I'm having difficulty eating all my calories....HELP????

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  • strawberry25shortcake
    strawberry25shortcake Posts: 183 Member
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    doctors only take one nutriton class during med school and arent qualified to give advice on nutrition eating less then 800 calories a day can cause irregular heart beats that can lead to death. you might want to tell them to eat at least 1200 calories a day

    STRONGLY AGREE!
  • AuntyABBY24
    AuntyABBY24 Posts: 15
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    Before I basically ate rubbish, occasionally i would eat salad but i would always have a meat and veg meal. I'd eat white bread, loads of crisps, biscuits, fried breakfast. Now I have a fruit smoothie (made with 5 fruits) for breakfast and before i go to bed, wholemeal bread, salad with meals i never used to like lasagne/pasta bake, i have poached/boiled eggs instead of fried and i grill bacon instead of frying it.

    One of my problems is that i work an irregular pattern of night shift and my sleeping pattern during the day varies so for 4 days of the week i find it hard to have at least 3 meals a day. I have access to a kitchen at work but it isnt always possible to cook meals due to the needs of the young people i look after.

    I dont feel dizzy, dehydrated, etc. I'm not one to drink lots of water/juice, never have been, if i drink to much it makes me wretch and i just throw it up :( the only thing I have noticed is that I'm getting heartburn which is something iv never had before but i'm just putting that down to the acid in the fruit i'm drinking in the smoothies.

    I like peanut butter so i might start putting that on my toast in the morning.

    I'm not eating my exercise calories either so if i walk 10 miles i burn approx 1300 calories but don't eat any of them back but on the days i dont exercise i still am about 200-450 calories off my 1200 calories. I'm not losing weight but people at work are telling me that my walking will be building muscle which is heavier than fat but surely if i'm walking up huge hills and sweating buckets and looking like a tomato i'm also burning fat???????

    ITS JUST SO HARD.........TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE GIVE UP :explode:
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
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    you can still eat the foods you ate before just in moderation- Count everything you eat-


    And FYI

    Fat doesn't weigh more than muscle and muscle doesn't weigh more than fat- a pound is a pound- its just that 1 pound muscle takes up less space then a pound of fat
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Before I basically ate rubbish, occasionally i would eat salad but i would always have a meat and veg meal. I'd eat white bread, loads of crisps, biscuits, fried breakfast. Now I have a fruit smoothie (made with 5 fruits) for breakfast and before i go to bed, wholemeal bread, salad with meals i never used to like lasagne/pasta bake, i have poached/boiled eggs instead of fried and i grill bacon instead of frying it.

    One of my problems is that i work an irregular pattern of night shift and my sleeping pattern during the day varies so for 4 days of the week i find it hard to have at least 3 meals a day. I have access to a kitchen at work but it isnt always possible to cook meals due to the needs of the young people i look after.

    I dont feel dizzy, dehydrated, etc. I'm not one to drink lots of water/juice, never have been, if i drink to much it makes me wretch and i just throw it up :( the only thing I have noticed is that I'm getting heartburn which is something iv never had before but i'm just putting that down to the acid in the fruit i'm drinking in the smoothies.

    I like peanut butter so i might start putting that on my toast in the morning.

    I'm not eating my exercise calories either so if i walk 10 miles i burn approx 1300 calories but don't eat any of them back but on the days i dont exercise i still am about 200-450 calories off my 1200 calories. I'm not losing weight but people at work are telling me that my walking will be building muscle which is heavier than fat but surely if i'm walking up huge hills and sweating buckets and looking like a tomato i'm also burning fat???????

    ITS JUST SO HARD.........TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE GIVE UP :explode:


    You aren't eating enough.
    If you are only eating 900-1000 calories a day and not losing weight at a size 16, you simply aren't eating enough.
    If you are walking 10 miles a day (at 1300 calories) and you aren't eating those, your poor body is starving.
    Try eating MORE.
  • wonderwouldyou
    wonderwouldyou Posts: 155 Member
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    I sometimes have a tough time meeting my calories every day.

    But....

    Remember theese points which I read about in Men's Health.

    Calorie counting often underestimates by 25% of actual intake.

    Don't eat very big meals.

    Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a peasant at dinner.

    Try this smoothie for added calories

    Half cup skim or 2% milk
    Half cup non fat yogurt
    Half cup cheerios
    Half cup fresh berries of choice
    1 tbsp peanut butter
    1 scoop whey powder

    Good stuff and good for you too!

    If that doesn't work then meet me at McDonald's. LOL

    Good luck
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    Eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a peasant at dinner.
    I wish I could do that. I always do the opposite which I KNOW hinders my weight loss.
  • AuntyABBY24
    AuntyABBY24 Posts: 15
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    I'm even more confused now!!! You're contradicting each other :huh:
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    I'm even more confused now!!! You're contradicting each other :huh:

    Not really.
    You are supposed to eat a BIG breakfast, a decent lunch and a light dinner.
    Still gotta spread out those calories.
    I typically eat a light breakfast, a light lunch, and the bulk of my calories at dinner, which is no good.
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
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    Before I basically ate rubbish, occasionally i would eat salad but i would always have a meat and veg meal. I'd eat white bread, loads of crisps, biscuits, fried breakfast. Now I have a fruit smoothie (made with 5 fruits) for breakfast and before i go to bed, wholemeal bread, salad with meals i never used to like lasagne/pasta bake, i have poached/boiled eggs instead of fried and i grill bacon instead of frying it.

    One of my problems is that i work an irregular pattern of night shift and my sleeping pattern during the day varies so for 4 days of the week i find it hard to have at least 3 meals a day. I have access to a kitchen at work but it isnt always possible to cook meals due to the needs of the young people i look after.

    I dont feel dizzy, dehydrated, etc. I'm not one to drink lots of water/juice, never have been, if i drink to much it makes me wretch and i just throw it up :( the only thing I have noticed is that I'm getting heartburn which is something iv never had before but i'm just putting that down to the acid in the fruit i'm drinking in the smoothies.

    I like peanut butter so i might start putting that on my toast in the morning.

    I'm not eating my exercise calories either so if i walk 10 miles i burn approx 1300 calories but don't eat any of them back but on the days i dont exercise i still am about 200-450 calories off my 1200 calories. I'm not losing weight but people at work are telling me that my walking will be building muscle which is heavier than fat but surely if i'm walking up huge hills and sweating buckets and looking like a tomato i'm also burning fat???????

    ITS JUST SO HARD.........TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE GIVE UP :explode:

    Unfortunately, you can't build muscle without adequate fuel... so basically, your body is holding tight to the extra fat because you're not eating enough... and underneath that if you are not getting enough calories, your body will begin to cannibalize your muscles in order to get the energy it needs. You might not feel too bad right now, but continue eating so little and your body will start to suffer. Eventually, you will lose weight, but it is not safe or healthy to continue eating so little. You need to eat more... and please, don't avoid fat. Your body needs it. In your situation, a little extra fat in your diet can help you get closer to your calorie goals, since a gram of fat is 9 cals, whereas a gram of carbs or protein is only 4 grams.

    Try avocados, coconut (raw, not processed), higher fat cheese, and whole grain pasta - they are calorie dense and healthy.
  • mnichol
    mnichol Posts: 642
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    ya know, i understand the concept of eating all ur calories, however...I have 3 friends that have been seeing completely different doctors in order to acheive weight loss and all of those seperate doctors have set them on 400 calorie a day diets and they are roughly around 200-250 lb.'s, soooo... If doctors arent so worried about starvation mode and they are losing huge amounts of weight, something must be working from the doctors standpoint as well...


    I'm going to do you a favour, but only this once. I'm going to be the bigger person, and well, as much as I don't want to,......I'm gonna eat your extra calories for you :happy: , what are mfp friends for if they can't help a fellow member out...:tongue:

    I will back you up if you can't handle it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laugh: :laugh:
  • chunkabutt25
    chunkabutt25 Posts: 277 Member
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    ya know, i understand the concept of eating all ur calories, however...I have 3 friends that have been seeing completely different doctors in order to acheive weight loss and all of those seperate doctors have set them on 400 calorie a day diets and they are roughly around 200-250 lb.'s, soooo... If doctors arent so worried about starvation mode and they are losing huge amounts of weight, something must be working from the doctors standpoint as well...

    Doctors are just scientists and I don't believe them one little bit!!! 400 calories a day? OK...until you lose weight maybe, but what happens after that? I am sorry, but this doesn't sound healthy at all...What did your friends eat? I am sorry, I am in shock. Doctors are not 'worried' about starvation mode? Well- why should they be? It's not their body that is starving, right? Losing weight is NOT about dieting but about lifestyle change that will stick with you FOREVER! Eating 400 calories for the rest of your/my life? Nope!
    I asked the same thing about what they ate! She said they eat fruit all day and one low calorie frozen dinner and lots of water...I cud nevvvvvver!!!!!
  • mommybirdie
    mommybirdie Posts: 4
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    Protein is good, don't cut it out and then replace it with sugars or carbs. If your fat is still below, then the protein will do your weight loss good.
  • mommybirdie
    mommybirdie Posts: 4
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    That last response was for Mossymommy.
  • aprilvet
    aprilvet Posts: 724 Member
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    my q is kinda like this one only i'm under my daily cals (im ok with that) but I'm over on my protein... I guess i should cut out meat from one of my meals?

