Do I need more calories?? page 2

[Moll]

Coconut oil shots, here I come

[LauraSB]

Unless you're doing a fast (and there are lots of reasons you might), then I'd recommend eating close to maintenance level. Of course, I have no idea what yours is. But if you stick to near that level, then you can easily make a slight deficit through exercise. And when you do that, the pounds will come off (if that is your goal).

I can't wrap my head around this at all. 5'4" and 190 is pretty significantly overweight - I know, I've been close to there. I could understand eating just under maintenance for goal weight, but any more than that, especially if it's an effort, seems crazy when the goal is to lose.

Moll, I often have a day or two per week in the 1100 cal range, but I generally aim for closer to 1500 and every couple of weeks will have an occasion that pushes me up to 2000. My maintenance at goal will be 1700-1800 cals, so I look at this time as training for that. I started out 6 mos ago at 30% fat/50% carb/20% protein, slowly shifted to 40/30/30 and am pushing toward 50/25/25. The weight has been dropping steadily the whole time and I feel great. I always thought that since I had been overweight almost my whole life, there must be something "wrong" with my metabolism. I can see now that there wasn't a darn thing wrong with me that couldn't be fixed by removing the crap from my diet and as a result, eating a little less.

I wouldn't worry 6 days in about much other than getting the hang of eating differently. Over time you'll find higher calorie/higher fat foods that you enjoy and you'll find yourself getting a little more liberal with the fat you use in cooking.

[palebluedots]

I'm also an ex vegan who is losing weight. I've been doing primal since May, and I average anywhere between 800 and 1200 calories in a day. I track my intake religiously to make sure I'm getting enough vitamins & minerals, but I don't pay a lot of attention to calories. I eat three meals a day, and I eat enough so I'm not feeling hungry between them. I never go hungry, and at the same time I don't stuff extra food in just to make sure I meet some random calorie requirement.

Let your body tell you what it needs. Don't let some chart or diet guru tell you how many calories you should be eating.

Do track your food intake and use the data to figure out what kind of tweaks or changes you need to make to help you function your best and meet your goals.

[Moll]

Thanks so much, guys. I'm going to try to shoot for around 1500 - even that is difficult for me! Seriously, I love olive oil and coconut oil, and I feel like 1/2 - 1 tablespoon is really generous for when I'm cooking or eating - any more than that and it's all I can taste. I'm going to try very hard to listen to my body - it's not something I'm super good at for some reason. I don't really register pain until it gets intense, and then I wonder why I didn't notice it creeping up on me! But as long as weight loss progresses, and energy stays up, I can't be going wrong.

LauraSB - yeah, I don't want to have to be pushing food down my throat when I'm not hungry - it does seem counter intuitive.

palebluedots - good advice on the vitamins and minerals - I do need to pay attention to that!

[sbhikes]

Sure - thanks for the reply!


Cod - 6ish oz
Spinach - 1 cup
Olive Oil - 1/2 Tbsp



Lettuce - 3? cups
Onion - 1 Tbsp
Cucumber - 1/2 cup sliced
Avocado - 1/2
Pepper - 1/2 cup
Smoked Whitefish - 2-3 oz
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp



Bacon - 2 slices
Kale - 1 cup
Garlic - 1 clove
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp
Green Beans - 1 1/2 cups
Olive Oil - 1/2 - 1 Tbsp



Banana - 1 med
Hazelnuts - less than 1/4 cup


2 Eggs
1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil


Those are divided up into "meals." I tried tracking calories w/ livestrong and also by hand using nutritiondata.self.com and while they weren't exact, the difference wasn't big enough to be real noticeable. Honestly, after each of those meals I felt completely stuffed and wasn't interested in eating more.

You might be able to get more calories in if you eat meatier meat. Have a steak. Have some ground beef. Have a portion of pork butt roast or pork belly. Since you like fish, switch to salmon with the skin on.

If you want more fat, rather than choking down plain coconut oil (ew), make some fatty treats. Liver pate is awesome. Pesto makes everything taste better. I put it on thin slices of cheese. Yum!! I've also made coconut manna, cocoa and chopped macadamias into little balls. I store those in the freezer. They're pretty good. Not very sweet. Maybe they'd be better with some dates or honey, but I kind of like them unsweetened. Another treat is to blend a few slices of frozen banana, a few frozen strawberries and some coconut milk. Just like ice cream.

[Nady]

Thanks so much, guys. I'm going to try to shoot for around 1500 - even that is difficult for me! Seriously, I love olive oil and coconut oil, and I feel like 1/2 - 1 tablespoon is really generous for when I'm cooking or eating - any more than that and it's all I can taste. I'm going to try very hard to listen to my body - it's not something I'm super good at for some reason. I don't really register pain until it gets intense, and then I wonder why I didn't notice it creeping up on me! But as long as weight loss progresses, and energy stays up, I can't be going wrong.

LauraSB - yeah, I don't want to have to be pushing food down my throat when I'm not hungry - it does seem counter intuitive.

palebluedots - good advice on the vitamins and minerals - I do need to pay attention to that!

The closer you listen, the clearer the messages will become. Right now, eat the right foods to appetite. Forget about how much/calories/nutrients. Try not to eat in a regimented way~ like same foods, same time~ if you miss a meal, well so did Grok. Try to learn your own body's rhythm. Just relax, as long as you avoid grains, legumes and dairy if you're intolerant, you can't do this wrong. You're already into good fats!

[Moll]

You might be able to get more calories in if you eat meatier meat. Have a steak. Have some ground beef. Have a portion of pork butt roast or pork belly. Since you like fish, switch to salmon with the skin on.

If you want more fat, rather than choking down plain coconut oil (ew), make some fatty treats. Liver pate is awesome. Pesto makes everything taste better. I put it on thin slices of cheese. Yum!! I've also made coconut manna, cocoa and chopped macadamias into little balls. I store those in the freezer. They're pretty good. Not very sweet. Maybe they'd be better with some dates or honey, but I kind of like them unsweetened. Another treat is to blend a few slices of frozen banana, a few frozen strawberries and some coconut milk. Just like ice cream.

I'm working on getting beef...the reason I went vegan in the first place is the cruelty in the meat/dairy industry - so in order to keep my sanity, I'm only getting meat from local farms that I can verify are humane. But I placed an order that I'm picking up this Saturday so beef and bacon are coming. I think it'll be awhile (if ever) before I can do organs...I've always been the squeamish type. But I LOVE the coconut milk ice cream idea! I'm going to have to try that, the sooner the better!

[Moll]

if you miss a meal, well so did Grok.

Just gotta keep telling myself that!

[BobthePhotoGuy]

What is your exercise like?

That will have a BIG effect on your bodies requirements? Not just replenishing what the exercise burns but also rebuilding and adjusting the efficiency of your body.

Bob