Help please :-)

CrystalQ222

Hi I am 5'6 and currently 214 lbs. I have lost 24 lbs so far. I was wondering what foods can I eat that are small in volume but give me good fat and increase my daily calories. Ever since losing 24 lbs I can't seem to stomach eating a lot anymore . I am supposed to be eating 1200 calories a day. I find this hard to do because I'm not hungry. I know that under 1200 can throw your body into starvation mode. I get that. No need to explain. :-)... I only average about 800 calories right now. I don't want to force myself to eat more. But I know I have to get it up to calorie goal. So sound off with simple easy healthy foods that can add up to reach my goal. Thanks so much :-)

gerla_k

Avocadoes maybe?

Miamiuu

You can try drinking a few table spoons of olive oil a day. Each spoon is 120 calories. Easy way to get your calories up.

mschicagocubs

Peanut butter

cuinboston2014

Almonds. I also love avacadoes. Either one of those honestly help fill me up and keep me happy for a while. I love love love to mix mashed avacado with some sriacha and a pinch of fat free ranch dressing. So good!

CrystalQ222

Awesome. I will try those things :-)

TavistockToad

Peanut butter

Yep

TeaBea

Hi I am 5'6 and currently 214 lbs. I have lost 24 lbs so far. I was wondering what foods can I eat that are small in volume but give me good fat and increase my daily calories. Ever since losing 24 lbs I can't seem to stomach eating a lot anymore . I am supposed to be eating 1200 calories a day. I find this hard to do because I'm not hungry. I know that under 1200 can throw your body into starvation mode. I get that. No need to explain. :-)... I only average about 800 calories right now. I don't want to force myself to eat more. But I know I have to get it up to calorie goal. So sound off with simple easy healthy foods that can add up to reach my goal. Thanks so much :-)

Starvation mode is quite exaggerated.....don't worry about that. But, not getting enough (general) nourishment is a problem. Your heart, lungs, kidneys, etc. are using calories all the time. They use far more than 800 calories.

Calorie dense foods.......nuts, nut butters, seeds, olive oil, avocado, full fat dairy. Ditch the "diet" foods and just eat the real thing. Make sure you are getting plenty of protein too.

gerla_k

Almonds. I also love avacadoes. Either one of those honestly help fill me up and keep me happy for a while. I love love love to mix mashed avacado with some sriacha and a pinch of fat free ranch dressing. So good!

or mashed avocadoes on a rye bread with some garlic and salt .. yum

CrystalQ222

:-)... Thanks...will be going shopping today

WBB55

If you open up your diary, we can give you advice that more closely matches your food preferences. For me, the densest, healthiest fat foods I personally eat regularly are:

Walnuts
Sunflower seed kernels
Pumpkin seeds
Butter
Olive oil
Peanut butter
Cream cheese
Avocado
Egg yolks

vslnrunner

Coconut oil

SGM_Adonis

A handful of nuts...almonds, walnuts...unsalted, raw. They usually get me about 3-400 calories a pop. I keep a few on standby since I'm usually low on my fat macro-nutrient.

skullshank

Peanut butter

this is what i consider one of the most fun ways to add calories.

tasty, can be paired up with other delicious things (i'm lookin at you dark chocolate), and is easy to come by.


i think that this is a question of mind over matter.
you are scared to eat more for fear of gaining weight, and i think you are mentally suppressing your hunger in this way.
i mean, lets be honest....none of us got here because we had a hard time hitting 1200/day, amirite?

have you ever run your numbers to see how much you should be eating?

EDIT: i just went ahead and ran your numbers (without knowing your exercise routines, i left that as little to no exercise) and your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is 2099cals/day. thats with NO exercise. your deficit is far too big and unhealthy.
many people (myself included) follow the 80% of TDEE method. for this, you'd want to eat about 80% of 2099....which is ~1680cals/day. with this method you dont eat any exercise calories back.

dont be afraid to up your intake. :flowerforyou:

mailroomclerk

I know it sounds cliche but... EAT A SALAD! W/ dressing of choice.

Don't get any of those "fat free" ones, they taste like *kitten* and are missing the main nutrient you're after. Even ranch is fine, you'll want something low in saturated fat (<5g) and the rest in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated (none in trans) which is basically any regular dressing. Check the nutrish labe. Peace.

CrystalQ222

I've gotta go pick my kid up from school but will answer you all after I get back. And thanks for the suggestions everyone I love the support here. You guys are awesome :-)

bc2ct

omega 3 fatty acids via fish oil packets -- they don't taste the best but it's a good way to get calories & good fats up. Peanut Butter. protein shakes... all of these work but my best suggestion is to just switch over to full-fat everything. Whole milk, full fat yogurt (esp yogurt -- it is delicious and easier for your body to absorb), fattier meat if you eat it, add olive oil in larger quantities, eat more fatty fish (salmon is a personal favorite but I also eat smoked trout right out of the can).

I understand the struggle to eat more than you "feel like". I am on a 3000-4000 kcal diet and sometimes I feel like I am force-feeding myself. On those days when it is hard to eat enough to sustain my level of exercise I try to eat calorie dense but low volume foods like those listed above. If all else fails, a cliff bar will get you 250 calories closer to your goal... easier to eat with a few hundred mls of water.

zyxst

There's always chocolate.

AliceDark

Lack of appetite is actually a side effect of drastically reducing your caloric intake, and it's not a good thing. At 800 calories a day (assuming you're logging accurately), you're not getting the nutrition your body needs to function at its best. Everyone's already given you some great suggestions about low-volume, higher-calorie foods. If you can up your calories consistently, your appetite will return pretty quickly, so be prepared for that. Give it a week at 1200 (or more, you should really be eating more, but 1200 is a huge improvement over 800!) and your body should adjust.

People will tell you "if you're satisfied at 800 you should just eat that," but the problem is that most people with weight/food issues are bad at correctly interpreting hunger and satiety signals and it takes awhile to re-learn how to listen to hunger. Above all, you need to make sure you're giving your body the fuel it needs to keep going.

KnitOrMiss

My new obsession is hummus. It is decent on calories, and most have olive oil or similar in them, so you get healthy fats and well as a protein boost. Good luck!