Meeting Daily Nutritional requirements

I am actually finding it quite difficult to eat enough food to meet my nutritional requirements. I am about 1000 calories below what I should be eating and well below the other categories of protein, carbs, etc. Are there any downsides to not meeting these requirements when I am focused on losing weight?

Yeah I was wondering the same thing, the amount it wants me to eat is pretty high and I’m falling short in each category.

I’m finding the same challenge. I’m not using the daily requirements, but rather another set based on a workout I’m doing. I’m supposed to have about 4x as much protein as I do and half the fat I currently consume. The problem is that-wow-in the society we live in, it sure is hard to meet these goals!

Could Gyminee possibly set it that high because of legal issues? You wouldn’t want anybody to kill over while following a diet plan recommended on your site, right? I would imagine there could be some serious repercussions if Gyminee started playing doctor and telling everybody what your minimum intake should be.

You are right that we never want to really tell people how much they should eat. You should always consult with a doctor or nutritionist before changing how you eat.

That said, there are some implications of eating too little when dieting. If you eat too little, your body will go into “starvation mode” and stop burning calories. My understanding is that to maintain weight loss for an extended period of time you need to be eating at least a certain amount. This amount needs to be less than your what your body needs to maintain current weight, typically by about 20% or so to lose weight at a “safe” level.

I’ve read that 1400 calories for women and 1800 for men is the recommended minimums.

I eat 7 squares a day and I still only manage to eat 1500 calories per day… for the past 2.5 months…and I am constantly losing weight… so I don’t put much faith in the starvation mode theory at those levels.

I think people often confuse plateaus with starvation mode but if you change your workouts or increase your intensity, I find I can bust through any plateau. I think the starvation mode doesn’t kick until you reach a minimum weight level.

Some good advice. Thanks. I have found in the past couple of weeks that maintaining close to 2000 calories has been effective for me to maintain a steady weight loss. I guess this means that I’ll never get an “A” on my nutritional goals, huh? :) I would rather lose weight than have the little green “A” show up on my screen. :)

@Jotun: You can adjust your goals by clicking on them on the main nutrition page. The goals we set are just suggestions If you know your body better, you can adjust them as you see fit. Then, you can get that A!

I Pose a New Question

I’ve filled my protein, carb, and fat goals, but haven’t met my calorie goal by a longshot. Shouldn’t all of the goals be met at the same time?

“I’ve filled my protein, carb, and fat goals, but haven’t met my calorie goal by a longshot. Shouldn’t all of the goals be met at the same time?”

did you alter the goals set by gyminee and create your own?

1 gram of protein= 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates= 4 calories
1 gram of fat= 9 calories

not by much… i just rounded to the nearest ten

i’ll use those numbers to come up with a new calorie goal i guess…

I have the same problem reaching my daily goals, most of the time I undereat, even when I don’t do that on purpose. I normally don’t feel too hungry, but at least one day of the week I feel like going in a Wendy’s rampage. The other day I did feel sick when at thew gym and had to stop and go home and eat something.

I know that undereating is just as bad for you as overeating but I think a lot of Gyminee users like me want to lose weight ASAP, but hey, need to be patient and just keep a steady pace instead of running and crashing into a wall :)

I thought it was generally accepted that women should eat 1200-1500 a day but I’m being told much more & therefore failing. Don’t know how or why I would eat that many calories when in order to lose weight its simply calories in & calories out math?

So is there a way to change my calorie goals and the split between protein, carbs and fat? I couldn’t find a way to do it :(

Anandirc – from the main nutrition page (http://www.gyminee.com/foods) click on the link for the range for each goal and a pop up box will appear that allows you to change the target.

Dude! Thanks, that totally works. I never noticed those were links :)

You’ll find all kinds of different minimums depending on what source you look at. Ask two papered experts and you’ll get thee opinions. I’ve heard of the “starvation” story before, but nothing to back it up. I knew a person who experienced real starvation (remember Ethiopia, 1980’s?). Weight loss was the least of his problems.

The more serious problems with prolonged undernutrition have to do with organ damage, hypothyroidism, etc. Those are more serious things to pay attention to, as they can be irreversible. It’s not the low calories that will hurt the most, it’s the lack of essential nutrients (the ones that the body can’t synthesize itself). Met a person yesterday who did an extended crash diet, and according to their doctor, this is what damaged her thyroid. “Not worth it” was her message.

I started taking multi-vitamins at the suggestion of multiple doctors as a safety cushion. Yes, I’m eating better, but there’s no guarantee that the better veggie ratio will provide what I need.

I hope people have consulted with their docs!

If you’re losing a couple pounds a week, that’s great. Don’t rush it.

Mkay. My goal is 12-1500 calories. I want to know what I should put in sodium and fiber goals but I havent got a clue.

When I changed my calorie goal the protein goal didnt change…shouldnt those goals hold hands?

I have a doctors appointment and am seeing a nutrician later this month…hope they can help.

When I changed my calorie goal the protein goal didnt change…shouldnt those goals hold hands?

Technically, they do effect one another. When you setup your goals using the nutrition goal setup wizard, your calorie goal is set in proper ratio to your fat, protein, and carbohydrates. However, we allow you to modify the goal however you wish after that point.

I want to know what I should put in sodium and fiber goals but I havent got a clue.

I can’t really say what your proper intake values should be off the top of my head. There are some online resources that will help guide you, but asking your nutritionist is the best way to go.

The typical DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) recommends women to consume 25g of fiber a day and for men to consume 30g of fiber a day.

The average American eats 10-15g of fiber a day. Americans are also the most constipated nation in the world. ;-)

Fiber intake actually varies based on age and sex. As NC Steeler33 mentioned, the US RDA for fiber is 25 grams/day for women but I’ve seen research that recommends double the RDA as even better. I’m 44 and focus on + 35 grams/day.

In regards to sodium, if you’re currently on a 1200 -1500 calorie/day diet try to keep your sodium intake between 1200 – 1500 mg/day (if you can do lower, even better).

Susan
www.catapultfitnessblog.com