    You don't necessarily need to cut your protein. I actually upped my protein percentage in mfp 'cause I was always over. I'm doing a fair amount of exercise- weight training and cardio- and feel better with a higher protein percentage. I went to 40% carb-40%protein-20%fat. So unless you're over A LOT, don't worry about it. Just make sure you're eating enough!:smile:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    ya know, i understand the concept of eating all ur calories, however...I have 3 friends that have been seeing completely different doctors in order to acheive weight loss and all of those seperate doctors have set them on 400 calorie a day diets and they are roughly around 200-250 lb.'s, soooo... If doctors arent so worried about starvation mode and they are losing huge amounts of weight, something must be working from the doctors standpoint as well...

    Doctors are just scientists and I don't believe them one little bit!!! 400 calories a day? OK...until you lose weight maybe, but what happens after that? I am sorry, but this doesn't sound healthy at all...What did your friends eat? I am sorry, I am in shock. Doctors are not 'worried' about starvation mode? Well- why should they be? It's not their body that is starving, right? Losing weight is NOT about dieting but about lifestyle change that will stick with you FOREVER! Eating 400 calories for the rest of your/my life? Nope!
    I asked the same thing about what they ate! She said they eat fruit all day and one low calorie frozen dinner and lots of water...I cud nevvvvvver!!!!!

    I think your friend is exaggerating. fruit all day? 400 cals worth of fruit is only like 4 or 5 pieces of fruit... subtract enough for a frozen dinner and you're down to about a frozen dinner and 2 apples. seriously, that's crap, no doctor in his right mind would tell a patient to do this. This is likely a case of 1. someone trying to justify their own screwy vision of how to lose weight or 2. a huge overexaggeration by someone put on a low cal diet (and by low cal I mean like 1200-1400 cals a day, not 400 a day)
  • Dedicated
    Dedicated Posts: 104 Member
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    ya know, i understand the concept of eating all ur calories, however...I have 3 friends that have been seeing completely different doctors in order to acheive weight loss and all of those seperate doctors have set them on 400 calorie a day diets and they are roughly around 200-250 lb.'s, soooo... If doctors arent so worried about starvation mode and they are losing huge amounts of weight, something must be working from the doctors standpoint as well...

    I do think that 400 is WAY TOO LOW, but from the research I have read people who have much more to lose generally can have a much bigger deficit. When a person with a lot of fat drastically reduces their calorie intake, their body uses the stored fat for fuel. However, if a small individual does the same their body will try and store the fat since their isn't much reserved, and will burn lean muscle instead.
  • Dedicated
    Dedicated Posts: 104 Member
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    Oh and by the way, doctors do put obese people on Very Low Calorie Diets or VLCD all the time. These are diets of 800 calories a day or less. If you are unfamiliar with the above you can find information here: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm.
    When an individual is severely obese, their heath is in serious danger. Getting on a VLCD can be a life saver due to the rapid decrease in weight, which in turn causes a rapid decrease in obesity related conditions such as high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, and diabetes.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    Oh and by the way, doctors do put obese people on Very Low Calorie Diets or VLCD all the time. These are diets of 800 calories a day or less. If you are unfamiliar with the above you can find information here: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/low_calorie.htm.
    When an individual is severely obese, their heath is in serious danger. Getting on a VLCD can be a life saver due to the rapid decrease in weight, which in turn causes a rapid decrease in obesity related conditions such as high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, and diabetes.

    maybe, but in my opinion (i'm obviously no doctor, but I did spend a good part of my life overweight), 200 lbs is NOT severely obese. I can understand this for a person of say 400 or 500 lbs, but 200? are you kidding me? The guy should lose his license if that's true.
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    The girls on the pro anorexia sites boast about eating 400 cals!!! I've been over 300lbs and if a 'professional' had told me to eat 400 cals I would have slapped him and went and found me another a real professional.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    The girls on the pro anorexia sites boast about eating 400 cals!!! I've been over 300lbs and if a 'professional' had told me to eat 400 cals I would have slapped him and went and found me another a real professional.

    amen:laugh:

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