Not eating enough

stwilliams1897

So I am a big guy 6'7" ~340lbs. Therefore I need a ton of calories. I have no problem eating healthier foods, like salads or other veggies. My problem is getting to my calorie target without eating junk. Does anyone else have this problem?

I know, woe is me, I get too many calories… but seriously I can only eat so much broccoli. What high calorie healthy foods should I be eating?

MikePTY

I think you are probably defining too much as "junk". Food is food. You can eat plenty of meats, grains, etc to hit your goal.

Ground beef, salmon, avocado, brown rice, wheat bread, nuts, peanut butter, olive oil, etc.

sefajane1

There's loads of calorie dense "healthy" foods! 😁 But just because you're trying to lose weight doesn't mean you can only eat broccoli or other vegetables. So long as what you eat fits into your calorie goal you can eat anything. I'm set on 1220 calories per day - today I had a small Mars Bar and 70g of Doritos amongst other "healthy" choices.
Give yourself a break, if you're going to stick with your plan it has to be sustainable for you. Good luck 👍

debrakgoogins

Meat, avocado, greek yogurt, cottage cheese...there are endless possibilities.

TavistockToad

Add more full fat food to your diet

AmyC2288

I do not have this problem (AT ALL), however here are some suggestions:

Avocado + Toast/Crackers
Peanut Butter/Nut Butters + Toast /Crackers
Mixed Nuts
Granola & Trail Mixes
Protein Bars
Full Fat Yogurt
Use dips like guacamole or hummus when eating fresh veggies/ whole grain crackers
You can buy higher calorie cuts of meat instead of the lean versions

Before you start down this very yummy road, are you positive you are logging everything correctly now? Are you weighing (not measuring) your foods and also making sure to count all liquid calories (marinades, coffee creamer, oils, butter, tea, juice etc). It may be helpful if you could make your diary public so we can take a look to ensure you're logging looks correct before you start adding in a bunch of high calorie foods.

MikePTY

Depending on your deficit, your calorie goal may not be that much higher than mine. Feel free to peruse my diary for any ideas.

njitaliana

Melt cheese on top of your broccoli. Put cheese and pumpkin seeds and olives and full fat dressing on your salads. Eat nuts. Put nut butter on toast. Use full fat milk and yogurt.

quiksylver296

Food is not healthy or unhealthy. A diet can be.

I have chocolate or ice cream every night, weighed out and within my calorie allotment.

Eat some higher calorie items.

diannethegeek

You might find some ideas here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods#latest

AnnPT77

As you clearly know, nutrition - eating enough of the right high-quality foods is an important thing for health (though only calories directly matter for weight loss). Thing is, once all those good nutritional boxes are checked, you don't get extra credit for way overloading on even more healthy foods. Once nutrition is dialed in, it's OK to add something less nutrient-dense, more calorie-dense.

But there are plenty of higher calorie nutrient-dense healthy foods, as others have mentioned: Nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados, healthy oils (like olive), fattier fish or meat cuts, full-fat dairy (if you eat dairy), starchier veggies, etc. Chocolate has useful antioxidants!

PAV8888

As stated by:

AmyC2288 wrote: »

I do not have this problem (AT ALL), however here are some suggestions:
Before you start down this very yummy road, are you positive you are logging everything correctly now? Are you weighing (not measuring) your foods and also making sure to count all liquid calories (marinades, coffee creamer, oils, butter, tea, juice etc).

If you are sure about all that, then, as stated by:

AnnPT77 wrote: »

nutrition - eating enough of the right high-quality foods is an important thing for health (though only calories directly matter for weight loss). Thing is, once all those good nutritional boxes are checked, you don't get extra credit for way overloading on even more healthy foods. Once nutrition is dialed in, it's OK to add something less nutrient-dense, more calorie-dense.

So I vote for... whatever it is that you've cut off never to eat again (but are sort of thinking about)... only in a reasonable portion that fits your goals.

jennifer_417

A little of what you're defining as "junk" won't hurt you a bit, or your weight loss goals, as long as you're meeting your calorie goals.
Having said that, it's pretty easy to get hundreds of calories in without much volume. Try cooking something in oil. A tablespoon of peanut butter, putting a little more butter on your toast, or nutella. Just a few calorie-dense foods added to your day will help a lot.

lin_be

You can eat the junk as long as it fits your calorie goal. You’ll probably find them less satisfying but you can enjoy some in moderation. I had some wings, sweet potato fries, and banana bread today and will still be within my calorie goal.

IsETHome

stwilliams1897 wrote: »

So I am a big guy 6'7" ~340lbs. Therefore I need a ton of calories. I have no problem eating healthier foods, like salads or other veggies. My problem is getting to my calorie target without eating junk. Does anyone else have this problem?

I know, woe is me, I get too many calories… but seriously I can only eat so much broccoli. What high calorie healthy foods should I be eating?

I’ve been watching the show my 600 lb life (not saying you are anywhere near that) and although you are tall, maybe you think you need more than you do. What’s your ideal weight 230 max maybe. So more lean protein and lower sugar. Carbs in moderation. Lots of veggies, sautéed fish, turkey, lean beef, shrimp. Steamed or fresh veggies. Measure your portions. Watch the dressings and sauces. Start venturing out to find different veggies, spinach, Swiss chard. Skip butter (use seasonings instead or the I can’t believe it’s not butter spray) I’ve had tall ex’s and it can be easy to over consume. Good luck Feel fee to add me if you keep your diary open

mszallar

I hate trail mix, so I went and bought the nuts I like (cashews and almonds) and put them into to go bags as snacks. It was a little expensive, but they last months. A half of a cup is enough to last me through the day. They are high in calories.

corrarjo

@stwilliams1897 I eat this salad daily. My diary is open if you'd like some meal ideas.

I sometimes add a little chicken or tuna to the salad, or some potatoes to the burger. Together these two meals can easily provide 1,000 to 1,500 calories, fill me up and provide plenty of nutrition. I also eat meat and potatoes, like beef stew and beef and barley stew. Lite on the potatoes and heavy on the beef. I cook everything in olive oil.

It's all homemade so I control the ingredients. Nothing from a box or can. Calories with volume are easy for me to control, because I'm always full, not hungry.

Iceberg lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Cheddar cheese
Avocado
Olive oil & red wine vinegar dressing


Plain 8oz hamburger with mushroom sauce and mixed veggies. Simple 15 minute meal.

stwilliams1897

AmyC2288 wrote: »

Before you start down this very yummy road, are you positive you are logging everything correctly now? Are you weighing (not measuring) your foods and also making sure to count all liquid calories (marinades, coffee creamer, oils, butter, tea, juice etc).

No I havent been weighing, I stalled out on my weightloss for 2 weeks, thats the reason im back on MFP, i need to do a better job of tracking

MikePTY wrote: »

Depending on your deficit, your calorie goal may not be that much higher than mine. Feel free to peruse my diary for any ideas.

Thanks Mike, you and i have very similar calorie targets, so this helps a lot

joannegustyn1971

My husband is your weight and is having to lose weight quickly as he’s doing a charity boxing match next month. He’s doing amazing (although I’m worried that it’s not at a healthy rate).
He eats avocados,/canned beans like pintos or navy with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper /, peanut butter/ eggs/ tuna.
He eats very few carbs and not a lot of calories right now. Once the match is over he wants to continue to lose but up his calories to a healthy rate.