being stuffed but eating only 800 calories

dcroberts3

Hunger is not a good indicator of what the body needs....if you are eating below 1k calories you are missing massive amounts of macro and micro nutrients...

There are lots of ways to up calories...

Full fat dairy
Oils
Avocadoes
treats like chocolate, ice cream, pie etc
Peanut butter..I mean 15g is 90 calories...15g is not a lot
Nuts like almonds etc

Heck if I ate 800 calories and needed to get in another 700...hello large ice cream...

This! I believe most of most weight gain from pregnancy (50 pounds) was a result of my ice cream craving! I normally eat ice cream a couple times a year, but I was eating it like every other day at a few points, I think! I blame these cravings more on my quitting smoking during that time then the actual pregnancy itself! Anyway, ice cream will definitely be a fun way to help you get those cals! Ice cream AND peanut butter! Oh, heck...just have a peanut butter milkshake!

SpiritBunny

i'm sorry about your struggles, but it seems like to every suggestion, something else pops up - btw, i'm vegan; btw, i'm lactose intolerant; btw, i don't like the texture of avocados; btw, i don't like the texture of yogurt; btw, gluten intolerant, etc. etc. etc.

It's hard to include everything and until a question is asked then I can reply.

it just seems like you aren't really looking for a fix. what it seems like to me is that you are looking for someone to validate you eating 800 calories a day.

Not at all, my original reason was to find out the process that's ahead of me. gaining fat (which I am really concerned about) but it could be just part of the process. My goal is to loose fat not weight.

I was tired and no energy because of fibro or because of eating. I know first hand that metabolism slows down and I'm learning my body has to learn to deal with calories and hopefully soon get out of starvation mode.

SpiritBunny

Peanut butter, hummus (ready made), dried fruit (raisins being cheapest), bananas and potatoes are cheap and high calorie as well. I would add canned coconut milk (to coffee or tea), and use corn tortillas/fat free refried beans as a gluten free sandwich replacement. Canned sweet corn helps to round out the meal.

Consider adding fat, like natures balance soy free margerine to potatoes or other veg.

I don't understand ednos, Or anorexia, but I do know poverty fairly well. Those foods are what I would recommend to a starving vegan.

Corn tortillas and corn chex/rice chex are gluten free options that are available on a food stamp budget.

Thank you, I eat many of these things.

njitaliana

Add a glass of milk, add full-fat salad dressing and olives to salads, add more oil when you cook, make oatmeal with milk instead of water. All of those will bring up your calorie count without overly filling you.

taramaclaren

Hunger is not a good indicator of what the body needs....if you are eating below 1k calories you are missing massive amounts of macro and micro nutrients...

There are lots of ways to up calories...

Full fat dairy
Oils
Avocadoes
treats like chocolate, ice cream, pie etc
Peanut butter..I mean 15g is 90 calories...15g is not a lot
Nuts like almonds etc

Heck if I ate 800 calories and needed to get in another 700...hello large ice cream...

This.

Also - have you tried making smoothies?? That can be a great way to up your calorie intake and you can make some yummy ones with excellent high quality ingredients. I like Phood and Vega, but Muscle Milk is another delicious option.

fredgiblet

Liquid calories are your friend, drink fruit juice instead of water, maybe make smoothies.

Peanut butter is also godly for adding calories, have some toast with a thick layer of peanut butter and your calories will skyrocket.

cadaver0usb0nes

Here is a list of brands that make vegan alternatives for dairy and other products (SOME ON THIS LIST ARE JUST VEGETARIAN, copy and pasting from comments others left me when asking about vegan/vegetarian options for dairy and stuff!)

"Morning star is not vegan, they are only vegetarian. Lightlife is really yummy, most things are vegan. The smart dogs and smart bacon is especially good. I like the original boca burger and boca chi'kin nuggets. Tofurky has really yummy deli slices and other meat like products. Everything by Gardein is amazing. Daiya is the best brand if vegan cheese, they have slices and wedged of cheddar, provolone, mozzarella, jack, and others. Tofutti has good cream cheese and ice cream. Veganese is great for sandwichs. I like good life flax milk as opposed to almond or soy milks, but silk is alright. Whole soy and co and amande is really good for yogurt. Hope this helps!!"

