Eating enough food not possible....

SnackHips

I know, I am starting to feel like a broken record complaining about this. Has anyone else had this problem?

Getting fat was super easy because I lived off of alcohol and desserts with the occasional binge. When I did eat regular food it was pretty health, for the most part. So here I am trying to get in shape and only eating all those wonderful healthy foods that I do happen to love, but......It is a struggle to meet my calorie needs. I am full all of the time and find myself eating just because I NEED to and not because I feel like it. Sure that is good and all, but also bad. I logged my workout awhile ago and then felt kind of down because I pretty much erased all those hard earned food calories and only have one meal and a few snacks left to make up for it. ugh...eating is hard. haha

So if anyone has gone through this, what worked for you?

(p.s. The past couple days I have only managed to make my goal because of movie night and my daughters sleep over where I decided to have pizza and other junk, but would rather not resort to junk food just to eat enough. lol)

CptJinxx

Aim for a minimum of 0.8 g of protein/ pound of body weight and 0.4 g of fat/lb, if that's still hard to do, then we'll see about it, then fill the remaining calories with whatever you please.

Lyadeia

I agree with the above, and also wanted to add that as long as you get the protein and fat you are supposed to get along with the nutrients and fiber, then after that it does not matter one bit what food you eat as long as you stick to your calorie goal. Get all the neccessities in, and then eat whatever you want with the "leftover" calories. That's how so many of us are able to eat cheesecake, brownies, pop tarts, or ice cream and still be healthy and lose fat.

CptJinxx

I agree with the above, and also wanted to add that as long as you get the protein and fat you are supposed to get along with the nutrients and fiber, then after that it does not matter one bit what food you eat as long as you stick to your calorie goal. Get all the neccessities in, and then eat whatever you want with the "leftover" calories. That's how so many of us are able to eat cheesecake, brownies, pop tarts, or ice cream and still be healthy and lose fat.

+1. There are also other important nutrients you should look after, like fiber, vitamins and other minerals.
An easy way to do this would be to make sure to include at least 2~4 servings of fruit and veggies everyday, and introduce different types of them to your eating plan every now and then, that should do the trick. Or take a multi-vitamin.

lynn_glenmont

I don't really have this problem, and I guess I just let it slide if I happen to be a couple hundred calories low on a particular day and I'm not hungry, since it doesn't happen every day. However, have you tried eating more nuts, avocado, cheese, peanut butter, full-fat dairy? If you mostly drink plain water, try mixing it half and half with juice (orange juice is a good source of potassium, vitamin C, and calcium, if you buy the fortified kind--not exactly the "empty calories" some people label it).

SnackHips

This has given me some ideas. Thank you guys. I am going to experiment over the next week. Hopefully you don't hear back from me.

candiceh3

Is there such thing as junk food? IIFYM - eat up!

Tablespoons of peanut butter will help get you over the line. So will chocolate. Yummmm

rgugs13

Look into adding more good fats in your diet. Fat has more calories per gram (9 for fat vs 4 for carbs and protein), so you should be able to get more calories in that way. And full fat foods taste way better than non fat!

JesterMFP

"Healthy food" does not necessarily mean "low calorie food". There is lots of really nutritious food that is also high in calories, particularly higher fat foods. Avocados, cheese, eggs, full fat dairy, seeds, nuts, nut butters (I actually have 4 different jars in the cupboard - peanut, almond, cashew and hazelnut - all delicious, nutritious and add up the calories quick). Olive oil can easily be drizzled onto salads, or added to cooking. You can get ground up flax seeds that can be sprinkled in soups, or anywhere really. Some people find it easier to drink their calories, so full fat milk, smoothies & protein shakes help. If you're eating anything labelled "low fat" or "reduced fat" or "lite", then switch to the full fat version.

Also, pizza isn't "junk". It might help if you try and change that mindset a bit. Pizza doesn't generally have an ideal nutritional balance (the ones I eat tend to be a bit higher in carbs/fat and lower in protein) but as long as you're meeting your nutritional needs elsewhere, it's fine. It is real food, and it does have nutrients. In addition to the macronutrients, you've got vitamins & minerals in the tomato sauce and cheese. Try not to look at foods as either "good/healthy" or "bad/junk". Look at your overall diet and macronutrient goals, and remember that energy (calories) is also one of your body's needs. If dessert helps you meet your energy needs, then have dessert,

SnackHips

Oh, I am not afraid of fat. lol I always use olive oil and butter, nuts, avocados, etc. I eat the whole egg, not just the whites and so on and so forth. The only "low fat" food I eat is cottage cheese and that is just because they don't seem to sell any other kind here. I am not on any kind of "restricted" diet and try to eat a lot of variety. By calling pizza junk I just mean that I try to eat only whole foods that I prepare. I wouldn't call it junk if I made it out of my choice ingredients, but pizza hut and movie theater pizza is junk to me no matter how you slice it. haha

SnackHips

....and I switch desserts into things like frozen greek yogurt, whole fruit bars, etc. Just a couple times a week. Not because I am trying to torture myself and think dessert is BAD, but for mental reasons.

