Am I not eating enough?
strifechick
Posts: 129 Member
Ok so I know that it's a bad thing to eat to few calories and I normally can get my 1200 goal calories eaten (or pretty close to it) without a problem.
But when I exercise I typically won't eat back the calories that I have earned, I tend to do a lot of cardio and will sometimes go to the gym twice or go once and then walk several miles (mostly out of boredom I'm not trying to go crazy with weight loss) so according to MFP I will have earned over 1000+ exercise calories.
So is it unhealthy of me to not eat those extra calories? Will it cause issues in the long term? Some days I really just am not hungry and I don't want to force myself to eat, but I don't want to have issues not eating enough.
But when I exercise I typically won't eat back the calories that I have earned, I tend to do a lot of cardio and will sometimes go to the gym twice or go once and then walk several miles (mostly out of boredom I'm not trying to go crazy with weight loss) so according to MFP I will have earned over 1000+ exercise calories.
So is it unhealthy of me to not eat those extra calories? Will it cause issues in the long term? Some days I really just am not hungry and I don't want to force myself to eat, but I don't want to have issues not eating enough.
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Replies
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Peanut butter and more high fat foods in your diet- low volume but high calories.
You should be eating at least a portion of your exercise cals back. Or if you don't want to, use a tdee calculation to get your calorie goal instead of mfp0 -
1200 calories is the bare minimum! I would say you need to eat your exercise calories back. Your caloric limit is set by factoring in that you will be eating them back0
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Those calorie burn amounts seem high. What exercises are you doing? And for how long? What is your age, height and weight?0
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TavistockToad wrote: »Peanut butter and more high fat foods in your diet- low volume but high calories.
You should be eating at least a portion of your exercise cals back. Or if you don't want to, use a tdee calculation to get your calorie goal instead of mfp
It's not that I'm eating just to meet the goal I eat when I'm hungry and I will feel full, I'm not walking around hungry just at the end of the day I end up with around 1000-1200 calories consumed and that's it.
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Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »Those calorie burn amounts seem high. What exercises are you doing? And for how long? What is your age, height and weight?
I'm 30 5'2" 155lbs and that's not every day but I will often do like 1 hour on a elliptical, half hour jogging on a treadmill, half hour on a stationary bike, 45 minutes-hour light/moderate weights and then sometimes walking/jogging 3-4 miles
That will be spread throughout the course of a day when I am having a "good day" I have issues with chronic migraines so when I have a migraine I do little to nothing on those days but when I don't I'm moving the entire day because I mentally want to make up for my missing time.0 -
How are you logging your calories? Anyone who is on here to lose weight that is not already underweight should not have an issue with meeting 1200 calories - infact it should be at least a little difficult to not go over.2
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strifechick wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Peanut butter and more high fat foods in your diet- low volume but high calories.
You should be eating at least a portion of your exercise cals back. Or if you don't want to, use a tdee calculation to get your calorie goal instead of mfp
It's not that I'm eating just to meet the goal I eat when I'm hungry and I will feel full, I'm not walking around hungry just at the end of the day I end up with around 1000-1200 calories consumed and that's it.
yes, so when you do eat, eat more calorific foods so that you are meeting your goals.
chronic under eating isn't healthy.2 -
If your weight loss is within the 1-2 lbs per week range then you probably have nothing to be concerned about. I tend to trust hunger more than the accuracy of calorie counts. Our bodies are designed to tell us when we need to eat more.1
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OP I'm same height, and started out about the same weight as you. I lost >30 lbs eating between 1600-1800 cals and an currently maintaining around 120 for a couple of years.
What is your goal set at now, lose 1 lb/week? And what baseline calorie target does MFP provide?
You can, and likely should, be eating more to lose weight. Sure, on days when you have migraines and aren't as active I can understand having a bit lower intake. But when you are active, you really should be eating back those calories. There are lots of foods that you can add that help get to those minimums, things like avocado, nut butters, or ice cream if you've had plenty of other nutrient dense foods during the day already!
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I log my food accurately I use a food scale for the majority of things that aren't prepackaged-single serving sized.
