Not eating enough??
tiffanymarie0429
Posts: 11 Member
For my height I’m am over weight.. I’m a stay at home mom and use to be very active. I was a gymnast for 13 years. I can’t stop gaining weight!! My app keeps tell me I’m not eating enough.. I feel like if I eat more I’ll gain more weight... ughhh help..
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Replies
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age/height/weight
what does the app tell you to eat?
are you weighing/measuring your food?
do you have your level of activity in the app set correctly?0 -
Let's start with the assumption that your calorie goals are set correctly. If you eat more you WILL gain weight, temporarily. There will be more food in your system, and your glycogen levels and associated water will increase, both of which will likely show an increase on the scales. But if you are still eating at a deficit, you will lose in the long run, but in a healthier more sustainable manner than under eating.
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It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.2 -
The app keeps telling you you're not eating enough because 1200 calories per day is the determined minimum for a woman, below which it is generally considered very difficult to maintain adequate nutrition.
First, if you haven't already, go back and read some of the stickies about proper logging to be sure you're not inadvertently eating more than you think. How long have you been logging your calories? What are your current stats and goals? How are you measuring portions - cups, scale, eyeballing, barcode scanner (I really hate that feature because I feel it gives users a false sense of security)? Are you actually gaining weight, or just scared you will? You will not gain weight eating a correctly measured 1200 calories a day, regardless of your activity, virtually guaranteed.3 -
kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.
I feel like I eat. I’m not starving myself.. I mean I’m 148lbs and 5’4”. Could it be that I’m not active at ALL. I’m so Lethargic all the time.. and that’s why I’m gaining? I’m trying to do it with diet plus take care of my 3 year old.. I’m horrible with management.. maybe..0 -
I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?0
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I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds0
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tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
No, this is part of the problem. You don't understand weight management. Which is ok, most people don't. We've been conditioned to think of food as "good" and "bad" when it's just food.
And not exercising does not cause weight gain. Exercising can help increase how much you burn making it easier to lose but it is not required to lose weight. If you're gaining, you're eating more than you burn period. It's that simple. If you need more specific help open your diary so we can see what you're doing now. That way you can get more specific help.2 -
tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
All foods are fine. Moderation is key. Some people are highly satiated with lean protein. Others prefer a higher proportion of fats, and many people need a good balance of all 3 (fat, protein, and carbs). Practice good logging hygiene (weigh solids, measure liquids, don't automatically trust user-added entries, for starters).0 -
Normally if you keep gaining weight, or maintaining while eating less than your allotted calories it means that your logging is inaccurate. Many of us have been there when we started using this app.
Make sure you weigh all solids with digital scales and use measuring cups and spoons for liquids only. This includes prepackaged foods which can weigh up to 20% more than the package tells you. Guessing and not weighing prepackaged foods can easily undo any daily deficit.
Check your entries against the USDA database or label packaging. The database is user entered and there are some really inaccurate entries here. For fresh produce I always add USDA in the search. Make sure you log in weight rather than cups or simply something like 1 medium apple. How big is one medium apple?
Fitbits and other brands of watches, exercise machines and the database here can easily overestimate calories burned. My treadmill shows double what I actually burn. Many here counteract this by only eating back half to two thirds of their exercise calories, then adjust this a,ount depending on how much weight they are losing.
Make sure you are mot double dipping with calories burned. Include it in your activity level (day to day activity rathet than intentional exercising) or individually log in exercise but don't do both.
Good luck. Hope you start seeing results soon.3 -
tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.
I feel like I eat. I’m not starving myself.. I mean I’m 148lbs and 5’4”. Could it be that I’m not active at ALL. I’m so Lethargic all the time.. and that’s why I’m gaining? I’m trying to do it with diet plus take care of my 3 year old.. I’m horrible with management.. maybe..
I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds0 -
tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds
I say this often here (because I'm speaking from personal experience) but have you spoken to your healthcare provider about the possibility of depression or vitamin deficiencies (esp vit D)?3 -
Might I suggest a visit to the doctor to get a full blood panel done? Ask to have iron/vit B12/vit D checked, as well as Thyroid and blood glucose. An imbalance in any of those can cause lethargy and extreme tieredness.
