Boosting calories to meet daily minimum in healthy ways
mariecb07
Posts: 17 Member
I've been using MFP for 16 days now, and while my goal is feeling stronger and losing weight, I am learning a lot about my general nutrition. It turns out I was wrong about a lot of things. For example, I thought I was overeating generally and probably eating way too many carbs and sugars and fats. It turns out I'm almost never eating the recommended amount of calories (1200 per my height, weight, and activity according to MFP), even on days when I exercise and feel hungrier than usual. I'm not starving myself... just not hungry. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I'm now thinking perhaps part of the reason I've gained weight in recent years is I'm largely sedentary (doctoral student, work at a computer all day and into the night usually) and apparently drastically under-eating (some nights I'm ready for bed but am only at about half my goal for the day), so I've slowed down my metabolism. Oops.
I am exercising at least 30 min a day 3 times a week, but this hasn't really boosted my appetite much. I would like to boost my calories to the recommended minimum and keep on track with my nutrition goals, but I also don't want to force myself to eat all the time when I'm not hungry. What are you favorite nutrient-dense recipes or foods or snacks?
I would really prefer suggestions for things that will boost me in my problem areas (see below), and it would be great if I could boost my calories + problem nutrients without eating a large quantity of food that I'm not really hungry for! If you have food or supplement suggestions that can help me target the stuff that's missing from my diet, that would be wonderful. I have no dietary restrictions... except olives and coffee taste gross.
Here's what I'm doing well and doing poorly with in terms of nutrients:
On the "week view" of my app, I'm meeting my recommended amounts with the following:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Iron
I'm meeting about 75% of the recommendation with:
Calcium
Cholesterol
Fat
I'm meeting about 50% of the recommendation with:
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Sugar
Sodium
I'm only at about 25% of the recommendation with:
Potassium
I am exercising at least 30 min a day 3 times a week, but this hasn't really boosted my appetite much. I would like to boost my calories to the recommended minimum and keep on track with my nutrition goals, but I also don't want to force myself to eat all the time when I'm not hungry. What are you favorite nutrient-dense recipes or foods or snacks?
I would really prefer suggestions for things that will boost me in my problem areas (see below), and it would be great if I could boost my calories + problem nutrients without eating a large quantity of food that I'm not really hungry for! If you have food or supplement suggestions that can help me target the stuff that's missing from my diet, that would be wonderful. I have no dietary restrictions... except olives and coffee taste gross.
Here's what I'm doing well and doing poorly with in terms of nutrients:
On the "week view" of my app, I'm meeting my recommended amounts with the following:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Iron
I'm meeting about 75% of the recommendation with:
Calcium
Cholesterol
Fat
I'm meeting about 50% of the recommendation with:
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Sugar
Sodium
I'm only at about 25% of the recommendation with:
Potassium
0
Replies
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I am looking at raising my BMR. I am researching this right now.1
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Okay so here is something else for you to learn.
1200 is not the recommended amount of calories for most people unless you have set your weight loss goal high...aka 2lbs a week or you are a small person.
1200 is the minimum you can go and still get in all your macros/micros as long as you are careful.
If you are under eating you would be losing weight fast...chances are you are eating more than think.
how are you measuring your intake? food scale? cups or guessing?7 -
Okay so here is something else for you to learn.
1200 is not the recommended amount of calories for most people unless you have set your weight loss goal high...aka 2lbs a week or you are a small person.
1200 is the minimum you can go and still get in all your macros/micros as long as you are careful.
If you are under eating you would be losing weight fast...chances are you are eating more than think.
how are you measuring your intake? food scale? cups or guessing?
This. Most people, even many shorter women, need more than 1200 cals. You would have to undereat for a very long time to measurably slow down your metabolism, and even then it would just make it harder for you to lose weight.
Before you try to eat more, I'd suggest:- Get a food scale and commit to using it for at least 2 weeks for all solid food, it is way more accurate and reliable than measuring cups, package info, or eyeballing.
- Double check the entries you are using in the database are accurate. There is a lot of random crap entered by other users that is just plain wrong.
- Log everything, accurately and consistently: food, drinks, condiments, cooking oil, even veggies.
- Not all micros are required on food labels, and if they aren't always on food labels then they aren't always on MFP
Doing this will make sure you don't shoot yourself in the foot. The vast majority of people who feel full but can't meet the bare minimum of calories required by an adult, are actually eating more than they think. When I started using a food scale, I discovered I was eating 200-300 cals per day more than I thought I was - it's really common!3 -
SezxyStef, I'm going to reply to your post piecemeal but frankly it doesn't seem like you read mine very closely. You've posted "something else for me to learn" but it's all things I already knew or are irrelevant to my goals and post...1200 is not the recommended amount of calories for most people unless you have set your weight loss goal high...aka 2lbs a week or you are a small person.
