I have been working on losing weight and building some muscle for about 3 months+ now (realistically longer, but really focusing last 3 months) and have dropped from around 108kgs to 89kgs. All well and good there, still want to drop some more but thats not so much the issue.

The issue i keep having is trying to work out my caloric intake properly. I havent gone as far as counting calories specifically or working out macros just yet, though intend to work on that soon. Whenever i try to work out what my intake should be, and compare to what i actually am intaking, i always seem to fall way short. I get recommended 1800-2300 or so calories, however when i do the calculations, i tend to end up at closer to 1000-1200 or so.

Im not sure if the issue is my maths or my actual intake or what, but i will post some sample meals for the day to give an idea. Sorry im not good with exact numbers on portion sizes. I also tend to skip the standard breakfast due to time constraints in the morning, but have been thinking of adding some greek yogurt with outmeal or fruit in if possible.

Sample Day 1

12pm - Tuna in springwater (drained, 135g) with a salad consisting of leafy greens mix, cherry tomatos, cucumber and mushrooms. No dressing.

5pm - piece of fruit (apple, banana or nectarine usually)

7pm - dinner. sausage dish (sausages [roughly 3] with gravy and onions), mashed sweet potato (nothing added), greens mix (brocoli, beans, peas)

9-10pm - post workout protein shake (35g protein, less than 5g fat/carbs)

Sample Day 2 (larger intake)

9am - Bacon (approx 100-150g) and 3 eggs

12pm - salad (as above) with 3/4 chicken kebabs

5pm - fruit

7pm - dinner. chicken stirfry (low carb soy sauce and garlic) with stir fry veggies (dont have the exact mix sorry) with hokkien noodles.

9-10pm post workout protein

anything you guys can suggest would be great. Hopefully the 2 sample days gives you an idea at least lol

Hi !

Looking at day 1 here and using it for this reply.

That seems like very low calories indeed ! Why only have one piece of fruit and wait 2 hours before eating again ? This is not going to fuel your body at all, especially if you are an active person. The body needs more calories for sure. I would suggest add in some oatmeal, keep the fruit but increase portion size and do not count it as a meal, count it as a snack. Furthermore do not drink protein shakes, eat food. Also increase the number of meals and snacks, add in nuts, seeds, milk, fruit juice. You can also add in bread if you can find some healthy options there.

Let me know if you need anything else !