Struggling to Meet Calories

Joannie30
Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need some help. MFP settings have put me on 1200 cals per day which I know is the absolute minimum I should be having, but I am having sooooo much trouble meeting this quota without having too much in the way of carbs or sugar.

I have PCOS and therefore I have to watch carb/sugar, so i try to have no more than 100g carbs a day (even though my MFP limit is more than that, i think its too much) and not to exceed my limit of 24g for sugar.

Over the past couple of weeks, my weight loss has completely stopped. No losses, no gains. I know this is probably because I am not getting the calories in every day that i need. Also I don't want to put myself in starvation mode.

Can anyone give me any friendly advice on how to meet my cals?

Replies

  • Joannie30
    Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
    PS: I should add that I have a relatively sedentary lifestyle (although i aim to start cardio next week) but i do have an active job, which i do 3 days a week.

    Also, any carbs i do eat are complex carbs. i have eliminated white bread, pasta, rice etc altogether... Does this make a difference? Do complex carbs still produce blood sugar spikes?
  • driaxx
    driaxx Posts: 314 Member
    Eat foods high in protein? Lean meat will get you heaps of calories. Also, boiled eggs, cottage cheese etc.
  • Rubyinthesand2012
    Rubyinthesand2012 Posts: 92
    Im much the same ive been at a standstill for a month so upped my cals from 1200 to 1400 but with exercise cals on top then i struggle to eat that ammount. I normally go way over on protein and my carbs are low.
    Your welcome to add me as a friend and view my diary.
    Im no weightloss guru but it may give you some ideas.

    Other people have recommend things like protein shakes which add the cals but are quick to have.

    Ruby xx:happy:
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    I think you will need to find something you can eat to bulk up calories. Have you spoken to your doctor about this?

    I would have thought you should be eating more calories and aiming to lost 0.5lb to 1lb a week as you haven't got far to go.

    Have you spoken to the specialist you see about your pcos? I know they sometimes put people suffering from it on metformin which changes the way carbohydrates are absorbed - I might be put on this. I've never been told to eliminate complex carbs though but have a word with your specialist.
  • lkcuts
    lkcuts Posts: 224
    fresher foods, less processed such as snack bars etc will cut down the sugars and as far as carbs complex carbs are like beans, fresh veggies and meat. I even cook raw cabbage, tomatoes beets etc. watch your labels on the cans of stuff you buy. use less bread unless whole grain. for less sugar in bread I found rice bread has better carbs and less sugar. Whole wheat has lots more sugar. There is also smelt bread but I don't care for its flavor or texture. Rice is a better choice as far as sugars and carbs. brown rice is higher in sugar I try to stay away from potatoes, if I do, its like half of one. go for sweet potatoes and rice. I am told they process less gluecose(starch) and break down in the body better. I love meat so I have to watch my protein and fat intake. It seems I always go over in that category and have carbs left over. Good luck!!
  • Joannie30
    Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
    I think you will need to find something you can eat to bulk up calories. Have you spoken to your doctor about this?

    I would have thought you should be eating more calories and aiming to lost 0.5lb to 1lb a week as you haven't got far to go.

    Have you spoken to the specialist you see about your pcos? I know they sometimes put people suffering from it on metformin which changes the way carbohydrates are absorbed - I might be put on this. I've never been told to eliminate complex carbs though but have a word with your specialist.

    I'm still waiting to be put on Metformin (as i've got slight abmormalities in liver function so need to wait til they are fixed)
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
    I think you will need to find something you can eat to bulk up calories. Have you spoken to your doctor about this?

    I would have thought you should be eating more calories and aiming to lost 0.5lb to 1lb a week as you haven't got far to go.

    Have you spoken to the specialist you see about your pcos? I know they sometimes put people suffering from it on metformin which changes the way carbohydrates are absorbed - I might be put on this. I've never been told to eliminate complex carbs though but have a word with your specialist.

    I'm still waiting to be put on Metformin (as i've got slight abmormalities in liver function so need to wait til they are fixed)

    Similar to me in a way, I had a tumour embolised back in December and the gynaecologist wanted to wait until it had been fixed. I have abnormalities and some cysts but I haven't been diagnosed with pcos, I have heavy menstruation so I had an IUD put in place. It's just a general pain in the proverbial down there.
  • CaseRat
    CaseRat Posts: 377 Member
    Good ways to bump up the calories for the day:
    A glass of full cream milk with breakfast
    A handful of nuts as a snack
    A chunk of cheese with lunch
    Avocado on your sandwich
    Tablespoon of peanut butter before bed
    :)

    All contain higher amounts of fat, but they're mostly good fats. In moderation, like everything, it'll be fine.
  • _snw_
    _snw_ Posts: 1,298 Member
    look at my diary - (except last night, that was just a bunch of beer)

    i don't eat breads/pastas
    i DO eat high protein
    i DO eat carbs in dairy, beans, veggies, fruits, my protein bars/supps

    seriously, i but 95% of my groceries from the perimeter of the store, never going into the processed food aisles.

    it just takes some planning.

    (by the way - at 1200, i stalled, i upped my cals to 1450 and started losing)
  • thundervanhunt
    thundervanhunt Posts: 2 Member
    I have found that adding 23 raw almonds, a 6 oz cup of plain Greek yogurt (Fage is my favorite) and a thinly sliced apple each day, along with the good high protein foods that someone else mentioned, help to push me closer to my daily caloric limit. I also added one Tb. of organic olive oil a day, starting out with 1 tsp. and adding incremently. I too suffered a plateau and 20 minute dog walking efforts helped kick me off the plateau and have given me added energy. You are wise to steer away from starvation mode. Good luck.

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