Eating 1400 calories? What do you eat?
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OP, I saw your post regarding eating 20% fat. I think that sounds really low, and difficult to pull off. I would recommend eating in a way that you'll want to continue even after weight loss. Just stick to your calorie goal--the added fat can keep you feeling fuller longer, anyway.
Good luck!0 -
My TDEE is only 1250, it’s sad. I maintain on tons of vegetables, most usually frozen.Usually half a sweet potato daily. Oatmeal,protein powder for breakfast. I also eat a lot of plain poached fish.It is very tricky to live on about 1300 calories a day but I’ve been doing it for 2 years now. I really watch the macros,keep the protein up. For me every calorie has to be a good one.My best treat is..... Halo Top! Also I am frequently a little hungry, it’s ok to be a little hungry.I shake it off and get up and do something.CatL pretty much sums it up, you get used to it.Shes giving good advice.Theres also been someone here that says “ You gotta want it bad”
are you sure your TDEE is only 1200? TDEE is your BMR(what you burn by being alive)+ activity calories. do you mean your BMR is 1250?0 -
lightenup2016 wrote: »OP, I saw your post regarding eating 20% fat. I think that sounds really low, and difficult to pull off. I would recommend eating in a way that you'll want to continue even after weight loss. Just stick to your calorie goal--the added fat can keep you feeling fuller longer, anyway.
Good luck!
20% is low I know. I did some genetic testing late last year with my naturopath - while I am generally a skeptic, supposedly I have the sort of genes that store fat more readily.
A long time ago I did the conversion from “bad” fats to mostly good ones. I do not have cholesterol or triglyceride issues.
But just cutting calories hasn’t been working for me, so I am willing to experiement to see if that helps with weight loss. I have been eating roughly 45% carbs, 20% protein, 35% fat for a few years now. And I have been stuck at about the same weight for 6 months now -even with concerted efforts with 1600-1700 calories and exercise.
I bet once I am at a healthier weight fat % won’t matter as much but during this phase I need to figure out how to move the needle on the scale.
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cmriverside wrote: »If you get some exercise for an hour a day, you'll get 300-400 more calories. 1700 is a lot easier than 1400.
Eating back my exercise calories did not seem to help me, so I am sticking with 1400-ish all in. I have been pretty stuck over the past couple of montgs.My TDEE is only 1250, it’s sad. I maintain on tons of vegetables, most usually frozen.Usually half a sweet potato daily. Oatmeal,protein powder for breakfast. I also eat a lot of plain poached fish.It is very tricky to live on about 1300 calories a day but I’ve been doing it for 2 years now. I really watch the macros,keep the protein up. For me every calorie has to be a good one.My best treat is..... Halo Top! Also I am frequently a little hungry, it’s ok to be a little hungry.I shake it off and get up and do something.CatL pretty much sums it up, you get used to it.Shes giving good advice.Theres also been someone here that says “ You gotta want it bad”
When I got my DEXA scan, I found out my TDEE was 1400 or 1450 calories a day. I feel your pain, I have way more to lose so it was disheartening. My minimum is to lose 40#.I need 1400 to lose. There's not really room for much "fluff". Like if it doesn't fill you up and it's over 100 calories....for me, it tends not to be worth it. 1400 is where I may even stop sugar/milk in my coffee. I never eat breakfast but definitely will not on 1400. Lots of veggies, protein, higher volume meals over calorie dense higher carb/fat choices.
I am extra struggling since my naturopath is also recommending lower fat, and I have increased my fat intake over tge past couple of years. 20% is really hard, and I am failing daily. I got used to eating fewer carbs, and now I am supposed to be eating more of them. It is much harder than it seems. But I am also less hungry when I eat enough of them.
I am about 2 weeks into 1400 calories, but it feels like I have to think about calories all the time and I hate it. 1600 calories was so much easier. Now it feels like I really have to consider milk or half and half, sugar in my coffee or if I can have an orange for dessert. Or can I have a few nuts for a snack or just stick witg some carrots.
I had a cheat day and ordered pizza last week, so I spent most of the week with the leftovers. I did eat way less pizza than usual -I kept it to 2 slices with the leftovers.
I feel like there is no room for snacks at all. And getting to 55% carbs is way harder than I ever thought. I was having eggs and avocado, but that killed my fat for the day. So I decided to not have that anymore.
