2700 Calories is totally insane!

AlexDalton1998

Last year at my physical the doc told me I was borderline underweight. I was 131 lbs and 5 ft 11 in. Yesterday I weighed in at 119. Apparently those 12 lbs are a huge deal because he said my BMI was 16.6. He said that he wants to see me in six months and he wants me to be 135 - 140 lbs.

He specifically recommend this app.

So a BMI of 16.6 meant nothing to me. He could've said my BMI was 7 or 20/20. So I Googled it. Apparently Google thinks I'm anorexic. I really am not but this post is going to make it sound like I am in denial or something. Again trust me I'm not.

First of maybe I should explain over the last year and a half a lot has been happening to my life. I was in foster care until my last day of high school in May 2016. Yeah, they try to transfusion you into Independence. And I'm not stupid. I listened to the advice from my social worker. Discussed my options. I was all set to enlist in the Air Force. But I'm color blind and apparently there is absolutely no use in the military for color blind guys like me, so work and trade school it was.

I leave my apartment at 7 AM go to barber school from 8 until 1. Then hustle to work from 2 to 10:30. Unless it's Sat where I don't have school but I still work 12 - 8:39. Unless it's Monday when I'm off work but still have school, unless it's sun when I have neither.

Also my grandmother who raised me until I was 10 died at the end of August and that was a major blow.

In high school I was on cross country and tennis. My schedule doesn't allow a lot of time for running so losing weight was no biggie to me. I was losing muscle. But I wrote an size 26 pants in high school and in wear an size 26b pants now. Okay they're a little loose on me but there not clown pants or anything.

So back to yesterday, 12 lbs apparently is a major deal. But i logged on this app last night and it told me I needed 2700 calories. I had no idea how many calories I was consuming but an adult make consumes 2000 calories. Just don't skip breakfast any more... Which I did maybe 2 time a week and add carbs and a dessert for dinner. That ought to add up to 700 calories, right?

So I added a raisin bagel and cream cheese to breakfast and a half a can of beans and bacon so for lunch and a fruit pie at dinner for dessert.

Yeah I didn't even hit 1900 calories. I'm like 875 short. I guess in was hitting around 1500 cals a day.

So what am I supposed to do? I have to pack two meals available day. I can't afford to eat out very often. I know processed foods aren't the best for me. But I'm stuck with them unless in want to get up at 5 in the morning to cook.

I'm really frustrated. I'm really not anorexic. By the time lunch break fingers at work and school I'm ready to eat. But do and a sandwich for lunch and an microwave entree for dinner and cold cereal for breakfast and I'm good for the next meal. It's not like I'm starving myself. I'm also worried. I remember back in middle School in health when our health teacher who quite honestly looked like it was no problem for him to pack away 2700 cals told us that the human body is not designed to loose weight. It's designed to gain weight and hold it. So if I'm not hungry and eating when I am until I'm not I should be maintaining a normal body weight.

Yeah aging out is stressful and unless you've done it you can't relate, and so is losing the person who raised you. But it's not like I've been so worried I didn't eat.

So I don't know what to do.

trigden1991

Peanut butter. Ice cream. Full fat sauces/dips/condiments.

ohboysandwiches

Nuts are super calorie dense.

LivingtheLeanDream

Sorry for the loss of your grandmother.

But me thinks the lady/gentleman protests too much! (too many mentions that you 'are not anorexic') you need to gain weight, eat the calories needed to make that gain happen. Choose calorie dense foods if you are inclined to fill up easily.

theworldone

I commend you young man. I know that aging out is not easy---all of a sudden you're suppose to be an adult and figure it all out. It appears you are on the right track with school and work, and I know how difficult it can be to eat right with a busy schedule like that. Try preparing several meals on Sunday when you are free---maybe a big pot of beans or spaghetti & meat sauce or baked chicken and rice---and that would take care of a few days of lunch and dinner. Also things like stir fry veggies are quick and available in the frozen food section. Just add some chicken or shrimp and you will have a full meal. White potatoes and sweet potatoes can be popped in the microwave for another quick and satisfying meal---just add toppings. Hope this helps. I wish you much success in life. Also since you are off on Sundays, find you a good church--- there might be some women there who will invite you to dinner!! lol

Valrotha

First off, I want to commend your on your hard work. I heard a quote the other day, "it's hard to have millionaire dreams with a minimum wage work ethic." I understand that it may not be your choice, but it's commendable nonetheless. Also, I'm sorry about your loss with regards to your grandmother. Many of us, I'm sure, can relate.

