Can't understand not being able to get all your calories...

kenzietate

It just blows my mind!! I feel so jealous every time I read this! I literally can't imagine what that is like, or how it leads to weight gain....

Anyone able to enlighten me in my ignorance?

Some people have underlying health reasons for not being able to eat.

I am actually one of those people. I have tracked my calories for years and eaten mostly healthy during that time period. I was eating fruits and veggies, lean meats, and whole grain carbs with the exception of cake every now and again etc. I have an underlying condition that causes me to gain weight even if eating at a deficit if I am eating even whole grain carbs at all. Eating became a chore b/c every time I would eat I would feel sick after so I ate less and less to avoid the feeling. It got to the point where I was struggling to eat 1200 cals most days. I was still gaining weight. It took forever for a doctor to finally tell me to start counting my carbs instead of cals. After I started that I could eat without feeling sick and now I am hitting my calorie goals and feeling much better. Weight loss is still slow but at least I am eating again.

Gearjammer71

I'm way off my calorie budget. I'm in the "OMG Obese" category, so my budget is 2480. I am not sure if it's in my head, it's medication, or some other issue but I just can't do it. I don't have the same relationship with food anymore. It's become bothersome, and I've somehow assigned it a lower priority. I am not starving myself, I still take in 1500-1600 per day, but I have found it pretty easy to skip a meal and wind up at 750. May be the start of an all new problem for me.

erikalanem

I looked at your diary. You eat fries and cake and your cals are set way low. That's how it is never an issue for you

True dat.

Yesterday my grandma taught me how to make her angel food cake recipe You know people have that meme, "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" I totally disagree!

Maybe what I should have said was I can't understand that kind of will power...Milkshakes are like 750 calories...and delicious....easy fix, right? Or granola bars even have around 200....

But I have really appreciated everyone sharing their story...So funny how different everyone's journey can be! You are all superstars!!!

strick1982

It can be a challenge for those watching their macronutrients to keep medical issues in check. Try having to limit your sodium, fats, sugars, carbs etc. Eating clean and in enough quantities to obtain the calories one needs is easier said than done. Those that say they're jealous, don't be, it's a PITA. I am currently struggling to get in 1,200 healthy calories after have gotten in the habit of consuming 800-900 cals a day. Trust me, it's not intentional. It's just the way the foods I eat add up.

On that note, it's not wise to lie about what and how much you're consuming. The only thing you'll lose is your mind.

duckiec

For me, it's totally a mental thing. I won't let myself eat everything MFP tells me to. Crazy, I know, but I'll try to explain.

I started doing the MFP standard 1200+ exercise, but didn't think the exercise calculations were accurate, so ate only some if any of those back. Then I looked up my TDEE and determined I should probably be closer to 1400-1600. But I rarely eat that daily. There's such an overpowering "less is more" mentality to weight loss, and so far for the most part, the scale is rewarding that (erroneous) thinking. Many weeks I lose 2lbs. So "eating enough to get by" is "working." I know, in the long run it isn't, but it's sort of an immediate gratification thing.

Another issue- I'm always saving calories "for later." So I do my best to meet my macros during the day with the same old lean meats, fruits, veggies, minimal carbs, etc, so I can hit, or come close to my macros with dinner. Then I have "free calories" for the rest of the evening. Yeah, except often I fall asleep, or when it comes down to choosing a treat I stay on the "nah, I don't need that" path and don't use up the calories. That's okay, I say, I'll use them on the weekend. Then the weekend comes and I sit down to a nice meal out, and choose... chicken breast over salad no cheese, etc. Because maybe I'll want dessert later... see the pattern?

I also ignore, and am totally clueless on my hunger cues. I just assume I'm supposed to be hungry all the time, so don't pay attention to it. I don't know when I'm full, either, since I eat what I'm allowed to have for any given meal, and that's it. Every few weeks or so I have a blow-out day and am like of this I'm not counting and measuring I'm just EATING. Of course, I'm a data nerd so I end up counting, or at least estimating anyway, and most of those days are at or only slightly over TDEE which I get from my FitBit.

