Weight Loss

I looked for this information somewhere on the site, but I haven't been able to find it. Do I really have to eat 1550 calories a day? I've been tallying up and I only see, like, 900 calories. Including the ten calories I gain anytime I walk past a donut.

 

I've been excersizing about every other day for an hour and its too early yet to expect results. I'm sorry to bother, but I'm wondering if I should be eating more, and if so does anyone have any QUICK foods that would help me get my calories in there. Minus nuts, shellfish, dairy, and red meat and corn (God had a sense of humor when he made up my food allergies).

Can you provide your stats?  (Age, Height, Weight)

oh hey sure 28, 158 lbs, 5'1"

You need roughly 1800-2300 calories to maintain depending on your activity level.

I like to use this dieting calculator to get my results. 

After entering in your stats, I get:

Resting metabolic rate requires 1497 calories per day (basal energy expenditure).  This is the amount of calories required to maintain the body's normal metabolic activity ( respiration, maintenance of body temperature etc.)

Generally, it is recommended not to go below your RMR as that is what you need on a day to day basis as mentioned above. 

Do you have your Activity level set accordingly?  Are you entering in your activities/exercises?

If so, your Burn Meter should reflect the estimated number of calories you burn each day (maintenance calories).  In order to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit.  The more weight you have to lose, the larger your deficit will be.  Just like the less weight you have to lose, the smaller your deficit will be. 

So yes, you definitely need more than 900 calories a day.  1550 actually sounds about right if you are lightly active. 

As for higher calorie foods/snacks, a medium sized banana has roughly 100 calories.  Pastas, breads, and rice are generally higher in calories as well.

Carbs are a great way to add calories to your diet. Go for whole grain carbs (more vitamins, more fiber, more protein) and eat them *with* veggies and meats. Consider oil-rich veggies too, like avocados. It's healthy fat.

I too sometimes have trouble eating all my calories (calorie goal right now: 2000 per day). My most recent solution has been to eat more protein-rich foods, because I want to gain muscle as well as losing weight. Nuts & peanut butter are a favorite (sorry!) but there are other good options. Eggs are an excellent protein source, for example, as are beans (and they're very calorie-dense). Hard boiled eggs take some time to prepare but they stay good for a fairly long time and once they're cooked, they're fast to eat. I also like the Bush's Baked Beans microwave cups. They are often my protein serving during lunch at work.