Would it be accurate to say that your appetite has diminished due to stress and depression? I believe you when you say you're not anorexic, but there are other things which can hinder appetite.

As was stated in the above post, you may need to focus on eating more calorie dense foods. If you're already feeling full based on the amount of food you're eating and don't want to consume more, the only other option I can think of is to change your diet to foods which are higher in calories. As far as healthy foods which are high in calories, I'm not the person to ask. I'm trying to go the opposite direction as you, so I'm focused on healthier foods which are relatively low in calories.

Best of luck, Alex.

Heather4448

There is a list of calorie dense foods I'm sure someone could link you to.
I know things vary widely from state to state, but in Virginia there is a grant for Foster kids going to community college which covers most expenses and gives 1:1 tutoring. I know you're already involved in a trade program, but I just want you to know there are other options. Visit your local community college and ask about grants/programs specifically for foster kids. Best of luck to you.

CaliMomTeach

AlexDalton1998 wrote: »

Last year at my physical the doc told me I was borderline underweight. I was 131 lbs and 5 ft 11 in. Yesterday I weighed in at 119. Apparently those 12 lbs are a huge deal because he said my BMI was 16.6. He said that he wants to see me in six months and he wants me to be 135 - 140 lbs.

He specifically recommend this app.

So a BMI of 16.6 meant nothing to me. He could've said my BMI was 7 or 20/20. So I Googled it. Apparently Google thinks I'm anorexic. I really am not but this post is going to make it sound like I am in denial or something. Again trust me I'm not.

First of maybe I should explain over the last year and a half a lot has been happening to my life. I was in foster care until my last day of high school in May 2016. Yeah, they try to transfusion you into Independence. And I'm not stupid. I listened to the advice from my social worker. Discussed my options. I was all set to enlist in the Air Force. But I'm color blind and apparently there is absolutely no use in the military for color blind guys like me, so work and trade school it was.

I leave my apartment at 7 AM go to barber school from 8 until 1. Then hustle to work from 2 to 10:30. Unless it's Sat where I don't have school but I still work 12 - 8:39. Unless it's Monday when I'm off work but still have school, unless it's sun when I have neither.

Also my grandmother who raised me until I was 10 died at the end of August and that was a major blow.

In high school I was on cross country and tennis. My schedule doesn't allow a lot of time for running so losing weight was no biggie to me. I was losing muscle. But I wrote an size 26 pants in high school and in wear an size 26b pants now. Okay they're a little loose on me but there not clown pants or anything.

So back to yesterday, 12 lbs apparently is a major deal. But i logged on this app last night and it told me I needed 2700 calories. I had no idea how many calories I was consuming but an adult make consumes 2000 calories. Just don't skip breakfast any more... Which I did maybe 2 time a week and add carbs and a dessert for dinner. That ought to add up to 700 calories, right?

So I added a raisin bagel and cream cheese to breakfast and a half a can of beans and bacon so for lunch and a fruit pie at dinner for dessert.

Yeah I didn't even hit 1900 calories. I'm like 875 short. I guess in was hitting around 1500 cals a day.

So what am I supposed to do? I have to pack two meals available day. I can't afford to eat out very often. I know processed foods aren't the best for me. But I'm stuck with them unless in want to get up at 5 in the morning to cook.

I'm really frustrated. I'm really not anorexic. By the time lunch break fingers at work and school I'm ready to eat. But do and a sandwich for lunch and an microwave entree for dinner and cold cereal for breakfast and I'm good for the next meal. It's not like I'm starving myself. I'm also worried. I remember back in middle School in health when our health teacher who quite honestly looked like it was no problem for him to pack away 2700 cals told us that the human body is not designed to loose weight. It's designed to gain weight and hold it. So if I'm not hungry and eating when I am until I'm not I should be maintaining a normal body weight.