Eating too little can also cause that effect but best to rule out any possible underlying medical problems.
That description of "heavy" is exactly what I feel like when I'm iron deficient.
Once that's all checked out and if nothing is out of whack there, go over your logging and be honest with yourself how much you are eating (estimating portions vs weighing them on a food scale).1 -
At your height and weight you're just slightly overweight so loss will be slow and accurate logging is essential (this is even more important since you're not very active). Set you goal to 1/2 lb a week, buy a food scale, log accurately using the tips from others here, try to get more active as best as you can and be patient. That's your formula for success.2
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tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds
I say this often here (because I'm speaking from personal experience) but have you spoken to your healthcare provider about the possibility of depression or vitamin deficiencies (esp vit D)?
No I haven’t. ..
it’s definitely a reality check
I guess I never thought of that..
it’s something I will definitely check out
Thank you
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tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
You can go over your app another dozen times. I'm sure it's set right. That has nothing to do with it. It's what YOU do with the app. Do you weigh your solid food on a digital food scale every time? Do you use the correct food entry in the food data base? Are you counting even the bite here and bite there you put into your mouth you might not even think about as you go through the day? It all adds up. That's what everyone is trying to tell you when they say you are eating more than you think and that is why you are gaining weight.0 -
I was trying to say that if you're not losing weight, you're not eating too little, your logging is off. If you're not hungry, that another vote for "incorrect logging".tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.
I feel like I eat. I’m not starving myself.. I mean I’m 148lbs and 5’4”. Could it be that I’m not active at ALL. I’m so Lethargic all the time.. and that’s why I’m gaining? I’m trying to do it with diet plus take care of my 3 year old.. I’m horrible with management.. maybe..
Taking care of a child is work. Maybe you are stressed. Maybe you aren't eating or sleeping well. Maybe you need to do something fun and interesting. Planning takes an effort, but it's supposed to save you net time and effort.
Foods aren't good or bad. Foods are just things we eat that have nutrients. We need a wide variety of nutrients every day, but not too much of anything over time. Food groups is a useful tool. Every day, eat some food from each group, and from several for each meal, and different foods through the day and from day to day: 1) fruit, 2) (non-starchy) vegetables, 3) meat, fish, eggs, beans (protein foods), 4) dairy, 5) grains and starchy vegetables, 6) nuts and seeds, 7) fats and oils. You will see that a balanced meal and a balanced diet looks very similar to what you grew up with, that there are no need for fancy ingredients or fads or contraptions.tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
Treats are fine if they are eaten occasionally and in moderate amounts. It's consistent overeating that makes us gain weight.1 -
ladyreva78 wrote: »Might I suggest a visit to the doctor to get a full blood panel done? Ask to have iron/vit B12/vit D checked, as well as Thyroid and blood glucose. An imbalance in any of those can cause lethargy and extreme tieredness.
Eating too little can also cause that effect but best to rule out any possible underlying medical problems.
That description of "heavy" is exactly what I feel like when I'm iron deficient.
Once that's all checked out and if nothing is out of whack there, go over your logging and be honest with yourself how much you are eating (estimating portions vs weighing them on a food scale).
Good call on the iron. I forget because now that I supplement regularly I don't have to worry about it!0 -
tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds
I say this often here (because I'm speaking from personal experience) but have you spoken to your healthcare provider about the possibility of depression or vitamin deficiencies (esp vit D)?
No I haven’t. ..
it’s definitely a reality check
I guess I never thought of that..
it’s something I will definitely check out
Thank you
Good luck
Most of the time it's a combination of things, and finding the right balance can be tricky. 1 -
YvetteK2015 wrote: »tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
You can go over your app another dozen times. I'm sure it's set right. That has nothing to do with it. It's what YOU do with the app. Do you weigh your solid food on a digital food scale every time? Do you use the correct food entry in the food data base? Are you counting even the bite here and bite there you put into your mouth you might not even think about as you go through the day? It all adds up. That's what everyone is trying to tell you when they say you are eating more than you think and that is why you are gaining weight.
Oh ok I see. No I’m not weighing my food.. I just do the measuring cups.. I’m looking back and I don’t really recall taking little bits of things here and there. Maybe I don’t realize it. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. As for weighing my food I never really thought about that until now when everyone is asking if I do that. I didn’t know it was that important.