Even without a significant cheat day/meal, my weekends do tend to be higher, so I am balancing some of that weekday deficit out, but despite telling myself I’d probably feel better through the week, and less likely to want to have a cheat meal if I just kept things more consistent (not to mention would have better workouts), I dunno I just don’t do it.

I gained this weight because I didn’t pay attention at all to what I was eating, and never exercised. Now I exercise almost daily, and if I’m going to pay attention, I’m going to “do it right.” But what’s “right” isn’t always clear, and once you have some success (down 35 since mid Jan), it’s hard to trust that changing that up will still work. That’s my challenge, anyway, hope it helps explain.

ncl1313

I was struggling meeting my calorie goal for awhile because I have OCD and was fixated on macros. A typical day would have me reaching one macro goal before I was even close to the other two, and therefore it was a struggle to find foods that only hit those other two macros without going crazy over on the third. Most days I just wouldn't eat any more food so it wouldn't get even more out of whack. My solution was to stop focusing so much on the macros and instead just focus on the calorie goal and I've actually had more success since then. I still try to get at least 100g of protein per day, but I don't stress if I'm way over on fat or way over on carbs because it tends to even out over the week.

So, to answer your question, I think it's mostly a mental thing. If I've got 300 calories left in my day, I'm eating some cookies. Other people are probably just afraid to eat the cookies.

shannashannabobana

Other days are so hot that it makes me lose my appetite.

This happens to me too, especially if I’ve been working out in the sun. But it doesn’t last for weeks at a time. I don’t think there is anything wrong with skipping a meal or even fasting a day or two (although I was amused when one of my friends commented when I skipped dinner one night – I’m never sure what to say to people who are only eating 800 cals a day consistently), it’s only odd to me when people say they ‘can’t’ eat more than 1200 cals (not talking about eating back exercise calories). I have rare days where that is true, but it’s not a normal thing. [And I’m not talking about women who are very short or older and sedentary here. ]

I think many people who 'can’t' hit their calorie goals have been eating no fat. You can only eat so much boiled chicken breast no skin + broccoli no butter + plain lettuce.

rachseby

I get it. I remember back when I used to 'diet', so many things were off limits and I felt guilt for eating any high calorie foods. It was difficult to hit my calorie goals for the day because I didn't know what I could eat.

That's not the case for me anymore.

That's you - not everyone else. Your personal experiences aren't =/= to everyone else's experiences.

Either way, I like my lifestyle and I've never been happier. It's not because "I don't know what I can or can't eat" my meal plan is very clear, and simple. I've done a lot of home work on keto before I started last year.



By the way, who said I, or others watching their intake can't enjoy certain high calorie foods foods? I know I enjoy eating high calorie, high fat foods (e.g. fatty cuts of meat, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, cheeses, various oils, etc...) but they fill me up to the point where I don't need to eat everything in sight thus I eat in moderation (something I was never able to achieve in a non keto lifestyle.)

This works for me, whether you believe it or not. It's smug people like you with your little attitude that damages other people who're trying to do good for themselves. Honestly, I don't think you "get it."

People get on here and whine about "fat shaming" but I think "diet, lifestyle, calorie intake shaming" is a lot more rampant, and honestly if fat shaming isn't acceptable here, neither should this form of shaming be.

That said, what works for me isn't going to work for everyone, just as what works for you might not work for everyone; no two people are the exact same; it's not a hard concept to master.

Thank you! Well said!

rachseby

It is all about choices of the foods they eat.

I have issues most days depending on m activity level and I refuse to eat crap.

I use olive oil when I cook and if i have toast it's butter...but still if I garden for 4 hours wham I have so much to eat to make up for that activity I just can't do it...and I am not going to eat just to reach a number. The only day since joining here that I have even come close was yesterdy...I ate A&W, then had a store bought muffin...on normal days my diet is fruits/veggies/lean protiens and the occasional carb like bread/potatoes etc.

