Scared of # of calories ?
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xSanoura
Posts: 40 Member
Hi, just a little expression of concern.
I met with a dietician and she gave me a personal set of macros and daily calorie goals. 1800 on my days off and 2100 on work Days. So basically 600+ calories per meal. However, as I’m tracking I’ve been getting “scared” once I get close or hit 1000. I haven’t been going past 1200. I’m losing weight and don’t feel starved but I know she’ll scold me on our next checkup lol. Has anyone ever had this problem? Im new to calorie counting and just want to be healthy
I met with a dietician and she gave me a personal set of macros and daily calorie goals. 1800 on my days off and 2100 on work Days. So basically 600+ calories per meal. However, as I’m tracking I’ve been getting “scared” once I get close or hit 1000. I haven’t been going past 1200. I’m losing weight and don’t feel starved but I know she’ll scold me on our next checkup lol. Has anyone ever had this problem? Im new to calorie counting and just want to be healthy
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Replies
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Hello!
1200 is the bare minimum number of calories you should eat, and that's before adding calories for intentional exercise.
What are your stats? (height, weight, age)
How are you measuring your food? You should use a food scale and weight it in grams, or you may be eating more than you think.
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Kathryn247 wrote: »Hello!
1200 is the bare minimum number of calories you should eat, and that's before adding calories for intentional exercise.
What are your stats? (height, weight, age)
How are you measuring your food? You should use a food scale and weight it in grams, or you may be eating more than you think.
That's what I came in to ask, too^^0 -
Kathryn247 wrote: »Hello!
1200 is the bare minimum number of calories you should eat, and that's before adding calories for intentional exercise.
What are your stats? (height, weight, age)
How are you measuring your food? You should use a food scale and weight it in grams, or you may be eating more than you think.
Hello. I’m 24(will be 25 in 3 weeks) , 5”4 and I was 300lbs, I’m 288 now. I’m weighing my food, but I’m getting a new scale (waiting for it to arrive VIA amazon) because the one I was using isn’t formally a food scale. I haven’t added additional exercise yet but I’m a nurse so I work 12 hour shifts and still attend school.
On days I work, she wants me to eat 2100 calories, and on days I’m off she wants me to eat 1800 calories.
I’ve been eating around 1100-1200 daily because of that anxiety of hitting in the 1000s. I should know better but it’s like a mental anxiety
For breakfast I normally eat 2 protein waffles with almond butter and a banana
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For lunch I eat either chicken or salmon with 1/4 cup of kale, 1/4 cup of spinach, 3oz of brócoli, 2oz of wild brown rice, some cheese and occasionally a fruit.
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Dinner is usually my struggle. If i eat a big breakfast, I’ll just have a yogurt. If I had a lightr breakfast, I’ll eat a bigger dinner.
....
Im new to all this so I’m trying to find balance.0 -
At your height and weight, definitely eat what your dietician is telling you to eat. As you lose weight, your calories will drop. Enjoy them now!
And start using the food scale 100%. The food you are describing above doesn't sound like 1000 calories to me.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p118 -
quiksylver296 wrote: »At your height and weight, definitely eat what your dietician is telling you to eat. As you lose weight, your calories will drop. Enjoy them now!
And start using the food scale 100%. The food you are describing above doesn't sound like 1000 calories to me.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1quiksylver296 wrote: »At your height and weight, definitely eat what your dietician is telling you to eat. As you lose weight, your calories will drop. Enjoy them now!
And start using the food scale 100%. The food you are describing above doesn't sound like 1000 calories to me.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
thank you! that post you shared is very helpful4 -
@quiksylver296 covered it in the best way! Your dietician is awesome for taking all factors into consideration. What she is doing will prepare you for the long haul, not just weight loss. She's a rock star in my opinion!8
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Your normal breakfast is about 500 calories and that's assuming that you are spreading the almond butter as thinly as possible (2 Tbsp) and using the smallest bananas sold in the store. I occasionally have rice cakes, 2 Tbsp of nut or seed butter and a very small banana for breakfast and that is around 400 calories. Rice cakes are at least 100 calories less than protein waffles, I reckon.
The lunch with fruit and cheese has gotta top 500 calories, especially if any of those veggies have oil or butter added before or after cooking.
So, you are likely hitting 1200 even if your dinner is just yogurt and you don't have any other calories during the day (drinks? cream or milk in coffee? etc?)
That's good, because you need to be eating around what your dietician recommends.0 -
Your normal breakfast is about 500 calories and that's assuming that you are spreading the almond butter as thinly as possible (2 Tbsp) and using the smallest bananas sold in the store. I occasionally have rice cakes, 2 Tbsp of nut or seed butter and a very small banana for breakfast and that is around 400 calories. Rice cakes are at least 100 calories less than protein waffles, I reckon.
The lunch with fruit and cheese has gotta top 500 calories, especially if any of those veggies have oil or butter added before or after cooking.
So, you are likely hitting 1200 even if your dinner is just yogurt and you don't have any other calories during the day (drinks? cream or milk in coffee? etc?)
That's good, because you need to be eating around what your dietician recommends.
I normally drink water and loose tea. occasionally a homemade matcha latte with almond milk(70 calories) with breakfast. I’m trying to incorporate protein into my diet, because I need a big amount.0 -
These are my macros
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JEEBUS GIRRRLLLL! Eat what the dietician told you.
I started at about 255 lbs on Aug 8 and am 240 lbs now (Oct 1) eating 1750 cals/day with *no exercise* due to orthopedic problems. Also I'm 56, so have a slower metabolism than you.
