How do you get enough calories when eating healthy?
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A lot of people go on a 'diet' and then categorize foods as 'good' or 'bad', 'healthy' or 'not healthy'. As a result they eliminate too many foods from their daily intake and have a hard time meeting their calorie goal. Nuts, oils, butters, avocados are all great suggestions for beefing up calorie intake. As well as eating 'full fat' foods and not the 'lighter' versions. But also you can enjoy some foods which for lack of better term maybe considered bad....in moderation. Stick to your calorie goal and eat a variety of foods. And if the chocolate chip cookie fits into your calories for the day...go for it!0
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The second photo shows that your daily goal is 1200 calories, and as a man, you will likely need far more than that to sustain workouts and/or existing. You don't have to cut back as far as you think, and stop trying to think about "eating healthy". As others have said, you don't need to eat 3 meals a day if you don't want to, and you don't have to eat diet foods.
Also, you protein and fat levels look a little low.
I second reading this link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants0 -
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Looking at the chicken & green beans for dinner.........how did you cook the chicken? No oil? If you really are just eating that dry then maybe try cooking it in a simple sauce. That would add calories/nutrients and wouldn't fill you up much more than the chicken alone. Even just cooking in a little olive oil would add *some* calories. hth
Baked them, but if you look it says they're italian style (I think they may have been marinated in italian dressing of some sort, yum).0 -
The second photo shows that your daily goal is 1200 calories, and as a man, you will likely need far more than that to sustain workouts and/or existing. You don't have to cut back as far as you think, and stop trying to think about "eating healthy". As others have said, you don't need to eat 3 meals a day if you don't want to, and you don't have to eat diet foods.
Also, you protein and fat levels look a little low.
I second reading this link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
I'll get to reading that, thanks. The 1200 calories was from a looong time ago when I tried to use this site before, the 2000 something is the newsest one, I just updated it today.0 -
Good call, I could prolly eat a crunchy PB sandwich.0 -
What were your eating habits like before you started losing weight and are there any foods or meals that you can incorporate into your new diet that you're skipping because you think of them as less healthy?
Eating healthy is great. Veggies and lean protein are great sources of macro and micro nutrients. But adding a candy bar or some ice cream or a good steak won't undo all of those health benefits.
It's a process and you'll make changes along the way, but watch out for the all or nothing mentality. It's tripped a lot of us up in the past.0 -
1. For the vast majority of people, according to the majority of the research, meal timing doesn't matter. If it's easier for you to eat one gigantic meal a day, there's nothing wrong with that.
2. It looks like you're deciding that certain foods are 'good' and certain foods are 'bad,' based on the "eat healthy" intro and the sample diet you've linked. Provided your foods give you adequate macros (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids), and you're meeting your micronutrient goals - either through the foods themselves, a supplement, or a combination thereof - there aren't 'bad foods' except those that are bad for you *personally* due to an allergy or other specific medical issue. Don't treat lipids as the enemy unless your doctor tells you to, for example.
3. TL; DR - Eat more food and hit your macronutrient goals.What's wrong with vending machine food? If your diet is balanced and you're typically eating nutrient dense foods, it won't hurt to eat things not so nutritionally dense. Here's a good read
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
All the above. And for the second quoted item, wanted to add this quote to emphasize it:
"Once our nutrient needs are met, we don’t get extra credit for eating more nutritious food!' - Eric Helms0 -
I looked at your screen capture for the day. Can you eat like that for the rest of your life? Do you want to? I tried a meal plan similar to that when I was in my early 20's, and found it unsustainable. I gained all the weight I lost back (and then some) as soon as I stopped my 'diet'.
When I was 39, I decided I was done being fat. I tried a very modest calorie cut (-250 calories a day) and focused on eating the food I enjoyed - most of it healthy, but some of it decadent. I stopped labeling food as good -vs- bad. I realized that eating fat keeps me full and happy (plus, I think a healthy intake of fat made my skin and hair look better) It was the easiest diet ever - because it wasn't a diet. I lost 66 pounds and have kept it off for two years now.
It's good to eat healthy food, but you don't have to be that good/spartan to have a healthy diet. Have nuts, eat full fat dairy if you like it, enjoy your pasta, drink wine, use salad dressing that isn't fat free, put avocado on your salads/sandwiches.
Fuel your body with things that make you happy and make you feel good!0 -
Hello,
Up until a few weeks ago I had one large meal every day, and most of the time it was eating out or pasta made at home. I also often had one random snack out of the vending machine at work for something to hold me off. Clearly unhealthy. So I started trying to eat healthier a couple of weeks ago (and also started going to the gym every day).
However, my issue is that I cannot figure out how to eat healthy and get enough calories at the same time. I eat enough food to make me full and I am no where even remotely near my 2k calories.
For example: http://imgur.com/RVgAbhC
I am new to this whole 'eating more than one meal a day' thing, and just need some help balancing what I eat. I've lost about 10lbs in the last two weeks and I'm not sure if that's healthy or not. Anyhow, thanks for any assistance!
