I am always super low on calories

2»

Replies

  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
    amusedmonkey wrote: »
    Junk that fuels your body is better than non-junk that can lead to your organs eventually shutting down if you keep at it this way for the years to come.

    Funny I was typing the same thought as you were apparently posting it :)
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    edited August 2018
    you can prepare ready to go breakfast ahead so they take zero time in the morning. There are some excellent "breakfast muffins" or "eggs to go" (the egg you nuck for like 30 seconds in the microwave and eat on the run). I make large batches of steel cut oats that take 2mins to warm up in the microwave (and I add frozen fruit). or you can make overnight oats ready t grab and go. Breakfast doesn't have to be time consuming in the morning if you plan ahead.

    Similarly for lunches. I mean, few of us work i somewhere that offers nutritious food and buying lunch daily is not economical even if we can leave the building and there are nearby places. Blaming the office for not having "good food" is not really a legit excuse. I prepare and pack a lunch daily (prepare the night before). I make a batch of things like soup or quinoa salads that I portion out at the beginning of the week and add some veggies (again many can be cut days a head for quick packaging the night before. If you have a microwave the options grow even more from soup, curry, chili. TONS of things that are easy to make in big batches and freeze in meal portions.

    Sandwiches can also be quick to make. You can buy ready to eat tuna and cracker boxes. add nuts, fruit and veggies.

    at some point we need to put a minimal effort in what we eat. That involves pre planning, grocery shopping and batch cooking.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    veraviva2018 wrote: »
    I never used to eat real “meals”, even when I ate junk entirely. It was snacks here and there, a few fries, some chicken, pretzels, candy, etc.

    I’m not used to sitting down for meals or eating a lot at once, so I try to have little snacks throughout the day that are healthy and I don’t hate. But since I am drinking so much water and snacking every few hours, I’m just not hungry. Plus I work 2 jobs and all they have is junk junk junk. I have to go hours without eating during a shift

    It’s just really hard! I’m not sure why. Plus since I really don’t feel hungry, it feels “wrong” to eat. I’m only ever hungry after a workout.

    EDIT: I got up and made myself eat a decent breakfast today. I think the main problem is I skip breakfast daily and lunch often. I won’t start eating until 3-5pm. So hopefully this helps, except it’s 3pm and I STILL don’t feel hungry.

    I’m 22, a single mom, so I don’t have a lot of time to cook or meal prep or buy many healthy snacks since those are expensive.

    One meal a day when you're hungry is fine as long as you're eating enough calories in that time period. How are you defining "healthy" and is there any chance that your definition is too narrow to allow for higher calorie options? I can point to 10 recipes I've posted just today and dozens of others in the Calorie Dense Foods thread linked above that would each get you over 900 calories when combined with your current snacks regime with healthy foods. But you have to want to actually increase your intake instead of looking for permission to eat the way you are. There are lots and lots of healthy higher-cal snacks that are also cheap.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    Here's an informative thread on the subject:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
    kellyjellybellyjelly wrote: »
    sytchequeen wrote: »
    Lillymoo01 wrote: »
    Firstly I'd start weighing everything, including prepackaged food which can be 20% more than indicated on the packaging

    Truth. I weigh everything, and there are often more grams in there than stated on the packet.

    having said that, there have been days I've been hunting around for something I can have to increase my calorie intake (not so much recently, I've had a few meals out in the last few weeks) My go-to snacks on these days are nuts or cheese.

    This!

    With things like cereal, ice cream, pasta, rice, & chips it's easy to overestimate what a true portion could be. The most shocking for me was what an actual serving of cereal looked like. You mean to tell me a Jethro bowl of cereal isn't one serving? Another big thing to weigh is dressings, peanut butters, & basically any sauces that could pack a huge calorie punch & have someone eating more than they intended.

    You also have to be careful of not checking labels accurately. Take Lenny & Larry for example. One of their larger cookies is two servings & I would assume a lot of people won't look at the label & assume they consumed only 180-200+ calories (depending on flavor) rather than two servings!

    I am assuming you're not accurately measuring somewhere, but if you truly are then this is a helpful thread

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods

    Bringing these two links to page two to be sure they aren't missed.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    edited August 2018
    I happened to see OP mention in post on thread that she also struggled with "binge eating." I think it would be totally appropriate to talk to a professional in this situation. Start with your GP and see if she/he would recommend talking to a professional that specializes in this type of behavior.

    At 900 calorie average, OP is actually under goal of 1250 by 350 calories (if accurately logging), but originally claimed 150-200 calories under. Also mentioned "not wanting to eat."

    Extreme calorie restriction can be a symptom of a bigger issue.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories