I need some help with calories !

LoseItJourney
LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
Originally I thought

" Oh man, Its going to be hard only having 1200-1400 calories a day, thats so few !

And now Im thinking

" HOW am I suppose to eat enough?! "


I'm only making 800-900 a day max, sometimes less..
but I eat 3 meals a day. and even have a snack.


Any tips on how to get a better calorie intake, while not making myself sick by over eating ?
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Replies

  • akgrl1020
    akgrl1020 Posts: 179
    Peanut Butter!
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    Snack on calorie dense, high nutrient foods, like nuts and seed (think sunflower)
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    I never thought of nuts!
    Thanks.

    I love them, plus they will add some protien.
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
    oh Power Bar has been my favorite Great for calories and or cliff bars :) But peanut butter is my favorite :) Natural and yummy!
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    Nuts, milk, peanutbutter.
  • 6heatherb6
    6heatherb6 Posts: 469 Member
    If you don't feel sick, if your tummy isn't complaining and if you have energy...DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!

    :flowerforyou:
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    What are you eating? You need to be eating more than 800 calories a day. Usually I get around 1500 a day.
  • stanvoodoo
    stanvoodoo Posts: 1,023 Member
    Any kind of protein works!!! Protein bars, Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Almonds.

    Remember Min calories for Men is 1500!
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    Click on tools and calculate your BMR.
  • hbarney
    hbarney Posts: 434
    I was having the same problem-actually I still do. I will eat two snacks a day-a cheese stick, part skim, works well for me. I found that when I eat closer to my calories I lose more weight. Good luck!
  • smallerthighs
    smallerthighs Posts: 148
    Try the South Beach protein meal bars...the chocolate peanut butter ones are extra yummy!!
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    You can see my diary.

    Like today I had


    - cereal for breakfast
    - bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese for lunch
    - and a hamburger for dinner (no bun however because I had the bagel at lunch)
    - and some chocolate for my craving, but only .5 of the suggested serving amount.

    I should get fruits/veggies in there, but unfortunatly our house is out of both until the next grocery shop.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    If you don't feel sick, if your tummy isn't complaining and if you have energy...DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!!

    :flowerforyou:

    We can all agree to disagree on exactly what diet works best for each person, but I hope we can all also agree that it's a fact that we have a minimum calorie requirement just to maintain health and 900 is below that. That you aren't hungry isn't a reliable indicator of whether you need nutrients and calories.
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    My BMR thing is


    Your estimated BMR is: 2,031 calories/day*



    but I don't even know what that means.
  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    It all depends on what you are already eating. But yes everyone is right, nuts and nut butters. Try putting natural peanut or almond butter on whole wheat toast. Try Greek yogurt for some calcium and protein. You have to be careful about not eating too few. If you are still under and just need the calories, try more beverages. 2% milk is great for you or you can drink some fruit juices. You just have to be careful because a lot of commercial fruit juice is full of sugar and not much actual fruit.
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    Thank You everyone for your tips !
    I appreciate it !
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    Your BMR is the calories you need to eat to survive. So you need to be eating a lot more than what you are eating. Definitely add fruit and veggies. Are you still hungry? You are basically starving yourself.

    My BMR thing is


    Your estimated BMR is: 2,031 calories/day*



    but I don't even know what that means.
  • Primrose1960
    Primrose1960 Posts: 55 Member
    avocado
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    Try aiming for 500 calories per meal and then two 250 calorie snacks.
  • ssnichole987
    ssnichole987 Posts: 29 Member
    I've been eating granola bars and apples in between meals. They aren't too heavy or calorie packed for one sitting and they leave me hungary again a few hours later for another snack/meal. This works best for me. I usually eat something small about every 2-4 hours and it seems to be working... If you're still having trouble making your min calories, try adding juce or fruit in with your breakfast maybe? That will get you some more calories while adding in some natural vitamins as well.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    My BMR thing is


    Your estimated BMR is: 2,031 calories/day*



    but I don't even know what that means.
    Here are some great resources on Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) or the amount of calories you would burn if you slept for 24 hours.

    Some foods to consider: Protein Bar, Protein Shake (with milk), avocado, peanuts, more meats like chicken/turkey/steak. Try to get 30 g's of protein and complex carbs with each meal. This really works the metabolism and pushes for your body to stay fuller longer and have more energy.


    http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • MICHELE0816
    MICHELE0816 Posts: 3
    I love wasabi almonds!
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    Your BMR is the calories you need to eat to survive.

    Not really... you BMR is the amount of calories you need to eat to MAINTAIN YOUR CURRENT WEIGHT if you did nothing but rested and slept all day.

    It does NOT include the calories you burn for your activities of daily living.
    It also does NOT include the deficit you need to lose weight.