Brandon
If you prefer to eat one big meal per day there's really no problem as meal timing has been shown to make little difference in the long run. There's also nothing wrong with a vending machine snack provided your nutritional needs are met with the rest of your diet.
If your old routine suited your lifestyle, perhaps it could be just a matter of making a few small changes to it. For example, continue with your large daily meal but make sure you track the calories in it and try to have a variety of different meals, not the same thing each night. Have smaller snacks throughout the day which may include yogurt or fruit or nuts etc., but not all vending machine junk type food. The important thing is to keep in a calorie deficit and hit your macronutrients and micronutrients. If you don't eat a wide variety of foods, a multivitamin may help with meeting your micronutrients.
The Sexypants thread on MFP is brilliant IMO and I don't think you could go wrong having a read and seeing how you can apply it to your lifestyle and preferences.
I'm on my iPad and it's difficult to link. I'll get back with a link if someone doesn't beat me to it.0 -
What's wrong with vending machine food? If your diet is balanced and you're typically eating nutrient dense foods, it won't hurt to eat things not so nutritionally dense. Here's a good read
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
^^this. Sorry, I missed this when I posted above. :flowerforyou:0 -
I looked at your screen capture for the day. Can you eat like that for the rest of your life? Do you want to? I tried a meal plan similar to that when I was in my early 20's, and found it unsustainable. I gained all the weight I lost back (and then some) as soon as I stopped my 'diet'.
When I was 39, I decided I was done being fat. I tried a very modest calorie cut (-250 calories a day) and focused on eating the food I enjoyed - most of it healthy, but some of it decadent. I stopped labeling food as good -vs- bad. I realized that eating fat keeps me full and happy (plus, I think a healthy intake of fat made my skin and hair look better) It was the easiest diet ever - because it wasn't a diet. I lost 66 pounds and have kept it off for two years now.
It's good to eat healthy food, but you don't have to be that good/spartan to have a healthy diet. Have nuts, eat full fat dairy if you like it, enjoy your pasta, drink wine, use salad dressing that isn't fat free, put avocado on your salads/sandwiches.
Fuel your body with things that make you happy and make you feel good!
I understand that it's supposed to be something you can sustain, I have been enjoying the food actually. I had steak yesterday. I also had one cheat day out of the last two weeks that was pizza. I'm not sure if it's something I can sustain yet, I'm trying to figure that out. I enjoy the food, don't get me wrong, I just wonder about how I'll do long term with having less variety than I'm used to. I do miss pasta, but I was never very good at eating pasta in moderation which is why I stepped away from it for now.0 -
You absolutely can have pasta. Maybe it would help to portion and freeze the rest so you don't overeat.I looked at your screen capture for the day. Can you eat like that for the rest of your life? Do you want to? I tried a meal plan similar to that when I was in my early 20's, and found it unsustainable. I gained all the weight I lost back (and then some) as soon as I stopped my 'diet'.
When I was 39, I decided I was done being fat. I tried a very modest calorie cut (-250 calories a day) and focused on eating the food I enjoyed - most of it healthy, but some of it decadent. I stopped labeling food as good -vs- bad. I realized that eating fat keeps me full and happy (plus, I think a healthy intake of fat made my skin and hair look better) It was the easiest diet ever - because it wasn't a diet. I lost 66 pounds and have kept it off for two years now.
It's good to eat healthy food, but you don't have to be that good/spartan to have a healthy diet. Have nuts, eat full fat dairy if you like it, enjoy your pasta, drink wine, use salad dressing that isn't fat free, put avocado on your salads/sandwiches.
Fuel your body with things that make you happy and make you feel good!
I understand that it's supposed to be something you can sustain, I have been enjoying the food actually. I had steak yesterday. I also had one cheat day out of the last two weeks that was pizza. I'm not sure if it's something I can sustain yet, I'm trying to figure that out. I enjoy the food, don't get me wrong, I just wonder about how I'll do long term with having less variety than I'm used to. I do miss pasta, but I was never very good at eating pasta in moderation which is why I stepped away from it for now.0 -
Hello,
Up until a few weeks ago I had one large meal every day, and most of the time it was eating out or pasta made at home. I also often had one random snack out of the vending machine at work for something to hold me off. Clearly unhealthy. So I started trying to eat healthier a couple of weeks ago (and also started going to the gym every day).
However, my issue is that I cannot figure out how to eat healthy and get enough calories at the same time. I eat enough food to make me full and I am no where even remotely near my 2k calories.
For example: http://imgur.com/RVgAbhC
I am new to this whole 'eating more than one meal a day' thing, and just need some help balancing what I eat. I've lost about 10lbs in the last two weeks and I'm not sure if that's healthy or not. Anyhow, thanks for any assistance!
Brandon
If you prefer to eat one big meal per day there's really no problem as meal timing has been shown to make little difference in the long run. There's also nothing wrong with a vending machine snack provided your nutritional needs are met with the rest of your diet.
