Whew! NEVER thought I'd utter those words, but yet here I am! I use My Fitness Pal and am allotted 1200 calories a day, and of course earn more with exercise.
When I first started my journey 1 January, I fretted over how on earth I was going to eat so few calories. (I have NO idea how many I was taking in prior and don't want to know!) A couple of weeks in, and I was hitting my caloric intake goal, making sure to "eat" some of the calories I earned from exercise. It got easier.
Well today, I just had a really hard time eating enough. I was well below 1200 and just had to keep thinking of things to eat to get to 1200 calories. I really NEVER thought I'd see the day when that would be an issue.
Anyone else ever find this to be an issue? Or do you all have your meals planned out in advance so you know you will meet goal every day? I'm more of a spontaneous person, so I do not have meals planned out. Just kind of go with the flow day to day.
I did end up eating a bit over 1391 calories but I really had to work on it!
Unless you're trying to gain weight I wouldn't suggest eating if you're not hungry. Unless you have some weird medical condition you'll be fine if you end up under your caloric allotment.
Funny, I had the same thing happen today. I do WW so I go by points rather than calories, and I was short 2 points tonight. I ended up eating something because I was a little hungry, but I've had days like this where I just didn't eat any more and had a low calorie/point day.
But there are also plenty of days where I got to my calorie/point limit and was ravenous, so it all evens out I guess.
If you feel okay, don't worry about it. Let your body tell you what it needs. I seem to cycle between not-hungry-days and I-want-to-gnaw-my-arm-off-I'm-so-hungry-days. As long as I don't have issues with low blood sugar or cravings or whatever, I just go with it. (But I never allow myself to go OVER my allotted calories.)
Also, make sure you're tracking all the "sneaky" calories - the splash of creamer in your coffee, the bit of butter you used to fry some eggs, the olive oil you used to roast the veggies, etc. Those can add up very quickly! Finally, are you sure you're measuring/calculating accurately? There can be a big caloric difference in just the smallest inaccuracy.
Just my own philosophy--don't eat back your exercise calories, but don't skip meals, either--because then you (I) risk being really hungry the next day, and overcompensating.
I'm in the exact same timing scenario as you (starting Jan. 1st) and MFP also yelled at me today for not eating enough calories.
I don't worry about it too much though because at a recorded 1000 - 1100 I'm not _that_ much lower, and it averages out with days where I eat far more like 1600 - 1800. Plus, I know I don't really log absolutely everything I eat; I'm way too uninterested in cataloging every single 10 - 50 calorie nibble that I take.
For that reason alone, I don't get too concerned if I'm a little under. If I start feeling hungry/lethargic/low energy, I eat more. It's working for now.
sick? hungry
angry? hungry
lonely? hungry
hungry? hungry
happy? hungry
about to sleep? hungry
taking a walk? hungry
painting nails?yup, you guessed it. hungry.
I am so bad at logging everything onto mfp. Although I know I tend to stay under my calories. I don't mean to but, before I realize it's too late to eat. I don't have a big appetite and don't feel sluggish at all, of course I too have hungry days like today, I think being kept up late by the kids and not getting my 8 hours screwed me up. Thanks for asking this going to try to eat all my calories from this day forward.
Yes, all the time. This is what got me in trouble health wise the first time losing weight. I had to take a break off in December because I got really sick. I definitely improved my calorie intake but it's still low but not as low as before. It's really easy to go way under calories for myself since I eat a lot of high protein low cal foods.
I do have a cheat day once in a while, most recently I had 2 cheat days. I think that's what keeps my weight loss moving when I hit a stall. I probably wouldn't stall if I kept my calories at a proper amount.
I do log everything and anything I eat. I measure every ketchup and salad dressing drop. So I know I'm not getting my calories from unlogged items! LOL!!
I do not want to be deficient and get ill. My sister dropped a lot of weight fast by really not eating. She wound up from uncontrollable seizures and having to be medically put in a coma. She is brain damaged now, and the dr's declared her incapacitated.
I know first hand how NOT getting proper nutrition can wreak havoc on the body. I read all of her labs, and was just sick to see how nutritionally depleted she was.
Today I had a pretty "solid" breakfast, so I should have it easier to get to my caloric goals today!
Take advantage of that! Like many others here i WISH i could get full on 1200. But sometimes i feel like its just enough other times i just want snacks
sick? hungry
angry? hungry
lonely? hungry
hungry? hungry
happy? hungry
about to sleep? hungry
taking a walk? hungry
painting nails?yup, you guessed it. hungry.
...to which I would add: just finished breakfast? hungry. just finished lunch? hungry. just finished dinner? hungry. just finished working out? hungry. just got out of bed? hungry.
I guess it's not that bad in the grand scheme of things. Only rarely am I truly famished.
I don't consider it to be a problem when I am low, as long as I eat if I am hungry. I'm doing a low fat, low carb plan and my calories are almost always under 1200, and often under 1000. But I'm full, there are no limits on how much I eat as long as I eat the foods allowed on my plan. Depending on the foods you choose to eat, you may be full some days on a lower amount of calories. I don't think you should ever force yourself to eat when you are not hungry. And while I messed up by going off this plan the last time, I lost 65 lbs in 6 months eating like this, so don't believe that if you eat "too few" calories, you won't lose weight.
If I do have a day that I am extra hungry, I eat extra on-plan food. If I'm not hungry for that food, then I know it's not legitimate hunger. So then I might have a cup of tea or a piece of gum instead, just to give my mouth something to do.
Hard Time Getting "Enough" Calories Today
As long as I don't have issues with low blood sugar or cravings or whatever, I just go with it. (But I never allow myself to go OVER my allotted calories.)
