I am never hungry enough to meet my calorie count

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slbean121704
slbean121704 Posts: 7 Member
in Getting Started
Weight loss has always been a problem for me. I gained my weight during my three pregnancies, eating for the baby's sake. My calorie intake should be around 1300 a day and I struggle to eat healthy AND eat those calories. Steamed veggies and chicken, yogurt, fruit, turkey any and all the protein I can get but I am never hunggry. I'm a nurse I am not ignorant to a healthy diet, but years of eating breakfast and no time for lunch at work and long days has just became my norm. I am just not hungry! Anyone else struggle with this?
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Replies

  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,245 Member
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    Add some healthy fats. They will up your calories, and your body needs them.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    How did you gain/maintain your current weight then?

    As the poster above mentioned, eat full fat. Cook your veggies in olive oil. 1300 calories is not very much.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    You might find some ideas here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    Nuts. Seeds. Peanut butter. Other nut butters. Nutritious calorie bombs. No need to even sit down to eat them on those days there is no time for lunch.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
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    kpk54 wrote: »
    Nuts. Seeds. Peanut butter. Other nut butters. Nutritious calorie bombs. No need to even sit down to eat them on those days there is no time for lunch.
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Nuts. Seeds. Peanut butter. Other nut butters. Nutritious calorie bombs. No need to even sit down to eat them on those days there is no time for lunch.

    I thought you quit posting.

  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,757 Member
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    I am a little confused. Are you trying to lose weight? Have you been at this for awhile?

    If you are struggling to eat 1300 cals, and want to add calorie rich foods to up your calorie intake, wouldn't that make you gain more weight?

    Are you eating late at night because you aren't eating all day? Is your struggle not eating healthy and going over your limit?



  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    You are having a yogurt and banana for lunch. how about you have that as a snack and have a larger lunch? That will add more calories to your day.
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
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    I do believe that if you eat a lot of healthy foods especially vegetables, sometimes it can be hard to to reach your max calorie goal. I agree with the OP some days. Other days it can be hard to stay under but that is a different post.
  • RebelDiamond
    RebelDiamond Posts: 188 Member
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    My first piece of advice is to make sure you are logging accurately. There is always the chance that you are accidentally underestimating what you're eating. I suggest using a food scale, if you don't already, and making sure to count everything, especially dressing/oil added to salads and oil used in cooking (this may also be true if you've been at this for a while, are under your calorie count and are not losing).
    If after you try that and you are actually under, try adding in high fat foods as suggested above (raw nuts, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil) as they are small in size but are calorie dense! Good luck!
  • slbean121704
    slbean121704 Posts: 7 Member
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    Definitely not trying to gain weight! LOL
    I typed my weight and weight loss goals into MFP and it gave me a goal of 1310 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week with a moderately active lifestyle. I eat breakfast, snack,lunch snack and dinner to boost my metabolism. When I don't get close to 1300 calories MFP tells me I am eating too little. If I add and exercise it bumps my calorie count up even more.
    I have never used this app before to lose weight and no I haven't been doing this long, only 7 days now.

    The way that I maintained my weight or even gained weight was by drinking soda. I have cut that completely out. So no I really don't know yet if it is helping me lose.
    Yes I understand I am eating very low fat and a lot of veggies and high protein, but come on why would I eat fattening foods if I am making a lifestyle change?
  • kelisueray
    kelisueray Posts: 78 Member
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    slbean121704 wrote: »
    Yes I understand I am eating very low fat and a lot of veggies and high protein, but come on why would I eat fattening foods if I am making a lifestyle change?

    They aren't "fattening" they are high in good fats which can help you meet your calorie goals. Avacados and Nuts are two great options and you don't have to eat much of them to get to where you need to be.


  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,440 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Buy a food scale. Weigh and log everything. No food is "fattening". Eating more calories than your body burns in a day is "fattening." I eat chocolate or ice cream pretty much every day, and I've been losing regularly. I have a budget of 1930 calories per day, lift weights 3X week, a little cardio (1X week), 40 years old, 5'9", full-time job, full-time mom.

    Seriously, buy a food scale. Eat what you want, as long as it fits in your daily calories. Give it six weeks. Re-evaluate at that point.