I think part of my problem might be that I am taking a drug called topamax and according to my neurologist is can suppress appetite, I have never had that side effect in the past but from what I read online it can sort of just come on if you have had major changes in other drugs or life style which I have had both in changing how I eat, exercise and dropping off all my other prescriptions that don't help me any.
I have my goals set to lose 1-2 lbs a week not sure which exactly because I'd like to lose as much as I can (but I want to still be healthy while doing it which is why I'm concerned here)
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.0 -
add an extra egg and slice of bacon, if you can handle it add a piece of toast with PB on it with some fruit for a snack or breakfast
I also add protein powder to my coffee (chocolate flavor) and my husband adds it to milk for some extra calories and protein.0 -
TheCupcakeCounter wrote: »add an extra egg and slice of bacon, if you can handle it add a piece of toast with PB on it with some fruit for a snack or breakfast
I also add protein powder to my coffee (chocolate flavor) and my husband adds it to milk for some extra calories and protein.
I was gonna ask about protein/meal replacement powders. Do you guys think adding something like that would be a good idea to supplement my diet to add on the calories because I really don't want to force myself to eat more that idea just doesn't seem right to me.1 -
I'd say at the least eat 1200 calories daily, minimum, especially if you are doing so much exercise. If you used MFP to calculate your deficit, it uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) which means that it gives us the proper deficit to lose at WITHOUT accounting for exercise. Doing exercise puts you basically into a bigger deficit, that doesn't necessarily do any good at all.
How much are you trying to lose, and what is your actual goal? 1-2lbs isn't an option.
Meds definitely play havoc on us, I'm on one that increases appetite (ugh), so it's important to understand the effect it has and still get within our boundaries. I'm not saying stuff yourself, but look into a list of calorie dense foods and incorporate some of those into your meals to get you to the mark you should be at at least. Because calorie burn can be over estimate on MFP and other websites (some bands are on mark) most of us generally recommend eating 50% back. If you choose not to, again at least hit the 1200 mark.
Edit: I also respectfully disagree with @TimothyFish in a general sense. Many of us have learned to listen to any hunger sign, not necessarily the ACTUAL hunger signs, so unless the person is paying attention, sure they should eat when hungry, reasonably. Also since the OP is on appetite suppressant side-effect drugs, those signs may be far out of balance.1 -
strifechick wrote: »
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.
dip your veg in humous, dip your fruit in cream or full fat yoghurt, choose a fatter meat that chicken for your dinner, put dressing/cheese/nuts or seeds on your salad0 -
strifechick wrote: »TheCupcakeCounter wrote: »add an extra egg and slice of bacon, if you can handle it add a piece of toast with PB on it with some fruit for a snack or breakfast
I also add protein powder to my coffee (chocolate flavor) and my husband adds it to milk for some extra calories and protein.
I was gonna ask about protein/meal replacement powders. Do you guys think adding something like that would be a good idea to supplement my diet to add on the calories because I really don't want to force myself to eat more that idea just doesn't seem right to me.
I'm going into maintenance and I'm having a hard time getting up to my maintenance calories, so I can understand the struggle with eating more without feeling like you're eating too much. I have a protein shake with a banana + my regular breakfast. I've also been adding 2 tbsp of peanut butter (with fruit or toast) and 1oz of cheese in the afternoon. That's about 500-600 calories but very little volume. You should be eating at least half your exercise calories back. I'm also a migraine sufferer and under-eating/over exercising will just aggravate that problem so you want to get your calories up a little.0 -
strifechick wrote: »I log my food accurately I use a food scale for the majority of things that aren't prepackaged-single serving sized.
I think part of my problem might be that I am taking a drug called topamax and according to my neurologist is can suppress appetite, I have never had that side effect in the past but from what I read online it can sort of just come on if you have had major changes in other drugs or life style which I have had both in changing how I eat, exercise and dropping off all my other prescriptions that don't help me any.
I have my goals set to lose 1-2 lbs a week not sure which exactly because I'd like to lose as much as I can (but I want to still be healthy while doing it which is why I'm concerned here)
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.
This' a huge problem right, here everything must; be weighed! As I've mentioned many times I, once had a Hot Pocket that was suppose to; be approximately 300 calories but was, over 500 when; I weighed it & thus you're consuming more calories than you know!