Yeah aging out is stressful and unless you've done it you can't relate, and so is losing the person who raised you. But it's not like I've been so worried I didn't eat.

So I don't know what to do.

The way this country treats kids who age out of foster care is awful. What kid is really ready at 18 years old to be 100% independent? Are there any transitional housing programs for foster care youth in your area? Years ago when I worked for foster care youth in the Seattle area there were. The programs had rules but they helped with a place to live, food, and planning for the future. You might want to contact the foster care agency that you aged out of and ask, or do a google search for your area. If you already are in a transitional program, my advice would be to focus on getting as much education as you can while you are getting some services. You were dealt a raw deal with not having parents to care for you and help you transition into adulthood. It sucks, but you really need to look at the rest of you life as your plan and being in your control. Unfortunately, you are going to have to take care of yourself. It will be easier if you decide to empower yourself with your own ability to create an amazing future. You have a lot of life ahead of you and I want you to believe that you can make it a wonderful life. You can. You just have to believe it.

Quasita

When I had to eat 4-6k a day, I did so by eating a serving of almonds or another nut every hour on the hour without considering whether I was "hungry" or not. It's a small enough thing... Like 20ish almonds give or take... so it doesn't make you feel stuffed, but comes with 100+ calories a serving.

2700 calories is really not difficult to hit through normal food consumption if you eat consistent meals, larger portions and use full fat products. However, I will tell you this... You may not *think* of yourself as anorexic... but if you actively added a bagel with cream cheese, a half can of beans and a fruit pie to your day, which is probably around 500 calories maybe? if you're using full items... And you previously did not eat breakfast or any snacks... and the total calorie count of those items added to what you would normally eat was only 1900... you definitely are not normally eating 2k a day. That's the average intake for any adult, but most average males come in over 2k, while most average women come in under. The 2k is a sweet spot for nutritional values. If your numbers are correct, that means you routinely eat 1400 calories or less, and for a non-overweight male (or any male for that matter) this would be considered undereating.

Anorexia does not require severe and obvious mental disorders. There are actually two kinds of anorexia, generally... Anorexia as a term in itself simply means "without appetite" and can be a medical condition on its own without psychological complications (though I suspect there may be some components of psychological need here, based on how you wrote about this). Anorexia nervosa is what is commonly known as anorexia in casual conversation, and has the components of fear and anxiety. However, anything from lifestyle choice, medications, stress and other circumstances can cause medical anorexia, which in turn makes a person not hungry and not want to eat because they are waiting for hunger cues that don't come.

Anorexics suffering from anorexia nervosa typically average a daily caloric intake of around 900 calories a day. Some less, some more... But the common misconception is that anorexia of this type means you never eat. While severe cases and end-stage anorexia nervosa often manifests with a complete refusal to eat, most people living with AN are doing so by eating very little and feeling emotionally upset about what they do eat.

We can naturally cause medical anorexia simply by not eating enough for a long period of time, to the point where we train our bodies not to feel hunger anymore. This is how I live my life now, truth be told. Even though I eat a more normalized diet with appropriate caloric intake for my plan, I experience hunger very rarely; a condition trained and caused by my refusal to eat when hungry for many years. It is possible to train immunity to hunger hormones, is what I'm saying. My above suggestion of almonds on the hour honestly changes that around for a while, and I became voraciously hungry because I'd finally told my body I'd give it consistent food.

Anyway, this is long, but I wanted to ultimately say that there is nothing shameful about acknowledging either medical anorexia or anorexia nervosa and getting assistance and treatment for those conditions. Upping calories takes time. Since you don't know your baseline, I suggest logging what you consider a typical day so that you CAN know a general baseline, and then add 100-200 calories every 1-3 days as tolerated until you reach your daily intake goal. This is how we rehab undereaters and disordered eating patients that have been in their low eating patterns for an extended period of time. It will make it easier to tolerate and less daunting if you give yourself time to adjust.

RoxieDawn

Try looking at the list of calorie dense foods ... Ice cream, peanut butter, nuts (all kinds) are a good way to add calories

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

deannalfisher

feel free to look at my diary - I avg 2700 a day (low of 2550 and high of 2950)

ritzvin

anxiety/depression can F* with appetite. If that's a possible issue, medication for that could help.

