Need advice: Calories, nutrition and weight loss

[coachlittlez23]

I began using a website called Cron-o-meter which basically helps you track your nutrients as well as weight loss if that's a goal you've set for yourself. With weight loss, you have to set it up to clarify how many pounds you want to lose per week(I went with 1.5)and you have to eat X-amount of calories per day. If you go over, it'll tell you how many you have to burn off.

A problem I've been having is that if I keep under my calorie count of the day, I can see I don't get enough nutrients in some areas. If I do get enough nutrients, I end up going over my calorie consumption and not even by a little but by a lot. Today when I logged everything, including exercise, into Cron-o-meter I noticed that I had met most of my vitamins, minerals and amino acids. The kicker: I had to eat almost 3,400 calories to do it.

This is a real kick in the pants for me but I'm not willing to give up. What can I do to ensure that I meet my nutritional needs without going over my calorie count?

 

[martine_]

@coachlittlez23 Eat more micronutrient-dense foods! Maybe you could post what you typically eat in a day.

 

[leagueofordinarygentleman]

@coachlittlez23 Maybe 1.5 pound per week is too much? See if 1, or 0.75 is more manageable nutrition wise.

Then you may look for more nutrient dense foods that are less calorie dense. For instance sprouted beans over cooked beans. Or berry-fruits instead of bread. Maybe the daily dozen by Greger can help you with ideas.

Finally you can supplement some micros.

 

[charley18]

@coachlittlez23 More legumes and non-starchy vegetables, less of anything else.

Also, use almonds to cover your vitamin E needs, brazil nuts to cover your selenium, and chia seeds or ground flaxseeds to cover omega-3s (I do additionally take an algae DHA-EPA supplement, btw). Are there any other nutrients you are struggling with?

 

[coachlittlez23]

@charley18 My lysine is hit or miss. If I meet my lysine needs, then I usually end up overeating calories.

 

[charley18]

@coachlittlez23 More legumes instead of other things should help with that, don't bother with grains.

 

[okojie]

@charley18 Why supplement with algae if you're already eating chia and flax? I eat 4 tblspoons of ground chia and flax and it's waaaaaay over the RDA, even accounting for the piss poor 10% absorption rate.

 

[charley18]

@okojie Just in case the ALA conversion in the body isn't good enough.. the current science regarding this issue is still inconclusive as far as I know.

 

[amberjeanettegardner]

@coachlittlez23 Instead of aiming calories so that you lose X pounds a week. Set calories so that when you get to TDEE you'll be the weight you want to be. To clarify:

You could eat 1000 kcal a day for 2 months and lose X pounds then eat 1500 pounds (new maintenance). Or instead you eat 1500 pounds now, and keep eating that until you have lost the X pounds (will take longer time, but it won't be as much of a change, and you'll get to adapt to your new lifestyle).

Dieting and losing weight isn't about a quick fix, it's about adapting to a new calorie intake you'll stay with for a very long time.

This will give you a lot more calories to work with as you lose weight too, allowing you to get the micros you need. Further, eat a multivitamin a day, some vegan omega 3, and then varied food throughout the weeks and you'll get everything you need.

Only time this advice isn't accurate is if you're a weight/power lifter trying to hit your weight class, or a bodybuilder cutting. I assume you are neither since you're posting this question tho.

 

[dan61861]

@coachlittlez23 Losing body fat will do more for your health than any micromanaging of micronutrients. Also just eat more nutrient dense foods or supplement if this is actually an issue, but I'm assuming food choice is 99% of the problem, in which case, ya know, choose different foods...

 

[okojie]

@coachlittlez23 Really? I only eat about 1750 and it says im over in most of everything and in the high 90s which could be easily attained if not for a calorie deficit. What are you eating? My meals :

Description
Amount
Unit
Calories

Chia Seeds
3
tbsp, whole pieces
145.8

Oatmeal, Quick Cooking
111
g
75.35

Almonds, Raw
20
each
142.78

Strawberry, Raw
2
medium - 1 1/4" diameter
7.68

Honey
1
tbsp
64.41

Blueberries, Fresh
0.5
cup, whole pieces
42.18

Spinach, Raw
4
cup, cut pieces
27.6

Walnuts
32
g
209.28

Grapes, Raw
1
cup, whole pieces
104.19

Raisins, Uncooked
0.25
cup, whole pieces
108.38

Lentils, Cooked From Dried
113
g
131.08

Kidney Beans, Canned, Drained
53
g
65.72

Broccoli, Cooked From Fresh
258
g
90.3

Flax Seeds, Not Fortified
3
tbsp, ground
112.15

Watermelon, Raw
2
cup, cubed
91.2

Black Beans, Canned, Drained
0.25
cup, whole pieces
60.2

Corn, Yellow, Canned, Drained
0.25
cup, whole pieces
27.47

Kale, Raw
1
cup, chopped
7.84

Collards, Cooked from Fresh
45
g
14.85

Onion, White, Yellow or Red, Cooked
0.5
large
28.16

Onion, White, Yellow or Red, Cooked
0.25
large
14.08

Laver, Nori, Dried
2
g
2.72

Sweet Potato, Boiled
0.5
large
66.88

Manna, Salt, Pink, Himalayan
0.25
× 1/2 Teaspoon
0

 

[coachlittlez23]

@okojie Very interesting! I've heard lentils can help with lysine. I'll definitely keep this list in mind when I go grocery shopping tomorrow.

 

[okojie]

@coachlittlez23 I love red lentils .
I have a soup everyday at the end of the day, which is where the corn, sweet potatoes and other veggies on the list aggregate to.

 

[coachlittlez23]

@okojie Ooh! Sounds yummy! I do love lentils in soup!

 

[coolydudde]

@coachlittlez23 I’ve been using chronometer and having kind of the opposite problem. I get all off my nutrients but struggle to get my callories much over 2k. I’m trying to build muscle so I just want more callories but I’m only eating whole foods for the most part.