JesterMFP

Oh, I am not afraid of fat. lol I always use olive oil and butter, nuts, avocados, etc. I eat the whole egg, not just the whites and so on and so forth. The only "low fat" food I eat is cottage cheese and that is just because they don't seem to sell any other kind here. I am not on any kind of "restricted" diet and try to eat a lot of variety. By calling pizza junk I just mean that I try to eat only whole foods that I prepare. I wouldn't call it junk if I made it out of my choice ingredients, but pizza hut and movie theater pizza is junk to me no matter how you slice it. haha

Gotcha (and I prefer my own pizza too). Get in the kitchen and start making some yummy high calorie concoctions then! :drinker:

SnackHips

Cheers to that! I really appreciate all the advice and tips everyone. I was starting to feel broken. lol

MichelleLaree13

I would never recommend forcing yourself to eat. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and protein. Stop when your body tells you it has had enough.

robinsondel

I've seen this question, or a similar topic quite a few times since I've started and I'm kind of confused. Well, kinda confused for someone wanting to lose weight I should say. I understand about wanting to make sure you're getting enough and shooting to maintain your suggested caloric intake, but if you are trying to lose weight, and you're not hungry, why eat more? Now I understand that someone will want to eat enough to stay above the 1200 a day mark, which if you're having a problem with that, then I'm pretty sure you're not counting/measuring/weighing everything, but if you're allotted 2200, and only come in at 1700, what's the worse that can happen(considering you're getting the nutrients you need), other than you lose more weight, quicker? For me, I do NOT make myself eat, just to get calories in, even on those rare days where I've come in under 1,000. For me, eating when I don't need to is a big contributor to how I got over 500lbs.

JesterMFP

I would never recommend forcing yourself to eat. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and protein. Stop when your body tells you it has had enough.

The trouble with this approach is that hunger isn't actually a very good indication of how much food your body needs. It's very common for people who are severely under-eating to lose their appetites, and it's also very common for people who are consistently over-eating to still feel hungry. A day or two of coming way under your calorie goal isn't going to hurt too much, but consistently being under is not a great idea long term. Hunger is partly a result of hormonal processes, and restricting calories affects those processes.

SnackHips

Yea I have struggled to get to 1200 on a lot of days and that is bad because I am doing Insanity and burn at least 700 calories a day on it. I HAVE to be able to eat. Not just for nutrients, but to avoid metabolism problems or going on a binge. If I don't keep my calories up my body will randomly decide it is ravenous beyond repair and I won't have as much control over what I eat. So this eating enough thing is my challenge and goal right now.

JesterMFP

Yea I have struggled to get to 1200 on a lot of days and that is bad because I am doing Insanity and burn at least 700 calories a day on it. I HAVE to be able to eat. Not just for nutrients, but to avoid metabolism problems or going on a binge. If I don't keep my calories up my body will randomly decide it is ravenous beyond repair and I won't have as much control over what I eat. So this eating enough thing is my challenge and goal right now.

Another thing I just thought of - experiment a bit with meal frequency/timing. That can be a good way to fit your needs around your appetite. For example, intermittent fasting helps me keep within my goal (I don't usually eat until early afternoon, and eat most of my calories in the evening). The opposite could work for you - maybe more frequent meals would help you get the calories in. Pre-planning your intake and pre-logging it in your diary can help too.

SnackHips

Yea I find myself having to play catch up in the evening (which I hate). Good idea.

Shawnee63

Bump

twixlepennie

I know, I am starting to feel like a broken record complaining about this. Has anyone else had this problem?

Getting fat was super easy because I lived off of alcohol and desserts with the occasional binge. When I did eat regular food it was pretty health, for the most part. So here I am trying to get in shape and only eating all those wonderful healthy foods that I do happen to love, but......It is a struggle to meet my calorie needs. I am full all of the time and find myself eating just because I NEED to and not because I feel like it. Sure that is good and all, but also bad. I logged my workout awhile ago and then felt kind of down because I pretty much erased all those hard earned food calories and only have one meal and a few snacks left to make up for it. ugh...eating is hard. haha

So if anyone has gone through this, what worked for you?

(p.s. The past couple days I have only managed to make my goal because of movie night and my daughters sleep over where I decided to have pizza and other junk, but would rather not resort to junk food just to eat enough. lol)

I have this problem now that I'm in maintenance and exercise 6 days a week. I'm supposed to be eating over 2,200 calories a day now, which boggles my mind lol. I've had to go from eating 2-3 times a day (what I prefer), to eating 6 times a day, just to fit in the calories/macros.

twixlepennie

Yea I have struggled to get to 1200 on a lot of days and that is bad because I am doing Insanity and burn at least 700 calories a day on it. I HAVE to be able to eat. Not just for nutrients, but to avoid metabolism problems or going on a binge. If I don't keep my calories up my body will randomly decide it is ravenous beyond repair and I won't have as much control over what I eat. So this eating enough thing is my challenge and goal right now.

Another thing I just thought of - experiment a bit with meal frequency/timing. That can be a good way to fit your needs around your appetite. For example, intermittent fasting helps me keep within my goal (I don't usually eat until early afternoon, and eat most of my calories in the evening). The opposite could work for you - maybe more frequent meals would help you get the calories in. Pre-planning your intake and pre-logging it in your diary can help too.

Yep, this is what I've done-gone from IF to eating 6 times a day and pre-planning/pre-logging. It's the only way I can get in all the calories I need to keep my weight stable (in maintenance), and meet the demands of my exercise. I've only been doing it for a week now and it's been a huge adjustment-feels like I'm eating all. the. time. But, I know it's necessary for where I'm at right now so I'll deal with it!

Francl27

I could never eat my calories either at first because I had that crazy idea that you have to eat 'clean' to lose weight. Then I started eating what I loved, just in small quantities, to reach my goal. I haven't had any issue losing weight and I'm much happier knowing that I can have ice cream, cake, chocolate, pizza or whatever I feel like really... and IMO it's healthier than having a huge deficit anyway...