AlexDalton1998

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Sorry for the loss of your grandmother.

But me thinks the lady/gentleman protests too much! (too many mentions that you 'are not anorexic') you need to gain weight, eat the calories needed to make that gain happen. Choose calorie dense foods if you are inclined to fill up easily.

Hi, thanks. I might be anxious as it was explained to me below. I dunno. I meant that I avoid food because I'm worried about being gay or have a poor body image. I eat when I'm hungry. Even as as kid, the social eating want me. Like getting popcorn just because you're at a movie. That wasn't how I rolled.

But maybe the stress and grief had taken a medical tow on me and decreased my appetite. I don't know. Some days I eat more, some days less.

Anyway if I can take care of this with diet then I take carre of it without medicating myself I will. The only medication I have in my apartment is a bottle of generic Pepto I got when in had a stomach virus last November, and Neosporin from where another student barber nicked my ear with scisssors and I bled like a stick pig.

amtyrell

Hard boil a bunch of eggs grab and go in morning. Two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at lunch and an apple or two.
Pasta with chicken and veggies for dinner

AlexDalton1998

deannalfisher wrote: »

feel free to look at my diary - I avg 2700 a day (low of 2550 and high of 2950)

Complete noob here. How do I do that?

Alice_in_VVonderland

An avocado a day shall increase what you weigh.
Super portable, lots of healthy fat, comes in its own serving bowl. I get the jumbos at Costco and they're around 250 calories. Or, turn it into dip and eat it with 250 calories of chips. Alternately, turn it into chocolate mousse and eat with graham crackers.

bioklutz

I am sorry things have been rough for you. I do hope that you take the doctors advice seriously.

2700 calories is not that much for your age and height.

You should not be overly concerned with "healthy" eating. The weight you are at is unhealthy. It is great to eat fruits and veggies and lean meat but you need the calories. Adding in some foods that are high in fat are a delicious way to get more calories in. Peanut butter and ice cream are not that expensive. Milkshakes and cheesecake have a lot of calories. Anything with cream cheese frosting...(OMG I want cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting right now!).

AlexDalton1998

I want to thank everyone for responding. Today was a better day. First yesterday was not as bleak as I thought. I actually nearly hit goal! I made a lot of logging mistakes. I waited until evening to log food and then forgot to add the forgettable. If someone says what did you have for breakfast, and you say cereal and a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, you don't also say, cereal and milk, coffee, creamer, sugar, and a bagel. What in counted as one serving was actually 1½.

So today I ate twice as much serial, and by the time I finished breakfast it felt like I was Force feeding myself. So I want hungry by my lunch break, but I ate two frozen burritos, and shipped the soup.

Dinner was two McChickens and a side salad. I figured I needed some kind of vendanto

AlexDalton1998

That should be vegetable. I was way over Target. Now I'm feeling a lot better. There's a learning curve, but what seemed hopeless last night seems very doable today.

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish

I can agree that its insanely difficult to only eat 2700 calories per day...and I'm about the same height.

diannethegeek

AlexDalton1998 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

feel free to look at my diary - I avg 2700 a day (low of 2550 and high of 2950)

Complete noob here. How do I do that?

To view someone's diary (if they have it set to public) you click on their name -- this should pull up their usercard -- and then click on their name again from there to go to their profile. You should see a big green button to view their diary.

VintageFeline

I'd skip the soup too, it's really filling and most are low calorie. I'd also not worry about "healthy", it requires context and for you, calories are the main requirement for health at the moment. So get more fattier cuts of meats, all lamb, chicken thighs and legs, higher fat ground beef. Then make a switch for things like full fat milk (if you like it, it's not a switch I could make for things like cereal) and add in things like chocolate, ice cream, nuts, pizza etc. Cooking with more oil is also an easy way to add calories to meals.

annette_15

Try drinking your calories too, have a smoothie or juice or whole milk with your meals, you can even add some blobs of peanut butter to your cereal

ritzvin

Hyper-palatable calorie-dense foods can be your friend if having a hard time with low appetite. If you need to eat something but aren't feeling like eating, at least grab a candy bar or something that you might have a bit more of an appetite for. or peanut butter with nutella. or something along those lines.

ndj1979

AlexDalton1998 wrote: »

I want to thank everyone for responding. Today was a better day. First yesterday was not as bleak as I thought. I actually nearly hit goal! I made a lot of logging mistakes. I waited until evening to log food and then forgot to add the forgettable. If someone says what did you have for breakfast, and you say cereal and a bagel with cream cheese and coffee, you don't also say, cereal and milk, coffee, creamer, sugar, and a bagel. What in counted as one serving was actually 1½.

