Am I the only one that finds it difficult to eat more?
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scaryann1
Posts: 259 Member
I have been trying to increase how much I eat. I feel like I am eating all day long, constantly. However, when I total everything up at the end of the day, I am still only at 1500 average. I have been at this for almost a year now. I'm not a fan of food, but I know I need to eat, but nothing sounds good.
I'm starting to feel depressed again. In 2012, when I started keeping track of my food intake, I was averaging 500-800 calories a day. I had been eating like this for 20 years. I weighed 265 pounds. I forced myself to start eating 1000 calories a day but it seemed to be all in one or two meals. I managed to get myself up to 305 pounds.
Since increasing to 1500 in May last year, I am now down to 279-284, but can not get the scale to move anymore. It's discouraging.
It doesn't help that I have hEDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type), I can and have dislocated my knees and ankles by walking. I have dislocated my right shoulder three times this year by simply sleeping. My right wrist dislocates 10+ times a day, even with a brace on. I can't cup vegetables, and I despise fruit. Tomatoes make my throat swell shut. All I have to do is smell a cucumber to get heartburn so bad I can't concentrate for an entire day.
Anyway, I'm just discouraged and need some new ideas. If no one has any ideas that's okay, I'm used to being left out.
I'm starting to feel depressed again. In 2012, when I started keeping track of my food intake, I was averaging 500-800 calories a day. I had been eating like this for 20 years. I weighed 265 pounds. I forced myself to start eating 1000 calories a day but it seemed to be all in one or two meals. I managed to get myself up to 305 pounds.
Since increasing to 1500 in May last year, I am now down to 279-284, but can not get the scale to move anymore. It's discouraging.
It doesn't help that I have hEDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type), I can and have dislocated my knees and ankles by walking. I have dislocated my right shoulder three times this year by simply sleeping. My right wrist dislocates 10+ times a day, even with a brace on. I can't cup vegetables, and I despise fruit. Tomatoes make my throat swell shut. All I have to do is smell a cucumber to get heartburn so bad I can't concentrate for an entire day.
Anyway, I'm just discouraged and need some new ideas. If no one has any ideas that's okay, I'm used to being left out.
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Hi there, I've been reverse dieting (increasing my calories from about 1500-1700 toward TDEE of 2300-2400) for the past 10 weeks and can definitely relate to how overwhelming that amount of food is in the beginning. I was one who "ripped the bandaid off" by increasing from 1700 calories to 2200 calories, then 2400+ calories in 2 weeks.
I remember the first 3-4 weeks felt like I was constantly stuffing myself full of food, eating all the time, even when I had 0 hunger cues and like you said, nothing sounded good. This is where meal planning came in really handy. I knew exactly how much I needed to eat per day and would eat it whether I was hungry or not (after 7+ years of diets likely averaging around 1500-1700 calories a day, I honestly had lost all hunger cues - I've not been "hungry" with the stomach growling, etc. in years). I split my meals into 6 per day - 500 calories for breakfast, 300 for mid-morning snack, 500 for lunch, 300 mid-afternoon snack, and 500 for dinner, with a 200 calorie snack for dessert.
Around week 4-5, I noticed my body was finally reacting to all this food - by 11am I was ready for my 300-calorie snack, 1pm, I needed lunch. It feels good to have my hunger cues back again and my body is reacting positively - my sleep has improved, my hair is growing like crazy, and while I have gained about 10-11 lbs the past 10 weeks, I've also been bodyweight training, so hopeful some is muscle.
In your case, I would recommend finding your TDEE (as I'm sure you have) and making a focused effort to plan each of your meals and eat them at designated times, whether hungry or not, in order to meet your intake goals. Consistency is key and even if you are unable to work out strenuously due to medical issues, your intake, if calculated correctly, should still allow you to lose the weight.
Don't feel alone. I've gone through bouts of depression too and know how tough it can be. This community is here for you!20 -
^ whit gave some great advice.
I'd eat foods with a higher calorie content. Eat nut butters, full fat dairy, etc.