Yesterday:
smoothie with vanilla protein powder, cocoa powder, macadamia nut milk and half a banana
bacon gouda breakfast sandwich and flat white
blackberries with vanilla greek yogurt
roasted squash
salmon with rice, steamed broccoli, carrorts and a miso soy sauce
an orange
I feel like I am not eating enough veggies and I don’t have room for more!
if your TDEE (BMR+activity calories) is only 1400-1450 then that would be your maintenance calories. so if thats what you are eating you wont lose weight. sure you arent confusing TDEE with BMR? and find a registered dietitan not a naturopath. low fat isnt going to help weight loss unless you are in a deficit which is whats needed for weight loss.carbs or fat wont make you fat. only excess calories do.1 -
lightenup2016 wrote: »OP, I saw your post regarding eating 20% fat. I think that sounds really low, and difficult to pull off. I would recommend eating in a way that you'll want to continue even after weight loss. Just stick to your calorie goal--the added fat can keep you feeling fuller longer, anyway.
Good luck!
20% is low I know. I did some genetic testing late last year with my naturopath - while I am generally a skeptic, supposedly I have the sort of genes that store fat more readily.
A long time ago I did the conversion from “bad” fats to mostly good ones. I do not have cholesterol or triglyceride issues.
But just cutting calories hasn’t been working for me, so I am willing to experiement to see if that helps with weight loss. I have been eating roughly 45% carbs, 20% protein, 35% fat for a few years now. And I have been stuck at about the same weight for 6 months now -even with concerted efforts with 1600-1700 calories and exercise.
I bet once I am at a healthier weight fat % won’t matter as much but during this phase I need to figure out how to move the needle on the scale.
your naturopath is full of crap. you dont store fat in a deficit.its not how it works. if you have been the same weight for 6 months it means you are eating maintenance calories and you arent in a deficit so you wont lose.3 -
Veggie omelets. Fruit smoothies. Steamed veggies. Turkey chili. Chicken/veggie stir fry. Whole wheat toast.
I'm also doing 1400 calories, and let me tell you: it gets better! After a rough 1st month, I found that my appetite had decreased, so now it seems like enough, and I don't go to bed or wake up hungry like I used to.
One thing, though: I NEVER get all of my daily recommended vitamins, even though I eat tons of fruits & vegetables. I think it's just impossible to do that and stay within calories limits.1 -
@jadedone - I took a peak at your food diary. You are using a lot of cups and generalized portions for your food. You are obviously eating more than you think or you would be losing. "Cups" "medium" "2.38 diameter" etc. are not good measurements and your logging is most likely OFF by several hundred calories a day. Are you weighing that salmon to see if it's 3.5 ounces - or are you guesstimating? A cup of chicken? 8 macadamia nuts? All of that can throw off your logging.
Buy a food scale. Use USDA verified entries in the database here - there are lots of erroneous entries in the food list here. Here's a thread about how to use it:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »if your TDEE (BMR+activity calories) is only 1400-1450 then that would be your maintenance calories. so if thats what you are eating you wont lose weight. sure you arent confusing TDEE with BMR? and find a registered dietitan not a naturopath. low fat isnt going to help weight loss unless you are in a deficit which is whats needed for weight loss.carbs or fat wont make you fat. only excess calories do.
You are right, I meant BMR. I have seen some slight improvements over the past few months in the DEXA scans. So hopefully as I get more muscle mass it’ll get better.
I tried a dietician a few years ago, her recommendations were about the same as the naturopath. I have some other issues to work on as well, which is why I am seeing the naturopath - I have hypothyroidism caused by hashimotos. I have been having irregular periods and other hormonal issues that weren’t getting solved by my doctors.
If I hadn’t been seeing improvemrnts seeing a naturopath I would bounce. I have had the most regular periods in the past few months that I have had in years. I am no longer seeing the low blood sugar issues I would get all the time. So stuff is improving for me.
The scale is still stuck, but it also maybe systemic as well. I am taking a wait and see approach. Right now my intention is to try 1400 calories and lower fat for 2-3 monthsand see what happens.
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sometimes it helps to preplan and portion what u are eating, increased protein helps. Also if your calorie goal is very difficult mayb try increasing your goal by 100-200 calories and slowly decrease as your body gets used to the decreased caloric intake.0
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »if your TDEE (BMR+activity calories) is only 1400-1450 then that would be your maintenance calories. so if thats what you are eating you wont lose weight. sure you arent confusing TDEE with BMR? and find a registered dietitan not a naturopath. low fat isnt going to help weight loss unless you are in a deficit which is whats needed for weight loss.carbs or fat wont make you fat. only excess calories do.
You are right, I meant BMR. I have seen some slight improvements over the past few months in the DEXA scans. So hopefully as I get more muscle mass it’ll get better.