"tofurky, daiya, veganaise, earth balance, so delicious, silk, almond breeze, rice dream, amy's, follow your heart, tofutti, go veggie, gardein, and also, make sure to check all your morning star farms products because a lot of them are NOT vegan!!!!"

"Gardien and field roast has the best faux meat. Daiya or fancy nut cheeses like dr. cow has the best cheese. Just mayo, olive oil earth balance, or grapeseed veganaise is the best mayonnaise. Earth balance for butter. I really like tofutti cream cheese. Luna and Larry's is a coconut based ice cream that's delicious. And whole soy & co. is really the only palatable yogurt in my opinion."

lee91356

I am unsure about your past eating issues, but from experience and many who post here, I think this is not a real problem - at least not in the long-term. I think its part of a mental / frame of mind thing that happens to some people, especially those who are just starting and making the changes to incorporate more nutrient rich foods into their diets, rather then the emptier foods and therefore they feel fuller on less. I believe that as time goes on and your body adjusts this will not be a problem.

I say this not to be mean or insulting, but the reality is that these "complaints/ issues" are only ever really seen be people in their first few weeks and any "longer-termer" (someone who has been past the first few months and may even be in maintenance mode) knows that this is not a permanent issue - because if it was weight would NEVER be a problem lol.

Just take it slow and easy with the changes and allow your body to adopt the new eating style and you will see it get into sync and back to normal soon. (eventually you will miss these days lol) IMO dont stuff calories down just to make your intake if your not in the mood or not hungry for now, but if you dont see any appetite changes then you may need to start doing that.

I too have PCOS and eating properly and enough calories is actually very important because it can mess big time with your glucose levels - so just be wise and safe about your food choices.

Good luck.

GretaGirl8

I don't get it... one does not put on weight by eating 800 cals... How did you gain the weight you are intending to lose on your 800 cal diet? I'm not trying to be a **** but I really don't understand!

Overweight people can have EDs

EDs can be prevailent in anyone. I think overweight people can initially hide their EDs behind the guise of a diet until they lose so much it becomes obvious, but by then they are dreadfully sick.

I really dont know the ins/outs, but it is a psycological condition and anyone of any size has the propensity to develop an ED

well, to be fair to this poster, he/she is not saying OP doesn't have an eating disorder. yes, eating disorder most definitely affect people who are overweight. there is little doubt the OP has had/still struggles with an ED. I think the poster was just confused how someone consistently eating 800 calories does not lose weight. admittedly, that is concerning because it suggests a possible medical issue. but i have harped on this concept enough. I wish the OP well in finding the answer.

cadaver0usb0nes

I am unsure about your past eating issues, but from experience and many who post here, I think this is not a real problem - at least not in the long-term. I think its part of a mental / frame of mind thing that happens to some people, especially those who are just starting and making the changes to incorporate more nutrient rich foods into their diets, rather then the emptier foods and therefore they feel fuller on less. I believe that as time goes on and your body adjusts this will not be a problem.

I say this not to be mean or insulting, but the reality is that these "complaints/ issues" are only ever really seen be people in their first few weeks and any "longer-termer" (someone who has been past the first few months and may even be in maintenance mode) knows that this is not a permanent issue - because if it was weight would NEVER be a problem lol.

Just take it slow and easy with the changes and allow your body to adopt the new eating style and you will see it get into sync and back to normal soon. (eventually you will miss these days lol) IMO dont stuff calories down just to make your intake if your not in the mood or not hungry for now, but if you dont see any appetite changes then you may need to start doing that.

I too have PCOS and eating properly and enough calories is actually very important because it can mess big time with your glucose levels - so just be wise and safe about your food choices.

Good luck.

Eating disorders are VERY Real thank you. I've struggled with them for 10 years. Screw you.

MelissaPhippsFeagins

One of the remaining side effects that I have is screwed up hunger cues. I eat on scheduled intervals, or I would go all day without eating. I still struggle daily with this. It took me 2 full years to get to what most would consider "normal" for my caloric intake.

Here was my strategy:
1) split my meals into 6 smaller ones. The goal here was to eat smaller meals more often. Not for any "metabolism boosting" BS, but because the smaller portions were easier for me to eat, without anxiety.

