Not eating enough

I've eaten what I feel like is a lot today and I'm not hungry but it's 6:00 PM and I've had 900 calories. I don't wanna force myself to eat something just for the calories and end up getting sick in a few hours.

So how can I take in more calories without eating complete rubbish and eating too much to the point where I'm sick?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Eat more calorie dense foods - nuts, peanutbutter, avocados, whole fat dairy (cheese, milk, etc), ditch any "diet" foods
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Jar of peanut butter and a spoon. :bigsmile:

    Or make a PB&J sandwich, or dip sliced apples in peanut butter, handful of almonds, cheese & apples is another good combo. Got any Nutella? Stir a spoonful into a 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt - YUM! Throw some sliced banana or strawberries in it. All good snacks. Not that Nutella is the healthiest thing out there, but it's delicious, and you've got the cals for it today, and it's awesome mixed with yogurt.

    And as Ready2Rock said, adding more cal dense foods during the day will get you closer to goal without having to eat a ton of food, or by just eating junk.
  • Thank you, that's very helpful i will add more of those to my diet and see how it works

    @AmyRhubarb That sounds delicious :) I'm gonna try it. My brother loves Nutella so I have an excuse to buy it
  • Bump
  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
    If you've been eating very low calories for a while your body become accustomed to functioning on less. You might have to gradually increase calories until you're accustomed to having and then needing more. Stay away from fat free. Switch to 1% milk instead of skim. Have a handful of nuts or some string cheese or even granola.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Calories are more important that the type they are. And no food is bad for you. In fact its better to fuel your body with any type of calorie over eating too little. But add more dense foods like suggested or eat some ice cream or drink calories. I eat a Klondike almost every night and I am still losing.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    Calories are more important that the type they are. And no food is bad for you. In fact its better to fuel your body with any type of calorie over eating too little. But add more dense foods like suggested or eat some ice cream or drink calories. I eat a Klondike almost every night and I am still losing.
    :heart: I took advice like this more than a year ago now. It works, believe me.
  • Kristy6ward: You're absolutely right, I'm not used to eating over 1,000 calories in a day (simply bad habits, not eating and not listening to my body when it's hungry). I'll gradually increase then instead of over eating to make up calories.

    psulemon: That's really helpful! thank you so much, I'll do that :)

    Thanks everyone, I'm gonna gradually up my calories from 800-900 to around 1,200-1,500 (believe me, that's a lot for me)
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    Kristy6ward: You're absolutely right, I'm not used to eating over 1,000 calories in a day (simply bad habits, not eating and not listening to my body when it's hungry). I'll gradually increase then instead of over eating to make up calories.

    psulemon: That's really helpful! thank you so much, I'll do that :)

    Thanks everyone, I'm gonna gradually up my calories from 800-900 to around 1,200-1,500 (believe me, that's a lot for me)

    okay, I really didn't want to say anything, but here we are.

    If you have 64lbs to lose how can you have never eaten over 1000 calories in a day? Did you drink them instead? Or are you actually quite tall and don't really need to lose any weight and the 64lbs are putting you into ED territory?
  • gigglesinthes: I gained weight when I was younger and I never worked on taking it off until now. Before I worked on trying to lose weight I did drink a LOT of my calories in soda and juices and I would usually eat really calorie dense foods so it seemed like I was eating less but I was eating more so that's why I wasn't losing and also why I find it harder to eat more now. I hope that makes sense.

    Also, my goal weight isn't really set in stone, it's more where I'd like to be.
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    gigglesinthes: I gained weight when I was younger and I never worked on taking it off until now. Before I worked on trying to lose weight I did drink a LOT of my calories in soda and juices and I would usually eat really calorie dense foods so it seemed like I was eating less but I was eating more so that's why I wasn't losing and also why I find it harder to eat more now. I hope that makes sense.

    Also, my goal weight isn't really set in stone, it's more where I'd like to be.

    just have a glass of orange juice then, alternatively incorporate some of these calorie dense foods. You could also use the search function for similar threads and read through the suggestions in them and see where this takes you.

    nobody is saying you have to eat all your calories. 1200 calories is low as it is and I suspect you'd lose weight eating more then that, but that is your choice.

    Also make sure you are actually logging correctly, because when I started here I was logging 1100 calories, but when I started actually weighing my food instead of using cups and estimates, I logged 1350 instantly.
  • I'll do that, thanks! I've been drinking orange juice, tea, smoothies and tons of water.

    1,200 is more a starting point, I do go up to 1,300-1,500 some days.

    And I'm definitely looking into a kitchen scale after all I've heard about weighing your food.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Why not listen to your body? If you're not hungry, stop eating. Tomorrow if you're hungry after already having eaten your 1500 or whatever, eat more. It comes out in the wash. Having a calorie goal doesn't mean you have to hit it every 24 hours. You don't have to eat your daily goal in a certain time window, why would your weekly goal be any different?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Kristy6ward: You're absolutely right, I'm not used to eating over 1,000 calories in a day (simply bad habits, not eating and not listening to my body when it's hungry). I'll gradually increase then instead of over eating to make up calories.

    psulemon: That's really helpful! thank you so much, I'll do that :)

    Thanks everyone, I'm gonna gradually up my calories from 800-900 to around 1,200-1,500 (believe me, that's a lot for me)

    No problem... I know a lot of people get told to not eat "bad foods" but there really is NO such thing. Many of us eat dirty and love it. My belief is, if you really love a specific food, allow yourself to have it within your calories. I eat pizza, burrito's, ice cream, candy, etc.. because I know if I don't, it will lead to binges more often. Its like your parents telling you not to do something.. and what do you do.. the complete opposite. Losing weight isnt about starving yourself, it's about learning how to love food in a restricted setting. From a personal standpoint, I can't wait to get to maintenance because then I get 3000 calories instead my crappy 2400. I am like this because I see food as much and I personally love my fuel. The more I can eat, the happier I am.

    Also, have you change your per week loss goal yet? If not, look at the guidelines below and follow them.



    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • Thank you for all your tips! I know I've failed before in the past because I thought you had to cut out every food you love so I always ended up giving up before I had a chance to lose anything.

    Also, I'm losing steadily about 1.4 a week which I think is a good rate for me

    WalkingAlong: I never thought of it that way, that's true