I also weigh, all liquids besides; water because the thicker the liquid the, more surface tension it; has above the rim & thus more, unknown calories if; not weighed 1st!0 -
DeficitDuchess wrote: »strifechick wrote: »I log my food accurately I use a food scale for the majority of things that aren't prepackaged-single serving sized.
@DeficitDuchess
I think part of my problem might be that I am taking a drug called topamax and according to my neurologist is can suppress appetite, I have never had that side effect in the past but from what I read online it can sort of just come on if you have had major changes in other drugs or life style which I have had both in changing how I eat, exercise and dropping off all my other prescriptions that don't help me any.
I have my goals set to lose 1-2 lbs a week not sure which exactly because I'd like to lose as much as I can (but I want to still be healthy while doing it which is why I'm concerned here)
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.
This' a huge problem right, here everything must; be weighed! As I've mentioned many times I, once had a Hot Pocket that was suppose to; be approximately 300 calories but was, over 500 when; I weighed it & thus you're consuming more calories than you know!
I also weigh, all liquids besides; water because the thicker the liquid the, more surface tension it; has above the rim & thus more, unknown calories if; not weighed 1st!
Well I really only drink water occasionally I will have a Red Bull for caffeine when I have a migraine (I know that often bothers some people but they help me)
The only things I don't weigh are things like a string cheese, my energy drink, the occasional single cookie and uniform things
The majority of what I eat needs to be weighed out to figure out a portion size.
@crooked_left_hook
Eating more seems to make my migraines worse as opposed to eating less in general which is why I kinda want to shy away from eating too much. And the exerting really doesn't bother me as long as I stay away from specific things. Like if I do heavy weights that will kill me right there or running. But light cardio small amounts of weights I can do without major issues most of time
@TavistockToad I don't shy away from my ranch dressing (full fat buttermilk hahah)1 -
strifechick wrote: »I log my food accurately I use a food scale for the majority of things that aren't prepackaged-single serving sized.
I think part of my problem might be that I am taking a drug called topamax and according to my neurologist is can suppress appetite, I have never had that side effect in the past but from what I read online it can sort of just come on if you have had major changes in other drugs or life style which I have had both in changing how I eat, exercise and dropping off all my other prescriptions that don't help me any.
I have my goals set to lose 1-2 lbs a week not sure which exactly because I'd like to lose as much as I can (but I want to still be healthy while doing it which is why I'm concerned here)
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.
The Topamax is most likely why your not feeling as hungry as you should be (I'm familiar with the drug but I don't take it). I'm on Vyvanse for ADHD and when I first started taking it I was also on WW to lose weight. I was never hungry during the day but at the end of the day when the medication wore off I would crash hard from not eating enough and get a migraine. So I started planning out my food for the day making sure that I stayed tightly within my points (or calorie) goals, set times for my meals and snacks, and ate them even if I wasn't hungry. I was still able to lose weight and learn portion control. I still do this because it keeps me from getting a hunger migraine.
Hopefully that appetite suppressing side effect will reduce over time. I've been on Vyvanse for 7 years and it doesn't reduce my appetite anymore, it actually does the opposite and makes me extra hungry in the first half of the day. Now I plan for that side effect by front loading my calories for the day so I eat 2 breakfasts and a snack before lunch, then taper down the size of my meals toward the end of the day. Sometimes with medications that change your appetite you have to put a little extra trust in the calculator and meal planning and just override your lack of feeling hungry. With that said, you have to be extra careful with your measuring if you need to do this to make sure you are hitting your calorie goals. I hope this helps!0 -
crooked_left_hook wrote: »strifechick wrote: »I log my food accurately I use a food scale for the majority of things that aren't prepackaged-single serving sized.
I think part of my problem might be that I am taking a drug called topamax and according to my neurologist is can suppress appetite, I have never had that side effect in the past but from what I read online it can sort of just come on if you have had major changes in other drugs or life style which I have had both in changing how I eat, exercise and dropping off all my other prescriptions that don't help me any.
