Struggling with calorie intake

spenceeyp

Hi all

Great fan of the site it's been fantastic for my goals.

I am however now finding it hard to eat my calories for the day after exercise. For example today, I cycle to the gym, spend an hour doing weights. I will also cycle home this evening.

I'm looking at my plan for the day though and wondering what on earth extra I can eat. Lunch has already been consumed and I'm now stuffed.

Should I visit the shop and buy something else to eat at lunch, if so what?

scottaworley

Try drinking some of your calories with protein shakes.

maffrizzle

You'll have to say what you're eating for lunch, and how many calories it is.

I can usually get by on 900 calories over 2 meals without getting hungry, but I usually up it to 1,200 to get the rest of my protein and knock off a bunch with exercise.

thecrushinator

Depends on wether your losing weight or not. If the pounds are coming off eating less your probly fine. If your getting really hungry after working out try something protien heavy like nuts or meat (burger patties, fish, chicken salad)
Personaly I never track my exercise and just try to stick to my normal calorie intake.

spenceeyp

I'm already taking protein shake for breakfast.


Most of my macro nutrients are also met for the day, apart from carbs which I'd like to keep lower anyway.

Here's today as an example;

View in my diary.

Which makes the total for today 1479 with an allowance of 1800 a day or 2005 with today's exercise.

bumblebums

It would be easier to make suggestions if you unlock your diary. It's not even clear what your total calorie goal for the day is, and the copy-and-paste thing you did is pretty hard to read.

But the short answer is to substitute or add more energy dense foods. Avocado and nuts, full fat dairy, etc., etc.

spenceeyp

OK I've made diary unlocked.

scottaworley

I don't know when you work out, but I might add another shake right after your workout. Also your afternoon snack seems a bit light. I'd personally cut some of the fruit and add more nuts or meats.
Also you could take your protein with milk.

spenceeyp

Gym was 7ish this morning. Protein shake was consumed around 9am to aid recovery and to have for breakfast.

TavistockToad

add a sweet potato to your dinner, some greek yoghurt and some nuts with your snacks, and a slice of toast with peanut butter on for supper!

bumblebums

Gym was 7ish this morning. Protein shake was consumed around 9am to aid recovery and to have for breakfast.

Okay, it looks like you have been logging for about a month but not before that. How long have you been eating this way? Is this the way you normally eat, or is your largely fruit-based diet a recent change?

spenceeyp

To be honest It's only in the last 6 weeks I've made the decision to be far healthier. It's working I feel more alert, I'm sleeping better and have lost a lot of weight to boot.

I can't imagine going back to eating processed foods and eating a lot of sugary rubbish.

bumblebums

To be honest It's only in the last 6 weeks I've made the decision to be far healthier. It's working I feel more alert, I'm sleeping better and have lost a lot of weight to boot.

I can't imagine going back to eating processed foods and eating a lot of sugary rubbish.

Fruit is pretty damn sugary I love fruit, mind you. But you are eating a lot of it. I am glad your diet is making you feel good, but it looks like you can barely scrape up 60 g of protein most days. You do not need to eat processed foods and sugary rubbish to get 2000 calories a day.

spenceeyp

Thanks - now I'm taking protein shakes though most days I'm well over my Protein intake for the day.

As for sugar in fruits - surely this isn't a bad thing unless I'm eating a shed load of it?

bumblebums

Thanks - now I'm taking protein shakes though most days I'm well over my Protein intake for the day.

As for sugar in fruits - surely this isn't a bad thing unless I'm eating a shed load of it?

I was just pointing out that you do eat quite a lot of sugar, since you were disparaging sugary foods earlier in the thread.

spenceeyp

But natural sugars from fruit really don't make much of an impact do they when I'm already running at a calorie deficit?

bumblebums

But natural sugars from fruit really don't make much of an impact do they when I'm already running at a calorie deficit?

Metabolically, the type of sugar you eat ("natural" or whatever you consider the alternative) does not matter as much as you might think. The reason fruit is often recommended as a substitute for more refined sugar is that fruit comes with fiber and other micronutrients such as vitamins, so it's a better bang for your buck. The fiber is supposed to slow down the speed of sugar absorption somewhat, though it probably doesn't matter as much as one might think, either.

I do not know what you mean by sugars not making an impact when you are running on a calorie deficit.

spenceeyp

Well so long as I'm under my calories for the day it doesn't matter whether I go over my sugar count if it's fruit really does it?

stardancer7

Are you eating the lettuce 'dry'? You might consider adding salad dressings--you can make your own with lemon juice and olive oil and herbs/spices you like...or a purchased one. When I started this, I switched from low cal or no-fat dressings to full fat ones and used less. Adding a few nuts and/or seeds, some avocado, which are both nutrient and calorie dense might suit your purpose, too.

tekwriter

As long as you are not diabetic and you are losing, I would keep my fruit the way it is. It is healthy and while there is sugar there is also fiber in fruit that will slow down the digestion to keep your blood sugar from spiking. Fruits and vegetables for you. No one got fat eating fruit, vegetables and lean meats.

bumblebums

As long as you are not diabetic and you are losing, I would keep my fruit the way it is. It is healthy and while there is sugar there is also fiber in fruit that will slow down the digestion to keep your blood sugar from spiking. Fruits and vegetables for you. No one got fat eating fruit, vegetables and lean meats.

Sure, but OP is complaining about not being able to eat *enough*, not about eating too much.

WendyTerry420

I think it looks fine over-all. I agree with adding dressing to your salad and drinking protein after you exercise. That will easily add 200-300 calories without trying or making you feel too full. I also agree with adding nuts to your snacks. Don't eliminate the fruit, just eat a handful of nuts with it. This will help bump your calories so that you don't stall out or damage your metabolism.

mazdauk

Well so long as I'm under my calories for the day it doesn't matter whether I go over my sugar count if it's fruit really does it?

I thought your problem was not eating enough calories? In which case swapping fruit for protein (nuts, eggs, meat) is what will solve your calorie "problem", no-one is trying to take away your fruit! If you're under your calories you can have both, but you said you were full up on your fruit so people are trying to give you more calories without increasing the bulk of what you eat. Eating enough calories is perfectly possible without resorting to sugary/fatty processed food. But if all else fails add a scoop of ice cream to your strawberries

bumblebums

Well so long as I'm under my calories for the day it doesn't matter whether I go over my sugar count if it's fruit really does it?

I thought your problem was not eating enough calories? In which case swapping fruit for protein (nuts, eggs, meat) is what will solve your calorie "problem", no-one is trying to take away your fruit! If you're under your calories you can have both, but you said you were full up on your fruit so people are trying to give you more calories without increasing the bulk of what you eat. Eating enough calories is perfectly possible without resorting to sugary/fatty processed food. But if all else fails add a scoop of ice cream to your strawberries

Yeah, that response you quoted was where I finally gave up trying to make sense of this.

spenceeyp

Sorry I don't think I understood the point you were trying to make, or you didn't understand me.


Thanks all. Nuts are a good idea - may visit holand and barrett next lunch time.

scottaworley

Thanks - now I'm taking protein shakes though most days I'm well over my Protein intake for the day.

As for sugar in fruits - surely this isn't a bad thing unless I'm eating a shed load of it?

The protein goal that MFP sets for you is typically way low. I don't know what it is for you but they tell me 15% of my calories should come from protein. I try to make it more like 50%, and I have not seen any good arguments for 15%.