    Example:
    My start weight was 175 lbs -- My BMR was 1443 cal
    To maintain 175 lbs -- If I was sedentary 1790 cal would maintain my weight including what ever I burned during the course of my daily activities (1940 cal for lightly active, 2080 cal for active, 2230 cal for very active)

    the MFP lose 1 lb per week setting takes away 500 cal from the calories I use for my daily activities 1790cal - 500cal = 1290cal

    Obviously, I survived on less that 1443 calories.
    Every time I lost a pound MFP took away 10 calories. But MFP won't go below 1200 so that you get your proper nutrition, So when I my lose 1 lb a week calorie target was 1200 and stop moving I switched to lose 1/2 lb a week.

    Good Luck
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    Thanks everyone.

    I agree that the BMR isnt what I need to eat,
    because eating 2000 calories a day, is NOT going to get me on a weight loss track.
    I want to lose weight, not stay my current weight.

    Im going to try adding a snack here or there.


    and no, I am not starving myself, nor am I feeling hungry.

    I feel that by eating what I do in a day, theres no link to starving myself at all.

    I just dont need HUGE portions or meals to fill me up,
    and eating when your not hungry, and eating big portion is what got me here in the first place.
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    Look into the Diet Solution Plan. It sets you up.

    For instance..based on their little test I am a protein type. And based on what I burn daily, I know I need to eat about 1600 calories daily. So then I just go to their little chart, look up the 1600 cal ratios for my metabolism type, and it tells me how many units of protein, carbs and fat I need at each meal/snack.

    The real "secret" is to eat every 3 hours or so, and to plan. Then you'll find that you'll hit your calorie goals. After a few weeks of doing this, you won't have to "plan" because your body will tell you when it's time to eat and you'll have your ratios memorized.

    God bless!
  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    I wanted to add that one of my favorite snacks is apple slices coated with 2 tablespoons of raw almond butter. That right there is about 250 calories, and gives you 2 units of proteins to 1 unit of healthy carb. It's a snack that will stay with you without making you feel heavy or like you have over eaten.

    God bless!
  • bgredenbaugh
    bgredenbaugh Posts: 65 Member
    Greek yogurt! Add fruit and/or granola. High in protein (good) and yummy!
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    Here is a great article on BMR.

    http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Understanding-Weight-Loss.htm?cmp=17-7-1112
  • LoseItJourney
    LoseItJourney Posts: 122 Member
    Your BMR, also known as your Basal Metabolic Rate, is the number of calories your body burns in a single day from performing basic functions like breathing and pumping blood. Think of it as the calories you would burn if you sat on the couch all day. This is the number of calories your body needs to function.

    When you create a deficit your body will turn to the in your fat stores to function properly -- burning those unwanted pounds away.

    In order to lose one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories. This means you need a deficit of around 500 calories per day in order to lose one pound per week.


    How to Create a Calorie Deficit

    Change your diet and eat fewer calories than you burn each day. If you eat 500 fewer calories than your BMR each day for a week, you'll lose about one pound of fat.

    Introducing physical activity and burning more calories than you consume. If you eat enough calories to support your BMR, but exercise more, you'll create a caloric deficit simply by burning extra calories.

    A combination of eating fewer calories and exercising to burn more calories. If you cut just 200 calories a day from your diet and burned just 300 extra calories a day by exercising, you'd lose about one pound per week.

    A combination of diet and exercise is the easiest way to lose weight because it requires only small tweaks to your lifestyle.





    That is taken right from that website liink.
    BMR is how many calories I naturally burn on average a day.
    I want to eat LESS than that, or else I wont lose any weight.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    BMR is what you burn if you stay in bed all day. As soon as you get up and start moving you are burning more than your BMR. You need to factor in your activity level and get your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure.) If you are sedentary (desk job, not highly active) then your TDEE (or maintenance calories) is 2437 (based on the BMR you posted earlier in the thread.) To lose weight, you create a deficit from there. 500 calorie deficit for 1 pound a week (1937 calories a day) or 1000 calories a day for 2 pounds a week (1437 calories a day.)

    Then if you exercise on top of that, you have to add those calories in as well, as exercise calories aren't factored into your TDEE.

    Also, if you're lightly active (on your feet all day,) your TDEE goes up to 2793, and the rest of the numbers adjust from there.

    One of the problems I've seen that people tend to do, is when they try to cut calories, they eliminate every high calorie food from their diet, and then wonder why they don't eat enough calories, when they eat nothing but 0 calorie foods. Make sure to mix in higher calorie foods in your diet.

    I don't get why so many people are restricting themselves to 1200 calories, when the majority of people should be eating much more.
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