Not eating enough.. HELP
MsBecca22
Posts: 44 Member
Just looking for tips on how to get all your calories in for the day. I’m seriously not getting enough - and it might be lack of planning? Any and all advice is welcome
4
Replies
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There are plenty of nutritionally sound foods that are calorie dense.
1. Olive Oil - add to salads or meats
2. Peanut butter
3. Quinoa - eat and cook like rice
There are a crap ton more but these are off the top of my head.7 -
If lack of planning is the problem, keep a box of snacks at home for when you find you're under at the end of the day? Fruit and nut bars might fit the bill - how many calories are you under by?
Are you certain you're measuring everything correctly? If you're not losing weight faster than you should (and you're not feeling ill/ravenous all the time) I wouldn't worry about it for now.5 -
I never have a problem getting my calories in and can't really imagine myself ever having that problem unless I were to be ill.
Are you sick and having a problem eating? Are you on MFP in order to gain weight in general? Or are you trying to lose weight and having trouble meeting your calories because you've cut out some of your regular foods?9 -
I suppose for information should’ve been given. I’m wanting to lose. I’ve been tracking my food and I eat around 1000-1200 calories a day and it’s been advised that I should have that number around 1800.3
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I suppose for information should’ve been given. I’m wanting to lose. I’ve been tracking my food and I eat around 1000-1200 calories a day and it’s been advised that I should have that number around 1800.
Eat the things you ate before you decided to lose weight. Just eat less of them. I have ice cream, chocolate, cookies, lattes, Sour Patch Kids, etc. I just keep within my calorie goal.8 -
I suggest you have a stash of 100-200 calorie snacks, pre-measured, that you can go to at the end of the day if you are consistently under.
I find many people who have trouble meeting their goals is because they have restricted themselves to perceived "diet foods". Just broaden your perspective of what is allowed and it will be a lot easier.
One glass of whole milk (244g) is 103 calories. And it's pretty nicely spread across the macros.
There are 43 calories in one tablespoon of vinaigrette dressing. This will give you a variety of micronutrients carried in the good fat, and it makes the vegetables that much tastier.8 -
You might find some ideas here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p11
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I pack all my food for the day that I prep on Sundays and bring it to work with me. I eat every couple of hours like clockwork. Just calculate what you are eating..... and eat more. It helps to watch sad movies for some people
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Smaller meals more often.
6 meals of 300 calories for example or 5 meals of 360.8 -
I consistently have this problem. I average 1000-1200 calories a day. Should be at 1500. But I eat completely healthy foods and I guess they just fill me up. I am making a conscious effort not to under eat so I'll make sure to eat a serving of almonds mid day, even if I am not hungry and add whole grain tortilla chips with my lunch. That usually gets me to my goal. If not, I'll have another small snack after dinner. I can't seem to increase what i eat at meals. I just can't finish it.14
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I suppose for information should’ve been given. I’m wanting to lose. I’ve been tracking my food and I eat around 1000-1200 calories a day and it’s been advised that I should have that number around 1800.
Can you explain what has happened between the point you were consistently overeating (to gain excess weight) and now when you feel you can't eat enough and are under-eating?
Habits? Food choices? Situation?12 -
I have the same issue I have to work hard to eat over 1000 a day
I now buy majool dates (56 cals each date)
other fruits like bananas and apples (80 - 100 cals each, depending on the size of fruit)
peanut butter or almond butter heavy on cals but easy to eat if you already feel full
any nuts or seeds that you like are calorie dense, I make up little boxes worth about 250 cals each abnd its easy to just grab and eat
extra oil when cooking
cereal bars or protein bars
or just an extra slice of toast or 3 in the evening
or add a little extra food to each meal (i know that's not always possible if you feel full easy)
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nicoleduran81 wrote: »I consistently have this problem. I average 1000-1200 calories a day. Should be at 1500. But I eat completely healthy foods and I guess they just fill me up. I am making a conscious effort not to under eat so I'll make sure to eat a serving of almonds mid day, even if I am not hungry and add whole grain tortilla chips with my lunch. That usually gets me to my goal. If not, I'll have another small snack after dinner. I can't seem to increase what i eat at meals. I just can't finish it.
I eat "completely healthy" foods and I eat for volume. 1000-1200 cals would leave me ravenous and wondering where the rest of my food was!
OP, try pre planning your meals - if you struggle with volume, choose calorie dense foods. Try eating more often, add snacks or calorific drinks between meals. Also make sure you're actually logging accurately (weighing solids, measuring liquids, using correct database entries) and not just estimating your intake.3 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »nicoleduran81 wrote: »I consistently have this problem. I average 1000-1200 calories a day. Should be at 1500. But I eat completely healthy foods and I guess they just fill me up. I am making a conscious effort not to under eat so I'll make sure to eat a serving of almonds mid day, even if I am not hungry and add whole grain tortilla chips with my lunch. That usually gets me to my goal. If not, I'll have another small snack after dinner. I can't seem to increase what i eat at meals. I just can't finish it.
