How to increase calorie intake?

fungry_04
fungry_04 Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm struggling to eat 1800+ calories a day, Im breastfeeding and burning around 150 calories a day exercising. I'm fairly sure my body is in survival mode resulting in me not loosing any weight. How can I up my calories?with 2 young kids I definitely struggle to eat well!

Replies

  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    Step 1. Acquire peanut butter.
    Step 2. Eat peanut butter.
    3rd step, take her in your arms and never let her go. Don't you know step by step. Step by step. Step by step. You're in love. (With peanut butter)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Peanut butter, nuts for snacks, fruit (some are more calorie dense than others), cook with olive oil, use full fat versions of food instead of low fat/no fat.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Your body does not enter "survival mode" and stop losing weight. It doesn't work that way. That being said, if you want to add in more calories but don't have the appetite simply choose foods that have high calories per satiation. Liquid shakes come to mind. banana + oats + milk + peanut butter can be a 600 calorie drink! Nuts have tons of calories, full fat cheeses, meal replacement bars. Plenty of easy ideas to get calories in. That being said, if your goal is to lose weight, none of that will help. How much do you weigh, what is your goal?
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I'm struggling to eat 1800+ calories a day, Im breastfeeding and burning around 150 calories a day exercising. I'm fairly sure my body is in survival mode resulting in me not loosing any weight. How can I up my calories?with 2 young kids I definitely struggle to eat well!

    Survival mode is a myth. I would second the peanut butter etc, but my real thought is if you aren't losing weight you are likely underestimating calories consumed or overestimating calories burned.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Um, no. Your body is not in survival mode. It's also not in a calorie deficit if you are not losing weight.

    1. What is your TDEE? Height? Current weight and goal weight? How much weight are you trying to lose per week? What is your daily calorie intake goal?
    2. Are you weighing, measuring, and logging all your food? Can you open your diary?
    3. How many calories are you including for breastfeeding? Are you exclusively nursing, or supplementing with formula? Is the baby also eating table foods in addition to nursing? How long do you plan to continue nursing? Do you have any issues with supply?
    4. What kind of exercise do you do? Do you eat your calories back? How long have you been using this routine?
  • fungry_04
    fungry_04 Posts: 42 Member
    Your body does not enter "survival mode" and stop losing weight. It doesn't work that way. That being said, if you want to add in more calories but don't have the appetite simply choose foods that have high calories per satiation. Liquid shakes come to mind. banana + oats + milk + peanut butter can be a 600 calorie drink! Nuts have tons of calories, full fat cheeses, meal replacement bars. Plenty of easy ideas to get calories in. That being said, if your goal is to lose weight, none of that will help. How much do you weigh, what is your goal?

    I currently weigh 82 kilos and want to get down to 70. My goal is to loose weight but of course do it slowly and correctly and without effecting my breastfeeding. Why would I not be loosing any weight? Im exercising every day.
  • melissa_tn
    melissa_tn Posts: 37
    get some healthy fats; almonds, peanut butter, etc. If I don't eat enough calories, my weight loss stops and I've read if you don't get enough calories it could effect your b/milk production. I'm new to counting/logging, but I know it's hard to lose weight while b/feeding. Many of my friends could not lose until after they weened. I think it's trial and error sometimes, and you have an extra thing to account for since you are b/feeding. Good luck to you!
  • fungry_04
    fungry_04 Posts: 42 Member
    get some healthy fats; almonds, peanut butter, etc. If I don't eat enough calories, my weight loss stops and I've read if you don't get enough calories it could effect your b/milk production. I'm new to counting/logging, but I know it's hard to lose weight while b/feeding. Many of my friends could not lose until after they weened. I think it's trial and error sometimes, and you have an extra thing to account for since you are b/feeding. Good luck to you!
    Thankyou Melissa :-)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    Peanut butter, avocado, ice cream.

    All three have more calories than you can get full from.

    I don't suggest to eat all three at the same time.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    Your body does not enter "survival mode" and stop losing weight. It doesn't work that way. That being said, if you want to add in more calories but don't have the appetite simply choose foods that have high calories per satiation. Liquid shakes come to mind. banana + oats + milk + peanut butter can be a 600 calorie drink! Nuts have tons of calories, full fat cheeses, meal replacement bars. Plenty of easy ideas to get calories in. That being said, if your goal is to lose weight, none of that will help. How much do you weigh, what is your goal?

