Having Trouble Meeting 1200 Calorie Limit
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I never thought I'd be in a similar situation but when I switched to whole foods awhile back I ran into the same problem. I am aggressive with my exercise and there were days my nets were coming in under 1K and even though I didn't feel hungry I knew I needed to bump the number up. I found that by adding two boiled red potatoes to my lunch daily and a container of coconut water I was able to get my calories to a better level while still hitting good macros. Might be worth a try.0
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I, too, have been trying to add some calorie dense HEALTHY snacks to my diet because I have been having trouble hitting 1000 calories a day, much less 1200. And that's not even factoring in the calories I burn off exercising. I did change my default ratios to 45/30/25 to better represent what I was eating, but still having trouble reaching that 1200 calorie goal most days. And I am eating 5 or 6 times a day as well. Thanks for the list of more calorie dense options that don't ruin the weight loss.3
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Op do you use a food scale?2
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Oh shoot I didn’t realize people were really responding to me lol! Thank you everybody for getting back. I used to have a food scale but when I moved my brother kept it, so I’ve been looking for a decent one to buy. I try my best to do all of my research and planning beforehand, including measurement conversions. I actually set my own goal to 40 g fat, just because it seemed to work best with the other macros, but what everybody said is very insightful so thank you for your advice, I’ll try some new macro goals3
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It may also be because I have anxiety, so oftentimes it’s hard to eat, I dunno if that helps2
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I do quite a good job measuring, in fact sometimes I may overestimate(which isn’t good). I am however very worried about my calories because I want to make sure I’m getting enough, but at the same time I’m never really hungryWorry about hitting your calories. Going over your macros, especially fat and protein, is fine. Also make sure you’re logging everything as accurately as possible. A lot of times when people claim they can’t meet 1200 calories they’re eating more than they think.2 -
Get a food scale?
1200 cals is nothing. Are you logging all drinks, cooking oil, condiments?
Yep, I log everything! I only use coconut oil, no condiments, and I only drink water and almond milk. To be fair, my life style is very sedentary for the next couple weeks so I don’t really move enough to burn much lol.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Eat a whole pizza, or a whole tub of ice cream... That'll help your calories.
In all seriousness, plenty of "wholefoods" are calorie dense. Eat more of those. Why are you limiting yourself to 40g fat?
Honestly, it’s just at 40 grams because that’s what google said it should be lol. Which foods do you eat that are the most calorie dense?? I’d love some pointers! Also, hot Cheetos every day, got it lol
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Hanatastic wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Eat a whole pizza, or a whole tub of ice cream... That'll help your calories.
In all seriousness, plenty of "wholefoods" are calorie dense. Eat more of those. Why are you limiting yourself to 40g fat?
Honestly, it’s just at 40 grams because that’s what google said it should be lol. Which foods do you eat that are the most calorie dense?? I’d love some pointers! Also, hot Cheetos every day, got it lol
Fats are most calorie dense - I like "edible" fats, rather than just adding oil to food. Avocado, nuts/nut butters, whole eggs, fatty fish.
Id recommend getting another food scale. You may think you're good at picking weights/measurements, but most people aren't!2 -
psychod787 wrote: »Worry about hitting your calories. Going over your macros, especially fat and protein, is fine. Also make sure you’re logging everything as accurately as possible. A lot of times when people claim they can’t meet 1200 calories they’re eating more than they think.
I would personally recommend hitting your protein goals. Once you hit your minimums for fats, then carbs can come into play. Just my humble opinion. Also, why not shoot for a 80/20 split? 80% whole foods, 20% what you want. Helps keep me sane!
That’s the order I usually go in ! I make protein shakes! 20%? I’m going to try adjusting to that and see how it goes
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Hanatastic wrote: »
Good thing is you're likely eating more than you think. You use a lot of random, generic entries - 1/2 avocado, 1/2 pork chop etc. You also use lots of measuring cups and spoons.
Get a food scale - weigh all solids, find accurate entries that you can enter in grams.7 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Hanatastic wrote: »I replaced all of my foods with whole foods, and now I feel like I have to force myself to eat just to reach 1200 calories, while still maintaining my macros! Whole foods are too darn healthy dang it! >:^0 Does anybody have any methods they use to reach their limits without exceeding 40g of fat daily??
I got fat eating mostly whole foods (and lost the weight, NOT eating below 1200, also doing so), so it's not that hard to eat more than 1200 with whole foods, or mostly whole foods. I wouldn't worry about the fat limit, there's nothing magical about MFP's default macros and it's fine to adjust yours if it would work better for you (I tend to eat more fat, fewer carbs than the default, just because that's how I prefer to eat). When adjusting I would keep in mind that the default 1200 macros are already kind of low in protein (lower than I'd recommend for most).
Are you doing something beyond focusing on whole foods? Or is your definition really restrictive or this, perhaps, such a big change that you are having trouble knowing what to eat?
Give us a sense of what you are eating and what you are thinking you need to avoid.
I just unlocked my diary, feel free to check:) in all honesty, yes, I am very new to cooking for myself. My dad was the cook in the family, and he passed away a year ago. After I moved into my moms I gained a massive amount of weight, partially because of depression, and partially because the only word they apparently know is McDonald’s. This is definitely a learning process!
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Hanatastic wrote: »
Good thing is you're likely eating more than you think. You use a lot of random, generic entries - 1/2 avocado, 1/2 pork chop etc. You also use lots of measuring cups and spoons.
Get a food scale - weigh all solids, find accurate entries that you can enter in grams.
That is a good thing! I’ve been looking into food scales since I haven’t had mine in a good year. I desperately need one lol, it’s a struggle.