Yes, I already know this. I'm 5'5" and 173 lbs. My goal is 2lbs a week. It's the recommended amount for me per MFP.1200 is the minimum you can go and still get in all your macros/micros as long as you are careful.
Yes, I already know this, and assistance being careful and actually getting my macros/micros is what I'm asking for in this thread. I don't want to just eat a block of cheese or a small pile of bacon just to hit the 1200. I want to add healthy things and am asking for tips.If you are under eating you would be losing weight fast...chances are you are eating more than think.
how are you measuring your intake? food scale? cups or guessing?
I am currently losing weight. I didn't state otherwise. I'm not losing 2 lbs per week, but I didn't expect that to happen precisely.
As for how I measure intake, I have a very precise food scale. I weight everything. I am cooking at home, not going out to eat. And there are days when I'll only have things like an apple for breakfast, work through lunch, then eat a small dinner that's all measured out. I'm 100% confident that I am currently under-eating most days of the week. I'm asking for help to not undereat and asking for help eating with more balance. I'm trying to lose weight in a healthier way despite a low appetite. I'm not saying that I'm undereating and failing to lose weight.
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OP, reading your response, I guess I would say first of all just to double check the entries you are using to ensure they are accurate. They might not be listing all the macros and micros. All foods are made up of protein, carbs, and fat, so there is no way you could be only hitting 50% of your goal for all of these unless you are only eating 600 calories per day. Otherwise, in order to say what you could change, we would really need to be able to see your diary.
In general, if you are really only eating an apple and a small dinner, you should talk to a doctor. No matter what shape your metabolism is in, that should not make you too full to eat more.3 -
SezxyStef, I'm going to reply to your post piecemeal but frankly it doesn't seem like you read mine very closely. You've posted "something else for me to learn" but it's all things I already knew or are irrelevant to my goals and post...1200 is not the recommended amount of calories for most people unless you have set your weight loss goal high...aka 2lbs a week or you are a small person.
Yes, I already know this. I'm 5'5" and 173 lbs. My goal is 2lbs a week. It's the recommended amount for me per MFP.1200 is the minimum you can go and still get in all your macros/micros as long as you are careful.
Yes, I already know this, and assistance being careful and actually getting my macros/micros is what I'm asking for in this thread. I don't want to just eat a block of cheese or a small pile of bacon just to hit the 1200. I want to add healthy things and am asking for tips.If you are under eating you would be losing weight fast...chances are you are eating more than think.
how are you measuring your intake? food scale? cups or guessing?
I am currently losing weight. I didn't state otherwise. I'm not losing 2 lbs per week, but I didn't expect that to happen precisely.
As for how I measure intake, I have a very precise food scale. I weight everything. I am cooking at home, not going out to eat. And there are days when I'll only have things like an apple for breakfast, work through lunch, then eat a small dinner that's all measured out. I'm 100% confident that I am currently under-eating most days of the week. I'm asking for help to not undereat and asking for help eating with more balance. I'm trying to lose weight in a healthier way despite a low appetite. I'm not saying that I'm undereating and failing to lose weight.
okay...so you are under eating and not losing more than 2lbs a week and you can exercise...
and my post was relevant as you said you wanted to do this in a healthy manner and if you put in 2lbs a week you aren't being healthy about it.
you want to lose too fast and will lose muscle too.
and if you are undereating as you have said and exercising you must exhausted...
and if you are logging everything and choosing correct entries and only eating dinner and an apple in a day you might need to talk to someone about your relationship with food...doesn't sound good if you aren't eating.10 -
@SezxyStef was trying to be helpful because in one part of your original post, unless I've completely misunderstood, you seem to be implying that in recent years you gained weight due to consistent undereating and that just does not happen. People can damage their metabolism in the long term but they don't consistently put on weight by undereating. If I misinterpreted that part of your post, my apologies.7
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okay...so you are under eating and not losing more than 2lbs a week and you can exercise...
Again, not reading. I said I'm not losing precisely 2 lbs a week. I didn't say "not more than." It's fluctuated before and after starting to use MFP, based on a variety of factors including hormonal issues, diet, exercise, and the flu.and my post was relevant as you said you wanted to do this in a healthy manner and if you put in 2lbs a week you aren't being healthy about it.
you want to lose too fast and will lose muscle too.
Providing actual sources for this would be helpful. The app itself said 2 lbs was fine and more than that as a weekly goal is not. Everything I've read online has echoed this as a healthy maximum.and if you are undereating as you have said and exercising you must exhausted...
Yup, hence me asking for help finding healthy foods to add so I have more energy. Too bad no one here has commented to answer my question about this at all.and if you are logging everything and choosing correct entries and only eating dinner and an apple in a day you might need to talk to someone about your relationship with food...doesn't sound good if you aren't eating.
