A realization about my diet

IAparent
IAparent Posts: 12 Member
edited October 2017 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I was always in the low end of the healthy BMI for my height and never had to worry about what I ate (outside of feeling guilty for not eating enough fruit and veg). As I entered my 40's, the weight crept up and I was fine with it for a while because I was always a little too thin anyway. Then it hit a specific number that I was not o.k. with and I came to MFP to track my food intake. I mostly cut back on the sugary treats (not all sugar, just the obvious stuff like pb&j for breakfast every day and candy too often) and got it back to where I wanted pretty quickly. I'm grateful for that.

What I have realized now that I'm tracking my food is that I have a natural tendency to under eat. Not on purpose, but because food isn't that important to me and I get lazy or nothing sounded good. Now that I cut back on the "empty calorie" sweets, I am finding myself under the calories that I should eat to maintain where I am now. I want to stay where I am now (within a few pounds) so I need to eat these calories!

I feel better having cut back on the sugary treats (less bloating and just feel better) so I can't default to that. I kept seeing the macro numbers and not wanting those to go red, even though right now I don't really care about them. So I turned them off for my daily diary so I don't see them. Now to figure out how to bump the calories up and retrain my brain!

I guess this was mostly to get it written out somewhere because I kinda know what I need to do... have nuts or something else calorie dense but not sugary. I need to figure out some default snacks or something because I get tired of figuring out what to eat (hence the lazy under eating).

Replies

  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,154 Member
    Maybe add back the pb&j but not so much of the candy. If you have always been a little too thin then it sounds like you have always had a tendency to under eat. So adding in some calorie dense foods would help. Peanut butter is a good one. You might also try adding avocado and make sure that you are using full fat dairy products.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    nuts, seeds, nut butters and full fat dairy are all good for adding cals.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    OP, I feel ya.

    I've learned in the last 6 years that when I'm in the "mode" of losing, I'm amazing. So much I tend to under eat. But when I'm not watching, I eat EVERYTHING. Hence the loss/gain cycle I seem to be stuck in. In 2011 I lose 50lbs and I think I've regained the same 10-15lbs at least 4 times in the last 6 years. So, I never let myself gain it ALL back, but I can't figure out a happy medium.

    Now, in "maintainance" (and I put it in quotes because in the month of October, when I was supposed to stay at 148, I lost 4.5lbs) I can't seem to let myself eat those calories, because I'm still in the mode of "little is better".

    The question of what to eat is a daunting one. There are times I'll debate for hours about "what's dinner"...and since I'm the cook in the house, and my BF likes the "It doesn't matter" answer, I over think it. And I always over estimate how much of it that I'll eat.

    Finding "safe" go tos takes some trial and error. I, myself, like Luna bars for sugar cravings (the protein is a bonus) and string cheese for savory. Or Laughing Cow cheese and some Ritz crackers. I don't do nuts, because I tend to overeat them. I also buy those little bags of Lays chips so if I want salty, I just eat 1 bag.
  • timtam163
    timtam163 Posts: 500 Member
    I love PBJ and would never give up the peanut-fruit combo; find ways of bringing that into your palette in other ways. PBJ oatmeal? PB and fruit in cereal? PBJ on whole grain bread? PB on bread with whole berries instead of jam? It doesn't have to be a sugary combination. If you're trying to get yourself to eat more, follow your instincts on what you find satisfying, and maybe find ways to make it just a *little* healthier.
  • pkweier
    pkweier Posts: 349 Member
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    OP, I feel ya.

    I've learned in the last 6 years that when I'm in the "mode" of losing, I'm amazing. So much I tend to under eat. But when I'm not watching, I eat EVERYTHING. Hence the loss/gain cycle I seem to be stuck in. In 2011 I lose 50lbs and I think I've regained the same 10-15lbs at least 4 times in the last 6 years. So, I never let myself gain it ALL back, but I can't figure out a happy medium.

    Now, in "maintainance" (and I put it in quotes because in the month of October, when I was supposed to stay at 148, I lost 4.5lbs) I can't seem to let myself eat those calories, because I'm still in the mode of "little is better".

    The question of what to eat is a daunting one. There are times I'll debate for hours about "what's dinner"...and since I'm the cook in the house, and my BF likes the "It doesn't matter" answer, I over think it. And I always over estimate how much of it that I'll eat.

    Finding "safe" go tos takes some trial and error. I, myself, like Luna bars for sugar cravings (the protein is a bonus) and string cheese for savory. Or Laughing Cow cheese and some Ritz crackers. I don't do nuts, because I tend to overeat them. I also buy those little bags of Lays chips so if I want salty, I just eat 1 bag.

    I'm with you trying to figure out how to maintain as I'm scared I will eat to much. I'm heading to 20 pounds under my goal weight. I have found if I eat extra I get sick or I will do more walking to make up for the extra calories even though I'm not over my calories.
  • katsheare
    katsheare Posts: 1,025 Member
    When I find myself needing to eat back some exercise calories, I find a little cheese an amazingly rewarding treat. And if I know I'll be burning calories after dinner, I'll request something a bit more calorie dense (my partner does most of the cooking, and on those days I'll suggest pasta or even something breaded).
  • IAparent
    IAparent Posts: 12 Member
    Thank you all for the replies and suggestions. Some of them I already do, but probably not enough. Some of them are good ideas to incorporate.

    I was hesitant to post about this, but I am glad that I did!
  • IAparent
    IAparent Posts: 12 Member
    edited October 2017
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    If you have always been a little too thin then it sounds like you have always had a tendency to under eat.