So today I ate twice as much serial, and by the time I finished breakfast it felt like I was Force feeding myself. So I want hungry by my lunch break, but I ate two frozen burritos, and shipped the soup.

Dinner was two McChickens and a side salad. I figured I needed some kind of vendanto

you may want to try pre-logging your day before hand, so that way you have a rough idea of how many calories you are short by, or over by.

As far as calorie dense foods go I would say things like full fat cottage cheese, peanut butter, ice cream, oreos...just make sure that you are getting adequate nutrition from fruits and vegetables..

i also want to commend you for busting your tail and trying to get out there and put in the hard work. Most people in your situation would play the woe is me card and sit around on their rear collecting some kind of government assistance. In the end, the hard work will pay off for you.

rybo

Sorry you've had a rough go, but yea, your height &weight, you need to eat a lot more. The good news is you're going to be able to eat a lot of calorie dense and tasty things. A lot have already been said, ice cream, pb, full fat dairy.

Jockamo319

One of the biggest helps for me was to start taking in calories the moment I wake up. If I wait till lunch to start eating, its really hard for me to catch up. Even on a budget and with a tight schedule with no time for a nice big breakfast, you can have a bagel with butter and cream cheese, a big glass of milk, and a banana as you go out the door. It's much easier to hit 2,700 if you get 600 or 700 out of way right off the bat, at least for me.

stanmann571

If you're still interested in enlisting, I would suggest recruiter shopping. Colorblindness is not a hard bar to enlistment(it's waiverable if the recruiter wants to do the extra work), as there are duties that do not require normal color vision.

sarakenna12

I agree that cooking a batch of food on Sunday that you can reheat and eat throughout the week could be really helpful. Home cooked food is much cheaper than processed or fast food, and way healthier too. Most processed frozen foods and fast foods are empty calories that lack nutrition. If you are underfeeding your body, that means that in addition to being low on calories, your body is also low on nutrients, vitamins, amino acids, etc. It's better for your long term health to gain weight by eat nutritious calorie dense food (nuts, cheese, meat, nut butter, granola), rather than unhealthy foods that are full of calories but lack nutrition (fast foods, processed foods, processed frozen foods, chips, sugary cereals, desserts).

I suggest you pick up a cookbook for beginning cooks. You can buy something used from Amazon, I'm sure. You may find that cooking for yourself is therapeutic and good for your mental health too! You will be amazed at how cheap and rewarding cooking your own food can be. And some day, when you meet someone special who you want to impress or you have friends over, you will have the skills to create something excellent for them.

Here are some book suggestions:

Good and Cheap- Leanne Brown (probably the best book for your current place in life)
The Basics: A Really Useful Cook Book- Anthony Telford
The Hungry Student Cookbook : 200+ Quick and Simple Recipes
The I Don't Know How To Cook Book: 300 Great Recipes You Can't Mess Up!-Mary Lane Kamberg
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking- Marcella Hazan (My personal favorite, I think everyone should own this book)

deannalfisher

Most frozen foods and fast foods are empty calories that lack nutrition

sayyy what...that has to be the most asinine thing I have heard today...frozen foods can be perfectly nutritious, and ditto with fast food

Spliner1969

trigden1991 wrote: »

Peanut butter. Ice cream. Full fat sauces/dips/condiments.

Agreed 1000%. Peanut Butter is a load of calories. Most people will put between 2-4tbsp on a sandwich (I'd put more on if I could get away with it lol). That's easily 200-400 calories in a single sandwich. Full fat ice cream is also bonkers on calories. Dressings on salads will help too, just eat the creamiest fattiest ones (you know, the ones that taste the best lol). All of those things don't add a ton of bulk but are high in calories. Try cookie butter, it's amazing and has even more calories most of the time than peanut butter.