Am I eating enough??

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rachrach66
rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think I may be too disciplined with my eating. I am trying to keep carbs in check but always seem to go over. I have my goals set at 40% protein 30% carbs 30% fat. When I do a lot of workouts I barely eat my calories back because I don't want my carbs and sodium to go over. But I feel if I keep going at this route I won't lose. I lost 2 lbs last week then up 1 lb this week. I keep going in a circle! Any suggestions would be great. Diary is open :flowerforyou:
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  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    No one has any ideas??:ohwell:
  • Angie_1MR
    Angie_1MR Posts: 247
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    What kind of training are you doing and what are your goals? Are you looking to add muscle, or just drop fat?
  • xxzimmer
    xxzimmer Posts: 37
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    I like to eat a 50/30/20 carb/protein/fat.
  • xxzimmer
    xxzimmer Posts: 37
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    Also, cut out the lean cuisine, and add in two snacks between meals.
  • Angie_1MR
    Angie_1MR Posts: 247
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    Also, cut out the lean cuisine, and add in two snacks between meals.

    Lean Cuisine is sodium laden garbage.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,968 Member
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    The percentage 40/30/30 is generally meant to be 40% Carbohydrates.
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    I'm trying to drop fat and add muscle. Yeah I need to go shopping so bad. I typically try to pick up frozen items that are below 600 is sodium. Eventually I will be making fresh lunch every day with sandwiches and or salads. Thanks cmriverside I think with 40% carbs it'll be more managible to stay at my daily limits.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    I'm trying to drop fat and add muscle. Yeah I need to go shopping so bad. I typically try to pick up frozen items that are below 600 is sodium. Eventually I will be making fresh lunch every day with sandwiches and or salads. Thanks cmriverside I think with 40% carbs it'll be more managible to stay at my daily limits.

    You can NOT cut fat and gain muscle at the same time (you cut fat on a calorie deficit and gain muscle on a calorie surplus), let alone do it on 1200 calories a day. If you are working out, then NO, you probably aren't eating enough. How much do you weight, how tall are you and what is your exercise routine.
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    I am working out I am doing C25k, Jillian Michaels, and I just started boot camp. My exercise diary is open. I do circuits at the gym too and the arc elliptical trainer. I also walk during my lunch and run the steps 6 flights at work. I am 5'4 180 lbs.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,391 MFP Moderator
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    I am working out I am doing C25k, Jillian Michaels, and I just started boot camp. My exercise diary is open. I do circuits at the gym too and the arc elliptical trainer. I also walk during my lunch and run the steps 6 flights at work. I am 5'4 180 lbs.

    You should be eating around 2000 calories. Your estimated BMR is 1607 so TDEE and caloric needs (CN) is:

    CN = 1607 * 1.55 * .8 = 1992.


    Also, look to add more Weight training. Cardio may make you lose weight, but WT makes you lose fat quicker and will prevent you from losing muscle.
  • xxzimmer
    xxzimmer Posts: 37
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    I just looked over your exersize journal, and I agree weights will be helpful and instead of doing a slow walk you should pick it up to a speed walk or light jog. You need to move more. Invest in a heart rate monitor that you can input your sex, age, weight, height, etc.

    You need to eat less processed foods. You are what you eat. You will have much better results making your own meals. I do cheat, but most of the time I burn 1000-1800 cals/day working out. On my run this morning I burned almost 2k cals and I'm still going to workout this evening.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
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    I am working out I am doing C25k, Jillian Michaels, and I just started boot camp. My exercise diary is open. I do circuits at the gym too and the arc elliptical trainer. I also walk during my lunch and run the steps 6 flights at work. I am 5'4 180 lbs.

    You should be eating around 2000 calories. Your estimated BMR is 1607 so TDEE and caloric needs (CN) is:

    CN = 1607 * 1.55 * .8 = 1992.


    Also, look to add more Weight training. Cardio may make you lose weight, but WT makes you lose fat quicker and will prevent you from losing muscle.

    ^^^^^^^^^this ^^^^^^^

    I checked your diary and every single day last week your NET was BELOW 1000 calories~ HALF of what you'd need to be in a COMA!!!

    You must NEVER eat below your BMR (1607 cals).

    When you eat that low for a long period of time you are going to lose FAT sure, but you are also going to lose LEAN MUSCLE tissue.
    When you lose LEAN MUSCLE your metabolism slows and the moment you start to eat a little more calories OR exercise less, you will GAIN FAT all over again. (a.k.a. the yo-yo dieting effect)

    Listen to psulemon~ this is a very wise person who has been around for a long time and is successful at this.

    Listen to me~ I've been alive for a very long time and have battled my weight for a very long time doing what you are doing right now.

    I don't want that for you or anyone else.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    Myth #1: You have to eat your BMR

    Myth #2: You have to eat unprocessed, low sodium foods
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,565 Member
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    I am working out I am doing C25k, Jillian Michaels, and I just started boot camp. My exercise diary is open. I do circuits at the gym too and the arc elliptical trainer. I also walk during my lunch and run the steps 6 flights at work. I am 5'4 180 lbs.