    I currently weigh 82 kilos and want to get down to 70. My goal is to loose weight but of course do it slowly and correctly and without effecting my breastfeeding. Why would I not be loosing any weight? Im exercising every day.

    [copypasta]

    If you aren't losing weight, then you aren't eating at a deficit.

    I'm not saying it's easy to eat at a deficit, or even to calculate whether you are eating at a deficit, but if you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight over time.

    You might fluctuate over the short term due to micro-nutrient balance along with food and liquid mass in your system, but once again, if you eat at a deficit, you will lose weight over time.

    If you are not losing weight or are gaining weight, then you are not eating at a deficit.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Your body does not enter "survival mode" and stop losing weight. It doesn't work that way. That being said, if you want to add in more calories but don't have the appetite simply choose foods that have high calories per satiation. Liquid shakes come to mind. banana + oats + milk + peanut butter can be a 600 calorie drink! Nuts have tons of calories, full fat cheeses, meal replacement bars. Plenty of easy ideas to get calories in. That being said, if your goal is to lose weight, none of that will help. How much do you weigh, what is your goal?

    I currently weigh 82 kilos and want to get down to 70. My goal is to loose weight but of course do it slowly and correctly and without effecting my breastfeeding. Why would I not be loosing any weight? Im exercising every day.

    My first assumption would be that you are underestimating the amount of calories that you are currently consuming.
  • melissa_tn
    melissa_tn Posts: 37
    YW! i think the go-to assumption is that one is overeating, even my husband told me that when I was counting and barely hitting 1200/day. We all know it's not healthy to go below that, so I decided to increase this past week, and finally started losing again. It feels a little like a science experiment to find that range of not to little or not too much. When I am busy, I under eat, and I imagine you are very busy! If you are counting, it will make it easier to make adjustments and see what works...
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    get some healthy fats; almonds, peanut butter, etc. If I don't eat enough calories, my weight loss stops and I've read if you don't get enough calories it could effect your b/milk production. I'm new to counting/logging, but I know it's hard to lose weight while b/feeding. Many of my friends could not lose until after they weened. I think it's trial and error sometimes, and you have an extra thing to account for since you are b/feeding. Good luck to you!
    Thankyou Melissa :-)

    I will have been nursing for two years as of this coming Friday. I've lost almost 30 lbs since Thanksgiving. If you want some help figuring out the issue, you can answer the questions I asked above. Or you can just ignore it. *shrugs*
  • fungry_04
    fungry_04 Posts: 42 Member
    Um, no. Your body is not in survival mode. It's also not in a calorie deficit if you are not losing weight.

    1. What is your TDEE? Height? Current weight and goal weight? How much weight are you trying to lose per week? What is your daily calorie intake goal?
    2. Are you weighing, measuring, and logging all your food? Can you open your diary?
    3. How many calories are you including for breastfeeding? Are you exclusively nursing, or supplementing with formula? Is the baby also eating table foods in addition to nursing? How long do you plan to continue nursing? Do you have any issues with supply?
    4. What kind of exercise do you do? Do you eat your calories back? How long have you been using this routine?

    sorry kgeyser, im new to alot of this.
    I dont know wehat you mean by TDEE, im 175cm tall, currently weigh 83kg, want to get down to 73. I only wnt to loose a kilo a week. My intake calorie goal is 1500.
    Im not weighing / logging any food because i simply dont have time.
    My baby is exclusively breastfed, and i pan to breastfeed for another 3 -9 months depending on how things go. And have no issues with supply.
    I go on a stationary bike 5-6 days a week and ride 15ks, my heart rate monitor tells me it burns around 225caloreis and i do not eat them back. Im not sure how many i burn while breastfeeding i havent taken it into account. Ive been on this routine for 3 weeks now and still havent seen results... i think i may have gained some muscle back though.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    You have no idea what you're actually eating because "you don't have time" to log. There's the problem. Take some of that time off your unnecessary exercise...and log your intake. I pretty much guarantee that's the whole problem.
  • fungry_04
    fungry_04 Posts: 42 Member
    You have no idea what you're actually eating because "you don't have time" to log. There's the problem. Take some of that time off your unnecessary exercise...and log your intake. I pretty much guarantee that's the whole problem.

    Thanks Megs, i think that is a problem as well. I have a toddler and newborn so im slowly getting back into it :)

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