Seriously struggling to eat enough with exercise calories

AllonsYtotheTardis

It's all in the planning. Instead of thinking, "I have to 'eat back' 400 calories," think of it as "I have to eat a total of ~1800 calories today," and plan your day accordingly. It's a lot easier to add an extra 100 calories to three meals and a snack than to try to make up an extra 400 at the end of the day. (Although a scoop of protein powder in chocolate milk is pretty delicious bedtime snack and around 300 calories.)

This is how I handle it as well. I plan for the extra calories in my meals during the day, so I'm not playing 'catch up' at night. Bonus - I get to fit in some of the tasty, higher-calories items in my meals. YAY!

chatogal

yeah..hard to generate pity for you. drink olive oil? and also.. how did you get overweight if you eat like a bird naturally?

yup!!

MrsB123111

Haven't looked at your diary, but can I suggest eating more often? I was having a similar issue (I had Roux en Y gastric bypass 2 years ago), I wasn't eating enough protein or calories, so I started eating smaller meals every 2 hours.

Oatmeal with egg whites in the morning for breakfast at 8:00, 2 string cheeses or Greek yogurt at 10:00, lean meat and veggies at 12:00, another protein snack at 2:00, oatmeal and egg whites at 4:00 (on workout days, if I'm resting, I will usually skip this meal) and lean meat and veggies at 6:00. If I still have a surplus, I treat myself with a dessert.

cammy_x

It is really frustrating to see " then how did you get fat and need to join MFP if you are having a hard time eating your exercise calories back" .....

I am obese, 258 lbs - I got fat by one, sitting on my *kitten* all day. Two, eating fast food for breakfast, lunch, dinner or best 2 out of 3 ... biggie size the meal. Throw in a chocolate bar, chips, cookies as a snack. Well that is a HUGE amount of calories, sodium, sugar, etc.

I am now eating veggies, fruit, chicken, fish, avocados, 8+ glasses of water a day and I have gotten off my *kitten*. I am stuffed at 1,200-1,400 calories and I do not eat back my exercise calories as of yet. A lot of people say they get super hungry after working out, I am the complete opposite, no appetite.

So far, this is how my body is responding a week into an attempt at a life style change. Eating healthier has me much fuller, more happier. I am excited to see the changes as the weeks progress )

diannethegeek

Ms. Amber, May I suggest that you eat a hardy breakfast, a lighter lunch, and eat a very light dinner much earlier in the evening (no later than 6 pm). Make sure you are properly recording your food and beverage portions for every meal. Remember, calories in and calories burned is the key. However, if your data is incorrect, your results for weight loss will suffer. Would love to be your friend. My best, ****

While eating a heavier breakfast and lighter dinner works great for some people it doesn't work for others. Some people do better skipping breakfast and others prefer a light snack on the way out the door. I'm a coffee and cream girl until lunch. This is one of those that doesn't have any physical affect on dieting. It's all about what the person prefers and what helps them stick to their calorie goals.

javajunco

Have a beer?

RobynLB83

If you're not hungry, you're not underweight, and you're not weak from under eating, then don't worry about it.

pippywillow

You shouldn't need to stuff yourself till you feel too full just to get the calories in. Eat foods you love and eat as much as you feel good about. If you aren't eating enough calories try to increase by a little every day until you're where you need to be.

I think it's more important to be aware of what your body wants than it is to follow what a website says you should be doing.

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

Why 2% milk? Stop eating "diet" foods - if you're not getting enough calories, eat full fat milk, cheese, yogurt, etc!

As others have mentioned incorporate more high-in-fat foods like avocados, peanut butter, etc. (though it sounds like you're already doing that).

Also, nothing wrong with a treat sometimes! Add a chocolate bar into your day and you get to enjoy something delicious AND it'll help you reach your calories. There's nothing wrong with some dessert every day as long as you eat healthy the majority of the time.

^^THIS

dominiqueruns

Good for you. and I admire your brutal honesty. I'm right there with you...

dominiqueruns

It is really frustrating to see " then how did you get fat and need to join MFP if you are having a hard time eating your exercise calories back" .....

I am obese, 258 lbs - I got fat by one, sitting on my *kitten* all day. Two, eating fast food for breakfast, lunch, dinner or best 2 out of 3 ... biggie size the meal. Throw in a chocolate bar, chips, cookies as a snack. Well that is a HUGE amount of calories, sodium, sugar, etc.

I am now eating veggies, fruit, chicken, fish, avocados, 8+ glasses of water a day and I have gotten off my *kitten*. I am stuffed at 1,200-1,400 calories and I do not eat back my exercise calories as of yet. A lot of people say they get super hungry after working out, I am the complete opposite, no appetite.

So far, this is how my body is responding a week into an attempt at a life style change. Eating healthier has me much fuller, more happier. I am excited to see the changes as the weeks progress )

Good for you. and I admire your brutal honesty. I'm right there with you...

lilRicki

Or drink your calories? Have a glass of almond milk, or use a juicer? I really like trail mix or just a handful of almonds to up my calories. Or beef jerkey

Koldnomore

This is a common problem with newer people.

What happens is we get all motivated to change everything all at once and then we are left trying to figure out how to get everything to fit together. What will likely happen if this course continues (and all you have to do is look for the 4 or 5 other threads on the board TODAY to see it) is that you will eventually get into either a plateau where nothing will budge or you will find yourself constantly having to lower your calories to keep losing. Eventually you will have to lower your base calories just from losing weight - this is normal and not what I am referring to.

