Why do people act like eating is a chore?

momzeeee

You're hungry a few hours later, because that's normal. You're supposed to have many (4-6) meals a day, so you need to eat every few hours. That's the part that is a chore...making yourself a meal that is healthy every few hours.

Nope, not true. Eating smaller meals/more frequently is no better or worse than eating larger/less frequent meals. It's a preference thing and nothing more.

Personally I eat twice a day with no snacking, doing 8:16 IF. I eat around 2,000-2,200 calories and have no hunger issues. But, I aim for a macros range of 40% fat, 30% protein and 30% carbs and usually go over on the fat.

shannashannabobana

You're hungry a few hours later, because that's normal. You're supposed to have many (4-6) meals a day, so you need to eat every few hours.

Or you're hungry a few hours later because you ate a tiny meal. If you skip breakfast and bumped lunch to 600-800 cals (with some protein and fat) you could easily last till dinner. I hate eating 4-6 meals a day. None of them seem like real meals.

ncmedic201

Beats me, this is not a problem I've dealt with unless I was sick. 2000+ calories for me forever! More seriously, I do wonder how this happens. Most of the folks in the 1200 camp say they feel full eating 1200 calories of healthy foods, which makes sense. But it's not like those eating way more than that are gorging on McDonalds and Pizza Hut; they're eating healthy foods too! So how is it that those in the latter category are able to pack in all that food while the 1200 cal folks are having a hard time? Just musing...doesn't matter to me either way.

Because not everyone can eat the same foods. While you may be able to pack your day full of certain high density foods while watching your protein etc, I am packing mine full of high potassium/low sodium foods. Not everyone is going to eat the same diet and this will affect the amount of food and calories that are taken in.

Here you go, hopefully this helps with your excuses.

http://www.etoolsage.com/Chart/Food_Diet.asp?Cate=0&amp;Chk307=307&amp;SN307=17&amp;SR307=<=&amp;Amount307=140&amp;Chk208=208&amp;SN208=33&amp;SR208=>=&amp;Amount208=400&amp;pageNo=1

That's a list of low sodium foods...now that has to be combined with high potassium foods. Eating low sodium is much easier than eating high potassium. As far as excuses, you don't know anything about me. I'm eating 1600 calories a day because it's what makes my BP stay down. Do I feel like puking by the end of the day? Absolutely. Do I do it anyway because it's what is best for my health? Yes Why don't you try and keep your potassium at 4700 mg and sodium at 1500 for a few weeks and see how easy it is. Sure, I could eat potatoes and beans every single day but who can really maintain a good healthy lifestyle eating the exact same foods every single day? You judgmental know it all's crack me up. You think just because you live your life one way that every one else should fit into that exact same mold!

Here you go.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5951007707P?ci_src=184425893&ci_sku=SPM5951007707&sid=IDx20130125xMPHLWx015

And it's the exact opposite, it is the people who are in the very small percentile that get all bent out of shape when somebody gives good advice to the 90% of people that it would work for. They always have to chime in with "Well I have a special medical condition so you are wrong, and shouldn't give advice to the rest of the people it will work for, so keep your info to yourself." great we get it you have a special condition, but that doesn't mean what people are saying doesn't work for everyone else.

The point of this thread was to bash people who do feel like eating 1200 calories a day is a chore. My example is only one of many. The point is to stop acting like everyone should be hungry at that point. Every person who has chimed in that it is difficult to eat that amount has their own reason why. Yet the posters continue to give them ways that they can just "up their calories" when it may not be that easy. And even when they say it's not that easy they get bashed some more because they should just do it "without excuses". Too many people on here act like it's a one size fits all when it's not....just like your last sentence "that doesn't mean it won't work for everyone else" You have it in your mind that it will work for everyone else even though there are numerous people throughout various threads that say it doesn't work for them.

