I eat good and alot all day, but yet my calories are at 1000? Do I eat more just to get the calories up so that i dont send my metabolism into hibernation mode?

i also did 5 miles today, so i know i should eat more...but i havent even had dinner yet and the calories i have figured in today are at the number i gave above..

Thoughts?

Do you have fitday? Post it and we will look. How are your nutrients (minus any vitamin pills)? I go below 1000 occasionally, but not everyday. Is this an everyday thing or just today?

yeah i do fit day and it looks good. the right ratios etc. its not every day thats for sure, but today. I will start looking for a trend, but i am really steady at my 1200 a day. yesterday was a bit lower than that too, but not that much. to be honest i am at just over 800 today and i just finished dinner. i am going to have some fruit for dessert later. that will help!

although i just had my version of a fast food fix. turkey franks, no fat cheese, whole grain/no sugar hot dog buns, with a bit of hot dog sauce on there too, and lots of mustard.

I'd have a fruit and a protein. I don't ever worry about being low one day but you should probably try not to do it very often.

I wouldn't make a habit of calories that low. Check your nutrients. I just had a V8 to give some nutrients. Then earlier I had a big glass of chocolate milk with dinner because I was very low on calcium. Both gave me additional calories. Do you have enough protein? 1 day is small scale, but just seeing a generality.

some strawberries and a string cheese it is then!! and a couple multivitamins. i havent been taking those as often as i was because quite frankly i have to take my synthroid in the morning when i wake up, and you cant take any vitamins for up to 4 hours of taking that, so i have been slacking on taking them when i get home.

my prot is at 28, fat at 23 and the rest is carbs.

I don't take vitamins either. I'm loving trying to figure out what I need to eat to achieve them though.

As long as it isn't everyday and your nutrient content is where it should be overall I wouldn't worry about it. If you find that you are eating enough to feel satisfied but aren't meeting your calorie goals on a regular basis you could switch some of the reduced fat/calorie foods that you eat to the full fat/calorie version. That would kick up your calorie intake without having to eat when you aren't hungry. Also, keep nutrient dense snacks on hand. When I know I need to eat more but don't feel like it I'll reach for a handful of almonds. It is a light enough snack that I don't feel full or as if I've forced myself to eat but I get the nutrient/calorie boost that I need for the day.

I would not recommend going down to 800-1000 calories a day very often, especially if you are exercising and doing 5 miles regularly. Every now and then on a busy day it isn't too bad, but really, with heavy exercise you DO need to eat more-especially make sure you are getting in enough protein to fuel your muscles for the exercise, in the very least.
800 calories INCLUDING dinner is too low, in my experience. Aim to have 1000 by then at least, and you don't have to stuff yourself, either. This just means adding another 200 throughout the 3 meals-easily done. With your evening snack, I would aim for 1200 total at least, since you exercise heavily.
What everyone needs to understand, is that for someone walking 1 mile 4-5 times a week for exercise, is going to have different nutritional needs than someone who does 3-10 miles at a time, or who does strength training, or has any sort of heavy exercise levels.

well i woke up this morning RAVENOUS!! i did eat some strawberries last night but of course i was still at 900 for the day. normally i get my 1200 easily. not enough protein yesterday i suppose was the culprit. i basically ate fruits and veggies all day with the exception of dinner.

and yeah i run almost every day, some heavier than others, and on the light run days, i do strength training.

today will be much better!!!

You definitely need to be eating more if you are a runner. Basically, if you are running and strength training-900 calories a day isn't cutting it. You are trying to build muscle with the strength training, but you can't build muscle on 900 calories a day, when you run heavily.
My advice is to eat some protein in the morning as well-something a little more calorie dense, a couple eggs, or a protein shake or something. A strength trainer needs protein throughout the day, not just at dinner.

oh i know aphil, i just got off track yesterday somehow. i actually did have 2 eggs in the morning. anyway, back on track today. i had one day of not enough calories, its kinda like falling off the wagon for me. back on the right wagon today.

I have the same problem some days as JustJuneBug. I eat what I think is a fair bit but my calories don't always manage to make it much past 1000. My issue, I think, is that I run of ideas of what to eat. I am so focused on eating "clean" i.e. no processed foods, low fat, lots of veggies, protein etc. Last year I lost weight very slowly and I think partly this was due to my body not getting enough calories so hibernating a little.

This year is a new start for me and I don't want this to happen again.

When I snack, I focus on fruits and veg. I have started introducing cottage cheese into my diet and whole wheat breads such as bagels.

For lunches I prefer to make a big pot of soup and take that each day. I add a piece of fruit as pudding.

Dinner's I tend to go for stews/stir fries and I've started adding a whole grain such as brown rice where as before I didn't.

Wednesday I have an appointment with my trainer at our gym and we're going to make a new work out plan for me. I'll be looking at 45 mins - 1 hour of cardio work 4 x a week and strength training 2 - 4 times a week.

This year so far I'm doing better on the calories than I did last year. I'm consistently getting above 1200 per day.

I'm really not wanting to slip back into old habits though and taking in too little.

I do run out of ideas on what to eat though, and fast. If anyone has any suggestions on what I could add to meals to keep my daily calorie intake 1200 - 1600 I would really appreciate it.

My goal is to lose 40lbs this year, nice and slow, 1lb a week.

Sorry to hijack your thread JustJuneBug, I hope you don't mind .

I'm with you on most of this, LynneA - JustJuneBug too. I aim for 1200 cals a day, and when I look at some sample meals from some folks on the site, it seems as if I am on par with them. I haven't exercised as much as I need to, I don't think, so this might be why I am just "maintaining" at my current weight. Definitely need to improve there. But I would like to hear about any suggestions on small increases to your calorie intake.....

no worries you two!! i just finished putting in what i expect to eat today and thankfully i will at 1139 for the day. now if i just only eat what i have in there, i will be good to go!!!!!!