I'm aware, have, and am working on this in an ongoing way. Again, it would be great if you'd comment about my actual questions, which were about how to eat MORE things that are healthy and address my apparent deficits, rather than critique my measuring techniques, talk about the weight loss that is not at all the focus of the thread I started, and then tell me I'm not eating enough and it "doesn't sound good." I know this. It ISN'T good. This was the point of my thread. I'm not eating enough, I've learned a lot about what I am and am not getting nutrition wise, and I'm asking for tips on good sources of those nutrients. That's all.3 -
I've been using MFP for 16 days now, and while my goal is feeling stronger and losing weight, I am learning a lot about my general nutrition. It turns out I was wrong about a lot of things. For example, I thought I was overeating generally and probably eating way too many carbs and sugars and fats. It turns out I'm almost never eating the recommended amount of calories (1200 per my height, weight, and activity according to MFP), even on days when I exercise and feel hungrier than usual. I'm not starving myself... just not hungry. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I'm now thinking perhaps part of the reason I've gained weight in recent years is I'm largely sedentary (doctoral student, work at a computer all day and into the night usually) and apparently drastically under-eating (some nights I'm ready for bed but am only at about half my goal for the day), so I've slowed down my metabolism. Oops.
No. Maybe you are undereating now, but no one in the history of time became overweight by undereating. It doesn't matter how sedentary you are. If you are 5'5", you will burn more than 1200 calories just by being in a coma. And you can't slow down your metabolism to a point where you will gain weight by undereating. It's just not scientifically possible.
Because of this statement, you're giving the impression that you are drastically underestimating how many calories you were eating before you tried to lose weight. If you are underestimating those caloriea, you are probably underestimating what you are eating now. I'm sorry if my response and other people's responses sound harsh, it's just that it's not physically possible to gain weight by undereating, and lot of people come to these threads absolutely convinced that this is their issue.
If you really are undereating and you're really undereating on fats, proteins, and carbs, it sounds like you just need to add an entire meal. It's not an issue of "just add some healthy oils or a handful of nuts" because you're claiming you're deficient in every macronutrient. (Though I really, really don't think this is your problem. I think you need to double check that your logging is accurate.)
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OP, reading your response, I guess I would say first of all just to double check the entries you are using to ensure they are accurate. They might not be listing all the macros and micros. All foods are made up of protein, carbs, and fat, so there is no way you could be only hitting 50% of your goal for all of these unless you are only eating 600 calories per day. Otherwise, in order to say what you could change, we would really need to be able to see your diary.
In general, if you are really only eating an apple and a small dinner, you should talk to a doctor. No matter what shape your metabolism is in, that should not make you too full to eat more.
Thank you, this is helpful. I will check macros and micros more closely to try to get more accurate nutrient data. I'm still learning about how the app logs that info and where to look for it within the app. And yes, recently some days I am at 600 calories a day, which I know is terrible and am working on hard. I am really under-eating (despite people here convinced that I can't be...), and I am really trying to change this by adding foods that are healthy and by adding foods that are especially dense in the areas MFP suggests I am most lacking. I have a history of being freaked out by not eating enough total and then just eating whatever is easy to get/easy to add calories fast, which is generally not what is healthy. I don't want to add a bowl of ice cream. I am looking to add healthy things instead.
And as I said in my reply to the other person, I am indeed already working with a professional. One suggestion of theirs was to ask here about what nutrient-dense foods have been appealing/satisfying for others using MFP. Hasn't worked well since I'm mostly explaining and re-explaining my goals with this thread rather than getting a single food suggestion.
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Nut butters
Handful of mixed nuts
Cheese- Don't think it isn't healthy. It's great calcium
Oats
Avocado
Beef jerky
Rice- Again it has some great nutrients.3 -
okay...so you are under eating and not losing more than 2lbs a week and you can exercise...
Again, not reading. I said I'm not losing precisely 2 lbs a week. I didn't say "not more than." It's fluctuated before and after starting to use MFP, based on a variety of factors including hormonal issues, diet, exercise, and the flu.and my post was relevant as you said you wanted to do this in a healthy manner and if you put in 2lbs a week you aren't being healthy about it.
you want to lose too fast and will lose muscle too.
Providing actual sources for this would be helpful. The app itself said 2 lbs was fine and more than that as a weekly goal is not. Everything I've read online has echoed this as a healthy maximum.and if you are undereating as you have said and exercising you must exhausted...
Yup, hence me asking for help finding healthy foods to add so I have more energy. Too bad no one here has commented to answer my question about this at all.and if you are logging everything and choosing correct entries and only eating dinner and an apple in a day you might need to talk to someone about your relationship with food...doesn't sound good if you aren't eating.
I'm aware, have, and am working on this in an ongoing way. Again, it would be great if you'd comment about my actual questions, which were about how to eat MORE things that are healthy and address my apparent deficits, rather than critique my measuring techniques, talk about the weight loss that is not at all the focus of the thread I started, and then tell me I'm not eating enough and it "doesn't sound good." I know this. It ISN'T good. This was the point of my thread. I'm not eating enough, I've learned a lot about what I am and am not getting nutrition wise, and I'm asking for tips on good sources of those nutrients. That's all.
potassium isn't mandatory on the food label so I wouldn't rely on that too much (being at 25%)
The rest of your macros etc are easy to fill in with healthy foods.
