if getting enough calories is a regular issue then something like that may not be he end of the world. Just be sure the foods/drinks you're consuming during the day are healthy/clean.0
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In for pie.1
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Whilst it might seem counter-productive to eat all of your calories, feeling tired after work and 10000 steps could be more of a reaction to not eating enough as @PAV8888 has already pointed out, I walk between 10-14000 steps, work my 9 hour shift and I am bouncing around most of the evening doing housework, meal prep, etc.
Would you not prefer to try eating a little more and feel a bit more energetic than barely scraping your calories and feeling worn out?4 -
How are you working out your calories
Sedentary ?0 -
You're going to make it harder to lose weight down the line as you will lose more lean muscle mass.
Fuel your self properly.
He/she who eats the most and still loses wins!
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Rather than Nutrisystem, start learning about portion control that can help you even after you hit your goal weight.
@SusanMFindlay - best explaination of how MFP works with fitbit.We all have to start somewhere and being active (= 10k steps) is certainly a very good start. (I should know: my first goal was no day of less than 5k steps, and that took months to accomplish)
So, 10k steps represent about 1.5 hours of moderate activity in a day. A properly fuelled semi in shape male should, after a while, be able to handle that level of activity... without being too tired to do more.tinkerbellang83 wrote: »Would you not prefer to try eating a little more and feel a bit more energetic than barely scraping your calories and feeling worn out?
Thanks for all the great advice.
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How are you working out your calories
Sedentary ?
OP already said, he's using a FitBit linked to MFP to provide the exercise adjustment. The two systems are designed to work out the calorie adjustments so that you are NETTING your MFP goal, after incorporating your activity. The more active you are, the bigger your adjustment, especially if you are set at a Sedendary calorie level (and one thing I had to learn, after getting my FitBit, is just because I have a desk job, if I average 10K steps/day, that's not sedentary).
OP - I agree with the others who say that being in too big of a deficit is not good. For what it's worth, I'm a 5'2 female and I lose weight eating 1600-1800 calories, with a TDEE according to my FitBit and actual results of 2200.
The fatigue you are feeling is likely from undereating. Even without your exercise adjustment, your day still totals only 1300 calories, which is below the minimum recommended for men. Faster weight loss is not better weight loss, not in most situations (only the morbidly obese can really support an aggressive rate of loss more than 2 lbs/week). You need to eat more. Add some of these items, or add another nutrisystem meal to your plan.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
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OP, when you say trying to eat "normally" is difficult for you due to macros etc. How about ignoring macros and just eating what you enjoy in appropriate portions for a meal or two a day. This will help you figure out what's "worth it" in terms of calories, what is satisfying mentally and physically and you can peek at macros to see how those foods are impacting macros (with protein being the most important).
It's all well and good saying you need to get your weight to a manageable level but if you don't at least start trying to figure all this out you're just going to end up anxiously white knuckling it when you stop/get sick of Nutrisystem.3 -
Ok, so if this level of activity is new, it makes sense to be tired.
Keep in mind that as your power ratio changes (while you do lose both fat and lean mass at this point you're losing proportionately way more fat than lean mass plus as the weight is coming off you still have the power needed to haul around your former weight) you should be feeling more strong and energetic; not less.
If you start feeling less energetic I would definitely look to your minimal calories.
1600 is already low unless you're logging very loosely.
As an example after being stupid before finding MFP, I lost most of my weight on MFP averaging more than 2500 Cal eaten (even in the very beginning total eaten was in the 2300 range) by keeping my fitbit tdee, till very recently, at well over 3000.
Note that Fitbit's numbers are not "exercise". They are their estimate of your TDEE, i.e. what you spent in a day.
Look,
There IS such a thing as losing too fast.
There IS such a thing as a learning curve on learning how you have to eat and move for the rest of your life.
There IS such a thing as figuring out how you can handle family celebrations and dinners, friends, business dinners, Christmas, family emergencies, work and life stress, vacations and all you can eats or drinks from now on.
While you're geared to losing weight you can go through this learning curve and figure a few things out.
You may lose a little slower because of the explorations and lessons, but because you are geared towards a deficit it is less likely that you will have a period of intense weight gain while focused on losing.
You are short circuiting all that learning in multiple ways.
Nutrisystem for the food. Low low calories for faster weight loss.
So let's pretend that you now get to 160lbs? 170lbs? in a year or year and a half instead of the two, three, or more years it would take you to get there at a slower pace while learning things about yourself.
