How do I fit in 2300 cals/day of healthy food?!

onefortyone

One day I'm gonna be able to exercise enough to eat 2,300 calories without gaining... that's the dream. I'd be all about the bacon, eggs and veggie breakfast tortillas, with a yogurt and fruit. And OJ. Coffee. And for lunch I'd pile up a salad so big with veggies, croutons and dressing, and dive right in. Suppertime would be easy. Baked chicken with crispy skin, creamy mashed potatoes and steamed veggies covered in gravy...

One day... *eyes mist over*

ndj1979

my diary is open …feel free to browse it..

I eat about 2200 a day, which is a cut for me now, and i could for sure eat more..

I would say chicken, steak, pork, brown rice, olive oil, ice cream, pizza, some cookies, etc..

Remember, you do not have to restrict foods that you like to eat "healthy"; you can still eat the foods you like, just eat less of them …

it might help you to take those 2300 cals and spread them out into six smaller meals ..like 350 cals each? This does nothing for metabolism, but might help you consume the level of calories you need…

don't be afraid of sugar and carbs either..they are not the devil...

chrisdavey

I struggle to eat anything less than 2500 cals. And I fast until lunch. IDK how you are having this issue?

navyrigger46

Unhealthy food is a myth, there are only unhealthy quantities. Food is food, hit the Wendy's and grab a JBC or two, you'll be fine.

Rigger

amusedmonkey

You don't have to aim for 100% 'healthy' food. You want to eat plenty of protein, fruits & veggies, whole grains, healthy fats. Since you have a higher calorie goal you don't necessarily need to use a lot of low fat/fat free alternatives. Eat nuts, regular cheese/dairy, cook with olive oil, etc.

Ps-Have you consulted w/ a doctor? I've always read its safe to aim for 2 pounds or 1% of your body weight per week. You may be able to safely aim a little higher, since you have so much to lose.

That actually is true. When I first started at 300 lb my doctor told me to start by losing 3 lb per week and then about 1% each week until I lose at least half of my extra weight. It was important to get out of class III obesity as soon as possible because health waits for no one, especially in my case - I was almost diabetic. He said once I'm classified class I (30-35 BMI) or at least class II (35-40 BMI), I can slow down and take my time with it. He still encourages me to lose about 1% of my weight every week for a couple of months more before switching to 0.5% weekly if I want to.

You could safely go down to 2000 or 1800 if need to like another poster suggested, especially if your health is critical. Otherwise, you could just take the advice of adding more varieties of higher calorie food. The advice people here give about taking it more slowly is sound, but the problem is... being severely overweight is not the same as needing to lose those last 20, 30 or even 40 pounds because in most cases there is no direct danger you are attempting to evade. I suggest you talk it out with your doctor to see if you need to lose more quickly or of 2 pounds a week is enough.

dwarfiegodsmack

2300 cals/day is my 1000/day deficit.
In order to eat 2300 calories of healthy food each day, I feel like I am eating SO much food all day long! I'm just not hungry enough to eat that much

I'm guessing you ate at least that much before

^ exactly this. if 2300 cals/day is what MFP gave you for weight loss and this is a 1000/day deficit - then you must realize you had to have been eating at least 3000 calories to become overweight.

2300 should be very feasible.

kuolo

Expand your definition of 'healthy' food. Have a look at some people's food diaries who are doing something similar to you. You don't have to live off lettuce to lose weight. I'm all for healthy eating but healthy eating can incorporate a huge variety of foods, some of which are pretty calorie dense.