Go to the grocery store, stay on the outskirts of the store and only buy fresh foods, meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits etc and eat food....
Start by logging what you want to eat, prepare it the night before and then eat it.
If you know you aren't eating it enough and want tips on how to get in all your macros then here is it...eat food because if you are only at 50% of your macros you need more than tips you need people to do your menu for you.
as for the weight loss here is a chart that most people refer to for healthy weight loss goals
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
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I forgot to add, don't take much notice what the charts say. When users enter foods in the database they go off the labels.
Most labels don't list the micro nutrient content.1 -
OP, reading your response, I guess I would say first of all just to double check the entries you are using to ensure they are accurate. They might not be listing all the macros and micros. All foods are made up of protein, carbs, and fat, so there is no way you could be only hitting 50% of your goal for all of these unless you are only eating 600 calories per day. Otherwise, in order to say what you could change, we would really need to be able to see your diary.
In general, if you are really only eating an apple and a small dinner, you should talk to a doctor. No matter what shape your metabolism is in, that should not make you too full to eat more.
Thank you, this is helpful. I will check macros and micros more closely to try to get more accurate nutrient data. I'm still learning about how the app logs that info and where to look for it within the app. And yes, recently some days I am at 600 calories a day, which I know is terrible and am working on hard. I am really under-eating (despite people here convinced that I can't be...), and I am really trying to change this by adding foods that are healthy and by adding foods that are especially dense in the areas MFP suggests I am most lacking. I have a history of being freaked out by not eating enough total and then just eating whatever is easy to get/easy to add calories fast, which is generally not what is healthy. I don't want to add a bowl of ice cream. I am looking to add healthy things instead.
And as I said in my reply to the other person, I am indeed already working with a professional. One suggestion of theirs was to ask here about what nutrient-dense foods have been appealing/satisfying for others using MFP. Hasn't worked well since I'm mostly explaining and re-explaining my goals with this thread rather than getting a single food suggestion.
Unfortunately, we're not mind readers and sometimes communicating in this little box isn't as easy as we think it is. Each of your posts have given more info that for sure would have influenced previous replies, plus we see so many people logging wrong it's just the most likely culprit.
I find nuts, nut butters, avocados, and ice cream to be calorie dense foods that don't fill me up. Fruit might be something to look at as well, as it can be pretty calorie dense but also has fiber. You could also try a smoothie - a fruit, a veggie, and some yogurt - as liquids are generally not as filling as solids, but there would still be some nutrition in there. Glad to hear you are working with a professional, best of luck.1 -
If I'm reading correctly you're wanting to increase your carbs and potassium? This list has some foods high in potassium and some are higher carb but still what I would call healthy foods. https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php Several of the foods are protein foods, as well, so that would be another one you could maybe check off. You don't NEED to increase your overall sugar consumption but if you want to then just eating a few more fruits and veggies will increase that naturally. Basically if you concentrate on fruits, veggies, and good meats/protein sources the other macros will fall into place. As far as sodium goes, if you're not low carbing it you should be ok with a higher carb food or two. When you do low carb you can lose a lot of sodium at first but if that's not your plan than you should be fine.2
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"I'm meeting about 75% of the recommendation with:
Calcium
Cholesterol
Fat
I'm meeting about 50% of the recommendation with:
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Sugar
Sodium
I'm only at about 25% of the recommendation with:
Potassium"
Two foods that come to mind that may knock multiple micronutrients are: cottage cheese (protein, fat, calcium, sodium) and avocados (fat, potassium, fiber, minimal carbs).
On patassium you do have realize that not all food in MFP database includes values for potassium even if it's high in that nutritional value. There are a lot of sources of potassium.1 -
Maxematics wrote: »@SezxyStef was trying to be helpful because in one part of your original post, unless I've completely misunderstood, you seem to be implying that in recent years you gained weight due to consistent undereating and that just does not happen. People can damage their metabolism in the long term but they don't consistently put on weight by undereating. If I misinterpreted that part of your post, my apologies.
Thanks, this is helpful to understand where replies are coming from that seem off the wall to me. If you're referring to this bit...I'm now thinking perhaps part of the reason I've gained weight in recent years is I'm largely sedentary (doctoral student, work at a computer all day and into the night usually) and apparently drastically under-eating (some nights I'm ready for bed but am only at about half my goal for the day), so I've slowed down my metabolism. Oops.
... perhaps I can clarify. I intended for this paragraph to state that I've gained weight because I'm largely sedentary and have been for years. I've been working at a computer for hours and hours and getting little exercise. I can further describe my recent reality and share that I generally ate only what is convenient while doing all those long computer hours, which is a lot of processed or pre-made stuff. So I ate crappy foods for years and just sat around while I did it. My weight went up significantly in this time. That is the more remote past.
