under eating in calories but i feel fine??
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221bweenie
Posts: 4 Member
I’ve been on a weight loss journey for 6 months now and I’ve lost around 45 pounds so far. I pay real close attention to my macros and the amounts I eat. However, I am just consistently under eating in calories even though I eat enough each meal (snacks in between) to keep me full. I am a 5’6” female who weighs 207 pounds currently. I should be eating 2100 calories to lose 1 pound per week, which has been my goal since day one, but I consistently clock in around 1000. I’m honestly baffled at how I’m not dead by now or at least not seeing results.
Even if I forget to log olive oil here and there, I’m still usually well under what I should be eating. Should I be worried? I literally do not know if this is a bad thing or not, I assume it is but I’m not sick and am losing weight at the right speed. Do you think I’m doing something wrong?
*i mainly eat veggies, nuts, fish, oats and yogurt. No junk food (other than low-cal dark chocolate chips lmao)
Even if I forget to log olive oil here and there, I’m still usually well under what I should be eating. Should I be worried? I literally do not know if this is a bad thing or not, I assume it is but I’m not sick and am losing weight at the right speed. Do you think I’m doing something wrong?
*i mainly eat veggies, nuts, fish, oats and yogurt. No junk food (other than low-cal dark chocolate chips lmao)
9
Replies
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How much weight are you typically losing each week? Are you weighing your food?0
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I do weigh my food but that’s something I’ve only been doing for a month now (before i was usuing cups and tablespoons). I have been losing around a pound a week (it varies sometimes but usually is around a pound)1
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With malnutrition you feel fine until you crash unfortunately.10
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How do you determine how much you are eating? If not using a food scale you could easily be eating double what you think you are.
https://youtu.be/vjKPIcI51lU
Olive oil is 120 calories per tbsp. Forgetting to log things like that adds up very fast.12 -
Are you sure you're only eating 1,000 calories per day? Are you weighing your foods? At 45 pounds lost in 6 months, that averages out to 1.9 pounds per week which means you're actually eating about 1600 calories per day.13
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You're averaging about 7.5 lbs per month, so I suspect you are eating more than you realize. As you get closer to goal weight, you'll likely want to slow it down a bit while you prepare to transition to maintenance. As for feeling fine while possibly undereating, I wouldn't consider that the best gauge. You can feel fine, until you're not. At that point the damage is done and can take a while to recover from. Additionally, some of the more subtle signs may be missed. Something like increased hair loss, may not occur until about 6 months in.10
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Honestly I probably am doing a bad job at logging everything, since I’ve just recently started using a food scale. I know I’m not reaching 2100 but I suppose 1600 Is isn’t terrible! I just wanted to be sure I’m not unintentionally damaging myself in the long run so I’m going to try to fit more calories in. I’m glad I got that food scale!
I haven’t noticed anything with my body that is alarming but I might be overlooking something which is a scary thought 😬2 -
your rate of loss sounds good (you say 1 to 1.5lbs a week). so you are eating more than you think you are which is ok for now as your rate of loss is good.
getting used to logging using a scale for all solids is good, as you get closer to your goal you'll need to be more careful in calculating your calories. weigh these foods and see how that compares to what you were logging "i mainly eat veggies, nuts, fish, oats and yogurt. " especially nuts
Congrats! great work!5 -
Thank you!! Everyone has been very helpful (and quick!) I’ll take everyone’s advice into consideration, it’s all very good. I feel a lot better now haha. I appreciate it!5
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Don’t forget to recalculate your calories at your new weight to make sure your goal is correct now that you’re using your scale. 2100 to lose 1 lb a week at 207 sounds a little high. I think when I started at 267, 1 lb a week for me was more like 1750 - but I might be a lot older lol.
Keep going - you’re doing great!1 -
I’m not proud to say this but sometimes I eat around 800 calories a day simply because I don’t feel like eating more in the morning and by the time it’s the afternoon I’ve only eaten around 400 calories and I have to force myself to eat another 400. It’s not like this everyday but I also feel fine when this happens....7
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paulavillacb wrote: »I’m not proud to say this but sometimes I eat around 800 calories a day simply because I don’t feel like eating more in the morning and by the time it’s the afternoon I’ve only eaten around 400 calories and I have to force myself to eat another 400. It’s not like this everyday but I also feel fine when this happens....
That's not healthy or sustainable. You are preventing your body from getting nutrients that are absolutely 100% necessary for normal function. If this is a consistent issue for you then you need to talk a doctor or counselor.2
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