    ETA: I would also personally reset my goals to lose 0.5 or 1 pound a week. Slow and steady is more sustainable.
  • slbean121704
    slbean121704 Posts: 7 Member
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    I have added Chashews, I guess I will just keep going by what MFP tells me to do and see if it works. Like I said I haven't been at it long enough. My point was really that I am never hungry enough to eat so much and I wanted to know if anyone else struggled with this but I guess I didn't make that clear enough for anyone to really get what I am saying.
    I force myself to eat this often because that is what I am supposed to do to boost my metabolism.
    I am backwards, and everyone I talk to has the opposite problem
  • Debmal77
    Debmal77 Posts: 4,770 Member
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    slbean121704 wrote: »
    I have added Chashews, I guess I will just keep going by what MFP tells me to do and see if it works. Like I said I haven't been at it long enough. My point was really that I am never hungry enough to eat so much and I wanted to know if anyone else struggled with this but I guess I didn't make that clear enough for anyone to really get what I am saying.
    I force myself to eat this often because that is what I am supposed to do to boost my metabolism.
    I am backwards, and everyone I talk to has the opposite problem

    If you are not using a food scale, how do you know how many calories a day you are consuming?
  • ammo7
    ammo7 Posts: 188 Member
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    slbean121704 wrote: »
    I force myself to eat this often because that is what I am supposed to do to boost my metabolism.

    You don't need to do that; your body won't just shut down from not eating for a few hours.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,440 Member
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    You can't boost your metabolism. Unless you have had anorexia or some other extreme, your metabolism is your metabolism. The money-making diet industry has put out so many "studies" and other falsehoods that people actually believe their ideas are truth. They aren't.

    Answer this one question. Do you have and faithfully use a food scale? If the answer is no, I strongly, strongly, strongly urge you to buy one and use it. The "magic" answer is eat less calories than you burn in a day.

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,440 Member
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    slbean121704 wrote: »
    I have added Chashews, I guess I will just keep going by what MFP tells me to do and see if it works. Like I said I haven't been at it long enough. My point was really that I am never hungry enough to eat so much and I wanted to know if anyone else struggled with this but I guess I didn't make that clear enough for anyone to really get what I am saying.
    I force myself to eat this often because that is what I am supposed to do to boost my metabolism.
    I am backwards, and everyone I talk to has the opposite problem

    Also, my assumption is that you aren't hungry because you are eating more than you think. Hence, the food scale to get a baseline determination.

    So many of us have been where you are. We are truly interested in your success and don't want you to have to make the same mistakes we have.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Debmal77 wrote: »
    slbean121704 wrote: »
    I have added Chashews, I guess I will just keep going by what MFP tells me to do and see if it works. Like I said I haven't been at it long enough. My point was really that I am never hungry enough to eat so much and I wanted to know if anyone else struggled with this but I guess I didn't make that clear enough for anyone to really get what I am saying.
    I force myself to eat this often because that is what I am supposed to do to boost my metabolism.
    I am backwards, and everyone I talk to has the opposite problem

    If you are not using a food scale, how do you know how many calories a day you are consuming?

    <nods>

    And if you have trouble eat 1300 cals per day, how did you get to a place where you're needing to lose 45 lbs in the first place?

    Something isn't adding up, here.
  • slbean121704
    slbean121704 Posts: 7 Member
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    I am typing in exactly what food, what brand and going by the serving size. If a serving is 1/2 cup then I eat 1/2 cup or a cup and enter exactly what brand etc, match it to the label to make sure it is the same. I don't need to weigh everything. I'm getting a bit annoyed by this, that's not the point. Forget it
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,440 Member
    edited December 2015
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    slbean121704 wrote: »
    I am typing in exactly what food, what brand and going by the serving size. If a serving is 1/2 cup then I eat 1/2 cup or a cup and enter exactly what brand etc, match it to the label to make sure it is the same. I don't need to weigh everything. I'm getting a bit annoyed by this, that's not the point. Forget it

    But how do you know it is 1/2 cup? Do you measure it out?

    I feel bad that you are annoyed, that is truly not my intention.

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