If your old routine suited your lifestyle, perhaps it could be just a matter of making a few small changes to it. For example, continue with your large daily meal but make sure you track the calories in it and try to have a variety of different meals, not the same thing each night. Have smaller snacks throughout the day which may include yogurt or fruit or nuts etc., but not all vending machine junk type food. The important thing is to keep in a calorie deficit and hit your macronutrients and micronutrients. If you don't eat a wide variety of foods, a multivitamin may help with meeting your micronutrients.
The Sexypants thread on MFP is brilliant IMO and I don't think you could go wrong having a read and seeing how you can apply it to your lifestyle and preferences.
I'm on my iPad and it's difficult to link. I'll get back with a link if someone doesn't beat me to it.
Is there a link to explain the macronutrient vs micronutrient thing? People keep bringing it up but I've never heard it before. Also, i started taking a multivitamin when I started working out and changing my eating habits just for extra information.
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Try incorporating snacks... I've been accused of eating all the time a few times... and maybe that's not far from the truth. I have a little flexibility at work, so every day, I have breakfast, snack of some sort, lunch, 2nd snack, dinner. I don't like feeling hungry. I find I make better choices if I don't let myself get to hungry stomach growling, hungry stage... I don't always hit my calorie targets either, though. And sometimes, I just seem to want to eat more than others. And I do try to leave in room sometimes for a indulgence. It all averages out, but I have to say, I don't think I'd survive on 900 calories a day. I don't always avoid processed foods, I eat chocolate, I eat full fat sometimes, etc. It's all about finding what works for you and that will probably change over time. My husband used to be like you and only eat one big meal a day. He's changed that and said he feels remarkably better and has more energy. However, it took him quite a while to adjust.0
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I went ahead and managed to eat a crunchy peanut butter sandwich and had a tall glass of milk with it, put me up to 1640 calories. Much better! Now I just have to figure out a good way to get closer to that 2k every day haha. I'm off to the gym for a while, thanks for the responses all, I'll check again when i get back.0
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Apologies, I should have explained further. The Sexypants thread will explain macronutrients. These are your proteins, carbs and fats. Micronutrients is a blanket term for vitamins and minerals. Sometimes, particularly when your diet is restricted and not varied, it can be difficult to get everything you need. A multivitamin mineral supplement can help and a lot of foods are now fortified as well eg B vitamins in breads and cereals.Hello,
Up until a few weeks ago I had one large meal every day, and most of the time it was eating out or pasta made at home. I also often had one random snack out of the vending machine at work for something to hold me off. Clearly unhealthy. So I started trying to eat healthier a couple of weeks ago (and also started going to the gym every day).
However, my issue is that I cannot figure out how to eat healthy and get enough calories at the same time. I eat enough food to make me full and I am no where even remotely near my 2k calories.
For example: http://imgur.com/RVgAbhC
I am new to this whole 'eating more than one meal a day' thing, and just need some help balancing what I eat. I've lost about 10lbs in the last two weeks and I'm not sure if that's healthy or not. Anyhow, thanks for any assistance!
Brandon
If you prefer to eat one big meal per day there's really no problem as meal timing has been shown to make little difference in the long run. There's also nothing wrong with a vending machine snack provided your nutritional needs are met with the rest of your diet.
If your old routine suited your lifestyle, perhaps it could be just a matter of making a few small changes to it. For example, continue with your large daily meal but make sure you track the calories in it and try to have a variety of different meals, not the same thing each night. Have smaller snacks throughout the day which may include yogurt or fruit or nuts etc., but not all vending machine junk type food. The important thing is to keep in a calorie deficit and hit your macronutrients and micronutrients. If you don't eat a wide variety of foods, a multivitamin may help with meeting your micronutrients.
The Sexypants thread on MFP is brilliant IMO and I don't think you could go wrong having a read and seeing how you can apply it to your lifestyle and preferences.
I'm on my iPad and it's difficult to link. I'll get back with a link if someone doesn't beat me to it.
Is there a link to explain the macronutrient vs micronutrient thing? People keep bringing it up but I've never heard it before. Also, i started taking a multivitamin when I started working out and changing my eating habits just for extra information.
You can track your macronutrients and some micronutrients on MFP. I have provided a link for reading about macros and micronutrients of you are interested. I'm in Australia so it's a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia site. There are similar sites in other countries.
http://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/index.htm0 -
I do miss pasta, but I was never very good at eating pasta in moderation which is why I stepped away from it for now.
I just cook a single serving of pasta (per person) when I'm making a pasta dish, then I don't have to worry about portion sizes or going overboard. If it's not cooked, I can't eat it. :-)
In fact, I just had a bowl of penne with homemade Ragu Bolognese. Yum!0 -
I had a similar issue when I changed how i ate last year. Because I cut out so much stuff I dropped weight extremely fast and was too skinny for awhile. So I had to eat at a surplus of 2600 calories. I had such a hard time because I wasn't used to eating so much. How I handled it was I basically forced myself to eat until I got used to it. And that was without eating any sort of meat or processed foods0
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