Let's assume you avoid gallstones and the cholecystectomy that follows (hey no guarantee that anyone losing lots of weight avoids them but you increase your chance of surgery exponentially by losing fast)
Let's assume that you don't lose more lean mass than you could have and are all happy with where you're at when you're done!
At some point of time, I assume, you will move beyond Nutrisystem... right?
What often happens then is that the hyperfocus breaks.
Plus you're proud of what the you've accomplished and you deserve some reward.
And you eat some of all the things you haven't been eating without having a good year or more of practice under your belt of eating and moving the way you will have to continue to move and eat for the rest of your life.
And your weight shoots up 5lbs after pizza and beer and wings with friends on the weekend.
And you're an all or nothing guy. So that's a bit disappointing.
So you will go all in next week and lose it and correct this increase.
BUT, this "all in" business has exhausted your will by that point. It has only been a couple of weeks since you were done dieting after all, so maybe you will maintain this week and tackle all this next week.
And your body and hormones are all primed to convince you... to sit in the couch and have another beer and wings. (Because you ARE primed to do so and to store most of the surplus calories as fat first)
So next week you're looking at another 3lbs increase after you went to your company conference.
Which you will kill in no time once you go all in with Nutrisystem on Monday.
But again this level of change so soon lacks appeal...
Your body will stop sabotaging you after a period of regain (quite often to above starting weight)
So, what's the difference with the "other method" that i am advocating?
The difference with the "other method" is that you are learning and exploring new ways to eat and move FOR EVER.
You will NOT be looking for a goal and time frame to finish and be done with your diet because you are not on a frigging diet.
You are changing the way you relate to food, movement, and exercise.
Yes. You are managing your weight manually because without that level of awareness your built in feedback loops haven't been working to stop you from overeating.
So you have to supervise yourself and make sure you're keeping to a plan which is where MFP comes in.
But the rest of it is finding the changes you're willing to make long term.
Whether this is eating more McDonald's and less Chinese food like I did, or whether it is eating more fish and chicken breasts like some of my MFPeops do.
Whether this is walking four to five times more than I used to in a day, or taking up crossfit or cycling like some of my MFPeops have.
The benefit of small permanent (or at least very long term changes) is the small buy in to a correction when things go wrong (which they always do)
First of all you don't go hog wild when you're done because there is no end date and a long term acceptable level of hog wildness is already included.
And you don't have to "change everything" to lose again because you have discovered that all you have to do is adjust by half a candy bar. Or a banana. And you will eventually get back on track.
Anyway. These are my thoughts on this. Don't know if I am right or wrong, will tell to you in five years, and even if I am right for me, each person views life differently.
But you may want to give these concepts some consideration.
And use trendweight together with Fitbit! Will help your sanity especially if you're scale oriented.
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jringold- using Nutrisystem is absolutely no different than eating regular food with one exception- you do not have to be bothered with weighing or measuring the pre-packaged meals that you are receiving. Your calories are probably going to come in under 1,500 each day. You can absolutely get enough nutrients and vitamins on 1,300 to 1,500 per day. And because you are using Nutrisystem- there is likely some balance in your MACROS too. The only thing I would caution you on is that it may be a little light on protein.
There are lots of people that will tell you that you have to eat more in order to lose weight. That is just a myth my friend. Weight loss comes from being at a calorie deficit period. The bigger your deficit, the more weight you will lose. There is a certain amount of minimal calories that you have to consume in order to get the nutrients and vitamins you need to feed your body and the lower your calories the more important it is that you pay attention to the types of things it is that you are eating. You can get in some real trouble in a big hurry with malnutrition. Make sure you take a good vitamin supplement and watch the RDA of the major vitamin and supplements.
The bottom line is this, in order to lose weight you have to burn more that you consume, period. What difference does it make between eating 2,500 calories and burning 3,500; or if you eat 1,500 calories and burn 2,500? None whatsoever. Once you have burned all of your consumed energy, you are burning stored energy which is the cause of the weight loss.
Conventional wisdom is to take this slow and steady, but you also don't have to do this at a snails pace. Everyone looks at this a little differently. Some will tell you that you have to eat back your workout calories, others will say eat back 50%. I say that is up to you. The minute you have burned 1 more calorie than you have consumed you are no longer operating on energy from your food source. That's just the science of it my friend...0 -
adipace815 wrote: »jringold- using Nutrisystem is absolutely no different than eating regular food with one exception- you do not have to be bothered with weighing or measuring the pre-packaged meals that you are receiving. Your calories are probably going to come in under 1,500 each day. You can absolutely get enough nutrients and vitamins on 1,300 to 1,500 per day. And because you are using Nutrisystem- there is likely some balance in your MACROS too. The only thing I would caution you on is that it may be a little light on protein.