More recently (last year or so), I am not just sitting at a computer, and I've been working on my diet, exercise, and general relationship with food. I had already been losing weight on a new diet, prior to starting with MFP 16 days ago, and at that time I thought I was overeating things like carbs and sugar. MFP showed me I am wrong, and it's also showed me that what I've been eating most recently (last couple of months) is not a sufficient amount of calories, and that I especially stink at getting enough of certain stuff like protein and potassium.
What comes after the "and" is a separate-but-related thought. I wanted to edit to add "additionally" in there to make them separate sentences but these forums have an annoying 1-hour edit limit, so I couldn't. Similarly, I wanted to edit "metabolism" to "metabolism/appetite" or just "appetite" to indicate that I'm talking about my desire to eat there. I realized that metabolism was not the correct term, but again... I can't edit anything for an hour. It seems to me that given that the entire rest of my post goes into detail about how I'm looking to add good nutrients without a ton of volume due to my general low appetite, it would be fine, but some commenters are really fixated on that tangential comment rather than my actual question, it seems.
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potassium isn't mandatory on the food label so I wouldn't rely on that too much (being at 25%)
The rest of your macros etc are easy to fill in with healthy foods.
Go to the grocery store, stay on the outskirts of the store and only buy fresh foods, meats, cheeses, veggies, fruits etc and eat food....
Start by logging what you want to eat, prepare it the night before and then eat it.
If you know you aren't eating it enough and want tips on how to get in all your macros then here is it...eat food because if you are only at 50% of your macros you need more than tips you need people to do your menu for you.
as for the weight loss here is a chart that most people refer to for healthy weight loss goals
If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal
Thank you. This is SO helpful. And the thing about potassium is really a relief to me because I've felt kinda overwhelmed by my huge deficit, which puts me off going in the store/kitchen at all, which is counter-productive.
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Daddy78230 wrote: »Two foods that come to mind that may knock multiple micronutrients are: cottage cheese (protein, fat, calcium, sodium) and avocados (fat, potassium, fiber, minimal carbs).
On patassium you do have realize that not all food in MFP database includes values for potassium even if it's high in that nutritional value. There are a lot of sources of potassium.
Thank you. I don't think I've ever tried cottage cheese in my life so I'll have to give it a go. And that's great to know re: potassium since I was stressing about not getting even close to enough of it.
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Maxematics wrote: »@SezxyStef was trying to be helpful because in one part of your original post, unless I've completely misunderstood, you seem to be implying that in recent years you gained weight due to consistent undereating and that just does not happen. People can damage their metabolism in the long term but they don't consistently put on weight by undereating. If I misinterpreted that part of your post, my apologies.
Thanks, this is helpful to understand where replies are coming from that seem off the wall to me. If you're referring to this bit...I'm now thinking perhaps part of the reason I've gained weight in recent years is I'm largely sedentary (doctoral student, work at a computer all day and into the night usually) and apparently drastically under-eating (some nights I'm ready for bed but am only at about half my goal for the day), so I've slowed down my metabolism. Oops.
... perhaps I can clarify. I intended for this paragraph to state that I've gained weight because I'm largely sedentary and have been for years. I've been working at a computer for hours and hours and getting little exercise. I can further describe my recent reality and share that I generally ate only what is convenient while doing all those long computer hours, which is a lot of processed or pre-made stuff. So I ate crappy foods for years and just sat around while I did it. My weight went up significantly in this time. That is the more remote past.
More recently (last year or so), I am not just sitting at a computer, and I've been working on my diet, exercise, and general relationship with food. I had already been losing weight on a new diet, prior to starting with MFP 16 days ago, and at that time I thought I was overeating things like carbs and sugar. MFP showed me I am wrong, and it's also showed me that what I've been eating most recently (last couple of months) is not a sufficient amount of calories, and that I especially stink at getting enough of certain stuff like protein and potassium.
What comes after the "and" is a separate-but-related thought. I wanted to edit to add "additionally" in there to make them separate sentences but these forums have an annoying 1-hour edit limit, so I couldn't. Similarly, I wanted to edit "metabolism" to "metabolism/appetite" or just "appetite" to indicate that I'm talking about my desire to eat there. I realized that metabolism was not the correct term, but again... I can't edit anything for an hour. It seems to me that given that the entire rest of my post goes into detail about how I'm looking to add good nutrients without a ton of volume due to my general low appetite, it would be fine, but some commenters are really fixated on that tangential comment rather than my actual question, it seems.
That actually makes a lot more sense. Thank you for clarifying. Other users have touched on great healthy foods to boost calories, but I will add that coconut water and low-sodium V8 are also fantastic for potassium intake. I have muscular calves that were prone to cramping and increasing my potassium intake helped with that and water retention immensely. I love drinking a glass of low-sodium V8 while having string cheese and crackers. It's one of my favorite snacks. Low calorie and well balanced.1 -
amyrebeccah wrote: »At the risk of being jumped on--these questions are asked because we see people asking this question a lot who are not doing the work you are doing with measuring.
