3 days in - not eating enough?

#1

Hi there, first post for me. Loving this forum so far :slight_smile:

So, female, 5’3, 150# or so (no good scale around) generally healthy, but some minor stuff that I am not willing to deal with anymore (maybe pointing to autoimmunity: skin, nails, vertigo) and wanting to loose about 20-25 pounds or so.

Today is day three. Feeling pretty great, maybe slight headache, everything else is fine. Don’t have keto sticks, so don’t know if I am in ketosis yet.

I used several macro calculators and came to the average macros:
carbs:20
Protein: 60-80
Fat: 90-100
Calories: 1200-1300

I have been tracking for the last two days and I don’t seem to be able to get close to calories and fat:

Day 1:
carbs: 8
Protein:47
Fat:74
Calories: 750

Day 2: ( I was trying to eat more)
carbs:17
protein:58
fat:62
Calories:890

I am eating as soon as I am hungry, but these calories look too low, right? After I eat I am FULL for hours, verging on slightly nauseous even.

I have already lost 2 inches off my waist and one off hips ( water, i know)

So the question is: do I force myself to eat more, or do I listen to my hunger signals. I don’t have diagnosed metabolic issues, but I have in the past definitely messed with eating very (too) little. It has been 6+ years thought ( post divorce, adrenal burn out, what not).

Any and all insight is appreciated.

Thanks

(LeeAnn Brooks) #2

We need a breakdown of what you are eating.

One good way to up calories without adding volume to your food is to make sure all your food choices are fat dense and eliminate ones that are still low carb but not fat dense.

Some foods are good or okay for Keto, but if you’re struggling to eat enough, you may want to replace them for right now, because I think even your goal calories are too low, and your actual calories are damn near starvation. Your body isn’t going to lose weight because your metabolism is going to slow way down to compensate.

So show us what you eat and we may be able to help you tweek things.

#3

Awesome, thanks. Here is what I ate:

Day 1:
2 cups coffee with 3 T heavy cream
1/2 cup sausage and greens soup
1/2 avocado
4 shrimp +1 scallop(left overs)
4 oz salami (at the movies)
2 T mascapone

Day 2:
1 coffee with 2 T heavy cream
2 eggs with 1T butter
1 pickle
2 cloud bread with cheddar, lettuce, mayo
1 cup broccoli
1 cup chicken
1/4 cup tikka masala sauce
2 T mascapone ( just realized I did not add that in the count…)

(LeeAnn Brooks) #4

Was the chicken breast? If so swap out for thigh meat. Extra bonus if you leave the skin on.
I love pickles and they are fine for Keto, but right now if you don’t feel you have room to eat more, swap them out for olives. Way more fat and calories for the food volume.

I don’t know what’s in your soup, but add a couple tbls olive oil to it if it’s not sufficiently fattened up.

I’d swap the Marsala sauce for a cheese or heavy cream based sauce.

Be sure your broccoli is swimming in butter or cheese, or swap it out for a fattier side dish like cole slaw made with homemade mayo. (Seriously, I get 500 calories from my slaw for a relatively small amount).

It’s not that th things your eating are bad. It’s just that if you can’t eat more volume, you’re going to have to find a way to up the fat and calorie content of what you are eating.

(Jo) #5

Yes, too few calories by far. Sausage and greens soup - 1/2 cup only? make that two cups at least and stir in a hefty dollop of sour cream. With the shrimp have some fatty cheese. Douse everything with oil or butter. Eat a whole avocado. Add some bacon, or sausage to the eggs

What are your meal times? Try to stick with 3 or 2 solid meals with no snacking in between.

I also struggled with eating because I was not hungry in the beginning. But I forced myself to keep adding 300 or so calories extra per day until i was at about 1600 calories per day, after that, my appetite returned and I could drop the calorie counting and just trust the eating to satiety thing.

(Megan Hutchison) #6

I am also new here but I did just stumble on an awesome recipe for a very rich fatty sauce that not only packs a fat punch but was easy to eat. So adding to prior suggestions, I made this AIP (so non dairy and no eggs) Mediterranean garlic sauce. I added avocado into it also: http://thegentlemansplate.com/lebanese-garlic-sauce/

The avo helped save the disaster I made from not putting the oil in slow enough :frowning: but also was delicious.

Hope this helps. You will have to like garlic :smiley:

#7

Love garlic. Will try!

#8

Oh, coleslaw. Yes! I love it rolled in roast beef slices…

The soup was swimming in pastured, homemade lard, but the chicken was breast meat (it was what I had in the freezer). I could hav totally stirred more butter into the masala sauce though.

Thanks for those ideas. I think it is the fat that is keeping me from being hungry, but I think I hear that when I am hungry, eat more fat:) Will do!

Thanks

#9

Not so much with the snacking, yesterday it was 3 meals, eggs around 10 am, lunch at 2 or so dinner at 8:30 (hubby was home late).

Thanks for the advice and the experience. Will eat more today and even more tomorrow :slight_smile: