restricting to many calories

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beautifulreason
beautifulreason Posts: 136 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone one.

Its said that I should have 1200 calories....but most days I can bearly take in 1000.
My hubby works the night shift so most days I stay up until he gets home 9-6am and we sleep from 7am-2pm

And once I'm up I'm not in the mood for "breakfast" so I won't start eating until 4 or 5 pm
And I told myself I should stop eating, by 9:30

And about time I enter my exercise into my fitnesspal I'm under my calorie goal..for example tonight I was 217 calories under.

And I thought I was doing good today far as eating enough


Any advice besides waking up earlier

Replies

  • samatalma
    samatalma Posts: 197
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    Eat, even if you aren't "feeling" hungry. I have the problem with not wanting breakfast too, but I have a bowl of cereal every morning. I've been trying to create a routine with it.
  • GreenPharmD
    GreenPharmD Posts: 30 Member
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    Protein bars/powders can be calorie dense, meal replacement bars by like Special K can be decent and give you that extra ~200 calories. I find cereal adds up calories pretty quickly too. I never have trouble not having enough calories :)
  • nrvo
    nrvo Posts: 473 Member
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    Shift your eating hours. Since you're going to bed at 7am, it's probably safe to eat at night. I know some people recommend not eating within 3 hours of going to bed (IMHO it doesn't make a difference), so if that is what makes you comfortable, just don't eat after 4am.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
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    Why do you think you need to stop eating by 9:30? If that's your awake time, just eat. It doesn't matter what time of day you eat your calories -- a calorie is a calorie. So eat.
  • blockhead922
    blockhead922 Posts: 23
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    I don't necessarily think you should eat a meal when you're not hungry, but maybe eat healthy less-filling foods. Like if you're not hungry for breakfast just grab a little granola bar (one without much added sugar, of course) and eat that or eat half the suggested servings or something, and be sure to have healthy snacks with you.
    If you're restricting too many calories, your body will tell you, you'd be hungry. So if you're not hungry, I don't think I'd worry about it too much
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
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    Not sure what to tell you other than to eat more? You don't need to stop eating at 9pm. The whole meal timing / frequency is nothing but a myth. An easy way to pack in some calories are nuts, whole milk, chocolate milk, oatmeal, avocado, cheeses...hmm nothing else is coming to mind but those are some calorie dense items which have a balance (to some degree) of nutrients.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Pick some calorie dense healthy options, nuts, nut butters, avocado, whole-fat options of the no or low-fat stuff you're using (think whole milk instead of skim, full fat and taste miracle whip instead of the reduced fat etc etc)
  • hhorncastle
    hhorncastle Posts: 84 Member
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    And once I'm up I'm not in the mood for "breakfast" so I won't start eating until 4 or 5 pm
    And I told myself I should stop eating, by 9:30

    Well, if you're staying up until 6 am, I would say you'd be okay eating as late as 2 or 3 a.m. There are plenty of people who will tell you that it doesn't matter what time you consume your calories, but probably just as many who say "Don't eat after 8".. so, assuming the "don't eat after 8" people are going to bed around 11 p.m., that's stopping eating three hours before bed. So, you've got lots of time to get in some more calories.

    Some quick ideas - nuts. Almonds are fairly calorie-dense and easy to snack on. A big glass of milk. Some cheese and an apple. Peanut butter and celery.

    And if you don't feel like "breakfast food" at 2 p.m.... don't eat breakfast food! :)

    Edit: As you can see, by the time I hit "post", four or five other people offered the same advice... so.. what they said. :)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Sanitarium_Natur_4dce2327c337f.jpg

    ist2_2890967_spoon.jpg

    Don't stop eating at 9:30pm.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Well, if you're staying up until 6 am, I would say you'd be okay eating as late as 2 or 3 a.m. There are plenty of people who will tell you that it doesn't matter what time you consume your calories, but probably just as many who say "Don't eat after 8".. so, assuming the "don't eat after 8" people are going to bed around 11 p.m., that's stopping eating three hours before bed. So, you've got lots of time to get in some more calories.
    Timing of meals is irrelevant. Yes there are a lot of people who say don't eat after a certain time but they have NOTHING to back this up. They are just repeating what they have heard.
  • beautifulreason
    beautifulreason Posts: 136 Member
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    Thank you to everyone for your awesome advice and I will for surely apply the advice into my diet. Just to clear a few things up its not the breakfast food in it self that I don't like...I just don't care for eating when Im just waking.
  • StacySkinny
    StacySkinny Posts: 984 Member
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    Don't worry about not eating after a certain time, especially if you stay up until the wee hours of the morning. I had trouble following the times you where referring too, but did I get it right that you only eat within a 5 hour period? That doesn't sound right. To get at last 1,200 calories a day, you might try eating four 300 calorie meals a day, or even six 200 calorie meals. This will make sure you get your cals in and also bump up your metabolism. Small frequent meals helps rev up your metabolism and that will help you lose weight faster.
  • Crystal_Pistol
    Crystal_Pistol Posts: 750 Member
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    Eat anytime you want- doesn't matter when.

    As one of the previous posters noted, nut butters can move you out of a 200 calorie deficit in 2 TBS. (A favorite snack of mine is almond butter on 2 caramel corn rice cakes- 270 cals that feels like a dessert).

    If the nut butter alone isn't enough, liquid calories (fruit juice, smoothies) are easy to consume

    Eat when you are hungry. Don't sweat it if you aren't hitting caloric goals everyday because this is really about an average over time.

    My 2 cents- GOOD LUCK!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    . To get at last 1,200 calories a day, you might try eating four 300 calorie meals a day, or even six 200 calorie meals. This will make sure you get your cals in and also bump up your metabolism. Small frequent meals helps rev up your metabolism and that will help you lose weight faster.

    That is wrong

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

    Myth no 1
  • StacySkinny
    StacySkinny Posts: 984 Member
    Options
    . To get at last 1,200 calories a day, you might try eating four 300 calorie meals a day, or even six 200 calorie meals. This will make sure you get your cals in and also bump up your metabolism. Small frequent meals helps rev up your metabolism and that will help you lose weight faster.

    That is wrong

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

    Myth no 1

    Well there are a ton of other articles (some written by actual DOCTORS) that say otherwise. :)
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Options
    . To get at last 1,200 calories a day, you might try eating four 300 calorie meals a day, or even six 200 calorie meals. This will make sure you get your cals in and also bump up your metabolism. Small frequent meals helps rev up your metabolism and that will help you lose weight faster.

    That is wrong

    http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html

    Myth no 1

    Well there are a ton of other articles (some written by actual DOCTORS) that say otherwise. :)

    Peer reviewed studies > doctor's opinion on nutrition.
  • pixydoodle
    pixydoodle Posts: 54
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    I have the same problem with not taking in enough calories, i'm not hungry when i get up and usually don't eat for 3-4 hours after i awaken - at that time I will have cereal or chobani and then a healthy dinner later

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