I eat "completely healthy" foods and I eat for volume. 1000-1200 cals would leave me ravenous and wondering where the rest of my food was!
OP, try pre planning your meals - if you struggle with volume, choose calorie dense foods. Try eating more often, add snacks or calorific drinks between meals. Also make sure you're actually logging accurately (weighing solids, measuring liquids, using correct database entries) and not just estimating your intake.
It surprised me too haha. I'm only 3 months in to my lifestyle change and was very surprised to see the change in the amount of food I eat. But I'm just rolling with it haha!0 -
nicoleduran81 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »nicoleduran81 wrote: »I consistently have this problem. I average 1000-1200 calories a day. Should be at 1500. But I eat completely healthy foods and I guess they just fill me up. I am making a conscious effort not to under eat so I'll make sure to eat a serving of almonds mid day, even if I am not hungry and add whole grain tortilla chips with my lunch. That usually gets me to my goal. If not, I'll have another small snack after dinner. I can't seem to increase what i eat at meals. I just can't finish it.
I eat "completely healthy" foods and I eat for volume. 1000-1200 cals would leave me ravenous and wondering where the rest of my food was!
OP, try pre planning your meals - if you struggle with volume, choose calorie dense foods. Try eating more often, add snacks or calorific drinks between meals. Also make sure you're actually logging accurately (weighing solids, measuring liquids, using correct database entries) and not just estimating your intake.
It surprised me too haha. I'm only 3 months in to my lifestyle change and was very surprised to see the change in the amount of food I eat. But I'm just rolling with it haha!
Consistently undereating is not healthy. If you can't increase the amount of food you eat, change the type of food you eat. Add oil/butter to you cooking. Use different cuts of meat, full fat versions if you're picking "light" versions, starchy carbs etc6 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »nicoleduran81 wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »nicoleduran81 wrote: »I consistently have this problem. I average 1000-1200 calories a day. Should be at 1500. But I eat completely healthy foods and I guess they just fill me up. I am making a conscious effort not to under eat so I'll make sure to eat a serving of almonds mid day, even if I am not hungry and add whole grain tortilla chips with my lunch. That usually gets me to my goal. If not, I'll have another small snack after dinner. I can't seem to increase what i eat at meals. I just can't finish it.
I eat "completely healthy" foods and I eat for volume. 1000-1200 cals would leave me ravenous and wondering where the rest of my food was!
OP, try pre planning your meals - if you struggle with volume, choose calorie dense foods. Try eating more often, add snacks or calorific drinks between meals. Also make sure you're actually logging accurately (weighing solids, measuring liquids, using correct database entries) and not just estimating your intake.
It surprised me too haha. I'm only 3 months in to my lifestyle change and was very surprised to see the change in the amount of food I eat. But I'm just rolling with it haha!
Consistently undereating is not healthy. If you can't increase the amount of food you eat, change the type of food you eat. Add oil/butter to you cooking. Use different cuts of meat, full fat versions if you're picking "light" versions, starchy carbs etc
That's what I'm working on incorporating into my diet. And I generally hate "light" versions of things. I'd rather go for the real, full version! I've been trying to research better, more fillling or calorie dense foods. I figure once I hit my goal and go to maintenance I will need a lot more options!0 -
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OP, it can be a bit challenging at first. I had a challenging time when I got serious about this life style change. It gets easier. A lot easier.
Have you looked into prepping your meals? That is something that really helped me. A lot. Once you do that, your life is a lot easier. And you will need to map everything out to do this properly.
So, write down what you eat. Then put numbers to that. Both calories and macros. Then figure out how to fill in the gap. It will be a struggle but you will get it.0 -
Adding toppings to your food is a good way get more calories.
Sour cream, butter and oils (already mentioned), nuts, peanut butter, sauces, dressings, brown sugar, honey, chia seeds, etc.
I'm surprised someone would find it difficult to eat 1000 calories a day. That is odd.
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Is there something stopping you from just eating more? If someone is eating too many calories, they eat less, problem solved. If someone is not eating enough calories, they eat more, problem solved. Is it hard to make yourself eat? What's going on that you're not getting what you need?1
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I never get these kind of threads,who has trouble eating 1200 calories?!?! I could maybe see if you're sick or something but I just don't understand otherwise13
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I never get these kind of threads,who has trouble eating 1200 calories?!?! I could maybe see if you're sick or something but I just don't understand otherwise
Me neither. The place where i have trouble eating 1200 calories is a magical, mythical dreamland where i will never visit!9 -
MsBecca22, I know what you mean. I struggle to eat 1200/day, and preplanning is not the answer. I preplan for the entire week, cook the food on Sunday, pack the bag for lunches and snacks every day, go to work with the full lunch/snack bag...and come home with the full lunch/snack bag. It just doesn't cross my mind to eat.