It's fine. You will lose weight at those targets she gave you.
Eating too few calories has the following effects (off the top of my head):
1. puts your metabolism into 'starvation mode' so that you burn less calories
2. with too few calories in your diet you can't get enough vitamins and minerals to stay healthy because they are only available in diluted form in food--you have to consume enough food to accumulate enough of these co-factors that your body can't make.
3. may result in a weight loss rate that leaves you with so much loose skin that when you reach your target weight you need surgery to remove excess skin.
4. is not a sustainable way to live for the rest of your life and so you'll only bounce back up in weight later-->leads to 'yoyo' dieting.
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Trust your dietician. She is working with you to build good healthy weight loss habits, not just losing in a rapid but unsustainable way. It is better to go a bit slower but properly fuel your body. 1200 may feel okay for you now but long term you would run into trouble so it is better to follow the path she set for you.4
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quiksylver296 wrote: »
Second that. Looks good to me.4 -
Maybe think of it this way: if you’re truly eating 1100-1200 calories a day, you are a full-grown woman trying to function at the low end of a toddler’s caloric needs.
Plus why would you seek out and pay a professional if you’re not even going to try out their advice?12 -
Your normal breakfast is about 500 calories and that's assuming that you are spreading the almond butter as thinly as possible (2 Tbsp) and using the smallest bananas sold in the store. I occasionally have rice cakes, 2 Tbsp of nut or seed butter and a very small banana for breakfast and that is around 400 calories. Rice cakes are at least 100 calories less than protein waffles, I reckon.
The lunch with fruit and cheese has gotta top 500 calories, especially if any of those veggies have oil or butter added before or after cooking.
So, you are likely hitting 1200 even if your dinner is just yogurt and you don't have any other calories during the day (drinks? cream or milk in coffee? etc?)
That's good, because you need to be eating around what your dietician recommends.
I normally drink water and loose tea. occasionally a homemade matcha latte with almond milk(70 calories) with breakfast. I’m trying to incorporate protein into my diet, because I need a big amount.
I currently eat around 1300 calories, which is reasonable because I am 5'3", 54 years old, weigh 131 pounds, and trying to get to 120 - 125 lbs. My goal is to lose up to 2 pounds a month. I started counting calories in July and have lost:
July 4 pounds
August 1 pound
September 3 pounds
I had lost 1 pound total in May and June trying to lose but before counting calories and another 3-5 pounds since my GERD issues started in Summer 2018 although I wasn't actively trying to lose.
All of that was for reference. If you want to add me as a friend, you can see my food diary.
For protein, which I struggle to get enough of (my personal goal is 70-100 grams daily), I rely heavily on higher protein skim milk, 0% fat Greek yogurt, and protein powders - along with vegetarian sources and occasionally fish.1 -
Thanks everyone! I’m going to try and incorporate some smaller snacks or even a small dinner after works to help me reach my daily goals. I know my dietician is a sweetheart and I trust her, it’s just my mindset is so anxious about eating since I used to just binge. I’m still learning but I thank y’all for the tips and comments !3
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Thanks everyone! I’m going to try and incorporate some smaller snacks or even a small dinner after works to help me reach my daily goals. I know my dietician is a sweetheart and I trust her, it’s just my mindset is so anxious about eating since I used to just binge. I’m still learning but I thank y’all for the tips and comments !
The good news is, if you start fueling your body well, you likely won't get to the place of a binge since you will be satisfied with what you have eaten! Best of luck!5 -
Here's the thing. For your height, you could legitimately eat 1200kcal once you're lean and are trying to achieve muscular aestheticism. But at your current weight (and for anyone else that isn't already lean) you want to eat as much as you can that allows you to lose weight because you can always cut a bit more once you hit a plateau - and I guarantee there is ALWAYS a plateau. Start at the bottom, and there's really nowhere else to go from there except frustration and anger.2
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These are my macros
I'm on a similar plan. 1700 calories on a 40/30/30 split for a small deficit and half lb. a week weight loss. My dietitian has taught me more than just count the calories, but actual nutrition facts and hunger awareness. She's amazing! So far down close to 3 lbs in a month.
Hope everything works for you.2 -
Here's the thing. For your height, you could legitimately eat 1200kcal once you're lean and are trying to achieve muscular aestheticism. But at your current weight (and for anyone else that isn't already lean) you want to eat as much as you can that allows you to lose weight because you can always cut a bit more once you hit a plateau - and I guarantee there is ALWAYS a plateau. Start at the bottom, and there's really nowhere else to go from there except frustration and anger.
Look, I'm a li'l ol' retired lady, 63 years old, 5'5" and mid-130s pounds, in year 4 of maintenance. If I ate only 1200 calories, and could stick to that - which is unlikely - I'd be hospitalized, underweight and with malnutrition, after not all that many months.
If I wanted to achieve muscular aestheticism - using recomposition not even bulk/cut - I'd have to eat something in the low to mid 2000s daily.
I admit, I'm a heckuva good calorie burner for someone my size and age, but I'm very doubtful that a 25 year old woman who's 5'4" and at a healthy weight, still working as a nurse, working 12 hour shifts and going to school, plus (speculatively) "trying to achieve muscular aestheicism" (i.e, muscular and working out) is going to want to be eating 1200 calories except maybe for a short time heading into competition prep, if that ever applies. Yikes.
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Oh, and: I lost about 50 pounds, obese to current weight, and never had a plateau. Though many experience them, they're not inevitable, and cutting calories further is not necessarily always the right strategy if they do happen.
OP, you're lucky to have found a level-headed dietitician. Follow her advice!10
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