    You should be eating around 2000 calories. Your estimated BMR is 1607 so TDEE and caloric needs (CN) is:

    CN = 1607 * 1.55 * .8 = 1992.


    Also, look to add more Weight training. Cardio may make you lose weight, but WT makes you lose fat quicker and will prevent you from losing muscle.

    I'm with PSU on this.

    Also keep in mind on workout days you CAN go over in carbs!
    Most if not all of your carbs will go into muscle repair and glycogen refill.
    The trick is to lower the amount of workouts so you can properly rest the next day and let the muscles heal.

    Also you shouldnt have any carbs without protein.
    Carbs+protein=happy muscles!

    So on a regular rest day for me, I'll have high fats and lower carbs.
    If your carbs are green like broccoli and spinach I wouldnt even count them since its fibrous and mostly wont be absorbed into the body.
    On lift days i'll hit the twinkie and protein right after my lifts then have potatoes and rice or wheat bread.
    The white and starchy carbs.
    Even sugary stuff!
    You have proper settings for fat loss and make sure you understand to only take about 20% off TDEE for fat loss.

    PM me if you have any Qs!
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    Well thats just my lunchtime walk. I do strength train at the gym. I dont know how I could ever eat 2000 calories!! Oh my gosh!! :noway: I will try to keep my speed up to 3.0 and with C25k I'm running at 5.0-5.5. Maybe I should set my goals to 1lb per week?? Instead of 2lbs??:huh:
  • Symonep
    Symonep Posts: 181 Member
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    You need to be eating what these guys are suggesting. My main focus on a weight loss journey is to ask if it is sustainable long term, as in the rest of my life, if you can see yourself happily eating the low amount you are eating now then what can I say really. But if at some point you are going to want to go back to a 'normal' diet then eating such a low number of calories now is just going to mean you will eventually put all the weight back on. You could quite easily eat at 2000 calories for the rest of your life if need be, which leads to the conclusion that once you lose the weight you are wanting to you will easily maintain.
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
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    Hey! I'm 5'4" and I started at 174lbs! I'm now about 130 (was down to 123 but then put on a bit...either TOM or weight training...not sure)...

    I think it all gets really confusing when people start talking about BMR and TDEE and all of that. Your BMR is about 1500. Which means you would need 1500 just to exist....but hey, when I was 174 I ate 1200 cals + my exercise cals and I lost weight. I think the idea is that your body is getting cals from the fat it's burning to sustain you. When I did that, 1200 cals + exercise cals, the weight just came right off. I got down to 145 no problem.

    So I looked at your diary and thought you are eating too litte, but only by about 400 cals a day (depending on the day).

    I hit a wall at 145, and again at 135, and I got through both of those by using HIIT training and mixing up the kind of exercise I was doing. I got down to 123 by eating a really clean diet (that I had to go on for medical reasons...a brutally clean diet....). And I am now really focused on macros and lowering bf% and building strength....
  • kelsafish
    kelsafish Posts: 39
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    I suppose some of your struggles are diet related. A lot of processed foods high in sodium, very little whole grains. It seems like a lot of what you're eating isn't really fueling your body. For me, eating nothing but crap and working my butt off at the gym did nothing. Once I cleaned up my diet, all the exercise finally gave me the results I wanted.
  • rachrach66
    rachrach66 Posts: 271 Member
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    Thank you so much!! You have been very helpful! I can definitely bump it up to 1600 cals a day. Yes all the TDEE and BMR talk was very confusing!! :O) Yes I eat a lot of processed foods but I was on a super tight budget and working two jobs didnt really have time to prepare fresh meals daily and when I did it mostly went to waste. I like to have variety with food and preparing for one is not easy. I will look into focusing on more weight training. I also am trying to keep sodium very low being African American I should only be at about 1500mg a day. That's kinda a challenge to do and still eat back enough calories! I will start focusing on clean eating and hopefully the weight will come off and stay off!!
  • EpiGaiaRepens
    EpiGaiaRepens Posts: 824 Member
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    I think that eating less processed would be good. I used to (and still try to) cook a bunch of food on Sundays and freeze a bunch of it. I would be eating the same meal for days on end, but it's better than processed food. There's also always salads at the grocery store which are a good option as well....

    I want to say, just because I think I should, that all the wisdom about BMRs and TDEE's becomes more important as you approach maintenance and/or if you try to build muscle. I'm struggling a lot now with figuring out how much I should be eating for all the weightlifting I am doing. I want to say that I don't know how it works lifitng heavy and doing 1200+ exercise cals.... because lifting heavy is more than just burning cals when you are in the gym....I didn't start lifitng until i was down to 123. Lifting heavy could also be why the scale isn't budging...as I said, I put on 10 lbs since I started liftin. I know it's not all muscle, but a good chunk of it must be!

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