If your body can't tolerate certain or all fruits and veggies, don't try to eat them. Find other foods to meet your goals. For example, i eat homemade popcorn eery night to meet my fiber goals. If I need extra calories I add butter, if i'm at my limit I just leave it off.
Feel free to add as a friend. Everyone here is a great support.8 -
Thank you, I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but I never dreamt it would be so hard. For the last 30 years all I've ever heard was "there is only one reason you are overweight, you eat too much." It wasn't until my organs started shutting down that I got a doctor to listen to me that I wasn't over eating. She sent me to a nutritionist last year. The nutritionist was the first person to ever tell me that I wasn't eating enough. It took me about three months to go from 800 calories a day to 1200. I couldn't seem to get over that hurtle for about three more months. I finally made it to 1500 in December. Just today I raised it again to try to hit 1700. I have almost made it, but boy do I feel stuffed.
Thanks for the encouragement, I really needed it today.
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It can be incredibly difficult, especially if you've done a lot of restrictive dieting in the past.
A couple of things I've found have helped me:
1) energy-dense foods - like nuts, avocado, bananas, seeds... anything with a high calorie count for a small amount of food. Helps you get more in without feeling so stuffed. Word of warning though, when you're desperately cramming in calories, it does get very easy to get sucked into eating junk foods. I've made this mistake myself more than once - I need more calories today, hey look there's a tub of icecream. Try and keep it as wholesome as you can!
2) Dropping snacks. Counterintuitive, I know. I was eating 3 meals a day with 3 snacks in between. It led to me feeling pretty gross all of the time and led to a pretty destructive mentality. I recently decided not to bother with the snacks any more and just have 3 main meals. The result: I now have large, satisfying meals that I enjoy with friends and family and I actually feel hungry when I sit down to them! Not to mention I think I actually get a lot more work done because I'm not spending half my day eating or preparing food.
Good luck!6 -
Im sorry you are struggling with things. I know its not easy increasing calories, especially when everyone out there seems to think you need to eat less and move more. Its simply not the case. increasing cals is tough. Our human nature is to fight it because we have been programmed to believe that dieting means we have to suffer, and eat nothing but carrot sticks and drink cucumber water. I PROMISE you, it gets easier.
For a lot of members, ripping the bandaid and jumping high in cals worked. For a large majority, we had to go at it slowly. I was a slow increaser. I started around 1400 cals and slowly increased to 2400.. then to 2800, and now Im currently consistent at 3000. Its taken me a very, very long time to allow my mindset to shift and accept that this is in fact the only way to get myself out of the diet cycle. I like to think of it as my hill to climb, before I get to the top. I think about what my life will look like in a few years, when my metabolism is burning higher than ever, and I am eating extremely well, and NOT having to think about whether eating a piece of cake will send me into a tailspin and have me running for a treadmill.
This process is NOT easy. Ive been at it four years, and Im still working my way to TDEE. I refused to believe for a few years that my burn was as high as the calculators and my fitbit were telling me. Had I listened and trusted the process earlier, I might be two years closer to my end result. But looking back, I needed the extra time for my mind and my heart to fully understand the process, to fully believe that the diet industry is completely wrong
Resetting means having to let go and allow your body to regain what it has lost from years of restrictive dieting. It needs to build back the muscles it lost, the tissues, the fibres that it was depleted. It needs to heal and trust you completely again, trust that you arent going to starve it all over again, and for a lot of bodies, that trust takes a long time.
I know it feels like you are stuffed, like you cant possibly eat anything more at 1700 cals, but I assure you, you can. Once your body starts to understand you are feeding it more, it will eventually kick the metabolism up and start to burn more of your energy, which in turn, signals to your brain, it needs more food, and starts the hunger signals. The hurdle is getting over the "full" feeling:) I used to set a timer for 1.5 hours and regardless of what my signals were telling me, I ate something. If it was a snack time, then I ate something around 150-200 cals.. if it were a meal, then I worked at easting at least 300-500 cals. As someone already said, energy dense foods make a big difference in helping you increase your cals up.
Some things that can help..
- Get rid of all DIET products. No low fat/no fat products in the house. Full fat cheeses, milk, dairy products if they arent an issue for you.