I tried a dietician a few years ago, her recommendations were about the same as the naturopath. I have some other issues to work on as well, which is why I am seeing the naturopath - I have hypothyroidism caused by hashimotos. I have been having irregular periods and other hormonal issues that weren’t getting solved by my doctors.
If I hadn’t been seeing improvemrnts seeing a naturopath I would bounce. I have had the most regular periods in the past few months that I have had in years. I am no longer seeing the low blood sugar issues I would get all the time. So stuff is improving for me.
The scale is still stuck, but it also maybe systemic as well. I am taking a wait and see approach. Right now my intention is to try 1400 calories and lower fat for 2-3 monthsand see what happens.
if you have a thyroid issue see an endocrinologist or many if you have to. if left untreated without the right meds(prescribed). If you have hashimotos you most likely need to be on meds and having your levels checked every so often. it can become worse. lower fat will not make you lose any more weight. the only way you should lower fat is if you have a medical condition to where too much fat would cause issues(I have such a condition). you need enough fat to help with hormone production and some nutrients are fat soluble so you need fats to help those nutrients to be used properly. is your naturopath an MD too or?
as for getting more muscle mass,it wont happen unless you are in a small deficit and doing weight training/resistance training. you probably wont gain a lot of mass either. if you want to build a decent amount of muscle you have to be in a caloric surplus and doing a progressive lifting program.along with muscle building in a surplus comes fat. otherwise if you do gain some muscle in a small deficit(250calorie deficit or less) it will take a long time to build and will taper off over time..
how did you periods and blood sugar improve? what do you do now that you didnt do then?0 -
cmriverside wrote: »If you get some exercise for an hour a day, you'll get 300-400 more calories. 1700 is a lot easier than 1400.
This
I started eating a couple of small soft tortilla with about 100gr turkey steak grilled and salad made of red onion, tomatoes, lettuce and sweet red pepper, and a generous amount of salsa. I think it get to just over 300 calories and it is quite filling0 -
cmriverside wrote: »@jadedone - I took a peak at your food diary. You are using a lot of cups and generalized portions for your food. You are obviously eating more than you think or you would be losing. "Cups" "medium" "2.38 diameter" etc. are not good measurements and your logging is most likely OFF by several hundred calories a day. Are you weighing that salmon to see if it's 3.5 ounces - or are you guesstimating? A cup of chicken? 8 macadamia nuts? All of that can throw off your logging.
Buy a food scale. Use USDA verified entries in the database here - there are lots of erroneous entries in the food list here. Here's a thread about how to use it:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1
Thank you for the tip, it is hard to separate the good from the bad in the database.
I do not weigh now, I have in the past. I do not eat at home all the time for a myriad of reasons, so I need to be realistic about my life. But I get pretty good at eyeballing sunce I spent a year measuring. I am OK with the guestimates for now.
For example, the salmon is pretty accurate - since I had just picked it up from the butcher. Medium carrots? Well I am being lazy, I have the prepackaged baby carrots at work, each pack is 25 calories. So if I grab the same amount for my plate, it is pretty close. I tested my spoons, so I know how much to pour to get to a teaspoon or tablespoon. I had a batch of really small fruits. So medium is accurate.
I do not want to become super food obsessed, it isn’t healthy for me. I am looking for the minimum viable in order to get to my goals. I’d rather focus my energies on limiting the amount of oil I used to roast the veggies than if I had 50 or 55 grams of broccoli. I am still working on the sustainable behavior lens for myself. Filling my plate with half veggies. Sticking to card deck protein portions....
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cmriverside wrote: »@jadedone - I took a peak at your food diary. You are using a lot of cups and generalized portions for your food. You are obviously eating more than you think or you would be losing. "Cups" "medium" "2.38 diameter" etc. are not good measurements and your logging is most likely OFF by several hundred calories a day. Are you weighing that salmon to see if it's 3.5 ounces - or are you guesstimating? A cup of chicken? 8 macadamia nuts? All of that can throw off your logging.
Buy a food scale. Use USDA verified entries in the database here - there are lots of erroneous entries in the food list here. Here's a thread about how to use it:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10621050/how-to-use-the-usda-food-database-mfp-food-database-for-accurate-logging/p1
Thank you for the tip, it is hard to separate the good from the bad in the database.
I do not weigh now, I have in the past. I do not eat at home all the time for a myriad of reasons, so I need to be realistic about my life. But I get pretty good at eyeballing sunce I spent a year measuring. I am OK with the guestimates for now.
