Trouble meeting calorie goals

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Replies

  • keobooks
    keobooks Posts: 92 Member
    I just started as well and I have the exact same problem. I did notice that I ate a lot more when I exercised because the work made me hungry. Before that, I'd get full just drinking my water requirement and would end up 300 or so below my calories.

    my big problem is that I've been getting up 2 hours earlier so I can go to classes at the gym. I am having a hard time getting used to it so I end up rushing out the door with barely any breakfast.
  • mzbek24
    mzbek24 Posts: 436 Member
    I found the same problem when I was starting out. As others said, using a balance of more calorie dense foods helps.

    I have what I call 'fill in' foods, which I became more familiar with as I logged over a few months.
    Some days are perfect with hitting calorie and macro's in a good balance, and obviously some days not so much (for me personally, anyway)

    It happens, and if it does I can go back and look through my diary or remember the foods that helped me increase calories and get my fat intake up if I'm low (like peanut butter or nuts) or help me get my calories up without going over carbs or fats etc (e.g greek yogurt, chicken breast) or helped me up my carbs and calories without going over fat (e.g fruit) and so on, so that I know what I can have to help get me there.

    Also, I definitely find it helpful to plan ahead a day or so instead of just winging it and finding I don't make it.
    Just a couple of days or one week where you try and pre organise, trial logging different foods, might help to get you on track and more experienced with what to eat to reach the calories and macro's you need. Or cook up some food that will last a few days.

    And it may not be relevant to you personally, but I'd also make sure you try not to begin eating too late in the day, it's a trap I've fallen into a few times on weekend sleep-ins that made it really hard to try and get in all my calories because I was just too full! lol

    Best of luck with your health goals :)
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    The eating late in the morning is a huge problem for me on weekends! We usually have a big family breakfast on Sunday and don't eat until around 11 AM!

    I really appreciate all the feedback, everyone. Thank you.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member

    I've made my diary public for the time being - and you can see that I still have Egg McMuffin's sometimes ;) I


    Big fan and addict of the Egg McMuffin :P
  • Ringer1022
    Ringer1022 Posts: 45 Member
    So while it looks like you're 'measuring' everything you're eating... You should be 'weighing' it. So many times the conversion ratio on a box for the #/measurement of an item and it's equivilent weight are NOT what they are in reality. One tablespoon of preanut butter is typically a full 35-40% heavier than the package says it will be. THUS causing you to consume more calories than you've actually accounted for.

    Any simply food scale will work; I spent less than $10 on each of mine. I keep one at work and one at home. I am pretty diligent about weighing everything that I've been eating.

    I suggest you do two journals for the 'same' day of eating. Log one using the measurements and the label measurement values. Then do one weighing all of the food and entering based on weight. I bet you're 20-30% lower on the 'measurement' tracking than the weight tracking.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    My scale came in late yesterday.

    I tend to be generous with my "cups" and "tablespoons" for that very reason - but we'll see how effective I was.
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    Food scale is definitely a great call, I have 1 for work and one for home now myself.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Ice cream, wine, beer, cheese and peanut butter - my first choices when I have leftover calories :love:

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