Getting used to eating higher calories?

VeganRaptor
VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
edited November 13 in Food and Nutrition
Hello everyone!

I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on adjusting to eating more calories than usual?
I've recently been put on a meal plan by my dietitian that gives me ~1900-2400 calories a day, which is a significant amount more than I would naturally eat usually. I'm ending up feeling really uncomfortable after meals, and I'm not even really hungry- at all :(

Are there any ways I can adjust both physically and mentally to this increase?

Thanks!

Replies

  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Peanut butter 190 cal per tbls
    Vegan butter 100 cal per tbls
    Coconut oil 117 cal per tbls
    There's almost 400 without adding volume.

    I can't help on the mental aspect. I'm not there yet.

  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    johunt615 wrote: »
    Peanut butter 190 cal per tbls
    Vegan butter 100 cal per tbls
    Coconut oil 117 cal per tbls
    There's almost 400 without adding volume.

    I can't help on the mental aspect. I'm not there yet.

    Thanks! :)

    The problem isn't the things I'm eating though (my meal plan is very specific as to what type of food and what amounts I'm meant to be eating- I don't have a specific calorie goal, I'm just meant to eat the things on my meal plan), it's the feelings of physical and mental discomfort from eating the things and the amounts that I don't get a choice in. Sorry if this wasn't clear in the first post, I hope I cleared it up a little!
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    That does sound tough! My goal is to gain weight (I was underweight )and obviously I've had to up my calories but I've had choice in how I do that. I have a small appetite so I've found it easier to eat little and often rather than do it in 3 big meals. I did feel bloated and uncomfortable at the start but it does get easier.
    What kind of foods are you meant to be eating?
  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    That does sound tough! My goal is to gain weight (I was underweight )and obviously I've had to up my calories but I've had choice in how I do that. I have a small appetite so I've found it easier to eat little and often rather than do it in 3 big meals. I did feel bloated and uncomfortable at the start but it does get easier.
    What kind of foods are you meant to be eating?

    This is my meal plan (I hope it's vaguely clear):

    Breakfast: 1 serving carbs (eg two slices bread), 1 fat (eg 1/4 avocado or tbsp peanut butter), 1 calcium rich food (eg 200 ml soy milk)
    Morning snack: 1 serving fruit (I hardly ever manage to eat this one)
    Lunch (1 carb, 1 protein (eg, 200g tofu or beans, or 30g nuts/nut butter), 1 fat, 1 fruit
    Afternoon tea: 2 snacks (eg 2 biscuits and 30g nuts) or one double snack (eg banana smoothie or 3/4 cup muesli with milk)
    Dinner: 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fat, 1 fruit/veg, 1 snack
    Two evening snacks: 1 calcium rich food, 1 snack

    I have big lists of exactly what makes up each serving of carb/protein etc. The ones I provided above are just examples :)
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    To be honest that sounds manageable but we're all different. I do find carbs are more likely to fill me up and therefore make me bloated though. So I tend to make up my calories with more protein and fat and fewer carbs. But if you're following a diet plan you probably have less flexibility. If you don't mind my asking,why has the dietician suggested this? Is it for a health condition ?
  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    To be honest that sounds manageable but we're all different. I do find carbs are more likely to fill me up and therefore make me bloated though. So I tend to make up my calories with more protein and fat and fewer carbs. But if you're following a diet plan you probably have less flexibility. If you don't mind my asking,why has the dietician suggested this? Is it for a health condition ?

    Thanks for your input :)
    This meal plan is to gain weight in eating disorder recovery.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    Ah,ok,I see. In that case I wouldn't want to suggest anything which would contradict that! Maybe speak to the dietician? It IS hard at first- I struggled with the feeling of fullness but as you get used to eating more,it does eventually go.
  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    Ah,ok,I see. In that case I wouldn't want to suggest anything which would contradict that! Maybe speak to the dietician? It IS hard at first- I struggled with the feeling of fullness but as you get used to eating more,it does eventually go.

    Thank you :)

    Yes, I talked to her today and she says it's likely that I have delayed gastric emptying caused by years of restriction, which explains the feeling of being uncomfortably full.

    Unfortunately I stayed exactly the same weight as I was last week on this meal plan so I hope I gain a bit next week otherwise it might have to be increased even more! :neutral:
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    johunt615 wrote: »
    Peanut butter 190 cal per tbls
    Vegan butter 100 cal per tbls
    Coconut oil 117 cal per tbls
    There's almost 400 without adding volume.

    I can't help on the mental aspect. I'm not there yet.
    That would be for 2 TBS of peanut butter, right? 190 cals for 1TBS seems a bit high.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    Did they give you a plan to work up to those calories? When I switched over to ETP they gave me a 4-6week plan to bring my calories up - increasing abt 100cal a week
  • VeganRaptor
    VeganRaptor Posts: 164 Member
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    Did they give you a plan to work up to those calories? When I switched over to ETP they gave me a 4-6week plan to bring my calories up - increasing abt 100cal a week

    I had already been slowly increasing, this was just the final increase to the weight gain plan x
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    johunt615 wrote: »
    Peanut butter 190 cal per tbls
    Vegan butter 100 cal per tbls
    Coconut oil 117 cal per tbls
    There's almost 400 without adding volume.

    I can't help on the mental aspect. I'm not there yet.
    That would be for 2 TBS of peanut butter, right? 190 cals for 1TBS seems a bit high.

    Yeah that's what i thought too. It's around 190 calories for 32g
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    cerise_noir wrote: »
    johunt615 wrote: »
    Peanut butter 190 cal per tbls
    Vegan butter 100 cal per tbls
    Coconut oil 117 cal per tbls
    There's almost 400 without adding volume.

    I can't help on the mental aspect. I'm not there yet.
    That would be for 2 TBS of peanut butter, right? 190 cals for 1TBS seems a bit high.

    Yep, my bad.
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