- Nuts/Seeds are your friends. They carry a lot of calories, and GOOD fats for your body. Your body needs fat!!
- Oil. If you cook, swap cooking sprays for oils. add a bit of oil to your pan for extra calorie boosts. Again, you need fat!
- Protein. If you enjoy protein shakes or bars, use them. Your body needs protein to help you build muscle. If you are used to eating only an ounce or two of meat, increase your meals by another ounce or two. Build up slowly.
- Spreads/Dips/Creams If you like dips with your veggies, cream in your coffee.. all of the things we were programmed to omit from our diets to help us lose weight.. bring those back in again.
- Be kind to yourself. Know that this is a long process. This is for life. This is to help you get to a point you never have to worry about calorie counting, never have to sweat eating dessert, never have to feel like you cant eat something. This is all about giving you a healthy outlook on eating and life again, and its not easy.
we are all here. We are all going through it. Know that you are not alone.
Feel free to add me as a friend and if you need to chat, im here. 14 -
^ some great advice there....this should discussion should be a sticky!3
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I actually managed to hit 1700 calories yesterday! I even went over by 28 calories. It took from 8 am to 10 pm to do it, but I did it! I know it sounds like a small step but for me it’s huge. I tried to eat something every two hours all day long. I feel like such a hog though. For the longest time I refused to even have friends here because I didn’t want anyone to see how much of a pig I am.
I am starting to feel hunger again, not yesterday though. I told my nutritionist last month that I felt hungry one day and she all but celebrated. She actually is learning about my syndrome (hEDS), so she understands that I am not able to move as much as I want to move. Not long ago, Rick and I were hiking for miles while geocaching. Now, I feel lucky to get from the Jeep to the other side of a small ditch without dislocating something.
My kidneys are in stage 3b renal failure, so I have to keep my protein intake very low right now to give them a chance to heal. Meat has always been the one food I refused to give up, and now having to restrict that has been the biggest blow. And reducing the peanut butter is a nightmare!
Even when I had a heart attack in 2006 the heart doctor insisted I had to be eating too much. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t finish a tray of food myself the entire week I was in the hospital. I must have been secretly eating other stuff when the nurses weren’t looking.
Thank you everyone. I’m sure I’m not done complaining about this yet, but you have been awesome. I am a work in progress.
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I never dreamt that I would be celebrating hitting 1700 calories two days in a row! Plus I wanted you all to know my kidney function is UP 50 points! This eating thing is working!19
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That is certainly something to celebrate, good for you!!! :-)0
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That's awesome news!0
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I have been trying to increase how much I eat. I feel like I am eating all day long, constantly. However, when I total everything up at the end of the day, I am still only at 1500 average. I have been at this for almost a year now. I'm not a fan of food, but I know I need to eat, but nothing sounds good.
I'm starting to feel depressed again. In 2012, when I started keeping track of my food intake, I was averaging 500-800 calories a day. I had been eating like this for 20 years. I weighed 265 pounds. I forced myself to start eating 1000 calories a day but it seemed to be all in one or two meals. I managed to get myself up to 305 pounds.
Since increasing to 1500 in May last year, I am now down to 279-284, but can not get the scale to move anymore. It's discouraging.
It doesn't help that I have hEDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome hypermobility type), I can and have dislocated my knees and ankles by walking. I have dislocated my right shoulder three times this year by simply sleeping. My right wrist dislocates 10+ times a day, even with a brace on. I can't cup vegetables, and I despise fruit. Tomatoes make my throat swell shut. All I have to do is smell a cucumber to get heartburn so bad I can't concentrate for an entire day.
Anyway, I'm just discouraged and need some new ideas. If no one has any ideas that's okay, I'm used to being left out.
This has been a wonderful thread to read Ann, you certainly have a lot of support, and it's encouraging that all these ladies (maybe some guys here too, I don't know) are willing to help us. I'm just starting, and to answer your original question, yes, it's hard to eat enough calories, and get my macros I need for all I'm starting to do now.