Now, to your question, the usual suggestions of nut butters, olive oil, cheese, avocado, etc, don't necessarily work for this OP since she's already meeting her fats and is lower on protein and carbs.
OP, I would try looking at hummus and beans to up your fiber, bananas to up your potassium (although Stef is right, many entries just don't have their potassium entered because it's not going to be required on food labels.) Greek yogurt will up your protein, so will cottage cheese, and lean meats or fish.
Thank you for the general forum insight + the tips for food. I do really like hummus and think that could be a great choice for me. Is the store-bought stuff something I should steer clear of? I know some healthy foods are much less healthy if you don't make them at home due to additives of all kinds.0 -
Maxematics wrote: »That actually makes a lot more sense. Thank you for clarifying. Other users have touched on great healthy foods to boost calories, but I will add that coconut water and low-sodium V8 are also fantastic for potassium intake. I have muscular calves that were prone to cramping and increasing my potassium intake helped with that and water retention immensely. I love drinking a glass of low-sodium V8 while having string cheese and crackers. It's one of my favorite snacks. Low calorie and well balanced.
Thank you. I think a drink could be a really smart route for me to try given my general low appetite/apathy toward eating (a life-long thing, all the way back to pre-K). I carry a water bottle and drink from it constantly, so replacing it with a low-sodium V8 would be an easy and effective swap. I'm really excited about this option; it's not intimidating and I feel confident I could phase in the V8 easily. Thank you again.0 -
amyrebeccah wrote: »At the risk of being jumped on--these questions are asked because we see people asking this question a lot who are not doing the work you are doing with measuring.
Now, to your question, the usual suggestions of nut butters, olive oil, cheese, avocado, etc, don't necessarily work for this OP since she's already meeting her fats and is lower on protein and carbs.
OP, I would try looking at hummus and beans to up your fiber, bananas to up your potassium (although Stef is right, many entries just don't have their potassium entered because it's not going to be required on food labels.) Greek yogurt will up your protein, so will cottage cheese, and lean meats or fish.
Thank you for the general forum insight + the tips for food. I do really like hummus and think that could be a great choice for me. Is the store-bought stuff something I should steer clear of? I know some healthy foods are much less healthy if you don't make them at home due to additives of all kinds.
Not who you asked, but... In all seriousness if you are only eating 600 cals per day, undereating that much is way more harmful than worrying about processed/homemade/ etc. You just need to get more fuel and nutrition into you! I don't buy all the "processed food is bad for you" stuff anyway, but if store bought hummus will work for you right now, go for it I eat probably 50% convenience foods, and I've maintained a healthy weight and had great health markers for years. 6 -
I had problems with under eating in the past, due to stress. Easy ways to rectify that is to eat things like nut butters, almonds, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt (it's the best ice cold with blueberries and cinnamon I think, feels almost like ice cream then haha), avocado and boiled eggs. When it comes to store-bought or home made (referring to your hummus question above) I always think it's great to make your own if you can and have the time but don't give yourself another project if you have enough going on. In most grocery shops you will have organic versions with fewer ingredients, just read the labels.2
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amyrebeccah wrote: »At the risk of being jumped on--these questions are asked because we see people asking this question a lot who are not doing the work you are doing with measuring.
Now, to your question, the usual suggestions of nut butters, olive oil, cheese, avocado, etc, don't necessarily work for this OP since she's already meeting her fats and is lower on protein and carbs.
OP, I would try looking at hummus and beans to up your fiber, bananas to up your potassium (although Stef is right, many entries just don't have their potassium entered because it's not going to be required on food labels.) Greek yogurt will up your protein, so will cottage cheese, and lean meats or fish.
Thank you for the general forum insight + the tips for food. I do really like hummus and think that could be a great choice for me. Is the store-bought stuff something I should steer clear of? I know some healthy foods are much less healthy if you don't make them at home due to additives of all kinds.
Not who you asked, but... In all seriousness if you are only eating 600 cals per day, undereating that much is way more harmful than worrying about processed/homemade/ etc. You just need to get more fuel and nutrition into you! I don't buy all the "processed food is bad for you" stuff anyway, but if store bought hummus will work for you right now, go for it I eat probably 50% convenience foods, and I've maintained a healthy weight and had great health markers for years.
