Having some issues meeting Calories...

singinmaniac983

Hey guys. I'm pretty new to myfitnesspal, but just wanted to know if anyone else out there is having the same problem as me, or might be able to give me some suggestions.

I am a borderline diabetic who is diet dependent. I honestly haven't paid too much attention to the problem since my son was born, and obviously gained a lot of weight. It's not terribly high, but high enough to have to watch my carb intake and sugar intake.

This presents a problem with calorie counts, as I'm noticing.

I am, some days, 400-600 calories short of my goal each day and I am not sure what to do.

These are foods I need to stay away from, because it spikes my sugar: High carb foods such as pasta, anything "white" like flour, breads (even wheat bread is bad on me, I've found Rye isn't so bad), potatoes, milks and dairy's, cheese. I also need to stay away from anything more than 6 grams of sugar. Some diabetics can handle things like honey and fruit, but I can't. So, natural sugars aren't good for me either.

I personally don't consider not meeting the calories that big of a problem lol, but I'm losing weight a little too fast. I'm in my 30's so the faster I lose it, the harder it is for my body to keep up with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on higher calorie foods or snacks I can munch on through the day to bring my calorie intake up? Bet you never thought you'd see THAT sentence!

bridgie101

Have you thought about peanuts and almonds? cheese? meat? wholegrain breads with protein in them for a sandwich. heck. What about diabetic chocolate?

I was gestationally diabetic and I was allowed to eat carbs provided that they were eaten along with a meal. Eg I could have an apple but only if I ate it alongside a chicken salad or similar. Sugars had to be limited, and eaten as I say in with complex carbs and/or protein.

the other food in the stomach slowed absorbption. Thankfully I'm no longer gestationally diabetic as the blood tests every day did my head in - but I do remember having to limit sugar, and mix it in with other meals.

SLLRunner

Welcome!

I am not diabetic, but I am very sensitive to processed sugars. I eat foods natural sugars, but I avoid cakes, cookies, candies, except for an occasional treat.

For starters,I love almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, peanut butter (thought this might have too much sugar for a diabetic?), oatmeal, cream of wheat,roast, steak, chicken, all vegetables (especially leafy green), yams, potatoes. There's so much more.

mgobluetx12

Do a search for this topic. There are lots of others in this situation.

mkphotogirl

if you're not that hungry but just want to increase your calories, look into things like hemp hearts, chia seeds, peanut butter, avocado, nuts, etc. do check how these things impact people with borderline diabetes, however.

but more importantly, you mentioned this is on some days. if on the other days you are 400-600 calories over your goal, then don't worry about it. look at your weekly caloric goal targets. maybe it balances out. i usually am under at least half the week, i go over twice a week.

gigglesinthesun

Hey guys. I'm pretty new to myfitnesspal, but just wanted to know if anyone else out there is having the same problem as me, or might be able to give me some suggestions.

I am a borderline diabetic who is diet dependent. I honestly haven't paid too much attention to the problem since my son was born, and obviously gained a lot of weight. It's not terribly high, but high enough to have to watch my carb intake and sugar intake.

This presents a problem with calorie counts, as I'm noticing.

I am, some days, 400-600 calories short of my goal each day and I am not sure what to do.

These are foods I need to stay away from, because it spikes my sugar: High carb foods such as pasta, anything "white" like flour, breads (even wheat bread is bad on me, I've found Rye isn't so bad), potatoes, milks and dairy's, cheese. I also need to stay away from anything more than 6 grams of sugar. Some diabetics can handle things like honey and fruit, but I can't. So, natural sugars aren't good for me either.

I personally don't consider not meeting the calories that big of a problem lol, but I'm losing weight a little too fast. I'm in my 30's so the faster I lose it, the harder it is for my body to keep up with it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on higher calorie foods or snacks I can munch on through the day to bring my calorie intake up? Bet you never thought you'd see THAT sentence!