Try putting an alarm on your phone to reach into your bag and eat SOMETHING you preplanned every 3 hours. At this point, my goal is to simply go home three days a week with an empty lunch bag!0 -
Sijomial--You don't have to overeat to gain excess weight. Undereating will do it as well. I gained my weight while undereating. Body goes into starvation mode and metabolism gets completely screwed. Body saves every bit of anything it gets as fat. It took me 6 months of planning, alarm-setting, and forcing food down my throat to lose 25 pounds and get the metabolism turned back around.27
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I never get these kind of threads,who has trouble eating 1200 calories?!?! I could maybe see if you're sick or something but I just don't understand otherwise
I always wonder if most of the people who can't eat up to a certain calorie point are underestimating how many calories they're eating & eating way more than they think.9 -
Sijomial--You don't have to overeat to gain excess weight. Undereating will do it as well. I gained my weight while undereating. Body goes into starvation mode and metabolism gets completely screwed. Body saves every bit of anything it gets as fat. It took me 6 months of planning, alarm-setting, and forcing food down my throat to lose 25 pounds and get the metabolism turned back around.
nope nope nope...starvation mode is NOT a thing...adaptive thermogenesis is, but its not like your body stops burning fat - it slows down your metabolism over time and takes prolonged periods of caloric restriction to do it10 -
I never get these kind of threads,who has trouble eating 1200 calories?!?! I could maybe see if you're sick or something but I just don't understand otherwise
i think some of the time its because people think 'diet' means dry chicken and broccoli or plain salad with a slice of ham... they cut out anything nice, convince themselves they're not hungry and then cant figure out why they cant hit their calorie goal.7 -
Sijomial--You don't have to overeat to gain excess weight. Undereating will do it as well. I gained my weight while undereating. Body goes into starvation mode and metabolism gets completely screwed. Body saves every bit of anything it gets as fat. It took me 6 months of planning, alarm-setting, and forcing food down my throat to lose 25 pounds and get the metabolism turned back around.
If you undereat every day for a month, you'll lose weight,
OTOH, if you undereat 20 days a month and overeat the other 8, you'll gain weight, and you'll feel like you're starving. In fact, if you're moderately to highly active, you'll even suffer from the negative effects of starvation while gaining weight.
Hair loss, reduced energy, etc.
worst, If you're not logging, you won't even know that you're overeating because you'll focus on the days where you didn't
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kellyjellybellyjelly wrote: »I never get these kind of threads,who has trouble eating 1200 calories?!?! I could maybe see if you're sick or something but I just don't understand otherwise
I always wonder if most of the people who can't eat up to a certain calorie point are underestimating how many calories they're eating & eating way more than they think.
Me too,I think it's a lot of eyeballing portions instead of weighing and picking the entries with the lowest calories,I know cuz I've done it when I've felt guilty in the past of eating more of something than I intended3 -
I love how people think you have to be physically ill or just plain misinformed to be consistently undereating and overweight at the same time.
This is one of the reasons why eating disorders in the overweight population are so grossly underdiagnosed.
I was, and am, rather overweight, but have complex anorexia/bulimia. If I don't make a conscious effort to eat consistently and often, I will eat around 900 calories a day because my hunger response has been desensitized and my body is trained to not ask for food until I'm on maybe day 3 or 4 of 900 calories. By the time hunger is part of the equation, it is physically painful because I've made a problem for myself.
When I first started on MFP, I was eating a consistent 1300 calories a day and struggling to lose weight at 535lbs because of adaptive thermogenesis problems. I was instructed to increase to no less than 2600 a day to be safe for my body. In order to do this without getting sick, I ate a serving of almonds on the hour every hour regardless of hunger feelings. I had to do this progressively over the course of over a week in order to be comfortable and not deterred by being overly full and in pain from eating. After a week and a half or so, my hunger impulses switched back on and I became absolutely ravenous, waking up in painful hunger in the middle of the night, things like that.
People like to say that starvation modes are a myth but the myth of it is that you can cause it to happen by undereating for a few days. Starvation is a real clinical condition that can happen at any weight, and yes, your body can limit unfed metabolic processes in order to preserve survival if you don't feed yourself well. I know because I've lived that narrative. I had to refeed to lose.
Now I've had WLS and with the caloric restriction of the surgery, I'm starting to again see an extreme slowing down of my weight loss. Weigh ~280lbs, eat around 1300 calories a day because that's what I'm structured for, and my weight loss has completely stalled. Abide by MFP opinions, people will say I'm mistaken, but I literally cannot eat maintenance calories (about 2700 calories) with my RNY stomach. It happens, especially for those of us with establish disordered eating patterns. Studies demonstrate that if you've developed disordered eating to a point where you've impacted your metabolic rates, it's a lifelong impact, even if you're considered in recovery.
Anyway OP, if you need to increase, and you've been undereating for an extended period of time, I'd suggest finding palatable calorie-dense foods that you can schedule throughout the day, and eat them regardless of feeling hungry. Focus on protein sources and fiber over sugars (that's my personal opinion, I had more success). Nuts make this easy because you can just count out 14 almonds and eat, for example. Do this consistently to establish a habit and continue. You may not be able to rely on hunger right now so just focus on timing and if it's time for the snack, eat it.14
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