is my diet healthy and how many calories should i be having daily

Question
QUESTION: Hi i am 22 years old and weigh 112.2 lbs, i have a very small body frame. I am not fat but i do have excess fat around my stomach and thighs, which i desperately want to get rid of. i have started exercising 4-5 days a week for about 45 mins which include cardio and weight exercises.
I have Graves diseases which is an hyperactive thyroid, i am currently on medication for that, but i am still finding myself hungry due to this and i struggle not to overeat.
My diet consists of
Breakfast:
1/2 cup of oats and 1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup of hot water with lemon juice
1 cafe style latte

Morning snack:
1 banana or
yogurt and Muesli ( which is like oats, nuts, and  some sultanas)

Lunch:
i have a salad with lettuce tomatoes cheese cucumber capsicum and 98% fat free Italian dressing

Afternoon:
Apple, Medium Bunch of Grapes, and either a kiwi fruit or mandarin

Dinner:
Generally a small piece of chicken or steak plus vegetables
and 2 pieces of 70% cocoa dark chocolate.

Am i eating too much calories in a day, is this diet ok with my graves disease??

Any help would be appreciated.
Regards
Amanda


ANSWER: Dear Amanda,

You did not mention your height, but it doesn't sound like you are overweight. Women naturally carry a layer of fat below the skin on their abdomen and thighs--that is just part of our anatomy.  It's not likely you will be able to make it go away without making yourself sick and malnourished.

Your present diet consists of lower than 1000 calories, which is not enough to support anyone nutritionally.  I would be surprised if you weren't losing 5 or 6 pounds a month eating like this.  If that is your goal, it's a fairly healthy weight loss diet, but not something you can subsist on long term.  

You are including only one serving of starch a day, which is far below what the healthy recommendations are.  Take a look at http://www.mypyramid.gov for recommended servings from each food group--it sounds like you could use a bit more of every food group!

I'm under the impression you have just started this diet regimen and exercise as well.  You should be able to lose a few pounds like this, but after a month you should be able to go back to a higher calorie level and some healthier habits (like including some fat and more starches, more fruits and another serving of protein).  If you ever find yourself becoming pre-occupied with your body image and weight loss and dieting, to the point where it interferes with your normal enjoyment of life, I would encourage you to find a local support group where you can talk about this with others in your situation. It can make a person quite miserable to be focusing on what they eat and what they look like 24/7 and it's quite common, so there are lots of groups to help young women in that situation to re-focus.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your fast response!
the only question i have is my diet really under 1000 calories, as according to a calorie calculator website i looked at
(calorieking.com.au) my  diet was 1400 calories and it suggested for me to loose weight i should only consume 840 calories a day, which concerned me as i would be starving myself and eating no protein or carbs.
By the way i am 5 ft 3

Answer
Try this calorie calculator: http://calorieneedscalculator.com/index.html
It says you need over 2000 calories for maintenance--generally the most we can expect is to reduce our intake by 500 calories per day (because that's a  LOT of food) and lose one pound a week.  This would mean 1500-1600 calories would be a weight loss diet.

At calorie king the calories in foods are entered by individuals who eat them, so there are many errors in entry.
I used the exchange lists to calculate your calorie intake based on the portions you gave me.  Calorie king may have presumed incorrect portion sizes, etc... did it tell you what each food contained in the way of calories?  Did they seem to make sense?  Like, some lattes can have 700 calories, but they are made with whole milk and lots of sugar and sometimes whipped cream--I am assuming yours is made with plain coffee and skim milk!  I'm betting your yogurt is fat and sugar free (less than 100 calories )and your small piece of chicken or steak is less than 4 ounces (which is 200 calories, max, and probably less).  There is nothing you're eating that has more than about 50 calories in it---it's a good idea for a  little old lady that has to lose weight, but you are already at your ideal weight (115 pounds, give or take).  
Maybe just keeping up the exercise will give you the results you want from toning.
Not eating enough will deprive you of the energy you need!
Take care,
Laurie

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