Not eating enough calories in a day..

cecelush

Who else here has an issues with not eating enough calories in a day?

I'm having troubles trying to eat 3 meals a day, there have been many days where eating one meal is enough for me. My days have been so busy, that if I'm not hungry I completely forget to eat and tend to fill my stomach with empty calories. I'm finding it difficult to break out of this routine, does anyone have an suggests?

TeaBea

One meal a day is fine ....timing is not an issue, unless like you say you forget & then resort to eating empty calories. Plan on a snack or 2.

I bring healthy snacks to work everyday. That way I'm not tempted by the junk machine (or miscellanous candy dishes). Bring a small baggie of trail mix, a no sugar added applesauce cups, or Jif to Go tubs. I keep string cheese and assorted cut veggies in the fridge.

armanda143

I was doing the same thing, I was advised to get A protein shake or a protein bar thing to supplement and it is working.

Live4theLift

When i started to bulk i had a hard time eating 2000 cals a day but over time adding little by little each day you will get to the point where its hard to eat less

trogalicious

stop eating "diet" foods.

instant boost in calories.

da_bears10089

Eat a Twix bar.. 250 calories of deliciousness in mah bellie

KANGOOJUMPS

gee.
go have a burger.

init2fitit

What are empty calories?
Also, what helped me was I stopped buying low-fat foods, and just bought the full fat instead.

Camera_BagintheUK

What are empty calories?
Also, what helped me was I stopped buying low-fat foods, and just bought the full fat instead.

stuff that offers no other nutritional value (vitamins, protein etc etc) only calories

0067808

Can't say I ever have trouble eating enough calories in the day....if I had, I wouldn't be on this site at 11pm.....

Alluminati

What are empty calories?
Also, what helped me was I stopped buying low-fat foods, and just bought the full fat instead.

stuff that offers no other nutritional value (vitamins, protein etc etc) only calories

How is that even possible?

katekross

People are so afraid of calories, and that simply isn't the way to go. We need calories to survive.

marvybells

eat high calorie foods like peanut butter or a handful of mixed nuts. try to avoid reduced calorie/fat stuff since you are hardly getting enough as it is. (opt for a glass of whole milk instead of skim, indulge in a big bowl of regular, old fashioned full-o-fat ice-cream, etc..)

I do try to avoid too many fried & fast foods just cuz the cals are so high, but personally i would probably indulge in a cheeseburger & fries or something like that if i had that many extra cals to work with...sadly i hardly ever do unless i am feeling sick

edit: also, carry protein and/or meal bars in your purse, that way even if you are having a busy day & do not want to stop to sit down & eat lunch you can still take a few minutes to scarf down a bar. i always have a few bars in my bag & squirreled away in my car (in the cooler weather)

freebirdfitness

this was already posted today... and yesterday.... if you go to "search" you will find endless advice..

soldiergrl_101

I am the same way I eat like a 300 cal lunch a few light snacks like fruit throughout the day and then by the time i know it its bed time

jenilla1

What are empty calories?
Also, what helped me was I stopped buying low-fat foods, and just bought the full fat instead.

stuff that offers no other nutritional value (vitamins, protein etc etc) only calories

How is that even possible?

Soda.

Boogage

I have been eating too little for the last few months and I wouldn't recommend it as I've gone past my goal weight but look nothing like I'd hoped as my body didn't have enough fuel to build a bit of muscle and tone up along the way. I'm just baggy The last couple of weeks has been hell trying to eat up to 550 more cals a day (to reach my calorie goal) and at times I've felt sick because of it but its getting easier and the scale still said I'd lost weight this morning. Im trying to back track and get up to eating more than maintenance to give my body some substance again and stop me looking anorexic. I really wish I'd lost weight properly as I think I'd have felt so much better when I hit my goal weight and I hope you manage to eat more in the future for this reason.

dga226

i am the same way feel free to add me

just try to eat some snack ever few hours fruit or even popped popcorn

good luck

bridgie101

Who else here has an issues with not eating enough calories in a day?

I'm having troubles trying to eat 3 meals a day, there have been many days where eating one meal is enough for me. My days have been so busy, that if I'm not hungry I completely forget to eat and tend to fill my stomach with empty calories. I'm finding it difficult to break out of this routine, does anyone have an suggests?

How did you gain the weight?

Boogage

i am the same way feel free to add me

just try to eat some snack ever few hours fruit or even popped popcorn

good luck

I used to feel a bit guilty eating popcorn but I eat it all the time after reading this (theres only 100 or so calories in servings of healthier versions though):

http://gizmodo.com/5896393/scientific-proof-that-popcorn-is-healthier-than-fruit-and-vegetables

Next time you're stuffing your face with popcorn, don't feel guilty; a new scientific study shows that, far from being junk food, popcorn packs a better nutritional punch than fruit or vegetables. Kind of.

The study, conducted at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, shows that popcorn has more antioxidants in it than fruit or vegetables. Not just that, but those pesky little husks—the ones that get stuck right between your teeth—contain incredibly high concentrations of both antioxidants and fiber. "Those hulls deserve more respect," explains Joe Vinson, one of the researchers. "They are nutritional gold nuggets."

In fact, Vinson seems pretty bowled over by popcorn. Speaking to Science Daily, he explains:

"Popcorn may be the perfect snack food. It's the only snack that is 100 percent unprocessed whole grain. All other grains are processed and diluted with other ingredients, and although cereals are called "whole grain," this simply means that over 51 percent of the weight of the product is whole grain. One serving of popcorn will provide more than 70 percent of the daily intake of whole grain. The average person only gets about half a serving of whole grains a day, and popcorn could fill that gap in a very pleasant way."
The study found that a serving of popcorn provides up to 300 mg of polyphenols—the antioxidants in question—while a typical daily intake of fruit and vegetables provides between 200-250 mg. Vinson presented the work at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society.

If you're going to chow down on popcorn, though, make sure it's the healthy kind; if possible, you should air-pop the kernels. Microwave popcorn has twice as many calories as air-popped, according to Vinson, and popping with oil in a pan can be as bad. Also, I wouldn't give up fruit and vegetables entirely just yet. Popcorn may be good, but it doesn't count as a balanced diet alone. [Science Daily]

dawnmcneil10

First of all you need to plan to eat, sorry if that sounds harsh but you have to change the pattern you're in. Eat breakfast every day even if it's a snack/fiber bar add a latte and your at close to 300 calories and you've got in a hit of fiber and protein. Have "snacks"available all the time, some almonds, fruit, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs and chopped veggies work great and if you keep them in sight you'll eat them. That will get you through the average workday then have dinner and you'll see some changes. I will warn you if you've been eating low calories for a while you'll see a temporary gain but you'll feel better and find you have more energy, use that for fitness.