2) Add 100 calories each week to total goal. When you're eating small meals, it's pretty easy to add an extra 20 calories here and there without stress.

3) Calorie dense foods. If budget is an issue, I would recommend checking out Costco. I get a 5 pound bag of raw almonds there for $12.00. They last quite a while, and I consider them to be a great value. Vegan protein shakes, coconut oil, olive oil, peanut butter, cashew cheese, etc.

I wish you the best of luck.

**Edit to add: the bloat is totally normal. It's part psychological, but it still sucks. It gets better

All of this plus www.plantbasedonabudget.com : I am not a vegan or even a vegetarian, but I like a lot of their side dishes and can sub in lean meats that are on sale in the main dishes. Plus, their recipes are easy to follow.

Apocalypz

It's super easy to bump up your calories with not too much bulk. For a few examples, saute your veggies in olive oil, add some peanut butter to your yogurt, protein shake, or toast, handful of nuts, sprinkle cheese on something. These are things I cut back on when I don't have the calories for it, trust me, they add up fast with very little bulk. Even drinking a juice, or adding a glass of wine to dinner can help :drinker:

This is so true! Nuts, avocado and oils are easy to "hide" into meals in order to bring up your kcal intake. Give it a go!

Apocalypz

Peanut butter, hummus (ready made), dried fruit (raisins being cheapest), bananas and potatoes are cheap and high calorie as well. I would add canned coconut milk (to coffee or tea), and use corn tortillas/fat free refried beans as a gluten free sandwich replacement. Canned sweet corn helps to round out the meal.

Consider adding fat, like natures balance soy free margerine to potatoes or other veg.

I don't understand ednos, Or anorexia, but I do know poverty fairly well. Those foods are what I would recommend to a starving vegan.

Corn tortillas and corn chex/rice chex are gluten free options that are available on a food stamp budget.

What amazingly helpful ideas! Thank you for posting! I'm not on a budget restriction, but this is massive.

goldfinger88

I sort of have the same issue. I eat a fairly high fiber and high fat diet. Not intentionally, just because I like it and it's natural to me. But, it keeps me thin and never hungry. Good fat fills you up and keeps you feeling full. Protein tends to do the same thing. Carbs don't do that. So it's possible you're eating higher protein and fat and that's generally a good thing.

If you really are not getting enough food, add some olive oil or other good oil to your food at each meal. Or have one or two protein shakes throughout the day.

Don't worry about the calories. If you are eating enough, your body knows it. If you're losing too much weight, you may want to add some dense caloric foods. But in general, don't worry about it. If you really feel there's something wrong with you, however, certainly visit your doctor for a general checkup - blood work at a minimum.

I would agree that 800 calories a day is not enough at all. You may be a very nervous person or you may be under a lot of stress. Many things can do it. It's common for elderly people to not eat much but it's not normal for a young person. I'd just make an effort to add some dense calories.

MyChocolateDiet

Some people increase their cal intake by 100 at a time when faced with this dilemma. People on my friends list have had success this way. I've recently watched on male take his cals all the way up to 1900 so far. He is very successful.

caesar164

All these conditions and ailments that you suffer from, are a direct result of the foods you eat and your diet. You have caused all this. Your beliefs are extreme! Man has always hunted the land and fished the oceans, being Vegan is not natural or beneficial! You are what you eat! Look at your health. Your deficient in, your body is in starvation mode, and it's holding on to every pound; you probably will not lose anymore weight unless you increase your calories.. You need some protein... Proteins with complete amino acid profiles.... That comes from meat and eggs...

crystalstinson7

I average about 850 calories a day. This is frustrating because MFP keeps telling me my body will go into starvation mode. I KNOW this. I have struggled with anorexia all my life. Crazy thing is, I was eating LESS before joining MFP! My body really was in starvation mode and it was impossible for me to lose the weight I put on 2 years ago after a nightmare of a breakup (there were major emotional abuse that contributed to my VERY poor self-love).

Anyhow, I had been worrying about the low calorie intake AND I had been experiencing a lot of digestive problems lately. Reading this thread has given me hope, though. It's normal, and as long as I keep trying to increase my calorie intake to a healthy level I'm good. Baby steps, right?