I really should stay away from the forums, but since I am hear I might as well continue. Please note that this topic comes up faithfully at least once a day. Clearly you actually know how to eat more calories since you said that you have gained a lot of weight previously. Aside from all the good tips of avocados and nuts and maybe a slightly larger portion of meat, some people also use protein shakes to up their calories. I personally favour ice cream :-)

Also just how many calories are you trying to get?

Are you hitting at least 1200 a day? That number was chosen by medical professionals not to annoy dieters worldwide, but to ensure you actually get all the nutrients (macro and micro) during the day.

Are you weighing all your food (measuring only the liquids)? Make you are actually getting correct entries (my favourite one that I saw someone log once was 2 slices of toast with butter and jam for 100 cal - still looking for that bread and butter here myself)? Personally the longer I log the higher my calories get, because I am more accurate with my entries.

There are side effects of not hitting your calories such as tiredness and sickness and not forgetting the good old feelings of starvation and the resulting binges when it all gets too much. Chances are that you are not really 600 calories under your MFP goal, but if you really are then this thread already contains quite a few good suggesting how to add calories to your diet. Good luck :-)

singinmaniac983

I definitely eat peanuts and almonds, sometimes walnuts or soy nuts. Those are some of my favorite foods! And for any other diabetics out there, JIF makes a low sugar peanut butter, which when I feel like I need the sweet, I dab a little bit on a cracker

I do know how to add calories, because I did gain a lot, however, I did it without paying attention to my blood sugars. Now that I'm attempting better health, things are a little more sticky. lol.

My body handles carbs poorly, it spikes my sugars over 200 if I don't eat them in a very low moderation. Potatoes and bread are the worst culprits, but like I said, Rye bread doesn't bother me as much, but there's no, what I call "white" carbs.

Corn does it too.

I have definitely marked down some of these great suggestions!!! You guys are great! I am supposed to be at 1200 something per day for calories, but only make it to about 800, then get the whole "YOUR BODY WILL GO INTO STARVATION MODE IF YOU DON'T MEET THIS". Lol.

Maureen214

I have a brother and sister who are both insulin dependent diabetics and now have pumps. I remember my sister growing up almost always had pb and a glass of milk at night for a snack or apples dipped in pb and a glass of milk. And the same as a mid morning snack. My brother got it as an Adult so I'm not as famiar with his daily routine. But he eats a LOT of protein and veggies minus or limiting the starchy corn and potatoes. I'm sure you know to keep your sugars at the 120 and be consistent to always have proteins with your fat and carbs and eat small meals throughout the day.
I myself have been counseling with a dietician so I don't get adult onset and since I have a lot if weight to lose she Agreed my 1580-1620 I'm doing and consistently losing 2 pounds per week is the way to go because if I go down to the 1200 or less, the losing will be fairly easy, but the maintaining ( which I know from the 150 pounds I've lost And the 200 I've gained in 20 pound increments about 10 times over the past 20 years) will be difficult at that calorie level. But the few days I've been at 1,000 calories evened out with all of the other days I' ve been in the 1600 s.
hope some of this helps or makes sense.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

I rarely recommend GF food to people who haven't been diagnosed with Celiac or Gluten Intolerance; however, I eat a GF brown rice bread made by Food for Life. One slice has 110 calories, 21 g of carbs 2 grams of fiber but only 3g of sugar. I know that puts you just at your 6g limit if you make a sandwich, but if you need to add a couple of hundred calories, one slice with some of that lower sugar peanut butter would do the job. You might also check out Ezekiel brand breads (they are in the frozen aisle at my grocery) because they are multi-grain breads. I can't recall their carb counts now, but they have both barley and rye in them and they are definitely NOT white bread.

I try to watch my processed sugar intake because my dad is a diabetic and I had gestational diabetes with my 13 yo so I'm at a risk for developing it. I pretty much don't care if it comes from fruits or veggies, but I don't like it added for no good reason. Good luck!

wilsoje74

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

elyelyse

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

Many people go through this when they begin to change their eating habits. In an effort to make drastic changes, they feel like they need to eat only healthy low calorie food...which leads to trouble meeting their calorie goals. It takes a little while to realize...oh, I can eat things like peanut butter, or full fat dairy, or pop tarts, and still lose weight!? Awesome!

wilsoje74

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

Many people go through this when they begin to change their eating habits. In an effort to make drastic changes, they feel like they need to eat only healthy low calorie food...which leads to trouble meeting their calorie goals. It takes a little while to realize...oh, I can eat things like peanut butter, or full fat dairy, or pop tarts, and still lose weight!? Awesome!