As far as high blood pressure, it's not a "special condition", it's a quite common condition, as is diabetes and many other medical conditions that may affect how a person eats. Or like another posted made the comment about not wanting to get up and fix something, that's common too after you've worked a long day.

jonnythan

My thoughts exactly. Although 1,200 may be just a bit too little for me, 1,600 cals is more than filling and I can certainly see how it would differ for others (height, time spent working out, etc...). Truthfully though, I don't really understand why I see so many people on this site bashing others for eating 1,200 cals. Everybody is not built equally.

Well, if 1200 calories is a healthy deficit for you, you should think about getting some exercise every now and then.

LMFAO

I am a 4'11" female in the normal weight range. I get 30 min of moderate cardio 3-5 times per week and I lift heavy to retain muscle. My TDEE-20% is 1260. You're hilarious.

Where did you work this out? As I am the same height and have the same activity level, and my TDEE-20% is about 1600 cals.

I'll point out that I'm also talking about net calories. I probably eat a solid 1400-1500, as I eat back 75-90% of my workout calories, though I won't lie, often more, or I would be at goal now, instead of maintaining.

So even you, a very small woman who does only light to moderate exercise, eats 1400-1500 calories a day to lose weight.

cwolfman13

My thoughts exactly. Although 1,200 may be just a bit too little for me, 1,600 cals is more than filling and I can certainly see how it would differ for others (height, time spent working out, etc...). Truthfully though, I don't really understand why I see so many people on this site bashing others for eating 1,200 cals. Everybody is not built equally.

Well, if 1200 calories is a healthy deficit for you, you should think about getting some exercise every now and then.

LMFAO

I am a 4'11" female in the normal weight range. I get 30 min of moderate cardio 3-5 times per week and I lift heavy to retain muscle. My TDEE-20% is 1260. You're hilarious.

4'11, 100 lbs (BMI of about 20), 25 years old [guesstimate]... BMR is about 1250. Sedentary TDEE is 1500. Minus 20% is 1200.

That's a 1200 calorie a day target *sedentary*. Zero exercise.

30 minutes of 500 cal/hour cardio 3x a week, plus 3x strength training at 50 cals per session, gives an extra 130 calories per day, bringing the target to 1380 calories per day.

So you're actually a great example. A very small woman (4'11, normal weight range) doing the *bare minimum* of exercise - 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week and some lifting - still requires well more than 1200 calories a day for a healthy deficit.

If YOU require 1260-1380 calories per day, for what kind of person would 1200 be an appropriate goal? The only answer would be "someone who wants to lose weight but already weighs well less than 100 pounds, and does not exercise very much."

Nailed it....



To the OP...I think a lot of people have a very unhealthy relationship with food. They think "healthy" and "nutritious" is nothing but vegetables and fruit...a lot of people don't understand that they actually need a pretty decent amount of dietary fat to be healthy and get proper nutrition because they've had it pounded into their heads that fat makes you fat and that dietary fat is the devil. Most people who struggle to reach their calorie goals have gone way overboard in cutting the fat from their diets.

freckledrats

But the point of the TDEE method is that you don't have to eat your exercise cals as they are already calculated in TDEE, it's a gross calorie method, not NET, net would be the MFP method where you have to track exercise as well.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right, and this mix of methods makes for a whole lot of confusion on the MFP boards.

There are multiple ways to do it.

I prefer to find my no exercise TDEE and eat back exercise calories. It makes more sense to me.

Some folks prefer to find their TDEE with activity level built in so that they don't have to worry about what they burn and whether they ate enough to support it, but I find that method doesn't work well for me.

bagge72

Beats me, this is not a problem I've dealt with unless I was sick. 2000+ calories for me forever! More seriously, I do wonder how this happens. Most of the folks in the 1200 camp say they feel full eating 1200 calories of healthy foods, which makes sense. But it's not like those eating way more than that are gorging on McDonalds and Pizza Hut; they're eating healthy foods too! So how is it that those in the latter category are able to pack in all that food while the 1200 cal folks are having a hard time? Just musing...doesn't matter to me either way.