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ladyreva78 wrote: »Might I suggest a visit to the doctor to get a full blood panel done? Ask to have iron/vit B12/vit D checked, as well as Thyroid and blood glucose. An imbalance in any of those can cause lethargy and extreme tieredness.
Eating too little can also cause that effect but best to rule out any possible underlying medical problems.
That description of "heavy" is exactly what I feel like when I'm iron deficient.
Once that's all checked out and if nothing is out of whack there, go over your logging and be honest with yourself how much you are eating (estimating portions vs weighing them on a food scale).
Good call on the iron. I forget because now that I supplement regularly I don't have to worry about it!
Wow everyone is so helpful.
Thank you!
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OP, give this a read: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p12
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kommodevaran wrote: »
I was trying to say that if you're not losing weight, you're not eating too little, your logging is off. If you're not hungry, that another vote for "incorrect logging".tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »It's not that. If you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. To lose weight, you need to eat less. You may be losing weight without knowing it - water weight fluctuations can mask fat loss for a while. But if you consistently eat less than you burn, you lose weight.
But you can't starve yourself. That will make you sick if you do it long enough. Hungry for a long time first, to deter you, so hopefully you'll stop.
So what gives? You have to eat less, but not too little. That's what MFP is telling you. But if you aren't losing weight, you're still eating too much. If so, it's your logging. You have to log everything you put in your mouth, using correct entries with all the nutritional values for that exact item, and in the exact amount you actually ate, so you need to weigh it, and do it every time, and not leave anything out, not forgetting anything, not estimating anything, and no cheating.
Then you just have to be patient. If you've set your calorie goal right (weightloss approx. 1% of total bodyweight per week), it should be fairly easy. Eat food you like. You'll want to take taste, nutrition, work, family and social life into consideration. Prelogging is a neat trick.
I feel like I eat. I’m not starving myself.. I mean I’m 148lbs and 5’4”. Could it be that I’m not active at ALL. I’m so Lethargic all the time.. and that’s why I’m gaining? I’m trying to do it with diet plus take care of my 3 year old.. I’m horrible with management.. maybe..
Taking care of a child is work. Maybe you are stressed. Maybe you aren't eating or sleeping well. Maybe you need to do something fun and interesting. Planning takes an effort, but it's supposed to save you net time and effort.
Foods aren't good or bad. Foods are just things we eat that have nutrients. We need a wide variety of nutrients every day, but not too much of anything over time. Food groups is a useful tool. Every day, eat some food from each group, and from several for each meal, and different foods through the day and from day to day: 1) fruit, 2) (non-starchy) vegetables, 3) meat, fish, eggs, beans (protein foods), 4) dairy, 5) grains and starchy vegetables, 6) nuts and seeds, 7) fats and oils. You will see that a balanced meal and a balanced diet looks very similar to what you grew up with, that there are no need for fancy ingredients or fads or contraptions.tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
Treats are fine if they are eaten occasionally and in moderate amounts. It's consistent overeating that makes us gain weight.
Thank you. I know my sleep is wayyy off because I’m tired and bleh all the time..
I do agree that I need to do more fun stuff.. I do have a major flaw... PLANNING! Im awful at it hah
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tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I’ve been over my app thing and it’s definitely set right. I think I need help with what foods are good and bad.. I know fruits and veggies are great but what else?
Please don't fall into that mindset that there are good foods and bad foods. A calorie is a calorie (I won't get into the argument that there are healthier calories, because there are. But taken down to the very basic, a calorie is a calorie no matter where it comes from). I eat a handful of M&Ms a day and am losing. It's all about eating at your calorie goal.2 -
Wow and I thought homemade meant cooked at home. Thank you so much for this info0
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tiffanymarie0429 wrote: »I feel so tired and heavy all the time.. not like heavy weight wise but I feel like I’m pulling 10000 pounds
- Weighing food is important for accuracy, you may be eating more than you think
- Tiredness/low motivation and sleep dysfunction are common with depression and other medical issues. Have you brought these issues up with a doctor lately? Low iron, low vitamin D and a bunch of other minor but correctable issues could be checked with a blood panel.
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