I don't think I've ever just eaten 800 cal in a day, even when I'm sick. A baby needs more than that.

elyelyse

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

Many people go through this when they begin to change their eating habits. In an effort to make drastic changes, they feel like they need to eat only healthy low calorie food...which leads to trouble meeting their calorie goals. It takes a little while to realize...oh, I can eat things like peanut butter, or full fat dairy, or pop tarts, and still lose weight!? Awesome!

I don't think I've ever just eaten 800 cal in a day, even when I'm sick. A baby needs more than that.

I experienced it when I began, and the message boards are full of people with the exact same issue, it's very common. We are so determined to do everything right, eat only the right things, that we fail to realize that doing this right does not require going to extremes. No one is arguing that we need more than that, but for some of us, when we start this journey...the idea of eating high calorie foods is scary, it feels wrong until someone convinces us it's ok. At least that's my take on it.

SoDamnHungry

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

It's while she's trying to keep her blood sugars in check, which she has never monitored until now. So that's a new challenge as well.

gigglesinthesun

I definitely eat peanuts and almonds, sometimes walnuts or soy nuts. Those are some of my favorite foods! And for any other diabetics out there, JIF makes a low sugar peanut butter, which when I feel like I need the sweet, I dab a little bit on a cracker

I do know how to add calories, because I did gain a lot, however, I did it without paying attention to my blood sugars. Now that I'm attempting better health, things are a little more sticky. lol.

My body handles carbs poorly, it spikes my sugars over 200 if I don't eat them in a very low moderation. Potatoes and bread are the worst culprits, but like I said, Rye bread doesn't bother me as much, but there's no, what I call "white" carbs.

Corn does it too.

I have definitely marked down some of these great suggestions!!! You guys are great! I am supposed to be at 1200 something per day for calories, but only make it to about 800, then get the whole "YOUR BODY WILL GO INTO STARVATION MODE IF YOU DON'T MEET THIS". Lol.

In your original post you said that you are often 400-600 calories under you goal. If your goal is 1200 and you are missing it by 600, it would mean that you only eat 600 calories??? It is hard to believe to be honest, it seems like a total underestimation, because you would be hungry. No matter how many carbs you cut out and leave nothing but lean protein and a few veggies, at 600 calories you would be hungry.

Whilst your body might have enough fat, it doesn't store the actual nutrients you need i.e. a prolonged period of eating those calories can cause malnutrition due to not getting enough protein, enough vitamins and minerals.

trogalicious

1. Stop eating "diet" food.
2. Eat more.
3. Choose calorie dense food (nuts are great)
4. Keep trying.

Cranquistador

butter.
oil
steak
nut butter
avocado

drcrisos

You can only get to 800????? Come on !!!! I find that really hard to believe. I can eat that in one meal!!

Many people go through this when they begin to change their eating habits. In an effort to make drastic changes, they feel like they need to eat only healthy low calorie food...which leads to trouble meeting their calorie goals. It takes a little while to realize...oh, I can eat things like peanut butter, or full fat dairy, or pop tarts, and still lose weight!? Awesome!

I don't think I've ever just eaten 800 cal in a day, even when I'm sick. A baby needs more than that.

I experienced it when I began, and the message boards are full of people with the exact same issue, it's very common. We are so determined to do everything right, eat only the right things, that we fail to realize that doing this right does not require going to extremes. No one is arguing that we need more than that, but for some of us, when we start this journey...the idea of eating high calorie foods is scary, it feels wrong until someone convinces us it's ok. At least that's my take on it.

