How to eat nutritious AND low calorie!

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miaangel345
miaangel345 Posts: 54
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys, I am so proud of myself in the last 4 months I have lost 19 pounds, which I know is a healthy weight loss since it is no more than 5 pounds a month.

But lately I have been feeling very tired and irritable and I don't think I'm getting enough calories, in the last 2 weeks I have lost about 3.5 pounds and it seems I'm losing weight more rapidly although I am eating about 1500 a day give or take 200 ever so often and I only exercise 2 - 4 times a week.

My goal is 140 and I don't wanna loose hindsight, any help is appreciated, thanks!

Replies

  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    What is your deficit? How much are you burning when you exercise? What is a typical menu for you?
    When I started getting irritable I upped my cals by 200 and felt a lot better. Sometimes it's the timing of foods - If I don't eat often enough I start getting irritable.
  • miaangel345
    miaangel345 Posts: 54
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    Here is a screenshot of a typical meal!

    http://i47.tinypic.com/10f877o.png

    On this day I burned about 300 calories, I usually burn 250-400, sometimes I do cardio Kickboxing or high aerobic class and burn 800 or 900.
  • shannon128
    shannon128 Posts: 61
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    Make sure you have a good balance. You could be eating within your calories but it could all be carbs, or all veggies, or whatever.

    Also make sure you are tracking your sodium. It is really really easy to go way over on sodium really quickly. It can make you feel bloated, and gross, which is normally why I feel irritable. When I feel bloated I drink a large glass of water every hour to kind of flush it out. It makes me feel way better. Also, potassium supposedly balances out sodium (so i hear from the boards on here anyway) so keep that in mind too.

    Hope that helps :)
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Here is a screenshot of a typical meal!

    http://i47.tinypic.com/10f877o.png

    On this day I burned about 300 calories, I usually burn 250-400, sometimes I do cardio Kickboxing or high aerobic class and burn 800 or 900.

    About 1/3 of your calories came from junk food...Cheetos, Saltines. If you're cutting calories, you need to eat nutritious foods. Today I ate some junk so it's not a good example, but I almost never eat junk food. I can't afford it for one, and I don't like to waste calories on it. Your breakfast looks good. Try to carry that throughout the day...more whole grains and lean proteins and healthy fats.
  • miaangel345
    miaangel345 Posts: 54
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    Yeah I know! I only eat that about once a month so maybe not the best example.

    I do need to eat more veggies for sure!
  • DrJerryFowler
    DrJerryFowler Posts: 14
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    You are doing very good. That's what the system of tracking calories is all about.

    The goal for all of us should be to move towards getting as many "quality calories" as we can.
    What I mean by this is Good Food. Living. Raw. Your favorite fruits and vegetables.

    Calorie counting also helps you to see how calories in "bad" foods can REALLY add up quick.
    Like Bread, Donuts, Muffins, Bagels, Sugar filled drinks, chocolate, beef, etc.

    I think we all have to come up with a plan that is as HEALTHY as possible - but one we still like.
    And, one that keeps us at or under our daily calorie limit.

    Awesome!
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
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    I also would try to get more protein around 80 grams 15-20 per meal/snack. I have a hard time with veggies too. Try asparagus and broccoli which are easy to cook.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    I would mirror the sentiments about more veggies, and your fiber intake is very low (course veggies will help with that). and of course what Sweet said, the junk food doesn't help. It won't keep you full long, which will lead to feeling tired. The goal is sustained calories, and things with lots of processed ingredients usually exit the system very fast, leaving you devoid of energy.

    so essentially, replace the chips and stuff with some veggies and I think you'll be good to go. Simple things, add a V8 to your day (low sodium V8 is what I do every day), make a up a few baggies of carrots and sugar snap peas for a snack, throw some sliced peppers in a bag to much on with some hummus or low fat veggie dip... anything that'll get you to eat the veggies is good.

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