Check my diary and I log everything....even the real sugar in my coffee and cream (as i wont give that up).

This!

lynn1982

I don't log most of my Veggies or Fruits because I don't feel they should take up my daily food requirements/calories. Fruits and veggies are a necessity to me so I just eat them whenever I want and not log it, unless its with a meal (sometimes) like today I had a banana with lunch and I was at my desk so I just added it all together. But if I want a snack and make a salad with 10 different veggies I just eat it, guilt free anyways so I don't count it.

I couldn't possibly be the only one who does this? My calorie goal according to MFP is 1,650/day (without cardio) and I'm always within 200 calories, give or take, from that without fruits and veggies being logged anyways. I also do measure out with measuring cups and spoons how much I am eating so when when I put 2 tsp of mustard on a sandwich, I actually am. If I say I ate 15 potato chips because that's a serving on the bag I will actually count 15 chips so I can log it correctly. I find it fun and entertaining.

This makes absolutely no sense. Food in general is a necessity, so by your logic, you shouldn't log anything! A banana has approx 100 calories and you can load your salad with as many veggies as you want, but the calories add up. True, most of us probably did not get fat gorging on bananas and salads, but to say that they're a "necessity" and therefore shouldn't "count" towards your daily calories is delusional and assumes other food is not a necessity. Good food is nourishment that your body needs. Saying that you should be able to eat them "guilt free" assumes that you feel guilty about eating higher calorie foods. You should never feel guilty about eating anything that your body needs. You clearly have some issues surrounding food that you should work through. (And I say that not to be judgmental, but as someone who used to think of food as an enemy.)

lynn1982

The majority of people who post looking for help because they can't meet their calorie goals most likely are used to eating junk and are now trying to eat healthy foods. As you all know, most healthy foods are lower in calories. These people do not want to return to eating unhealthy food, so instead are seeking advice. And as others have already mentioned, they are probably also not using healthy fats, which add good nutrients in addition to calories. Perhaps instead of berating these people and creating additional threads like this one, we could be a bit more understanding and help these people by creating a supportive and informative environment instead of attacking them.

Gearjammer71

I may be looking at this all wrong. I took my calorie goal as an upper limit and haven't really thought that I had to actually eat that much. I figured as long as I was under that, I am good.

ShengHuo

I have always had this problem. i started using MFP to actually find out what I needed to be eating with my activity level and how far off I actually am. Here's a few things that play a role for me:

1. I didn't drive until six months ago. If I wanted to leave the house it meant walking or biking. But the more active I am, the less appetite I have, particularly in the summer. Imagine a 30minute walk in glaring sunshine and 85 degrees. Who wants to eat after that?

2. I always have a busy day that doesn't leave time for a lot of snacking. I've been working in nursing for almost four years. Not only am I on my feet a lot, but there just isn't time to eat a whole lot. I'm also out of the house for long periods of time, now at work, in the past for both work and school. So there's no bored eating and limited time to go grab something. When I am at home, I spend a lot of time sleeping, so not I'm not eating then. Often times I'll get home from work both tired and hungry, but tired usually wins.

3. I am awful at planning and keeping a schedule. I have a huge problem planning adequately sized meals to take with me. At work I usually end up with a bagel and avocado, or a clif bar and piece of fruit. I always say I'll cook something and pack it, but I rarely do. I just get lazy.

4. Until a few months ago when I graduated university, I didn't have money. A restaurant meal or a baked good from the cafe easily takes care of a deficit. But I simply did not have the money for it. It is cheaper to eat fruits, vegetables, and rice/noodles, than boxed meals, prepared meals, or canned food. Beans and eggs are cheaper and lower calorie proteins than meat. There was no budget for "junk food." So then when I get lazy with cooking, my quick just-grab-something becomes fruit, sliced vegetables, or a hard boiled egg. After a few years of not living with my parents this was the norm and I'm just used to it.