Just really want to congratulate you, and mostly on sticking with us here. We are so lucky to have folks online, because I don't meet many around me that are striving for a healthier lifestyle. This way we get to meet all kinds of people working toward the same goals, better health;) denise
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CountryGal, I must admit the day I first wrote I was so depressed I cried with every letter I typed. It seemed like with every morsel of food that passed my lips carried every insult that ever person had ever thrown at me because of my weight. I was at my wits end. The replies the first couple days made me cry too.
I'm now on day three of 1700 calories and I just hit my goal again! I even went like 28 over! I am stuffed again, but I got a lot done today for me too! I haven't had the energy to do much more than sit on the love seat and hold my joints in place for over a year. I've even had my arm in a sling off and on for the last week because my shoulder went out on me again. Yesterday it finally popped back in!
Then today I was able to gather the garbage, vacuum the hallway and bedroom, clean the bathtub drain, cook lunch and supper, and wash dishes. That is an amazing amount for me to do in one day. And I didn't dislocate anything other than my wrist! I just hope I don't pay for it tomorrow. LOL
And if my story will help someone else I am happy to share it.
Mary Ann aka ScaryAnn16 -
Well here it is the 21st. I'm still fighting to maintain 1700 calories. Most days I make it, but days like yesterday, it's just not gonna happen. At least I was close, under 100 shy of making it! I was thinking about upping 100 this week, but I think I'm gonna hold off one more week and give my body a little more time to adjust to this amount.
Here's a breakdown of my first three weeks of actively keeping track...
March 7, 2016
Starting weight: 284 pounds
BMR = 1970
TDEE = 2365
Average calories = 1499
March 15, 2016
Starting weight: 281.2
Down = 2.8 pounds
BMR = 1958
TDEE = 2350
Average calories = 1703
March 21, 2016
Starting weight = 279.8
Down = 1.4 pounds
BMR = 1952
TDEE = 2343
Average calories = 1723
I'm hoping this helps me stay on track to eat more. I think not putting myself down for not making it to goal and not putting myself down if I go over goal is even harder than actually eating.
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If we want to lose, my understanding is that our TDEE is the amount to eat when we want to maintain the weight we have. Then the amount we need to eat would be say, 100 calories over that amount, then continue adding a 100 until we lose some weight?? If your BMR, which in my understanding (again) is the amount they would feed us if we were in a coma, and we'd get it through an IV. So if you are only eating, even the 1723, your body is going to be grasping for food, and in not getting it, it's not going to let go of what it does have. Maybe I am wrong, as I am knew at this and just learning, hopefully, the right things.
Also, yes, it is hard to eat more, because I am programmed to be careful not to eat too much, and eating low calorie etc. But even a handful of walnuts can give me enough calories. I'm finding macros are sooo important as well. I was getting the calories I needed, but a "too" low % of proteins. Someone rescued me out of that mistake thank goodness!!0 -
Oh I so apologize, I should have read back further Ann, I see that you are trying to get to your TDEE, and then from there. I just saw your last post. Please accept my apology:( denise0
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No problems at all denise. I've been fighting to get up to my TDEE for over a year now. I try to laugh at myself because it was sooooo hard to raise that average up by a whole 20 calories. LOL At least I'm doing a LOT better than I was four years ago with an average of 800 calories!
Also because of poor kidney function, I have to stay very low on protein for now. Hopefully my kidneys will decided to kick back in and do their jobs if I can get my eating where it's supposed to be. But thanks for the words of wisdom, I WILL get there. 0 -
Its a slow process. Very slow. But you are doing great! Keep at it and hit that 1700. One thing at a time.
Celebrate the small things.. cause its those that make up the big changes0 -
No problems at all denise. I've been fighting to get up to my TDEE for over a year now. I try to laugh at myself because it was sooooo hard to raise that average up by a whole 20 calories. LOL At least I'm doing a LOT better than I was four years ago with an average of 800 calories!
Also because of poor kidney function, I have to stay very low on protein for now. Hopefully my kidneys will decided to kick back in and do their jobs if I can get my eating where it's supposed to be. But thanks for the words of wisdom, I WILL get there.