I had that problem at times. Not meeting my daily amount. Whether it be from stress, illness, or I am just so afraid of going over my amount. I am doing better, some days I go over. However I do not find it easy to go over because I pay so much attention to what I am eating now. Very common to struggle with getting enough when you first start.
Don't listen to anyone that is negative. Some of us have and/or is going through that same challenge. You are not alone

Fullsterkur_woman

Cream cheese. Whipped cream. Repeat as necessary!:bigsmile:

jennifer8989

im having this same issue ! cant pass 800

trogalicious

im having this same issue ! cant pass 800

stop eating "diet" foods. Problem solved.

knra_grl

I understand issues for diabetics are different than most but opting for things like multi grain breads (eat within reason), wild rice, beans, eggs, protein, etc should help you up your calories - I don't understand the dairy? does that have sugar? I need to go check that. Nuts are good - you can have carbs try to eat complex carbs not your overprocessed white breads and pastas. Smaller portions also will help - I can actually be satisfied with 1/4 cup of cooked rice when it's paired with a good protein and lots of veg.

scuba8781

Try this recipe. It's full of healthy fats and nutrients. I make this recipe as defined, but cut it into 16 bars. One of my bars is about 330 calories. I usually have one at night after I enter my calories and find I'm short. It's also delicious. I started eating this after someone else here on MFP posted it.

http://thehealthyfamilyandhome.com/raw-hemp-and-chia-seed-bars/

knra_grl

Try this site out - it doesn't seem there are a lot of sugars in dairy >>> http://nutritiondata.self.com/

hellsbells3272

What about almond butter on a couple of slices of Ryvita?

SezxyStef

im having this same issue ! cant pass 800

sure you can or you wouldn't be trying to lose almost 50lbs.

I mean people come on...I understand a pre diabetic avoiding sugars etc but there are many other options out there like butter on popcorn...cooking with olive oil along with lots of other suggestions.

As one poster said stop eating diet food...are you going to live the rest of your life on salads and non fat this and non fat that...no so don't lose weight that way.

the only time I resort to it (because I don't have issues hitting my 1600) is when I want to save calories for my chocolate later...

Such as non fat greek yogurt or low fat cheese or skim milk..but that's about it.

jstout365

Eat more fats and protein. When I first started it was a struggle to get to 1500 because I felt like I was constantly shoving food in me. You may need to start eating more often to hit the calorie goals. After a few weeks hitting the right amounts, you should have a better understanding of what to add here and there. If you need to avoid certain carbs for health reasons, don't skimp on the other macro nutrients. Coconut oil is great to add to a veggie stir fry and there are lots of ways to get extra protein in.

bonoeuf

Eat more fats and protein. When I first started it was a struggle to get to 1500 because I felt like I was constantly shoving food in me. You may need to start eating more often to hit the calorie goals. After a few weeks hitting the right amounts, you should have a better understanding of what to add here and there. If you need to avoid certain carbs for health reasons, don't skimp on the other macro nutrients. Coconut oil is great to add to a veggie stir fry and there are lots of ways to get extra protein in.

Excellent advice. I will add that MFP breaks the macros down with a big bias towards carbs. I early eat more than 100g of carb per day, the bulk of my intake is good protein and good fat. I am never hungry; no insulin spikes.
Diabetic chocolate and any other diabetic labels foods should be shoved up the moron that thought of the concept. Food is food. Change your macro balance away from carbs and you will be fine. I train six days per week for about 90 minutes per session with a 100g carb maximum, I don't eat any wheat and certainly no pasta. Pasta will only give you calories, much better food out there with some nutrients in it. Carbs from, veg, some fruit, potatoes, some oats and some rice.

ChrysalisCove

I also struggled with getting enough calories when I first transitioned from crash diets to TDEE-%. I have a history of ED & it's like my brain was fixed on this "all-or-nothing" / "feast or famine" mindset. I am breastfeeding, which makes my daily calorie allotment particularly high (just over 1900) & I also made it a goal to eat more nutrient dense foods, many of which just so happen to have fewer calories. It took me about a week of feeling like I was *always* eating & really struggling to balance my macros before my body adjusted, I found protein sources I enjoy & I started to feel normal... but now I love it! I have more energy, I'm happier & I'm still able to enjoy steady weight loss :-)