Basically at this point you have a few options - some which will work better for you than others:

1. Stop working out so much thus reducing the calories you have to eat back - this is the easiest thing to do for those just starting out. I normally say that getting your diet under control should be the first thing anyone who wants to lose weight should do. Once that's good you start adding exercise into the mix. This method prevents all the stress associated with exercise calories and eating/not eating them.

2. Start planning your meals the night before (or sooner) if you know you will be exercising you can add some food throughout the day to compensate for the burn. I force myself to HAVE to walk off some calories in order to meet my goal for the day. On most days I am left with about 200 calories for dinner so unless I do SOMETHING I don't get to eat much :P Check my diary.. today I have 181 and I still have a meal and a snack to eat when I get home.

3. Don't change anything - eventually you will plateau for a while though if you stay at your same calories for long enough it will move again eventually (assuming you are eating at a deficit) though this is the absolute slowest way to lose weight and will also make you feel the most miserable/frustrated.

4. Get rid of anything 'diet', 'low fat', 'low calorie' from your house. Cook with oil, use butter or cheese sauce on your veggies, snack on nuts. I would give you specific ideas but your diary is closed. Eat bigger meals.

LaurenAOK

This is a common problem with newer people.

What happens is we get all motivated to change everything all at once and then we are left trying to figure out how to get everything to fit together. What will likely happen if this course continues (and all you have to do is look for the 4 or 5 other threads on the board TODAY to see it) is that you will eventually get into either a plateau where nothing will budge or you will find yourself constantly having to lower your calories to keep losing. Eventually you will have to lower your base calories just from losing weight - this is normal and not what I am referring to.

Basically at this point you have a few options - some which will work better for you than others:

1. Stop working out so much thus reducing the calories you have to eat back - this is the easiest thing to do for those just starting out. I normally say that getting your diet under control should be the first thing anyone who wants to lose weight should do. Once that's good you start adding exercise into the mix. This method prevents all the stress associated with exercise calories and eating/not eating them.

2. Start planning your meals the night before (or sooner) if you know you will be exercising you can add some food throughout the day to compensate for the burn. I force myself to HAVE to walk off some calories in order to meet my goal for the day. On most days I am left with about 200 calories for dinner so unless I do SOMETHING I don't get to eat much :P Check my diary.. today I have 181 and I still have a meal and a snack to eat when I get home.

3. Don't change anything - eventually you will plateau for a while though if you stay at your same calories for long enough it will move again eventually (assuming you are eating at a deficit) though this is the absolute slowest way to lose weight and will also make you feel the most miserable/frustrated.

4. Get rid of anything 'diet', 'low fat', 'low calorie' from your house. Cook with oil, use butter or cheese sauce on your veggies, snack on nuts. I would give you specific ideas but your diary is closed. Eat bigger meals.

All excellent advice!

nxd10

First, are you measuring accurately? You may be eating more than you think.

Second, are you logging every single thing - all the dressings, mayo, ketchup, butter, oil, etc.

Third, a glass of orange juice and a slice of toast with butter is 300+ calories. A bagel is 400. Half a cup of Ben and Jerry's ice cream is 320 calories, and that's just a small scoop of ice cream. It isn't hard to eat back your exercise calories - you're not exercising that much.

If you're really having trouble, eat in smaller meals several times a day.

(and like those above said)

emmalousmom1

My calorie goal at the moment is 1460 a day and on average I burn 350-400 calories(according to MFP) 5 days a week. And on the other 2 days I still go for walks which usually range from 50-150 calories burned. Since I know that MFP sometimes over calculates how much you burn I rarely ever eat all of the calories back but I make a concious effort to eat most of them (and be over the 1200 mark). My problem is that on days where I burn up to 400 calories I'm struggling to eat back even half of them. I feel like I'm always eating and that my stomach is always uncomfortably full. I have incorporated more 2% milk, soy milk, almonds, cashews, peanut butter and avocados into my diet but still usually only come up to 1700 at the most (and I feel very uncomfortable for often an hour after eating). I usually have 3 meals that are between 300-400 calories and then usually 2 snacks that I try and fill in the rest of the calories.
I do not have much to lose at all so I'm trying to up my calories from what I was used to eating so that when I reach my goal I wont be struggling even more than now to eat at maintenance (which at the moment seems impossible)

can you open your diary so we can give you some helpful suggestions:)
Louise

SoDamnHungry

Why 2% milk? Stop eating "diet" foods - if you're not getting enough calories, eat full fat milk, cheese, yogurt, etc!

I agree with not eating "diet" foods, but 2% milk is a pretty standard food. Wouldn't call it a diet food.

sw6709

I did eat more when I was younger and balooned to 200lbs by the time I was 13 and once I got to highschool I changed my eating habits drastically but still did little exercise so I dropped down to roughly 170lbs and then struggled with and ED for about 4 years and in that time only dropped to my lowest of 145, and eventually gave my head a shake and started eating more but of the wrong things. I worked at a fast food restaurant so it was common for me to eat twice a day there. I never ate anything big but obviously they were very calorie dense and not healthy in the slightest. I gained back about 30lbs from my poor diet and again gave my head a shake and stopped getting most of my meals at work and started packing lunches and snacks. This helped me shed about 15lbs before I stumbled upon MFP.

schondell

Either eat higher calorie foods and cook your foods in fats or just have a huge deficit!

sw6709

Since starting the 30 day shred I have been planning my next days meals based on the exercise I know I will be doing and plan to eat most of the exercise calories but when it comes down to eating it I'm too full.