Thanks. I think this makes a lot of sense. I went from eating really poorly to being really concerned about eating poorly, and now that I've learned I'm just not eating enough (in part due to that concern intersecting in unfortunate ways with my chronic low appetite)... I should probably try to let go of the "eating poorly worry" just a little bit so that I can get to just eating enough. Right now it is probably smartest for me to focus on better/good enough rather than perfect. And it's encouraging to hear that you're doing perfectly well even with a significant amount of convenience foods. My history makes me super wary of them but I'm probably vilifying them unnecessarily. A good reminder.1 -
getupforchange wrote: »I had problems with under eating in the past, due to stress. Easy ways to rectify that is to eat things like nut butters, almonds, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt (it's the best ice cold with blueberries and cinnamon I think, feels almost like ice cream then haha), avocado and boiled eggs. When it comes to store-bought or home made (referring to your hummus question above) I always think it's great to make your own if you can and have the time but don't give yourself another project if you have enough going on. In most grocery shops you will have organic versions with fewer ingredients, just read the labels.
Thank you for your tips. I'll have to try the greek yogurt extra chilled... sounds good. I think your comments about stress are totally relevant (partially stress related to my work, partially stress about food because of a long and complicated history with it and a desire to do much better than I have been) and that your comment about not giving myself too many projects is wise. Right now is the time to keep it simple so I can make important progress toward not undereating so often and so drastically. When I get things steady, then I can refine the details.0 -
I've been using MFP for 16 days now, and while my goal is feeling stronger and losing weight, I am learning a lot about my general nutrition. It turns out I was wrong about a lot of things. For example, I thought I was overeating generally and probably eating way too many carbs and sugars and fats. It turns out I'm almost never eating the recommended amount of calories (1200 per my height, weight, and activity according to MFP), even on days when I exercise and feel hungrier than usual. I'm not starving myself... just not hungry. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. I'm now thinking perhaps part of the reason I've gained weight in recent years is I'm largely sedentary (doctoral student, work at a computer all day and into the night usually) and apparently drastically under-eating (some nights I'm ready for bed but am only at about half my goal for the day), so I've slowed down my metabolism. Oops.
I am exercising at least 30 min a day 3 times a week, but this hasn't really boosted my appetite much. I would like to boost my calories to the recommended minimum and keep on track with my nutrition goals, but I also don't want to force myself to eat all the time when I'm not hungry. What are you favorite nutrient-dense recipes or foods or snacks?
I would really prefer suggestions for things that will boost me in my problem areas (see below), and it would be great if I could boost my calories + problem nutrients without eating a large quantity of food that I'm not really hungry for! If you have food or supplement suggestions that can help me target the stuff that's missing from my diet, that would be wonderful. I have no dietary restrictions... except olives and coffee taste gross.
Here's what I'm doing well and doing poorly with in terms of nutrients:
On the "week view" of my app, I'm meeting my recommended amounts with the following:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Iron
I'm meeting about 75% of the recommendation with:
Calcium
Cholesterol
Fat
I'm meeting about 50% of the recommendation with:
Protein
Carbs
Fiber
Sugar
Sodium
I'm only at about 25% of the recommendation with:
Potassium
I would really recommend talking to a doctor and seeing if you can get a referral to a dietitian and bringing your diary. The concern is no appetite, especially as what you are missing here and what you have described doesn't make it sound like you are eating an unusually satiating diet. If you believe you've not been eating that much more when gaining (I am not sure about that from your post, as you said you were undereating before but not specific amounts), then there could be a thyroid issue going on.
That said, as others mentioned if you don't pick the good USDA entries for whole foods or are logging based on package information/bar codes, a lot of information isn't going to be included (I'm kind of impressed you hit iron, as I never do according to MFP, and I eat tons of greens and definitely have not removed red meat from my diet). Anyway, my comments on the missing nutrients:
75% calcium -- could be missing information on the entries, but dairy, and if you are having trouble consuming enough food milk is not all that filling, IMO, although cottage cheese or greek yogurt will have more calories. Lower fat will have more protein percentagewise since you seem to be doing okay on fat, but to get the calories up full fat would be better.
75% Cholesterol/fat -- cholesterol is a max, not a minimum. I'd ignore it (I'd ignore it as a maximum too, actually). Fat is mostly personal preference, so if you are getting in adequate healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olives and olive oil (cook your food in it), fatty fish), I wouldn't worry about it. If you get up your calories chances are this will take care of itself.
50% protein -- this is the biggie. At 1200 your protein goal is probably already too low to best maintain muscle, IMO, so you really don't want to be way below it. It's also one of the things that makes me concerned about you being so full on so few calories, as protein (and fiber, more on that later) is one of the things that for the average person makes a diet filling. Meat/fish/eggs/dairy are the easiest sources of this. Maybe make a couple of hardboiled eggs and include them with breakfast or a snack? Or if you are a vegan, consider adding in nuts and seeds or have nutbutter with your apple (you can do this without being a vegan also). ;-) Other options that many wouldn't find that hard to consume/filling would be a protein shake or even a protein bar with breakfast or as a snack if there are any you like.
Carbs -- it really doesn't matter how you split calories between fat and carbs if you get enough protein and reasonable calories, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Sugar -- it's supposed to be a maximum, but you could always add some fruit to that protein shake, like a banana, to increase cals.