Because not everyone can eat the same foods. While you may be able to pack your day full of certain high density foods while watching your protein etc, I am packing mine full of high potassium/low sodium foods. Not everyone is going to eat the same diet and this will affect the amount of food and calories that are taken in.

Here you go, hopefully this helps with your excuses.

http://www.etoolsage.com/Chart/Food_Diet.asp?Cate=0&amp;Chk307=307&amp;SN307=17&amp;SR307=<=&amp;Amount307=140&amp;Chk208=208&amp;SN208=33&amp;SR208=>=&amp;Amount208=400&amp;pageNo=1

That's a list of low sodium foods...now that has to be combined with high potassium foods. Eating low sodium is much easier than eating high potassium. As far as excuses, you don't know anything about me. I'm eating 1600 calories a day because it's what makes my BP stay down. Do I feel like puking by the end of the day? Absolutely. Do I do it anyway because it's what is best for my health? Yes Why don't you try and keep your potassium at 4700 mg and sodium at 1500 for a few weeks and see how easy it is. Sure, I could eat potatoes and beans every single day but who can really maintain a good healthy lifestyle eating the exact same foods every single day? You judgmental know it all's crack me up. You think just because you live your life one way that every one else should fit into that exact same mold!

Here you go.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5951007707P?ci_src=184425893&ci_sku=SPM5951007707&sid=IDx20130125xMPHLWx015

And it's the exact opposite, it is the people who are in the very small percentile that get all bent out of shape when somebody gives good advice to the 90% of people that it would work for. They always have to chime in with "Well I have a special medical condition so you are wrong, and shouldn't give advice to the rest of the people it will work for, so keep your info to yourself." great we get it you have a special condition, but that doesn't mean what people are saying doesn't work for everyone else.

The point of this thread was to bash people who do feel like eating 1200 calories a day is a chore. My example is only one of many. The point is to stop acting like everyone should be hungry at that point. Every person who has chimed in that it is difficult to eat that amount has their own reason why. Yet the posters continue to give them ways that they can just "up their calories" when it may not be that easy. And even when they say it's not that easy they get bashed some more because they should just do it "without excuses". Too many people on here act like it's a one size fits all when it's not....just like your last sentence "that doesn't mean it won't work for everyone else" You have it in your mind that it will work for everyone else even though there are numerous people throughout various threads that say it doesn't work for them.

As far as high blood pressure, it's not a "special condition", it's a quite common condition, as is diabetes and many other medical conditions that may affect how a person eats. Or like another posted made the comment about not wanting to get up and fix something, that's common too after you've worked a long day.

Thanks I know all about high blood pressure and diabetes, and was on toprol xl starting at 16 years old. I found way to get off it, by eating less sodium, but still didn't have trouble eating lots of calories. So I agree it's not special, and very easy to eat plenty of food while eating low sodium, and high potassium.

People seem to think that if somebody gives them a good idea, or valid reason why they could eat more that they are actually bashing them. They problem is people are afraid to eat a little bit unhealthier foods or higher calorie foods for some reason, because they think that because they got to 1500 calories by adding in a grilled cheese sandwich instead of eating salad with grilled chicken everyday that they are somehow going to balloon up. Or if they switch there celery snack out with cashews they aren't going to fit in to their new pants they worked so hard to get down too. I see nothing wrong with somebody saying switch a couple of vegetables out with some healthy meats, and nuts, (or ice cream if you don't have any medical conditions) and you wont have a problem meeting your calorie goal, because you are eating the same amount of food, just higher calorie foods.

jwdieter

There are multiple ways to do it.

I prefer to find my no exercise TDEE and eat back exercise calories. It makes more sense to me.

Some folks prefer to find their TDEE with activity level built in so that they don't have to worry about what they burn and whether they ate enough to support it, but I find that method doesn't work well for me.

Saying TDEE and not meaning TDEE is just confusing terms.