For example, the salmon is pretty accurate - since I had just picked it up from the butcher. Medium carrots? Well I am being lazy, I have the prepackaged baby carrots at work, each pack is 25 calories. So if I grab the same amount for my plate, it is pretty close. I tested my spoons, so I know how much to pour to get to a teaspoon or tablespoon. I had a batch of really small fruits. So medium is accurate.
I do not want to become super food obsessed, it isn’t healthy for me. I am looking for the minimum viable in order to get to my goals. I’d rather focus my energies on limiting the amount of oil I used to roast the veggies than if I had 50 or 55 grams of broccoli. I am still working on the sustainable behavior lens for myself. Filling my plate with half veggies. Sticking to card deck protein portions....
thing is packaged food can be off by up to 20% per serving. if you dont use a food scale you really dont know how much you are really eating. I learned that the hard way.and using spoons arent really that accurate. the thing with fruits is medium size can range from 20-100 calorie difference per fruit. 2 medium apples can vary. one could be 100 calories or more and the other may be less. its not being food obsessed its being accurate. sometimes its what you have to do to get the weight coming off again. if you arent losing then guesstimating isnt working for you. and is your thyroid levels in the range it should be or ? because thyroid issues can make it hard to lose too(my daughter is hypothyroid). you say you are afraid to become super food obsessed? did you have an eating disorder in the past?0 -
My daily goal is 1410 calories per day.
Breakfast - usually Chobani Greek Yogurt (sometimes Shredded Wheat with whole milk)
AM Snack - 8 almonds
Lunch - Tuna wrap, a piece of fruit, a fun-size chocolate bar.
PM Snack - hummus and vegetables
Dinner - some type of protein (3 ounces) fish, chicken, beef, pork, etc; salad with various vegetables and balsamic vinegar; sometimes a yam, potato or pasta. Also two glasses of wine and some type of dessert item (some chocolate, a mini yogurt or such.)1 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
thing is packaged food can be off by up to 20% per serving. if you dont use a food scale you really dont know how much you are really eating. I learned that the hard way.and using spoons arent really that accurate. the thing with fruits is medium size can range from 20-100 calorie difference per fruit. 2 medium apples can vary. one could be 100 calories or more and the other may be less. its not being food obsessed its being accurate. sometimes its what you have to do to get the weight coming off again. if you arent losing then guesstimating isnt working for you. and is your thyroid levels in the range it should be or ? because thyroid issues can make it hard to lose too(my daughter is hypothyroid). you say you are afraid to become super food obsessed? did you have an eating disorder in the past?
I do not eat much packaged foods. It is rare. But i figure being off by a few baby carrots isn’t going to kill me.
I nave been doing 1400 calories for around 2 weeks. One of those weeks was my period. Things were moving, and things tend to stop for me when my period hits. I lose pretty slowly and if there is anything remotely off with my cycle all things stall. I have had a stressful first few months of the year, and I have lost the 8 pounds I gained over the holidays. And taking a break. So I am feeling ok about where things are trending. It is too soon to tell if the calorie change will do the trick.
Right now I’d love some food ideas, not a deep dive on if my plan is working or not. There isn’t enough evidence to diagnose anything at this point. 2 weeks is meaningless.
For me the weighing food is a “big gun” as is getting hardcore about macros. I am not close enough to my goal weight to pull out the big guns. I also do not want to expemd all of my spare mental energy on food choices. I tend to have insomnia and my brain is way too active at bedtime as it is.
I have enough on my plate figuring out my hormomes, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise and starting a new job. I’m sticking with the easier food adjustments eating 15% less than I was last month.
If I am in the neighborhood food wise and not eating back my exercise calories, I can evaluate if things are working after 6 weeks.
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None of us can tell you what to eat. That is a personal choice, you understand that, right?
We've all suggested you not listen to a naturopath and to UP your fats and log accurately. Other than that, you'll have to figure out on your own how much of each food that you enjoy ends up on your plate.
Good luck, we tried. We all have to figure out foods and amounts by experimentation. That's what you'll have to do, too.0 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
thing is packaged food can be off by up to 20% per serving. if you dont use a food scale you really dont know how much you are really eating. I learned that the hard way.and using spoons arent really that accurate. the thing with fruits is medium size can range from 20-100 calorie difference per fruit. 2 medium apples can vary. one could be 100 calories or more and the other may be less. its not being food obsessed its being accurate. sometimes its what you have to do to get the weight coming off again. if you arent losing then guesstimating isnt working for you. and is your thyroid levels in the range it should be or ? because thyroid issues can make it hard to lose too(my daughter is hypothyroid). you say you are afraid to become super food obsessed? did you have an eating disorder in the past?