Sodium -- it's a minimum, and often underreported, I wouldn't worry about it.
Fiber -- again, being so low on this I am surprised your diet is so filling. Legumes will give you fiber and protein (and carbs), but are often filling. Vegetables, whole grains, the avocado I mentioned, berries, are all good sources.2 -
OP it sounds like we are all coming to more enlightened place of what your specific situation and history entails, what exactly you are struggling with, and where a lot of the MFP forum veterans are coming from with regards to common perceptions/situations we've experienced countless times on these boards with new members.
A couple of comments from reading through the thread...
1. You mentioned that MFP recommended 2 lbs/week for you. Keep in mind that YOU chose 2 lbs/week and that based on the stats you provided, MFP is suggesting 1200 cals as your NET calorie target, as that is the lowest that it will go for a female. You didn't mention how much weight total you are looking to lose, but based on your height and current weight, I'm speculating it is less than 50 lbs so a goal of 1 lb/week may be more appropriate for you, in order to preserve lean body mass, as well as provide ample nutrition, energy, etc.
2. A lot of people go from one extreme (very sedentary, eating a lot of calorie dense foods) to another (more active, eating only healthy foods, which tend to be nutrient dense and sometimes quite filling) and struggle to get to the minimum calorie targets. They aren't hungry, partly because the foods they are eating are high volume and filling, but also excited and eager to get started so the body tends to suppress some of those hunger cues. Most people here (myself included) find lasting success with striking a balance of nutrient dense foods (whole foods, cooked from scratch), some processed foods which can still provide a great deal of nutrition (frozen veggies, greek yogurt, protein powder, etc) and even treats in moderation (ice cream and wine are my favorites). Finding a balance and not thinking in the extremes is helpful, in my opinion.
3. You seem eager to learn, so I would suggest spending some time reading the stickied most helpful forum posts at the top of the getting started section. \
This one is fantastic as a compilation of other helpful posts:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10260499/i-like-old-posts-and-i-cannot-lie/p1
This one is my favorite for brand new members:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
And this one is a list of calorie dense foods that can help you get those total calories up, many of which are quite nutrient dense as well:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
Good luck.4 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I would really recommend talking to a doctor and seeing if you can get a referral to a dietitian and bringing your diary. The concern is no appetite, especially as what you are missing here and what you have described doesn't make it sound like you are eating an unusually satiating diet. If you believe you've not been eating that much more when gaining (I am not sure about that from your post, as you said you were undereating before but not specific amounts), then there could be a thyroid issue going on.
Thanks for your reply. I've been tested for all sorts of things, including thyroid issues. Consistently my results are "hmmmm, various things are not normal but they're not so abnormal that we'd diagnose [condition being considered]." The no appetite thing does concern me and does concern doctors I've had over the years. This has been a lifelong thing for me. I was hospitalized right before I started kindergarten because despite my parents desperately offering me mountains of food of anything I could possibly want, I didn't really want anything, and I eventually got pretty weak. It's also been an issue for me during times in my life when I was actively trying to gain weight (e.g., in high school when playing sports that had weight classes). I remember crying because I just wanted to make the next weight class but loathed all the eating I had to do because I never wanted the food. Unfortunately, in 27 years of this "why don't I ever really want food even when I know I should be starving" I've had no good answers from doctors.
That said, I do think I was eating pretty poorly when I was gaining weight. I ate a lot of foods that were just easy, and due to stress that was happening at the same time, I ate a lot of comfort foods that are definitely not healthy. I wasn't necessarily eating a lot of volume, and I have been a chronic meal-skipper my entire life, but what I was eating was total crap, and I was super sedentary at the time. Like... get up, go to work, spend day at desk, come home, sleep. Repeat. I think this accounts for the gain, which was slow and steady over a period of a few years, but the lifelong crappy appetite is still weird and unpleasant.
I won't quote the rest of your post, but it was so very helpful. Thank you. I will look for USDA entries and be more wary of barcodes. I do use those and thought they'd be more accurate. I really appreciate you noting which things are minimums and which are maximums, as I was reading every nutrient as "do this as exactly as possible or you suck." Thank you so much for all of the time you put into writing your very lengthy and detailed reply.
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I am the same height as you and could not lose 2lbs sensibly when I was at that weight or at my current weight (160). I would have to undereat and I would also lose more lean mass than is ideal.
That said. You aren't losing 2lbs per week by your own admission so eating more isn't going to resolve that. However, I would recommend you do slow your rate of loss and thus eat more.
Finally, if you really have been undereating for years you'd be anorexic thin by now. Sure there is down regulation of the metabolism but chronic undereating will always and forever result in loss. It would be very rare someone's BMR lowered so much they'd gain eating under 1200 calories on a consistent basis. And your losing more than 1lb per week at the moment would also prove this to be true.
People aren't trying to have a go but just give you some information, science of human physiology and guidance.2
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