There are lots of people that will tell you that you have to eat more in order to lose weight. That is just a myth my friend. Weight loss comes from being at a calorie deficit period. The bigger your deficit, the more weight you will lose. There is a certain amount of minimal calories that you have to consume in order to get the nutrients and vitamins you need to feed your body and the lower your calories the more important it is that you pay attention to the types of things it is that you are eating. You can get in some real trouble in a big hurry with malnutrition. Make sure you take a good vitamin supplement and watch the RDA of the major vitamin and supplements.
The bottom line is this, in order to lose weight you have to burn more that you consume, period. What difference does it make between eating 2,500 calories and burning 3,500; or if you eat 1,500 calories and burn 2,500? None whatsoever. Once you have burned all of your consumed energy, you are burning stored energy which is the cause of the weight loss.
Conventional wisdom is to take this slow and steady, but you also don't have to do this at a snails pace. Everyone looks at this a little differently. Some will tell you that you have to eat back your workout calories, others will say eat back 50%. I say that is up to you. The minute you have burned 1 more calorie than you have consumed you are no longer operating on energy from your food source. That's just the science of it my friend...
As on obesse adult the maximum "golden" zone of balancing fast weight loss to minimal side effects is 25% of your TDEE. This falls to 20% as soon as you go below the high overweight range (by available fat to lose % level)
If you burn 3500 Cal a day, this means that as an obesse individual you can sustain a deficit of 875 Cal with few ill effects, subject to your ability to maintain compliance.
If you burn 2500 Cal a day, the sustainable deficit with minimal ill effects becomes 625 Cal.
A difference of a half lb a week.1 -
adipace815 wrote: »There are lots of people that will tell you that you have to eat more in order to lose weight. That is just a myth my friend.
Nobody says that. We say that you have to eat enough to be healthy. For tall men, 1300-1500 calories/day is not remotely enough to be healthy.
Fun fact. My husband has lost 30 pounds in 6 months as a side effect of me watching what I eat and being more active. He went in for his annual check-up, and his doctor was worried about him losing so much weight so fast without trying. Now, my husband and I know the whole situation, and we know that he's eating plenty (almost certainly over 3,000 calories/day) and is not yet down a weight that would have either of us (or his doctor) concerned. But he still has to go back so that his doctor can make sure that nothing is wrong with him to cause him to lose that much weight that fast without trying.
There *is* such a thing as too-fast weightloss.
And while the deficit may be the same, I'd sure be a whole lot happier eating 2500 and burning 3500 than I would be eating 1500 and burning 2500. Not just because "more food". But also because that extra activity would be good for me.1 -
First, I want to thank EVERYONE for your input. It’s humbling that I posted a question and so many of you took the time to offer your suggestions voluntary. It’s obvious that each of you want to help each other out - and hopefully when I am further down the path of this journey I can pay it forward.
Now, @Pav8888 - have you been spying on me??? What you described could happen - DID HAPPEN!!! Three years ago I majorly cut calories (I’m talking 800 to 1K a day) and ran my *kitten* off every day burning Lord knows how many calories. In 6 months I lost 90 pounds. I was so freaking proud of my new body. I quit hiding from cameras. I posted pics with me in them on Facebook (I never did that before-always ashamed how I looked). And once I hit my goal, what you described, happened. Next thing you know, 3 years later and I am back to where I was - which quite literally has thrown me into such a pit of depression that I am taking meds for it. I was almost off BP meds - dosage cut from 50mg per day to 6.25mg and was about to stop them completely. Now I am back at 25mg per day. I keep rescheduling my yearly physical because I know if I don’t do something I will be back at 50mg. In a phrase, I became a mess - exactly what you described.
I’m 52 years old, 5’ 10” and 255 pounds (I started this journey last month at 267). We just became empty nesters and have a fun future to look forward to. My wife and I are certified Scuba divers and have talked about all the trips we can now take. But I feel like this is my last chance. If I can’t pull it off, get down to a healthy weight that my beautiful spouse can be proud of (not that she has ever said anything about my weight and is fully supportive of me) and stay there, well… I won’t type my thoughts on the potential outcome.
Anyway, I say all of this to let you know how important this is to me and how your advice is taken, understood, and used. I don’t take what each of you post lightly.
Thanks again for all of your suggestions!2
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