The problem is communication. Some people say they're eating 2000, and they are. Some people say they're eating 1400, and they are. But maybe they're eating exactly the same amount of food, using different methods, and having an argument while confusing every new reader.

saltedcaramel86

Everyone is different.

Some days, I hardly touch food because I lose my appetite (through stress). Other days, I eat ALL.DAY.LONG. So it counterbalances. Same as, some days, I eat junk all day, other days, I eat perfectly.

chatogal

Well that ^^ is only about 450 cals. You SHOULD be hungry a few hours later.

That is exactly what I'm getting at. Its a snack. But it is also 1/2 to 1/3 of some peoples daily calories.

Hey “fluffy,” how tall and big are you, what is your age, are you a man or a woman, how much do you workout, what is your TDEE and your BMR?

Did it occur to you a small/petite/short female may not need or be able to eat a lot of calories a day? We are all different, and calories requirement, macros and calorie burning are not the same for everybody.

Go ahead, eat and enjoy your 3000 calories a day with my blessings; and don’t worry about the rest of the people. What we do will not affect your progress

5'2" / 114lb / 18 / Female
NROLW 3 times a week (M,W,F), half-marathon training (T,Th), backpacking 20lb, 8 - 14 miles (Sat)
I don't have a Fitbit, HRM or have had my BMR / RMR tested so I don't know my exact TDEE. I try to stick around 2300 calories and at least 150g of protein.

Even when I'm incredibly inactive, like during testing seasons (just graduated high school), and I'm not doing much, I have a roaring appetite.

But seriously, I've been on MFP long enough to see females who are 5'8 and 200lb that do an hour of cardio a day, then say they can't eat more than 1200 calories.

ya...I see what you mean...I certainly ate wayyyyy more than 2000 calories to get fat in the first place...and I am assuming most other 200 lb + people did also (otherwise they wouldnt have got fat!) Certainly, I have had to learn to feel (again) what a hungry tummy feels like...and although I eat very healthily I knowwwww I can EASILY eat more than 1200 calories....yup..I agree

LorinaLynn

To the OP...I think a lot of people have a very unhealthy relationship with food. They think "healthy" and "nutritious" is nothing but vegetables and fruit...a lot of people don't understand that they actually need a pretty decent amount of dietary fat to be healthy and get proper nutrition because they've had it pounded into their heads that fat makes you fat and that dietary fat is the devil. Most people who struggle to reach their calorie goals have gone way overboard in cutting the fat from their diets.

This. I think a lot of it is thinking that they should be eating very light and should feel hungry and deprived, because a lifetime of really bad diet advice taught them that. That food is the enemy and saying "no" to food was a virtue.

Couple that with people who only use the diary to record their meals, rather than to plan their meals, and you have folks who might get up to 800-1000 calories after dinner and think, "I can't eat another 400 calories NOW!" No, maybe not, but if you'd figured out your day in advance, you could have had an extra 100 calories at breakfast, as snacks, with lunch, etc.

NicolleLindgren

I dont believe it because someone who ate 1200 or less, without some sort of medical condition, would be normal weight or under weight if they consistently consumed that much.

Plus, for the most part, I find this to be a female phenomena and we all know women cant admit to being hungry especially when dieting.

I used to eat lots of food- lots of CRAP every day. I wouldn't feel full until I ate a bunch. Now I eat healthier things, because if I have crappy food in my house, I'll be tempted to fall back into old habits. I usually eat the same AMOUNT of food, but it's significantly less calories. So my stomach gets full just as quickly, but I can stay under my 1400 calorie goal 90% of the time (don't judge by this weekend though! haha). What lots of people seem to not be understanding is that even if we didn't get to be overweight eating 1200 (or whatever) calories a day, doesn't mean that we can't be full on that amount NOW after developing better eating habits.

Whether or not you think that 1200 (or whatever people put as their goal so that they're eating at a deficit) or so calories is a healthy amount, neither is eating the amounts that got us overweight in the first place, and I'd rather be on the losing end.