I have my goals set to lose 1-2 lbs a week not sure which exactly because I'd like to lose as much as I can (but I want to still be healthy while doing it which is why I'm concerned here)
I mostly eat fruits and veggies (raw), and eggs/bacon for lunch, and chicken with salad. I am a pretty picky eater because I have some digestive issues and I don't want to eat anything that will upset my stomach.
The Topamax is most likely why your not feeling as hungry as you should be (I'm familiar with the drug but I don't take it). I'm on Vyvanse for ADHD and when I first started taking it I was also on WW to lose weight. I was never hungry during the day but at the end of the day when the medication wore off I would crash hard from not eating enough and get a migraine. So I started planning out my food for the day making sure that I stayed tightly within my points (or calorie) goals, set times for my meals and snacks, and ate them even if I wasn't hungry. I was still able to lose weight and learn portion control. I still do this because it keeps me from getting a hunger migraine.
Hopefully that appetite suppressing side effect will reduce over time. I've been on Vyvanse for 7 years and it doesn't reduce my appetite anymore, it actually does the opposite and makes me extra hungry in the first half of the day. Now I plan for that side effect by front loading my calories for the day so I eat 2 breakfasts and a snack before dinner, then taper down the size of my meals toward the end of the day. Sometimes with medications that change your appetite you have to put a little extra trust in the calculator and meal planning and just override your lack of feeling hungry. With that said, you have to be extra careful with your measuring if you need to do this. I hope this helps!
I don't know if the topamax is causing it because I have been on it for 5 years and I never had issues with that particular side effect before. I have usually had a lot of weight gain from medications (but that was from others as far as I know I haven't had any major side effects from topamax).
I just know that this is a know and common side effect of the medication that could be going on
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Sounds to me like you're doing a fine job and meeting your needs as well as meeting or exceeding your goals and although I'm not a professional it doesn't sound like you have a mental problem (like anorexia). If you start to feel too tired or lose too much weight then you should probably reconsider your diet. Well done!
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If you weigh 155, and are losing more than 1-1.5 pounds per week, I'd encourage you to eat more. It doesn't matter whether you think of that as increasing your calorie goal, or as eating back some of your exercise. Losing no more than 1% of your body weight per week is a rough rule of thumb for staying on the healthy side of weight loss, and as goal approaches, even that should taper off to 0.5 pound/week at 10 pounds or so to goal, 1 pound at 25 or so before goal. It's always fine to lose more slowly than those values.
The actual weight loss rate you're experiencing is more important than your goal settings: The calculators just give you a target based on average calorie requirements. Each of us can vary a little from average, so our actual loss is a better guide.1 -
strifechick wrote: »TheCupcakeCounter wrote: »add an extra egg and slice of bacon, if you can handle it add a piece of toast with PB on it with some fruit for a snack or breakfast
I also add protein powder to my coffee (chocolate flavor) and my husband adds it to milk for some extra calories and protein.
I was gonna ask about protein/meal replacement powders. Do you guys think adding something like that would be a good idea to supplement my diet to add on the calories because I really don't want to force myself to eat more that idea just doesn't seem right to me.
I would do it in addition to and make sure you aren't doing a replacement of anything but yeah it could really help especially in the long term0 -
@TheCupcakeCounter what I was considering (if it's a good idea in general) wouldn't be to replace anything but to like add as a shake or smoothie for additional calories/nutrition for the day.
@AnnPT77 so far I have lost about 10lbs in a months time but to be honest I believe a lot of that is water weight over anything else because I was on a medication that was known for making you hold onto that and I wasn't able to lose anything while on it regardless of exercise or calorie deficit while on it but as soon as I stopped it (not because of weight loss realms because the meds weren't helping the issue the were prescribed for) I started dropping the weight right after.
@trorion thanks I really don't think I have any issues with that because I know I might not be eating enough and I am looking to fix it if I am.
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Also thanks for all the suggestions and help everyone. I really appreciate everything you are all helping me with. You guys are all amazing!0
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If you're not hungry but you need calories just add oil to the food you do eat. 1tbs in a salad is 120 cals or better yet choose foods that are low volume but high calories like a slice of pizza or a chocolate bar. A chocolate bar every night sounds lush tbh0
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