[Dibblee]

I've been keeping a food and exercise spreadsheet and I've noticed that on average I'm eating about 1K cals/day. I know I need to eat more but I am afraid. I'm only eating fresh, healthy foods and find I'm not really that hungry and I fear that if I eat more I will go into binge mode. Have any of you encountered this? What did you do?

[CLCSC145]

It sounds like your pendulum has swung too far the other way. You have to remember, this is not an all or nothing journey. You don't have to be so strict on your calories, in fact you're being way too strict! It's not sustainable, it's not healthy, you can actually slow down or stall your weight loss by eating too little, and it's much more punishing than need be.

I suggest you sit down and plan what you are going to eat for the day and make sure ahead of time that you will get enough calories. I would try to stay away from ad libbing your menu. That where some people get in trouble. If you have no plan for the day, then your mind wanders to all sorts of things you could eat. If it's planned out by you in advance, it's easier to resist the impulse eating.

[nrz242]

yeah, im definitely having this problem - you can only eat so many veggies but if i push the protein i tend to do ok. Really glad to know i'm not the only one who feels this way tho.

[Dibblee]

Thanks, guys. I am bulimic (yep, there ARE fat bulimics out there!) I tend get WAY obsessed with what I eat especially when I am eating healthy. My brain tells me to eat more but my emotions want me to eat too little or eat the entire contents of the fridge and pantry.

[Gracie789]

That happened to me when I started, I kept my calories really low and was scared that if I ate too much I would not lose weight or be more tempted to binge. After a few dizzy spells and a consultation with a nutritionist, I realized I wasn't eating nearly enough. I read up a lot about metabolism and calories, and how if you don't eat enough it can really mess up your metabolism. Reading about the dangers of 'starvation mode' and the like pretty much scared me into changing my calorie range and making sure I'm getting enough each day (it sounds weird, but you've got to eat to lose weight). If you're worried about your calorie range I highly suggest talking with a nutritionist or doing some research. Also, I've found this forum to be really helpful, and when I'm worried about binging or am feeling tempted to binge I like to read the success stories and how others cope. Stay strong and good luck!!!!

[marigrace]

I wonder if you could just start by adding 50 calories more each day of whole nutritious foods. This might give you a chance to gradually adjust.
Hope this helps.

[Coondocks]

When I started I noticed the same thing, i was so concerned with not going over my calories that I ended up coming 200 or 300 short at the end of the day.
Planning was a HUGE way to over come that, and for me if I have a menu set out in front of me for the day, it seems to help me not want the extra's or the 'one little bite wont hurt' because it's just not on the menu. I guess my mind works like a restaurant, if it's not on the menu you just can't eat it can you?
I don't know if it will help, but for me I found the easiest way to add in those missing calories was in my salads . . . I would add some nuts, dried cranberries, baked chicken or cheese that wasn't low fat. Just little things that can add up but are still healthy to have and good for you in small amounts.