5. I have a strange tendency to like all the "healthy foods." I often see the things about how such and such is good for you and you just need to eat yay much to get the benefits...but I already like that. I love vegetables and put them in just about everything. Oatmeal is super cheap, low calorie, filling, and goes great with a piece fruit in it. Whole grain bread tastes better to me. I simply do not like sweet things most of the time. The carbonation in soda hurts my stomach, and I prefer juice (which was rarely in the budget) any way. Whole milk hurts my stomach so it's always skim. I like steamed vegetables over sauteed. Probably my highest calorie thing on a regular basis is cheese. But it is actually really difficult to find non-reduced fat cheeses.

So yeah, that's where I think my problem with meeting calorie goals stem from. It's different for everyone though.

bcattoes

It just blows my mind!! I feel so jealous every time I read this! I literally can't imagine what that is like, or how it leads to weight gain....

Anyone able to enlighten me in my ignorance?

It doesn't lead to weight gain. But I've had days (yesterday in fact) where I ate all day long, was not hungry and even stuffed at times, and still my calories were low. The day before they were high, though I didn't really eat more food.

When you eat a lot of vegetables they can really fill you up quickly without getting many calories.

Selendraco

The majority of people who post looking for help because they can't meet their calorie goals most likely are used to eating junk and are now trying to eat healthy foods. As you all know, most healthy foods are lower in calories. These people do not want to return to eating unhealthy food, so instead are seeking advice. And as others have already mentioned, they are probably also not using healthy fats, which add good nutrients in addition to calories. Perhaps instead of berating these people and creating additional threads like this one, we could be a bit more understanding and help these people by creating a supportive and informative environment instead of attacking them.

Completely agree.

bcattoes

It's a mental thing. What most people really mean is "I can't stand the thought of eating any more healthy food". I can almost guarantee that if they were to get carte blanche to eat dessert, they'd find their appetite. We've all experienced this at some point. Say at Thanksgiving, you eat until you can't even think about another bit of turkey and can't imagine eating any more food. But as soon as someone sets that pie in front of you...game on. It takes time to stop thinking of it as "gross but healthy" food and start thinking of it as just food. I was actually quite excited yesterday when I realized I had a can of sliced carrots I hadn't eaten yet, because I was craving the sweetness of boiled carrots. That is something that fat me would have believed impossible.

This is SO not true for me. Of "healthy" or not so healthy foods. I've never had pie on Thanksgiving until a couple of hours after the main meal because I'm too full. At the end of the day if I'm full and have calories left, I don't think "I don't want any more healthy food". I think "I'm full, why would I eat more."

But then I don't think all I can eat is "healthy food", either. So, maybe that is the difference.

Matt_Wild

I diet on 3200 calories and I'm starving. Cannot imagine just eating 1200-1500 calories - I'd die:laugh:

This is clean and healthy good food btw

schonkreuz

This really frustrates me because of a lot of the reasons already said : / If I was hungry I would eat more but around 1200 cals I'm just not. I'm also very short at 5'2" and not able to exercise due to problems with my c-section and on a very restrictive diet due to gallstones (surgery soon!). Its awesome that you can eat 2000 cals in one meal, but that is -you-, its pretty obvious that we are all individuals.

bcattoes

Then again, I aim to eat almost 1800 calories a day. It does still blow my mind how some people can't reach even 1200 calories. Like, cook with some olive oil or something! It's really not hard!

I had 51 g of fat yesterday and still came in under 1200 calories. It wouldn't have been "hard" to get more calories, but it would have required eating when I wasn't hungry and something I didn't want solely for the purpose of upping my calories.

ejleadley

It just blows my mind!! I feel so jealous every time I read this! I literally can't imagine what that is like, or how it leads to weight gain....

Anyone able to enlighten me in my ignorance?

I am SO glad someone else mentioned this! Last time i posted about people not reaching 1200 calories and thinking it was mad i got a world of abuse! haha.

Everything in moderation - theres no point cutting something you like out forever or you will never be happy and you may loose the weight but chance are you will binge and fluctuate. Healthy lifestyle and exercese thats what its alllll about!