I do not eat much packaged foods. It is rare. But i figure being off by a few baby carrots isn’t going to kill me.
I nave been doing 1400 calories for around 2 weeks. One of those weeks was my period. Things were moving, and things tend to stop for me when my period hits. I lose pretty slowly and if there is anything remotely off with my cycle all things stall. I have had a stressful first few months of the year, and I have lost the 8 pounds I gained over the holidays. And taking a break. So I am feeling ok about where things are trending. It is too soon to tell if the calorie change will do the trick.
Right now I’d love some food ideas, not a deep dive on if my plan is working or not. There isn’t enough evidence to diagnose anything at this point. 2 weeks is meaningless.
For me the weighing food is a “big gun” as is getting hardcore about macros. I am not close enough to my goal weight to pull out the big guns. I also do not want to expemd all of my spare mental energy on food choices. I tend to have insomnia and my brain is way too active at bedtime as it is.
I have enough on my plate figuring out my hormomes, getting enough sleep, getting enough exercise and starting a new job. I’m sticking with the easier food adjustments eating 15% less than I was last month.
If I am in the neighborhood dood wise and not eating back my exercise calories, I can evaluate if things are working after 6 weeks.
you dont need to exercise to lose weight though, exercises is good for your body and health but not needed to lose weight. and weight fluctuates hr to hr,day to day so if it hasnt moved then you may be retaining water. if you are struggling with insomnia then that can hinder weight loss too. you need to figure out how to get more sleep(yoga or meditation may help. you dont have to be close to goal to use a scale to be more accurate. its a tool to help you be more accurate is all.
for hormone issues,if you truly have hormone issues you need to see someone to get them straightened out. but you are right 2 weeks is not enough time. you could be retaining a lot of water which can mask weight loss. you do need to try and get your health issues on track first though and it sounds like you are under a lot of stress which is another thing that can hinder weight loss as well. But if you have a decent amount to lose.(cant remember if you said how much or not-im sleep deprived today). then you can estimate for a few more weeks and then see where you are.
as for what to eat. you can eat what you like just less of it. MFP is set in a way to eat back exercise calories because your deficit is built in without exercise. when it asks to set an activity goal it means what you do for work and your daily activities outside of exercise. you will still have a deficit if you eat back some of your exercise calories. eating too little can cause hormone and other issues.at least try to net your 1400 calories. you can gauge from there like you said.oh and insomnia seems like it goes hand in hand with thyroid issues as my daughter has insomnia too.0 -
I'm on 1220 calories and it's not great. I don't eat lunch, have a small snack instead.
Also, I find I can easily cut out things like condiments, salad dressings, I cook without oil, make my oats with water, that saves me a lot of calories. Eating lots of vegetables and fruit also helps as they're generally lower in calories than processed food. I still manage to eat chocolate or some other treat daily which keeps me sane. I did manage 1200 calories for just over a year and I know it does get easier with time. Just hang in there!1 -
If you can get the thyroid sorted, that should make everything easier. I found that my non-exercise activity goes up a lot when my thyroid meds are at the correct level. Your TDEE seems really low right now, so hopefully it will improve when you get your hormones in order!
Spaghetti squash and zoodles make good bases for low calorie meals. If you get sick of chicken, don't forget other low calorie proteins such as grilled fish and roast pork loin. I like to roast a whole pork loin to just done enough, then use it throughout the week in quick dishes such as stir fries and sandwiches. Wraps are also good - instead of tortillas use lettuce, cabbage leaves, or nori. Very low calorie flavorings: lemon and lime juice, spices and herbs, vanilla and other extracts, apple cider vinegar.
I would also suggest some higher intensity exercise to earn a few more calories.
And do reconsider weighing. If you use the right techniques it doesn't have to become an obsession. I have a kitchen scale with a tare button, just put my plate right on the scale and put one food on, hit tare, put the second food on, etc. takes hardly more time than logging. You say not weighing is working for you, but you also say you are having trouble losing weight so clearly something isn't working.0 -
I'm on 1220 calories and it's not great. I don't eat lunch, have a small snack instead.
Also, I find I can easily cut out things like condiments, salad dressings, I cook without oil, make my oats with water, that saves me a lot of calories. Eating lots of vegetables and fruit also helps as they're generally lower in calories than processed food. I still manage to eat chocolate or some other treat daily which keeps me sane. I did manage 1200 calories for just over a year and I know it does get easier with time. Just hang in there!
Good tips! I’m toying around with the idea of smaller breakfasts, since I like heartier lunch and dinner. Or sneaking in a lot of veggies breakfast to stay caught up.0
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