Eating A Lot but Not Much Calorically?

dpr73

Hi, I just lost 60lbs and am upping calories to maintenance (19, 5'7ish, 140). I have been slowly getting toward my maintenance but since I came home on break I have been going off my meal plan to eating slightly less because I am not sure the calories in my home cooked meals yet (it'll take some time to find a happy mediume there). Anyway, it seems like sometimes I eat SO MUCH MORE good then I did when I was 60lbs heavier. But for example today I am only calculating 1500 calories but am completely satisfied. This is what I had today:

Breakfast 285:
1c plan yogurt (120)
1/2c bran flakes (60)
1 banana (105)

Snack 100:
1 medium apple

Lunch 320:
Can Tuna (125)
1Tbsp Hummus (35)
2 slices light bread (90)
1 Container Cottage Cheese (80)
1 Raisin Granola Bar (90)

Snack 100:
Chobani Black Cherry Simply 100

Dinner 470:
6oz Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with citrus soy sauce 210
1/4c (dry) Red Quinoa cooked with boxed chicken broth and scallions ~200
1c of Asparagus 60

I am completely satisfied with what I'm eating but sometimes I get really full and feel like I overage even though Calorically I am still under my calories. Is this normal? And is it possible that I am eating more than I was when I was maintaining 200lbs?

csuhar

Oops. Double-post.

csuhar

It can be completely normal. It's hard to say without knowing about your old eating habits, but it's entirely possible you're simply eating foods that aren't calorically as dense as the food you ate before, so you get more stuff per calorie. You also seem to be eating foods that are fairly filling, letting you feel satiated without taking in more calories.

So you'll feel like you're eating more without also getting more calories.

megan_elizabeth8

Volume wise, that may look like a lot, but as you said yourself, the foods you're eating are low calorie.
I've had the same thing - I wasn't eating enough because I felt absolutely stuffed from all the low calorie foods such as veggies I was eating.
Adding things like nuts helped my reach my goal.
Although it feels like a lot of food, you won't maintain if you're not eating enough.
Good Luck

tharris3004

Hi,

I read your post and was quite intrigued. While I do not know the answer to your question, I wanted to ask you a few questions. I noticed you lost 60lbs in 4 months. How often a week did you exercise and for what duration of time? Did you frequently go under your daily calorie rate without exercise or did you use exercise to lower your net calories?

I just started my program this week, but would love to lose 60lbs in 4 months! Please help.


Thanks in advance for considering replying to my questions.

TH

dpr73

It's actually been longer than 4 months! I've been losing since August but just joined recently. I stayed around what MF told me to hit and exercised everyday except weekends also.

__freckles__

It can be completely normal. It's hard to say without knowing about your old eating habits, but it's entirely possible you're simply eating foods that aren't calorically as dense as the food you ate before, so you get more stuff per calorie. You also seem to be eating foods that are fairly filling, letting you feel satiated without taking in more calories.

So you'll feel like you're eating more without also getting more calories.

^^This. If you still need more calories, have a cookie.

missylectro

I love tuna! I was pleasantly suprised to see how low in calories it is

dpr73

But me being full will not really equate to weight gain right?

geekyjock76

You can eat enough to feel full without necessarily meeting your energy need goals. This usually happens if someone eats a high-volume of low-calorie foods. Substituting whole-fat yogurt would add 160 calories instantly. Just don't buy low-fat, low-calorie items.

__freckles__

But me being full will not really equate to weight gain right?

Feeling full or hungry has nothing to do with weight gain/loss. It's calories in vs. calories out.

dpr73

Is it most likely, then, that I was jus eating more calorie dense foods when I was 200 so less was actually more Calorically then now?
I remember frequently skipping breakfast and only having a few bites of a sandwich at lunch then coming home and pigging out on leftovers/cookies/cake/etc and then ALWAYS going for seconds at dinner.

__freckles__

Is it most likely, then, that I was jus eating more calorie dense foods when I was 200 so less was actually more Calorically then now?
I remember frequently skipping breakfast and only having a few bites of a sandwich at lunch then coming home and pigging out on leftovers/cookies/cake/etc and then ALWAYS going for seconds at dinner.

Not sure what you're trying to get at with this whole thread. When you were 200 pounds you were consuming more calories. A piece of cake could be 300 calories, and in order to eat that same amount of calories in carrots you would have to eat a huge bowl full. So yes, you probably feeling like you're eating more food now, but consuming less calories. Is that what you're trying to get across?

Iwishyouwell

As others have said, it's about volume. Most foods that come from the earth are rich in volume, but relatively low in calories, especially when compared to man-made foods. This is why some people who follow whole, natural food diets tend to be able to lose lots of weight, without counting calories.

Best example I can think of:

Oreos
1 Package
18 oz
2400 Calories

Apples
26 (Medium Sized)
151 oz
2400 Calories

You can get literally 133 ounces more food from the apples vs the Oreos.

So yes, you can actually eat a ton of food that is extremely filling, not to mention nutritious, but pretty low in calories.

Mangopickle

I love tuna! I was pleasantly suprised to see how low in calories it is

An interesting thing to note is how the calories in Tuna change whether they are caught in summer or winter. Winter tuna is much higher in calories-or maybe I have it reversed. Sometimes you will see different calorie counts on different cans of the same brand of tuna on the shelf