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Hanatastic wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Hanatastic wrote: »I replaced all of my foods with whole foods, and now I feel like I have to force myself to eat just to reach 1200 calories, while still maintaining my macros! Whole foods are too darn healthy dang it! >:^0 Does anybody have any methods they use to reach their limits without exceeding 40g of fat daily??
I got fat eating mostly whole foods (and lost the weight, NOT eating below 1200, also doing so), so it's not that hard to eat more than 1200 with whole foods, or mostly whole foods. I wouldn't worry about the fat limit, there's nothing magical about MFP's default macros and it's fine to adjust yours if it would work better for you (I tend to eat more fat, fewer carbs than the default, just because that's how I prefer to eat). When adjusting I would keep in mind that the default 1200 macros are already kind of low in protein (lower than I'd recommend for most).
Are you doing something beyond focusing on whole foods? Or is your definition really restrictive or this, perhaps, such a big change that you are having trouble knowing what to eat?
Give us a sense of what you are eating and what you are thinking you need to avoid.
I just unlocked my diary, feel free to check:) in all honesty, yes, I am very new to cooking for myself. My dad was the cook in the family, and he passed away a year ago. After I moved into my moms I gained a massive amount of weight, partially because of depression, and partially because the only word they apparently know is McDonald’s. This is definitely a learning process!
Sending you love. You're going through a lot and still managing to stick with this. You will have much support here if you need it.4 -
Hanatastic wrote: »Oh shoot I didn’t realize people were really responding to me lol! Thank you everybody for getting back. I used to have a food scale but when I moved my brother kept it, so I’ve been looking for a decent one to buy. I try my best to do all of my research and planning beforehand, including measurement conversions. I actually set my own goal to 40 g fat, just because it seemed to work best with the other macros, but what everybody said is very insightful so thank you for your advice, I’ll try some new macro goals
Dont worry about buying a 'decent scale'
Any cheap basic digital scale - quite cheap from Target, Walmart, your local supermarket, ebay - will do fine.
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paperpudding wrote: »Hanatastic wrote: »Oh shoot I didn’t realize people were really responding to me lol! Thank you everybody for getting back. I used to have a food scale but when I moved my brother kept it, so I’ve been looking for a decent one to buy. I try my best to do all of my research and planning beforehand, including measurement conversions. I actually set my own goal to 40 g fat, just because it seemed to work best with the other macros, but what everybody said is very insightful so thank you for your advice, I’ll try some new macro goals
Dont worry about buying a 'decent scale'
Any cheap basic digital scale - quite cheap from Target, Walmart, your local supermarket, ebay - will do fine.
Yes, mine is from wal-mart. I check it weekly with a troy silver bar. 31.1 grams! Wow! I am anal retentive! I would only make one suggestion. If you need calories, forgo the protein shakes and eat cheese, a fatty steak, salmon. All of those would give you protein and calories. What are your stats? are you sure 1200 calories a day is enough for you? You seem young. remember you don't stop going until your early 20's0 -
Hanatastic wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Hanatastic wrote: »I replaced all of my foods with whole foods, and now I feel like I have to force myself to eat just to reach 1200 calories, while still maintaining my macros! Whole foods are too darn healthy dang it! >:^0 Does anybody have any methods they use to reach their limits without exceeding 40g of fat daily??
I got fat eating mostly whole foods (and lost the weight, NOT eating below 1200, also doing so), so it's not that hard to eat more than 1200 with whole foods, or mostly whole foods. I wouldn't worry about the fat limit, there's nothing magical about MFP's default macros and it's fine to adjust yours if it would work better for you (I tend to eat more fat, fewer carbs than the default, just because that's how I prefer to eat). When adjusting I would keep in mind that the default 1200 macros are already kind of low in protein (lower than I'd recommend for most).
Are you doing something beyond focusing on whole foods? Or is your definition really restrictive or this, perhaps, such a big change that you are having trouble knowing what to eat?
Give us a sense of what you are eating and what you are thinking you need to avoid.
I just unlocked my diary, feel free to check:) in all honesty, yes, I am very new to cooking for myself. My dad was the cook in the family, and he passed away a year ago. After I moved into my moms I gained a massive amount of weight, partially because of depression, and partially because the only word they apparently know is McDonald’s. This is definitely a learning process!
Yeah, that plus your comment above about anxiety makes it make a lot more sense.
I do think you could be underestimating some of the more calorie-dense ingredients (cheese, avocado, pork chop), but I see the issue. If you are losing faster than expected I'd try (in the short term) adding in some fat (nuts or nut butter or hemp or flax seed or avocado or full fat yogurt) into your protein shake, or just eat some nuts with it.
One easy way to think about cooking/structuring meals is to build them around a source of protein and vegetables plus a source of starchy carbs (beans can be protein or carbs, other starchy carbs would be bread, potato, rice, oats or any grain, sweet potato, corn, peas, so on), and then use fat in your cooking or for added taste (some avocado or cheese, dressing with olive oil on salad, cook with olive oil). Plenty of meats will add fat too, and I'd not avoid those that do (i.e., salmon is great for you, despite being a fattier fish than cod or tuna; dark meat poultry is a good alternative to only breast, and the skin doesn't kill you). ;-)
I'd also substitute fruit sometimes for either the veg or starchy carb or just use it as a snack.
I think once you get in the habit it will feel easier, and you'll find yourself making meals that fill out your calories while still having a basically nutrient dense diet.
And it sounds like you've had a tough year or so, take it a bit easy on yourself and don't feel like you need to be perfect.1
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