    Yes, I think I have. It probably also explains some of the periods in my life where I felt so tired. It wasn't lack of vit D or anything else, but probably was not enough calories to support everything I wanted to do. It's sort of a "duh" moment. lol
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,740 Member
    My husband is extremely lazy about eating. If I don't feed him, he forgets to eat. However, his one go to meal when I'm not home is cheese and pickles. I personally prefer cheese and apple slices, but both work. Get good cheese - it tastes so much better than generic.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
    IAparent wrote: »
    I was always in the low end of the healthy BMI for my height and never had to worry about what I ate (outside of feeling guilty for not eating enough fruit and veg). As I entered my 40's, the weight crept up and I was fine with it for a while because I was always a little too thin anyway. Then it hit a specific number that I was not o.k. with and I came to MFP to track my food intake. I mostly cut back on the sugary treats (not all sugar, just the obvious stuff like pb&j for breakfast every day and candy too often) and got it back to where I wanted pretty quickly. I'm grateful for that.

    What I have realized now that I'm tracking my food is that I have a natural tendency to under eat. Not on purpose, but because food isn't that important to me and I get lazy or nothing sounded good. Now that I cut back on the "empty calorie" sweets, I am finding myself under the calories that I should eat to maintain where I am now. I want to stay where I am now (within a few pounds) so I need to eat these calories!

    I feel better having cut back on the sugary treats (less bloating and just feel better) so I can't default to that. I kept seeing the macro numbers and not wanting those to go red, even though right now I don't really care about them. So I turned them off for my daily diary so I don't see them. Now to figure out how to bump the calories up and retrain my brain!

    I guess this was mostly to get it written out somewhere because I kinda know what I need to do... have nuts or something else calorie dense but not sugary. I need to figure out some default snacks or something because I get tired of figuring out what to eat (hence the lazy under eating).

    Try Oh Yeah ONE bars! Super sweet, delicious and nutrition packed. Research higher calorie, nutrition dense foods (like nuts, seeds, etc.)
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    I often eat baby carrots with some almond butter or PB ... yummy because most of the time the baby carrots are already lightly sweet naturally. I keep an jar of almond butter in my desk drawer at work ...
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    It's a great idea to make a list of calorie dense snacks, keep a it on the frig if that helps, and add them to your regular shopping list so you always have them on hand. You are at a very good point in life to fine tune your eating and health habits so you will be strong and healthy for many years to come---from someone who didn't get all that figured out until 60.
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
    kristen8000 wrote: »
    OP, I feel ya.

    I've learned in the last 6 years that when I'm in the "mode" of losing, I'm amazing. So much I tend to under eat. But when I'm not watching, I eat EVERYTHING. Hence the loss/gain cycle I seem to be stuck in. In 2011 I lose 50lbs and I think I've regained the same 10-15lbs at least 4 times in the last 6 years. So, I never let myself gain it ALL back, but I can't figure out a happy medium.

    Now, in "maintainance" (and I put it in quotes because in the month of October, when I was supposed to stay at 148, I lost 4.5lbs) I can't seem to let myself eat those calories, because I'm still in the mode of "little is better".

    The question of what to eat is a daunting one. There are times I'll debate for hours about "what's dinner"...and since I'm the cook in the house, and my BF likes the "It doesn't matter" answer, I over think it. And I always over estimate how much of it that I'll eat.

    Finding "safe" go tos takes some trial and error. I, myself, like Luna bars for sugar cravings (the protein is a bonus) and string cheese for savory. Or Laughing Cow cheese and some Ritz crackers. I don't do nuts, because I tend to overeat them. I also buy those little bags of Lays chips so if I want salty, I just eat 1 bag.

    Looking at maintenance in the next month or so and I know this is me. I love a goal, so losing weight is simple, the reward of a lower number every few days is nice, being under my calorie goal is nice. I can sense in myself a tendency to disordered thinking. But the last time I lost these 15 pounds I avoided it by getting married and saying screw it all I love food! Diving in head first to all the calories and gaining it back lol. I don’t want to do that this time so I have slowed my rate of loss so it isn’t as “rewarding” stepping on the scale. I have never been “overweight “. But I seem to be pretty all or nothing, and I’d like to avoid that from now on. Hit my goal and stay within a few pounds of it going forward. I’m going to start reading these threads in preparation.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
    @maggibailey I set out this time to "figure" out maintainance because I'm tired of the up and down. When I met my BF in 2011, I was losing. I think I got down to right around what I am now when he told me I was looking "frail". I took that as an excuse to eat. I stopped logging, stopped walking regularly and gained 15lbs back pretty quickly. It was like a free for all. My body tends to "settle" in the 160ish range (where I like it settled in the 150ish range). I also tend to get "motivation" when I have something planned (this time, a Cancun vacation in November).

    This time, I vowed to start with a personal trainer aquaintainace I met through a professional organization (you know, those we are adults and professional and rarely see anyone but our coworkers type groups :)). I've asked if we start in the New Year. I've told her my "difficulties" and she said we'll work together to try and find a plan to either maintain or gradually build muscle. I know I'll need to stay off the scale during this and I know she'll "advise" me to "eat more", which I'm ok with mentally (my stomach may have a different plan). It's all a process. And it's completely mental.

    I've been told to find a new goal, but I'm still looking for that. I need something concrete and seeing low numbers on the scale can't be it.
  • maggibailey
    maggibailey Posts: 289 Member
    @kristen8000 I think that is a great idea. And since I like a goal I’ve sort of been thinking in the same vein. I’m going to the gym twice a week now instead of twice a month lol, and I’m gonna work in a third day. I’m also taking dogs or a kid on long walks a few times a week. I use to work out a lot and I loved how my body felt so I’m thinking that can be the new goal so I don’t slide back into a plate of family size carne asada fries on the weekends :)

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