Well you're too kind honey, I sure messed up by not reading more of the thread. I knew I recognized the name, so wish I would have. You are doing amazing. Keep us posted here so we can encourage you, hugs, denise0 -
Great job on making these changes with the difficulties you've had and are having.
Question about the protein and liver issues.
So the liver is really stressed with excess protein - do you have some means of testing if you are making use of all protein taken in so there is no excess you are excreting?
Just concerned that with good activity levels but low protein levels.
It's a bummer that resistance training seems to show a blunting of the damage of protein on the liver.
Are you able to do heavy for you resistance training?1 -
Thank you.
Protein and the CKD patient
When protein is ingested, protein waste products are created. Healthy kidneys have millions of nephrons that filter this waste. It’s then removed from the body in the urine.
Unhealthy kidneys lose the ability to remove protein waste and it starts to build up in the blood. Dietary protein intake for patients with CKD is based on the stage of kidney disease, nutrition status and body size. Counseling sessions with a registered dietitian are recommended for planning and monitoring a low- or high-protein diet.
https://www.davita.com/kidney-disease/diet-and-nutrition/diet-basics/dietary-protein-and-chronic-kidney-disease/e/5302
My dietitian told me that limiting my protein now will give my kidneys a chance to heal and recover. So far they have started to. My kidney function has already increased a lot. I'm hoping by staying low they can recover even more. Before the improvement I was at stage 3b. I'm not positive what stage I'm at now.
Right now, I don't have a lot of activity level. I have a genetic disorder that effects my connective tissue. I dislocated my shoulder last week when I picked up my pocketbook. My pocketbook wasn't even heavy that day. Then, instead of giving it a week or two to recover, I decided to try some shoulder shrugs with a whopping 2.2 pound weight. It hurt so bad I couldn't breath. I'm still in agony from it. I guess I will probably have to give in and make a doctor's appointment for it, but I keep hoping it will miraculously heal over night. I also tore my meniscus last November when the car door shut on my knee. I'm still trying to get that to heal without having surgery.0 -
I'm so glad I saw this! I'm 5'2, 143 and just re-calculated my tdee because my activity level wasn't correct (set to sedentry when it should be moderate). I'm going from 1350 to 1400 to 1475, then 1550 and so on. I'll adjust every 2 weeks so my body doesn't go into shock. Lol.
For me, its either been 800-1200 or a full on binge. Lol. Not much in between. Needless to say this is pretty scary for me, but I'm going to trust the process and eat that food!0 -
sbl1881, it hasn't been easy that's for sure! I agree, I used to have like one day every two weeks where I "binged" for me a binge day was about 2200 calories! Now I look back and realize that I can eat that much, because I have, but then again my next two or three days would be at 800 or less. I've learned to balance it out and have consistently eaten near 1700 for two whole weeks! I haven't had a binge day in a LONG time now. The last year has been a real struggle at times.
I really hope that by sharing my story it will help you to create your own success story!1 -
Glad you got a plan that is working, keep it up.
Sorry to hear about the other stress in life though, not good at all, hope it can settle down with pain.0 -
Explain... binge day was about 2200 calories!
2200 calories is just eating to survive ???0 -
m303psss, for me 2200 calories was bingeing, it still is. Most days, when I first started eating more, I would have problems eating 1200 calories. It took me three years to get myself from 800 calories up to 1200 calories a day consistently. Then another six months to get up to 1500 calories a day. Now a year after reaching 1200, I'm up to 1700 and slowly getting higher! Although, days like today are rough. I'm so full that I feel sick to my stomach, and I've eaten a whopping 1992 calories!0
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scaryann1 i wish you the best in your struggles.0
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Thank you m303psss. That means a lot to me.
I did lose the fight with my stomach last night, I was only able to keep supper down for about two hours before it came back up.
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Thank you m303psss. That means a lot to me.
I did lose the fight with my stomach last night, I was only able to keep supper down for about two hours before it came back up.
Hang in there. This is not a straight path, it has many curves and hills to conquer. Wishing you good health and success in your Journey.0 -
retirehappy, Thank you for the words of encouragement! Some days are rough, that's for sure.0
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