Oh, and since I started eating more, I have been losing weight! How crazy is that?

ribqah

PCOS is a complex disorder and being a syndrome, different people who have it can experience widely different effects. I have it myself, and because it causes systemic hormonal imbalances, it can profoundly affect metabolism as well as cause insulin issues. BUT nutrition and exercise make a huge difference. And you DO need to get calories up. I've struggled with getting enough calories in myself, but the more exercise I get, the easier it becomes.

Since you're highly resistant to ceasing to be a vegan, I'm not going to address that. I will say that however you supplement your diet, staying away from soy and flax will be very important since both have phytoestrogenic effects (a note for those who don't know: women with PCOS usually have estrogen-dominance, which, if not treated, can lead to uterine or ovarian cancer -- by the time I was diagnosed, I already had complex atypical hyperplasia, a precancerous condition). A lot of the vegetarian and vegan options do contain one or both of these items, so you'll have to read the ingredient list carefully.

You've mentioned the high cost of nuts. This can certainly be the case, but I've found that a trip to a discount store like Big Lots scores me a variety of nuts (and PCOS-friendly grains) much more cheaply. Pecans, walnuts, chia seeds, and hemp protein are particularly good as supplements as they contain anti-estrogenic sterols. The Big Lots next to me even has Bob's Red Mill products, so it's a surprisingly good place to go if you happen to have one nearby.

Chia seeds are NOT cheap, unfortunately, and while you are still struggling with fullness at 800 calories, you'll probably feel like avoiding them -- as they are hydrophilic, forming a gel when introduced to liquid. They make one feel full. So why do I mention them to you? Well, for one thing, since you are avoiding salmon, it's a good replacement to get some of those all-important Omegas that are anti-inflammatory (chronic inflammation is another issue with PCOS). The gel you make when introducing chia seeds to water can also be used as a substitute for eggs when baking, and while it won't give one the texture of a old-fashioned cookie, I've found that using a mix of chia and almond flours to replace white flour and coconut sugar to replace white sugar gets me a fiber-rich cookie that won't send my blood sugar through the roof. It also is a great source of energy (many with PCOS struggle with fatigue). You can even make something approaching pudding with chia, so it's pretty versatile. If you're going to be a vegan, it's a really good item to add to your diet, and it stores for a long time without going bad, so if you can get your hands on a bag, it'll be something that lasts you a while, and it's worth the investment (just build up slowly -- it's high in fiber).

You know your budgetary restrictions better than I do, so take or leave what I say accordingly, but I'll tell you what I've done. I bought a personal blender that includes multiple cups and blender and grinder blades for $20 at Walmart. I grind those nuts and seeds into flours and "butters" myself using the grinder blade to get a better and less expensive nutritional mix (one can also use a coffee grinder or a regular blender with a grinder cup attachment), and I also make smoothies with it. You can add peanut butter or any of your ground nut butters (just blend the ground nuts with olive oil to make the nut butter) to smoothies, as well as a protein supplement (again, hemp protein would probably be the best option for you based on your health issues, but buy what you can afford).

I have also experienced the stomach issues you mention; for me, at least, it's just part of the PCOS fun. I have found that adding a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (which is super cheap) can help with gut and liver health.

As a PCOSer, coconut oil would also be a great choice for you, especially for baking and frying, and would add calories. I'm on a budget, but I buy a large container and use it to make things like body lotions, conditioners, and scrubs, too, which helps to save me money (lots of free recipes online for that kind of stuff). Olive oil is good for you, too, but it shouldn't be used for high-heat frying -- I use grapeseed oil when I stirfry. Any of those oils will help you get your calorie count up, but they shouldn't make you overly full.

Lentils are super-cheap and versatile. My favorite thing to do is cook them, drain them, and add them to a blender with some oil, tahini, and spices to make lots of yummy lentil hummus.

As I said, I understand that your financial situation probably won't allow you to include all these suggestions at once, and believe me when I say that I understand that it can be a challenge to do all you should nutritionally when you're on a ramen budget. But if you CAN invest in one of the more expensive food items I mentioned each month (by expensive, I mean an investment of $10-$15 bucks), you can get your pantry stocked over time and focus on boosting re-feeding in the meantime with the cheaper staples (lentils, cheap nuts, etc.).

YMMV, but I hope this helps.