eating too little

toria2011
toria2011 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Since I have started monitoring my food I naturally eat a lot less than I did. I used to eat about 2500 calories plus a day but my meals have always been healthy-just a bit big. My excess calories came mostly from chocolate, takeaways, alcohol and unhealthy snacks. My BMI is over 30.

I've cut out most of the bad excesses and am just eating smaller but still decent sized meals and a couple of healthier snacks. Now MFP tells me I'm not eating enough- variably 800-1200 calories. Now I know that's not healthy.

I'm eating a huge salad for lunch and a pretty decent sized dinner too. I'm honestly not hungry for more -except for my chocolate craving which I'm trying to ignore. I eat a snack when I'm hungry.

There just doesn't seem to be enough calories in salad and vegetables! Should a be making myself eat more even though I'm not hungry? I don't want my body to get into starvation mode. How do you guys increase calories healthily?

Replies

  • Lotte34
    Lotte34 Posts: 429 Member
    Hi Toria
    I had this issue when i went onto salad and veg (not that i listen to MFP, when it screams in big red writing, that i am eating too little) but can i suggest adding something like cheese to your salad and/or a healthy dollop of a salad dressing?

    I find a sprinking of cheese brings the calories up nicely and adds some much needed flavour to the watery blandness of iceburg
  • Tattoos_and_Tea
    Tattoos_and_Tea Posts: 529 Member
    I agree. If you find your salads are lacking calories, add some cheese or something along those lines. If your not hungry, you can always measure out some peanut butter and eat that straight from the spoon. Its high in calories and has good fats :)
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
    One does not have to live on salad to lose weight! Whole grains, and dairy are great ways to up your calorie intake in a healthy way.

    Even small things, like adding an avocado to your salad will help. It's 120 cals for half of a medium hass.
  • claireydafairy
    claireydafairy Posts: 11 Member
    You definately need some protein in there too!! Add some chicken or egg or tuna. Maybe a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or pine nuts.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Yup, some good advice here. Add some calorie dense foods (like avocado, cheese, nuts, olive oil dressing, red meat, salmon, chicken thighs, banana, milk, brown rice, grainy bread, yoghurt) to your day to get in a good amount of calories to keep you healthy and full of energy.

    You might not be feeling hungry - but frankly, hunger isn't a good guide for many of us, our bodies are so confused by years of dieting and overeating that we have no idea about a healthy amount of food to eat any more.

    Your body needs energy and that energy has to come from the things you eat or drink. Sure you'll be fine on a low calorie intake for a while but it's not a good long term strategy - it seem to me to be a much better idea to learn how much is a healthy amount to eat for the long term.

    And I agree with the previous poster who stated that you don't have to eat salad and veggies to lose weight. Get into the habit of cooking and eating real food (made from actual ingredients not boxes or packets) and you'll be getting into great habits to keep you healthy for life.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Now I know that's not healthy.

    It would be unhealthy if you ate a lot of carbohydrates and little else, but if you are getting a decent amount of protein say 50g+ and a good selection of food types your mineral & vitamin needs can be met.

    Your food diary is closed so we can't see. A salad dressing with plenty of nice oils and fats in it will add calories, but I'm not sure there's a point unless you're short of the things in the dressing.

    Salad is essentially water so you don't add much of anything by piling it on, as you have found.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Your body needs energy and that energy has to come from the things you eat or drink.

    plus of course the fat reserves that you are using up. That's the point of running a calorie deficit - to get energy from our own fat reserves and hence make them smaller.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Just make sure you are getting more protein/fats in your diet. If its a large volume of veggies, you may not be getting enough fats. A tablespoon of olive oil is a good amount of extra calories and healthy for you, and chicken, eggs or bacon on it would be a nice addition :)
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    One does not have to live on salad to lose weight! Whole grains, and dairy are great ways to up your calorie intake in a healthy way.

    Even small things, like adding an avocado to your salad will help. It's 120 cals for half of a medium hass.

    ^^^^^this!!!!!!!
    everyone seems to think a 'diet' involves eating only salad and vegetables, when really it should be everything in moderation, healthy balanced eating. Eating too little is as bad as eating too much.
    Add some higher cal foods - nuts / olive oil / avocado / cheese etc, and make sure you hit ALL your macros not just calories.

    I never eat salad on its own, more as a side dish with a main meal and I have lost 40lbs :-)
  • kcragg
    kcragg Posts: 239 Member
    Try having some brown rice or quinoa with your salad, this will increase your calories a bit for the day, but in a healthy way:)
  • toria2011
    toria2011 Posts: 3
    Thanks all. Just to clarify-I don't only eat lettuce :-) I had homemade curry last night. I've swapped my rice for green beans though. Maybe I should start doing half beans, half rice to increase the calories and I tend to cook some of the meat separately to the meat/veg/sauce main so I don't eat too much of the meat compared to my husband-adenine extra for him post cooking. Sounds like I should have a bit more! Mfp tells me I'm having enough protein probably because I eat quite a lot of pulses, fruit and chicken but I'll see if I can increase it anyway. I've probably got a bit ott because I've been told I'm pre-diabetic so I'm trying to eat less of things like yoghurt which are quite high in sugar, and trying to eat fruit and natural sugars instead...saving my refined sugars for my occasional chocolate splurge.

    I need to try new foods too. Our staple salad base is just lettuce, cucumber, tomato and sweetcorn. Never eaten an avocado, maybe now is the time to try!
  • moonlitecat
    moonlitecat Posts: 2
    Just be careful which fruits you are adding some of them I have found from a friend can give you a worse spike in sugars then a small piece of chocolate. It is all just a fine balance that everyone needs to figure out.
  • silkandsugar
    silkandsugar Posts: 125
    I would eat more. I constantly eat all day hungry or not. At least every 2 hours. I stick to high calorie stuff to meet my goals so peanut butter, nuts etc.
  • toria2011
    toria2011 Posts: 3
    Doing my best to keep an eye on fruit sugars too. It's only been a few weeks, I imagine I'd get very bored of salad if I didn't mix it up a bit anyway. It's my birthday next week so have dinner out and birthday cake to negotiate yet. I'm not going to stop treating myself though or I think it'll become a chore- aiming for the everything in moderation mantra but we'll see.

    I have over 100 pounds to lose to get even close to my ideal bmi...guessing this'll be a long process!
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    Mfp goals are low on protein, so eating a bigger portion of meat will be fine.
    The half carb / half veg is a good idea too, I do that a lot especially with pasta.
    I usually try and have half a plate of veg, 1/4 carb and 1/4 protein :-)
    Treats are good, I eat takeaway / cake / chocolate, I just balance the rest of my diary round it!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    I have over 100 pounds to lose to get even close to my ideal bmi

    That's a 1 to 2 year haul at a sensible loss rate.

    Fruit is sugar, bread is sugar, etc etc. If you're a pre-diabetic consider reducing carbohydrates of all forms as there's nothing special about any of them - they all push up your blood glucose.
  • Alliwan
    Alliwan Posts: 1,245 Member
    Hi Toria
    I had this issue when i went onto salad and veg (not that i listen to MFP, when it screams in big red writing, that i am eating too little) but can i suggest adding something like cheese to your salad and/or a healthy dollop of a salad dressing?

    I find a sprinking of cheese brings the calories up nicely and adds some much needed flavour to the watery blandness of iceburg

    that's a good idea, i often add cheese, hardboiled egg, chickpeas (garbonzo beans) or kidney beans to my salad. Sometimes i add all of them in one salad. it helps keep me fuller longer, i get the veggies i love and the calories i need.

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