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[Tasha12345]

So using my fitness pal as a easy way to track my calories throughout the day, have eaten 3 meals and snacked today and had carried out exercise. When I go to finish my day it says I haven't had enough calories??? Is this bad? I know under eating is not good for you but I don't feel like I have I've had 3 meals and snack! Feel like I'm going round in circles

[Grannynise 6lbs]

Look at the page with the nutrition data. Have you eaten enough protein and vitamins? If not then you certainly won't have eaten enough and yes, I'd say it was a bad idea to consistently do that.

[Tasha12345 in reply to Grannynise]

I haven't fulfilled any of these!! I need to make a proper focus on my diet as this is my biggest struggle. What to eat what not to eat etc, Just not feeling hungry much. Thank you though didn't realise there was a nutrition section lol!

[JiminyCricket 7lbs in reply to Tasha12345]

Have you found it easy to use? Thinking of trying it

[Tasha12345 in reply to JiminyCricket]

Yeah it's pretty straightforward and easy to keep a check on your calories!

[JiminyCricket 7lbs in reply to Tasha12345]

Thanks, Ill give it a try

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Grannynise]

Agree totally ☺ NHS guidelines suggest 1400 and for a long lasting sustainable eating plan i strongly recommended this, at the minimum. Eating too little will mess up your metabolism ad hinder long term weight management.

[Tasha12345 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

That's true! It's the thing I struggle with most is my diet. i often struggle to find the balance so need to keep a check on my nutrition levels to give me the best chance! Thanks

[RHendry]

I use this and found that I need to eat 1000 cals a day minimum before I can complete the diary. It's worth checking that you have calculated yr cals correctly. You could cheat and just add a few to get to the 1000 but I took the advice given. It's not often I'm under the 1000 for the day, but if I am, then I've enjoyed a matchbox size of Christmas cake and a cuppa. The cals for the cake is usually sufficient to get me to the 1k.

And I can remember a Slimming World consultant friend of mine who says that some people don't lose weight because they are not eating enough.

Hope that helps. All the best.

PS I don't bother recording protein etc. I just record cals.

[Tasha12345 in reply to RHendry]

Does this work for you just counting calories and not nutrition levels ??

Yeah I know what you mean it's definitely something I need to work on! - I only really started using it again yesterday so god knows how long I've been under eating!

[RHendry in reply to Tasha12345]

I simply couldn't be bothered to spend time counting protein content etc. But I'm careful about choices, staying off snack food and concentrating on good meals, often prepared from scratch (by my husband who loves to cook!).

The app takes time up in initially setting it up, but meals can be copied over and I use the NHS Cal Counter to get accurate cals, if I don't have that info to hand. The app has helped me see my progress through the day and so I can ENJOY everything that I eat.

On Christmas Eve, I calculated and added into 25 Dec, what my cals would be for the dinner. It was over 800. So I enjoyed my dinner and was just very, very careful on what I ate after that, in the evening.

I've done this since 17 Nov and lost just over 9lbs to date, slow but very steady. My dressing gown belt now fits into my waist, not on it!

Again, wishing you all the best.

[Tasha12345 in reply to RHendry]

That's amazing well done!! Think I'm going to do it your way for a while until I get my head around it properly. Thanks again and wishing you all the best too!

[Grannynise 6lbs in reply to RHendry]

MFP does all of that calculating for you and the data is there anyway.

[Grannynise 6lbs in reply to RHendry]

MfP automatically records protein cards fat and so on. I wouldn't record protein if I had to look it up.

[Sailsalot]

Hello Tasha12345 . I used MFP for quite a while as helps you learn quickly the calorie values of food. If you have put your personal information and activity levels in correctly I would try to always have approx the target calories per day or you may feel quite tired and irritable otherwise . You should eat the right foods though and I found the nutritional information interesting. You could look at the recipes in the pinned posts on here for meal and snack ideas. Hope this helps.

[Tasha12345 in reply to Sailsalot]

Hi! Thanks for that I'm still getting used to the site and didn't know there was recipe ideas so will definitely have a look

Just need to make a proper focus on what I am eating and ensuring it's right thing for me!

[paulapips64]

Did you add your exercise it might be the added burned exercise calories I never eat them x

[Tasha12345 in reply to paulapips64]

Yeah that's what it was!! Didn't know whether I should be eating them as it seems a bit pointless x

[Sailsalot in reply to paulapips64]

I found seeing the cals used up on exercise encouraged me to do more, but as you say paulapips64 , I didn't usually eat the 'extra' calories used up, regarded that as just helpful to overall weight loss.